The Alpha God’s Luna by Marissa Gilbert
Chapter 73. Stars Bum. Part II
“Kill them all!” Vidar shouted. Don’t you see? They planned it all along! Astraea set up this trap for us, but that doesn’t mean we have to lose the war! She maybe powerful, but she is just one goddess! We are Asgard!”
“Oh, dear mate,” Astraea smirked as a thunderous sound echoed through the air, “haven’t you heard me the first time? I am not alone.”
She tilted her head, and everyone followed her gaze to see a magnificent creature emerging from a thick fog at the far end of the garden, its hooves crumpling beautiful flowers underneath. A silver mane with teal and lilac highlights glimmered in the setting sun as a pitch-black nightmare unicorn made its way towards the group.
The formidable divine weapon of the Star Goddess, capable of slaying gods with its deadly horn. The only one of his kind.
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”Impossible!” the God of Vengeance muttered. “I got rid of that thing!” ”Now,” Astraea’s resounding voice took on a commanding tone this time. “I believe Fenrir has just won a battle for the Asgardian throne. Shouldn’t we—”
“Do you see?” Vidar interjected again, raising his voice even higher. “This was their plan all along! They are the usurpers! They want to destroy Asgard again! Help me kill that b*tch!”
“Oh, no!” Astraea sighed, “I guess the romance is dead.”
“If anyone touches a single hair on my daughter’s head, they are going to pay with their life!” Selene made the crowd part for her, walking towards the center of the commotion with her head held high. She wore a silver-plated armour with moons and stars embossed all over it, her pale blue hair in an intricate crown braid.
“See?” Vidar seethed. “The Olympians are behind this too! They betrayed us! They want to end us! We should kill them all while we still have a chance!”
Fenrir groaned, falling to one knee but still holding his spear. His team formed a tighter circle around him just in time because a single fire arrow flew in his direction.
Devoss dissipated it with his nine tails, which appeared and then vanished the second he no longer needed them. His eyes flashed dangerously silver.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you!” the fox warned them. “Or something may fly back at you. Something you wouldn’t be able to catch. Trust me.”
“Trust you? I am one of those who survived Ragnarok! I’ve seen what that wolf did to the All father! I’ve seen my children die in that war! And I have no place for traitors and abominations like you in my home!” One of the Asgardians stepped forward and launched his attack. A surge of dark energy lunged at the Wolf God, but Selene blocked it with a crescent shield which materialised in her grasp. The next moment, attacks exploded at every angle. Asgardians clearly tried to use their numbers against the group of rogue deities.
Enraged, Bash summoned lightning from the skies, striking down the ranks of haughty gods. This decision, however, made Asgardians feel threatened even more and drove them to double their effort.
Flashes of magic, smoke and starlight mixed into a picture of pure chaos as gods slaughtered each other.
As Midnight surged through the enemy ranks, scattering them in disarray, Astraea descended the stairs. She wanted to go to Fenrir, but she couldn’t see where he was anymore, so she used Devoss’ fluffy tails or Kara flying in the sky as her navigation points. Luckily, their gang was noticeable anywhere.
Every Asgardian on her way tried to kill her, and she quickly grew tired of blocking their relentless but useless attacks.
The star magic was both familiar and new to her. She remembered how to wield it, but controlling the intensity of the power swirling inside her was another matter.
A man darted ice shards at her, and she turned them into mist before his eyes, but when he charged at her with a blade, she had no choice but to dissipate him into stardust. Tiny specs of his soul glimmered in the lights of the battle as they flew into the sky, and the goddess swore under her breath. There was no need for all this, but Vidar managed to turn everyone against each other. That man was like poison, destroying everything he touched.
A blast of energy flew straight at her chest, but she managed to disperse it with a mere glance.
Someone’s daggers, their divine weapons, followed—destroyed with a wave of a hand.
A stomp of water crushed over her, but she turned it into harmless steam.
They couldn’t let her take a step without an attack, and she had had enough of it. She had to get to Fenrir, whatever it cost her.
Astraea felt the fire blade approaching with her skin and turned to glare at Vidar, who tried to kill her from behind like the coward he was. “This is low even for you!” She arched her brow, mocking him as he paused, caught red-handed.
“It is my destiny to destroy the plague within Asgardian walls!” He still tried to play the hero, even though he was the only one to blame for all this mess.
“Oh, really?” Astraea let out a cold giggle. “Weren’t you the one who forced me here in the first place?”
“I should have killed you all centuries ago!” Vidar’s every word was laced with venom.
“Yes, you really should have,” she agreed, sparks of magic tingling at the tips of her fingers, ready to burst any moment.
“Doesn’t matter!” Her mate gritted his teeth, taking a battle stance. “You are all going to die today, anyway!”
“Interesting—” Her lips curled. “The stars tell me otherwise. Don’t forget, Vidar, everything and everyone is made of stars. Even gods. Even you.”
