Chapter 61: Forgiving

Zeus

“We go now.” I rubbed my itchy beard. My body was a mess. Never in my life have I ever felt this weak, like a damn tick, sucked of all the life essence from my body. My body felt itchy and sick, still the black tar that coated my body where Kronos bled out of me remained.

“Maybe you should clean up first,” Parisa offered, but I shook my head. We needed to strike now, rid of our father that dared tried to do this. Next time, we wouldn’t be so lucky. Kronos only grew stronger as the years went by and he was close this time, too close.

The gods looked to me. For the first time since my betrayals against Hera, they looked to me for what to do. Their eyes were stern, holding a grudge against our father. They could all do what they willed, go down and destroy them together without my permission, but they didn’t. They waited for my word.

My apprehension made me mumbled to myself why this would be, only for Hades to put his hand on my shoulder. “You’ve defeated him before,” Hades spoke loud enough for all to hear. “You can do it again.” I shook my head, not feeling the confidence I once had when Rhea, our mother, told me I had the power to do so. Yet they still looked at me as Hades continued tried to give me confidence.

He could do all of this without me. They all could. Yet Hades continued to try and have me as some sort of leader.

I had changed much since, not the heroic god that came in on a white stallion to slaughter, to gut the belly of Kronos. I was different; I had feelings of regret and guilt still swarming my soul when I let being the High God go to my head. It was true, that Uriel had taken away much of my guilt, but I still had one person I needed to talk to if I was to proceed to do the job that I should have done all those years ago.

“Hera, may I have a word?” The goddess stood in surprise at my sudden outburst. Their murmurs of how this should go about destroying Kronos ceased as they all stared at me. Glancing around the room, my eyes all met theirs, and I shook my head. Hera beckoned me to follow her to speak in private. “No, this will be done in front of the others.”

If I was to gain any respect from my fellow brethren and sisters, this was to be done publicly. If Hera truly refused my apology as she has done in the past, it will paint me as the tainted god and therefore, I would relinquish my title.

“Hera, I want to formally apologize,” I raised my hands in surrender as Michael approached, his wings covering her face. “I’m not here to do anything,” I sighed, pulling my hands down. “I have been a fool, and I wanted to publicly apologize for embarrassing you, hurting you, and downright spitting in your face for being the Goddess of Marriage and Partnership. I got a big damn head, took what I wanted all because I thought I was powerful.” Hanging my head low; the silence of the foyer had my own thoughts echoing in my head.

“Since finding your mate, I was jealous for a long while,” I swallowed. “Even more so when I found out that you had a daughter and still didn’t tell me, despite us working together for so long.” Daring not to look to anyone but Hera, I got on one knee. The surrounding gods gasped, the murmurs and whispering escaping my ears because my focus was on Hera.

I bowed to no one, and they all knew.

“I’ve failed you and the rest of our family. I ask for your forgiveness, breaking our trust and I send my deepest happiness for you and your mate, Michael.” Michael’s stance softened, his wings falling around him. Pulling Hera from behind his body, he gave a nod of approval to approach me.

My knee was still on the cold foyer floor, and the rest of the gods look on as witnesses as Hera approached. She had been through much with her family for over twenty-five years with Uriel, and she didn’t feel comfortable to even telling me of her problems, all because of my jealousy. Now I have pushed Hera away from my heart, knowing she is mated to another, and hopefully, one day, I would be blessed with such a gift of a mate.

Until that time, I will spend the rest of my days trying to make up for my wrong transgressions.

“Zeus, thank you.” Her voice was so low, I barely heard it. “And I thank you for your apology. I hope you find what you are looking for in a mate.” I cleared my throat, wiping my brow.

The quietness of the room broke as Parisa snickered in the corner. Trying to cover it up with a cough, Hades shook his head. Hades said not a word as his mate’s face turned bright red. “Sorry,” she whispered, putting her face into Hades’ chest.

As much as I wanted to run to Parisa and beg her for what she knew, I kept my mouth closed. It was time to show humility, take my faults, and let go of any bitterness in my heart. Stand up and be the High God everyone expected me to be. “Friends?” I held out my hand to her. Hera took it, gladly shaking it.

Michael came by her side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. My hand extended to Michael, who also took my hand gladly. My half smile went around the room, my tattered robes willed into that of my battle attire.

Lightening held in my fist, I nodded to the rest. It was time to end this once and for all.

….

