Immortally Embraced

chapter twenty-five




“Hey,” Marc said, holding me by the shoulders, “we’re going to figure this out.”

I didn’t see how.

He released me. “We’ve got to go see Argus.”

Yeah, I’d like to have a few words with the brutal s.o.b.

Our quick walking turned into running and soon we were sprinting through the minefield. I’d have to keep my temper with the general. This was about damage control, finding a way to retrieve our notes and our pathway before it was too late.

We dashed past the burned-out ambulance, leapt over the trip wires.

The old army had to have someone in camp, an agent close enough to know when we’d broken through, one who could act before we even knew we were a target.

Argus may be a sick a*shole, but he was one of our generals. He had a very real stake in this. He’d been the one to encourage us to research together. He’d set us up with equipment and funding from the old army. He’d given us space to work, time. A deadline.

He’d trusted Nerthus.

We zigzagged through the graves in the cemetery, scrambled down the low rise and into camp.

I had to see the general. I had to know. If it was Nerthus and he could stop her, maybe we had a chance.

And if it was Argus who had betrayed us …

If he was the one poised to end all humankind, maybe we could end this.

A bone-deep chill shuddered through me. The bronze knife slapped against my thigh as I ran. I’d never killed anyone before. But I’d kill him if it meant stopping the slaughter.

This enchanted dagger, the weapon that would not stop following me, had the power to murder a demi-god. It was designed to split apart inside the body. It would break into deadly shards, each one smaller than the last, and slice an immortal apart from the inside.

It was a ragged, painful death I wouldn’t wish on anyone.

Until now.

We dodged a trio of nurses strolling past the OR. The light was off in Kosta’s office.

“This way,” I said, leading Marc across the courtyard to the VIP tent.

His expression was tight, focused. “I wonder if Kosta’s in there.”

Kosta might stop me. He might try to bargain with Nerthus or save Argus if it came to that. Hell, Marc might, too. I was ready to murder a general, the son of a goddess. The punishment would be brutal.

And eternal.

No sense being polite. We didn’t knock. I doubted Marc even considered it. He pushed open one flap and I did the other as we breezed right in.

“Kosta?” he called.

“General Argus! We need to talk,” I said, slipping my hand into my pocket, loosening the knife from the scrub top I’d bloodied saving that poor soldier’s life.

It was all coming together.

Death came with a gift. This knife must be it.

I swore I’d never influence the prophecies, but when they predicted doom, and when I had been given the means to prevent it … well, it didn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out what had to be done.

The inside of the tent was plush, luxurious. Low couches were scattered across the main room. Ornate copper-and-glass lamps cast eerie shadows. A fountain gurgled, which made it impossible to hear any noises the general might make if he drew his own weapon, or if he had already made his escape.

Curtains at the back fluttered and Eris strolled out wearing a chain-metal halter dress. The silver loops did nothing to hide her body. Her pink lips twisted into a frown. “The bastard’s not here.”

“What? Your son?”

Marc moved behind her, searching the room and the curtained area beyond.

We didn’t have time for her games. Right now the spy could be delivering our samples, giving our notes to scientists bent on Armageddon.

Golden hair, like spun silk, cascaded over her shoulders and curled at the tips of her breasts. “The little weasel ran off with Nerthus. Can you believe it?”

Actually, I could.

I stood for a moment, stunned.

Eris planted her hands on her hips. “That bitch,” she said, watching Marc as he emerged from the back room. “I thought she was after you.”

“She was,” I ground out. And now it seemed she’d used sex to lure Argus.

“Back room’s clear,” he said to me. “Where are they?” he demanded.

Eris threw out her perfectly sculpted arms. “How should I know where that cradle-robbing bimbo took him? She seduced him right under my nose!”

Well, he was the son of chaos.

“Did he take the notes on the venom?” Marc pressed her.

“Of course he did,” she said, her voice rising. “I got him that generalship. I arranged for the downfall of Tantalus in order to get that job. Now Tantalus is down in Hades, standing in a pool of water, reaching for fruit he’s never going to get—and how does my son repay me? He betrays our side just to get up some twit’s dress!”

“Okay,” I said. Focus. “Eris, they’re going to kill every human on Earth and in limbo.” I looked her dead in the eyes. “How can we stop them?”

Her brow furrowed. “We don’t stop them.” She drew a sweaty lock of hair from between her breasts. “What’s done is done.”

