This wasn’t some Selene moon magic; it was ancient and as potent as the energy that created the Titans. Or so I was guessing based on all the power I’d felt to date.
There was concern on the faces I could see around me and I wondered if they were all thinking the same thing as me. Was I even strong enough to keep this baby inside of me and growing when it had this much power?
Guess time would tell. For now, I just had to survive today.
I screamed as more power poured from me and into the two Titans under my touch. Cronus wasn’t awakened yet though, and I wasn’t sure I could continue much longer.
No! We need to get him back. I can do this.
The baby was protecting me, but we were the only hope of returning Cronus. I just had to hold on a little longer. Closing my eyes, bracing myself for the pain, I gathered that swirl of heat in my center, mentally holding it the only way I knew how. When I felt like I had every last ounce, I shot it into the Titans and there was a flash of light right before I collapsed, everything going dark around the edges.
I didn't drown, but I might have if a strong arm didn't haul me up out of the water. “Maisey,” his familiar voice rumbled, and I burst into tears, sobbing against his chest.
“Cronus, you have your eyeballs back,” I choked out, pulling away to see him fully. My giant of a Titan looked amazing, whole and healthy. Not to mention he smelled great, nothing like the rotting corpse he’d been a few minutes ago.
His laughter sounded from above me and I just buried my head in his chest and held on as hard as I could.
“What happened with Zeus?” Hyperion asked from nearby.
Cronus cursed, his muscles tensing. “Shit! Rhea. We need to resurrect her. Zeus almost killed her.”
Hyperion growled. “Almost killed his own mother!”
Cronus nodded. “He’s gone completely dark. Lost in the power of the sins.”
Theia jumped into our circle then, with Rhea’s decomposing body wrapped in a sheet and bundled in her arms.
#HolyStench
I wrinkled my nose and gagged. I was way too pregnant to be smelling dead corpses.
Cronus looked down at me. “Wait over there for me, love.”
I nodded, taking my leave for fear of becoming totally sick. If there was an ounce of food in my stomach, I would definitely have barfed by now.
Despite the nausea, I was still starving, my mind wandering to the Crab Shack and their amazing fried mozzarella sticks with garlic ranch dressing. I’d legit started to drool, when a pulling sensation yanked at my navel, and then everything fell away.
What the…?
My feet slammed onto a wooden floor and I looked up as a gasp flew from my throat.
#DidNotSeeThatComing
“Good, baby girl.” I rubbed my belly, trying to wrap my head around the fact I was now standing in the entrance to the Crab Shack.
It was like having my own mini genie, granting wishes all over the place.
A pop to my left pulled my attention to where Cronus stood, wide-eyed. “Did you just…?”
I pointed to the belly and Cronus frowned. Getting on one knee, he faced my belly with a stern expression. “Listen up, daughter. You don’t take Mommy away from Daddy, ever. You understand?”
Baby girl fluttered in my stomach.
Cronus paused. “Unless of course it’s for her safety, like if Zeus is trying to kill her, then get her away.”
Another kick.
#ThisIsAbsurd #TwoWayBabyRadio
“Ten four, babe. She got the message loud and clear.” I patted him on the top of his head. “Now I’m going to go in here and eat one of everything on the menu.” I remembered then what they’d been doing when I left. “Oh, did you wake Rhea?”
He nodded. “She’s alive and with Panacea. Thanatos will be okay as well.”
That was a relief. I’d just spun around to open the door when it burst open, Shauna flying out and attacking me with hugs and sobbing.
For a split second, Cronus looked like he was about to lunge for her, until he realized who she was. “You’re alive!” she wailed, holding me tight.
She must have felt my belly then, and blinking in confusion, pulled away to look down. “And PREGNANT!”
Her eyes went to Cronus, cheeks reddening as she put the pieces together about my four-month absence.
“Shauna! Hey. Yeah … alive and well. Crazy story…”
Fuck. #GiveMeAStory #ThatDidntInvolveTheUnderworld
Shauna frowned. “Your Instagram went dark. No pictures for months, cell dead, no contact at all. I filed a missing person’s report. You lost your apartment.”
Shit.
“Yeah, so, I’ve been … with this guy.” I pointed to Cronus. “In a remote … area … with no reception.”
She frowned. “For months? Without telling me?”
Dammit. “Well, yeah. Because it was for a reality TV thing and I signed an NDA. I’m sorry.”
She perked up at that. “Like Bachelorette? Love Island? Which one?”
And we were back. Because the insanity of me being on a reality television show paled in comparison to the actual truth. “Like a new one, where you go and get pregnant if you find your guy.”
She looked at Cronus and batted her eyelashes. “So cute. When does it air? I can’t wait.”
#Never
“I’ll let you know. Might be a few years, you know how that goes.”
She nodded. “Totally.”
“Food,” Cronus growled, and Shauna straightened a little.
“You guys wanna come in for lunch?”
I thought she’d never ask.
Twelve mozzarella sticks, three grilled cheese, and two cups of corn chowder later, I sat slouched in my booth, eyeing the dessert menu.
“Hyperion is calling us,” Cronus said, throwing some cash on the table. “We should get back. We need to make a plan to deal with Zeus.”
The rest of his money went into his pocket, and I wondered where it had come from to begin with. Was my Titan finally getting with the modern times?
#NoMoreDickGold #DickCashNow
With a sigh, I dropped the dessert menu, even though I really wanted a piece of carrot cake. Guess we should be dealing with Zeus sooner rather than later. Heaving myself up off the bench, I said goodbye to Shauna. She made me promise to text her every day, which reminded me I didn’t even know where my phone was—first time in my life. Then Cronus and I zapped ourselves out of the parking lot and back to Bali.
Chapter 7
“She zapped you away because you were thinking about food?” Rhea stared at my belly, the other ten Titans close by. It was a Titans-only party … we didn’t trust the gods right now. Who knew how far Zeus’ control of his minions went?
I nodded. “Yep, couple of breadsticks on my mind and bam, I was at the Crab Shack.”
“That’s one powerful baby,” Rhea said, rubbing the place where the bald spot would have been at the back of her head. Luckily, her resurrection seemed to have grown it back out.
#NoHardFeelingsRight
“Zeus has the sins and is infected with one or more of them,” Cronus said, getting the meeting started. “I don’t think he could handle carrying them all, and the most likely scenario is that he’s wearing a few in the necklace, the other remaining in the box.”