Ink of Copper

74. In Which a Battle of Wits and Wiles Meets in a Throne Room

Chapter 74

In Which a Battle of Wits and Wiles Meets in a Throne Room

Cephas in the Flatlands region of Olympus, Tellus Province

V alerius wasn’t lying, which surprised Ellie. She had braced herself for him to lead the foursome right into a trap. Bow held tightly in her hand, Ellie ran her thumb over the smooth curve. She had opted to take Apollo’s gift and, after a long argument, had convinced Callassa to wear the breastplate. If any of the stories of the Greek gods were true—and many were turning out to be true, and then some—Ellie figured the gifts had to have been blessed. Or enchanted. Or something. A point she had argued with Callassa that had ultimately won her over. Better to have enchanted armor protecting them if they find themselves going out in a hail of gunfire. But with arrows. And swords. Getting into the first part of the palace had been a breeze, too easy. No one spoke a word as they crept along a garden wall.

Evander looked back at her for the three hundredth time in the last few minutes. He had insisted on situating himself in front of her, a shield should she need it. This meant that Ellie brought up the rear, as Valerius led and Camulos placed Callassa between Evander and himself. While two centurions followed behind them, they kept their distance, as their only instructions were to protect Ellie and Callassa and not the others. Luckily, there hadn’t been guards or warriors milling about in this garden, which led to Athena’s private chambers and the council meeting room. If Ellie gave it any thought, she didn’t like the idea of Valerius knowing how to sneak around Athena’s palace, because it meant he could and probably would sneak around anyone’s home. A shiver snaked up her spine at that thought. The company stopped as they approached a gate leading into a large stone hallway. Looking around? the corner, Valerius checked twice before he motioned for them to follow.

Athena’s palace was rich and lavish. They passed down a marbled corridor, turned past several stone statues of the goddess, and threaded down a hall. Ellie chewed on her cheek, her stomach in knots. The further they went into the lion’s den, the less certain she became of their retreat. Stopping at the next junction of corridors, Camulos held up a fist. In front of her, Callassa jerked her head, shook it, and then crossed her arms. She looked around the corridor and gave her foot a light stomp as she pursed her lips. It suddenly dawned on Ellie why when she snorted and softly whispered Liam .

They had left him behind, knowing he couldn’t fight in his condition but also knowing he would insist on coming. The company had waited until the sleeping tea Callassa gave him went into effect to go on their misguided mission. Ellie guessed Liam was awake and now pissed that Callassa had left without him. Callassa gave her head one good shake and then turned the corner after Camulos. Valerius opened a door at the end of the hall, disappearing behind, the others following.

Stepping into the room, twelve sets of eyes turned abruptly at them. They all sat around a large wooden table, divided into four sections. Each council member wore sashes attached to one shoulder, sweeping across and flowing over their opposite shoulder. Deep red, emerald green, satin blue, and a sash that looked as though it were made from starlight slashed across each member ringing the carved table in vibrant color. The council members all gasped in unison while several jolted to their feet.

“How dare you!”

“Traitors!”

Camulos held out his hands in defense. “Council members, we came to plead our case.”

“The time for pleading is over, Camulos. The declaration of war was made after your treason released those in the Shadow Realm.” one council member in the starlight sash said as he pounded his fist on the table. “We have ruled. It is done.”

“We have reason to believe the events leading up to the release of the prisoners were orchestrated against Olympus, making my company blameless,” argued Camulos. “If you’ll allow me to state the facts—”

“As you see them?” another council member in a blue sash asked, crossing his arms.

“No, as they are.”

“Your man has broken his vow, Camulos. He has been summoned to plead his case before the council to pay for his crimes. Your captain is glaringly missing, and you come in here with Valerius in your midst.” A council member in a green sash pointed his chin at Camulos and the rest, who stood behind him like misfit heroes. “The queen of sirens and the sacrifice do not make it appear you are on the side of Olympus. To consort with the type of company you bring in here today tells this council all we need to know about the truth of the events you are trying to refute.”

