Reaper of Hearts

Chapter Eight

"We need to get Cassidy to Olympus, stat." Persephone's voice was sharp but Cassidy only had eyes for Thanatos.

The rune carvings were deep, and something niggled at the back of her mind. The curving sweep of the script looked familiar. She took a step toward the sofa that Hades had laid Thanatos on when he started arguing with his wife.

The wounds leaked ichor profusely. Cassidy reached a hesitant hand out, her fingers pressing one of the wounds. Thanatos shifted, his eyes fluttering as he groaned.

A strange notion overcame Cassidy, and before she could stop herself, she leaned forward. She pressed her lips softly to a weeping wound on Thanatos wrist.

The jangle of bells filled the dark room, silencing the terse conversation. Heat thrummed in the center of Cassidy's body. The hair stood up on her arms as something ancient and pissed clawed its way out of her.

She pulled back, her lips coated in ichor. It burned on her skin. She spoke, the words odd in her mouth. "Arammia dul."

Light exploded out of her body in a razing fire. She was thrown back, as the power covered Thanatos.

Hades cursed hotly, snatching Cassidy from the floor. His hands were icy on her burning flesh as he dragged her away from Thanatos. The room grew dark, and she blinked sluggishly.

"Stupid girl! He would've healed on his own. There was no reason to expend power you don't have!" Hades shook her roughly.

She groaned. It was hard to think beyond the pulsing of heat unfurling in her. Her eyes fluttered and her muscles spasmed painfully.

"Hades, what's happening?!" Persephone's voice was far away. Cassidy couldn't rouse herself enough to be too worried about the panic in her voice.

She was tired. So very tired. Exhaustion settled in her bones. She just wanted to sleep. Her eyes fluttered.

"Dammit! We have to get to Olympus. We're losing her. Without her power she will fade."

Someone jostled her, poking her shoulder angrily. "I just met you and I like you, baby Goddess. You can't fade on us yet!"

But that's what she wanted. To fade away. Sleep forever.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Isn't she lovely? Where did you find her, Hades? And can I have one?" Eros glared at his grandfather. The old fucker was insatiable.

Zeus leaned over Cassidy, his golden eyes drinking her in. He traced the curve of her cheek with a fingertip, gaze predatory as she groaned in pain.

"That's more than enough of your bullshit, Brother." Hades hauled Zeus back. "She's unconscious. It's low, even for you."

"I prefer my females awake." Zeus huffed. Someone cleared their throat behind him and he threw up his hands. "But I'm a changed man! How dare you insinuate I would have eyes for anyone other than my wife!"

"Ex. Ex-wife, Zeus. You forgot the most important part of that statement." Hera stepped around him to the dais Cassidy was stretched out on. "What's all the fuss about this little Goddess?"

Eros drew in a sharp breath. He had seen the swirling runes on Cassidy's throat when Hades had dumped her on the dais, but a Goddess?

"She is Innana. Ereshkigal has bound most of her power away, and she used the last little bit of it to heal Thanatos."

There was a beat of silence, and the gods surrounding the dais all leapt away.

"How dare you involve us in Ereshkigal's business!" Demeter glared at Hades, crossing her arms. "I knew I should've ignored this summons."

"She needs our help, Mother." Persephone ground out, her gaze narrowed on the green-haired nature goddess. "You always taught me to help those in need."

"And look where that landed you." Demeter muttered darkly.

"I'm not asking." Cold seeped into Eros' veins. "Hades might have dominion over Death. But I am Death."

Thanatos staggered into the gaggle of gods, his expression murderous. New vividly pink scars littered his skin, and his clothes were covered in ichor. He strode unsteadily to the dais.

"This bound goddess risked her entire existence to provide me protection against the spellweaving Ereshkigal carved into my flesh! She has made the first move against us!" He leaned against the stone. "Are we cowards, to let another goddess move against us so boldly?"

