Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123065 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
I roll my eyes. “Lose the ponytail.”
He sighs and eyes me up and down. “Pick a style, what is it now? Grumpy millionaire with deep dark secrets and a fetish for spanking?”
“The fact that you know that’s a kink is only mildly alarming.”
“I know everything, and I have to say it’s even more alarming when you live with werewolves who do, in fact, mate; only to walk by humans who dream of being slammed against a wall by one. Do they have no common sense of how many bones would shatter in their bodies? Humans don’t just magically heal from a good lick.”
I snort out a laugh. “I mean some don’t.”
“Would you even know?”
“I’m not dead.” I shift nervously on my feet and look away; that’s a low blow. “You know I’ve always had rules when it comes to humans.”
His eyes narrow. “I bet you would shut down Tinder if you created a profile.”
I snap my fingers on instinct as a small blue flame erupts from my hand. “Tell any of the rest of the immortals, and I’ll singe you alive, you know I can.”
He shrugs. “I can’t die.”
“Yes, but I could make you wish for death over and over again while your body tries to heal from my burn.”
Anubis crosses his arms. “She’s here. I already have Cassius on it.”
Son of a bitch. The last thing I need is a fallen angel on the job to add to actual chaos. “You told him?”
“Listen, everyone knows, like everyone who chose to stay with the humans knows, everyone—”
“Please stop saying everyone,” I implore through gritted teeth. There was a reason I was trying to be so careful about this. No attachments. I’m leaving them and this godforsaken world behind. The immortals that stayed have done something dangerous—they’ve gained humanity and forgotten Olympus.
He’s quiet for a minute, and then his very cold hand touches my shoulder and squeezes. “Are you truly sure this is what you want? It could get boring up on Olympus; you know how immortals like to toy with humans. It’s not really your scene.”
“I’m tired,” I snap hearing the loud music from the bar makes me even more annoyed. It was never supposed to be this difficult or this long. “I know I belong up, not below.” Frustration has me shaking away from him. “I want peace, I want the screams of humanity, the bitterness of their cries to stop, and most of all, I want to end Chaos for good. The only way to do that is to take the last bit of power he thinks he has and catch him at his weakest. If I let her live, what does that make me?”
Anubis pats me on the shoulder and drops his hand. “Human, it makes you human.”
“What?” I shrug away from him “You know how insulting this entire argument is.”
“Ever wonder?” He turns and walks toward the window. “Why the stars sing so loudly and watch from above?”
I roll my eyes. “I know you serve the Creator and that they’re very lovely, but I’ve long ago lost interest in your heavens. I want to rule. I want my power. And I want to go where I belong.”
He ignores me as if I don’t know the stories or the way the skies tell them. “They choose to fall and sacrifice to save one human each lifespan. Why would something ever choose to crash down to earth? Why would it be an honor to sacrifice for something so … small?”
I hate his riddles. I hate his stories. He always tries to convince me to stay, and I always try to convince him why I can’t. “Since you won’t leave until you tell me—why?”
“Because we’re nothing special, Cyrus.” He uses my human name, one I hate because it reminds me of my own weakness. “It is an honor to humble yourself and die for the weak—even if they are undeserving.”
“Let me know when she’s on her way,” I snarl, ignoring the tightness in my chest and the way it once again reminds me that I won’t just be ascending to the Mountain but I’ll be leaving friends I’ve no choice but to count as family. It’s not my journey though, it’s not my test, it never has been.
He bites out a curse. “Fine, I’ll text you when she’s on the way. Who do you want to do the training?
“It’s bar tending, not rocket science.” I sigh. “And I need to keep her close so it’s going to be me. I don’t want her having a lot of contact with the others…Besides, they’re all pretending like the world isn’t burning, having kids, giving up on the trials. And don’t think I know exactly what you have planned. I’m not going to end up married off or worse have one of you scare her shitless with your stories of fallen angels only to drop her off at my doorstep and say survive. She’s mine.”