He lunged at his mate, but one glance of hers was enough to freeze him in the air, unable to move or breathe. She was in full control now, and he had never expected her to take a grasp of it all so fast.
He underestimated her, and now he was going to pay for it.
She felt it now- her raw power, which she had never had access to before. She could feel them all, every person on that battlefield. She could differentiate enemies from foes. She knew which stars took part in forming their bodies, how old they were and what happened to them. She could awaken those elements and submit them to her will.
That was the real power of the Star Goddess.
The only one she couldn’t sense right now was Fenrir, which made her anxious. She had to move faster.
Astraea carelessly waved her hand, and Vidar’s arm twisted at an unnatural angle, eliciting a loud scream from the God of Vengeance as his bones cracked.
“You wanted the power of the stars for yourself?” she taunted him. “I’ll give you a taste. Be careful what you wish for, Vidar. Gods of Stars are not made. You have to be born this way! “
“Kill her!” he shouted right before she broke his leg, and a few of his remaining warriors charged at her with their divine weapons, surprising her by still following orders of that pathetic excuse of a deity.
Tired of it all, Astraea sucked in a sharp breath and raised her hands to the sky to channel more energy.
They were not listening to reason, so she couldn’t waste her time on them anymore. Deep inside, her worry for Fenrir was growing.
Starlight magic laced around her fingers, forming and shaping into something bigger until a blazing inferno erupted from her palms, engulfing everything around in mere seconds. It felt like a flash, but everyone who pointed their swords at her friends dispersed into divine dust before they even realised what was happening.
There was no stopping the star fire. Their last screams echoed through the air, alerting the survivors to put their weapons down and admit defeat. The all-consuming power swept through the space, paying attention to everyone on that battlefield. It burned the enemies, shattering their forces and scattering their ashes in the wind while sparing the rest from harm.
Magnus and his warriors froze on their spots when the unbearable glow reached them. Unable to see anything, they waited for their destiny to unfold. The screams of others were terrifying. Gods were dying like flies, and no one had the power strong enough to fight the Star Goddess. They simply were not ready for this. It was as if the Source itself helped her awaken her full potential, and Magnus thought maybe it was for the best. If recent events proved anything, it was the fact they needed a cleanse within their ranks.
Magnus couldn’t be sure what the Starfire would do to him and his men when it touched their skin like a silk feather. The light brush radiated heat, ready to burn them to ashes, but gradually, the powerful presence left them alone, allowing them to breathe again.
“Kneel,” the son of Thor ordered his soldiers, and they followed his lead. Magnus knew a warning when he saw one. So, he unsheathed his sword and put it on the ground before him, standing on one knee next to it to demonstrate his acceptance and respect for the new ruler of Asgard, who had just spared their lives.
Astraea exhaled heavily and opened her eyes, done with the fight. So many emotions ran through her. She took part in many battles but had never possessed a power like this before. For a second there, she felt invincible.
Vidar was still hanging in the air before her, like a limp doll, exactly where she wanted him. New burns scorched his skin, and he stopped struggling.
“Just admit it,” he said in a hoarse, broken voice. “You can’t find it in you to kill me. After all, we are mates!”
She dropped him to the ground, and he chuckled darkly, trying to get up.
“I knew it!” he let out a nervous laugh. “You can’t find it in you to kill me! You-”
A glowing purple and teal horn protruded from his chest as shock coursed through Vidar, leaving him unable to make any sounds as he processed what happened. He touched the blood gushing out of him with trembling hands, yet Midnight lifted his head together with the body of the helpless God of Vengeance, and then he threw him forcefully to the ground, finishing the dirty work for his creator.
Astraea watched her mate bleed out his divinity and knew that this would be a fatal wound. Vidar was done, but that did not bring her joy. She turned on her heels and searched for Fenrir, leaving her past tormentor behind.
Her heart was racing in her chest, but when she noticed a familiar tall figure behind Warg and Kara, she sprinted towards him.
Fenrir caught her in his arms effortlessly, spinning and pressing her as close towards his chest as he could.
“You did it,” he whispered. “Astrea, you did it. I knew you could do it.”
“We did it, Fenrir,” she corrected, lifting her head to lock their eyes.
“You are as beautiful as the first day I laid my eyes on you.” He smiled at her, but his smile did not reach his eyes, and she sensed that something was off. Why was he sad when everything played out so well for them?
They were in Asgard at last and had just won their battle, but something was off—something really important.
She distanced herself from her beloved, scanning him up and down. Fenrir was perfect – not a hair in the wrong place. His tunic had no creases, and the golden embroidery on it was like the one he wore the first time they met.
His eyes were the only thing giving away the pain that stormed inside him.
“What happened?” She was surprised to hear her own voice. It sounded so foreign now. “Fenrir!” she grasped him, nails digging into his flesh through the fabric. The looming sense of dread was overwhelming.
