Chapter 1 Chapter One

Asterra’s POV

There was only one thing that could bring the four most dangerous men in the world together in one hall—a lie.

I stood on the balcony, my fingers tightened on the railings, the steel cold in my hands. I watched the crowd of immortals in the hall below; some partied, some gisted, and some strategized. But I was only interested in the four men—the four men who could either be my ruin or salvation, depending on how the night ended.

Zephrys, the Incubus, trapped a young witch to the wall, his hand underneath her skirt. Whatever was happening beneath that dress made the young witch's lips part in a sensual gasp, while other females around watched with blatant jealousy. With his lean and graceful build, Zephrys was a male who could make any female drool on sight. And underneath all that charm was a strength that would prove useful—to me.

Fenrir, the Lycan king, sat on his throne. His betas carried it everywhere he went. They surrounded him on the makeshift dais like a wall, even though no one would dare harm Fenrir. He is rumoured to possess the strength of a thousand werewolves in his arms. Lucivar, the vampire, rested by the bar, his back to the party, eyes trapped in private gloom. The wine glass in his hand slouched with the vampire’s favourite drink—blood.

Azreal, the last on my list, a demon God, rested against the wall, his long sword pressed to his chest, a hardcover book in his hands, shielding his face. His brows moved behind the book in a way that suggested he might actually not be reading.

The four men didn’t need to be here tonight since the immortal game was still in a month, but Goddess Freya had helped shift the Game Party to today. I needed to do this before I lost my powers completely, and considering how fast it had been waning lately, I might end up powerless before the game even began officially. Once that happened, I was prey. A fallen goddess was food for the other immortals.

I have waited a thousand years for today. The game was once in a millennium. The game was the only way I could get them back, my sisters, my powers.

The railings hissed a metallic squeal as I grabbed at it tighter. I shut my eyes, trying my best to seal away the memories. But they just wouldn’t go. I watched the enemy sword swing for their necks again, watched the blood splash onto the walls, and their heads roll down the floor. I watched everything. Watched them die for the millionth time in my head.

I had eventually defeated the hordes that killed my sisters, but it had come at a cost, one that haunted me until today.

I opened my eyes again to the hall, and I quickly blinked back the moisture staining them as Freya slipped in beside me. She was a friend. But I would be foolish to fully trust the goddess of secrets and insanity. She slipped her arm under mine and snuggled into me, giggling like always.

She threw her gaze wild like a blanket over the whole hall. “Isn’t it cute?” she giggled, her long midnight purple hair swiling behind her, her violet eyes sharp with mischief. “Look at the crowd of immortals that registered for the game this year; you will be having a lot of competition for the prize.”

I didn’t expect anything less. Freya and her sisters, who organize the game every millennium, had decided to give up the Time Amulet for this millennium’s game. The time amulet would let anyone travel in time to the past at will. As much as I needed it to undo my mistakes, every other immortal would need it for their own reasons, too. They would kill for it, just like I would.

“You know you can just give me the artifact and we wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble,” I muttered, glancing up briefly to her before returning my eyes to the four males. I couldn’t let them out of my sight.

“You know I can’t do that, friend. My sisters would kill me,” she giggled again. She had no fucking filter for it. Even though we have been friends for millennia, her giggles still shoot up my irritation bar. “All this wouldn’t have happened if you had unlinked your soul from your sisters before they died. Then you wouldn't be powerless."

“Thanks for the history lesson,” I grunted.

I nodded my head to the side, and Freya’s gnomes moved immediately at the signal, crawling on all fours towards the four men. For the spell to be effective, I needed something personal from each of them. And the gnomes were my best way to get it.

The whip of lilac hit my nose as Freya leaned closer to my ear, whispering. “Out of your four, you might want to watch out for the demon. Look at him, he is pretending to read while he watches everyone.”

I fought the urge not to turn to the demon and instead concentrated on the incubus, whom I was currently guiding a gnome toward. He was the easiest target. His back was to us, and he was busy with two new witches, and from the swirls of their eyes, and the position of his hands beneath their skirts, I could tell he was working his magic in their forbidden regions.

Dsigusting! I scrunged my nose as I watched. I should have looked away then. Hell! I should. But I had been completely carried away with guiding a gnome to him. I hadn’t noticed he had turned. For a bloody moment, our eyes met, and his lips split in a dark, seductive grin.

Freya leaned in again, giggling in my ears. “You want to watch out for him, too. He has a way of getting into pants quicker than lightning.”

“Not mine,” I answered with a grunt, snatching my eyes from him. I shook off the whiplash of electricity that tore through me at that moment. For some bloody reason, my eyes just wanted to remain on him.

The lilac scents came again. “Don’t be so sure.”

Before I could work out a counter, a small wave of air shoved me back a foot, and he appeared from it. Showing off as always.

His grin had grown brighter now, mischief still heavy in his golden eyes. That whip of electricity through my body came again, stronger this time. I threw my eyes away again, fighting back the sting.

“What do you want?” I hissed, moving away so I could get a good view of the rest. He stood in the way.

The bastard traced after me. He brushed his thumb against his lips. “I should be asking you that. Caught you staring, like you’ve been doing all night.”

I moved again from him, trying my best not to look at him. “I wasn't staring. So go play with your little witches. I am busy, Incubus.”

He traced after me again. He stood between me and my view of the hall below, forcing me to look up at him. Now I found myself swallowing hard as I glimpsed his beauty in all its entirety.

“Them,” he said casually. He glanced back at the witches, who had begun to shoot daggers at me with their eyes. “They are the appetizer, you could be my main course.”

Perhaps I didn't even need the gnomes for him. His grin stretched his lips as I approached. I raised my hand high while looking him right in the eyes.

It was strangely hard to look past the subliminal beauty of his face, but I managed. I yanked a lock of his hair, and I pushed him back by the chest before he could read an intention into the act. “I don’t do Incubusses. I love my men stronger.”

He grinned carefully, tracing his thumb on his lips again. They parted for words when a commotion rang out behind him.

The fucking gnomes, I jumped in alert when I heard the screechy wails. I shoved Zephrys aside, throwing myself to the railings again. The steel was hot now, dangerously hot. It scalded my palms.

The creatures obviously hadn’t waited for my command. Azreal had his sword on the neck of one of the gnomes. Lucivar had a gnome’s head pressing hard into the marble top of the counter, while Fenrir’s men had two trapped under their strong fingers.

“Who sent you?” The three men yelled in unison at the gnomes. "Snitches." I gritted softly between clenched teeth as I watched the creatures' heads do quick 360s in my direction.

Fuck. The plan was ruined.