Chapter 9
“Where are we?” I yawn several hours later.
“Just outside of Flagstaff,” Raven says. “Tristan was right; there’s something off here.”
“What do you see?” I sit forward in my seat.
“It’s not something I see; it’s more of a gut feeling. My gut rarely fails me.”
“Except when it’s growling at you to fuel the bottomless pit.” Greyson chuckles. “Ow, babe.”
“Don’t make fun of me. Something seriously feels off.” Raven whacks him on the arm.
“No, you’re right. I feel it too. It’s like a strong concentration of magic is nearby.” I glance out the window.
“We’re almost to the volcano. Do you think it’s a forge too?” Greyson asks.
“I have no idea, but the books said that almost every major volcano held one of Hephaestus’ forges so it’s possible.” I shrug.
“Something’s been bothering me,” Kira says.
“What is that?” I turn to her.
“I couldn’t find any stories indicating Hephaestus had run-ins with monsters or ordered the death of monsters. What are we going to face on this journey if he didn’t interact with monsters or really anyone?”
“The queen could send any number of nasty things at us, but I’m hoping that she’ll be too busy with her battle against Zeus to worry about what we’re doing.” I glance at Kira over my shoulder.
“He was a part of the giant war but that’s about it,” Kira explains. “Most of his stories involve revenge on the other gods, like Aphrodite and Ares for their affair.”
“What about his automatons? They could potentially be a problem,” Raven says.
“Yeah, especially since losing his hammer is likely weakening him. The automatons could go berserk.” I stare out the window at the mountain growing larger the closer we get to it.
“We can’t forget about the demon pigeons either,” Greyson says. “Weren’t they said to be made by Hephaestus?”
“You just spoke that into the damn universe,” I grumble. “How many times do we have to fry the fuckers before they die and stay dead?”
“Too many times already.” Raven sighs.
“And we’re likely going to have to kill them again before this mission is over.” I rest my elbows on my knees, leaning between the front seats.
“Maybe they stayed in Arcadia.” Kira chirps.
“Shit,” I say as something occurs to me. “What if the queen sends them to the academy instead of coming for us?”
“Where’s the strategy in that?” Kira asks. “There are tons of demigods at the academy that can use fire magic. The birds would barely make a dent.”
“If she is even worried about us retrieving the hammer.” Raven turns in her seat.
“The hammer is what will turn the tide so why wouldn’t she be worried that we got it?” I ask.
“Because I think her plan is total annihilation of the academy before we can make it back. That’s why she would send the demon pigeons there. Because we can’t turn the tide of the battle if there is no battle to come back to.”
“Oh my gods, you’re right. She might not send any monsters after us at all. She might send them all to the academy at once.” I rifle in my bag for the shell with shaking hands. “We have to warn them.”
“Call Jayden. We’re about a half an hour from the base of the mountain.” Greyson locks gazes with me through the rearview mirror.
“Jayden, Halfling Academy,” I say, holding the shell up.
Mist swirls until the picture emerges of Jayden shirtless, sparring with Thad. “Dammit, Jayden, where’s your shirt?”
“Beth? Time-out, Thad. It’s Beth.” He sheaths his sword in the shadows.
“Where is your shirt?” I repeat my question through gritted teeth.
“I was sparring, baby. It got hot.” He pulls his shirt over his head. “How is everything going? Did you talk to Tristan?”
“Yeah, he said he’ll be there by morning with all the warriors they can spare. Attacks on packs are ramping up and they need enforcers to protect those who are staying behind.”
“He’s coming with the warriors?” Jayden asks.
“Yeah, and I’m worried that might not be enough. Raven has a theory.” I chew my lip. “We think that the queen is going to send everything she has at the academy. The hammer can’t be a game changer if the game is already over.”
“We’re ready for them, baby. As long as the shifters get here before the battle, we should be fine.”
“Are you ready for demon pigeons or anything that can fly?” I ask.
Jayden’s eyes widen as he glances at Thad. “We hadn’t considered an air assault, though we absolutely should have thought of that considering our history with those damn birds.”
“I’ll get Adrian,” Thad says and jogs off.
“Their bodies are metal, Jayden. The archers won’t be enough to take them down. Ben needs to help you figure out something with fire or lightning. You need to be prepared for them to dive-bomb and use their acid shit.” My hands shake so I clench them into fists.
“I’ll make sure to set up a brainstorming meeting with Ben for in the morning after the shifters get settled. Where are you?”
“San Francisco mountain north of Flagstaff. Tristan asked us to check it out. Strange volcanic activity in the area. Could have something to do with Hephaestus.”
