The Three Kings Trilogy- Emperor of Death

Chapter Nineteen- The Lost Sailor

Neoma

I awoke alone in Hades' bed with the doors to the Underworld shut. Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon must have gone down there to do whatever business they would need to do. Grabbing one of Hades' random black button-ups, I automatically awoke enough to start wandering through the house and calling out to the only two people invested in their own relationship to not bother to even find me somewhat attractive.

"Hestia! Demeter?!" Silence answered. Perhaps they were in the garden.

The garden was green and full of life as usual with the colorful flowers and fruits brighter in color than usual. The wind was blowing almost too much for my liking but no one was here to control it. Still with all of it... Demeter and Hestia were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they went onto one of the islands.

Just as I was about to enter, a faint yelp for help could be sounded down from the boat dock. Even though I was technically still in my underwear with barely nothing covering me, I couldn't help but look over to the dock. There, near where the sirens had tried to kill me, was a shirtless blonde man clearly in need of help. How did he even get here?

"Are you alright?!" I called out, hoping for a clear answer.

Even though he still hasn't responded, I started to stomp down the hot steps barefooted until reaching the wooden dock and coming face to face with the man. He was sun-burnt with buzzed bleach blonde hair- completely shirtless and showing off every single curve his abs could form. He had way more muscle than Zeus or Poseidon ever could have. The stranger's eyes were shut and his chest barely moving.

"Oh my-! Hey, can you hear me?" I shouted the question, shaking him hard.

A moment of silence again before he shot up, coughing up sea water before looking at me. I could finally see his sea green eyes that would surely make any woman swoon. Once he could actually see me, a look of subtle shock crossed his face before composing himself once more and asking a question in the same language all five of the gods/goddesses spoke. He must have come from one of the Greek islands.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak Greek. If you wait-"

I started but was quickly interrupted by his cracked crashing onto mine and his hand gripping the back of my head, pushing me closer into the kiss and not letting me go. A quite shocking moment to happen. I managed to push him away, back onto the dock before hearing him laugh and seeing a wide cheeky smile.

"I am sorry- I was trying to thank you for finding me." He spoke with an accent I couldn't exactly detect. It sounded a mixture of Spaniard and British with a tad bit of Greek in the vowels. So many different accents mixing made it all sound so off.

"What are you doing out here alone? Did you get pushed off a yacht or something?"

"No I am not sure what happened. I am just lucky a beauty such as yourself saved me." He winked, flashing the same grin as before. I scoffed, rolling my eyes and finally standing up.

"Well you can either come inside while we wait for the boat to get back or you can burn out here more. Like I care-" I started but the stranger got up to his feet quickly and allowed the stay water drops to drip down his body.

"I will gladly follow you"

The one time I try to help someone, he turns out to be just like Dylan. I rolled my eyes and started walking up the steps again but could feel him so close behind me. Even though I hadn't turned my head for a single moment, I knew he was looking directly at me.

"You had mentioned a boat earlier. Do you know where it is?" The stranger asked.

Was this guy a thief and that's how he wandered up here? Was I being stupid by even acknowledging his presence? Fear and suspicion was starting to pick up in me. A man that looked no older than twenty-eight was speaking like a man trapped in an encyclopedia. It's not unheard of but still... quite off.

"Probably with my friends. You planning on stealing it?" I asked bluntly, finally looking back at him but chuckling to try and play it off as a joke.

"Perhaps I am planning on stealing something more precious like your heart. What is the name of my hero any how?"

"Neoma Knight. What's your name?"

"I go by many but you probably know me the best as Cronus."

I paused in my steps, unable to tear my face away from his. Yet another grin slowly spread across his face, mocking me. Surely I didn't hear that right. Cronus was currently trapped in the Underworld. He couldn't have washed up onto the dock and trick me for this long.

"Say... Say that again? I don't think I heard your name correctly."

"You heard correctly. I have escaped my prison to be one with you. We can finally escape and-!"

I could feel him preparing some sort of speech but began running up the steps as fast as my feet could carry me. I hate these damn steps but surely time being barefoot helped my speed slightly. Without turning around, the sound of Cronus' laughter carried in the wind as if to mock me even more. Where were all the gods when I actually needed them? If he was here and they weren't, that could only mean one thing: he managed to finish the job that my ancestor started.

I ran into the castle and locked the door behind me. My blood mixing with adrenaline and my heart beating twice as fast. Cronus slammed his fists hard on the glass doors and a grin that was surely going to haunt my dreams for the rest of my life.

"You belong to me Neoma! You and I are one now!" Cronus shouted clearly despite being on the other side of the door.

"In your dreams!"

I began running again up to my tower. I wasn't sure how familiar Cronus may have been with Olympus but I was hoping not one bit. Perhaps he would look through every door, expecting me to hide in one of them or not even know about the tower. Just as I started to climb up the grand staircase, I felt a thick snake tail wrap around my ankle and knock me down. The tail flipped me around and I was able to see Echidna hovering over me.

"You heard the one true ruler. You are his property now."