Realm of Darkness Read online

He shrugged. “No point trying to hide anymore, I guess. I don’t need much sleep.”

  “Me neither, normally.”

  He nodded like he understood. “Using too much energy depletes you.”

  So, he knew the basics. That made even less sense. When she’d first met him, she hadn’t felt any threat at all coming from him. He’d seemed mortal, and…not weak, exactly, but pretty low on the food chain compared to her.

  Now, Tria relaxed, like she only did when she was in the company of her equals. Being close to mortals was exhausting to people like her; she had to make sure she never ‘slipped’ and endangered them.

  “Any news from the Wolf?” he asked, just when she’d been about to ask him who, exactly, he was. Or what he was. Same difference.

  Good thing, too. There was no doubt that as soon as she opened that can of worms, he’d feel like he could retaliate, and ask her questions she didn’t want to answer.

  “Yep, he texted. He somehow knows we’re in Michigan.” Which wasn’t reassuring; if he could track them so easily, someone else might also be able to. “He’ll meet us in Lansing in three hours. Head towards the airport.”

  Destination

  Gray wasn’t the jealous sort. He also typically wasn’t attracted to men. Yet, when the tall, blond, elegant, and stunning wolf got out of his car, wearing a black coat that had gotten lost in this century and holding a cane, he had to fight against the instinct to hide Tria behind his back and hit his chest in a display of manliness. Also, he regretted to admit to himself that he totally thought, if he ever had to kiss a guy on a dare, he would have picked that one.

  Disturbing.

  Knox’s eyes were piercing and Gray was proud he didn’t squirm under the scrutiny.

  “You’ve taken after both your parents,” he told Gray, like they actually knew each other. And they didn’t. “Your mother’s eyes, and your father’s looks.” Then the wolf smiled wickedly. “Too bad your power doesn’t come from either of them, isn’t it?”

  Okay, so, who the fuck was he, and how did he know these things? Gray had never talked to anyone about that. Ever.

  He’d long suspected that the reason why he was so unhinged was because he didn’t possess his parents’ powers; his had come from his grandfather.

  “You know him?” Tria tilted her head, curious.

  Gray held Knox’s gaze warningly. The Wolf must have understood, because he was quick to end the subject. “I know of him, just like I knew of you, Demetria Winters. Knowledge is my currency of choice, just like yours is favors.”

  She smiled. “Money’s overrated. Someday, this world will end and no piece of paper will be worth squat. Now, speaking of favors, you owe me…three?”

  “Four,” Knox corrected. “Although, considering the company you keep, helping those kittens I brought to your attention seems to have benefited you?”

  He was staring at the little fluffy thing that meowed, desperate to get out of the car where he was stuck with Remus.

  Remus stayed as far as possible from the kitten, downright terrified.

  “Four then. Trust me, you owe me for that one,” Tria narrowed her eyes. “I don’t like cats. You cursed me.”

  They chuckled until, out of the blue, Knox’s expression lost all humor, and he stated, “Right, so I take it you’re here about the goddamn Scion who’s making a bid to take the world to its knees.”

  Tria nodded. “You know, I thought that would be news to you. How naive of me.”

  “I’ve had my eyes on Ajax for a while. He wasn’t a problem until now, but he’s recruited a lot of partisans. It doesn’t look good.”

  As it had to be asked, Gray said, “So, you don’t plan on joining him, then?”

  Looks could kill, so Gray considered himself lucky that he was still breathing after that particular stare-off. “I’m not a dog, Graymark Morgan. I’m the First Wolf, Alpha to all my kind.” Knox’s eyes glowed, and his words sounded like a low, thundering growl. “I have no master.”

  “Told you,” Tria mouthed, before saying out loud, “Ignore him; he’s pretty to look at, but I can’t say much of what’s happening between the ears. Let’s catch up.”

  Knox led them inside his private plane, leaving his driver slash bodyguard, right outside. Presumably so they could fly out at a moment’s notice if anything happened. Neat. Except for the driver.

