Hidden (House of Night #10)(44)

"You always play the impetuous fool, brother. I would never go against my Consort's proclamations. I did not bring you to the Otherworld. I only brought a piece of the Otherworld to you to shield us, if only for a few moments, from mortal eyes." Erebus smiled again. This time he did not dim the beauty of his expression. Sunlight glowed from his body. His wings glistened with feathers of gold. His skin was perfect as if he had been fashioned from the rays of the sun.

He had been, Kalona thought with disgust. He had been fashioned when the sky kissed the sun. Just as I had been fashioned when the sky kissed the moon. The sky, like most immortals, is a fickle bastard who took as he pleased and then paid no attention to the offspring he left behind.

"How does it feel? Better than when you snuck in, chasing after that little fledgling, Zoey Redbird. Then you were only spirit. You could not feel the magick of Nyx's realm against your skin. And you always were so impressed by anything you could touch, could physically claim as your own."

Good, Kalona thought, he becomes angry. That will cause his perfection to blur.

It was Kalona's turn to smile. The light he turned on his brother was not the hot, garish light of the sun. It was the cool, silver luminescence of the moon. "Still jealous that I touched her after all this time? You do remember Nyx is a goddess, do you not? She could not be touched had it not been her will, her desire, to be stroked, caressed, loved by-"

"I did not come here to speak of my Consort!" The words exploded in flashes of golden heat around Kalona.

"Such a display of godly temper!" Kalona chuckled sarcastically. "And they named you the good one. If only the lackeys that choose to remain in the Otherworld could see you now."

"It is not that they named me the good one. They named you the usurper!" Erebus hurled the words at his brother.

"Truly? Ask again. I believe, after eons of careful consideration, they would name me the one who refused to share her," Kalona said.

"She chose me." Erebus's voice was low; his fists were clenched at his sides.

"Did she? My memory differs."

"You betrayed her!" Erebus shouted.

Kalona ignored his brother's temper tantrum. He had witnessed them before. Instead he spoke with the coldness of the moon's surface. "Why did you come? Say what you have to say and then be gone. The mortal world is not much of a realm, but it is mine. I will not share it with you, just as I would not share her with you."

"I come to warn you. We heard your oath in the Otherworld. We know you have pledged to be Death's Warrior and to become Sword Master of this school."

"And Leader of the Sons of Erebus," Kalona added. "Do not forget the rest of my title."

"I could never forget that you intended to blaspheme my children."

"Children? Are you mating with humans now and producing males that grow up to be vampyre Warriors? That is fascinating, especially as I was judged so harshly for creating my sons."

"Walk away." Erebus's golden eyes began to glow. "Leave this place and stop meddling in the lives of Nyx's vampyres and in the lives of the honorable Warriors who have pledged themselves to my service."

"But are you not meddling by commanding me away? I am surprised Nyx allowed it."

"My Consort does not know I am here. I came only because you are, again, causing her turmoil. I live to keep turmoil from her. That is the only reason I am here," Erebus said.

"You live to lick her feet and you are, as always, jealous of me." Kalona couldn't help his surge of joy at what Erebus's words had revealed, I can still make Nyx feel! The Goddess watches me! The immortal reined in his emotions. He must hide his joy from Erebus. When he spoke again, his voice was emotionless. "Know this-I did not swear into your service. I am sworn into the service of a High Priestess who personifies Death through her Goddess-given affinity. All your visit has done is to give me cause to make a clear distinction between those Warriors who call themselves your sons, and those who do not. I will not burden your sons with my leadership."

"Then you will leave this House of Night," Erebus said.

"No. But you will. Bear this message to Nyx for me: Death does not differentiate between those who follow her and those who follow other gods. Death comes to all mortals. I do not need your permission, or the Goddess's, to serve Death. Now, begone, brother. I have a funeral to attend." Kalona brought his arms forward and slapped his palms together, causing a blast of frigid silver light to shockwave around him, shattering the small Otherworld bubble his brother had created and hurling Erebus up, away, and into the sky.

When the light around him faded, Kalona's feet once more touched the earth and he was, again, standing beside Nyx's Temple.

Aphrodite rushed around the corner. Stopped. And stared at him.

"Am I summoned?" he asked.

She blinked and rubbed her eyes, as if she was having trouble clearing her vision. "Were you messing around with a flashlight over here?"

"I own no flashlight. Am I summoned?" he repeated.

"Almost. Some moron, meaning Kramisha because she was in charge of candle collection, forgot the spirit candle. I need to grab one from Nyx's Temple. You're supposed to follow me back to Dragon's pyre. Thanatos will finish the circle, say some nice stuff about Dragon, and then introduce you."