Titans. She used all of her magic in helping us create the box. Later, Zeus killed her for her treason.”
Anger flared inside of me. “Treason! Helping the Titans lock away all the bad shit in the world is treason?”
“To Zeus it was. Siding with the Titans in any way is a red line for him.”
“Well, he’s a douchebag.”
#Understatement
I shook my head. “So, if she’s been dead for a thousand years—”
Hound barked then, interrupting me before I could muse it through. There was no way Selene could be my mother though, right?
Cronus marched away before I could push further. I shelved the questions for later, focusing on the large hole the beast had dug.
Pulling up a white bone that looked like it might be from a finger … or a toe, maybe ... Cronus scowled. “I’m not going to enjoy this.”
Neither was I.
The god knelt down right there on the dirt floor and laid the bone on the ground.
He motioned me over. “I need your hair.”
I hesitated a moment before crossing the space and allowing Cronus to pull a few strands of my long white-blond hair.
“We’re lucky to have Selene’s magic on our side,” Cronus said to the room.
Was that a backhanded compliment towards me? Maybe? Did it cancel out me ending the world? Debatable.
He gingerly wrapped my hair around the bone and then placed both hands over it before looking up at me.
“Don’t be frightened if I pass out.”
My eyes bugged. “Then don’t pass out!”
Why would he pass out?
Then a burst of blue light shot from his palms and surrounded the bone.
“Rhea,” he whispered, “daughter of sky and earth, awaken from the underworld and enter Gaia once more.”
Arcs of blue light flared out like whips and I had to duck to avoid being hit by one. I’m not sure if it would do anything, but I didn’t want to find out.
Cronus’ jaw clenched; he looked like he was wrestling a bear. “Okay … I probably should have mentioned that you now have some powers … from Pandora’s necklace.”
My eyes widened further as I looked at the stone at my throat.
“Just reach down and place your hands on mine. Everything will be fine. I just need an extra push.”
Ummm. “What? I’m not touching that blue stuff or helping raise the dead!”
I would not be the stupid blonde in the horror movie who got offed for following the creepy noise into the dark room.
Cronus snapped his head in my direction, eyes flaring orange. “Fine. Humanity can die off for all I care and we will make sure to take your beloved whales and dolphins too!”
Dammit! #DoItForTheDolphins
“Just touch you?”
“Hurry!” he shouted as the blue magic pulsed and sweat dripped down his forehead.
Here goes nothing. Getting into a crouch, I approached the blue lightshow with trepidation and reached out.
It’ll be okay. Cronus wouldn’t ever let me do something that would hurt me.
The moment I touched his hand, the blue light exploded like a bomb, pain ripped up my spine, and everything went black.
Chapter 11
My eyes snapped open to find a beautiful brunette female in her mid-twenties staring down at me. She was fully naked, not that she seemed to care, her ageless face wreathed in confusion.
“Why have you called me here? I was playing chess with our son Hades.” She waved her hand at Cronus.
My head was still cloudy, and I lifted both hands to rub across my face.
“Cronus!” Rhea shouted, stomping her foot. Great, I was about to be annoyed by another temperamental, arrogant, egotistical god.
“Can you shut the fuck up,” I moaned, because my head was pounding like a jackhammer and her voice was annoying as all hell.
#NecromancyIsaNoFromMe
A split second later I realized that I’d just told a god to shut the fuck up. I wasn’t really up to date on Rhea’s powers, but I was sure they were more—considerably more—powerful than mine.
Her face turned from supermodel mean girl into demonic serial killer in a heartbeat and I scrambled along the ground to put some space between us.
Rhea followed, her expression filled with fire and … lingering confusion. “Who are you?” she said, her hands out in front like she was feeling my energy. “How dare you address me in such a manner!”
Thankfully, Cronus, fully recovered, wrapped one of those huge hands around her right shoulder. I fought the urge to jump to my feet and rip them apart. #TheFuck
Wouldn’t be long before I was calling Cronus “my god” the way he called me “his human.”
“Rhea, I need you to focus,” Cronus