0 ‖ prologue

JAXEN JACE EVRARD

LONDON
June | 16 hours after Iva's disappearance
Location: Elysium, Lethe

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"Jaxen, I think it's clear enough for an answer," Morgiana concluded gravely. "She disappeared in the same manner as Rhys and Olivia." 

Tension settled heavily in the air as the seven of us stood facing Morgiana. Seven, because Iva didn't make it back with us and I blamed myself for being an fucking idiot. I had left her weak and by herself as I went back to our vehicle to gather medical supplies. Her arm was bleeding profusely and there was no way she could've put up another fight. I had been complacent — too complacent — when I simply focused on all that was ahead of me and neglected to look towards her direction in that moment. 

When I returned, all that was left was her pile of clothes and she simply disappeared, right under all of our noses. But Morgiana was right. When Rhys and Olivia died, all that was left of them was nothing except for the same heaps of fucking fabrics that they wore during their missions. 

I closed my fingers and tightened them into fists. Beside me, Vivienne and Seth looked devastated and they had turned so pale that they were almost going to pass out. Closing my eyes, I no longer knew what else to say because of all the crushing emotions weighed in my heart and an apology couldn't even pardon myself from her only family left to her. Drawing a shaky breath, I turned away from Vivienne and Seth to exit Morgiana's office. 

I pulled on the door of my car and settled in. Then, all the frustration immediately surfaced and I lost control of myself. Pounding my fists palms hard on the steering wheel, I gripped on it so hard that my hands trembled at my exertion. I spat, "Fuck." 

My heart nearly stopped when her smiling face flashed across my mind and it took a long whole for that suffocating ball of dread to lift before I could finally pressed my feet against the accelerator and bring myself home safely. 

◩

I knew that returning back home would be another round of emotional turmoil because Thea stood longingly by the door and stared at me with her beautiful honey-brown eyes. She had her arms folded in front of her, hugging onto the toy rabbit that I bought her when she was one. 

"Why are you standing there, ángelé?"I forced a smile at her, bending forward to grip on her tenderly as I picked her up into my hold 

"Daddy, where is Iva?" Thea asked, her voice dropped disappointingly. I turned to look at her crestfallen expression as she continued to stare towards the door longingly. She said sadly, "Thea wanted to show her Thumper." 

There's a thing about Thea: Thea wouldn't simply show Thumper to anyone — only to people she likes and trusts. Other than Marianne and I, Iva is the only person she had been enthusiastic about showing her toy rabbit to. Looking at Thea again, I felt a pang of emotions clawing right out of my chest again. 

"Iva fell sick after the trip," I lied, patting gently on her back to comfort her as I averted my gaze away. I also tried to change the topic by laughing a little, "You asked for Iva the moment I entered, don't you miss me too?" 

"I miss Daddy the most," Thea gasped, throwing her hands around my neck and nuzzled close while chuckling cheekily in her lovely voice. "But Thea miss Iva too." 

"I know, ángelé," I sighed, burying my head into my daughter's small shoulder. "I missed her too."

No other words were exchanged thereafter and I carried Thea back into her room to tuck her in. The child wiggled under her blanket as she hugged onto Thumper and in a sleepy voice she asked, "Daddy, Iva will come and play with me when she's well, right?"

"Right." The lie pierced right through my chest again, and I would probably be damned for deceiving this angel numerous times. Still, I cooed, "Sleep now, Thea."

"Goodnight, Daddy," Thea said sweetly, giving me a toothy grin.

"Goodnight, ángelé." I leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead before standing up to dim the lights in her room.

Walking up the stairs, I returned to my room and immediately poured myself a glass of scotch. Downing it, I raked my hand into my hair and slumped helplessly against the armchair in my room. Thoughts ran through my mind repeatedly like it was on a fucking treadmill, and it's really a shame that I couldn't get myself drunk no matter how much alcohol I drowned myself in. Standing up, I cursed under my breath, "Darned it."

I pushed myself to stand and took the knife from my table to prick on my finger. Drawing an apotropaic symbol, the air pressure increased within the room and a door appeared right in front of me. Reluctantly, I stepped in and went right through.

◩

UNDERWORLD
June | 18 hours after Iva's disappearance
Location: Asphodel Manor

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"You haven't informed me of your visit, kýrios." Thales greeted me the moment I passed the main door of the manor.

Putting a hand up, I strode past him in a hurry and mentioned, "I won't be here for long. I'm heading to the study and I don't want to be disturbed."

"As you wish, kýrios."

