Avenging (The Rising Series Book 3) (23 page)

“Oh really?” She sprang forward and grabbed onto the soldier. He tried to dodge her hand, but failed to do so. He pushed and squirmed under her grip as she wrapped her arms around him. He was finally able to break free, and she sprinted toward another. He ran and avoided her. She abruptly changed direction and touched another guard. Here she was playing an insane game of tag until a rumble swelled into an explosive roar.

“Nikoleta!” The booming voice caused everyone around to fall to their knees, including Triton. He looked up to see Nikoleta alone was still standing. And she was in the shadow of her mountain of a father. He stood thirty feet high, and his furious eyes glowed orange.

“You have disobeyed me for the last time.”

“But Father—”

“You will not speak! This sea-god commits treason by disobeying his king. I will not stand for any disloyalty. For this, he will be stripped of his powers and executed.”

Nikoleta’s wailing denial rent the air. “No! Please, Father,” she said, dropping to her knees. “He did nothing wrong. It was all me. I’m the one who snuck out to see him. I’m the one who deceived the guards. I’m the one who has lied to you and everyone around me. Father, please. I love him. If you kill Triton, I swear on the River Styx that I’ll never forgive you and I’ll never speak to you again.”

The king looked stunned by her words, as he should be. Any oath sworn on Styx could not be broken.

He shrank down in size as he staggered back. “You would choose this sea-god over your own father?”

“I love him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You never gave me a chance. Whenever I even hinted at making a friend, you’d give me a lecture. When I suggested I might one day want to marry, you would explain that it would be too dangerous. What did you expect? That I would be happy to live forever locked in my room, isolated from every other living being? If that’s all I have to look forward to, I beg you, execute me instead. I can’t stand the thought of living forever alone. And I really couldn’t live with myself knowing that I’m the reason the only man I ever loved is dead.”

“I was trying to protect you,” he said, his voice shaking.

“And who will protect me from you?” she said, her voice cracking. “I may have a beautiful place to live and plenty of food to eat. But no matter how beautiful it is, it’s still a prison. And I just couldn’t bear to remain a prisoner.”

“So you snuck out.”

She nodded, a tear leaking down her cheek. “The first time was a year ago.”

“How? Did you know what dangers surrounded you?”

She nodded again. “Nothing happened. There were a few close calls, I’ll admit. But Triton saved me. He protected me. That’s all he’s ever done. He kept me safe. Watched over me. And through it all,” she looked over to him—her eyes filling with tears, “we fell in love. I told him my secret months ago. He could have taken advantage of me, but he didn’t. He’s only ever wanted to protect me. So now, I beg you, please have mercy on him. He deserves a better fate for what he has done to help me.”

The king looked at Triton for several moments, and then he looked to his tear-streaked daughter. “I’m sorry for your suffering, Nikoleta. But I will not do anything to endanger you.”

She nodded, her lip quivering as she fought off tears.

“But… I don’t want you to suffer more. So, I
will
spare his life, and if you both desire it, I’ll grant your marriage.”

“What? Oh, thank you—”

“If,” he interrupted, “the Fates can tell me you will not be harmed because of this union.”

Nicole nodded, hope lighting her eyes.

Triton frowned, not quite as hopeful as Nikoleta. He didn’t like the idea of three women deciding his fate.

Petros dropped to his knee and spoke reverently. “Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, I implore you. Would you please come and advise the king of the gods?”

A silvery mist flowed in from an open window. The haze materialized into three women who stood above the king. They were tall, regal, with flowing, white hair. They had a beauty as endless as time. They actually looked a lot like Sara did now.

The three of them opened their mouths and spoke as one. “We have seen what you want, Your Majesty, but the answer is not as simple as it seems. For the sea-god has already harmed the princess. Because of his actions, she will suffer greatly.”

Petros’ hand went to the hilt of his sword as his furious eyes pierced Triton.

“Do not act rashly,” the Fates continued. “To harm the sea-god now is to harm your daughter, for he is the only one who can save her. Unless these two are wed, you will be forever lost and your princess will die. Join them in marriage while you can, for soon, fate will drive them apart, and the only thing that will save both you and your princess will come from the tie that joins the hearts of these two lovers.”

At those words, the Fates disappeared.

Triton remained standing, still bound by the guards. At the wave of the king’s hands, he was free. The king stomped over to Triton, who had fallen to his knees and bowed his head.

“I will do what the Fates ask,” Petros said. “But if you do anything more to harm my child, I swear I will call upon all my power to destroy everything and everyone you hold dear.”

