Page 180 of Vengeance of the Gods

The young girl butted in. “I really do suggest⁠—”

“I’m a Dimico, the original bloodline of Mars. I’ve known the death prayers since before I could wield a sword.” He felt a shiver of something slide down his spine, a purr of a shadow caressing his mind.

It was murky, but the feeling was unmistakable.

“You’re ready.” This time, it wasn’t a question. Summer took a step back and turned to the acolyte with the doe eyes. “It’s time for you to take shelter. No matter what you may hear, you stay away until I come for you.” Summer knew the nature of the god they were about to call on—she might be the only one to ever exist in this realm who did. “Remember, the shadows are not your friends. Find light.”

The girl scampered away, finding a well-lit area to hide. Once out of sight and they could no longer hear her footsteps, Summer inhaled a breath and sank to her knees. She feathered her hand on the hot earth, digging her nails into the dirt.

A shadow slithered from the newly made mark in the ground. It chased the light on her fingertips, slithering through her fingers until her whole palm was a mix of glimmer and shadows. It was mesmerizing to witness.

Bridger followed the line of shadows shooting from beside Summer, encircling around him and Halo. They settled against the ground, locking into place when they connected with the candles and light Summer used to set the wick ablaze.

The familiar shadow in his mind recognized the ones slithering around his feet like serpents.

Eyes closed, hands digging into the ground again, Summer’s face fell forward, her umbra-like hair blanketing around her as a shield when she began to speak in what might have been the most fluent Latin Bridger had ever heard.

“Divine Pluto, King of The Underworld, God of the Dead, I call to you, I do you reverence. I ask that you might answer Bridger, a new god of Tolevarre, our god of wrath’s call. May you know the sincerity of my request from the soul I have given to you, my soul you own. Hear his plea, accept him into your world, let him walk through your gates.”

A rumble Bridger knew like the thunder of his own anger shook the ground below them.

“He’s here,” Summer gasped, shadows weaving through her now splayed palms.

Bridger’s breath rattled in his chest as he closed his eyes and inhaled. The power pulling at him from the ground, sliding up his legs with little tendrils of shadows, was intoxicating.

Oh gods. The need to make that power his almost made him drop to his knees like Summer.

“Her. Not him.” The voice was feminine and jagged, echoing inside his mind. He knew the voice, even though it had never talked to him before.

He understood. I get on my knees for no one but the goddess of death. Bridger forced his eyes open, letting loose a shaky breath.

Honesty hadn’t gotten Bridger here—lies and deceit had. He’d painted pretty pictures, forcing those around him to believe he only wanted to travel to the underworld. He hadn’t needed the book of death prayers… because Bridger wouldn’t pray for death.

Death was already with him, and he’d bound himself to her, to Vega, to Death, with a ring and a prayer.

To save Vega, Bridger had to do more… He had to become more.

“A challenge for my throne?” A deep voice beat down the door to his mind, leaving it open and accessible to all who could enter.

Gods, how had he not realized who’d spoken to him inside the portal to Earth immediately? It was unmistakable.

With the door removed from its hinges, Vega’s pleas echoed down to him—She knows.

“No!” Bridger bellowed out loud, slamming a shield up, pulling from the power he felt below him.

The shadow in his mind took form, wrapping around his mental shield and closing it tightly. Death kept Vega out.

It protected her.

“She is who you fight for, but she belongs to me.” Pluto’s voice was as smooth as the shadows swarming Bridger. “She’s belonged to me for a very long time.” His whisper made Death roar. “And so have the rest of you, Bridger Dimico. Bonded. By the god of the dead. Until she traded her soul for yours. She saved you this time.”

“Where’s Remus?” Bridger growled, reaching for his bonded dagger.

“Dead. Since the day he crossed me. Like you’re about to be, god of wrath.” Shadows shot out of the room, searching for who Bridger already knew was here. “I see Death is there with you already, the little traitor. Watch that one. It bites.”

The blare of Death’s growl felt like his own wrath pouring through his body.

Bridger flung his dagger out of the circle, severing the band of shadows not linked to the ones of Death. “They are not part of this. None of them. I challenge alone.”