Divine pursuit, p.1
Divine Pursuit, page 1
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This book is a work of fiction. Therefore, all names, places, characters, and situations are a product of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, or events is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 by JoAnna Grace
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever. For information address Y&R Publishing Rights Department, PO Box 2283, Lindale, TX 75771.
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Editor: BZ Hercules & Jen Fitzgerald
Cover Design: Jelaine George
Book design by Champagne Formats
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Control Number Data
Grace, JoAnna.
Divine pursuit / JoAnna Grace.
1.Fantasy romance—Greek mythology—Fiction.2. Romance—Fiction.
3. Sagas—Romance—Fiction.
Fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Romance / Fantasy. | FICTION / Romance / General. | FICTION / Sagas.
PCN 2016956976 2016
ISBN: 987-1-94046035-2
authorjoannagrace.com
yandrpublishing.com
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven-
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Acknowledgments and Thanks
About the Author
From the Author
Other Books
Contact Infomation
PRIDE BEFORE THE FALL
PROLOGUE
ONE
RYSE CASTILLE, SON of the Grand Deities, Troy and Dynasty Castille, Master of the Thracians armies and heir to the throne of North America, raised his sword. The blade shone under the watchful eyes of the gods. Zeus and all the gods of Olympia witnessed the blade fall from the sky and slice through the neck of Princess Salina Avondale, daughter of Charles and Filene Avondale, Deities of Europe.
Hayden’s hand stopped in his writing. He studied his words carefully. Zeus commanded him to record the events of the day and he wanted to do it while it was fresh on his mind. Based on the shaking in his knees and hands, it might be too fresh. It was his duty to record the events of the last few months, and as a trained historian, he enjoyed it. But this was, by far, the hardest period of Olympian history to record. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see Salina’s blond hair stained with the deep red of her blood. Bile rose in his throat when he remembered the way her head rolled across the stage and landed at the feet of her parents. Filene Avondale’s screams haunted his soul. Auras of the Olympians who filled the arena flared with anger, anguish, and fear, assaulting Hayden with the battering waves of their emotions and energies.
More than any of these things, burned deeper into his brain than the color of the blood, the sound of the screams, or the waves of auras, Hayden could recall every detail about his brother, Ryse.
From the moment the Master Thracian stepped out onto the stage, the crowd quieted. Mothers pulled their children closer and ducked into the safety of their husbands’ arms. Awe-filled eyes tracked his every movement and faces went slack. Ryse Castille was larger than life; he was legend made of flesh. Blessed by both Zeus and Ares, he held not only the power of Olympian royalty, but of Thracian warfare. He was part king, part killer.
Hayden inhaled deeply and let out a shaky breath. He tossed his pen aside and ran his fingers through his hair.
Not now. He couldn’t relive everything just yet.
For only a moment, he wanted to sit and relax, but how could he? His big brother, the same guy he rode horses with and followed around like a puppy when they were kids, had just executed one of their childhood friends.
Zeus had handed Hayden the same position his father had held before him—not only as the Deity of North America, but as Grand Deity…over the world—and every Olympian on the planet would be under Hayden’s care and protection in one month. And as if that weren’t enough, finding the angel who visited him in his dreams now became imperative.
A Deity king could not reign without a Divine Grace at his side. Their union and exchange of blood bonded them into the service of the gods and their people. Their auras became as one and they merged into a powerful force.
Hayden had to find his angel. He had to locate her. But if the only time he could find her was in his dreams, he was going to have to stay unconscious for a damn month.
“I need a drink.” Hayden removed his ceremonial robe and flopped down with a glass of whiskey. The library was his favorite place in the castle. Books held history, history held answers for future problems. And bloody hell, did he have a lot of problems to deal with.
He stared into the fire and thought about the biggest issues facing his people…his people. Not his father’s. Not his brother’s. His. By the gods, he prayed their biggest issue wasn’t the man leading them.
The door of the library opened and in stepped his new sister-in-law, Avery. He kept his eyes on the fire, watching it dance the same way it danced in her soul. She was blessed by the sun god, Helio, and fire was one of her powers.
She sat on the edge of his chair and gave a heavy sigh. “You didn’t expect that, didja?” Her Texas accent was adorable and usually thickened if she got excited or mad.
Hayden knew exactly what she meant. “No. I knew Ryse was going to turn down the North American throne, but Grand Deity. Whew.” A loose strand of hair tickled his cheek and he ran his hands through it to push it back—or rip it out; he didn’t care either way.