"No one is infallible. Not even the Sumerians!" Eros piped up. It was an outrage. How could they not be pissed off? Squabbling and in-fighting might be their shtick. But letting an outside god, even one as old as the Sumerian pantheon, defile one of their own?!

"Is this a love-match Eros? Even more so than Psyche?" Eros flinched as his mother whispered in his ear. She knew too much, as usual.

Psyche had stepped beyond the veil centuries ago. Despite Eros begging her to go into Slumber instead. She missed her sisters too much to want to stay with him. Even though he understood, and loved her enough to let her go, it still hurt. Something Aphrodite capitalized on every chance she got. Meddling b***h.

"Regardless of the match, Mother, it is the right thing to do." He cut his eyes at his mother. She was beautiful, and as impeccably put together as always. But he could see the cruel glint in her eye. Some things never changed.

"Then I will support you in this, beloved." She smirked, the expression as cold as her icy heart. "But I do expect grandchildren. I have missed having a baby on my hip."

"Hedone would be wounded, Mother. But that sounds like a you and Ares problem."

"Your father…"

"Chose slumber over you. I know. Weird that Hephaestus didn't." Eros gestured at the hunched God of the Forge. "You could do worse than someone as devoted to you as he is."

"Don't test me, beloved." Aphrodite pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek. "You may be my favorite child, but you are not the only one. Your siblings would kill for their place at my side."

Eros snorted. Harmonia was happy playing human, and his other siblings were in slumber. None of them wanted his position as their capricious mother's favorite. Not even him.

Gathering power teased across his skin before he could respond. It tasted of salt. Poseidon.

"We shall unbind this little Goddess." His voice crashed across the din of the arguing pantheon. "Let us make haste. Ereshkigal needs to be put in her place."

It had been a long time since the Olympians had come together under a common banner. The last time had been against the escaped Titans, before they had shuffled off to Asphodel to recreate their own happiness.

Power rose around the dais, thick and heady. His own mixed with his mother's. He could feel the angry mix of Athena with the crash of Zeus. More and more it gathered into a tumultuous kaleidoscope of pure intent.

The runes on Cassidy's flesh glowed hotly against her golden skin. The air shimmered around her, a haze of power washing over the dais as they all pushed.

Cassidy arched upward, a scream splitting the air. The dais cracked in two, and a thunderclap imploded on them.

Eros was flung away as the temple they had all gathered in rumbled dangerously. It wasn't normal for Olympus to have earthquakes. The mortals might become suspicious. But they had bigger fish to fry.

There was an ominous groan and something flashed brightly in front of him. An inky blackness rolled across them all.

"So…you think you can stop me?" Ice clogged Eros' veins as the dark voice intoned from the dais. "She will still have to regain her items of power spread across the seven dimensions."

"Ereshkigal! Begone!" Zeus screamed into the darkness that had descended. A flicker of lightning pulsed around his hands. "You are not welcome here."

Eros couldn't see the dark goddess, but he could hear her chuckle from the gloom. "Zeus, that wasn't what you were saying not too long ago as you mounted me in my bed in front of my husband."

A hair-raising scream split the darkness. Fire flickered to his right as Hera surged toward the gloom. He tried to track the movement, but the flames were snuffed out too soon.

The darkness receded as quickly as it had come on. The dais was dust, Cassidy glowing on top of it. Hera stood over Cassidy's body, chest heaving with her anger. A s***h across her face leaked golden ichor as she turned deadly eyes to Zeus.

"Never could keep it in your toga, huh?" She pulled dignity around her like a shroud and popped out of existence.

"Damn." Zeus sighed, scrubbing his face before he popped away as well.

"Well wasn't that exciting?!" Aphrodite smirked at Eros as she surged to her feet. Apparently she had been thrown just as he had been. "Be wary, beloved. Seems as if this adventure is just getting started." She waved a hand toward Cassidy. "And you already have a rival for your new chosen."

Thanatos cradled Cassidy and Eros felt the first stirring of jealousy in his gut.