CHAPTER 184

CHAPTER 184
The room fell silent.

"You want me to fight a god who's existed for millennia," I said slowly. "And somehow bring him to his knees."

"Yes," Pelagius said simply.

"And if I can't?"

"Then you get Claire out and we try another way," Mother said. "But Celeste, you have three divine powers now. If anyone can weaken him enough for us to enter safely, it's you."

"How do I even fight him? What are his weaknesses?"

"Pride," Mother said immediately. "He's been isolated for so long, rejected by his siblings, abandoned by his wife. He craves validation. Use that. Make him underestimate you."

"He also has a temper," Pelagius added. "Make him angry enough and he'll get sloppy."

"Great," I muttered. "Make the god of the Underworld angry. What could go wrong?

"Everything. But we have another plan in case that goes awry. The backup plan is simple," Mother said. "If you can't weaken him, grab Claire and run."

"But if I can weaken him?"

"Send a burst of power through your bond with me," Pelagius said. "I'll feel it and come. But only if you're certain he's vulnerable enough that the domain won't lock me in."

I nodded.

"What about the layout once we're inside?" Reya asked. "Where's Claire?"

That was her part in all of this, getting her lover and my friend out of that place.

"Holding cells in the eastern section," Ixion said. "Past the ballroom, through part of the maze. That's where Celeste and I were kept. I can find them again, but we need to move fast once we're inside."

"What about getting out?" Josh asked quietly.

"I'll just teleport us out and then we'll come back to help Celeste defeat Hades.”

"If only your powers were working that other time,” I sighed, remembering the madness that occurred.

"How did you escape?" Pelagius asked, his signature frown present.

"Rowan flooded the ballroom with lust," I explained. "Distracted everyone, including Hades. Left an hourglass of lust energy to keep them occupied while we ran."

I looked at him now, so different, yet still Rowan.

"You won't have that this time," Mother said. “It would have been perfect to use on him as a distraction.

"No. We don't,” I sighed sadly. Rowan wasn't coming.

"Anyways, the ferryman will take you back across once you're clear," Mother continued. "Get to him and he'll bring you to where we're waiting."

"What if there's a party?" Reya asked.

"Use it to your advantage,” Mother replied. "More chaos means more cover. If there isn't one, be more careful."

"Inside is like a maze," Ixion said. "Ocean walls, fire corridors, designed to disorient you."

I nodded, remembering. "Ocean section first. Fire after. Then we heard music near the ballroom."

"The layout shifts," Mother added. "Don't rely on memory."

Fuck, that's true. What if it was way too confusing and I got lost? What if he catches me at a vulnerable moment?

"The ballroom is where I'll face him," I said. "Make it public so he can't just kill me."

"Risky," Pelagius said. "But it might work."

"While Celeste distracts Hades, Reya and I find Claire," Ixion said.

"What about me?" Rowan asked, his voice hard.

The room went quiet.

"We'll discuss this after," I told him, forcing a smile.

"No." He stood up, and I tensed as I sensed the argument incoming. "We'll discuss it now. You're planning to fight a god and you expect me to just stay here?"

"Your body isn't stable enough. We don't know how it'll react down there. You could collapse."

"I won't—"

"You don't know that!" My voice rose. "Last time you were in your demon form. Now you're in a human body."

It scared me, how terrifying losing him was and now that he was back, he was trying to run back into the fray again.

Hell fucking no.

"She's right," Mother said quietly. "The Underground's energy is corrosive. In your condition, it's too dangerous."

"So I do nothing?" His voice cracked. "While you walk in there alone?"

I took his hands.

"You're doing the hardest thing. Trusting me to come back. Staying here, keeping our home safe. When I return, you're the first person I see. And you know I'll need that energy recharge. If I don't get it from you, I might kill someone. So stay here where it's safe for me to come back. Please?”

"I hate this," he whispered, resigned.

"I know. But I need you here so I can focus." I pressed my forehead to his. "Please."

He was quiet for a long moment.

"Okay," he finally said. "But you'd better come back."

"I will. I promise."

Mother cleared her throat. "We leave in two hours. Pack light."

"Two hours?" Josh squeaked.

"Hades has eyes on this house. We leave now, rest tomorrow in Africa, strike tomorrow evening."

As everyone filed out, Mother caught my arm.

"You understand what you're walking into," she said.

I nodded sparsely

"You've had Pelagius's power for only one day. You're strong, but not trained."

"It's not like I have a choice Mother.”

She studied me, the first sign of deep emotion coming to her face.

"You have your father's stubbornness."

"Let's hope his power comes through as well. I'll need all the help I can get.”

She pulled me into a brief hug. It was so awkward after everything that had passed between us but I took it.

I needed all the comfort I could get, hell, even if Pelagius hugged me right now, I'd take it.

“Be smart,” Mother advised, “if things go wrong, get out immediately."

"I will."

Pelagius spoke up.

"When you fight him, don't hold back. Hit him with everything from the start. Sun, Earth, ocean. All three at once if you have to."

I nodded.

"Good luck," he said, and vanished.

I found Rowan in our bedroom.

"Two hours," I breathed, plunking on the bed and trying to send my nerves away.

"Not enough time." He turned to me. "I could have a thousand years and it still wouldn't be enough."

I wrapped my arms around him.

"I'm coming back," I whispered.

"You can't promise that."

"I'm promising anyway."

He kissed me, desperate. When we pulled apart, his eyes were wet.

"What if I lose you? I don't understand what's happening half the time but you're the only thing that makes sense in all of this. The first time I opened my eyes, I looked at you and just knew. This one is mine. Now you're off to fight some war for gods that are terrified of doing it themselves.”

Tears spilt down my cheeks. "You're not losing me, I will run away the second it gets too hard. My main priority is to rescue Claire, that's all."

"Promise?”

"I swear to you baby, I won't be headstrong and risk my life. Hades can't kill me, but he'll definitely make my life a living hell if he gets me in his grasp. I'm running the second it gets too much.”

“That's my girl,” he grinned, cupping my cheeks and slowly kissing all the tears away.

One kiss turned to five and soon, we were making hurried, repeated love that although it ended in orgasms, it only felt like we hadn't done anything yet.

Then I heard Mother's voice downstairs.

It was time.