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  Sacrifice

  The Descendants Series - Book Two

  by

  Mayandree Michel

  PUBLISHED BY

  Mayandree Michel

  Sacrifice

  Copyright © 2012 by Mayandree Michel.

  All rights are reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the author.

  Cover design by Mayandree Michel

  Model: Giselle Elyse Lopez

  * * * * *

  For Kale and Blake,

  always.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  To Aaron, my loving husband, thank you for understanding that I’m the type of wife that needs her “Me Time” and for actually reading my books. I feel very lucky to have you.

  To Blake and Kale, my sons and the two sources of joy and happiness in my life, thank you for reminding me, every day, how great my life is with you in it. I love you both very, very much and couldn’t imagine my life without you.

  To Adrienne, my sister and best friend, thank you for your constant support, laughs, babysitting, and… the list goes on, and on.

  To Mary, my favorite cousin, thank you for your continued support and encouragement.

  To Justina Sirianni and Charia Underwood, thank you for helping to make this novel the best that it can be.

  To Giselle Elyse Lopez, thank you for taking time out of your busy school schedule and for adding your beauty to this cover as well.

  War has never been won, and

  Love has never been saved without

  Sacrifice

  Prologue - Cordelia

  One month ago…

  Their eyes were fixed on me as I walked up the street. Evan, whose beauty radiated from where he stood on his porch, observed my every move. All the while, I watched Victor from the corner of my eye, assessing his arrogant stance as he stood on my porch, leaning against one of the pillars. He was beautiful as well, gorgeous even, but I had made my choice. I chose to be with Evan completely.

  As I entered the ornate Capius estate gates, a blast resonated and broke my stride. The eruption was followed by another, and another. The exploding sound came from a distance, possibly from town. At first, I figured it was just another shootout between Nickel City’s rowdy towns folk. Oddly, as the shots continued to fire, the prickling heat rose within me and my blood began to boil. I felt the burst of each bullet as if it ripped through my core.

  “They’re shooting at our members. We have to investigate,” I said, telepathically, to Evan.

  We were not in any danger of being hurt, but being targeted made me a bit wary. The members of my empire lived in this town for nearly fifty years with their identities hidden, and have never been attacked.

  “I agree,” Evan said, telepathically.

  “Go inside. Now,” I told Victor telepathically. Gunshots could hurt him just as easily as they could hurt one of the mortals in town. He hesitated at first but eventually, he did as he was told.

  The little boy, playing in the alley between the mercantile and town cobbler, eye’s widened with shock to see Evan and I appear out of the thin air, and right in front of him.

  “Hello darlin’,” I said to the little boy whose blue eyes gleamed brighter than the sun. “We just moseyed down the street didn’t we?” I asked, Glamouring the bashful boy.

  The boy nodded, smiled, and agreed to having seen us walk up the alley just as more shots rang out over C Street. Evan and I made our way onto the main street. We joined the crowd of mortals on the wooden planked sidewalk. They gaped at the gunslinger and his victim.

  Victim?

  It was one of my disciples. I watched in horror as Heracio, the largest of the three sons of Hercules, took several steps toward the shooter, and deflected the bullets. Heracio was now face-to-face with the shooter. He lifted the hulking cowboy off the ground and well above his head. The cowboy’s legs and arms flailed in the air as his Stetson floated to the ground. All the while, he continued to fire in every direction, causing the frightened mortals to duck or run.

  “Don’t do this!” I said telepathically, but Heracio ignored me.

  He flung the cowboy clear across the street at an accelerated speed. Every pair of eyes witnessed the cowboy smash into the wall of wooden barrels that stood against the wall of Benson’s Brewery a second after he was thrown.

  Silence rang out over the main street as the dark mass emerged. The shadows slithered from every sidewalk and from every side of every building on C Street. Hades’ Apolluon, the misty shadows which lay dormant until woken by displays of power, moved swiftly and headed straight for Heracio. They were always ready to smother a soul and drag it into the Underworld unless it was nightfall and they were blood thirsty vampires until the first sunlight at dawn.

  They encircled him as he held out one hand – palm out – in an attempt to bar the shadows from smothering him. The prayers he whispered to the gods couldn’t save him now. I swooped in faster than the speed of light and snatched him up from within the fast closing circle of dense black smog.

  “You defied me!” I snapped, after teleporting to my parlor.

  “I’m sorry Empress,” Heracio said, looking down at his feet.

  “Sorry almost got you smothered. Sorry won’t Glamour an entire town!” I threw both my hands up in the air.

  Evan appeared, stood beside me, and faced Heracio whose massive muscular build practically engulfed the parlor. He towered over both Evan and I, but looked particularly subdued now.

  “What were you thinking?” Evan asked.

  “I wasn’t,” Heracio admitted.

  “Clearly,” I added.

  The sons of Hercules were known to have quick tempers, but they were also taught early on in their childhood, as every other Ischeros had learned – never show power in public.