“Gentleman, I implore you—”

“How dare you!” The hissed scream from opposite the room sent ice coursing through Ellie’s veins.

Athena stood at the far end and behind her was a man wearing a helmet, looking very much like a general, and about ten guards and warriors behind them. The room seemed to shrink as Ellie realized the situation they were now in. Subconsciously, she stepped toward Evander, touching the edge of his soft, feathered wing. Instinctively, he put his hand against her; his ever-protective stance was now a comfort.

“Guards!” she shrieked, and Ellie shrank back, her stomach in her shoes. They would have to fight their way out, not just against guards, but against Athena herself. The pounding of feet on marble floor rumbled around them. Her breath caught in her chest as the room filled in on all sides. When she swiveled her head, she realized they were surrounded. No escape.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Callassa move, taking small steps to the side, leaving the group’s safety. She was preparing to pounce or fly; Ellie wasn’t sure which.

“You dare to come into my palace uninvited, Camulos? And bring this band of rags with you?”

“I came to request a meeting with the council.” He crossed his arms over his chest, and Ellie marveled at his massive size.

Had Cam always been that big? He seemed to take up more space than usual; his wings unfurled, ready. Ellie tamped down fear and tried to remain calm. With Aerelia, it had been easy to channel her anger into revenge. Here, she was fighting the bile that rose in her throat at the thought that this fight could cost all of them their lives. Glancing up at Evander, she watched his jaw set, the hardened planes of his face shifted to the warrior he was. He had slid one of his swords out while Camulos and Athena argued.

“You dare come to address my council after your treason? Your orders were to kill the Serathena, so the prison would never be unlocked. Your direct actions led to the release of Tartarus.” Athena leveled her narrowed eyes at Ellie. “Your carelessness caused her blood to fall. Hand over the Serathena, Camulos. End the threat that remains against Olympus.”

“Their blood,” Callassa spoke, her voice deadly. She pulled her head high on her shoulders, regal and self-assured.

“You dare speak to me, siren?” Athena snarled.

Tipping her chin up, something flashed across Callassa’s face, and Ellie felt the movement of her magic running over her. It tingled like before, coursing through her, mixing with her own.

“Your Majesty,” she growled. “I am a queen, and you will address me as such.”

Athena fisted her fingers and glared.

“Their blood. Their blood. Not one, but two were needed to open the prison. Or did you not know that, goddess of knowledge ? Both of us bled in that chamber, Athena. Which one do you want? The demigoddess or the queen?”

The shock that crossed Athena’s features told everyone in the room that she was unaware it took two to unlock the cages. Callassa looked like she was holding court, noble and majestic, as she stood her ground against Athena. Her black wings shone radiant as light streamed in through the wall of windows on one side of the room. A shiver ran down Ellie’s spine at Callassa’s words. She hadn’t had time to process anything that Apollo had said. So much had happened so fast that her brain took a while to catch up. She was a demigoddess; her mother a human, and her father Apollo. Their births were part of an ancient prophecy.

Both their births.

Looking over to Callassa, Ellie watched her move her mouth, arguments flying out, aiming for Athena. She was in awe of her strength and poise.

Her sister.

The feelings of camaraderie, their personalities meshing so well from the start, how close she felt to her were all because they were blood. Blood tied them together with a sisterly bond. A bond that meant their magic could flow and mingle and play off each other. Be each other’s balance. Callassa wasn’t just her sister but also a beautiful, magnificent queen. A queen who cared deeply for her people and her mate. Ellie forced herself to turn her focus back to the room instead of pondering about parentage, sisters, and bonds. Distracted, she’d be killed in seconds.

Focus, Ellie!

Athena didn’t seem to know how to answer whatever Callassa said. She stood for a few tense breaths, fist clenched, jaw set, glaring. Ellie thought she might change her mind and back down, but the look of determination darkened Athena’s brow. Twisting her lips in a slow sneer, her armor appearing suddenly upon her had Ellie’s stomach falling out of her body completely.

