“Valerie! Come back to me!” That voice. I know that voice! I look around me and see a man running towards me. I freeze, unsure why my heart is racing. Is it fear or is it love? The moment his amber eyes meet mine I rush to him, the feeling of love overwhelming me.

He lifts me up, burying his head in my hair and breathing in deep. “I thought we had lost you. I didn’t even think to try to contact you in your dreams.”

I pull back, tears streaking my face. I know this man, but I don’t remember him. Why can’t I remember him?

He wipes at the tears trailing down my face. “What wrong, Val?”

I sniffle and look up at him, my heart filled with a deep hurt. “I don’t remember you.”

 

I gasp as the dream comes back to me and tears spring to my eyes. Who was that man? I look around for Justin hoping he might be able to give me answers only to find my cell empty. Where is he?

Did my mother somehow free him?

“Hello!” I call out and wait until footsteps reach me. My mother comes into the room, Justin following her. “Oh thank god, you found the key. Why didn’t you wake me?”

They exchange a glance before smiling and facing me together. That’s when I notice them holding hands. Okay … now my mind is going into overdrive. “Mom?”

“Yes, darling daughter, Justin and I are in a relationship,” she says, having realized where my gaze went. She goes so far as to lean up and let him kiss her, which has me gagging in my cell. That’s just a new level of gross.

“Clearly I have no idea what is going on here, so why not just let me out and I’ll leave you two to live your happily ever after,” I suggest hopefully. I want to be as far from this messed up situation as I can, but I have a niggling feeling that it won’t be that clean cut.

Justin takes a step away from my mother to glare down at me. Something in his eyes has changed from the weak man who was in my cell earlier. Now there’s a ruthlessness hiding behind those eyes.

“I can’t believe how easy it was to turn you into a moping little child. All we had to do was play you like a lovesick fool and bam! We had you. Cast a little memory spell and now look at you, you’re powerless. Now all you have to do is one last thing. Then I’ll let you go and give you your memories back.”

I stay quiet, listening to the ravings of a madman while something builds inside me and a voice whispers in my heart. The same mysterious man from dreams appears in my mind, his green eyes encouraging me. I smile at him feeling the wave of calm wash over me.

That seems to unnerve Justin because he looks behind him, only seeing my mother. “What are you smiling about, fool?”

I shake my head, refusing to answer.

“Listen carefully, Valerie. If I have to repeat myself I will punish you for it. Close your eyes.” I do as Justin says, closing my eyes and hoping to get the hell out of here. “Good. Now I want you to look deep inside you, deep inside your soul for a ball of white light. It will feel like absolute peace. That’s what I want. I want you to grab hold of it and whisper the words, ‘I gift you to the god Zeus.’ That’s it, Valerie. See — it’s easy.”

I do as he says and find the ball of light. Except it’s not so much a ball but my whole body filled with light. It touches every little part of me, so I reach into the center of it, my heart. The man appears next to me and he grins at me, leaning over to whisper in my ear. The word itself means nothing at first but it floods memories through me, slowly but surely, and I start to regain myself. Before I can second guess myself my eyes snap open and I grin at Justin and my mother who are looking at me with eagerness in their eyes.

My mouth opens, and the magic word slips free, “War.”

Like the world was waiting for me to call it to my aid, the cell explodes outward and sends Justin and my mother back. My mother regains herself first, running at me with one of the destroyed bars. I flick my hand and she goes flying, impaling herself on one of the many bars that are scattered around the room.

Justin rises from the ground and I notice what I couldn’t before. It’s not really him behind his eyes. Those eyes are filled with an anger I now recognize. “You’ve made a big mistake, little girl.”

I laugh and summon red flames to my hands, bouncing the balls of fire as if I don’t have a care in the world. “No, you made a mistake. You took me from my guardians. You used my mother for your own personal means and now look at her, she’s dead. I did that. And what I do to you will be so much worse.” I pause, letting a little anticipation build. “You came into our home pretending to be a friend, but you betrayed us. For what?”

“I want the child promised me. You were supposed to be that child but Hades hid you from me. I would have accepted a child from your womb, but your revelation has changed my plans. Now I have no choice but to steal your magic as my own.”

I laugh at the absurdity of his words. “Seriously? You wanted a child? Just so you could shape her into what you wanted in a wife? Well, newsflash. I was never that girl. I would never have allowed myself to be swayed. After all, Zeus, you’re not just facing a Goddess of War but also a Goddess of Witchcraft.”

He seems surprised I could recognize his identity, but I felt it when I touched my light, as if it was telling me what I needed to know.

“All my memories are back, and my parents are going to be here any second. I imagine they are going to be pissed.”

He doesn’t say a word and I can see he’s planning to attack me. He wants my power. Since there’s no way I’ll give it to him voluntarily, his only option is to take it in my death.

He seems to realize the same and throws debris my way, which I fling to the side. It distracts me enough that he takes off at a run.

I give chase, refusing to let him get away. That bastard is not getting off that easy. It’s not until we’re out in the huge front yard that I realize we are on an island. That would explain why the guys haven’t been able to find me yet.

I throw my hands out determined to stop Zeus, creating a dome around us and trapping us in together. I have no idea what I just did but now we’re stuck together.

My mother, father and guardians all appear, running from the building I just came from, followed by Nat, Dad and Cassandra. They all look at me with relief, but Jaxson looks pissed, having realized I’m trapped in here with Zeus.

