Divine Ecstasy (The Guardians of the Realms Book 8) (5 page)

Sacha’s lips twitched of their own accord at Brianne’s words. “How long was I out?” For this much worry, she had to have been out longer than just a day or so.

“Weeks.” Brianne’s tone was hard.

Sacha’s stomach clenched. Weeks would definitely explain her sister’s worry.

The redhead turned to Sirena. “You haven’t told her?”

“No,” Sirena bit out.

“Tell me.” She knew she would appear outwardly calm, but she wasn’t. Her pulse was pounding in her ears, and desire was still burning under her skin no matter how much she pushed it away and focused on her sisters.

Sacha watched as Sirena sucked in a deep breath and nodded. “Hades is your mate.”

Sacha’s entire world stopped as she stared at her two sister Guardians. She felt everything inside her shutting down, her heart rate slowing, her breathing evening out. Old habits moving into play because she couldn’t think and she
had
to. Fate had to be joking.

A God? Everything inside her rebelled. It didn’t matter if he had been one of the few good ones. She’d spent the first several decades of her life as a slave to Gods. Memories, ancient nightmares of a time long gone, came rushing over her as if only days had passed. Her dead sister. A constant fight for freedom and survival, doing things that shamed her and made her feel like no more than an animal in a cage. Fighting to protect her son.

She breathed through those thoughts. That part of her was gone.

Dead.

When the Creators had freed the Immortals of their slave bracelets and deemed her a Guardian of the Realms, she’d been given a new life. She’d been given power and purpose, and she hadn’t even thought of that time for centuries.

She barely heard Brianne. “This’ll be okay. You know I like Hades. And Vane volunteered to chat with Hades when Drake told me and Sirena what happened.”

Two sets of sharp eyes were staring at her, assessing her. She knew her features were even and her breathing was sound. Beneath all the shock, she felt sickening numbness trying to take over; old traits had seemingly resurrected themselves along with the memories. She fought it back because that was not her. She was a Guardian. No God could ever make her feel powerless again.

She worked to manage her thoughts.

This was why she’d felt stronger when she’d woken. She had a God’s power sliding inside her veins, and that realization forced her to battle back old demons that were making no logical sense. Because this wasn’t about a God controlling her. If anything, it was her taking his power, her becoming his equal. That was how matings worked.

It would be fine.

She forced her mind to bring up what she knew of Hades. Brianne had been one of his warriors before she was lured and caged by Apollo and Hermes. Sacha remembered her sister Guardian being sure that Hades would find a way to free the Immortals and take down Apollo and Hermes. He hadn’t. It had been Drake and Pothos who had eventually tracked down an artifact that called the Creators back to contain the Deities. Her sister Guardian had been mistaken in that, but Brianne would never have fought at the side of a God she hadn’t deemed worthy of her sword.

Brianne had only been on the island a few years before the Creators had come back. She’d been spared a portion of the horrors, because all new Immortals spent the first year undergoing transformations when they were infused with animal DNA.

She and Brianne had bonded all those millennia ago. Sacha had lost Phedra decades before, but she’d gained Brianne and had always been thankful that the Geraki hadn’t gone through all the hell Sacha had lived through.

“Tell us what you’re thinking, Sacha,” Sirena started softly.

“I just need to know what happens now,” Sacha said calmly.

Both sisters narrowed their eyes at her. “What do you want to happen? Drake found Hades here and teleported him away. They have him contained in the clearing to the north.”

“Contained?” She wanted to fight. Wanted to rebel against everything, but she wasn’t ignorant, she was realistic. Resisting wouldn’t do any good. Matings were permanent; they were for eternity. They required sex and connection even after the initial frenzy was fed. It started with wild need, vows, blood bonding and then the final connection, soul bonding after a long night of consummation. These were centuries-old traditions encouraged and needed to forge the deepest connection. She sucked in a deep breath and forced those nerve-racking thoughts away.

“He really is a good guy,” Brianne said, blowing out a breath as she pushed the wild mass of red curls over her shoulder.

She’d been happy for the other Guardians, for her son, to find matches that fit them seemingly perfectly. Partners. How could she have anything like that with a God?