“I guess we’ll have to kill them both,” Athena tossed her words over her shoulder.

“Gladly.”

From beside Athena stepped the general. Shorter than her but massively huge, his bare arms looked like tree limbs, his armor polished to a shine. Hatred and war stuck in his fiery gaze. His sword gleamed, the sun glinting off the blade.

“Ares,” Evander hissed, drawing his other sword.

His eyes bounced from Ellie to Callassa. She could see him calculating exactly how he would keep his word to Apollo and protect both of them. The two centurions came to stand between Ellie and Callassa, their swords drawn, ready to defend. Callassa continued to move out from the group; her wings spread, her magic flowing like a river.

Athena jerked her head to the warriors behind her. “The siren first; she’s tethered to Aerelia. Then the human,” she ordered.

No one moved. No one nodded or acknowledged the command. Callassa lifted one arm in the air, free of the binds that held her. Ellie watched the color drain from Athena’s face.

“I am no longer tethered to anyone. I’m free!”

The room erupted into a maelstrom of swords and axes, metal and grunting, screams and shouts. Callassa was in the air before the words drifted to Ellie’s ears, flying straight toward Athena and Ares, who stood on a slight rise. Council members scattered like rats, shouting and running in all directions. Winged men danced around in a ballet of swords and fists. Evander moved straight toward her frozen frame with lightning speed, slicing as he went.

Ellie screamed at her legs to move, to run, to react, but she could only stand and watch as a guard came for her, his axe swinging high above her head. Fumbling with her bow, she reached back to grab an arrow, but her hands shook so badly she couldn’t grasp one. One slipped, then the other. Finally, her fingers grasped the feathers as an axe gracefully approached her. From nowhere, the long, thin swords of Evander pirouetted across her field of vision and sliced into the guard as his axe came down inches from her frozen form. He fell at her feet and rolled just as Ellie nocked the arrow. Dumbfounded, she stood staring at his face, his eyes wide in fright, a trickle of blood from his lips.

“Damn it, little human! Behind you! Move!” Valerius yelled.

It was enough to snap her out of her fear. As he ran past her, she watched him scamper through a side door. He said he would help them get in; he never said he’d stay and fight.

Spinning on her heel, in one motion, she pulled the bow up, breathed, and released the arrow. It sailed straight to its target, the middle of a guard’s chest. He stood stunned, looking down at the arrow, and collapsed.

Taking a calming breath as she swiveled, her body caught up to her brain; she saw Camulos fighting off a warrior. Grunting, he swung his spear, stabbing forward, but the warrior sliced at his weapon. Wood chunks flew into the air. Reaching back, she smoothly grabbed another arrow, nocked it, and let it fly. The second one was easier, her muscles reacting as the fear that held her grounded to the floor released her.

Pushing off, she moved with the grace and skill of a fighter with battles behind her. Dodging another guard who swung a sword at her, she let loose one arrow, then another. Two warriors fell. A third found its mark through the neck of the warrior attacking Camulos.

Sprinting toward the platform, determined to meet Callassa there, she locked eyes with her overhead as her sister dodged arrows and magic being shot her way. She banked one way and then another, graceful and free.

Turning her attention to the platform, a shadow fell on her as Ares came at Ellie full speed, his sword swinging, shield in hand. She shot her hand out, and a blast of fire burst forward. Several warriors screamed as their capes blazed. Ares spun, turning on his heel to avoid a warrior trying to extinguish the fire, aiming for her again. Ellie had no idea how she did it, but one moment, she was in front of Ares, and the next, she was across the room. Skidding to a stop, Ares looked around him, confused.

Having no time to react, Ellie pivoted as a guard approached her. She was almost to the platform. She would release the arrow they had tipped in daemon venom when she was certain she had a clear shot. It wouldn’t be enough to kill Athena, just enough to incapacitate her. Racing forward, she saw Callassa land, stalking Athena. Nocking an arrow, she let it fly at the woman who wanted her dead. The arrow glided through the air, racing toward its target, when it suddenly stopped and bent into two pieces. Rushing forward, Ellie gained the platform in two strides. Athena flashed to the back of the room, leaving the two women alone.

