Chapter 29
CHAPTER 29
H ades made his way to Sweet Delights to see how Decker had gotten on. He walked in and looked around.
“He’s in the back, my lord. You can go on through,” Decker’s assistant said.
“Thanks, Griz.” Hades walked around the counter and into the back workroom.
Decker was standing at his steel bench, rolling chocolate balls in coconut.
“They look amazing,” Hades said, watching Decker work.
“They taste even better. Have one from that tray.” Decker pointed to an almost-filled tray of finished chocolates.
“After a day like today, I could eat the whole tray.”
Decker pushed the tray towards him. “I can make more.”
“Thanks, one will do,” Hades said, taking one and groaning as the taste burst over his tongue. Quickly swallowing, he conceded, “Okay, maybe two.”
Decker laughed. “I went to the Hayes pack and got a look at Barnabus. It looks like he can call on fireballs and can mimic the powers of whomever he’s fighting. So, if he fought you, he could mimic your powers.”
Hades leant against the workbench. “So that’s how he fought so well against Ares.”
“That also means that if he does get his hands on the spear and fights Zeus, he could destroy everything.”
“He could with the spear, anyway.”
“True, but imagine what would happen if he fought a Titan.”
“And suddenly this has gone from bad to terrible.” Hades took another chocolate ball and popped it in his mouth, thinking. The Titans were all but dead, thankfully, but there were still two left.
“You need to make sure he never gets that spear,” Decker commented.
“We do. No one can find it, so we have that going for us at least.”
“Just because you can’t find it, doesn’t mean either he or his cronies won’t find it.”
Hades looked at Decker and scowled. “Just for that, I’m taking the tray.” And to the sound of Decker’s laughter, Hades picked up the tray and vanished.
Shiloh looked around the now fixed buildings. He had, like everyone, jumped in and helped when the explosions happened. Seeing the gods help was something he never thought to witness and his mind was blown when he saw Zeus turn up.
He was startled when Jason had ribbed Zeus. True, he was mated to Ares, but everyone laughed like Zeus was just a normal, regular person. Shiloh frowned. He guessed to his family that’s what Zeus was. Still blew his mind though.
Now more than ever he was glad he’d come to the Fortuna pack and taken on the role of leader of the defence teams. He was determined to help stop the demon and protect those packs that needed it. He spied Julian, Kyle, and Marius taking the injured to the new hospital. With those three as group leaders, these defence teams would be amazing. Shiloh walked over to help the final gargoyle to the hospital, Kyle near him.
Kyle looked up and gave him a quick grin. “Regretting your decision yet, Commander?”
Shiloh shook his head. “No, thanking my lucky stars that I arrived when I did. But ask the new recruits that that turned up yesterday.”
Kyle laughed and they both took the injured away.
Puff had managed to slip away from everyone. He walked in the direction of Sergeant Cartwright’s body. He couldn’t believe that she was dead. Sure, others had been killed, but she was the dragon guard who told him that they were glad the dragons were here. The one who reassured him when General Delinga was being a dick.
He found her where she had fallen.
Bob, we need to cover her body and her head.
Bob came forward, anger crackling around him. We do.
Two white clothes appeared, one over her body and one for her head.
Is there a way we can reattach her head to her body?
Bob shook his head. Unfortunately not. But I like the idea of holding space for her and the other of our fallen brethren.
Puff nodded. Me, too. We need to see what the families want to do and then, if possible, make it happen. I know we brought our guards here, but I’m sure not all of them are single. I wonder if we can bring their families here as well. We can have houses built on the new land. I don’t like the thought that we’re keeping them from their partners or children.
Bob smiled. Talk to Blake, I’m sure he hasn’t thought of that. The gargoyles should have their families here as well.
Puff nodded. I’ll talk to Tudor. His eyes strayed to the pack building. It’s weird when I look on the pack roof and see gargoyles resting up there.
It is. Our guardian and grounding force are on their way.
Puff sighed. Mateo’s gonna be mad.
Bob shook his head. He’s worried, but not angry. Our grounding force is good for the both of you.
It doesn’t hurt that he’s all kinds of hot either. They both are. Puff paused. Oh no, I think I’m crushing on them. I thought nothing would happen for years yet.
Bob laughed. The mating bond won’t kick in for years, but there’s nothing written that says you can’t have feelings for them before then.
Oh, Puff replied. He felt Bob pull back as Atticus and Mateo appeared. They both knelt on either side of him.
“We thought you would be here,” Mateo said gently.
Puff nodded and admitted in his rough whisper, “I wondered if we could reattach her head, but Bob said no.”
“Unfortunately, he’s right,” Atticus said softly. “There’s a room prepared in the hospital for the fallen.”
“Somehow it feels disrespectful to carry her there in two pieces, but should she be, or can we use magic and take her?” Puff sniffed.
Mateo wrapped an arm around Puff and Atticus put his hand on Puff’s shoulder. “However you want to take her will be fine,” Mateo assured him.
“What’s happened to her dragon?”
“Her dragon will be in mourning for a while and will wait to be given a new person,” Atticus told him.
“How do we help a mourning dragon?”
Atticus answered, “Dragons who don’t currently have a human will look after her, she’ll not be left to mourn alone. The dragons of all today’s fallen will mourn together.”
“Will they want to come to the funeral?”
Mateo and Atticus looked at each other, before Mateo said, “I honestly don’t know. I don’t think anyone has asked that before.”
“I’ll need to research, but I’m sure a long time ago they must have done. Like many traditions over the years, they’ve been forgotten or disregarded,” Atticus said thoughtfully.
“I need to learn about the old traditions. It might be nice to bring some of them back. But now, we need to take care of Sergeant Cartwright.” And with a thought, the three of them and all of Sergeant Cartwright vanished, reappearing in a beautiful, peaceful room, where the fallen dragons and gargoyles were laid out on plinths, covered in shrouds. Sergeant Cartwright was placed on her own plinth in front of them.
“How can we go from celebrating an impending birth of a new dragon to this?” Puff whispered in his worn-out voice.
“It’s the cycle of life, birth and death go hand in hand,” a voice said from behind.
They spun round and saw Han standing behind them.
“Everyone is born and everyone dies; some like your fallen, tragically. The Fates will ensure they have a happy life when they are reborn and die of old age surrounded by their loved ones.”
“I hate the fact they died in the first place, especially because of Barnabus,” Puff replied, jaw clenched. “I just want to yell in anger and cry.”
Mateo snorted. “You need a voice before you can yell.”
Puff slapped his arm.
“If you want to cry, I can leave you three alone,” Han suggested.
Puff shook his head. “No, it’s okay, but thank you for the offer. Can you stick around? I’m sure it must be dinner time and if no one has made it. I can create a feast. I think we all deserve one,” he managed to croak, his voice fading at the end.
“Thank you for the invite. Yes, I’ll stay,” he replied, smiling gently at the young dragon. Even in the midst of all this sadness, they wanted to include him. The happy glow inside of him shone brighter.