Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN

W ith a knot of dread tightening her gut, Morgan pushed open the door to the study, Atlas hovering protectively behind her, like he expected her to be snatched out of thin air.

She took a step forward and stopped dead, wincing at the destruction.

Atlas nearly plowed into her, only his fast reflexes saving them from toppling into the room, then he gave a near silent whistle as he observed the damage.

The devastation was worse than she could have imagined.

The room was destroyed, stuffing from the couch still floating in the air. Her mates, including Caedmon, stood against the bookshelves, their eyes wide as they watched the chaos. Draven even had an awed expression on his face, like he was impressed at the sheer destructive capabilities.

Loki, his tail lashing, eyes narrowed with a single-minded focus on his prey, was perched on the desk. Deep gouges marred the wooden surface. The desk canted precariously under the hound's weight, somehow having lost two of its legs. The curtains were half torn down from the windows, the rods bent like they were deformed pretzels, while the rug on the floor was scattered everywhere like demented puzzle pieces gone wrong.

If she squinted hard, she'd swear the ceiling was dripping black sludge. Scorch marks riddled the room like tiny bombs had gone off, some of the spots still smoking. There was hardly a foot of space that hadn't been hit.

Morgan placed her hands on her hips as she surveyed the room. When her gaze landed on Shade, she had to bite her lip to contain her laughter. She must not have done a good enough job, if the nasty glare he shot her way was any indication.

"Not amused," he spat through gritted teeth, his glare venomous, but he didn't dare take his attention away from Loki. Void magic swirled in his hands like black orb, ready for him to lob it in attack.

Too bad Loki was immune to magic. It was like tossing a water balloon at a small truck—it didn't even faze the beast. They were lucky that the house was even still standing.

"Call off your mutt," Shade hissed.

As if his voice was a trigger, Loki hunkered down, his ass in the air, wiggling it back and forth, seconds away from pouncing.

Then she sighed.

As amusing as it would be to see Shade get his ass handed to him, now was not the time. She stepped into the room, coming to a stop between the two of them. Loki stretched his neck out, so as not to lose sight of his target, and she just shook her head. "Sorry, boy. Next time."

Loki narrowed his eyes, a wicked glint in his gaze, the sneaky beast no doubt trying to gauge if he could get away with going around her. She reached out, scratched him behind his ear, and shook her head. "Sorry, big guy. How about we go for a run later, and you can play with the metal wolves?"

His eyebrows wiggled as he contemplated her offer, his snout twitched, then he sneezed and straightened before leaping toward the ground with a long-suffering huff of disappointment. He landed with a thud that vibrated under her feet, and he trotted toward the door, his eyes locked on Shade like the guy was a man-sized chew toy he wanted to destroy.

The closer he got to the door, the slower his steps became, until he stood frozen like a statue.

Morgan cleared her throat, and the big dog practically drooped to the floor, completely dejected as he left. As soon as his paw cleared the doorway, he perked up, whirled, then plopped his ass down over the threshold, no doubt hoping to get a second chance.

Morgan turned toward Shade and lifted a mocking brow. Which he returned with a scowl. He crushed the orb in his fist, the black smoke turning wispy before it faded away. With a flick of his wrist, the door to the office snapped shut with a thud, and a pleased smirk played about his mouth.

Despite his ruffled appearance—or maybe because of it—the man was stunning. His tousled, slightly too long, midnight black hair held almost a silver sheen that gave him a bad boy look. His violet blue eyes were similar to her own, but any other similarities ended there.

He had a charismatic charm that hid he was a rat bastard down to the core. His only concern was for his own survival. It was a warning that she best not forget if she wanted to keep living. The sooner the demigod left this place, the better.

The last thing they needed was him meddling in her affairs.

That never worked out well for her.

"Where's Ward?" Morgan was a little disappointed at not seeing the man. He seemed to be the only thing that kept the demigod in check.

"He left with MacGregor and Mistress McKay to check out the wards." Ascher pushed away from the bookcase, watching where he placed his feet as he carefully made his way toward her.

"Why am I not surprised that you're in trouble again?" Shade snarked, his smile a little more savage than usual, clearly still disgruntled at his reception.

"Completely not my fault this time." Morgan rolled her eyes and huffed under her breath. He gave her such a disbelieving look that she wanted to deck the asshole. "Rude!"

He smirked, revealing a stunning set of dimples. Most girls would swoon at the devilish twinkle in his eyes, but she barely resisted the urge to smack him on the back of the head. He must have read the intention on her face, his smile widening, but before she could follow through with her threat, he lifted his arms.

He placed his palms one on top of the other, then twisted them into opposite directions of each other. Magic crackled in the air, darkness stirring. When he slapped his two hands together, she felt a sharp tug at the center of her chest. When he pulled his hands apart, the darkness swirled and thickened until one of the last remaining magical books from the lost library of Alexandria appeared between his hands.

He walked toward what remained of her desk and swept his hand over the surface, scattering the few remaining books and papers to the floor. Just as he set the book on the surface, Thanatos entered the room.