A desolate and painful cry went up, hovering above the noise. Ellie and Callassa both looked and saw Camulos crumple to the ground. Shooting her arm out, Callassa let loose a magic bolt that flew through several warriors, leaving giant holes in the middle of their bodies as if a cannonball had torn through them. The warrior poised over Camulos, attempting to finish the job he started, collapsed as the magic pierced his middle.

“Go!” Ellie yelled. “Go protect Cam!”

Callassa took to the air and, in two short flaps, stood over the heap of cape and mahogany wings that was their friend.

Whipping in a circle to see where Athena or Ares were, she didn’t see the Chthonian warrior until it was too late. Two powerful arms came around her, pulling her back as one rushed her, his sword drawn, intent on running her through. Ellie screamed and kicked, but the surrounding arms were too powerful. Her entire body vibrated as her magic burst out of her like a bomb going off. The Chthonian holding her vibrated with her, and then she was free. He exploded behind, turning into dust along with several warriors who collapsed as her magic detonated.

The remaining Chthonian circled her. The room’s noise quieted, and it wasn’t until a warrior hit her shield that Ellie realized she had made one. Unfortunately, she had created a shield around herself and a Chthonian, caging them in. From across the room, she watched as Callassa opened her mouth. The scream sent several guards, Ares, and Athena to the ground. It permeated Ellie’s bubble and bounced inside like a ping-pong ball. She sent a blast of magic forward; the Chthonian absorbed it, his armor glowing gold. Again, she sent fire and lightning, and again, he absorbed it into his armor. Swinging his sword at her, it danced in a graceful arc as he turned around in a circle. Ellie could feel him pulling at her. The dark shadows she had absorbed in the Shadow Realm called to the Chthonian, overpowering her and making her weaker.

Closing her eyes, Ellie sprinted forward, gathering her resolve, and hoping to catch him off guard. She popped them open seconds from colliding with his down-sloping sword and shot out a bolt of magic. It sparked off the sword, sending shards of magic skittering to the floor. The Chthonian then sent out a shot of dark magic, an explosion of power and death flying right toward her. Ellie deflected it to the outside of the shield, where it shot around in all directions, running along the floor and overhead before it left the shield and headed toward the fray of guards and warriors.

Another scream came from Callassa. This time, when it blasted through the air, the sound was like a thousand mirrors shattering all at once. Windows burst into pieces one at a time as the scream made its way down the shallow room.

The Chthonian charged Ellie, grunting as he pushed off. Ellie nocked her bow and stepped back on her heel, aiming for his eye or neck, somewhere not covered in armor. He flicked his wrist, and she flew backward, slamming into the shield and then to the floor with a thud. With no time to scramble to her feet, the warrior was on her, his large hand coming around her neck, ready to squeeze. Ellie sent a blast of magic, throwing him off her before he could make contact.

As soon as he was off, she scrambled to her feet, sputtering and disoriented. The fall had knocked her bow from her hand and sent arrows flying from her quiver. As she stooped to pick both up, the warrior swiftly swept her legs out from under her, causing her to lose balance again, sending her to her back with so much power it rattled her teeth. His face was close to hers, devoid of emotion, and soulless, black, empty eyes bore into her own. He slammed her down on the marble, snarling in her face. Ellie fought with all her might as her legs flared out from her, trying desperately to free herself.

Clawing at his enormous hand now around her throat, squeezing, choking, she summoned a fireball that burned his flesh and made him shriek. To her horror, his hand healed instantly as soon as the fire stopped. Ellie clawed as he lifted her shoulders off the ground and then slammed her head into the marble. She tried to think, but her need for oxygen screamed over strategy. Clawing at the fist around her throat with one hand, the corners of her vision went dark. She frantically reached around for something, anything to stab, to get him off her. Gurgling, the blackness slowly covering more and more of her vision, her lungs screaming for oxygen; she was still fighting, her legs flying out. She felt it at the same time as her knee hit a tender spot where his armor laced at his side.

