Warrior Enchanted: The Sons of the Zodiac (36 page)

“Fate takes what it needs.”

“Then take it from me to compensate.”

“It isn’t done.” Although her words were harsh, the compassion in her aqua gaze gave Grey the small measure of hope he needed to make her see reason.

“I will give up everything that I am. I will change my own fate. Just tell me what I must do to bring her back.”

ARIES/PISCES STAR CHART

G
LOSSARY

Ages of Man
—the stages of human existence, as identified by the Greek writer Hesiod. Most often associated with metals, the Ages—Gold, Silver, Bronze, Heroic and Iron—reflect the increasing toil and drudgery humans live in. The world only thinks the ages are myth….

Apple of Discord
—a powerful weapon owned by Eris, the goddess of Discord. The apple was used to incite the Trojan War and Eris maintains it as one of her most prized tools. The apple itself is small and innocuous and can be reformed and reshaped to her needs. It’s latest iteration is as a lapel pin.

Cardinal
—a sign
quality
, Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) mark the start of each season. Those born under Cardinal signs are considered dynamic
and, like each season, forceful in their beginnings. Cardinal Warriors are equally dynamic, forcing change with their impatient natures and independent spirits.

Deimos
—the son of Ares and Aphrodite, he is the god of dread. He is the brother of Phobos.

Destroyer
—a soulless creature created by Enyo from an emotionally damaged human. They take on the appearance of men, but their bodies are nothing by husks, filled with a superconductive life force. They can be slowed and hurt, but quickly recover. The only way to kill a Destroyer is by removing his head. Each Destroyer Enyo creates takes some of her power, an innate balance agreed to during the creation of the Great Agreement.

Element
—just as all signs are Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable, each sign also possesses an elemental quality of Fire, Earth, Air or Water. Each Warrior has an elemental nature to his sign, allowing for additional powers for those who have learned to develop them. These elemental qualities exist beyond those granted to all Warriors—immortality, the ability to port, rapid healing and above-average strength—and have begun to express themselves as the Warriors have grown more comfortable in their abilities and better understand the full range of their skills.

Enyo
—the Goddess of War, Enyo is the daughter of Zeus and Hera. Equipped with the ability to create anarchy and death wherever she goes, Zeus offered Enyo up to Themis for their Great Agreement. Before Zeus allowed Themis to create the Sons of the Zodiac, she had to agree
to a counterbalance to the Warriors’ power. Enyo provides the balance, at constant war with Themis’s Warriors. For each battle Enyo wins, her power grows. As such, for each she loses, her power is diminished.

Equinox
—a nightclub owned by Grey Bennett, Aries Warrior. Each Warrior has a role within the whole and Grey’s is to keep an eye on the underbelly of New York for Enyo’s likely crop of new Destroyers. What none of the Warriors know is that Grey carries a secret—one that will lead him to his destiny or to his doom…

Eris
—sister of Enyo, Eris is the goddess of Discord. She wields power far more subtly than her sister, focusing on the underlying chaos that causes problems in lieu of overt action. Eris’s days of wreaking havoc are peppered throughout history and it is Eris who was responsible for the start of the Trojan War.

Fixed
—a sign
quality
, Fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) mark the middle of each season. Those born under Fixed signs are considered quite stubborn and persistent. Fixed Warriors are equally stubborn and persistent, unwilling to yield to their enemies.

Great Agreement
—an agreement entered into during the Iron Age (the Fifth Age of Man) by Zeus and Themis. Fearful that her beloved humans had no protection from the trials of life, Themis entered into an agreement with Zeus that created the Sons of the Zodiac. The Sons of the Zodiac are Warriors modeled after the circular perfection of the heavens and each Warrior carries the immutable qualities of his sign. Under the Great Agreement, the immortal Warriors will battle
Zeus’s daughter Enyo, the Goddess of War, for the ultimate protection, quality and survival of humanity.

Hera
—wife of Zeus and mother of Enyo.

Iron Age
—the Fifth Age of Man, generally thought to be about ten thousand years ago, when humans toiled in abject misery. Brothers fight brothers, children turn against their fathers and anarchy is the rule of the land. During this age the gods have forsaken humanity. It is during this time that Themis—desperate to alter the course of human existence—goes to Zeus and enters into the Great Agreement. During this age, the Sons of the Zodiac are created.

Mutable
—a sign
quality
, Mutable signs (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces) mark the end of each season. Those born under Mutable signs are the most comfortable with change, making them easily adaptable and resourceful. Mutable Warriors are the first to see the big picture, able to adapt and shift their battle plans at a moment’s notice. Their ability to see issues from multiple angles make them strong Warriors and a comfort to have watching your back.

Ophiuchus
—known as the “Thirteenth Sign,” Ophiuchus is portrayed as the serpent bearer. Presuming the zodiac is tied to the specific placement of constellations and not divided into twelve equal divisions, the proponents of the Thirteenth Sign more closely follow the path of the heavens. It is this disparity that gives Eris the opportunity she needs to create her own warrior…

Phobos
—the son of Ares and Aphrodite, he is the god of fear. He is the brother of Deimos.