Shade's head snapped up as if sensing his presence, then his violet eyes shimmered. One second, he was behind the desk, the next, he was in front of her, shoving her behind him, directly into the arms of her mates. "Get her out of here!"

Magic thickened in the room, darkness flooding the air until the outside world vanished.

Morgan gaped at Shade, unable to mask her surprise. He'd tossed her to the wolves more than once to save himself. He didn't seem to care that they were tied together, that if she died, he died as well.

This time was different. Instead of running, he was facing his greatest fear—a full-blooded god running free outside of Tartarus.

Ascher caught her close, but when she tried to pull away, he tightened his grip.

Like Shade's suspicions and panic were catchy.

No—not again !

She would not have her coven destroyed by two warring gods.

She slammed her elbow back, then winced at the pained grunt, but it wasn't enough to make her hesitate. She grabbed the arm wrapped around her waist and ducked under it until she had Ascher's arm twisted around his back. With a little shove, she sent him directly into the others, giving her precious seconds.

"Stop!" Morgan jumped between the two gods and held her hands up between them, keeping them both in view. Kincade stepped next to her with a furious scowl on his face that said she was going to pay for her actions later. Atlas and Caedmon wore determined expressions, creeping around the shadows of the room, ready to face off against both gods. Ryder had partially shifted, fangs and claws at the ready. Draven released his powers, chocolate goodness making the air feel like it was loaded with a drug.

She angled toward Shade, but the stubborn bastard refused to acknowledge her presence. "Shade—I would like you to meet my grandfather."

A quiver went through him, his already pale complexion turning gray. He opened and closed his mouth before he swallowed hard. Giving a short shake of his head, as if to clear his thoughts, his gaze flicked toward her before it quickly returned to Thanatos with a massive scowl. "Being related to the gods doesn't make you safe. If anything, they treat their progeny like personal property to do with what they want."

Thanatos gave a deep belly laugh that filled the room, humor glinting in his bright green eyes. "You should listen to your young protector. He's not wrong."

The muscles of her spine tightened, a chill sinking down to her bones as she slowly turned to stare at him, her own magic stirring at the not so subtle threat. "You will not touch what is mine."

Her men slowly spread out, making themselves a bigger target, and she wanted to strangle them .

Thanatos studied her, shadows shifting in his eyes like he was judging her resolve.

Or deciding their fate.

A glow surrounded him, like an aura that pierced the magic darkening the room.

Morgan swallowed hard, knowing that if it came down to a fight, they wouldn't stand a chance. She gathered her magic, wrapping the strands around each of the guys, ready to pull them into the void at the first sign of trouble.

The wards around the coven shimmered, a tiny thrum of power building like a bomb ready to go supernova. It held nothing back, the coven willing to sacrifice itself to protect them. It wouldn't stop Thanatos, but it would give her precious seconds to get the guys out and allow the shifters to run.

Howls echoed in the distance, more and more wolves joining the song.

Much to her consternation, instead of running away, the wolves headed directly toward danger, and she bit back a curse.

"Such loyalty for one so young," Thanatos said, his face impassive. "It's both a blessing and a curse."

"What do you want?" Morgan felt like a fool for allowing him so close. Not that she really had much of a choice.

"I think it's time for us to talk, granddaughter." With a flick of his wrist, magic swept through the room like a dark tornado. The mess scattered around the room vanished, the furniture scraped across the floor as it mended, the marks on the wall slowly faded, until the room actually sparkled. As the darkness peeled away, it was sucked toward him, where he absorbed it back into his skin like he was made of pure magic.

He breathed deeply, his chest expanding, as if he were being filled. Once done, he walked toward the couch, then patted the seat next to him, a tiny smile kicking up the corner of his mouth as he looked at her. "Won't you join me?"

It wasn't a question, more of a command, and one she couldn't refuse.

Morgan glanced at her mates, some of the tension going out of her when she saw that they remained untouched. Shade had a slightly freaked out look on his face, his hands clenched at his side. Her mates looked seconds away from starting a war, barely leashed violence swirling around them. Caedmon was the only one who'd retained some of his calm, giving her a small nod.

He was probably old enough to remember what it was like to live in the time when the gods walked the earth, and that boggled her mind. Feeling very much like she'd stepped into an alternative universe, she sat gingerly at the edge of the couch.

"You're so young, I sometimes forget how little you know of the gods and our ways." Thanatos paid no attention as the guys gathered at her back in a protective semicircle.

"Where to begin…" He rubbed his chin, a faraway look entering his eyes.

"How about at the beginning?" She couldn't stop the bite of snark, and she raised a challenging eyebrow, still miffed that she couldn't tell if he was friend or foe.

Thanatos gave a soft chuckle, a pleased smile gracing his lips. "You have the same sassy spark as your mother. It was one of the first things that caught your father's attention. The first time they laid eyes on each other, it was like watching a forest catch fire. They burned so beautifully together. But like all fires, it eventually burns out and turns to ash."

The smile on his face held such sadness that tears burned the back of her eyes. She was so desperate for information about her past that she had to bite her lip to keep from asking questions, afraid that if she interrupted, he would stop talking.

