Page 10 of Magic Flame

Page List


Font:  

“How, Héctor?” Paxton whispered. “What happened to you? What can we do to help?”

Zak’s gaze fell on the gray hair near Héctor’s temples. He sucked in a ragged breath. “Did you give up your immortality by healing me?”

“I bet he did,” Paxton said softly. “When we thought Buttercup was gone, Héctor mentioned that he was cursed with death’s touch, yet blessed with giving back one life. But he didn’t say that the cost was his immortality.”

Héctor didn’t respond, but he didn’t have to. Paxton had pieced everything together.

“He didn’t say he’d be stripped of his demigod power, either,” Paxton continued. “He was meant to give up his immortality for our mate, but Buttercup turned out all right, so he brought Zak back from death with his eternal life.”

Zak swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing as thick emotion gripped him. “You dealt the death card wrong, brother. You should never have traded your life for mine. From now on, how am I going to comfort our mate? You broke her heart.”

The demigods had once fought each other for power, ego, and territories, and now they’d die for each other like true brothers.

Héctor traced my jawline tenderly with his knuckles. “I’ll have one lifetime with you, and that’s more than my eons of living in utter loneliness.” His voice turned steely as he scanned my other mates. “My Lamb will have you. And all of you will be there for her for eternity. Now stop acting like sentimental fools. The most important thing is we’re together now, and we’ll get our mate out of the Void.”

“I won’t lose you, Héctor. We’ll find a way,” I said, sweeping a tearful gaze at all my mates and wiped the tears with the back of my hand. I’d been crying a lot ever since I reunited with my mates in Hell. “I won’t lose any of you.”

“We’ll search to restore our brother’s immortality at all costs,” Axel vowed. Zak and Paxton nodded, determination shining in their eyes.

A vile giggle burst from the corner.

“Haven’t you all learned?” Ares snickered. “All these unfortunate events started when you brought the little hybrid to your fold. Marigold will be the death of every one of you. You enjoyed riches, entitlement, and powers beyond measure before you hooked up with her. Look where you are now. You’re beggars in a cave. Is one shared pussy worth it all?”

“That’s rich, Father, really rich,” Axel sneered back. “You tried to take my mate from my bed and have her for yourself, but you failed miserably. My darling mate tossed you into the Void with a flicker of her pinky, and look where you are now. All alone, unwanted and despised. Even your sometime ally wants nothing to do with you.”

Axel gestured at Lucifer. Ares flicked a glare at the devil before opening his mouth to retort at my mate, but Axel cut him off.

“I now have three true brothers and one true mate. We share everything. We’d die for each other without a blink. And that is worth more than any riches or powers we could have had with you.”

The five of us faced the war god, our solid stance lending weight to Axel’s words. Paxton folded his arms, his biceps bulging, while Zak and Héctor glared.

“You have nothing,” Axel spat. “Youarenothing. But don’t worry, Father. No one, not even your Olympian pals—whose opinions you still care about more than anything—will laugh in your face this time. Your shame will stay here with you forever, until you rot in the Void.”

“You didn’t get it right about the pinkie part, Axel,” I protested. “I flicked my wrist. But I’ll try a pinkie next time for your sake.”

Axel gazed at me fondly. “You do that, Cookie. Now give me a kiss.”

“You damned brat!” Ares hissed, his face purple with rage. “I’ll teach you—”

My mates raised their weapons, ready to battle the god again, and Ares deflated like a leaking balloon. He was in no shape to fight the five of us.

“Save your breath, Ares, if you’re smart,” Lucifer said, his horns pressing against the cave wall. “You won’t win the fight, and I’ll stay neutral.”

“How could you let this go?” Ares demanded. “That little hellion ruined our lives!”

“I’ve met with worse betrayal,” Lucifer said. “So quit bitching, Ares.”

“What a day,” I said. “The Father of Betrayal lecturing the God of Losers.”

“I don’t take it personally, even though you lured me here, Celeste,” Lucifer said. “On the contrary, I applaud your ingeniousness on exploiting my only weakness. However, we’ll have to work together to defeat an armada of carnivorous monsters if we want to get out of this plane.”

I snorted. “Right, working with the devil and a jackass god, and no one is wiser.”

“You and your mates will see reasons,” Lucifer said.

Outside the cave, the monsters’ bone-chilling howls continued. The predators wouldn’t give up their hunt.

Ironically, the only one they didn’t want to eat was my Héctor, not that I’d complain about it. My heart was filled with exuberance and happiness at my love’s return. As Héctor had said, all that mattered was that we were together.


Tags: Meg Xuemei X Half-Blood Academy Fantasy