“I don’t know,” Eris growled. “Bilé sent me here to plant the Apple of Discord, and to create confusion while you devised battle strategies for war. I also placed a spell on the map in the throne room. A spell Bilé provided, planted as instructed. The map shows him every move you had planned for your troops, giving Bilé the advantage. He assembled his armies at those battle locations before the horde would reach them, taking you all by surprise. I released chaos into the stronghold, knowing that endless arguments would arise, and so they did. I have to admit, though, I’m impressed with the female solidarity you have here, and a little jealous that I had to watch it from the shadows. How did you figure out what was happening?”
“I’m not fucking stupid. No god or goddess does anything out of the good of their hearts. I may be new to this gig, but I damn sure know they don’t have hearts. You found me and offered to help me for nothing in return. I knew from the moment you uttered that first hello that you were not my friend. Did you think you could walk into my house, kick off your shoes, and cause a ruckus without my notice? Not in my house, and not with my family.”
“You want to save a man who is fucking other bitches!”
“Actually, Ryder didn’t fuck anyone. Zahruk fucked you, but Ryder removed your head, or Carina’s head, while you were within her body. He figured it out by the way the runes responded to poor Carina and realized there was a goddess within the brainless bitch. Do you think you are the only goddess with the power to see what happens around this place? You created confusion in the men, but they felt you every time your shadow magic oozed from your pores. Sloppy, really,” I shrugged, pushing the bolt in deeper. “You thought you could fuck my king? Bitch, please. That dick is mine. I am his mate, and your little game, while amusing, is finished.”
“It wasn’t personal, and I didn’t want to do it. Bilé saved someone for me. My lover died in a battle and wandered endlessly, unable to gain eternal slumber. As the God of Death, he placed Collin into the Underworld. I owed him an oath, and once called into play, you cannot say no. So, when he summoned me, I came. He is your mother’s husband, and you seem to be…”
“His target,” I finished for her. “I’m fully aware of his issues. So, thirsty?” I pushed the potion into her mouth and held it closed with my hands. “Bottoms up, bitch,” I growled. Eris convulsed, and I turned, staring at Lucian, who chuckled, shaking his head as he watched her with amused eyes.
“You realize that you just gave the Goddess of Chaos and Discord a potion that will turn her mortal, right?” Lucian asked, lifting his sinful midnight-blue eyes to mine.
“She came into my house, not the other way around. Wait, a mortal?”
“She intended to make Ryder mortal, as in human. Nyx will be furious, but even she cannot argue that Eris struck first blood in a world she doesn’t belong in. I suggest you let me take Eris. I will protect her until Nyx can collect her. Interesting and fun,” he offered, bending down to pull out a large piece of glass embedded into Eris’s tongue. “That’s curious.”
“Okay, we need to work on your communication skills. I’m starting to hate that word when it slips off your tongue, even if it is a nice tongue.”
“Which is bothering you more, when I find something interesting or not being able to figure out what I am, Synthia?”
“Both are messing with my brain,” I muttered, rubbing my temples. “Pretty certain both scream trouble in one way or another.”
Lucian chuckled and turned, holding out his hand as Spyder stepped from the shadows, eyeing Eris with a sinful smirk. “My favorite little bad girl,” he murmured, bending over to wrap a silky black curl around his finger. “Thought I smelt chaos and sex around here.” Sniffing her hair, his smile dropped. “Why does she smell human—and like you?”