Torn apart by separate missions, can their love survive an impending apocalypse?
Demigod ex-cop Carissa Alkippes is hellbent on clearing her father’s name. But when she’s sidetracked into saving Zeus’ life, she’s forced into a dangerous mission to locate missing deities. To find them, she must face a horde of bloodthirsty demons.
Xen Lyson shouldn’t dwell on Carissa when he’s supposed to be stopping demons from feasting on humanity. But the sexy vampire worries her solitary journey to Olympus will put her in grave danger. And with absent gods causing devastating natural disasters, he must trust her father, Ares, to keep her safe.
With every mortal sphere at risk, Carissa races to retrieve a magical codex believed to hold the key to defeating her enemy. And when Xen discovers the true source of the threat, saving both humans and gods will put his own immortality in jeopardy.
In between battling Titans, gods, missing keys, and baklava can Carissa and Xen summon the power to conquer the sinister foe and return to each other’s arms?
Excerpt:
Xen’s personal
gymnasium had been designed to take the brunt of rough exercise. His Phi
Athanatoi, a warrior group of vampires and werewolves who protected mankind,
usually trained there. Tonight, though, this space belonged to Carissa and her
father - Ares. She rubbed her ass for the twentieth time, the exact number of
times she’d been thrown in their kung fu practice. Each time she hit the mat
like a piece of tangled spaghetti. Her father had appeared when they returned
from her visit with her yiayia. Perfect timing or coincidence? She couldn’t
decide. She had yet to fill in her father on what she had discussed with
Yiayia. It would have to wait until after they finished his so-called test of
her ability to fight and use her power of compulsion. Yes, she had power but
she had no idea how to control it.
“Focus, kori
mou.” Ares brushed a few sweaty locks from his forehead.
“It’s a little
tough to do that if you are in the air every minute.” She pushed up to her
elbows from her current starfish landing. Her energy would be depleted soon;
her fuel gauge pointed to empty.
“Your mind
controls the power.” Ares held out his hand. Her fingers closed around his. A
flow of energy danced between them. Recognition. Daughter to Father.
“I thought you said when you returned, we’d be
paying Olympus a visit.”
“I need to know
that you can call forth your power in a crisis situation.” He pulled her up to
her feet. “You’ll be walking into the lion’s den. All they will see is a tasty
morsel.”
“How is tossing
me around like pasta training me?”
“Now, use your
power of compulsion.” His hands darted to her neck, “Stop me.” He commanded,
his fingers tightening, tightening, tightening around her throat.
Time froze, expanded,
flipped to a moment in a warehouse where a demon had his claws around her
throat. Her life’s essence slowly extinguishing. Death had been close. Now it
was her father’s hold that choked her.
She spotted
Kane, Xen’s trusted right-hand man and wolf, holding Xen back. A roar cracked
and vibrated through the air. She had to summon her power.
Her gaze
collided with her father’s. In the depth of his chocolate-colored eyes, she saw
flares of fire. Fire spiked and tingled through her body. Somewhere in a deep
chamber of her mind, she took control. “Release me.” The words a soft command.
His grip
loosened, his hands falling away.
She coughed to
stabilize her breathing. The air around her shifted, and Xen had her in his
arms before she could swallow her next bit of air.
“Tell me why I
shouldn’t pierce my xiphos through your heart, Ares?”
“Relax, vampire.
I wasn’t going to harm my daughter.”
“Your practice
sessions leave my woman battered and bruised every time.” Xen inspected
Carissa’s throat. “I’ve been patient enough with all your methods. It ends
here. There will be no more.”
“Xen, it’s okay.
I’m okay.” Carissa tried to defuse the argument between god and immortal before
it got messy.
“My daughter is
right. If you weren’t in such a fit of rage, you would have seen that she
compelled me to stop with a whisper.
“Whether she
stopped you or not, that was going too far.” He removed his hands from around
Carissa and closed the distance to Ares in two strides.
Carissa watched
the nose to nose scene in slow-mo. She could see only one outcome in this - Xen
hurt.
