Page 5 of The Chosen Son

While his shifter senses had clearly told him to be wary, he put on a smile and accepted, pouring himself a glass before he slid into the booth opposite me. “Thank you, sir. May I offer a toast?” he said, raising his glass. “To the Sizzle and Sip. May it be prosperous.”

“I’ll drink to that,” I said, tapping my glass with his. “And to a beneficial partnership.” I tipped my glass in his direction before draining my glass in one gulp. I really wished I could get drunk off this, but I just wasn’t made for it.

The restaurant had started to fill up since I sat down. Ew, people, with all their lovey-dovey kissy faces and blissed-out emotions. This was my cue to leave, because the longer I stayed, the more depressed and uncomfortable everyone else was going to get. I was bad for my own business.

“Well, I must be off,” I said, sliding out from the bench. “Thank you, Nicholas. It was delicious. I wouldn’t change a thing about the menu. You’ve done a great job so far. Keep up the good work.”

He beamedat the praise. “Thank you so much.” And then he did something we would both regret. He held out his hand to shake.

Oh, Nicky, I really wish you hadn’t done that. But I couldn’t resist the temptation. Besides, it would be rude not to accept his offer…

My grin widened, the well of power inside me swirling with its own current, rising to the surface. “No, no. Thankyou, Nicholas.” And then I took his hand.

The transfer of power began as soon as my skin made contact. His eyes went glazed, but he was otherwise unaware that anything was wrong. Every creature had a life source, even the smallest gnat. It just so happened that shifters had an abundance of it, since they were essentiallytwocreatures for the price of one.

To be able to do this had required a spell and a blood sacrifice at the altar of the goddess Apate. The goddess was a shifty one, for sure. She no doubt had plans of her own, and I was certainly wary of the deal I’d made. Was it wrong to place any amount of trust in her?

I’d almost considered the deal not worth it, after getting violently ill the first time I’d tried to steal power, but with some trial and error, I soon discovered that it was a matter of my hunger simply being too big for my appetite, so to speak. Moderation is key, after all. I learned not to take all the power at once, but instead, in little sips.

And once I’d taken my itty-bitty sip of Nicholas’s energy, I released his hand and bid him farewell. No harm, no foul. And I was one “sip” closer to being able to enact my revenge.

I was flying so high when I stepped out onto the sidewalk that I nearly stumbled. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of that beautiful springtime air, my mind reeling. It was hard to believe I wasn’t invincible when I felt this good, but I knew better than that. I’d seen entire armies fall because of their own righteous self-importance. I would not make the same mistake.

Grinning, I headed back toward the undercity, soaking up the last of the sunshine before I had to climb back below ground. My brain might’ve just been addled enough that I gave a little skip, and an attractive omega smiled and gave me a wink. Hmm… it had been a while… As tempting as it was to indulge in the carnal act, I kept walking.

As the ripples over the surface of my power faded, I began to crash hard and fast, and I was still a block away from the stairwell leading below the streets. Any thoughts of taking the cute omega home were forgotten as my feet grew heavier, my shoulders sagging under the pressure. It was like the hangover from Hell—literally. No power came without consequences, and this was just the price I’d agreed to pay.

I rubbed a hand roughly over my face, slapping my cheek lightly to wake myself up. My eyelids felt like they were lined with sandpaper. I just needed to get back to the lair so I could crash for a nap.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I nearly ignored it. Whoever it was could wait, but the chime that accompanied it told me it was the internet alert I’d programmed for mentions of my brother’s name. “Damn, Phobos. What have you done now?”

I pulled out my phone and glanced at the screen, and when I saw the headline—Superhero Phobos Saves Newborn—I decided this was the kind of news I should watch alone. Jogging the last hundred yards, I wove past the tourists on the stairs, welcoming the cool shadows that enveloped me.

Ducking through the door to the Sugar Shack, I waved in Marie’s general direction before disappearing through the door at the back. Fuck, did gods get migraines? Because this shit was seriously giving me a headache.

I paused there in the darkened tunnel and held up my phone, standing in the little halo of light from the screen. Taking a deepbreath, I pressed play on the news reel, and Phobos’s voice echoed in stereo around me. “It was nothing, really. I did what any self-respecting man would do. That baby and his omega father needed me, so of course I had to help. It was the least I could do. It’s the reason I have my powers to begin with.”

I snorted in disbelief. Saving people wasn’t why we had powers. What fucking bullshit! Phobos and I were literally gods of panic and dread, and our dad used to have us ride across the battlefield in our chariot, creating absolute chaos in the midst of war.Thatwas our purpose!

Gritting my teeth and wrestling with my building frustration and rage, I read through the rest of the article, lauding my brother for saving a pregnant omega going through a difficult labor. It was all a bunch of twisted truths that read a whole lot like lies to me, making him out to be one of these supposed “chosen saviors” of the human race.

I closed my eyes, red seeping into my vision, my pulse throbbing in my temples with a persistent punch that was impossible to ignore.

Phobos was my brother, myfamily! We were supposed to have each other’s backs! But where was he when I needed him the most? Where was he when Loki screwed me over, stealing the love of my life, condemning me to a future of misery?

“Fuuuuuck!” I screamed into the depths of the tunnel. My grip on my phone tightened like a vise, and I heard a crack. The screen went dark, but the halo of light surrounding me remained. It seemed to be radiating off my skin, an ominous scarlet haze.

Panting, I dropped my hands onto my knees and let my head hang down. “Breathe, calm down…” Breath after breath, I forced myself to release the tension tearing my body and mind in two. God or not, I wasn’t built to hold this amount of power, and I knew I was playingwith fire. If I lost my hold on it, it was very possible I could turn myself into a bomb.

I just needed to hang on a little longer. I would top myself up with a tiny bit more power, and then if my brother would kindly step aside, I would enact my revenge on Loki, and then everything would be even-steven. But I was running out of time. When Loki lost his power, I knew this was my chance to beat him, probably the only one I would get. He’d been steadily regaining his power ever since, thanks to Odin giving him a second chance and tethering him to Valleywood.

As my head cleared, I stood up straight and assessed the damage. The tunnel walls around me were scorched. It was a little like shaking a fizzy drink and then cracking the lid; I’d spilled a little bit of energy from the seams, but it was okay, everything was fine.

Totally fine, I assured myself as I fingered the singed cuffs of my sleeves. “Dammit, I liked this suit.”

My footsteps echoed a little louder this time, as I headed back to my secret lair.

This was it. End game.

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