I sprinted up the stairs and realised that I have numerous other flights up before I could reach my study. Annoyed, I cussed under my breath on why the manor had to be incessantly huge as I decided to stop in my steps. Dark feathered wings flared out from my back and I ascended up towards the place in my mind. Only when my feet grounded themselves on the floor that the pair of darkness retracted back into me and I rushed to push on the door. 

The vast study, together with the millions of books that lined the shelves welcomed me with the characteristic scent of wood and paper. I would've enjoyed this nostalgic fragrance of decaying fiction, disintegrating history and forgotten verse if not for the dire situation that caused my heart to race in turbulent rapids.

My hand went straight to pull on an intricately decorated spine of a book. Throwing the book on the table and flipping through the pages, my eyes skimmed through the contents as I held onto my breath. Not here. I flipped again. Not here. No matter how far I flipped through the book, it's still the same answer: not here. The unsettling feeling brewed deep in my gut, as I thundered out of my study and shouted, "Thales!"

A dark mist formed beside me and a young male appeared through it. I scowled internally, finding Thales being still as proper as he had always been in these thousands of years. He bowed slightly and asked, "You have asked for me, kýrios?"

"Did you happen to hear any sounds of bells from Makaria's manor?" I rushed.

"No, kýrios. There hadn't been any sounds of bells for the past five decades." Thales responded.

I exhaled roughly, holding onto my forehead as my thumbs rubbed on my temples while I was vexed over the thought in my mind.

"Did something happened to kyría?" Thales concerned himself with the matter upon my frustration.

I clasped my hands on the wooden railing ahead of me and kept my head down as I repeatedly tried to regulate my breathing. Other than her, there was seriously no other person that could make me so desperate and out of control. For an immortal like me, I had lived for thousands of years and never faltered. But that was till the day I met her, my legs shook and my entire world flipped.

That day, I looked at her and immediately understood why love tended to drive one insane. Because that was exactly what I felt right at this moment — petrified and hysterically unsettled.

"I lost her," I mumbled painfully, "And now I'm losing my mind."

"There's still a place to confirm, kýrios." Thales reminded.

"I know, I'm heading there right now," I pained. "But I'm afraid of what I'll hear."

"May the odds ever be in your favour."

"Thales, stop reading the books that my brother brings you." I rolled my eyes at him. Drawing in a deep breath, I released my wings and mentioned, "I'm going."

"Bless you a safe trip, kýrios." Thales replied politely.

◩

Following behind two guards, I was led into a study that held a strong pungent smell of alcohol, smoke and blood. My eyes went straight towards the scantily clad woman who lounged against the settee. She held onto a ridiculous smirk on her face as she greeted me, "Look who's here?"

"I've got no time to waste and you know why I'm here, Keres," I snapped impatiently.

"The apotropaic symbol that Morpheus granted you is not working?" Keres laughed mockingly as she sat up. The loosely tied black satin robe slid from her shoulder and revealed the curve of her front. I averted my gaze away, disgusted.

"I need an answer," I pressed, antsy.

"Lovely to see you all flustered, my dear brother," Keres reached for her long smoking pipe and took a drag, before exhaling and filling the room with the nasty odour of smoke. "I haven't seen you so worked up since I refused your request to know about your useless mortal friends."

"My patience wears thin," I warned piercingly.

"Her name's not on my list, yet," my sister said, obviously displeased. "When it appears, I'll make sure to be the first to mock you. After all, what was Aphrodite thinking when she decided to bless you with love?"

"It is none of your concern."

"You love her," Keres spat distastefully. "And you love her so much that you're disgustingly vulnerable, brother."

"Keres, tread carefully," I cautioned, my tone turned cold and dangerous in an instant.

"Oh, Thanatos, do you truly believe in love?" she taunted.

Unwilling to continue the conversation with this infuriating sister of mine, I turned myself around and my wings spread themselves widely, ready to leave. In a low voice, I breathed an almost inaudible reply, "No, but I believe in her."

◩

glossary.
'ángelé' means 'angel'  | 'kýrios' means 'lord'  | 'kyría' means 'lady'  | 'makaria' is the goddess of blessed death  | 'morpehus' is the god of dreams  | 'aphrodite' is the goddess of love and beauty  | 'keres' is the goddess of violent death  | 'thanatos' is the god of death

a/n.
i left this series in the dust for too long! but i decided it's time to slowly work this through and get back to writing. i've finally revealed jax's identity, did it came as a surprise? i hope you're excited about this series because i am really looking forward to work on it!