Revenge of The Gods (The Titan's Saga Book 3) Read online

  Revenge of the Gods

  Titan’s Saga Book Three

  Leia Stone

  Jaymin Eve

  Copyright © 2020 by Leia Stone and Jaymin Eve. All rights reserved.

  Cover by Sanja Balan (Sanja’s covers group)

  No part of this publication may be reproduced. Stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, live or dead are purely coincidental.

  Stone, Leia

  Eve, Jaymin

  Revenge of the Gods

  For information on reproducing sections of this book or sales of this book go to www.leiastone.com or www.Jaymineve.com

  [email protected]

  [email protected]

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  #ForAllOfOurAmazingReaders

  Chapter 1

  The underworld was hot. #WhoFuckingKnew

  “My hashtags have returned,” I said, talking out loud for the first time in over an hour. Or what I guessed was an hour since time didn't move the same here, rendering my smartwatch useless. #NotWorthEatingNoodlesForAMonth

  Hyperion cleared his throat, looking down at me like I was crazy. At some point he'd torn off a section of shirt and formed a wrap around his forehead to mop up the sweat. Like I said, it was hot here.

  “I spent so many years on social media,” I hurried on to tell him, “and hashtags are so important to each post that my brain just automatically forms them at the beginning or end of my thoughts.”

  He paused, blinking at me like I was speaking some foreign language he didn’t know.

  Which was impossible, since Titans knew all the languages.

  “When Cronus died,” I continued, definitely babbling at this point, “I couldn't think of a single hashtag. There was none, nothing. It was super weird.”

  I might be slightly losing my mind down here. #HALP

  “I—” He tilted his head. “I really don't know how to respond to that, but I'm glad that some of your grief is easing and your brain has returned to … normal.”

  #HAHAHA #IHeardThatPause #Fucker #He’sKindaRightThough

  “Knowing we’re on the path to Cronus, in the freaking underworld, is actually making me feel a lot more normal. Finding my guy is a purpose that keeps me taking each step forward.”

  #UnderworldRescue #WorkSmarterNotHarder #NotLazyJustProficient

  The hashtags were making up for lost time, it seemed. Or I was really losing what was left of my tiny sanity. Either way, it felt good to have some normalcy back. Now we just needed to find Cronus and not die from heatstroke in the meantime.

  “Why is there a sun under here anyway?” I asked, using the corner of my sleeve to mop the sweat off my face. Not sure why I bothered, since it was immediately replaced with new sweat. I’d be in a bikini right now if I had one handy.

  Even worse, I'd lost my hair-tie at some point, and now I had masses of blonde hair all over me. Hair this long and heavy was like living under a ray of sunshine: pretty, but hot as fuck.

  “This land below mimics the land above,” Hyperion said conversationally, picking up the pace.

  I could have killed him right then and there for moving faster—my legs were already dead. Oh, how I missed Cronus carrying me.

  “Sometimes, even if there are massive storms in the human world, that energy will carry down here and we'll get a mild version of the storm.”

  I mulled over this for some time, grateful it distracted me from my aching legs.

  #WhatTheFuckYoga #UselessStretchyfucker #YouPreparedMeForNothing

  Right around the point I thought I was going to die, Hyperion found a small tree that was partly buried under a mound of sand. So far this section of the land was nothing but a barren wasteland, with scrubby shrubs, thick sandy dirt, and the scent of burning ass ripe in the air. This tree did look a little different.

  Reaching down, he snapped off a branch, flipping it up immediately like it was going to spill. “Open up,” he said, moving closer to me.

  I narrowed my eyes. “Why?”

  He narrowed his in return—we were both kinda cranky at this point, but since he was a Titan with limitless energy and life, I thought I had more reason to be. “So you don't die of dehydration. You are human still, mostly, and even though everything is different down here, you have a mortal body that must be nourished.”

  I eyed the branch, seeing a small bead of water forming on the end. With a sigh, I shook my head and did as I was told. Hyperion tilted the end toward me and a very cool, thicker-than-water liquid slid into my mouth. The branch had been short, but I got a decent cupful of whatever it was—like a slightly sweet water but thick as a smoothie. It was hard to explain but amazingly refreshing.

  When Hyperion stepped back, swishing a bit of it around his mouth as well, I was surprised by how restored I felt. Even some of the lightheadedness that had been plaguing me all day had vanished.

  “Thanks,” I said, pushing my hair back for the four hundredth time. “I didn't realize how thirsty I actually was.”

  He planted the branch he broke off in the ground next to the small tree. “Always return what you have borrowed,” he said softly as he straightened.

  I shrugged, a hundred percent sure I would not be returning the clothing I'd borrowed from my friends over the years. That was a case of finders—in their closets—keepers. In all honesty, I did believe in honoring the environment, especially in a harsh climate such as this one. This tree was no doubt lifesaving, and it would remain here for the next travelers to pass.

