Before the Dawn

Chapter Twenty Three

Dragging the back of my hand across my tear soaked cheeks, I try to rid myself of the salty sadness. I push myself off of the ground, willing myself to part from the lifeless bodies of my furry companions. I let a tree support me as I attempt to regain my composure. Now is not the time to mourn. Not when there's a murderer and his accomplices in these woods waiting for their chance to strike again.

Tears dried and heart sewn together with temporary thread, I straighten up. I step over the bodies at my feet, trying not to think about them. Now is a time for revenge, not sorrow.

Shaking my head, I refocus my attention on the gods ahead of me. Silence greets me. I frown. Where the hell did they go? I lean forward, straining my ears for any sign of them.

"Boo," a heart breakingly familiar voice whispers in my ear.

Fear kick starts my hear. I open my mouth to scream but a hand clamps over it before I get the chance. Hands grab my arms and hold them out to my sides. Another pair of hands grab my shoulders just as someone kicks the back of my legs, forcing me to my knees. I struggle against my captors to no avail.

A figure crouches down before me but I keep my eyes glued to the ground. I won't give him the pleasure of my gaze. But, of course, Theo isn't one to sit around and be ignored. He grabs my face, thumb digging into my cheek, and forces me to look at him. I glare into the golden eyes of the man I once thought I loved.

"Oh, come now, Thanatos," he breathes, brushing his thumb across my lips. "Your mouth is much too pretty to frown like that."

His breath fans across my skin, hot and insistent. With a nearly inhuman growl, Theo darts forward and captures my lips with his own. His mouth grinds against mine, taking my surprised gasp as an opportunity to take the kiss even further.

Desperate to end the gods forsaken kiss, I bite down as hard as I can on his lip. With a cry of surprise, Theo pulls away. To my surprise, he smiles slightly and wipes the blood from his bottom lip. "Still as feisty as ever," he murmurs with a devilish smirk.

Unsettled by the heated look Theo's giving me, I turn my head, only to find the demigod turned god, Drake smirking down at me. I quickly look away, frightened by the darkly sadistic look in his eyes.

Unfortunately, my gaze lands on my murderous ex-boyfriend who's looking at me in a way that makes me wish I'd worn a turtle neck this morning rather than the low cut tank top I'd decided on. I shift uncomfortably where I kneel, wishing that I could somehow cover myself up.

Theo must have noticed my discomfort because he smiles, slow and wide like a Cheshire cat. "You don't have to hide from me, baby," he purrs. "I know your body better than you do."

Scrunching up my eyebrows, I frown. What? How could he possibly-? We never-. My thoughts slam to a halt when I see the knowing look in Theo's eyes.

"You were a maiden when we met," he murmurs fondly, smiling a hint of a smile as he twirls a lock of my hair around his finger. "That all changed when I got my hands on that tight little body of yours."

Snickers sound behind me but I'm too stunned to care. A memory tugs at my consciousness, pulling me into the part of my life I'd forgotten.

Heat all around me, smothering me deliciously. Hands in all the right places. Smoldering kisses tracing my body. Skin on skin. Gasping for breath. Golden eyes take me in-

Gasping, I rip myself from the memory. Theo's smug face is the first thing I see and, as humiliated as I feel, it's nothing compared to the burning hatred I feel towards him. I glare at the golden eyed demon. He's surprised, like he'd expected me to cry. I won't. I'm done crying over that slimy bastard.

 Theo recovers quickly from his shock, plastering a self-assured smirk on his face. "Remember now?"

Rage ignites.

"Oh, yeah, I remember. But I didn't need your little memory to know how much of a pathetic bastard you are," I bite out. "I mean, seriously? You still haven't gotten over the fact that I dumped your ass? That was centuries ago, Theo. Get over it."

I knew my words might get me in trouble before I said them, but it still came as a surprise when the god's hand shot out and struck my face hard. And it hurt.

I touch a hand to my stinging cheek and wince. Looking up at Theo in shock, I see him smile ruefully. He once again crouches before me, forcing me to look at him.

"As much as it pains me to mark that pretty face of yours, Thanatos, I won't hesitate to do so if you speak to me in that manner again."

A retort rises to my lips but, fearing the pain that might follow as a repercussion, I swallow it down and nod meekly. Theo smiles faintly, seeing my poorly hidden retort.

"There's a good girl," he smiles and pats my head. I resist the urge to bite his hand.

I do, however, call on darkness to aid me in my escape from these vile creatures that call themselves gods. But nothing happens. My frown deepens. Theo notices my confusion and grins his Cheshire cat grin.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a fiery orange stone and examines it in the light. "Sunstone's a wonderful gem, isn't' it? Great for the poisoning and power neutralizing of night deities," he muses, golden eyes cutting to me when he says the last part.

The color drains from my face when he says this. Without my powers, I'm defenseless. What am I suppose to do now?

Without looking away, Theo reaches out a hand and Seth places a golden dagger in his open palm. Lips press against my ear from behind as Seth whispers amusedly, "a dagger laced with pure sunlight; fatal to pretty little daughters of the moon."

I bite my tongue against the not-so-nice things I'd like to say to the lot of them.

Theo traces the tip of the dagger along the edge of my face tenderly. "Did you know," he whisper softly, "that, when we were together, the sun loved the daughter of the moon so much that he died every night just to let her breathe?"

I hold my breath as Theo shifts closer, his lips brushing mine with every word he utters. I'm frozen in place when the tip of his blade touches my breast, right above my heart.

Theo lets out a shuddering breath, golden eyes meeting mine briefly. He presses his lips to mine softly in a kiss of goodbye.

"Now it's your turn to die."

The sun god tenses as he brings back the blade, preparing to plunge it into my fear-frozen heart. A hand clamps down on Theo's wrist, halting my murder. I look up in relieved shock to see my knight in shining armor with the sun acting like a golden halo floating above my dark angel.

Declan's eyes flash angrily at Theo.

"I don't think so."