Chapter 60

Evie

Ciomadul, Carpathian Mountains, Romania

T he battle still raged around the crater lake when Evie and Cole stepped out of the portal. Now, however, Cate’s forces far outnumbered Medea and Circe’s. The volcano’s shrill, piercing scream had also stopped, and the ash cloud had dispersed as if it had never existed, although pools of lava still cooled around the field. The grass was stained a shade of crimson that only came from massive bloodshed; bodies were strewn far and wide. Some of them Evie recognized as friends; many she didn’t. Was it too much to hope that their supporters had stopped the traditionalists without further loss to themselves?

Her eyes darted around those still fighting, searching desperately for Cate, Hesteia, Thea, and Bernadette. If she knew those four were fine, she could breathe more easily.

Cate was the easiest to spot, surrounded as she was by shadows, cutting through opponents smoothly with a… was that a broadsword? Where had the mother of witches found a broadsword when she most certainly hadn’t arrived with it? A second later, Evie realized that the weapon itself was made up of the nightmarish, opaque shadows that surrounded Cate. It soon became clear that wasn’t the most powerful magic Cate was wielding, though. While Evie looked on, the shadows seized a traditionalist sneaking up behind Cate and flung the witch into a tree so hard she disintegrated into a fine red mist.

Evie barked out an astonished laugh before turning away to continue her search for Hesteia, Thea, and Bernadette. The three smaller witches didn’t stand out quite as much as Cate, even with Thea’s height, but she finally spotted Hesteia and Thea standing back to back, encircled in a protective round of Hesteia’s fire. Any time someone tried to attack the pair by going through, above, or around the fire, it blazed into even more aggressive life, sending the attacker either rolling to the ground in panic to put themselves out or, if they didn’t move quickly enough, immolating them where they stood, only a charred bone or two falling to the earth outside of the circle. Thea had raised a protective ward around the fire itself, redirecting all spells that struck it back upon the caster.

Not too far from them, Bernadette crouched, blood dripping from her open hand and encircled by small shadow figures who were lashing out at anyone who came near. A tall man wearing white face paint with black makeup encircling his eyes and slashing over his mouth stood near her. Although he seemed to be watching over Bernadette and controlling the shadow figures surrounding her, his eyes were narrowed on Cate, an unreadable expression on his intense face as he watched her cut her bloody way across the field. Almost as if he sensed Evie’s eyes on him, the man glanced over at her, tipped his tall black hat at her in greeting, and then vanished as if he had never been there.

A shadow swept overhead; Evie looked up just in time to see one of Medea’s gilded drakes angling down towards where she and Cole stood. Fury burned white hot through her veins at the memory of her last encounter with the serpentine beasts, and she narrowed eyes gone neon blue on the monster as she drew upon the abundance of death magic available to her now that they had claimed their thrones. No. She had lost too much today. This ghastly beast wouldn’t take the love of her immortal life from her. This would be for Chloe. For Adelaide. For the hundreds of nameless coven elders who had lost their lives because they wouldn’t support extremism. She knew this wouldn’t stop the traditionalists, wouldn’t undo everything they had done, or protect Sandrine and her other coven sisters should Madea and Circe and whoever else out there believed in the prophecy decide to go after them. But it was at least a start.

The drake opened its jaws wide, a stomach-turning shriek pouring from its mouth as it dove. It descended quickly, but it appeared in slow motion to Evie. She could see its metallic skin, impenetrable to almost everything. Its megalodon-like teeth, razor sharp and taller than she was. Its blackened tongue, slithering from its mouth, and the ignition of fire building quickly at the back of its throne. The beast shrieked another battle cry as Evie loosed a stream of magic at the drake.

Even with its gilded armor protecting it, the drake was no match for pure unfiltered death magic. A grim smile overtook Evie’s face as she watched the monster decay from the inside out, unseen at first before its flesh peeled away to reveal its ashen insides. Minute shards of bone fell to the earth along with small drops of acidic blood that bore into the earth, leaving only charred dirt and infant snakes in its wake.

With the drake’s sudden death, the field fell quiet. Then a scream as Medea fell to her knees, manicured fingers driven into her hair, tears pouring down her face, shrieks pouring from her throat at the loss of one of her monstrous familiars. Circe turned at the sudden sound, but her gaze caught on Cole and Evie, crowned and glowing with the power of the Underworld, before it ever reached Medea.

From what Evie could see, there were few remaining traditionalists still in the field. The ones still alive were staring at them as if they had seen a ghost. And, realistically, it was almost like they had. Her and Cole’s survival, their opening of the Underworld and all that entailed, meant the end of a millennia-old prophecy, passed down through generations of witches.

Evie tilted her head and spoke to the traditionalists. “You have fought hard,” she started, her words carrying across the silent field. Beside her, she heard Cole add, “and fucking stupidly.”

