Chapter 16 #3
I saw Leon’s eyes fall onto the bow as well, but he was frozen to the spot, unwilling to move while the horrifying bird crept closer and closer.
“Go get it,” I whispered, hardly daring to speak for fear of antagonizing her into action.
He took the smallest step to the right, and immediately the harpy dove.
Maybe godlike reflexes actually did exist, or maybe Leon was just a lucky guy. Regardless, he executed a perfect dodging roll and sprang to his feet again with the bow in his hand. But the harpy reared to strike far too quickly, and he still needed time to notch an arrow.
“Hey!” I screamed. I scooped up a stone from the ground and threw it with all my strength at the center of the monster’s spine. She froze as the blow landed, muscles tensing.
“Leon,” I whimpered as she whirled around, preparing to lunge. Her beady yellow eyes marked me as her prey. “Leon. Leon, shoot it!”
The harpy leapt for me, and I squeezed my eyes shut in instinctual terror, but the blow that I braced for never landed.
Instead, a loud twang cut through the air, and when I peeked through my lashes again, the creature was writhing on the ground with an arrow through her neck.
She let out a gurgling screech and beat her wings, squirming against the grass; but in another instant she was silenced when the bowstring snapped again.
The second arrow buried itself perfectly through the back of her skull.
I exhaled sharply and looked up to Leon, who stood ahead of me with his bow at the ready. His face was still the picture of absolute terror, but his hands weren’t shaking anymore. I supposed that was all I could ask for.
Before I could say a word to him, an alarming popping sound assaulted my ears, and the corpse of the harpy dissolved to ash before our eyes.
Not a single feather was left behind. All that remained were two arrows sticking up from the grass and the soft glow of a small violet light.
We watched, frightened but fascinated, as the light collapsed into a pool of swirling violet and sank like water down into the earth.
Hades’ pet was returning to the Underworld.
“Holy shit,” Leon stuttered. “I—”
“Look out!” I yelled, and we barely ducked in time to miss the grasping talons of another vicious harpy. Two more swooped in from behind, screeching in fury. It seemed the monsters had identified their target.
“Run,” said Leon, and with a tug at my dress he pulled me back into motion.
I saw his point: in the open field like this, there would be no hiding from their aerial strikes.
We dashed back toward the city block in a mad scramble for cover.
It was a short distance, but our pursuers were fast. Halfway to the buildings Leon peeled away from me and let loose another arrow; I heard a furious screech as it too found its way into cursed flesh.
At the end of the clearing we tumbled into an alley between two buildings, and I sprinted through the narrow aisle with Leon chasing close behind me.
After every few steps he turned, aimed swiftly, and sent another body crashing to the ground.
Forced to fly low to follow us, they lined themselves up for easy shots one by one.
I was right to do this. I was right—he’d just needed a chance.
We were nearly through now, and I heard no more screeches behind us.
The end of the channel was in sight, and I ran for it, my heart pounding furiously in my chest. With a burst of fearful energy I tumbled straight out the other side…
only to be blindsided by the monster that had flown around to meet us.
The collision knocked my breath away, and before I could even react, I was on the ground and its talons had found their purchase.
For a moment all I felt was a rapidly growing wetness.
Then a scream tore through my throat, and wrenching pain seized me so completely that tremors stole control of my limbs.
I could see movement above me—Leon tugging the talons of a wounded harpy out of my stomach and chest—but the image was blurred by the effects of my shock and tears.
From the skies above came another animalistic cry: more enemies were on their way.
“Go on,” I croaked, coughing out the words through the taste of iron in my mouth. “You can do it.”
I heard the sounds of Leon’s reply, but his speech was unintelligible through my rapidly descending haze. A labored heartbeat later, I registered the sound of retreating footsteps as Apollo’s lost son sprinted away toward his destiny.
I hoped he could do it. I hoped he would do it, but I knew then that I would never find out. My vision was going dark. Even the pain was dulling now, leaving only the eerie feeling of my gushing blood as it spilled out across the stones.
Dark, resentful sadness washed over me when I knew it was certain.
Why was I—why were we given such little time?
I would have cursed the Fates for their cruelty, but I had no voice left to speak.
This was the end. My last moments were to be spent alone, in hurt and bitter sorrow, hating it more with every gasping, gurgling breath.
But I was not afraid, for Death was a friend of mine. And if I had to go, at least I knew I would see his face one last time.