Ryse was heir to their father’s throne as Deity of North America. Their family had ruled over the Olympian population in this part of the world for generations, thousands of years. Traditionally, Deity families only had one son, one heir, one rightful successor. The decision was made for them. No sibling rivalry, no bickering or fighting about who would be next, no motives to kill because some long lost fifth cousin wanted the throne. The gods anointed the family, and the only son in the family was the lucky winner.
Except for his family.
There were many rumors about how Hayden came to exist. Some Olympians believed that Hayden was a product of infidelity; some believed Ryse was. Some believed that the gods were biased and broke their own rules for the Castilles. And some believed that their family was blessed. The truth was, their lineage had anomalies. His mother was faithful to his father and his father was faithful to the gods. A second son was given to them for a purpose and now Hayden knew why.
“Kind of makes me wish I would have kept my damn mouth shut in the Heavens.” He tried to joke, but his mind raced with a million thoughts all scattered about like leaves in the wind.
“You’ve never been able to keep your mouth shut, darlin’.” Avery cupped his cheek and stared at him with green eyes that held secrets from the Heavens. Avery hadn’t said too much to anyone about what truly happened to her. When Avery’s soul separated from her body and went to be with the gods, she was changed forever. “Hayden, you’re one of the smartest men I’ve ever met.”
“Says the girl raised by cowboys in the backwoods of Texas. Thanks.” He flinched when she tugged on his long hair.
“Shut it and listen. If anyone can lead these people, it’s you.”
Please. Hayden huffed out a breath and nearly rolled his eyes like a teenager.
“Look at me.” She ran her hand across his chin. “I’m serious. Rhea and I talked about you. You’re one of a kind, Hayden. You’re the right blend of traditionalist and modern practice. You’ll be able to help our race revive the ways of old and still usher forward a new era, a stronger one.”
A few months ago, this conversation wouldn’t have happened. Before her out-of-body experience, Avery knew little about the gods, their traditions, or the Olympian people. After spending time in the presence of the gods, she was suddenly an expert. “Damn, Avery, Heaven changed you.”
She came sliding into his lap, surprising him with her easy affection as she kissed his cheek, showing she had come to terms with their relationship and brother and sister-in-law. “You betcha, darlin’. I think it changed you too.”
It had.
It changed all of the Deities. It was one thing to read about the gods, t
When he stood before the gods, before Zeus and his mother Rhea, before all the gods they worshipped, Hayden knew just what it felt like to be a bug under a microscope. The gods had just handed him the opportunity to be something more, something greater.
That didn’t make it any less frightening. “You truly think I can do this?”
“I know you can. That’s why I suggested you.” She flashed an innocent smile that had no doubt charmed the pants right off his big brother.
“You?” That little devil. He didn’t know if he should thank her or slap her. Either way, he dumped her on her rear end. “I knew having a sister was going to be a pain in my ass.”
Her large, bright smile lit the room. Hayden adored Avery, and her confidence in him was astounding. How could he not smile about that? The gods had delivered Ryse a woman worthy of devotion. Surely they would do so for him as well.
“Havin’ a brother ain’t all it’s cracked up to be either.” She dusted off her butt. “Speaking of, where’s yours?”
“When Ryse is upset, he usually goes to the top level of the tower. It’s his place to be alone and think. I don’t know if he really wants me telling you that, though. It’s kind of our secret.”
Avery’s kind grin made his heart soften even more towards her. The love she had for his brother was her best quality, in his mind.
“I’m his mate, Hayden. We don’t have secrets.”
“Then you should know that the only way to get up there is through the secret door behind the tapestry. Only family knows about it.”
“Thanks, love.” She turned to leave the library.
“Hey, Avery? I know Salina, uh, killed you and everything…but keep in mind that we all grew up together, and Ryse doesn’t like to hurt women, much less execute them.”
“I know.” Avery’s face softened and her eyes shone with the powerful adoration she had for her mate. “That’s why I’m not going to let him be alone right now. He shouldn’t have to bear this burden on his own.”
By the gods, Hayden prayed to find his dream woman and have her love him the way Avery loved Ryse.
If anyone could help find Hayden’s love, it was Ryse. His brother had the world’s best tracker and a host of other Thracians who would use their honed abilities to search every last grain of sand on earth to bring him his Divine Grace. Even as Hayden wrote about the execution, only hours ago, his mind and heart were filled with thoughts of her and the scary possibilities.
For months, she’d visited him in his dreams. An angel came to him in a white gown with long, flowing black hair and sparkling onyx eyes, flirting and smiling. Night after night, they had their encounters, learning all about one another…except for the most vital information.
Now Zeus had set a deadline.