She mentally shook her head, knowing she’d somehow deal with Hades. Deal with being tied to him for eternity. Why had she thought the other bonds looked so beautiful? Maybe it was due to the fact that she’d never truly considered the possibility of it happening to her. Because in reality she felt trapped by fate. The thought of blood bonding during the mating ceremonies, which meant the sharing of memories, actually turned her stomach. She balled her fists, because it didn’t mean she wouldn’t see it through.

“Drake is keeping him there while we see what you want us to do with him.”

Drake was protecting her. She felt her heart clench, and a slight smile tilted her lips at the thought of the Guardian leader containing a God so she at least had the illusion of choice along with the upper hand.

Drake had always cared, though he would never admit it. The dragon had spent the millennia consumed by his duty to the Realms, to them, working harder and longer hours than any other.

Aside from maybe Sirena.

The last time she’d seen Drake, he’d been tormented and losing control of his dragon half, because his destined mate had been tortured and experimented on, making it impossible to claim her.

“Is Drake okay?” She guessed he was still holding on to control if he’d leashed a God for her.

“Sacha, you know you can talk to us about this.” Brianne eyed her.

Sacha drew a breath and nodded. “I know.” But what was there to say? A mating was permanent. Eternity bound to a male she didn’t know. Had never
wanted
to know. No Immortal had control of it, nor did they have a choice. It didn’t matter that the others seemed to fit so well. If there was even a shred of silver lining, it was the power she was already gaining from the bond and the fact that it would give her brethren a way to keep track of the Deity while he helped get Apollo back. She’d just have to look at it as one more duty.

One that would involve having a sex life. Her heart thudded inside her chest, thinking of her millennia-long abstinence. With that she was forced to consider even more. The possibility of children? As a mated female, she may actually end up pregnant for the first time in her life. Her stomach clenched. After a spell cast in the last year of the Gods reign on Earth, no Immortal had been able to conceive unless it was with a true mate. She’d never conceived, not even those years prior to the spell. No matter how many hideous times they’d tried, she hadn’t been able. Her hand went to her stomach.

She swallowed, not sure how to feel. Birth rates were still incredibly low, usually starting a decade after the bonding, but Gregoire, her brother Guardian, had managed to get his female with child on their mating night.

She shook it all off, because it was irrelevant at this point. There was no Immortal birth control, and fate had already had its say. “I’ll deal with it. For now I need to know what all I’ve missed.” She was a Guardian first and foremost.

She kept a mental eye on the link to Hades so she’d know when he was coming for her. It was a given he would at some point. The desire needed to be fed eventually.

Sirena nodded. “Okay, well, Drake and Delia completed their mating.”

Sacha stilled, surprised. “How?” She was happy for the dragon, but how had they done the impossible?

“Hades released Delia’s beasts.”

Sacha opened her mouth and closed it again. The God had helped them? By taking her beast halves?

Brianne seemed to understand her confusion and hint of horror because her amber eyes tracked Sacha’s face before she spoke. “You know Hades has power over souls. He said Delia’s animals hadn’t bonded to her, so he released them.” Brianne shook her head after a second. “He said it was possible only with her situation, so it’s not like he can just free any Immortal’s animal half.” That was a horrifying thought.

She sure as hell hoped not. Those with a true animal would go mad if their beast was taken away.

“I know. It’s still scary as shit,” Brianne admitted. “Hades has always been powerful, but I can truly vouch for his not being an asshole. I’ve seen him battle and I’ve seen him with his ranks. He’s never been cruel. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a badass, but he’s a lover not a fighter.”

Sirena groaned before snapping, “Brianne.”

Brianne sighed and threw her hands up. “I’m being honest. Also, he’s a fucking God. Arrogance is a given.”

Sirena cleared her throat before changing the subject, for which Sacha was grateful. “One thing you should know about Delia is that she’s completely different now.” The female had been tormented and experimented on by Apollo’s son, Cyril. It seemed the apple didn’t fall far from that tree. Cyril’s attempt to find a way to take any female as his mate had nearly destroyed Delia.

