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“Fenny, I’m not going back without her. I owe her a life debt.”
I should’ve asked Fennia what she meant, but I couldn’t. My sole focus was on the atrium, which was pulling me to it with invisible strings. As if something beckoned me forth with an invitation I couldn’t ignore. The moment I reached the rounded glass atrium, the door opened, revealing a woman who could’ve been my mirror image. My lips parted in a perfectOas she smiled, scrutinizing my face.
“Hello, granddaughter. I’ve been waiting for you,” she welcomed in a pleasant, comforting tone.
“Scylla?” I whispered in shock. How? Scylla Prometheus was dead and buried before my parents had ever thought of me.
“I am your grandmother, Aria Primrose. The dead don’t die, they merely go on to the next, or stick around to watch over those they’ve created. Death’s a journey everyone makes alone, even royalty. You’re absolutely stunning, and even more beautiful than I thought you’d be. You have my mother’s eyes. I understand why you’d be overwhelmed, but I promise, you’re right where you’re supposed to be.”
“Holy shit,” I muttered as chills shot down my spine.
“I’ve waited a very long time to meet you. You’ve surpassed every expectation I have held for you. Your choice in men could be better, but that’s not what you’re here for today. Today, you’ll bathe in the spring to allow the land to bond with you. In order to accept the full intensity of the land’s powers, you must be reborn.” I opened my mouth to dispute her claim about rebirth, but her eyes narrowed with warning. “Calm down, my darling. Rebirth is only the transformation you choose to allow to alter both soul and mind. Tonight’s merely for us to discuss what is about to unravel now that you’re home. There are many questions I wish to ask you, and I can see many more burning in your Vanir-colored stare. Come, my ladies have heated the stones for the spring water. There’s much we must do before Esmeralda throws too much of a fit.”
Chapter Four
Aria
Myheartthunderedinmy ears as Scylla, my freaking dead grandmother, who was currently leading me through her house. Or what I assumed was her house. From the outside, it had looked like any other atrium, but the deeper we moved through it, the more it altered, changing to mirror a lighted oasis. The further we moved, the more it evolved into being another dimension, one created to mirror the fjords of Norway.
Scylla remained silent, but turned every once in a while, to smile back at me. I fretted over my lip while taking in a large, vibrant swath of glowing, iridescent colors. The moon bathed a massive mountain range in the aurora borealis.
The darkened sky shifted coloring as meteors sailed through the skies above. A lofty mountain sat in the distance, vibrant against the velvet backdrop as the light bathed it in shimmering prisms. As I stood in silent amazement, Scylla chuckled.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked tenderly.
“I’ve seen nothing as beautiful as this before. I can feel it beckoning me,” I admitted as amazement slid over my face. “This isn’t real, is it?”
“It is very real, Aria. This is the Kingdom of Fire that I created through my bond with the land. It reflects the beauty of your soul, or that’s what my mother told me. It will change now that it has chosen you to rule in place of me.” Her words snapped the spell the realm held over me. “Do try not to look so disappointed.”
“It’s not that,” I returned. “I didn’t intend to claim anything.” The statement was truthful. I hadn’t chosen to rule a kingdom. Technically, I’d denied wanting to be a queen, but I also didn’t want Hecate to win this war, either. If I had to claim my birthright in order to drive the bitch out, I’d do whatever it took. “It’s just a lot. You know?”
“I can imagine, especially since I ensured that you would not grow up with the mentality of a queen. Any woman can be a queen. A true queen is able to look beyond her own desires or mind, and do what is needed for the kingdom.” Scylla exhaled a shaky breath before starting down the staircase, as if she’d walked them a thousand times before.
“And what did it need?”
“I knew the perfect savior couldn’t be raised with luxury or affection. She needed to go through much pain to be able to comprehend the Nine Realms. She’d need to endure much pain to understand what those within the Nine Realms have endured. Of course, she’d need a king beside her. Offspring doesn’t appear by itself now, does it? But I didn’t choose that for you. Instead, I thought you should be the one to pick your ideal mate. I just never imagined Draghana Karnavious’ grandson would find you or be the ideal mate you chose. But he’s persistent, if nothing else. I knew you’d survive everything the Hecate sisters did to you. Aria, you are my granddaughter and no one can break you. The blood of kings and queens throughout the ages runs through your veins.”
“So you knowingly set me up for a lifetime of traumatic events? I mean, I went through hell at the hands of both Freya and Aurora. You didn’t think I should have any kindness in my life? I get the whole ‘need of a savior’ crap, but they tortured me.”
“But you survived it, all the same. It molded you into what you needed to be in order to rule the kingdom.” Scylla released a heavy exhale. “If I came to you and told you that everyone you’ve ever loved or cared about would die if you do nothing, what would you do to stop it from happening? What would you give to stop that from happening?”
“Anything,” I answered without hesitation. Esme, Knox, Lore, Greer, Soraya, Avyanna, and so many other faces flashed through my mind as the words slipped from my lips. “I’d do whatever I could do to stop it from happening.”
“When the son of the first people finds life through a Hecate witch’s womb, the world will turn to chaos and the goddess will be in ruins. When the son rises and reaches for his birthright, the battle will settle upon us, and the world shall rattle with might. For when the beast is unleashed, and the son discovers his truth, he will aim his fire at the goddess and send her back to her tomb.” Scylla tilted her head, intently watching for my reaction.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I don’t have testicles.” Her mirroring, blue eyes grew rounded before she released a clap of laughter. “It says a son. Sons have certain parts, which I lack.”
“I’m very aware of what you lack. Did you think I wanted you found before you were strong enough to stand and fight? Please, I wouldn’t have allowed you to be killed before you were born, let alone directly after. I merely changed a few things to ensure you wouldn’t be discovered before you were old enough to defend yourself.”
Scylla paused as we came to a large portal. Power hummed through it, drifting over my flesh until it pebbled with the sheer amount it offered. “Age before beauty,” Scylla stated with a genuine smile pulling at the corners of her full, heart-shaped lips.
The moment she stepped through the portal, everything around me altered once more. Not waiting around to see what happened, I followed her into the unknown. Was I really going to allow the spirit of my dead grandmother to lead me through portals? Apparently, but this shit hadn’t been on my bingo card, either.
I stepped out on the other side and found myself in what looked to be a large bathing chamber. Several women stood ready to assist us as Scylla ambled toward an altar placed at the head of the room. The women within the chamber didn’t make me pause, and the air around me pulsed with an unsettling amount of power. Thick energy saturated the air and began slithering into my soul.
“Don’t worry, darling. They don’t bite, at least, not often.” Scylla snorted when I refused to find the humor in her sentiment. “Light the torches, Adair, please. They’re not servants if that is what you assume.”
“I assumed nothing, actually.” Scanning the chamber, I felt the skin on my arms pebbling. The women offered encouragement with gentle nods, even as they moved to do as they’d been bid to.