Raising an eyebrow at him, she tried to signal the seriousness of the moment, but her king was having none of it. She rolled her eyes at him before turning her attention back to those in the field. “We understand what led you to fight, but we can’t support it. And,” her voice turned cold as ice. “We will not forgive it. Those few surviving elders who were involved in the insurrection at the Witches Council chamber will be stripped of their magic and their memories." With a snap of her fingers, magical bonds appeared around their wrists. "The elders who opposed your treasonous activity will escort you to the Council chambers—" She shot a glance at Hesteia, who blew a kiss at her before nodding, gathering the unbound elders, and escorting them to collect the traitors. "Where you will await Hecate's judgment. Be thankful your punishment is not worse. If your covens try to avenge your death or pursue the defunct witches’ prophecy, know that we will exterminate them like pests. I will lose no sleep over their deaths. Those who led the charge will be executed.” She turned her gaze to where she had last seen Medea and Circe, who had been bound with the rest, but the two powerful witches had managed to vanish.

Cate strode over to her and Cole, a black look marring her face. “I’m happy to do as you’ve asked. But then I would request your leave to hunt Medea and Circe to the ends of the earth like the murderous snakes they are.” A hiss left her as she added, “I will hand you their souls for Tartarus and dance to the sounds of their screams as they spend time with the Titans.”

A bloodthirsty grin on his face, Cole nodded. “Seems fair. My queen?”

“That’s fine.” Evie smothered a smile at Cole’s formality and commitment to their equality in ruling before summoning a sizable bone shard from the drake’s carcass to her hands. “Cate, when you find them, will you please give this to Medea before you bring her to us? I want to remind her of the excruciating pain and torment that we will put her through when she’s a resident of Tartarus.”

Cate nodded, taking the shard from Evie’s hand. “I will be happy to, my queen. My king.” Her shadows surrounded her, but, before she vanished among them, she added, “In case I didn’t make it clear after Cole tried to kill me in your kitchen—” Beside her, Cole snorted audibly, not a hint of regret on his handsome face. “I hereby pledge my loyalty to you both.”

Evie nodded. “We accept and look forward to you taking your role in our court once you take care of the treasonous elders and bring us Medea and Circe.”

Evie turned to Cole, preparing to tell him to take them home. Before she could say the words, though, her gaze caught on a person approaching from behind Cole. They were wearing a black leather jacket over a zip-up sweatshirt, the hood raised, plunging their face into darkness.

Both Cate and Cole caught sight of her stare and swiveled towards the newcomer.

Cole’s back tensed as he faced the stranger. “Who the fuck are you?”

The stranger lifted a tattooed hand and swiped back his hood. “A friend,” he responded in a deep voice. As the fabric fell back, it revealed short thick brown hair, carelessly styled, sitting above whiskey-colored eyes staring cooly at them. “Feels like you could use one.”

Evie stared at the man in confusion. She knew that face. She knew those eyes . She had seen them before. But where?

“My lord.” The stranger turned his attention to Evie, a small smirk forming on his lips. “Hello, goddess.”

And with those two words, the memory of a life long past that belonged only to a small part of her burst into full color behind Evie’s eyes. Standing above her was a dark shadow. “Hello, goddess,” someone sneered in a low resonant voice. Kore squinted against the sunlight, the features of the person above her coming into view. A man with thick brown hair glowered down at her, whiskey-colored eyes filled with a killing rage, blood streaked down his throat, coating his hands. That one small detail, more than any of the sounds raging around her, brought her back to herself, jolting her out of her almost catatonic state.

“You,” she snarled angrily. “You murderer!” Rage ran through her veins, and she bolted towards him, prepared to annihilate him.

“Whoa!” Her feet left the ground, Cole’s arm wrapped around her waist as he snatched her up. Her foot connected with his knee, his grunt of pain echoing in her ear. “Angel, what the hell?”

“He murdered them,” she spat, a blue veil obscuring the world.

Cole rested his cheek against hers; his eyes remained on the man. “Murdered whom?” His voice was quiet, intimate, meant for her ears only.

His low tone and gentle touch did its job; her pulse stopped pounding. The magic buzzed slightly lower in her ears. She could breathe again. “He murdered Aidoneus. And Kore,” she breathed.

Cole inhaled deeply behind her before raising his voice. “That so?”

The man nodded and shrugged. “Pretty much.” His stance was nonchalant, his voice and words indicating just how little he cared about the execution. “They were trying to take me back to the Underworld, and I didn’t want to go.”

“You’re a shade,” Cole commented. The man tilted his head in confirmation. “Any reason why I shouldn’t let my pretty little witch turn you into dust the way she’s dying to do?” Evie could feel Cole’s arm loosen around her waist as he asked the question.

“You need me.” The man tilted his head. “You two are going to have to do a lot of unsavory things to fix this shit show. I’ve been following you, and, frankly, neither of you have the skills to reclaim the escaped shades currently littering this earth.”

“And you do?”

“I know all of their hiding spots and have spent millennia snuffing them out so… ” The man’s eyes were dead. That, more so than the knowledge that he had killed Kore and Aidoneus millennia before, raised the hair along Evie’s arms. “Yeah. Yeah, I can.”

Evie shook her head against Cole’s. “We don’t know you,” she hissed.

