Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
B arnabus was having fun. Who knew there were chambers in Tartarus that blocked godly powers, and that one of them was the chamber where he had been held during his previous stay? It was something MacKenny mentioned in passing, not knowing the Barnabus would actually return to his former prison with a god.
Ares was strung up, glaring at him. “If you think I won’t get out of here and kill you, you’re sadly mistaken.”
Barnabus laughed. “How? You can’t use your powers here, and with the new powers I now possess, you’re no match for me. Plus, if you’re hoping that your mate and his friends will come and rescue you, think again. No one knows where you are. Your mate will pine away and die in agony and cracks will appear in the Fortuna pack. Then, while they are mourning their friend, I can take over the pack, kill the kings, and start my war.”
Now it was Ares’s turn to laugh. “I love the delusional world you’re living in. Do you really think my godly family won’t search to the very depths of hell looking for me? And the Fortuna pack is bigger than one person. Yes, they will mourn my mate if he dies – which by the way he never will – but they will band together stronger than before. You will never take over the pack, become king, or start your war.”
“We shall see,” Barnabus spat out, walking closer, then punching Ares in the face. “If I don’t destroy you and them that way, then I will when I get my hands on that spear.”
Ares felt blood trickle down his chin from his cut lip, but he smiled anyway. “You will never get your hands on that spear. We all know what you’re trying to do. If it takes all the gods in every pantheon, we will stop the rising from ever happening.”
Barnabus screamed in anger and started pummelling Ares again and again and again.
To say the next part of Tartarus was hell would be an understatement. There were paths and chambers everywhere, more screaming than should ever be possible, and the things they were seeing were the stuff of nightmares.
“I think I’m going to need to bleach my eyes and brain when we get outta here,” Mateo commented, watching a man being beheaded for the sixth time since they had started down their current path.
The paths here had no sides to them and there were sheer drops on both sides, leading either into the abyss or to other levels of torture and pain.
Here and there plumes of fire shot out around them, and groups of demons could be seen watching them. The only colours down here seemed to be grey or red and yellow from the fire, and it was hot and muggy.
“The worst of the worst are sent here. The deeper you go, the worse the punishments get,” Hades told them.
“I’m not looking around, I’m just staring at the back of Saxon’s head,” Puff said.
“I don’t blame you, sire,” Saxon replied, smiling at him over his shoulder.
“Call me Puff. Also, could you, like, tell me some embarrassing stories of Oz growing up, then I can torment him with them when I’m bored with studying.”
Mateo laughed. “You’ll need enough stories for every day then.”
“We have incoming,” Hades suddenly announced and out of nowhere hundreds of demons were heading their way.
“How can we find Ares if we’re fighting for our lives?” Wynter asked, taking a defensive position in front of Hades, two swords in his hands.
“What are the chances that Barnabus has taken Ares to where he was held?” Tatum asked. “I mean, I would if I was him.”
“Mateo and I will shift. Lord Hades, you and Tatum fly with me. Jason, you and Saxon fly with Barden, Mateo’s dragon, Angel Wynter, are you able to fly on your own?” Puff asked.
“Just Wynter and yes, but we need to hurry,” Wynter said, watching the demons scrambling closer from all directions.
“Mateo, shift!” Puff demanded, before dropping his sword and jumping off the path, changing into Bob faster than ever.
Bob flew towards the oncoming demons and blew out a stream of fire, catching them alight, before swinging back round and knocking more off the path with his tail.
He flew back to the others and slowed down. “Climb aboard,” he called, moving within easy distance for Tatum and Hades to get on. He looked over at Barden and saw Saxon and a now-human Jason climbing on his back. He watched Wynter spread his wings and jump in the air.
“Hold on,” Bob said in his deep voice, flying away. “Tatum, show me where Barnabus was being held.”