He had a month. Only thirty short days until the gods returned to earth and celebrated his coronation. A right shoe needs a left, a lock needs a key, a king needs a queen.
It wasn’t in his nature to sit still and do nothing. He rose from his chair, put his drink aside, and paced the library. What could he do? How could he help find her? How could he contribute to Ryse and Avery’s fight?
Avery.
Yes! There was a project. Avery’s blood had the power to absorb other’s powers. However, there were a myriad of questions about the effects. How long did they last? Did she keep the powers permanently? Was it any Olympian power? Thracian strength?
Hayden headed down to the laboratory hidden in his wing of the castle. Science, history, the powers of the gods—these were his specialties. This was what he had to contribute. Ryse was made for fighting. Hayden was not. But the gods had given him other skills.
LYSANDRA’S VISION came fast and furious when she touched Price Ashton’s hand. The images flashed and danced in her mind, making her instantly ill.
Long black hair, covered in blood. A child’s toy lying on the floor of a hospital room, drenched in red. Female screams of agony. Begging. Pleading. Please don’t do this. Pain. A woman’s body mutilated, beaten and lying in the corner of a dark concrete cell. By the time Ryse arrives, it’s too late.
A blonde this time. Scared and blind. She’s crying for her family, crying for the gods’ mercy. She doesn’t understand why she’s being taken.
A monster, with talons and red scaly skin, hungry for blood and power. Not of this world. Not of the underworld. A mixture of both, created by evil and birthed from dark magic.
Lysandra excused herself and all but ran to the caravan of cars taking the Deities back to the palace. She slid into the car behind Dynasty and Hanna, holding her mouth closed.
“Are you well, child?” Dynasty asked, her brows dipping as she studied Lysa.
“Sorry, my Queen. I’m afraid the day is wearing on me.” Gods forgive me for lying. She couldn’t tell anyone what the gods revealed to her, not yet.
Kindness shined in her eyes as Dyna reached out and touched Lysa’s hand. “It’s understandable. Such things should not be witnessed. This is a sad day for our people.”
Lysandra nodded and looked out the window as the car pulled away and Dante came running out of the arena. She laid her hand on the glass, reaching for him, but made no move to stop the car. The questioning look on his face almost broke her heart.
All she could think about were the women in her vision. If the gods gifted her with this knowledge, she had to decipher it, weed through it, and figure out what had happened and what hadn’t.
Once delivered to the palace, Lysa excused herself and let Hanna know she was going for a walk to get some fresh air. Her tears slowly dripped down her face with each recollection of her vision, the execution, the whip painting Nikki’s back with red stripes. Red was her least favorite color, simply because of all the blood she’d seen over the course of her visions. Decades upon decades of visions of death and destruction, mixed with beauty and majesty, weighed on her soul.
Apollo, give me strength to carry out your will, she prayed as she hiked.
She traveled back up the mountain to the last place she saw the demon who attacked Dante. The ground still bore the scars of the flames that held it captive. Even the trees displayed the damage. Right in the center, the earth was pitted, as if a large item had either fallen from the sky or sunk into the soil. She stepped lightly, trying not to disrupt the scene. To the right, the leaves were disturbed and covered in brown dried blood. Dante’s blood.
Lysandra bent down and stretched a shaking hand towards the leaves. Maybe she could get a vision if she—
“Don’t.”
Lysandra sprang up and twirled around to find Dante standing in the woods, his sand-colored eyes wide and worried. Her heart lurched in surprise at seeing him, and again as she took in the sight of him, so strong and handsome. Of course he’d followed her.
“Don’t touch it.”
“I might get a vision—”
“You might be touching demon blood.”
Lysa stepped back, her long skirts brushing against the leaves and dirt. “What would it do to me?” She approached him slowly, unsure if he was angry with her for leaving him earlier.
“I’d not risk it.” Dante pulled her into the safety of his arms and she instantly felt the lack of her Olympian powers. What she did feel was the heat of Dante’s chest, the strength in his arms, and the beating of his heart.
“What happened back there?” he whispered against her hair.
She wiggled deeper into his hold. “I-I had a vision when I touched the Prince.”
“I know that. But why did you leave me?” He kissed her over and over again before burying his face in her hair.
“I’m not sure, to be honest. I just wanted to get far away from there. I’m sorry. Please don’t be angry with me for not asking permission.”
His body shook beneath her cheek. “Permission?” He chuckled. “You might not be used to this day and age yet.” He tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “But I don’t own you. Your heart belongs to me as a gift, not as a piece of property. You don’t have to stay at my heels. I was worried about you, that’s all. You had a vision, and I can only imagine what you saw.”