  A handsome flight attendant holding a tray offered them flutes; Gray regretfully declined because, well, it was the middle of the day, for one, and he was going to have to drive at some point soon.

  Gray’s instincts would have dictated that they listen to what Knox had to say first, but Tria actually started to talk, telling him everything that had happened to them the previous evening.

  Almost everything, anyway. She controlled the conversation, omitting essentials, like the three deaths she’d reawakened; there was no mention of Ralph or Shay at all, actually. At first, Gray thought she might simply consider them inconsequential, but Knox directly asked, “Your cousins are going after divine artifacts on their own?” and she lied without batting an eyelash.

  “Yes.”

  Gray stored that information somewhere at the back of his mind, resolving to ask about it later.

  Knox listened attentively, and finally concluded, “Ajax used to be your average jerk. A kid born with the aspiration of some sort of ancient warlord; he terrorized sups in Scotland for over a decade. Something happened last year, though. I heard there was a girl; could be something else. He became unhinged, and started to look everywhere…”

  Knox seemed lost in thoughts for a moment. “What for?” Tria prompted.

  The Wolf chuckled. “Power. The power that has driven most men to madness: power over death.”

  Tria shifted self-consciously, understandably. “I take it he came to you, then?”

  Knox nodded. “I was his first call.”

  Apparently, neither Tria nor Knox believed that statement needed clarification, so Gray was the dumb one in the room again. “Why?”

  Knox smiled. “Because I was born a werewolf - a First Wolf, but just a simple mortal nonetheless - and I’m now immortal.” That wasn’t an impossibility, but making a mortal immune to death only happened after certain conditions were met. Vampirism was one of them. Mating an immortal also did the trick. “He figured, rightly, that something had occurred to make it so.”

  “Did you tell him how you were made?”

  “Yes,” Knox shrugged indifferently. “What? The guy only seemed slightly megalomaniacal and murderous at the time. I didn’t see the harm. The knowledge I gave him sent him to Greece - lovely country, full of history. He found a lot there; details of his parentage, for one. Old magic, too. All that got to his head, giving him the misguided impression he should set out to rule the world.”

  The Wolf rolled his eyes, like he’d heard that story a thousand times. And if the stories were true, if Knox really was thousands of years old, he probably had seen his fair share of megalomaniacal evil geniuses rise and fall.

  “I don’t get it.” There was a little frown between Tria’s brows. “It all sounds off. Ajax took the PIA in half an hour, tops. With hundreds of Scions, he can destroy every government overnight and take power. Why make a play for the Infernal Three? I mean, we’re assuming he wants the three of them. He could just be after the Trident; but even then, why? When he’s already got more power than anyone else on earth?”

  Knox tilted his head. “Simple answer, sweetheart. There are those he can’t control, those he can’t even kill. Those who were born or made outside of this world, and can only be vanquished by power formed, well, outside of this world. He needs more power because of us.”

  * * *

  Gray wasn’t sure what he thought of Knox, until, at the end of the discussion, the Wolf left, giving them use of his private jet. His parting words troubled Gray for a long time, despite the fact that he was now allowed champagne. It was still far too early in the day, but he was in a jet, and it didn
’t look like he’d need to drive anytime soon, so it didn’t sound like the worst idea.

  “And say hello to my favorite Eagle girl, when you get to your destination,” Knox had said, and Tria shook her head, pointing out, “I never said where we were headed.”

  “No, dear, but when you’ve lived as long as I, you find that people are awfully predictable. Speaking of which, when you get to the coast, don’t try to get Charon to let you pass.”

  That name seemed strangely familiar. Gray knew he should take the free time he had now to catch some sleep, but he just couldn’t, running everything that had occurred over the last few hours round and round in his head.

  He had let his parasite, the darker part of him, take over. It didn’t seem to have done much yet, but it might. It would. Yet, he couldn’t deny that he needed it. He would have died without it the previous day. The woman next to him, pretending to argue with the kitten she visibly adored, was probably his mate. And, also, she could raise people from the dead. And her hair was cute in the morning. So was her little nose.