“You guys didn’t stop to sleep?” Jayden shakes his head.
“I dozed off in the car for a couple hours while we were on our way here and Draven and Greyson are driving in shifts so the other can sleep.”
“Don’t burn yourselves out. You need actual sleep, love,” Jayden says.
“We’ll sleep in Grand Junction. I need to get to Montana as quickly as possible,” I mumble.
“It does you no good to get back quickly if you’re exhausted, baby. You can’t fight off monsters if you’re dead on your feet.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time, but I get what you’re saying. I’ll stop for the night in Colorado and recharge.” I nod.
“Good.” Jayden winks.
“Beth,” Adrian calls.
“Yeah, I wanted to ask you about demon pigeons.”
“What about them?” he asks.
“How likely are they to show up at the academy?” I ask.
“Shit.” Adrian stomps a foot on the ground. “We didn’t account for flying beasts. We’re going to have to adjust tactics for them.”
“Exactly, but I don’t think archers will be enough unless there’s a kind of metal you can put on the arrowhead that will pierce the metal on the bastards’ bodies or something with fire or electricity.”
“We’ll get it worked out. I think Ben has been crafting special arrows for us out of a new kind of metal he created,” Adrian says. “I could be wrong, though. He’s not exactly forthcoming.”
“He’s a dick, but he’s a talented dick so we don’t call him on it.” I shrug.
“I have to go. I need to talk to him so we can figure some logistics out for the airborne monsters. Be safe and hurry.” Adrian jogs away.
“Not so much that you’re not sleeping, baby. Promise me you’ll rest when you get to the pack in Grand Junction.” Jayden glares at me.
“I promise. Love you.” I blow him a kiss.
“Love you too. Talk soon.” He waves the mist away.
My shoulders slump as his image fades away. I hate this so much, but it shouldn’t take long to get the hammer and get back to him. It can’t. Our friends are all counting on us. I glance out the windshield and spot the mountain up close and personal. Something glints at the base of the mountain.
“Watch out,” I yell, ducking behind the seat.
“What is it?” Raven turns to me with a frown.
My brows furrow and I scan the mountain again but there’s nothing. “I saw a glint of metal and thought we spoke the demon pigeons into existence.”
“I saw the flash of metal too,” Greyson says. “Look, there it is again.”
Greyson pulls the vehicle over and puts it in park as we all stare at the base of the mountain. Something flashes through the trees a golden color.
“What is that?” I ask. “Is that a golden arm?”
I push the door open and hop out of the SUV. My whip materializes in my hand as I touch the charm to release it.
“Beth, what are you doing going off on your own?” Raven calls after me.
“Shh, I’m investigating what the hell is on this volcano,” I hiss at her.
“Jayden is going to have my ass if something happens to you because you ran off half-cocked.” Greyson grumbles.
“I’m not going off half-cocked. I think some of Hephaestus’ automatons are running around the volcano.” I shake my head.
The crash of metal on metal reverberates through the air. I spin in a circle, searching for the threat. A golden spear hits the trunk of the tree next to my head.
“They know we’re here now.” My grip on the whip tightens.
“They have to be my dad’s automatons.” Kira points to the golden spear. “Those are the marks of Hephaestus.”
“How do we defeat them?” I ask.
“I don’t think we can defeat them. Maybe we don’t have to.” Kira wrings her hands together.
“I kinda think the spear in the tree says otherwise.” Raven glares at the offending weapon.
The clanking of weapons and metal on metal grows louder but the automatons are still hidden by the trees surrounding us.
“Greyson, can you scent or hear how many of them there are?” I ask as I move so my back is to Raven’s.
“They don’t really have a scent or the trees are muffling it, but from the sound, I would say probably twenty.” He grimaces.
“Circle up. No one’s back should be exposed. Try less than lethal. Kira, can you use your magic to control them since they are your dad’s?” I ask.
“I can try but they’re out of control and I’ll have to get really close.” Kira shrugs.
“How close?” I ask.
“I would need to touch them for this to even be possible.”
“No,” Draven says. “They’re out-of-control murderous bastards right now. You’re not touching them and getting gutted trying to stop them.”
“We don’t have a lot of options here, Draven. We don’t want to destroy them because they’re Hephaestus’ creations and could be of use in battle.”
The sun shines down on the trees and the reflection off the automatons burns my eyes. Grunts grow louder and another spear flies straight for me. I spin out of the way just in time to find Raven plucking the damn thing out of the air and twirling it like a baton.
“Show-off,” I grumble.
“You’re welcome.” Raven launches the spear back into the trees and the forest grows silent.
“What happened?” I whisper. “Why is it quiet?”