  #IAmPartOfAGreatMission #FellowshipOfTheTitanDownHere

  We started out again, that fucker of a sun relentlessly beating down on us. I couldn't actually see where it was in the sky—looking up just made everything bright as heck—but the bastard was there.

  “It's different,” Hyperion muttered under his breath, looking around like he wasn't exactly sure where we were.

  “What's different?” I pushed, looking in the direction he was, seeing more desolate landscape. I mean, nothing had changed in however many hours we'd walked, but clearly for Hyperion it had.

  “There used to be a secret portal here, one that would take us to the next level. It could cut weeks off our journey, but … it's not marked on the land like it used to be.”

  Well, shit. Weeks off our journey? I needed that. I needed to find Cronus now.

  “Does everything else look the same … just the portal is missing?”

  His lips thinned; that was never a good sign. “Actually, this entire level is nothing like it used to be. Sure, it gets hotter and acrider the closer you get to the seventh level, but never desolate like this.”

  I gasped. “Fuck, what if Thanatos sent us to the wrong part? What if we're completely lost? What if this isn't even the underworld?”

  If an ancient as fuck, power ful Titan was ever going to roll his eyes, it seemed that this was the time for it. “We're in the underworld, Maisey,” he said with a shake of his head. “But there was a reason Thanatos feared the Erynomus’ return. It's a leech, a parasite that sucks the life from everything it touches. It's foul and scary, and lacking in any instinct outside of demolishing the energy of every entity it comes into contact with. Clearly, it's already had an effect on the levels, especially these lower levels.”

  “So, could it have destroyed the portal? Or moved it?”

  Hyperion shook his head. “No, I don't think so. I'm guessing that the land itself has hidden that particular energy from the demon, and it's going to take a little ingenuity to discover it.”

  With a sigh, I dropped on my ass, right onto the burning ground. It wasn't too hot actually, but with how boiling the temperature was, I’d expected it to fry my pants right off.

  “I'll keep a look out while you find us the portal,” I told Hyperion, leaning back on my arms now that I knew the skin wasn't going to sizzle off. I couldn’t walk anymore, and it definitely felt like naptime.

  And there he went again, rolling his eyes. Guess I could be proud of all the things I was teaching these ancient assholes.

  Even with the burning rays of hell on my face, at some point I started to doze off, only waking at a distinct thump nearby. With a yawn, I opened my eyes, expecting it to be Hyperion, but instead I was face to face with something straight out of my nightmares.

  The creature that stood before me was the color of snot when you had a cold—you know, that super fluro, greeny-yellow shade that was in no way appealing. It had at least thirty eyes dotted about its large round head, and if thirty eyes wasn't bad enough, there were also the approximately fifty razor sharp teeth, very visible as he dove toward me. Smiling.

  What sort of psychopath smiled when it tried to murder you? #Rude #MommaMonsterDidNotRaiseItRight

  Rolling out of the way, I clambered to my feet before bolting for the open desert, thinking I'd have a chance to run away. I did not take into account the fact that Eyeballs was also the proud owner of a pair of Go-Go Gadget arms, extending them out in a single flick of his creepy wrist. They wrapped around my throat tightly, like a bound rope, cutting off my air in the same instant, before constricting to the point of pain.

  I grasped both of its arms, digging in my nails in an attempt to loosen its hold. Heat burned beneath my hands for a moment, and I didn’t know if it was the monster or me. Either way, the hold loosened just enough for me to cough and splutter, gasping air into my lungs as I spun and faced the creature.

  “Maisey,” Hyperion shouted, his voice sounding far away.

  Before he could get any closer though, there was a burst of energy in my gut, swirling and churning as it exploded from within me. Pure white light burned my retinas and I felt the hold on my throat relax even further, before disappearing completely.

  My legs collapsed and I gasped for air, half sprawled on my hands and knees.

  What. The. Fuck. Just. Happened?

  It took a few seconds for my eyesight to clear, and almost the exact moment it did, I found myself hauled up into Hyperion's arms, the Titan jerking me close to his body. That movement was so fast that the swirls of energy inside of me turned into swirls of nausea.

  “Stop,” I choked out, and he stilled.

  Closing my eyes, I worked very hard on breathing, trying to settle my stomach. Thankfully I managed to get myself under control before I vomited. Something Hyperion should be super grateful about.

  “Are you okay?” It sounded like he was shouting at me, still holding me above the ground and close to his chest. “Those crutashia demons are nothing to be scoffed at. They’re the strongest of the lower-level demonkin and usually crush their victims in an instant.”

  Pushing against him, I managed to wiggle and return my feet to the ground. “I'm totally fine,” I said, voice a little husky but nothing too crazy. #SexyVoiceNotASmoker

  I smiled at my worried grandfather. “Eyeballs only had me for a second, and then…” I looked around. “Actually, what happened then? There was this white light and his arms disappeared. Did you save me?”

