AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My mouth drops open at his outburst. In the few interactions I’ve seen between the brothers, Kyros always seemed to be the one to keep the others at bay. I look up at his face, seeing the stern expression there. His eyes narrowed on Mateo as he admonishes him. I bite my lip, wondering where else that commanding tone may come forth.
I shake the lust-filled thoughts from my head, a niggling feeling tugging on my mind. I run the words through my head once more, Kyros having distracted me from the name Mateo used for my father. A term I’ve come to know very well since arriving at this school.
“Osias?” My eyebrows knit together at the sound of the name on my lips. “No, my father’s name is Oliver, not Osias.” I shake my head, not willing to believe that my father is the leader of the light gods. No, he’s Oliver, Oliver Rothchild.
“Oliver?” Mateo blurts, doubling over and not bothering to contain his laughter. The others glance nervously at the two gods, but my father doesn’t rise to his bait, focusing on me instead. Mateo’s laughter ceases, and I see his brows knit together before I move my gaze to my father.
“Olivia, I know this is a lot to take in right now, and I know I have a lot to explain. But yes, I am known as Osias here.” His words settle like a weight on my chest.
But before I can voice any of the questions swimming in my head, Mateo interjects, “That’s an understatement.” He snorts out a chuckle before continuing. “You have twenty years of explaining to do. Starting with why you decided to live in the mortal realm, thinking that was a great idea when you yourself forbade it.”
My father spares him a look over his shoulder, looking down his nose at Mateo, his eyebrow quirking in challenge. “I don’t need to explain anything to you.” He dismisses Mateo in his purposely pompous tone. Looking him up and down at the last word, spurning him even further.
Red creeps down Mateo’s neck, his body shaking with his growing anger. I move to step in front of my father, only to halt a moment later—Kyros steps between the two squabbling majors.
“All of this bickering is getting us absolutely nowhere,” Kyros declares, training his gaze on both of them with a reproachful look. They both avert their gazes, abashed at their childish behavior in such a pivotal moment. Backing down for now. I can’t help but notice Kyros’s growing confidence again. The way he handled them, forceful yet level-headed, makes my body heat in more ways than one.
No, focus Liv—there’s a council that may want your head on a platter. This is not the time for hot daydreams revolving around the assertive god of healing. Even though Ireallywish it could be ...
“Osias, I understand you had your reasons, and you don’t wish to disclose them. However, we need to get as much information as possible before the council arrives,” Kyros explains, turning to face my father.
My father nods begrudgingly, exhaling a long, weary sigh. “Fine, I guess if I have to deal with you four in my daughter’s life. I might as well fill insomeof the blanks.” He emphasizes the word ‘some,’ shooting me an apologetic glance. I quirk an eyebrow and cross my arms over my chest. Oh, he might get away with only telling the guys what they need to know, but he will tell me every detail later.
“What power does Olivia have?” Mateo smirks. He puffs out his chest, gloating over the fact that my father is now answering to him.
“All of them,” my father grumbles through gritted teeth. As though giving them even an ounce of information physically pained him.
“How do you know that?” Maximus asks, his rumbling voice startling me after taking a backseat to observe most of the conversation. He eyes my father suspiciously, drawing my thoughts back to the question at hand. Indeed, how does my father know about my powers when I was an ordinary mortal child for as long as I can remember?
My father shoots me a sympathetic look before continuing. “I tried to have Olivia master her powers as a child, but there were just too many. Especially as we tried to blend into the mortal realm. I had to put the power blocking cuff on her until I could use the Tome of Agathos to lock away her powers as is done with the demigods.” My mind goes back to the familiarity I felt when Adrian slipped the power blocker onto my wrist over a month ago. My mind was unable to place where I felt the familiar energy at the time. Although I can’t remember a time when I wore it as a child, the words feel true, my memories of my early childhood blur in my mind’s eye.
The air is thick with tension at his words as we let the weight of what that means settle upon us all. I look down at my hands, inspecting them as though I could spot the power source that lies within. Not only do I possess the blistering heat I used against the shadow demons and Titus, but I’m also able to wield the sparkling sea of energy within me to mimic any of the gods’ powers. The gravity of that presses upon me, and my lips purse at the sight of my palms. The power and destruction they could enact chills me to my core.
I look up, my eyes searching for Maximus across the room. His stern expression softens as his eyes meet mine. Scanning my face, he reads the emotions just from my look. Finally, he inclines his head in acknowledgment and understanding.
“How is that possible?” Kyros muses, pulling my gaze from Maximus. His brows knit in concentration with a hazy look in his eyes. Almost as though I can see the gears turning in his head. They filter through his immense accumulation of knowledge, attempting to work out the logistics of my powers and parentage.
“I will not be discussing her mother,” My father states gruffly, his face impassive, giving nothing away. I jump at the harsh words and narrow my gaze on my father. He doesn’t meet my eyes—his stern expression focused on the guys.
“The council will ask, though,” Kyros warns, not pressing my father any further.
“Of course they’ll ask, and I’ll tell them the same thing that I told you.” My father levels him with a steely glare, his nostrils flaring and hands clenching at his side. Apparently, putting the discussion to rest.
“Why is it such a big deal who my mother is?” I question, my brows knitting together in confusion. I honestly couldn’t care less which god she is. My father, the leader of the light gods, could take care of me throughout my childhood. But she couldn’t even be bothered to send a birthday card? I see the indecision warring on my father’s face, but he swallows thickly, glancing at the others. No, I won’t get any proper answers with the guys in the room.
“There have only been two gods born into this world, Titus, God of Vengeance, whom you’ve met,” Kyros explains. The name brings a scowl to my lips, and I hear a rumbling growl sound from across the room. “—and Kallen, God of Storms. Both are dark major gods, and both are descendants of Octavia, God of Death, and Romulus, the leader of the dark majors.”
“I still don’t get what this has to do with me,” I concede, my brows furrowing at his words.
“Octavia and Romulus could only conceive due to a gift bestowed upon them by the God of Fertility. She and Octavia were best friends before the split of the dark and light gods. Other gods have tried but have only been unsuccessful. Her powers were nearly depleted, giving Octavia that gift. She could not bestow it upon any others.” Kyros’s gaze drifts over my father at those words.
“Which begs the question, how was her birth possible?” Mateo questions, choosing to jump back in now, if only to antagonize my father.
“You forget, you ignorant twat, I am the leader of the majors. I have all the powers of the light gods. Meaning I have the power of fertility.” Despite his words, my father keeps an even tone. The only sign of his displeasure is a slight narrowing of his eyes.
So that basically means my mother could be anyone, and I would have no way of knowing unless my dad deigns to tell me. I purse my lips, reminding myself I don’t want to know. I don’t need to know. I’m better off without her.
“So if there are only now three gods that were born into the realm, how did all of you come into existence?” I ask curiously.
