CHAPTER 12
Zeus raked him with a scathing glare as he stopped right before him and tugged the belt of the robe into a tight knot. "You are insane."
Strangely there was a calm serenity inside Jericho that didn't react to being goaded. How odd. Normally such a dressing-down would have had him going for Zeus's throat.
Maybe Delphine was rubbing off on him because he swore he could hear her telling him to calm down.
"No," he said slowly. "The only insanity would be for you to ignore me. The Skoti and Oneroi need their emotions in order to effectively fight against Noir."
Zeus shook his head. "They'll turn against us. You can trust me on that."
How stupid could one god be? Was he blind? "In case you haven't noticed, they've already done that. And they're picking apart your pantheon one god at a time. The Oneroi and Dolophoni are almost nothing more than, pardon the pun, a bad dream."
Jericho crossed his arms over his chest confidently. "If you give them back their emotions, their loyalty to the pantheon might win out over their current lust and ambition. Plus, Noir will have nothing left to offer them. The only reason they're there now is to have the emotions you banned from them. Restoring them is the only hope you have."
Zeus curled his lip. "How do you know?"
"You're still alive right now, aren't you? Even though I have dreamed of nothing but slaughtering you for all these centuries. Even though I hate you with every piece of me. You're still alive because of the loyalty I have to being Greek. And the hatred I feel for Noir having tried to use me. That's what we need to reawaken in them."
Zeus scoffed. "None of that motivates me to spare them."
"Then tell me what will."
Zeus narrowed his eyes as he considered it. Jericho swore he could hear the gears grinding in the god's mind. "What exactly are you offering?"
Don't do it, you idiot. Tell him his life.
But he knew threats wouldn't get him what he needed. Zeus was the only one who could lift the ban. This wasn't the time or place for arrogance or bluster.
They needed this.
Do it for Delphine's future...
This was her freedom he was asking for. Her life. Somehow that made it easier for him. "Whatever it takes to end the curse you should have never given them."
Zeus cocked his head as if he heard Jericho's thoughts. His gaze darkened threateningly. "This is over that little Oneroi I sent after you, isn't it? You don't care about the others. You only want her to be free." He laughed mockingly. "I'll be damned. The mighty Cratus brought low by a common sleep god. Sending that hot little ass after you actually worked."
"Don't call her that," Jericho growled. It was all he could do not to attack over it. Delphine wasn't an object and be damned if he'd let even Zeus reduce her to one.
Zeus laughed again, making Jericho want to punch the arrogance right off his face. "You think if she has her emotions back she'll be able to love you, don't you? Care about you. Nike told me she'd be the one weakness you couldn't deny. And she was right. There's nothing like a pretty face to weaken a man, especially one who was banned from sex as long as you were."
That was probably the last thing Zeus should have reminded him of because right now he was holding on to his temper by a very narrow margin. "Leave her out of this."
Luckily, the god knew when to back down. "Fine. You asked me for a favor and so I'll grant it on one condition."
"And that is?"
"Once we have the Skoti reined in. you'll be my dutiful slave for the rest of eternity."
"Fuck you." Jericho's response flew out of his mouth before he could stop it. Was the bastard out of his gourd? Did Zeus really think he'd be that dumb ever again?
Zeus shrugged as if the fate of their entire pantheon didn't rest on this decision. "Then no deal. I only hope your little Oneroi is a better fighter than they are. Otherwise..."
Jericho was aghast at his nonchalance. "Are you completely stupid? If Noir gets his foothold on gallu ruled Skoti, you're all doomed. We're all doomed."
"My dreams are protected-a precaution I took long ago. My only fear is Noir, and with you out of the way, that's one less tool he'll have." Zeus smirked. "Yes, you want to spite me and fight for him, but you won't. Not now. Not after you've seen your beautiful Delphine. You won't hurt her, will you?"
"Shut up."
"Why? Does the truth offend you?"
Roaring with anger, he extended his wings and seized Zeus by his throat.
The god didn't flinch as Jericho held him against the wall. "Go ahead. Kill me," he goaded. "Release my powers back to the Source. But if you can't handle them, and we both know you can't, they'll go to Noir and make him all the more powerful. Or worse, they'll rupture the universe and kill every living thing. Is that what you want?"
Jericho tightened his grip, wanting to kill the bastard. He wanted to bathe in his blood and taste his entrails.... "I hate you."
"Hate me all you want. But it's your decision in the end. You can help them by agreeing to my demands, or refusing and then watching them all fall to Noir and Azura. Which will it be?"
Jericho shook his head, trying to understand Zeus's rationale and selfishness. "How can you not care about what happens to them?"
"I'm not without a degree of compassion, but I've never shirked at what needed to be done. Ever. I slaughtered my own father to rule this pantheon. Do you think for one minute I'd hesitate at killing the rest of this pantheon to guard my place as king?"
Jericho squeezed his throat as he imagined Zeus lying dead at his feet. But in the end, he knew Zeus was right. With his human heart, he wouldn't be able to absorb those powers. It would kill them both and empower Noir.
Or it would destroy them all.
"So what's it to be, Cratus?"
Delphine froze as something painful ruptured inside her. It felt as if her heart had burst open and was sending fire throughout her veins. Crying out, she fell to her knees, clutching her chest. Every breath cut through her. Every agonizing heartbeat.
What on earth was happening to her?
Terrified it was a new attack from Noir and his army, she looked about the hall where the other Oneroi and Skoti were also writhing in pain. None of the Dolo-phoni seemed to be affected by it.
"What's happening?" she asked M'Adoc.
M'Adoc was gasping and groaning. "He did it. It's our emotions being unlocked."
Could it be... ?
It was only when the burning stopped and her unlocked emotions swept through her that she realized exactly how hollow she'd always been. Everything around her was more vibrant and sharp. Every sound, every taste. The light was blinding as emotions flooded through her. Hate. Love. Sympathy. Fear. Sadness. Happiness. She was laughing and crying. Cringing yet wanting to shout in joy.
"Breathe," M'Adoc said in her ear. "Let it settle down."
She tried her best, but it was so difficult. So much for Azura having unlocked them-that was nothing compared to what she felt now. The goddess must have only unlocked the human part, because that was no comparison to this. "How do humans handle them?"
"Some handle them better than others, and they're more used to it since they have them from birth. You'll get used to them, too... eventually."