  His life had done a one-eighty in no time. But it was that name that really kept him up.

  Around three in the afternoon, he finally managed to place it. It wasn’t someone he’d met, or heard spoken of. It was a name he’d heard in stories, in legend.

  “Tria?” he called, and she lifted her dark, enchanting eyes towards him.

  “Mh?”

  “Tell me we’re not going to go to Hell.”

  Charon. The ferryman who carried the souls of the dead across the River Styx and into the Underworld.

  “Okay. I won’t tell you.”

  He groaned.

  Great. Just great.

  He was practically going home.

  Wyverns

  The journey from Michigan to California, rendered infinitely more pleasant by Knox’s generosity, gave her a few moments to think about what Knox had said.

  She needed to secure the Helm of Darkness, and that meant going to the Underworld, one of the easier dimensions to reach from this world. Easier; not actually that easy, though. Bartering with Charon had been her first thought, but Knox had advised against it. What now?

  “You know, we could pretend this is a vacation,” Gray said, reclining his seat a little and accepting another flute of champagne.

  Tria rolled her eyes, trying to figure him out again.

  He hadn’t run out of the plane midair, screaming, when she’d revealed that their road was going to take them to the Underworld. If anything, he’d seemed exasperated first, then resigned. What was it with him?

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “I can’t decide if you’re brave or an imbecile.”

  His teeth flashed when he smiled; the guy would have been great in an ad for toothpaste. Perfectly white teeth. Delectable lips.

  “A little bit of this and that.” Then he grew a little more serious for half a second. “I have a few secrets, Ms. Winters. Ask me about them when you’re ready to divulge your own.”

  Fair play. She left him alone after that. Her secrets were probably going to get cracked wide open if he stuck around, but hey, until then she could carry on ignoring them.

  It wasn’t like she was ashamed of who and what she was. On the contrary. But any kid born with a super, extra-famous set of parents had the tendency to shy away from that legacy. Nothing she accomplished would ever be her deeds. She’d always be the ‘Daughter of Hades and Persephone’. He was going to ask her a thousand questions about her illustrious parents, understandably. Then, when she came up blank because she didn’t know much about either of them, there would be the pitying looks. She knew the drill.

  Didn’t matter who had given birth to her. She was an orphan; she had been since age fifteen. Before, she’d been the daughter of an absentee mom who only raised her six months at a time, leaving her to the care of strangers each summer and spring.

  Tria got it, she really did. Gods had a whole lot of stuff to worry about. And hey, her parents hadn’t tried to eat her whole, so, basically, as far as Myths went, she’d lucked out. But it still wasn’t something she liked talking about, just like Jason and Daphne never spoke of their own parents.

  They’d both been found as newborns. No news, nothing, not even a postcard.

  Then there was the other secret. The embarrassing one about her face. Daphne hadn’t stopped laughing for a whole hour after Tria’d told her. That one, she’d take to her grave if she could.

  But now she thought of it… “You’re not acting weird,” she mused, looking at Gray. “I mean, not weirder than usual.”

  He wasn’t staring at her with stars in his eyes, and he most certainly didn’t seem to be able to burst into a ballad. Whereas the flight attendant did seem positively enamored.

  Perhaps Scions were immune to her. She hadn’t met enough of them to be sure.

  “Thank you? I think. Wish I could say the same about you, though.”

  Good point.

  Tria had decided against announcing her arrival, so she was cautious when she got in town, not wanting to freak the careful and protective pride who resided in Lakesides.

  There had been no need for it.

  Knox had made one of his drivers available to them, so they rode in the back of a limo. When they got in front of the large pridehouse of the feline shifters, three people were waiting for them before the doors. A small brunette with a glare that rivaled Tria’s, and a tall, bulky blond male with intense eyes; the Alpha pair. A familiar teenager with golden skin and exotic features practically skipped, protectively tucked behind them.

