Page 170 of Vengeance of the Gods

Vega startled awake… or at least she’d thought she had, but she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. She wasn’t in bed next to Bridger.

It was black again. Darkness so deep Vega could feel it in her bones.

“We can see you,” a voice Vega instantly recognized crooned.

“All of you,” the newest of the voices said.

“Do you want to see us?”

“The fire can help you.”

“Or maybe you should disappear.”

This time she couldn’t hear Death clawing to get to her. She could feel it. The vibration of its irritation rattled her chest.

Vega fought away the fear this time, forcing herself to get off the cold, damp floor and stand tall. “What do you want from me?” she asked, slowly turning in a tight circle despite not being able to see anything in front of her.

“We want you to use us. We need you to save us.”

“Save you?” Vega practically spit the question at them.

“Do not let him get us,” the loudest voice said.

“It will be over for every god if he does,” one agreed.

“Who?” she asked, trying to stay calm. Vega called for her lightning, but it wasn’t there, and neither were her storms. On the outside of her natural power, she felt the pull of the gods she’d taken from Marlena.

Vulcan—fire.

Diana—shifter.

Venus—invisibility.

Those were the only powers she could feel.

“You know who.”

“Save us. Save you.”

The feel of a hand on her shoulder made her heart rate spike. “Don’t fucking touch me.” Another slid down her spine. “Get your hands off me!”

The panic rose, and when it hit, Vega couldn’t escape it. No matter what she told herself or how she tried to calm herself down, the fear was there to stay.

“Say my name, Vega.”

It was a different voice this time. It was his voice now. It was⁠—

“Tell me who I am. Tell me who saved you.”

Vega had never been so scared in her entire life, not in any of her lives.

“Tell me who you belong to.”

What have I done?

52

He’d woken to the smell of smoke, followed by the loud beep of a fire alarm, but that wasn’t what’d pulled him out of his coma-like sleep.