A dagger.

The warriors had abandoned a dagger in the fray. She could feel the hilt just on the edge of her fingertips. Landing blow after blow to the same spot, she felt him loosen his grip. Her lungs sucked in air of their own accord, and Ellie sputtered, reaching, walking her fingers up the hilt. Kicking again, right in that spot, the Chthonian grunted, letting go for a split second. Grasping the dagger, she gripped her fingers around the handle as tightly as possible, trying to remember how to stab. Jolting the dagger up, hoping to connect with his neck or chin, she grunted.

“Fuck!” a male voice came from overhead.

A sudden smooth motion ripped the Chthonian off her, causing it to fly through the air. The two hit the ground with a thundering crash. Ellie curled into a ball, sputtering and gasping for breath. Her lungs burned as air filled them. Coughing, she rolled to her side, just in time to see a centurion slam a dagger into the heart of the Chthonian warrior. His armor flashed from red to gold, radiating outward before he exploded into dust. Sputtering, Ellie came to her knees and wiped her mouth as spit flew in her effort to get as much air into her lungs as possible. Drawing in quick breaths, she rose when the centurion was at her side, helping as he gripped her elbow, his sword poised.

“Are—”

He never finished. A blade sliced through him in the middle, spraying blood as it did, and then it disappeared back through his body. Falling to his knees, the centurion collapsed, making a sickening sound as blood spilled down the platform steps. Ellie turned to see Ares smiling at her.

He was sent flying as the second centurion ran out of nowhere and slammed into Ares. Ellie turned to make her way down the stairs, but her head pounded, and the loss of oxygen had made her dizzy. Stumbling, she fell off the platform and into the whirl of swords and fighting.

She locked eyes with Evander as he yelled something at her; the chaos around her closed in. He was fighting through the crowd, slashing guards and warriors, red blood flying as his swords made contact, desperately trying to reach her. A flash of something to the right caught her attention. Athena had her hands up, magic flying in the air toward Evander as he made his way to Ellie. Sparks glinted in the sunlight, streaking toward the target.

Lifting her hands, her breathing still labored, Ellie shot something forward. The magic Athena sent hit just as the shield around Evander went up. It splintered and snaked around the bubble protecting him.

Safe.

Evander was safe.

Ellie moved then, her lungs finally full of air, rushing towards him, towards the safety of the shield. Ducking under a sword swinging towards her, dodging another one, she didn’t feel it until her feet flew out from under her. The world moved in slow motion.

Callassa screamed from somewhere behind her, a different scream, one of agony and fear. Feeling herself float through the breeze like an untethered balloon, she didn’t have time to brace herself when she hit. Landing on the marble flooring, she bounced once, her head smacking the ground, knocking the wind out of her.

Losing oxygen once again rendered her immobile, unable to react. Lifeless in space, two guards hauled Ellie to her feet, grabbing her arms and placing her between them. Her legs were Jell-O, shaky, and useless, hanging off the floor. She gasped in air as her lungs finally decided to work.

A pulse, her heartbeat the only sound in her ringing ears, when Athena came into view. Feeling the energy before she saw it leave her fingertips, Ellie watched glimmers of shimmering magic sprint toward her suspended body. In the middle of the magic, flying across the room, was the enchanted dagger. The one needed to kill her. Making eye contact with Evander, who slammed up against the shield she had created, she could feel his fists as he tried desperately to escape. She shivered as the shield frosted over, ice covering him like an igloo. A shadow fell over her, and Ellie looked up into raven-black feathers descending. Callassa came to stand between her and the dagger.

Thump-thump.

Tightening their grip on her shoulders, the guards kept her square to the instrument meant to destroy the destroyer.

Thump-thump.

The wings of her sister brushed Ellie’s forehead.

Thump-thump.

Desperate screams from Evander as he knocked into the shield, still in place for his protection.

Thum—