  “What the mortals have seen, they will not forget,” Evan said. “After you both disappeared, the mortals stood in shock. They couldn’t process what they saw. But they remember and they know what they witnessed today was supernatural.”

  “What if I hadn't been there?” I reminded Heracio that he and his brother’s talents didn’t include teleporting.

  “I–I just lost it. He started pointing that pistol at me. Even though I knew he couldn’t hurt me, I couldn’t get past the smug look in his eyes. I was angrier than I have ever been. It bothered me that a little bastard like that could show that he was more powerful than me, in front of all those laughing mortals, just because he had a gun. I just made a bad decision. How will I be punished, Empress?”

  “Throwing the mortal may actually have been a good idea,” Evan said, taking a seat on my plush velvet couch.

  “What?” I asked, as my mouth dropped open.

  “Really?” Heracio asked, with a raised brow.

  “It isn’t the fact that you threw a cowboy. After sizing you up Heracio, it’s not hard to believe that you could lift a man into the heavens. I believe watching those bullets melt into your body and not kill you, and the vision of both of you vanishing in the midst of moving shadows is what may never leave the mortal’s psyche for a lifetime.

  Oh no! Evan was right.

  I was at fault.

  I shouldn’t have teleported. Nevertheless, how else could I have saved Heracio? If I hadn’t gotten him out of there, the Apolluon would have devoured him.

  I certainly couldn’t punish him. I turned to Heracio and held out my hand.

  “Evan is rig
ht. It wasn’t your fault. Sometimes we’re put in a situation where there’s only one way out. If saving you brings on speculation from the mortals then so be it. I would do it all over again.”

  Heracio bowed, kissed my hand, and turned to leave my house.

  “This whole empress thing suits you.” Evan said with a grin that split his gorgeous face.

  “You’re making me blush, Lord Evander.” I looked into the most breathtaking blue eyes I had ever seen.

  Evan rested his hands on my waist. My skin prickled with the stifling heat of his aura. I knew that he could feel my desire for him. He smelled of sandalwood and salt water and was intoxicating. He pulled me close and my heart skipped a beat. Leaning into me, he pressed his lips against mine, hungrily. Evan tasted sweet and salty. I couldn’t get enough of his deliciousness. I smashed my body onto his and he combed his fingers through my hair as a soft moan escaped my lips. He feathered kisses along my jaw line until his lips reached my earlobe. My heart was pounding as I opened my eyes and fastened my arms tightly around his neck.

  “I love you,” he breathed. My heart jolted in my chest as if it was the first time Evan had said those words.

  Without any warning, Victor strolled into the parlor. He regarded us as his mouth formed a thin line across his face. I tuned into his thoughts. He was furious and certain of one thing. I was the prize. As far as he was concerned, Evan hadn’t won.

  One - Victor

  Like Father, Like Son

  For a month, that felt much like an eternity, I’ve had to swallow profane words in front of Delia as I watched Evander try to steal her away from me. Enough was enough. She belongs to me and it’s about time that he understood that.

  I closed my eyes and called for him. His overwhelming presence was always accompanied by the distinct metallic scent of blood and the intoxicating aura of victory.

  “I will be punished if Zeus discovers that I’ve interfered with matters pertaining to demigods, young lord,” Ares said, stomping across my bedroom rug. I couldn’t take my eyes off my father’s boar skin cape.

  “It’s been a month since I’ve been living with the empress. A little insight wouldn’t hurt, father. I–.”

  “I told you to stop calling me that. Ares will do just fine.”

  “Well, what’s with all the ‘Young Lord’ business?” I asked.

  “I know how you demi’s like your respect. Especially you.”

  “Victor will do just fine.” I said, getting up from behind my desk. I was six feet and the God of War dwarfed me.

  “Now where were we?” Ares continued. “Ah yes, you had a vision, am I correct?”

  “I dreamt that I was about to finally kiss my betrothed when suddenly something came over me. It was dark and compelling and I didn’t feel like myself anymore. I watched myself from the side lines, sort of, and I was… turning into…”

  “Hades has a strange way of doing things, but I must applaud him for his strategy with you demi’s. I do get my Chameleon charms from him,” he said, chuckling. “As do you, my son.”

  I sighed and my shoulders sagged.

  “Oh come on now. Cheer up. You wear him well.” Ares’ laughter filled the room.

  Lucky me, I thought. My father would rather be the God of Comedy.

  “Is this Hades’ plan?”

  “Perhaps,” he said, throwing his hands up in the air.

  “Is that all you have to say?” I asked, anxiously. I knew that vision meant more.

  “What more is there?” Ares asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

  Was he kidding? Was he really going to make me beg for his help?

  “I know that you know more than you’re letting on, so tell me.”

  “I would like too, but Zeus would never approve of my meddling.”

  “Is Zeus just going to watch as his children are destroyed?” I said, raising my voice.

  “Well, he does like to keep a close eye on things,” Ares chortled.

  He turned away from me and headed toward the French doors, leading out to the veranda. I couldn’t let him leave without telling me something – anything.

