“My son,” he said over and over again, weeping over his sin, his foolishness.
“My anger,” Cronus cleared his throat, “clouded my judgment. Anger has a way of turning into hate. I hated the humans for their callousness toward an innocent creature. So, in all my hate, I used my son as leverage. I brought him with me to the stars. I showed him to my brothers, and they were blinded with rage matched only by mine. All of us fell that day. Not because of lust, my dear, though it quickly turned into that. After all, which one of us does not fall prey to sin and lust? We slept with the women, they bore us children, and in the end we hoped those very same children would destroy the women who’d born them. For they did not deserve El’s love or the mark of a Heavenly.”
“But you were caught,” I said as light shed across the big picture of my past. “And my father…”
“He led us,” Cronus said simply. “He gave us leadership when there was no one to turn to.”
“My father was one of the Originals. Some say he and Lucifer…”
“I know,” Cronus said interrupting me. “Believe me when I say I know exactly who your father is.”
“Then you know why I fight so hard for the Seekers.”
Cronus nodded. “My dear, if there is anyone that is more ashamed of their past than I, it has to be you.”
Shame did indeed wash over me as I nodded my head. I hated who my father was, who he represented. I hated it so much.
“Good. Feed the hate, Athena. Feed it, it will make you free.”
“Did you say something?” I asked weakly.
Cronus shook his head. “No, my dear.”
Fear washed over me, as well as that same hatred, and I knew. I knew where my father was.
I took a deep breath, even though I didn’t need it, and pushed away from the chair. I walked a few feet in front of me, the blackness leading the way. My breath suddenly turned ice cold in the air, freezing as I inhaled and exhaled.
I closed my eyes and reached out in front of me.
“Hello, Father.”
“Daughter,” the familiar voice answered. “Welcome home.”
Chapter Seventeen
Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t Adonis whose hand I clenched in that instant, but a Titan’s. Cronus’s hand to be exact. It was instinctual. His skin felt smooth against mine. I held on to him like my life depended on it. I began to tremble as a black-cloaked figure moved effortlessly toward me.
“Brave, you must be brave, Thena,” Cronus said in my ear so only I could hear the words. With that, he released my hand and guided me toward my father.
Staring at Darkness does something to you. The human side of you wants to flee, the angel side of you wants to fight, and the sane part of your brain, the part El created for purposes such as this, freezes. When you are in the presence of ultimate Darkness and sin, you are immobile.
Azazeel, my father, glided toward me and stopped directly in front of me. I held my breath as his hands reached up to his hood and threw it back.
I hated his beauty, hated that looking at his face was like gazing upon a star or the sun. Everything about him was perfect, from the molding of his lips to the arch of his eyebrows. His skin was bronzed like the angels, yet it didn’t shine. Instead a constant dark cloud swirled across the surface of his face as if he was shielded from the very Light that created him.
“You have returned to me.” His voice was deep and hoarse.
I shook my head and looked back toward Adonis.
He had a dagger ready to throw and looked so menacing I would have laughed had there been anything remotely funny about our current situation.
I gave my father a cold stare. “I’m not returning. I’m merely visiting some old friends.”
Cronus laughed. “I believe she just insulted us.”
I shrugged and gave him a wink. I really did like him. I hoped in the end he would choose me over my deceitful father.
“You have grown,” my father stated blandly.
“It’s typically what happens,” I answered sarcastically. “Is there a reason for your little visit? Aren’t you supposed to be preparing for some great battle?”
Azazeel threw his head back and laughed. It echoed off the walls. “My dear girl, the battle was never a physical battle to begin with. After all, I’ve only lifted the veil from the Titans. They still cannot escape this mountain. Not without the help of Raphael.”
“So what are you going to do? Butter up one of El’s best archangels and get him to make a visit.”
“You’re very sarcastic for such an innocent.”
I crossed my arms. “You’re very perceptive.”
Azazeel’s brows furrowed. “I am all things.”
“Only One can say that,” I fired back.
“So you still fight for him? For someone you have never seen? You take Michael’s word over mine? How are you even certain of El’s existence? At least tell me that.”
I had nothing to say. He had me there. Everyone knew the Seekers didn’t have El’s Spirit with them. It was a gift only given to the human race. I was left out of that equation when I was born into Darkness.