Zeus inhabits Justin’s body, but I can’t think of him as Justin. Only Zeus. Thinking of him as Justin will make me hesitate and that’s something I can’t afford. Zeus will kill me if he can. After all, it’s the only way for him to get the beloved power he needs.

I make the first move, throwing fire at Zeus, relishing in the surprised look that crosses his face. “What’s the matter, Zeus? Didn’t think I’d be capable of anything other than War? Well, surprise.” My light is guiding my actions and I throw pure power his way, sending him slamming against the wall of my bubble. I wobble on my feet feeling slightly drained and I ignore the concerned noises coming from my guardians.

Zeus gets to his feet, a smile forming on his face. “You may be powerful, but you’re untamed. Your magic doesn’t know what it’s doing. It’s like a creature trapped in a cage needing a master to tame it. I can be that master,” he suggests, coming closer.

“No, thank you. I’d rather my magic be an untamed beast than let you get your murderous, power hungry hands on it. Besides, I’d never be able to trust you. After all, you killed your own brother. Why would you hesitate in killing me?”

We both raise our hands, lightning coming from Zeus, flames coming from me, and we’re flung back onto opposite sides of the dome.

I get to my feet and notice Jaxson and Zane both glaring at me. Zane growls through the thick bubble. “Let the dome drop, Valerie!”

I don’t answer him, because if he knew the truth he’d be scared. The sad thing is, while I meant well keeping Zeus here, I have no idea how to bring the dome down. I can’t let Zeus know I have no control over it because he may find a way to use it against me.

Zeus stares between me and my guardians and I know he’s already figured it out. He starts walking towards me, a cocky grin on his face. “She can’t bring the dome down, boys. She wanted to be all tough and prove her worth to you but in doing so she’s signed her death warrant. Which means you all get a ringside seat to her death, my sons. She’s tiring a lot faster than I am. I daresay she’ll only last another ten minutes.”

I don’t respond, refusing to give him the satisfaction, when a pressure builds within the dome. I look around for the source of it but Zeus doesn’t seem to notice anything different.

“Say my name, Valerie.”

I grin when Hades’ voice, a voice I now recognize, whispers through my mind and look Zeus in the eye as I speak his name. “Hades.”

Red leather covers him from neck to toe. He has silver plated shields layered over the top, and on the front of his chest plate is a carving of a three-headed dog. Holy fucking shit! I wonder if the guys have battle armor like that? If not, I think I am going to ask Hades who the hell his designer is, because I need that armor on my men.

Maybe Hades would make some for me?

Zeus glares at me before focusing on his brother. “Hello, Hades. Fancy seeing you here.”

“Oh come now, brother, surely you didn’t think I would just leave you to pick on those who are weaker than you? I may not have been able to help Poseidon against you, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you near my nephews. It’s bad enough you tried to poison them with your filthy war,” he spits.

Zeus turns his attention to my guardians with a sneer. “Ah, yes. My sons. The ones you turned against me. I thought it was extremely coincidental when the Oracle told me they would play an important part in me finding the key to the light.”

As they talk to each other I feel a nudge in my magic. I recognize it immediately as Hades. My magic is itching to respond so I let it go. It starts to flow into him while he and Zeus fling insults back and forth. I become weaker as time passes until something changes in Hades.

Hades rolls his eyes and lunges at Zeus with a sword that appears from nowhere. Zeus wraps his hand around a dagger behind his back. I watch as he deflects the blow and sends the dagger flying — at me.

My reflexes have been slowed by the magic drain. The dagger hits me in the chest and I feel my power stutter, the dome disappearing from around us. Hades looks back and sees me, his face going pale in fear. He battles with Zeus more ferociously and I feel myself falling to the ground before arms catch me. Jax is holding me, looking down at me in panic. My head rolls to the side in time to see Zeus disappear in a bolt of lightning.

Hades turns, coming to me and dropping to my side. Blood is running down the side of his face but he doesn’t care. His eyes are focused on mine for a moment, searching for something before he frowns down at me, annoyed. “Valerie! My god, woman! Why did you siphon power to me?”

“She did what?”

Zane is looking between Hades and I in frustration. So many people are around me and my power starts to rise when Hades puts a hand over my head. Immediately the power goes back into my body.

Hades looks up at everyone surrounding me. “Guardians only. The rest of you need to back up a bit because it’s making her edgy.”

I feel the footsteps through the ground but I no longer care what’s happening. I just want to close my eyes, to rest.

“Valerie! Let my magic in!” Hades growls, his hand moving to the area around the dagger sticking out of my chest. I have no idea what he means. I look back to the people surrounding around me and offer a smile. The pain is easing up but Hades’ pressure on my chest is still iron tight.

“Damn it, Valerie!”

Hades looks over at Jaxson, his eyes pleading. Something crosses between them and I smile, glad that they have their uncle around. Their father’s a bit of a douche though.

Hmmm, my thoughts are a bit of a muddled mess. Hades looks down at me and his eyes show a pain I don’t quite understand. Why is he sad?

He leans down towards me, his lips caressing my cheek. “I am so sorry for taking this choice away from you.”

Huh? I frown, confused, when he leans in and presses his lips to mine. At first,I’m so shocked I have no idea what to do, when finally my magic rises and responds to his. When he pulls away a tear falls down his face. Searing pain explodes behind my eyes and I can’t help but scream until Hades’ power forces me to fade into unconsciousness.