“I would rather die than harm Nikoleta, Your Majesty,” Triton answered.

“I would rather you did too,” the king said, turning to his guard. “Tell the handmaidens to prepare a wedding bath for the couple. Oh, and tell Poseidon that he is to attend his son’s marriage celebration tomorrow. It’s time to get these two wed.”

The rest of the scene flew by in a flurry of activity. In a short time, the palace on Olympus was adorned in the most elaborate decorations Triton had ever seen.

As Triton relived the image of his past, his memories were restored. But then, he was pulled away to a scene he’d never actually been part of.

Sara. She was at work here. There must be something she wanted him to see.

Triton found himself overlooking Nicole as she tightened a belt over her white chiton. The dress, made from the finest linen, shimmered like pearls. She looked like an angel.

Triton wondered for a moment where all her handmaidens were. She should not be dressing herself. But then, he remembered. No one was allowed near her, and no one was allowed to touch her. To violate those orders would mean death to those who foolishly disregarded them.

A soft knock came from the door. The knock was strange, with a patterned rhythm.

“Grandma!” Nicole shouted before she pulled the door open. “Can you believe it? You were right. Everything worked out for the best.”

Aphrodite stepped into the room, her face outshining the shimmering pink dress she was wearing.

“I told you,” Aphrodite said. “Love wins out in the end. Every time!”

“But,” Nicole looked around, “you probably shouldn’t be here. If my mother finds you, she won’t be too happy.”

“I won’t stay long. I just wanted to give you my wedding present.”

“What kind of present? Why can’t you give it after the ceremony?”

“I don’t want anyone else to hear—especially Triton.”

“What kind of present don’t you want Triton to know about?”

“Well, first of all, you know I love him like a brother, right?”

“Of course.”

“And you are my favorite granddaughter.”

“Yeah, right. You say that to all your granddaughters.”

Aphrodite gave a knowing smile. “Well, I’m doing this for both you and Triton’s protection.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Then give me your hand.”

Nicole’s eyes narrowed as she raised her trembling arm. Triton could see the fear in them. As much as it seemed she cared for her grandmother, she was hesitant to touch her.

Once Nicole’s hand was in her grasp, she spoke. “I wish that your womb will only carry children born by your husband.”

Nicole pulled her hand away. “Oh, Grandmother! That’s a foolish wish. I would never give myself to anyone but Triton. We’ve both agreed to be faithful to one another.”

“Oh, I know, I know. But I also know that things change, and temptation can be hard to resist. And the treachery of the gods is unmatched. I’ve not always been the best mother and role model to my children and grandchildren. But I want to protect you from all the trouble that can come with the birth of an illegitimate child. Believe me; it can be extremely difficult to deal with the ramifications. I just want you to have no doubts to who the father of each of your children is.”

Nicole shook her head. “I may think it a foolish wish, but I understand you are trying to help us.” Nicole sighed. “Thank you.”

Triton thought of the numerous lives Nicole must have led. She could have born many children, by any number of men. But Sara was her only child. His child.

He offered a quiet thanks to his old friend.

I’m going to give you one more memory. But I’m leaving. This last one is private and for yours and Mom’s eyes only
.

At Sara’s words, Triton found himself with his wife asleep in his arms, her face literally glowing. His body was exhausted and extremely content. Nicole’s wedding gown lay in a heap on the floor and in a bed of flower petals. He regretted that Sara hadn’t taken him back farther, so he could have enjoyed reliving the entire wedding night. Yet, despite the fact he hadn’t relived it, he remembered it and he looked forward to what was yet to come. But then the words of the Fates came to his mind. Soon, he and Nikoleta would be driven apart. He squeezed her tighter as those words haunted him. She moaned, her eyes fluttering open. “Hello, husband.”

He smiled in response to her joyful countenance. “Hello, wife.”

“You know, sleeping was not something I planned on doing tonight.”

He laughed. “We haven’t done much sleeping, and it’s nearly sunrise.”

“Well, then. I think it’s the perfect time to awaken. I have wifely duties to attend to.”

Triton frowned. “What wifely duties?”

She spread kisses across his chest. “These… wifely… duties.”

“Hmm.” He chuckled. “Well, you don’t want to shirk your responsibilities.”

The sun arose without a thought from the newlyweds.

Nicole lay awake while sunlight lit up the bedroom of the farmhouse. She felt drained, both physically and emotionally exhausted. Sara had left hours ago, but the images refused to leave with her. Last night was a series of dreams reliving the best and worst memories of her past lives. Her memory was now completely intact, from her time living among the gods on Olympus, to her short, glorious life married to Triton, and then to her countless human lives, including her life in Honolulu with Sara. All the memories were there. And that knowledge was both liberating and distressing.

