Page 75 of Gambling with Time

The battle that ensued was nothing short of epic. The Gods threw their most potent spells and unleashed their divine wrath upon us, but we held firm, our collective energy pushing back against their onslaught.

Alastor's spirits swirled around us, shielding us from harm. Lex’s shadows took down anything that got to close. While Raiden swooped over them, beating them back with flames. The poison inside Bellamy was taking its toll, and I stuck close to him to ensure he didn’t fall.

As the battle raged on, wave after wave of hybrids fell, and it became apparent that the Gods were weakening. Their arrogance had blinded them to the power of our unity, and they had underestimated the resolve of our group. With one final, concerted effort, we unleashed a wave of energy that overcame the Gods, stripping them of their powers.

Osiris and Isis fell to their knees, defeated and powerless. The room shook with the intensity of our victory, and the very walls seemed to groan in acknowledgment. Even the hybrids paused.

But we weren’t done yet. We needed to neutralize them. Ensure that Osiris doesn’t come back. Alastor and I shared a look before he wrapped his souls around Isis, dragging her closer.

A startled scream left her lips before she was held motionless by the spirits in front of us. Osiris climbed to his feet and faced Alastor, a look of pure rage on his face. “Let her go, son of Hades, or I will show you what true pain is.”

He laughed. “You already have. It’s my turn now.”

Bellamy straightened and pulled out a dagger he must have found once the illusion of earlier had been shattered. He held it to Isis’s neck with an evil grin.

“A demon can not kill a Goddess,” Osiris hissed.

He smirked. “No. But I’m sure I could cut her up and spread her body parts around the world.” He tapped his chin with his spare hand. “Oh, wait, your brother already did that to you, didn’t he?”

His face turned red with anger, but he didn’t move a muscle. Raiden stalked closer, breathing out a stream of fire over the remaining hybrids.

“If you don’t dismiss your monsters, they will all die,” Lex said. “We have an important topic to discuss with you.”

When he only pressed his lips together and gestured at his hybrids to leave, silence fell.

Raiden stayed in his dragon form, hunched and ready to strike out at the God if he made one wrong move.

“We need to get to an understanding,” I said. “Do you love your wife?”

His eyes flicked to her as if he didn’t want to admit it, but I saw the same look of devotion on his face as my men wore. It was a universal look.

I licked my lips. “You are attempting to take what isn’t yours. We have proven to you today how resourceful we are.”

“Lucky for you, we have a prophecy on our side,” Lex quipped, and I smiled as we shared a glance.

“So, we will give you a choice,” Alastor continued. “Your wife lives, you keep your kingdom, and you leave my Underworld alone, or Isis has an untimely death at my hands, you follow shortly, and we inherit a brand new Underworld to rule.”

“You call that a choice?” Osiris’s brow darkened as he narrowed his eyes.

“No, I would actually call it mercy. Because if I left it up to the Demon Prince, or the Dragon King, you wouldn’t die—you’d suffer for all of time.”

Raiden huffed his agreement in a burst of flame that barely missed the God.

He turned his attention to me. “You are a hunter of these monsters, yet you align yourself with them?”

I gave him a dull stare. “The only monster I see is you. And for the record, I’m not on the mercy side either.”

“Fine. I will leave your Underworld alone,” he said like a petulant child.

Alastor chuckled. “Words won’t do it for this agreement. I need a blood bond. For as long as any of us live, you will stay out of Tartus.” He moved next to Bellamy and Isis. “But because I don’t trust you to keep even that sort of agreement, I will add in the fact that it will be between your wife and us. A breach of this will end in her painful death.”

The spirits held out her struggling palm, and Bellamy sliced the dagger across her dark skin. Then he ran it over Alastor’s palm. I winced as blood welled. Reaching out, Alastor gripped Isis’s hand in his.

“Repeat after me, or we find another way.” He tilted his head to catch her gaze. She gave a tiny nod. “This blood bond ensures that Osiris and his army will not come to Tartus as long as I or one of my mates lives. He will not attempt to take the throne of the Greek Underworld, any part of Tartus, or our lives, or his wife will suffer the most painful death her husband has ever dealt out to any of his enemies.”

She repeated the words, her face draining of blood as she said them. I would guess the way he’d killed people in the past was pretty awful if she would topple over without the help of the spirits holding her up.

“With blood, we seal this bond, forever does it stand.”

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