Tempting Ecstasy (The Guardians of the Realms Book 4) Read Free

Demi-God’s dangerous task. All would be lost if Pothos failed. After years of training, he kept his features relaxed, amused, his expression keeping the tension at a minimum when he wanted to clench his jaw tight instead.
    “Would you like me to call the others and search for him?” Conn offered. He knew his part in their actions would likely be a death sentence whether the Creators came back or not. There would be massive loss of life when the call went out, if Pothos was even able to find the artifact. The Immortals would do what they had to in order to distract the Gods and get those they could out of harm’s way.
    “Yes, it seems Apollo has abducted another of my warriors.”
    Conn stilled.
    “Brianne was just seen taken from outside the walls.” Hades eyes flashed.
    Fear and dread slammed into him, hard, painfully. Banked fury filled the God’s otherworldly eyes as sickness and fury filled Conn’s gut. They’d taken Brianne, one of the last Immortals who’d originally served Hades with him. For centuries they’d been friends. She was smart, how in the Creators’ names had Apollo gotten to her. She trained the warriors by his side. He held his features in check. They were friends, and if the reports were true, she had just entered a world of torment and experimentation, followed by becoming nothing more than a breeder for Apollo’s army. It was a fate he wouldn’t wish on any female.
    Kepe had gone still in front of Hades. She knew Brianne, but more, Kepe was one of the few Immortals to have escaped Apollo’s palace, decades ago. She’d come directly to Hades and served there for all the years since. She knew better than most what Brianne would be forced to do. Knew the horrors Apollo and Hermes would inflict on their friend. Kepe’s eyes shot to his, the hard glint clear; she expected him to save Brianne. He wasn’t sure he could, but he would sure as hell try. Apollo had locked down his island to the point where no Immortal had escaped in decades. Brianne wouldn’t get out without help.
    Kepe nodded before turning back to Hades’ hard shaft. Her shoulders were tense, her arousal all but gone. Hades’ gaze softened as he looked down at her and stroked her cheek. The bastard had moments where he wasn’t all bad. The God’s gaze came back up and snared Conn. He wasn’t sure what Hades knew, but he felt an itch at the back of his neck that didn’t sit well.
    “Go find my son.” Power filled the air, charged it.
    Conn nodded sharply and then slipped on his clothes and weapons as he left the balcony. He needed to get word to Draken about Pothos not answering Hades’ calls, and hoped the other Demi-God would not find Pothos dead and the Realms’ only hope lost.
    His muscles ached from keeping them locked down. He knew what he had to do. If Pothos was dead or failed in his task, he wouldn’t chance his sister warrior being lost forever to Apollo and Hermes. She wouldn’t appreciate his sacrifice, but he wasn’t staying outside when they had her. The experiments they would conduct on him would make him stronger, make him a beast. He took a deep breath of the sea air, of the freedom he was leaving. He would take the potion Pothos and Draken had come up with. Something that should at least give him the ability to contact them from the inside.
    It was meant to be used when Pothos found the artifact and called the Creators back.
    The mystery of how Apollo was compelling Immortals to leave the walls had been plaguing them all. He’d soon find out, and hopefully be able to convey those answers to Pothos and Draken, preventing any others from being taken and used to strengthen Apollo’s legions. There weren’t nearly enough Immortals left outside those walls.
    He rolled his neck and made his final plans.

Chapter 1
     
    Earth Realm
     
    Conn had started every night for the past three weeks in the same place. An empty Victorian in the small town, it held less and less of her scent as time passed. He