Ares had imprisoned her father, ripped her from her husband’s side, and then used her to fulfill his sick fantasies. For the last two thousand years, she lived different versions of the same life. Always Ares would drop her down into the life of a human, replacing her. And then he would replace himself in the stead of the husband, lover, or worse—her master. The one time he slipped up was when he left her stranded in Honolulu for over a week. Ares had initially played the part of her boyfriend, but then he took off, leaving her abandoned. He didn’t give her a clue as to when he’d be back. Then Triton came on the scene, she forgot all about her pseudo boyfriend, and fell hard and fast for Ty. Something inside her recognized who he was. Unfortunately, Triton didn’t stay, but he did leave her with a piece of himself—his daughter in her womb. Obviously, Ares had been furious when he returned and found her pregnant.

Nicole had no idea why the war-god was so obsessed with her. Perhaps the situation made her the perfect candidate for allowing him to live out his fantasies. But regardless, she was through with it. Somehow, she’d make him pay for toying with her life and imprisoning her father.

The door cracked open, and Ares face poked in. “Hey, you’re awake.” He stepped in the room and sat on the bed. “It’s past noon. How are you feeling?”

Like I want to shove a hot poker through your eye socket. “
Better, still tired.” She pushed herself up to a sitting position.

“How about I bring you up some breakfast?” he asked sympathetically. Nicole had to admit he was a great actor. Well, she was a good actress herself, and she knew exactly what to do.

“Sure. I could eat.”

Minutes later, he brought her scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. “Here you go. I cooked it myself.”

She blanched at the food. “Oh, I don’t think I could eat something that greasy. Do we have some fruit?”

He frowned and mumbled, “Sure.”

Minutes later, he came back with sliced-up oranges, apples, and grapes lain neatly in a bowl.

“Um, honey,” she said. “You know I’m allergic to grapes.”

He looked confused. Still, he gathered the grapes and popped them into his mouth. “There, how’s—”

“I still can’t eat those,” she interrupted. “The grapes touched them. Do you want me to die?”

He looked like he wanted to say something but closed his mouth, cutting off his retort and sighing. “I’ll be right back.”

He came back with a whole orange and whole apple, one in each jacket pocket. He tossed them to her. “There. Breakfast is served.

“Listen,” he continued. “I’ll be out all afternoon. If you need me, you can call me on my cell.” He stepped toward the door.

“Okay, honey. Love you,” she practically sang the words as she smiled.

He looked her over, scowling. She worried that she overdid it. But then, finally, he gave her a weak smile and said, “Love you too, sweetheart.”

Yeah, right. You don’t know what love is.
But there was one thing she could be grateful for.

The house was empty!

Nicole smiled as she munched on the fruit, stepping over to the window. The truck Ares drove bumped down the long driveway, leaving a cloud of dust in the distance. Sara had warned her not to try to leave, but with Ares gone, why couldn’t she just take a little drive? After all, if he were keeping up pretenses, she should be able to run to the grocery store without rousing suspicion. Right?

There should be an old Geo Metro in the back, and the keys should be in it—if the memories of the woman she replaced were accurate.

Nicole stepped out the back door, and there the car was. An old, beat-up, blue vehicle that had definitely seen better days. She just hoped it started. She stepped toward it, searching the woods around the place to see if there was anything to be afraid of. All seemed quiet.

Her breath stole away at a mound of freshly dug earth near a lone tree just past the edge of the graveled driveway. Goosebumps rose on her arms as she stepped toward it.
Could it be?

The memories and images were still fresh in Nicole’s mind of the woman she replaced, and her husband. Her husband was a stern man, but he loved his wife fiercely. His wife, the one in Nicole’s head, was a troubled woman with low self-esteem. She loved spending her time in the garden, working the soil. They desperately tried to conceive a child. All the woman ever wanted was to be a mother. To have a child that looked up to her as the most important person in his or her life. But she would never be able to experience that feeling now.

Nicole swallowed the lump in her throat.

A shovel was propped up against the tree, beckoning her to dig and perhaps solve a mystery. Nicole took the shovel in her hands and drove it into the soft earth. She dug down several feet before she heard a thump. She carefully dug around, trying not to disturb the contents in the ground. She would have used her hand to carefully clear away the dirt, but she really didn’t want to touch whatever was buried there.