The twelve were the only ones allowed to descend into Tartarus, Persephone taking Demeter’s place. Michael and Gabriel were reluctant but could stand outside of the pit. Parisa stayed in the confines of the palace, with Blaze and Cerberus by her side. Hades had willed his tortured demons away, knowing many could not stomach their horrible appearance. The stink alone was making me choke on my spit.

Our silent walk down made all of our shallow breathing much louder than it should be, more so with Poseidon. His uneasiness ran down him in waves of thunder as he walked alongside me. The three high male gods stood together as a unit. Falling back, I nudged Poseidon. His body stiffening. I frowned at the weakness he held in his eyes.

He was the creative one, the one with the best ideas when it came to creating the humans, making them in the likeness of our appearances. Poseidon even warned our darker sides would eventually sh

“Poseidon?” My voice whispered, trying to keep the conversation between us. “How are you?” The simple question had him raising his brows in confusion why I would even talk to him.

Sure, I was a prick for a long while, but I was trying.

I was trying to finally understand the guy instead of writing him off as weird for staying away from us all in that underwater bubble he liked to keep himself in. “I’m fine,” he rubbed his beard. “Just ready to get this over with.”

It wasn’t a secret that Poseidon had issues stemming back to the days he sat in darkness. The stomach fluid eating them all the way, causing mental scars and weakening their powers. Poseidon was never normal. Then again I guess I didn’t know what his ‘normal’ was because he was older than I.

Pulling Poseidon to the side, I wanted to rectify what he went through. If it was any inclination, a lot of his problems extended to him remembering everything that had happened on the inside. No one else remembered, no one else talked about the years they sat there. Poseidon only brought it up once when we all sorted through what positions we would have in the Celestial Kingdom.

The group walked in the circle of the glass box that held Kronos. Inside, black sludge coated the glass, inching its way to the bottom. It looked like a giant explosion of tar coated the walls. Hades and Ares cupped their hands to look inside, only growling in disgust as they stepped away.

“I want you to be the final blow.” Poseidon’s fear emitted from him as I gave him a choice. Standing back to hit the blackened cave walls, he shook his head. “I don’t want any part of it,” his voice shook. “I just want to be left alone in peace.”

“Will you get peace?” Stepped forward, grabbing his shoulders. “Will you ever get peace if you don’t have your hand in it? Look what he has done to you.” Looking him up and down, he leaned his head back against the wall.

“Look what power he has over you and he hasn’t touched you for thousands of years.” My brother shook his head again, trying not to spill the unshed hurt in his eyes. I could not imagine what he went through, still goes through in the night, in the dark. He didn’t deserve it. Out of all the gods, he deserved nothing but good.

He created creatures behind my back, but fates he did it out of love. To have companions he could trust after many of us used him for his creativity to create creatures to destroy. Poseidon only did it for friendship.

Fates only knows if he has ever laid with a woman.

“This is the opportunity for you,” Hera and Athena's heated stares on my back comforted me. As heated as those stares were, I knew they only expressed concern for my forcefulness to Poseidon. “To know that you ended him, and he will never manifest again,” I turned, pointing to the rest of the gods. “To any of them,” I said louder.

“He has hurt you most. It is your time, Poseidon.” Dropping my hand from his shoulder, I grabbed Hades’ hand. The circle was almost complete. Each god glowing brightly, radiating their power. Eleven gods stood before the glass box, ready for our souls to destroy the one that help created us.

Hades squeezed my hand, his head nodding for me to pull Poseidon once more. Even if Hades and I had our issues, he surely was a good brother.

My hand held out, beckoning Poseidon. Screams from within the box could be heard. Cursing, yelling and more black tar inched down the box as Kronos tried to break free.

Kronos’ face leaned against the glass, his cheek watching Poseidon step forward. “Oh, the God of the Sea,” he hissed. “Dare he try to destroy me? I’ll always be in your dreams.” Kronos chuckled. The deep rumble in his voice quaked the bloodied soil beneath us. “All of you, nothing but a worthless pieces—” Poseidon grabbed my hand, his other now laying in Hera’s. The radiated smile she gave him only pushed him to let his power flow as we channeled our powers to him. With a loud roar, he let go of the magnificent light. Draining us all as he poured into Kronos.

The box contained the explosion of dust and tar. It was so loud and heavy cracks of lightning echoed until one last explosion had the entire box stop in time. Tiny particles of dust halted, the lightning frozen in a perfect picture. We all stared in awe at the new piece of art before us. Seconds passed by until it all dropped to the floor. Nothing but ash and dirt littered the ground of once was that of Kronos.