Sirena smiled softly. “And she goes by the name Era now. She wanted Delia to stay dead to the world.” Sacha completely understood needing a new beginning.

Era deserved a happy ending as much as Drake did. “Drake’s in control again?”

Brianne nodded with a bright smile. “Oh yeah, he is. And Era’s perfect for him. If not a little scary powerful.”

Sacha tilted her head. “Scary?”

Before anyone could answer, she had to fight another pull to teleport. Emotion hit. Anger and frustration.

“Are you okay?” Sirena asked.

“I think I’m feeling Hades’ emotion,” she said. It was a side effect of their mating. She closed her eyes, knowing she was stalling under the guise that she needed to learn everything that had happened while she’d been unconscious.

“Shit.” The healer shook her head and started for the doorway. “I know you want to know what’s happened, but I need blood samples. I’ll be right back.”

Sacha nodded at Sirena’s retreating form, happy for a reprieve that didn’t make her feel cowardly.

Brianne assessed her. “Hades might take some work, but right now the others are on his ass.”

Sacha cringed. “Bastian’s there?”

“Warning him to be respectful, according to Vane,” Brianne added, obviously telepathically communicating with her own mate. Brianne paused before adding, “Okay, here’s the good and the bad of it… Hades has a soft spot for females.”

“I’m sure.” She’d heard about the God’s appetites long ago. It had never seemed to matter that he was known for his love of orgies and females. She didn’t want to hear that, because she sure as hell wasn’t going to be joining any orgies. And the thought of having a mate that wasn’t faithful grated.

Fate couldn’t be that horrible to her.

Brianne continued, “I’d recommend bringing his arrogance down at least a dozen pegs before succumbing to his charms… That might be because we’d all find it amusing. Do what you feel.” The redhead stared off for a while, smiling. Her next words made it clear she’d been mentally talking to Vane again. “I fucking love that cat. He’s tormenting and threatening Hades on my behalf. And Vane says Hades isn’t taking any of it well. He’s apparently unable to process the fact that you might not want him as a mate.” She chuckled and her smile grew into something mischievous.

Sacha shook her head, eyeing her sister Guardian. “I’ll deal with Hades when the time comes. Right now I need to know the rest of what I missed.” She remembered being poisoned now.

“The poison from that creature knocked you out, but didn’t seem to do any permanent damage,” Sirena said as she reentered the room with a syringe. The blonde kept speaking even as she started prepping Sacha for the blood draw. “It was a lot like Hell beast venom.”

“And Hades hasn’t been able to find Apollo?” She wanted the bastard back in his box for all eternity.

Sirena shook her head. “No, he hasn’t. He’s getting nothing, but he had an idea.” Sirena distractedly spoke as she took the vial of Sacha’s blood and set it aside. “The short version—Hades, Athena and Aphrodite had a secret allegiance with another God all those centuries ago. A God from Thule, another world that had been populated by a different set of Creators. Hades tried to contact his old ally Agnarr, but another God, Kara, came through instead and attempted to take Hades, which ended in a battle. She’s locked up and unconscious at the moment, but in the process she admitted that Apollo was in her world.”

Brianna spoke. “I can give you a telepathic rundown.”

Sacha nodded slowly. She’d missed a lot and that would be quicker. “I think that’s best.” A second later she was seeing flashes of meetings and information. Drake telling the other Guardians of new Gods. Of them learning that P’s mother was a priestess of Thule. P being forced to stay away from the battle because Hades felt sure his son could be in danger from the Gods of the other world.

More images filled Sacha’s head, filtered from Brianne’s thoughts. It was mind splitting how much Sacha had missed.

She was caught by images of Hades, of him with her brethren. Of him helping free Delia of the two beasts. He truly was a sexual creature. She sucked in a breath at his beauty. She’d known, but seeing him wield his power, the way his midnight wings lifted and took up the space around him. It was a sight. And there wasn’t a doubt in Sacha’s mind that he knew just how attractive he was.

Another flash told of Nastia and Sander’s mating. The Phoenix finally got his happy ending with a female who couldn’t be more perfect for him. That made Sacha smile.