It did not help that everyone was silent. Their friends were not celebrating the victory. They already knew something she didn’t.
Only now, she noticed a young woman standing behind her favourite Wolf God. The girl looked perfect, with radiating skin and raven black hair flowing down her slender shoulders. However, she tilted her head, and Astraea was taken aback when she saw the second half of her face—a landscape of scars and darkening grey skin. It was the face of the monster from legends. Her left eye was glowing white and missed the iris. Her lips on that half were black, forsaking their vibrant red colour.
Astraea knew who stood before her, and so did everyone else.
Hel, the Goddess of Death and the Ruler of the Underworld.
“No,” Astraea whispered, shaking her head. She must have come for the ones Astraea dispersed. Many men fell here today.
Then again, those deities would not be going to the Underworld. Their essence and divinity returned to the Source. Other than that, there was nothing left of them. Hel, however, was collecting souls.
“Astraea, it’s all right,” Fenrir placed his arms on her shoulders, drawing soothing circles with his thumbs. “We won. You are alive, and— I couldn’t have asked for more.”
“No!” she repeated, firmer this time, and glared at his sister, repeating, “No! You can’t take him!”
“I wish I didn’t have to,” Hel offered her a sad smile. “I dreamed of a different destiny for you two, but he didn’t return to the mortal realm in time. Now, he doesn’t belong here or there. My brother belongs with me.”
“No!” Tears streamed out of Astraea’s eyes, and she wiped them angrily.
She tried to push Fenrir away and stood before him to ensure the Goddess of Death kept her distance. “I will not let you take him!”
“No offence, but it’s not for you to decide,” Hel replied with the kind of confidence that let everyone know she was not used to objections. The sky darkened behind her, the last rays of sunshine disappearing.
Astrea flexed her fingers, and stars shone brightly, illuminating them all. “You are a powerful goddess,” Hel admitted. “And I have seen and enjoyed your wrath, but there are things even gods can’t do. After all, we are all servants of the powers we were given. I can’t change that, and neither can you.”
“We overcame destiny before!” Astrea insisted. “We will do it again. You are not taking him! If you so much as try, you will have to fight me, and I swear that I—”
“Astrea,” Fenrir took her hand and pulled her into his chest, kissing the top of her hand. “No, Astrea, I don’t want you to fight. It’s okay. It’s fine!”
“No!” She hit his chest with her fist. Nothing here was fine. Her body contorted with a sob she had suppressed for so long. “I told you not to come here! I told you not to risk it! Why did you—Fenrir! Why?”
He closed her in his embrace, kissing her hair again and again. “I love you so much. We deserve our time together! I can’t—I can’t lose you like this again.” She clenched his tunic, inhaled his scent, looked into his dreamy eyes and then tucked her face back into his massive chest. Nothing seemed enough. Not when each moment was their last.
Her heart became an empty void, her soul aching. She could never recover from this.
“My love,” Fenrir whispered, peppering her with kisses. “How I wish we had more time, but even like this, it was all worth it. Each fleeting moment with you—each second we spend together. I wouldn’t change anything. You gave my life a purpose, you filled an empty heart with love, you were my everything! During the endless night, you always were my guiding star. All my life, I was waiting for you to appear—”
“Fenrir!” she grasped him tighter, unwilling to let go.
“We need to go,” Hel urged them, and Astraea looked around, searching for support. Devoss averted his gaze, and Bash helplessly shrugged his shoulders, turning away. Selene stepped forward, but looking at her expression, Astraea knew she couldn’t help them either.
“I am sure Hel will allow you to visit sometimes,” her mother said. “Even if for a little, it’s better than nothing.”
“No!” Astrea said firmly, and Midnight came to her side, lowering his horn as a sign that he was ready to fight for her. “We didn’t go through so much to not end up together!”
“Are you sure you want to fight me?” Hel formed dark energy around her hands, taking a battle stance.
Astrea did the same with her star fire when an ugly cackle interrupted them.
“I did it!” Vidar chuckled painfully on the ground, still bleeding his divine essence from his wound. “I was destined to kill Fenrir after all. I was destined to keep you apart! I succeeded!”
Hel turned with her dead side towards him, her empty eye gleaming menacingly.
“I don’t know what you are so happy about,” the Goddess of Death sneered. “Now you get to spend eternity in my kingdom, where my main task is to devise the best punishment for you. I am currently choosing between Fenrir’s lowest slave or a giant’s pet on a leash. And that’s just for the first century or two. I haven’t gotten souls worthy of punishment for a while. I am a bit rusty!”
“Take him and leave Fenrir here!” Astraea suggested desperately. “This would be the worst punishment for him.”
“I wish I could. I really do.” Hel sighed. “But I have no choice.”
“Then neither do I,” Astraea blinked the tears away, and the star fire on her wrists intensified.
The two women were about to clash when two strong hands wrapped around Astraea’s waist, pulling her back.
“Dragonfly, stop!”