Marc drew up next to her. “You can fix this, Eris. We know you can.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not so good at fixing things. Don’t get me wrong. I have a lot of fun with humans.” She ran her fingers lightly up Marc’s chest, half interested. “You in particular look very tasty.” She dropped her hand. “But what’s the point? I’m standing here with leftovers.”

“Argus is shaming his family,” I said, hoping to appeal to her pride, her vanity, anything.

She tsked, “Believe me, nobody thought he was that hot to begin with.”

Her eyes fell to the knife, still clutched in my hand. “Hello! What is this?”

My fingers tightened around the handle. “It’s mine.”

“Well, I know it’s yours,” she said, her eyes roving over the damaged tip.

It was my first, last, and only supernatural tool and I was going to use it. Somehow.

She held out her hand. “Give it. I demand tribute.”

“Why should she?” Marc demanded. His mouth curled in a saccharine smile. “Unless you help us.”

Eris let out a high giggle. “I’ll get the cradle-robbing slut. But I’m not going to start a war over it.”

Or save us.

“Now give it,” she said, wiggling her fingers. “It’s very old and it’s very pretty. Just like me.”

“I need this,” I said, growing desperate. For what, I wasn’t sure. But this dagger had come back to me. It had been part of the second prophecy. I couldn’t just hand it over to a goddess because she thought it was pretty.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Come on,” Marc said, moving between us, backing me up.

She raised her chin. “Gods, you’re cocky. I’ll bet you would have been delicious.”

“We’re not going anywhere yet,” I said, taking my place next to him. “We need to know. Where’s Argus? Where is the weapon?”

The tension in the room built, and the goddess clapped her hands together. “Ahh … I’m going to miss humans.” She rolled her eyes when we didn’t share the joke. “Fine. Meropis.”

What?

Marc towered over her. “Plato made that up.”

“You humans are so naive. Meropis is just in the realm of the gods.” She licked her lips as she eyed my weapon. “Nerthus has her scientists. She has her weapon. And now, my son.” She frowned. “He’s probably screwing her brains out.”

Marc shook his head. “There’s no way we can follow him to Meropis.”

It was legendary.

I yanked out the bloodied rag and began wrapping the knife.

“Stop,” Eris commanded.

“What? Are you going to help us?”

She drew up. “Are you threatening me?”

“Yes!”

Her eyes narrowed. “And you wonder why they want to kill the humans.”

“Back away,” I ordered.

“I want it.” Her pearly skin began to glow green. Sparks erupted from her shoulders and arms as she reached for my dagger.

She was going to smite me.

Marc rushed her and she struck him down with a slap. He went down hard against a tent post.

Smoke curled from her ears. “Nerthus’s weapon fires at dawn. You’ll be dead soon anyway. Now give me my dagger!”

Energy shot from the ends of her fingers. It slammed into the knife, numbing my hands as I gripped it for dear life. It jerked with the energy and shot it right back at her. Eris ducked as the wall behind her exploded in emerald flames.

She popped back up. “You want to burn the tent down? Fine!”

The flames shot out in all directions behind her. The roof caught. Marc rolled away from the wall. He was hurt. I didn’t know if he could walk. He certainly couldn’t run.

The roof caught fire and she laughed. Hell, why not? Fire couldn’t burn her. She stood in a circle of flame. “Mmm … feels good,” she said, running her hands over her chain-metal outfit.

“You win,” I said, backing up. “We leave. You get the knife.” I could only pray that it would follow me this time. “I’ll leave it by the front door.”

The tent burned as Marc stumbled to his feet. We waited for her to attack as we retreated. I coughed against the smoke, the rising heat.

“It doesn’t matter, you know,” Eris said, as if we were taking a stroll in the park. “You’ll be dead soon anyway. If you kept the knife, you’d just be making me wait. And Thor.” She gave a twisted, satisfied smirk.

I glanced at Marc. “God of fire and forge?”

“You should see his biceps,” she said, caressing the blade. “He’s going to love this dagger. Nerthus will be surprised, too.”

I wanted to tell her to shut the hell up.

“Why does Nerthus need Thor?” Marc asked.

“He’s her son. Thor is working up a big crystal for her. I hear it’s amazing.”

Titurate.

“This is getting better and better,” I ground out.

Or worse and worse.

Eris held the dagger to the burning sky, triumphant, as Marc and I stumbled into the dark night, dreading the dawn.