"Your father was a key like you." Thanatos chuckled and gave her a wink. "He would slip out of Tartarus any chance he got. It was on one of those trips that he met your mother. They were married in secret less than a month later."

The soft look on his face melted away, a heavy weight settling over him as he sighed. "Like all good things, it didn't last. It wasn't long before his secret was discovered, and hunters began tracking him. He was so in love with your mother that he didn't want to leave her, so they went into hiding. They had close to a year together when fate decided to intervene, and they got pregnant."

Morgan swallowed the lump in her throat, a deep sense of foreboding gathering in her gut like a balloon was slowly expanding. "Me."

"Indeed." Thanatos nodded, flashing her a tiny smile that melted away a second later. "They were both ecstatic and terrified. The hunters were on their trail, and your father very much feared what would happen if anyone discovered that your mother was with child. Not many are aware that being a key is hereditary, passed through our bloodlines. Your parents decided it would be best to separate until you were born and came into your magic."

Thanatos fell silent, lost in his own thoughts as he gazed down at his hands. "Unfortunately, the hunters found them first. Your father ran, creating a distraction, giving your mother time to get to safety. She waited months for your father to return, never giving up hope, but deep down, she knew he was gone. He sacrificed himself to keep his family safe."

Her hands were clenched so tight that her fingernails sliced through her flesh. Kincade placed a hand on her shoulder, and it was all she could do not to shatter.

"Your mother was smart," Thanatos said, blinking away the melancholy that clung to him. "She knew that when you came into your magic, they would come after you too. They would never stop. So she had your powers bound. She just underestimated how strong you would become."

"She died trying to protect me." Though she was coming to terms with the fact, Morgan still saw flashes of the night her mother died in her nightmares.

"The loss of your parents was a tragedy." Thanatos slumped back into the couch under the weight of his sorrow. Then his lips quirked, and he gazed up at her. "Your mother hid you brilliantly. It wasn't until the bindings around you began to fade that I realized you didn't die with her."

"Why the hell didn't you help them?" Kincade snarled, uncaring that he was reprimanding a god. "You could've prevented their deaths. You could've saved Morgan from so much suffering!"

"It's not that simple," Thanatos snapped, thunder rumbling in the distance, as if summoned by his anger. "When the gates of Tartarus closed, gods were trapped on both sides. Rules were put into place. If we wanted to stay, we couldn't openly interfere with human matters. Anyone who tried was sent back to Tartarus."

"So you traded her safety and the lives of her parents just so you could stay?" Draven's eyes darkened to completely black with the accusation.

The house shook this time when the thunder cracked outside, and the god shot to his feet. "You ignorant, snot-nosed little pup! What do you think would happen if all the gods were sent back?"

Just as Draven opened his mouth to smart back, Morgan rose to her feet. "Magic would vanish from the world. Over time, supernaturals would lose their ability to use magic. They would no longer be able to shift. Eventually, their senses would die, until they were nothing more than human."

A few of the guys sighed, the fight going out of them.

"I tried to watch over you as much as I was allowed." Thanatos ignored the boys like they didn't exist, his attention focused solely on her. "Your parents would've been so proud of the woman that you've become. You're so much like your father that I swear I can see him in you at times, like he's whispering in your ear."

A knot formed in her throat at the fondness in his eyes.

Like he was proud of her.

Then he sighed and straightened. "I must go."

"Where?" Morgan wasn't aware that she took a step toward him until he turned to look at her.

"I need to warn the other gods." Any softness in him vanished, a hardness falling over his features until a stranger was once more standing in front of her. "We need to prepare. "

"Warn them?" She tipped her head to the side, her gut churning with unease. "Prepare for what?"

"War." He gave her a smile that sent shivers up her spine. "As long as you are alive, the gods remain asleep in Tartarus. If anything happens to you, the gods will be released and we'll all pay dearly for our part in trapping them."

His tone raised her hackles, and she recognized something predatory shifting behind his eyes. She spoke slowly, her brain still trying to piece everything together. "Why didn't the gates of Tartarus open when my father died?"

"He knew the rules," Thanatos snapped, his face twisting in fury. "Don't get caught."

Morgan almost tripped over her feet as she stumbled back from the monster standing in the middle of her fucking coven. Her lips were numb when she spoke. "You killed him."

"He allowed himself to be caught?—"

"To save his wife and unborn daughter!" She stepped forward and shouted in his face.

Any hint of emotion vanished from his face, the humanity peeling away to reveal the imposing god underneath. "The world has moved on without the gods. They can't be allowed to return under any circumstances. I just hope you don't suffer the same fate as your father."

Morgan launched herself at him with a roar, knives forming in her hands, the metal warm in her grip as black flames licked up the blades. Before she could reach him, he vanished in a whirl of black smoke.

She landed hard in the middle of the room, her chest heaving as she struggled to control the rage that had no target. Her skin felt too tight as she grappled to contain her magic. It thrashed against her hold, wanting vengeance.

She was afraid if she moved, she would shatter.

While she understood his reasoning, it didn't take away the pain.

He'd destroyed her life, took away her family.

Damned if she would allow him to do it again.