Unmade (Unborn #4) - Amber Lynn Natusch Page 0,42

he said, wagging his finger at me. “You have made your stance abundantly clear, Khara. When you change your mind, send the messenger god for me. Only then will I tell you how to stop Phobos—and how to help your mother.”

“You fucking piece of—” Oz lunged for Ares, and I dove in between them, wing outstretched like a sword.

“Stand down,” I ordered, but Oz did no such thing. He barreled toward me with no regard for his safety, his singular focus on wrapping his hands around my father’s neck clear. And though I shared his sentiment, that maddening connection to the PC overrode my desire to join him. It was as if my body were not my own. I was Ares’ metaphorical puppet of protection, and he pulled the strings as Oz fought to get by.

“You have to stop before I hurt you,” I ground out as I dug my feet into the ground and pushed back against him with all the force I had. He barely budged, but when his glowing eyes met mine, the fight slowly left him. “Please, Oz. You must stop. We will find another way.”

“That’s my girl,” Ares purred, fueling Oz’s rage further. “Be sure to send Hermes when you’re ready to meet my terms.”

I did not watch Ares leave, but I could feel the moment he disappeared. The need to stop Oz’s attack evaporated in a flash, leaving the two of us entangled and breathing hard as we stared at each other. I stepped back from him to give him space, frustration coursing through me.

I had never wanted to kill someone more than Ares.

And that was a pleasure I would never have.

16

“We should be getting back,” Oz said, searching the sky. “Your brothers will be shitting bricks by now.”

I pulled out my phone and found myriad messages from each of them in very explicit language asking where I was. With a sigh, I put it back in my pocket and stared at the sky alongside Oz.

“I do not want to go back,” I said softly. “Not yet.”

“Where to, then?”

“I want to go home…”

He looked at the gates, then at me again. “You are home.”

“This is no longer my home.” The emptiness in my voice mirrored the emptiness I felt inside at that realization. “I want to go to the Victorian.”

“Yeah, not so sure about that, new girl.”

“If Kaine wished to come for me right now, he would be watching this place. The fact that he is not speaks volumes.”

Oz hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Flying there would be a risk.”

“Possibly, but when I tried to do as Trey does to escape Deimos’ room, I could not muster the ability. Whether it was the grip of fear that paralyzed me, or the energy I had just spent to travel to the Underworld, I do not know.”

He turned to face me. “Only one way to find out.” His hand took mine and he pulled me close. “And don’t fucking drop me if you get tired. I’m not in the mood to track you down again.”

“I will do my best.”

Unsatisfied with that answer, he released my hand and captured my waist instead. His arms were like iron around me as he pressed his body to mine.

“You do the transporting. I’ll do the holding on.”

I braced my hands on his biceps and closed my eyes. With several deep breaths, I drew up all the calming energy I could find and channeled it toward exporting Oz and me to the Victorian. Seconds later, the two of us stood at the porch entrance, his arms still tight around me.

“How do you feel?” he asked, his voice low in my ear.

“Tired, but functional.”

“I guess I should give Trey more credit. I always thought he was a bit of a pussy.”

“He most certainly is not,” I replied as I pulled out of his grip. “His gift may be unparalleled amongst the PC—it is just measured differently than the others.”

“Well, don’t burn yourself out using it. You never know when your other tricks will be needed.”

I took his words under advisement and opened the door. The home was dark and empty, except for the god tethered to the wall in the basement.

“We should check on Dionysus,” I said, heading for the door to my former room, “unless you and Sean have dealt with him.”

“Your brother hasn’t said shit to me about it.”

With a nod, I descended the basement stairs into the darkness—the perfect setting for an ambush. But we found none waiting.