Something white peeked from within the dark brown dirt. She used the shovel to clear the earth away. Her breath came in quick gasps as she unearthed more and more of the object. It was a bone—a big one. It looked to be a pubic bone, and it was gouged with deep marks, as if something had been gnawing on it.

She was no expert on anatomy. It could be an animal bone.

The shovel shook in her hands spilling dirt as she scooped up the bone and set it on the ground beside the hole. She’d only just begun to dig again when she hit something else. A smaller bone—long and slender. That one, too, could be an animal bone. The wind picked up, and the leaves rustled restlessly in the tree above.

As she lifted the next bone, white shone below it—another bone. She cleared away the earth, and her heart slammed against her chest.

This was no animal
.

A hollow eye socket of a skull looked at her from within the grave. A whispered voice blew over her skin as she trembled. She shook hard as she shoveled the bones back into the hole and dragged the dirt across the ground to cover the evidence. She looked carefully to see that it looked the same as she’d found it. Ares couldn’t possibly know she’d seen this.

Nicole shook her head. They were dead. And who was she fooling anyway? She’d known the couple was most likely dead. But seeing the skeleton made it all too real.

No matter what Sara said, she just couldn’t stay here.

Putting the shovel back against the tree, she rushed to the car. She skidded to a stop at the creature sitting atop the vehicle. It was a monster, a demon with wide, black wings like those of a bat. His leathery wings collapsed against his body as he sank into a crouch.

“You were not supposed to see that,” he hissed. “The captain will be displeased with you.”

“Do you mean Ares?”

“Hmm. You remember.”

Her heart pounded in her chest. “What are you?”

His raspy voice chuckled. “I’m your guardian angel.”

“You don’t look like an angel.” She darted a look toward the house—about fifty yards away. “More like a devil.”

He leapt off the car and landed in front of her. Nicole jumped back. “I can be,” he said. “I can be as cruel as any devil.” He circled her, his eyes wandering over her. His forked tongue flicked out and back into his mouth as if to taste the flavor of the air. “But I didn’t used to be.”

She needed to get to safety. But the house was too far away.

“You didn’t use to be what?”

“Cruel.”

Nicole was frantic to escape, but she didn’t see any way out of this. So she did what she always did when faced with difficult situations. She conjured some attitude and opened her mouth.

“Really?” She straightened up and raised an eyebrow.

“I was once quite the gentleman.” His smiled widened, showing white teeth stained red along the gum line.

Nicole barked a laugh. “I can’t quite picture you a gentleman.”

He stopped in front of her and faced her full on. She wanted to cringe away, but she didn’t. She stood her ground and smirked.

“I have the captain to thank for that. Using a power born from the Underworld, he brought me and my troops back from our graves. He restored us and breathed life into our dead corpses.”

“You don’t
look
like zombies.”

“Not zombies, vrykolakas. He brought us back stronger, better, more powerful than we’d ever been in life.”

“So what are you doing here?” She looked at the quaint farmhouse.

“We’re here to keep others away from you.”

“We?”

“Me and my fellow troops.” He looked at the trees lining the clearing.

“What do you do when other people come around?”

He smiled and licked his lips. “I don’t think you want to know.”

She looked at his teeth—pointed, sharp, and about the same space apart as the gouges on the bones. “You kill them, don’t you?”

“If the captain allows it.”

“Do you eat them?” she asked, not knowing if her stomach could handle the answer. But Sara said she was going to bring help to free her. Nicole needed to know what situation her daughter was coming in to.

“Human blood is delicious and soothing to my dry, parched throat, and the flesh…” He smiled, closing his eyes as if he were savoring the memory. “Mmm, so succulent.”

Okay, there was absolutely no way she’d let her little girl near a creature like this. Nicole just needed to think of a way out of this situation herself.

The monster’s eyes sparkled as he raised his eyebrows. “I’m sure the captain would be interested to know that your memories have returned.”

Nicole pressed her lips together. She’d been stupid to mention Ares. Once he found out she remembered everything, her chance for escape would be over. She really needed to make a plan. First, she needed to know what she had to work with.

“Why do you follow him?”

“I owe Ares my undead life. He led my fellow troops and me in battle years ago. As long as we obeyed his orders, we could not be defeated. And then even after we were dead, he brought us back from our graves—stronger, more powerful.”

“So his strong, powerful undead army is on babysitting duty? Why would you do such a menial task?”

“The captain loves you.”

“Ha! Ares doesn’t know what love is.”

“He risks much to be with you.”

“What do you mean?”

He shook his head. “I cannot say.”

“Have you ever loved anyone? You said you used to be alive,” she reminded.

His brows furrowed. “Why do you want to know?”