  Tria jumped out of the car, enthusiastically opening her arms. Niamh didn’t hesitate, rushing in for a hug.

  “Is that a cat?” the girl squealed.

  Oh, great, she’d left the door open behind her.

  “And a dog. Oh my god, there’re pets with you!”

  Gray chose that moment to get out of the car. Niamh stared at him open-mouthed, then her gaze started going back and forth between Tria and Gray.

  “Okay, enough. This is a work colleague.”

  Ace snorted behind her.

  “And that’s his dog. And the cat is a long story.”

  “You don’t even like cats! But he’s adorable,” she cooed, patting her knee to call him forward.

  The cat lifted his head haughtily, ignoring her.

  “Aw, he’s shy.” No, he was just an asshole. “What’s his name?”

  “Cat.”

  Why was everyone asking that damn question?

  Tria finally detached herself from Niamh’s side to greet the Alphas.

  “I take it your little seer saw me coming.”

  “Actually, she stopped seeing anything, and we figured it had to be you messing with her visions again. Are you going to let us thank you properly this time? We owe you.”

  Yes, and she liked it that way. “Don’t worry about it for now. I just need to chat with Niamh for a few minutes, if you don’t mind, and then we’ll be on our way.” Then she actually decided against leaving them in the dark. “Actually, first, there’s something I need to tell you guys.”

  Reincarnation

  “Let me get this straight,” Rygan, the Alpha, said after Tria was done giving him a quick recap. “A merry band of actual gods have decided to take over the world.”

  The Head Enforcer of the Wyvern Pride cursed, muttering something that sounded like, “I knew that was coming.”

  Tria nodded. “Just giving you a heads-up. The PIA has fallen, Knox is going to be MIA. Honestly, you shouldn’t be on their radar, but if they come to you and demand your allegiance? Kneel.” The entire room full of shifters growled, even some of the kids. Tria ignored their posturing, insisting, “Don’t even question it. Kneel and live to fight tomorrow.”

  “That’s not in our nature.”

  “Then, die,” she shrugged indifferently. “Can I have another cupcake?” These things were just divine. “Also, I need to speak to Niamh now,
if you please.” No one budged, so Tria added, “Privately.”

  There was every chance that the girl would share what she had to say; she might not be a shifter, but the Wyvern was her pride, nonetheless. Every time they’d spoken, love had throbbed in everything Niamh said about the people who had taken her in. But sharing what Tria had to tell her or keeping it to herself should be her choice.

  At long last, Ace inclined her head before calling out, “Alright everyone, out.”

  Niamh laughed good humoredly as each cat grumbled on their way out of the room, some of them stopping to make her swear she’d spill later.

  “Don’t mind them. Cats. They’re super curious.”

  Tria rolled her eyes. “At least they have an excuse.” She pointed to Gray, who didn’t seem to have caught the memo. “Private conversation incoming, in case you didn’t catch that.”

  Gray shrugged, staying firmly in place. “Don’t mind me. I’m just here to finish the cupcakes.”

  Tria considered insisting, making him leave, but she thought better of it after a second.

  Because she was the only person who currently knew what she was about to reveal to Niamh, and although she didn’t like thinking of it, there was a chance she wouldn’t live very long. She wasn’t overly worried about Ajax and his goons, although if the seven hundred of them came at her in one go, the odds wouldn’t look good. But she was - literally - going to Hell. What if she didn’t make it back?

  Niamh would need backing some day. Perhaps telling Gray about her wasn’t the worst idea.

  “Alright, so, do you remember what happened a few years back, when I found you, Niamh?”

  The teenager nodded. “Yep. Some kids were chasing me, saying I was a dirty, disgusting witch. I hit my head and my body took over. It didn’t end well for them.”

  “And then you called to me.”

  Another nod. “I didn’t do it on purpose, you know, but that boy was bleeding, and not breathing, so I screamed, asking for help. I didn’t know first aid.”