For The Love Of A God by Rosanna Leo (ebook reader for comics .txt) 📕

trilled, laying a hand on Sheila and Dino's stiff figures, “I get a strange sense your dad isn't doing well. I can just hear his heart slowing down."

She stared up into Eryx's eyes, pleading. Broken. Lost. “Please, Eryx. I can't bear this."

He kissed her fiercely, and she felt fire shoot up her core. Searing her as his forever love. Their tears mingled, as their lips sought to remember what they knew they had to lose. No matter what, they had to lose.

He pulled his mouth from hers, slowly, slowly, resting his forehead on hers. With a final, heated kiss on top of her head, he quickly pushed Maia into Dionysus's waiting arms. The god of wine held her back as Eryx ran to Nemesis.

"You want me?” Eryx seethed at his enemy. “Then you take me, not Maia."

"No!” Maia heard herself scream over and over, struggling to get out of Dionysus's unyielding grip.

Nemesis stared at him through surprised blue eyes. “What's this?"

"All these years,” he continued, his voice ragged, “you've killed in my name. Killed because of your so-called love for me. It ends tonight. You want me so badly? Take me. But you let Maia go, and you release your grip on her father and friends. I'll be yours, Nemesis, but there will be no more killing."

She was tempted. It was clear in the way her calculating gaze faltered a little. She raised her head, channeling her every ounce of bravado. “How do you think I felt all those years ago? In love with the god of love. A man who fucked every female creature within reach, but who refused to even look at me. A goddess! How do you think I felt, Eryx? You think you're somehow better than me? I've punished mortals for centuries for their hubris. I'm not above punishing you."

"I'll go with you now. Forever.” He turned at the sound of Maia's cry, and then turned back, drained of all color.

"How do I know I can trust you to stay? You have a god's strength. How do I know you won't just walk away one day?"

He gestured toward Dino and Sheila. “Let them go, as well as Maia's father, and I'll prove it to you."

Nemesis stared long and hard at him. Then something in her cold gaze softened, became almost girlish and hopeful. Maia almost felt sorry for her. Almost. God only knew she understood the pull Eryx could have on someone.

Nemesis waved her hand toward the toothy creature. With a hiss, he disappeared and Dino and Sheila tumbled to the ground. Unhurt, and blessedly unconscious. “Your father is released,” the goddess said to Maia, even as she turned to Eryx. “Now, prove it."

Eryx breathed in deeply and began to mutter something in an ancient tongue. Even within the confines of the museum, winds whipped up from out of nowhere, surrounding him. As he chanted his strange words, his body began to sway, caught up in a spell so powerful it was mesmerizing.

Maia felt Dionysus stiffen behind her, as the other gods gasped. “What's he doing?” she demanded. “Tell me!"

Dionysus went white. “He's giving up his immortality."

"He can do that?” She watched, horrified, as the cyclone made his body lurch. His eyes rolled back into his head, and still he spoke the words that were his undoing. “Can't you do something?"

"It's already too late,” Apollo whispered, grief-stricken.

The wind picked up Eryx's limp body at the same time a blinding, white-hot light flashed through the darkened chamber. His body was tossed up high, like a plastic bag caught in a tempest, and then it was dashed to the ground in a heap.

For many minutes, he lay there as the others watched, unable to move or speak. Then, slowly and with obvious pain, he lifted his head toward Maia.

And smiled.

Maia felt her body convulse with sorrow. He was mortal. Still so beautiful, but clearly mortal. He didn't glow anymore, didn't radiate his wonderful heat. And he looked tired and worn.

But always beautiful.

He'd sacrificed himself for her.

Nemesis crept toward him. “I can't believe you did it."

"Make no mistake,” he said, fixing her with his weak gaze. “I didn't do it for you."

She stiffened at the insult, but a sly grin spread across her wickedly perfect face as she looked over to Maia. “Enjoy the freedom your lover bought for you, mortal.” Then, placing a delicate hand on Eryx's shoulder, she said, “Stupid man. You'll never escape me now."

With another gust of wind, they were gone.

Maia collapsed against Dionysus, as her world fell into shadow.

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Chapter Eighteen

Maia cracked her eyes open just a sliver to see if anyone was still in the hospital room. Watching her. They were always watching her. Her dad, Dino, Sheila. Other family members and colleagues from the museum. They all wandered in at various times, talking in hushed tones and waiting for her to wake up.

She didn't ever want to wake up again.

He was gone.

She squeezed another tear from between her gunky eyelids. The nurse hadn't washed her face yet today, and her eyes were crusted in sleep. Good. It made it easier to keep them closed.

She heard voices in the hallway. Doctors and nurses. Always talking about her. Saying how sad it was one so young could be so ... catatonic. Wasted. Dead inside.

Of course, none of them knew what had happened inside the museum. She barely knew herself.

She heard them mention something about time. Had it really been a month since they'd brought her here? Two? She didn't know.

She didn't care.

If only she could shut out the images from that night and forget. But it was no good. Each time she closed her eyes, she saw him. Lying on the museum floor, mortal. Smiling at her.

And she never even told him how much she loved him before he did the unthinkable.

She'd killed a god. She'd killed her Eryx.

Agonized, she opened her eyes, wanting to banish the taunting image of him. But then another nurse shuffled into her