Chapter Fifty-Five

"Welcome to this year's first United Pantheons meeting. We ask that you keep magic under wraps, keep your nose out of mortal business, and please no violence while under this roof. We're here to discuss the past year and recent events in your realms. Also, please wait your turn before speaking, and that means you, Hel. Now, before we begin, I'd like to introduce myself to those of you who don't know who I am."

"My name is Joxeia. I am the Demon of Creation, one of the first three to come into being. I will not tolerate any rule breaking in this room, and if you should think yourself wise to try and prove me otherwise, I will break your neck and throw you out the window, and even a god would find a sixty story fall to the streets of Seattle quite painful. Now that we've got that out of the way, let us begin with this year's meeting starting with Duat."

I stepped back from the oblong table, watching as Set stood up from his seat to address the room of representatives from the pantheons across the universe. The room was pleasant enough, and secluded enough so that the humans were never curious, never the wiser, that this room in particular was used as a meeting room for creatures that their minds would never be able to comprehend.

Since the beginning of the pantheons, the meetings had been held in the mortal realm where magic had difficulty forming due to the atmosphere and mortal presence. Every so often, the meeting location would change. It'd gone from Babylon to what was now known as Moscow, a village in China, the Scottish Highlands, and for the past century, the meetings were held in Seattle in the United States. An unassuming corporate business building where humans thought we were just a company that held a conference every so often here and the barrier we provided kept them from ever gaining curiosity of our presence.

The room was now large enough to accommodate the representatives around a long table surrounded by black leather office chairs, and walls made entirely of ceiling to floor windows that looked out over the glittering sparkling mortal city that bustled with human life, and perhaps even demon life that the mortals were completely oblivious too. Against the far wall beside the only door to the room was a long cheap table with a vinyl plastic table cover and snacks and drinks scattered there, mostly having been picked apart by the presence company.

The lights overhead made the oak wood table appear glossy, the heads beneath them turning toward Set, who explained the recent events in his realm, none of which were catastrophic, thankfully. One by the one, the representatives rose, gave their piece, then sat back down. It was relatively tame for once, and something told me it had to do with more than just threatening to toss them out a window.

Akin rose up at his turn, looking down at his report. He looked stunning in a long sleek black pirate coat, a tight black v-neck, leather pants, and boots that added to his height, his long white-blonde hair curled today as he pulled it up into a ponytail, those blue eyes sliding across the pages.

"Atlantis is settling into a comfortable routine," he reported coolly, "Our population has risen exponentially. Residents are now settled and maintain jobs within the community. We've formed laws and a government based on the voices of the people through Hannibal. Atlantis hopes to open its barriers for tourism in the coming months. An island has been set aside solely for this purpose and tourists are welcome to visit the main island as well as several others, including the formerly blockaded Arisno Isles." His report continued with ease and confidence, and the other representatives seemed welcoming to his presence, nodding and asking questions regarding the realm he ruled alongside his husband.

He sat down and the reports continued. Every so often, a comment was made, shut down, or banter was traded. Chuckles would ripple through the people, occasionally a disagreement, but nothing that warranted my temper, much to relief.

I simply stood by and watched, arms folded over my chest, my magic maintaining the protective barrier. As the gods discussed, I felt a presence moving around in the hallway outside and I went to the door calmly and quietly, stepping out to see a janitor outside the door. An elderly human female with tanned skin and dark eyes downcast, wearing a dirtied blue uniform that looked to be a size or two too big for her, her dark hair streaked with gray coiled up in a loose bun. Feeling my presence outside the door, she looked up, startled and froze completely, her dark eyes widening at the sight of me.

"Sorry," I told her, closing the door behind me, "I didn't mean to frighten you. We have this entire floor rented out for the evening and ask that no one come here while we're in a meeting." She flushed, her hands shaking as she gripped her mop in an old grimy yellow bucket.

"O-Of course," she stammered, her mind racing a hundred miles a minute, making it difficult for her to find words, "I had no idea. My apologies." I said nothing in return as she quickly made her way down the hallway to the elevator, then I paused with a frown as I realized something.

I couldn't hear her thoughts.

Confused, I turned to look down the hallway, but she was gone. I looked around, but there was no sign of her. I reached out with my powers, only capturing the presences of those in the meeting room here, and the humans down below in the other floors, doing their work. I turned back around and shook my head.

Weird.

I went back into the room just as Michael was rising to his feet to give his report, and frankly, I felt sorry for the angel. He looked worn out and exhausted from having to run the realm his father had left behind. His long blonde hair was draped loosely over one shoulder, and he wore a brown leather jacket over a white button up top and black vest to match his slacks and boots. Dark circles ran beneath those vibrant blue eyes and he seemed a bit paler than usual.

Heaven was still in disarray. Many of the angels had gone off to do their own thing, follow their own destinies, some panicking because they couldn't find their father, some locking themselves up in the holy sanctuaries in Heaven. Michael and the other archangels were keeping things as under control as possible. Nothing was at dangerous levels, but it was enough to make Heaven a prime target for attack.

"Thank you for your reports," I said as Michael sat down, looking both aggravated and tired, "For now, if your realm is currently experiencing dire straits, keep us updated so we know whether or not this will affect the realms as a whole. If that's all, this meeting is over." The representatives rose to their feet, some sticking around to mingle and chat, some beelining for the snack table, others simply vanishing on the spot as they were only here as a courtesy and not by choice.

