Chapter 98

A shaky little moan crawls up my throat as Anton wraps his fingers in my hair at the base of my neck, clenching his hand into a fist, pulling my head back slightly. He bends me, fastening his mouth to mine. I obey, letting him take control, letting my head tilt, a shiver running through me from head to foot as his tongue presses against mine, as he kisses me slow and deep.

My heart still pounds as I try to stand on my toes, tug at my arms, wanting to wrap them around his neck - and I kiss him back – pressing my lips fast against his. His stomach is hard and flat against mine as his arm winds tighter around my back, pulling me flush against him.

I moan again, my hips pressing forward, wanting more – way fucking more –

And it’s only the bubbles that slip out of my mouth and into the water around me that remind me that –

That I’m fucking underwater –

And maybe dead –

And – in an underworld trial – where a God is certainly trying to kill me –

My eyes flash open and I pull away with a desperate little gasp.

Tony’s eyes fly open too and he studies my face for a second before he grins. I study him back, baffled, staring at his gorgeous features – at his hair, that floats all around him in the waves – dark and silky and rich.

I raise a wondering hand to his head, running my fingers through his hair, a soft little wine sounding in the back at my throat at how lovely and soft it is –

But I –

Can I only touch him because he’s dead?

Can I –

He flickers suddenly, his eyes going wide. I gasp, frightened that he’s being taken again, but Anton shakes his head at me, suddenly frantic, and pulls me again against him, lowering his mouth to mine.

And I groan, tilting my head back and giving into the kiss, a little ashamed of myself for being…such a boy crazy idiot that I completely forget my life-and-death situation just because my crush is kissing me.

But…whatever.

Anton is fucking kissing me – I can worry about the rest later.

I lift myself against him and kiss him right back – slow and languid, every press of his lips against mine a desperate plea for life.

Time passes and I have no idea how much slips by. I lose myself to the boy, going all loose and languid against him, my mind fuzzing with want and joy. All sorts of colors pass over my eyes – green and yellow, like the water, but also bright flashes of blue and of light – like stars. Like the makeup of my sweet ghost, my guardian.

It comes as a shock to me when the water begins to recede. When suddenly I feel cold at the top of my head my eyes fly open and I tilt my head upwards, still clinging to Anton but gasping a breath of fresh air as a wave pulls the water back.

My eyes go wide as I feel, suddenly, water rattling in my lungs.

My body seizes as I turn, coughing up water, letting it spill from my mouth.

The next few moments are…unpleasant.

And…not precisely how I’d wish my crush to see me as I gasp for air, coughing and hacking up water.

“Oh geeze,” Anton murmurs, stepping to my side, patting my back and helping me keep my head above the waves as they continue to recede. “All right, June…it’ll be all right.”

I nod, sucking in a rasping breath, finally able to pull a full lungful of air in, however shaky.

When I get my breath back I look blearily to the shore, which is fuzzy in my eyesight, and turn my eyes up to Anton, who stands above me, all blue and perfect.

“Is – am I dead?” I whisper, my voice raspy and low.

Anton grins at me, rubbing his hand softly up and down my back. “No, babe. You’re alive.”

My eyes go wide. “So that was…real?”

His smile deepens. “Yeah,” he says, nodding.

“How did I breathe?” I whisper, standing up straight and staring at him.

“I think we need to talk about that later,” he murmurs, glancing back at the shore. “Considering…everyone thinks you just performed a miracle. Lived the impossible, when Death clearly implied that none of you would.”

I snap my head back to the shore again, my eyes clearing now that I’m getting full breaths of air into my lungs. And I blink in surprise to see…

Everyone. Everyone just…staring at me in shock, their mouths hanging open. Laila stands with her hands pressed to her mouth, tears streaming down her face. Orion is next to her, a protective arm around her shoulders, gaping at me.

And as much as I love them and want to look only at my friends, my eyes flick around, landing finally on Death, who looks at me with…

With such fucking hatred in his eyes.

Anger flares in me, true and deep, replacing my awe and my confusion and my panic.

“There’s my girl,” Anton murmurs, stepping a bit behind me, his voice proud.

I snarl at the God as the waves continue to recede. I bare my teeth, livid.

Because even if my mind is still reeling, and I was…very distracted while I was beneath the waves, I am very suddenly aware that none of that was in fulfillment of prophecy.

That wasn’t a test.

No, Death is cheating now, trying to get rid of as many of us as fast as possible so he can meet the new deadline.

And so he can put his chosen bride on the throne next to his son.

And it is abundantly clear, now, that he finds me wanting.

A growl rises in my throat as I glare at the god, but I tear my eyes away, looking to my left, to the line of girls who hang limp from their own pillars, their ghosts floating soundlessly before them in the air, terror on their faces.

My heart breaks, a cry rising in my throat as I take in the sight of them. Because even if I had my goddess-given handmaid to help me…

They didn’t.

And they all drowned, so that this God could have his way.

Even as sadness seizes my heart I whip my head back to the God, anger consuming my entire being.

“Did it not go as planned?” I shout, my voice somehow magically amplified so that it rings out in the air loud enough for everyone to hear. “Do you want to try again, My Lord? Because it would seem that I’m still fucking alive, you jackass!”

“Maybe don’t…invite that, June,” Anton murmurs behind me.

I ignore him.

“Did you think it was going to be that easy!?” I continue, taunting, my temper running loose and – as usual – taking my sense with it. “Go ahead! Try again! What’s it going to take for you to realize that you can’t fucking kill me!?”

Anton groans, and I hear him slap his hand to his face.

“Because I’m more powerful than you!”

And suddenly, I believe it.

I believe it, and my wolf howls, stepping forward in my soul into…

God, into a whole new realm of light that…I didn’t even fucking know was there. She howls with joy, reveling in it as fucking power floods my limbs.

I feel it, tingling in my blood, rushing through me, and my breath starts to come fast as the power fills me so completely that it begins to seep from my skin – a fantastic starlit glow that’s a richer, brighter light than anything I’ve ever seen before.

And which is mine. Mine, all fucking mine.

And which, I suddenly realize…always has been.

I glance down at my feet, disappearing those fucking metal boots with a glance. The rope binding my wrists disintegrates at a thought, and I step forward.

Death’s face darkens as he glares down at me. He casts out a hand fast towards the dead contestants, still hanging from their poles. His wraiths suddenly appear in the sky, screeching and shouting their ravenous song, darting towards their prey.

But I cast out my hand too, sending my magic along with it at a thought, creating a great wide barrier between the wraiths and the girls. The wraiths slam into my power like crows into a window, shrieking in pain and dismay.

The watching courtiers gasp and Laila’s hands fall from her face in shock.

I grin, slow and wicked, keeping my eyes trained on Death.

He snarls, vanishing all of his courtiers away as his wraiths continue to hurl themselves at my barrier. But I just smile, concentrating on him, barely giving a thought to the barrier that holds the wraiths away.

My smile grows on my lips as I stare at Death for one more second before turning my eyes to the girls. And then I twist my hand, still held out towards them, pressing each of the souls that float aimlessly in air back into its body. I furrow my brow, concentrating, wanting to get it just right…

But first one gasps, and gargles, and begins to choke up heaps and heaps of water. And then another, and another.

As they all slowly come back to life.