  “You mustn’t worry yourself over these things. You’re not even sure if she’ll dump Poseidon’s aquatic tornado, for you.”

  “Of course she will. She loves me. She just doesn’t want to accept it yet.”

  “And you are sure that when she finally does accept it, as you put it, young Lord Evander won’t put up a fight. You know how those waters can get pretty choppy.” Ares looked at me quizzically.

  “Oh, I bet he will.”

  “And when he does, I’ll bet on you,” Ares said. “Especially, if you use all of your resources. By the way, how is the fireball?”

  “Not ready. Not yet.”

  “The fireball will be fiery enough when needed. Time is of the essence, son.”

  “Right,” I said, although I wasn’t completely sure.

  “Just a chip off the old block, aren’t you.” Ares said, smiling. “I’m glad to see that you’ve still got some fire and fight in you. It’s all I’m looking for.”

  “I just don’t want to piss off my brothers and sisters of the Ischero. They’ve taken me back and I plan to prove to those who are not totally on board how devoted I am.”

  “Well, what is it that you are devoted to? Is it the empire of deities or the lovely empress?”

  I took a moment to ponder his question and said, “Both.” Ares raised an eyebrow at me. “It’s fifty-fifty,” I added.

  “I think it’s a little more like twenty-eighty. I’d guess that the beautiful Empress Cordelia breaks the scale,” Ares said, twisting his mouth to one side.

  “Maybe,” I uttered under my breath, looking away. I didn’t want him to think that I was some kind of wuss in love.

  Ares sighed. “Haven’t you listened to anything I’ve told you in the last month?”

  I blinked up at him. “I heard everything you said.”

  “Heard? Have you listened? If you have been listening then you had better remember the most important rules. Never let a woman motivate you if she–”

  I finished Ares’ sentence. “Has yet to give you her heart.”

  “That’s correct, Victor. What will happen if you allow a woman to motivate you if she hasn’t gifted you with her most precious possession?”

  “I don’t know. Oh, wait! A woman will prove her right to change her mind.”

  “And what does that leave you with?” Ares eyed me skeptically and thumped his fingers rhythmically against the bookshelf.

  “An empty palm where her heart should be, right?” I asked because I wasn’t certain that I had it right.

  “Yes, and that’ll leave you with nothing to crush into gritty sand, my son.”

  “The heart, yes the heart,” I said and nodded. However, I didn’t want to crush Cordelia’s heart.

  I wanted to love her out in the open. I wanted her to love me back. I wanted the elders to see and praise our passion, and the gods to sing about our union.

  “Ares, tell me what I need to know. I want to win.”

  “Of course you do. You are my son, a warrior, and your name alone means that you can conquer anything,” Ares said draping his arm around my shoulder. “We fight to the end. We always get what we want and we always win – at any means necessary. I’ll tell you all that you need to know and you will be victorious in the end.”

  Two - Cordelia

  Telltale Dreams

  Endlessly blooming, ivory roses surrounded me. Demeter’s blessings were evident as each bud opened and reverted to a bud once more. Something fluttered behind me. I turned around and my gaze fell on Persephone. The hem of my white dress floated from the breeze created by the young goddess’ static-like movements. She raised her eyes to my face.

  “Empress, these are for you. It appears my mother has saved the very best to bestow upon you,” Persephone said, handing me a bouquet of lush white roses. They behaved as the other roses did and spiraled. She was correct
. The bouquet of roses was by far the most beautiful I had ever seen. I made a quiet vow to thank her mother.

  “Will she be joining us?” I asked.

  “Unfortunately, Mother is unable to make an appearance here.” Persephone stared around her. I regretted the question when I heard her voice drop an octave and noticed that the rose petals began to wilt. I couldn’t have wilted flowers on my wedding day.

  “I know that she would be here if she could. You will see her in the spring.” The shimmer was back in her eyes at the mere mention of seeing her mother again. I beamed as the roses became vibrant once more.

  It was a very exciting day for me, for us. Finally, we will be united, and it didn’t matter if the gods did not approve. Suddenly, the melodious music broke the silence, and light filled the poorly lit cathedral walls. Something was rather strange. The walls appeared to be vibrating. It looked as if blue flames roared from behind the stained glass windows. I felt something tug at my arm and the light dimmed considerably. I made out a tall figure through the opaque darkness. It had to be Evan.

  “Why is it so dark in here?” I asked, but Evan didn’t answer me.

  “You may kiss the bride.” I heard a voice thunder from beyond the points of where my sight could reach.

  I closed my eyes and parted my lips. I knew the moment our lips touched that something was terribly wrong. I opened my eyes. The white roses bled with crimson blood. I looked into eyes that were as black as coal and belonged to the one being that could spew enough evil to darken an entire universe. My knees buckled as he continued to kiss me and my stomach felt like it was twisting into knots. Suddenly, the luminous lightning bolts flowed out of my mouth, blinding me and surged into his.

  He was taking it. He was sucking the power right out of me.