  He frowned. “Nope. Maisey, that was all you. Or rather Thanatos. You must have used some of his power to fight it off. I saw the bastard grab you and I knew I couldn't get here in time. Then the white light burst from your body and blinded me too. By the time I got here, the demon was returning to its primordial form of toxic sludge, and then it was absorbed into the land.”

  #TMI #Gross

  Pushing my hair back, I sighed. “Not ideal to waste power this early on, especially before we face the Ery-thingy, but … better than being dead, I suppose.”

  He was going to roll his eyes for the third time, I was super sure.

  Hyperion ran a hand over my arms and shoulders, like he was checking for injuries. “No broken ribs? Or trouble breathing?”

  I shook my head. “Nope. I feel fine.” Little nauseous and freaked out, but that was all mental right?

  When Hyperion finally seemed satisfied that I was okay, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and started to lead me away. “I’m glad you’re not dead. In better news, I found the portal.”

  Yes! That was fucking amazing news, and I felt relief and excitement that we were that much closer to Cronus. Not to mention walking far, far away from the gooey demon mess seeping into the desert floor.

  “So, are lots of these types of demons roaming around down here?” I asked as we journeyed in the direction Hyperion had been when I first got attacked.

  “No,” he said gruffly. “Not usually on this level … demons were Hades’ thing. He loved surrounding himself with all manner of creatures. Thanatos put an end to that, especially since a lot of the demons feed on souls and energy. Souls are something that this world has in abundance, but once a soul is consumed, it's gone forever, so Thanatos tries to keep the demon population in check.”

  Ouch. Fuck. That would have been my fate without Thanatos’ power. I seriously owed him a nice gift basket.

  Hyperion was still talking, so I quickly tuned back into him to catch the rest of what he was saying. “The Erynomus is changing the landscape of this world, and with that, it'll be releasing the demon traps we spent centuries putting into place to rid the underworld of its presence.”

  I gulped down my next few mouthfuls of air. “Demon. Traps?”

  Oh fuck. This was seriously not good.

  Chapter 2

  Before I could freak out too much about the fact that we were walking through a world that might very soon be filled with the sort of demon I'd just encountered, Hyperion found the portal he'd been searching for.

  At first I couldn't see it. Nothing stood out against the stark and arid landscape until we got very close. Then a distinct swirl of energy was visible six feet above the dirt.

  “You won't be able to see it,” Hyperion said when we were standing in front of it, “but I'll guide you through.”

  I furrowed my brow, wondering if maybe I'd thought the swirl was the portal and it wasn't.

  “What's this sparkling swirly looking magic?” I asked him, running my hand near it but not actually touching.

  Hyperion did a double take, blinking rapidly at me like I was the one who suddenly had too many eyes and fifty fucking teeth. #Wait #HowManyTeethDoHumansHave

  “Humans can't see these portals,” he said softly. “Even with Thanatos’ power and Selene's DNA you shouldn’t have enough energy to see through to the base magic here.”

  “So, it's not the swirly thing?” I asked, confused.

  “No, it is,” he shot back quickly.

  Reaching out, I latched on to his forearm, stopping him from his weird half-pace he was trying to do on the spot. “I'm confused. You're saying I can't see it, but I can clearly see it, so what the fuck do you mean?”

  He focused on me, maybe more than he ever had, searching deep into my … soul? “I'm saying that there's somethi ng different about you, Maisey Parker. Something I can't quite put my finger on. You should not be able to see that portal.”

  #OminousWarningFromGrandpaTitan #YeahIWasFucked

  “Maybe it's just a residual overflow from having the power of the sins inside of me … or Thanatos’ power,” I finally said, hoping that we could both latch on and run with that reason. I really didn't need any other freaky things happening to me. “No one knows how that might affect a human, right?”

  “Maybe,” he said slowly but I could tell by the tone in his voice that he didn’t believe it.

  Come on, Gramps, you know it works best if we all lived in delusion land. Promise, it’s really nice there.

  Hyperion shook off whatever was worrying him, focusing again on the task at hand … getting us through this portal.

  “Let's move,” I said, impatient to find Cronus. The dull ache in my chest that had been there ever since he was killed seemed to grow with each passing moment we were apart. I needed to hold him in my arms, more than food, or air, or water.

  I needed him for survival.

  “Hold on to me,” Hyperion warned, and despite those instructions, he was the one who latched onto my arm, hauling us both into the swirl of power.

  “Ugh,” I cried out, as we were spit out into a realm so dark I could barely see my fingers in front of me. Icy water surrounded me, splashing up to my waist and hitting the underside of my boobs. “What the fuck?”

  “Stop moving,” Hyperion said, his voice deadly serious. “And for the love of everything, do not get any of this liquid in your mouth, nose, or eyes.”