The man inclined his head. “True. I’m Than. And I know who you are, little Evie.” His face shifted to the priest who had called the car to get her out of the forest. “And you, Cole Aidoneus, I know all about you.” His face morphed into one she didn’t recognize, but Cole's body went still against hers.

“Todd?” he yelped. “You’re my asshole neighbor, Todd?”

Than’s face shifted back to its original form. “I told you I’ve been keeping an eye on you.”

“And too many goddamn eyes on Evie.” Cole’s voice was menacing, deeper than usual, his arm banding tighter around Evie.

“Yeah, well, it’s not my fault you were finger fucking your girl in the driveway.” Than’s eyes roved over Evie, but there was no heat or sex to it. Just pure cold calculation. Even still, Cole growled at him from behind her. “The fuck was I supposed to do? Look away? You made the movie, man, I just watched it.”

Despite her own anger, Evie still found herself suppressing a chuckle at Cole’s possessiveness, rubbing her hand along his forearm reassuringly. She opened her mouth, but Cole was already talking. Well. Snarling, more like. “Keep talking about my witch at your own goddamn peril, man .” He made an angry gesture, a plume of his magic surrounding Than.

The magic cleared revealing a bound and tied Than, who looked far too bored for his current situation. “This is your solution?” One dark-brown eyebrow raised, Than stared in amusement at Cole.

“Until we figure out what to do with you, we’re gonna ward you into that house of yours,” Cole sneered. “You’ll get to go stir-crazy, and we’ll get to do whatever we want. In the meantime, I don’t want to see your face until we make up our minds about what to do with you, so… Cate!”

From next to them, her dry voice answered. “You shouted?”

“Can you take our friend here back to 1429 Seventh Street in New Orleans and make sure he’s locked down until we can get back home?” Cole glanced at his longtime friend. “Then you can go on your revenge march?”

Cate gave him a mocking curtsy. “By all means.” With a lilting tone of mockery, she asked, “Is there anything else, my liege?”

Evie grimaced at Cole and shook her head. “Nope, I think we’re good here.”

With a shake of her head, Cate stomped over to Than and snatched his cuffed hands with her own. In a sudden rush of shadows, they vanished. Once Than was gone, Cole placed Evie carefully back on the ground, a hand still positioned on her waist.

With the elders gone to escort the war criminal witches back to the Council chambers, they were finally left alone to barren field littered with bodies and stained with blood. However, there was an ecstatic three-headed dog racing towards her with glee in its eyes, and skeletal remains around them. “What in the nine realms happened here, Cole?” she asked, eyes wide.

He at least had the good sense to look a little ashamed. “I thought you were dead. I figured I would take as many of them with me as possible before I joined you.” A spray of mud splashed over them as the dog came to a screeching halt in front of them. “My buddy here decided to help me with that.”

The three-headed dog barked in excitement at her, dropping to his belly and wriggling his stumpy tail in excitement. Lady!

“Is this—” Evie lifted a hand to pet one of the dog’s heads.

“Cerberus.” Cole stroked a hand over the head nearest him; the dog whimpered in happiness. “Charon made it sound like Cerbie here has been watching over us and keeping us safe for a long time.”

“So I guess we have a dog now?” At Cole’s bewildered shrug, she asked, “Do we have enough space for him?”

“In the Underworld? Sure. At home in New Orleans?” He drew his head back. “Um, maybe?”

To be fair, she was less concerned with where they were going to put their new family member than how they were going to tackle the massive shade problem multiple millennia in the making. Cerbie knocked against her when her hand paused in its scritches. She picked back up her pets but finally looked to Cole “What now, love? We did what we needed to do to stop the initial problem, but… what’s next?”

A joking smile broke over his face. “Pretty sure there’s plenty for us to do, Angel, so you shouldn’t get bored with me too early.” At her unamused frown, he continued, “First, I think we have to put these fucking skeletons back in the ground. Pretty sure they deserve a rest after all they’ve been through. Then we’re going to pack us and this mongrel back into that terrible rented car, take it back to the company, and get ourselves home.” He palmed the back of her head, drawing her into his chest, her hand falling limply from Cerbie’s head as her body melted at his rumbling tone. “Then I’m going to make you my legal fucking wife and spend the next 24 - 48 hours making you scream so loudly that our asshole neighbor will wish he never moved in next door. Not necessarily in that order, though.”

Her knees went weak as his eyes grew heated. “Then what?”

“Then we’re going to put this Underworld back in order and restore the earth to its somewhere shade-free glory. We have a group of gods who have sworn fidelity to us, a pet guard dog apparently, and a ridiculous amount of power between us.” His thumb rubbed along the slim column of the side of her neck. “But, even without any of that, we would be fine. We may have been reincarnated for this, but we were always meant for each other so… we’ll make all of this work.”

The earth could have stopped turning around her, and she wouldn’t have noticed as she stared into his eyes. “You’re my whole world, Cole.”

The look of love in his eyes melted her. “And you’re my fucking everything, Angel.”