"Jo!" Akin came over, throwing his arms around me and I caught him in a hug, smiling as he snuggled me close, then stepped back to smile at me.

"How are you doing? You're looking great," he added with a wink. I smirked.

"You're cute as ever. I'm alright, enjoying this new job. But what about you, king of Atlantis?" I asked, making him laugh. He gave me a smile.

"I signed the papers a couple of weeks ago. Hannibal insists on throwing me a huge party, even though the ancient documents say consorts don't get parties. Lea's all for the idea too. I'm not gonna complain, though. It'll be a nice break, I don't think Hannibal's used to working this much," he added with a wistful sigh. I raised an eyebrow.

"He been busy?" I asked. Akin nodded.

"He's signed peace treaties, a lot of them. He's trying to win over Heaven, but it's hard given their situation right now. He's just buttering them up right now. We just signed off on a treaty with Duat, as you heard just now. Not to mention he has to personally sign all the documents for new citizens as well as business licenses and all that fun stuff. We're still working on hiring people to help us get all this straightened out so he'll have more time to himself. Poor baby hasn't even gotten to use his own kitchen yet."

"Things'll settle down soon enough," I replied with a smile, "He'll get the hang of it. I'm still not entirely sure what my job is on Olympus itself."

"Ah, the life of a consort, yeah?" Akin asked with a laugh. I laughed, then looked down as my phone vibrated and I checked the messages to see Zeus asking for me to hurry up and get home. Rolling my eyes, I looked up at Akin.

"Time to head out. Call me tonight, won't you?"

"Most definitely. Love you, JoJo."

"Love you too, Akin."

We parted ways as the room emptied out for the evening. I teleported to Olympus, just on the balcony of Zeus's room where he sat reclining on a lounger, holding a mojito with sunglasses on, his legs crossed at the ankle. He wore nothing, but a pair of snug black silk boxer-briefs. I came over, leaning over the back of the lounger so I could kiss him on the head.

"Hey," he said, looking up at me through his Ray-Bans, "What took you so long?"

"I wanted to catch up with Akin. Besides, it's not like you needed me. You're just laying there," I added, coming to stand beside the seat. I gasped, though, when he caught me around the waist and pulled me across his lap. I laughed, taking his mojito from him to take a sip before setting it aside so I could wrap my arms around his neck and he leaned down to kiss me.

"How are the realms?" He asked, nibbling down my collar bone as I arched against him.

"Safe, mostly. How are things on the home front?"

"Boring as fuck. At least, they were until you got here," Zeus mused, then buried his nose against my hair and taking a deep breath. I rolled my eyes at his weird obsession with sniffing me, but then, I was no better as I reached up to mess up his hair and he growled.

"Goddamn it, why."

"Because I love that boyish look on you. Why do you sniff me?"

"Because you smell great."

"Then the day you stop sniffing me, I might stop messing up your fucking hair."

"That day will never come," Zeus decided, leaning in to sniff me again before kissing my neck, "I can deal. Now make my day a thousand times better and take your clothes off." I scoffed and sat up so I was straddling his lap, facing him as he ran his tongue over his bottom lip.

"Oh no," I told him, reaching out to touch his lips and he scowled, "You're going to have to undress me yourself. If you can catch me anyway." I spun off him and darted for the doors and Zeus cursed, lunging off the lounger and tossing his sunglasses aside.

"Run, run as fast as you can," he mocked, "I'll be on you in ten seconds."

"One!" I started counting as I ran, and Zeus laughed.

The sound was music to my ears. A music I would be blessed to listen to for as long as we were both together.

Once long ago, I sensed evil in the air. A thick pungent sensation that poisoned everything around it. Now, as I ran through the house, darting in and out of rooms, flashing away from Zeus, listening to him curse and laugh at the same time, I sensed no evil. The weight bearing down on my shoulders was gone, the crushing pain of a prophecy, the fear of the end of the universe, none of it was there. Only the sensation of floating, of living in a dream I never wanted to wake up from.

After eons and eons of pain, of suffering, of fighting, I could relax in the rain and thunder and wind of my own personal storm. My own fireworks show. My own life, on my own terms.

"Caught you!" Zeus shot out of nowhere, wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off my feet, making me shout in surprise before laughing. He set me on my feet, spinning me around and pushing me up against the nearest wall so he could lace our fingers together, pinning my hands on either side of my head, leaning in to give me a deep, hungry kiss before pulling back, his eyes searching me.

"Yes, you did," I said with a smile, brushing my nose against his before giving him a gentle kiss, "Zeus?"

"Hm?"

"Love you."

"Love you too, babydoll."

END

A/N: Just kidding. It's not the end. We all knew this was coming. I can't make up my damn mind. My babies don't want to leave me alone. They're ready to share more. I was going to wait on sharing the name of the next book, but agh, I'm just too excited, so... The boys and I look forward to seeing you in the next installment of The Underworld Chronicles, Dark Requiem. Thank you so much for reading this book and this series. It holds such a special place in my heart, and I know many of you feel the same. See you all again very, very soon!

Much Love,

Rotty and Co.