I’m the Goddess of Pain.
That declaration sits heavily in my stomach, tangling with the already tight knots present. The onslaught of memories leave me shaky and dizzy. When I squeeze my eyelids shut, memories assault me, pounding against my defenses.
I MEET DESMOND FIRST.
My eyes are automatically drawn to the tall, arresting man currently sparring in the field behind my palace. Every god and goddess has a castle that rivals those on Earth. Mine happens to perch on a magnificent mountainside, overlooking the manicured fields in every direction.
I’ve heard rumors that the God of Combat has come to visit me, but I haven’t seen the man myself.
Now, I can’t help but watch, utterly enthralled as he fights off ten of my best warriors. He’s grace personified, each movement like liquid as he swipes and ducks and kicks. He moves like a dancer, a sexy, elegant dancer.
Would he be as agile in the bedroom?
As if he can feel my eyes on him, he tilts his head up, slanting a beatific smile in my direction. The two suns illuminate the sweat coating his bare chest and his wildly tangled hair.
“It’s rude to stare, princess,” he calls, cupping his mouth with his hands. I smirk as I lean indolently on the railing, five stories above the clearing. I have to admit, I look damn good.
The cream-colored dress conforms to my body, cascading around my legs like silk. Golden bands adorn both my wrists, clamoring up to my inner elbows. It’s loose enough to allow me easy movement in case of an attack. My thick black hair is braided over my shoulder, coming to my waist.
I look… Well, I look like a fucking goddess.
Humans? They have it wrong. There are thousands of variations of gods and goddesses scattered throughout the universe. Some are well-known, like the Greek and Egyptian gods. Others are known only to a select few.
We don’t have an official name. We just…exist.
The God of Combat smiles up at me, eyes wicked and slightly devilish. I can’t help but notice how sexy he looks, with his shaggy dark hair, light scruff on his chin, and molten brown eyes.
“If you keep looking at me like that, we might have a problem,” Desmond continues. When one of my soldiers lunges at him, Desmond easily sidesteps him before punching the man directly in the nose. Through it all, he doesn’t take his eyes off of mine.
“And that’ll be a problem, why?” I question. How much more obvious can I be? At this point, I should just place a big arrow in front of me that points directly to my vagina.
“I’m pretty rough, princess. Sure you can handle me?” He ducks easily as two more men charge at him, one from either side. Honesty, it’s getting embarrassing. These are the men I trained to be in my army?
“I’m the Goddess of Pain,” I reply lazily, flashing him a smile that embodies pure sin. “I think it’s you who won’t be able to handle me.”
HELIO IS MY SECOND LOVER.
As the God of Karma, I employed him early on to be my judge, jury, and executioner. Rumor has it that he can see into someone’s soul, see the darkness that a person wishes to remain hidden. Everyone is tainted, though some more so than others. It’s a stain on your heart that you can never wash clean, no matter how hard you try.
Helio enacts vengeance when that darkness surpasses the light.
He’s significantly larger than Desmond, and that’s saying something. Muscle upon muscle line his arms and chest, which are usually bare. Dark, tribal tattoos climb up his arms and spread across his chest. His black hair is currently styled into a faux-hawk, and his beard is in desperate need of a shave. Everything about him screams rugged sexiness, and I am so here for it.
I wrench my gaze away from my trusted warrior and focus on our prisoner.
The man on the ground begins to whimper, fat tears cascading down his chubby cheeks, as I glare at him from my throne.
“You dare to steal from me?” I whisper harshly, body thrumming with rage. I can be a lenient goddess…or I can be a complete and utter bitch. There is no in between. My hands itch to inflict unspeakable pain on the man who dared try to take what is mine.
I ignore the man’s pleas, turning instead to face Helio.
“Verdict?” I query, lifting a brow. His face, shadowed in darkness, pinches as he concentrates. His lashes flutter close, and his lips part. My eyes automatically flicker to them—the plush lower lip and thin top one.
Desmond, perched on the throne beside me, waggles his eyebrows suggestively as he nudges my stomach. We’ve been together for over two centuries, and every day, I fall more desperately in love with him. It feels wrong to look at another man the way I’m looking at Helio. I know I would stab Desmond if he dared to be with a woman other than me.
But something in my soul tells me that Helio is meant to be with me, with us. He’s meant to join this makeshift family we have created. The silent man was made to be mine.
“Guilty.” Helio’s gruff voice reverberates through me as he reopens his eyes, spearing me in place. I can’t help the manic smile that curls up my lips.
A guilty verdict means I get to play. And fuck, I love playing.
More than that, I love having sex with Desmond in the blood of my enemies.
But this time? It’s not just Desmond I make love with.
It’s Helio too.
AVERY IS the third god I fall in love with.
God of Death.
Even the name itself causes goosebumps to ripple up and down my arms.
I eagerly await his arrival in the extravagant dining hall, the table set with plate after plate of his favorite dishes.
Helio sits on one side of me, as silent as always, while Desmond sits on the other, practically thrumming with energy.
Rebecca sits