Port
—shortened form of teleport. The Warriors and Destroyers both have the ability to move through space and time at will. Porting will diminish power.

Sons of the Zodiac
—created by Themis, the Goddess of Justice, upon her Great Agreement with Zeus. The Great Agreement stipulates for a race of Warriors—156 in total—that will have the traits of their Zodiac sign. Tasked to protect humanity, they are at war with Enyo. A Warrior is immortal, although he may be killed with a death blow to the neck. Removal of a Warrior’s head is the only way to kill him. The Warriors’ strength may be reduced from extended time in battle, multiple ports and little food. A Warrior’s strength will be replaced with food, sleep or sexual orgasm. Each Warrior has a tattoo of added protection that lives within his aura.

Themis
—one of the twelve Titans, Themis is the goddess of Justice. Disheartened that her beloved humans toiled in misery and abject drudgery, she petitioned Zeus to allow her to intercede. With Zeus she entered into the Great Agreement, which provided for the creation of the Sons of the Zodiac, 156 Warriors embodied with the traits of their sign. Originally she envisioned twelve of twelve—but upon reaching her agreement with Zeus gained an additional twelve Warriors so Gemini might have his twin. Themis’s Warriors live across the globe, battling Enyo and keeping humanity safe.

Titans
—the original twelve children born of Uranus (Father Sky) and Gaia (Earth). Themis is one of the Titans, as is Cronus, Zeus’s father.

Warrior’s Tattoo
—the Warrior’s Tattoo is inked on his body, generally on his upper shoulder blade (right or
left). The tattoo lives within the Warrior’s aura and, when the Warrior is in danger the tattoo will expand as an additional form of protection. The tattoo is never separate; rather, it provides additional protection through the Warrior’s life force.

Xiphos
—an ancient Greek weapon, the Xiphos is a double-edged blade less than a foot in length. The Warriors each carry one strapped on their calves. Although a Warrior may deliver a death blow to a Destroyer’s neck when in close range, the Xiphos provides them with an additional tool in battle. Although a Warrior may use any Xiphos—or any weapon—when necessary, each Warrior was granted a Xiphos at his turning. Although nothing more than metal, many Warriors find a personal connection with their Xiphos through many years of battle.

Zeus
—the king of the gods and ruler over Mount Olympus. Zeus is married to Hera. Zeus’s first wife was Themis, the Goddess of Justice and one of the Titans. Zeus entered the Great Agreement with Themis that resulted in the protectors for humanity—the Sons of the Zodiac.

G
rier stared out her window at the bright lights of Anchorage as the plane did a hard bank to the right. After miles of darkness, the lights were a welcoming beacon.

She was home.

Or at least what passed for home for another month. Six weeks, tops.

That had been Walker’s latest estimate of how much longer it would take to clear up Jonas Winston’s last will and testament.

He’d been kind enough to give her an out the week before, suggesting she could stay in New York and allow him to handle the majority of the proceedings, with her presence only necessary once everything was finalized, but she’d refused.

It was bad enough her half sister, Kate, had been the recipient of their father’s love and affection for the first twenty-six years of her life. She’d be damned if she’d let the woman have easy access to Jonas’s things
while Grier sat four thousand miles away waiting for news.

The funny thing was, she acknowledged to herself as she reached beneath her seat for her tote, it wasn’t even Jonas’s possessions she really cared about. She had a home; she certainly didn’t need his.

What she did need were answers.

And some small piece of him she could keep.

Sloan smiled a groggy half grin from across the aisle. “You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

Walker helped her collect her suitcase
from the overhead, and as if time were moving in fast-forward, before she could blink she was filing out the plane’s side door.

The jet bridge was a short walk but her gaze caught on one of the many tourism posters framed along the corrugated walls:
INDIGO TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT
.

Mick’s company.

As if to simply reinforce the connection, the photo showed Mick and his partner, Jack, bookending the front propeller of one of their planes, broad smiles on their faces. Each sported shoulders like a football player, but where Jack had the heavier build of a grizzly bear, Mick was long and rangy.

Not for the first time, Grier tried to understand exactly what it was that made the men up here quite so appealing. She’d assumed the men of Alaska would be hale and hearty. She hadn’t counted on them being quite so lovable.

A couple of women behind her giggled and Grier tuned into their conversation, pulling her attention from the poster as she continued moving down the jet bridge.

“Rachel said the men up here were good-looking.”

“She didn’t say they looked like Greek gods.” Another giggle floated up. “I think we need to kick off our visit by supporting the local economy.”

“Indigo Travel and Transport,” her friend replied and Grier didn’t miss the light slap of a high five.

Sloan turned from where she walked a few paces ahead and reached for her hand.

“Come on,” she whispered on a tight squeeze. “It’ll be fine.”

Grier took comfort in the warmth her friend always seemed to know how to share with such simple, effortless ease.

And then the jet bridge ended and Grier suddenly realized she had a far bigger problem than misplaced jealousy over giggling singletons.

Mick O’Shaughnessy was waiting for her.

Mick fought the wave of nerves that dive-bombed his stomach as he waited for Grier to come out of the door to gate seven. He’d played the conversation in his head about fifty different ways since walking into the airport an hour ago and hadn’t settled on anything.