Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
I glance around the temple, my neck prickling with unease. “Did we get it wrong?”
“That’s not possible. This is the only building that housed a temple of Hermes.” Adrian stares at the building.
“The others were all basically roadside shrines from travelers.” Draven shakes his head. “This doesn’t make any sense. Where are the monsters?”
“There’s something here.” A shiver rolls down my spine. “The back of my neck is prickling like we’re being watched.”
“Should we check the perimeter?” Jayden grips his sword tighter. “That way they can’t sneak up on us.”
“Yeah, I don’t have a good feeling about this. It’s too easy.” I shuffle on the balls of my feet, ready for a fight.
That’s what we have come to expect so where are the queen’s minions to try to take us out? What is the play here?
Raven scans the area, her gaze narrowed. “Everyone, keep vigilant. This isn’t right.”
“Should we split up and do a search?” I ask, hating the idea already. “We can cover more ground but if there’s an attack on one group, they won’t have backup.”
“No splitting up. We are stronger as a unit. We’ve proven that on more than one occasion.” Jayden squeezes my waist.
“C’mon then, weapons ready. We don’t know what we’re up against.” I step in front of the Grecian architecture.
There’s a buzz around the entire structure that’s familiar and I glance at Draven. The caduceus is inside.
“We’re definitely in the right place,” I whisper as a tremor rolls down my spine.
“You good?” Jayden asks.
“Yeah, Hermes’ magic is strong here.” I round the temple to the side and peer around a column. “There’s nothing here.”
My feet barely make a breath of a sound as I scour the area for any deception. Hermes’ magic is the only power I sense other than mine and my friends’. How is she hiding them? Because she has to be, right? There’s no situation where she doesn’t send an army to attempt to take us out.
As we round the building back to the front entrance, I stiffen. A man in Grecian robes is staring intently at one of the heavy packs we left behind. He has broad shoulders and the same sandy-brown hair color as Draven but when he straightens from his inspection, his glare is hard.
“Who are you to be wandering around my father’s temple and trampling over my final resting place?” The man steps forward.
“Who are you?” I ask. “This is Hermes’ temple so I’m assuming you were one of his sons?”
“Myrtilus is my name and I was the son of Hermes, yes. I was betrayed.” He turns his glare at the temple. “What are you doing here? There are others around but I can’t see them.”
“Who betrayed you?” I ask.
“I don’t think that’s what’s important at the moment. Do you? My father is weakening by the day. He needs something from inside the temple. You know what it is, don’t you?” Myrtilus crosses his arms over his chest.
“Yes, his item of power. His caduceus or staff. The queen stole it and is wreaking havoc on the realm. Have you been inside the temple? If I’m correct, only those with his blood can enter.” I step forward.
“My father’s magic pulses in the temple. I do believe you’re correct but since I’m no longer living, I honestly can’t tell you what I’m doing here right now. I can’t help with what you’re seeking.” Myrtilus hangs his head.
“You’re nothing more than a distraction.” Another voice booms behind him as a spear rams through his chest toward me.
I jump back on instinct and draw my sword. The man pulls the spear back and Myrtilus’ body turns to ash as his spirit returns to the underworld.
“Pelops,” I growl. “How is an oath breaker even allowed to return after your curse has been realized?”
Draven shoulders his way forward, glaring at the former king.
“You killed my brother? You betrayed him after he helped you win the competition. You are the definition of a selfish bastard. I’m glad your line suffered for your deceit.
My father never should have backed the Greeks in the Trojan war at all with your grandson as the wronged party. ”
“Attack,” Pelops yells and a hoard of monsters appears from out of nowhere behind him.
“Shit. Retreat,” I yell, stepping back and blocking my friends.
My hands blur as I shoot lightning at any monster that comes too close. A shield appears before us made from shadows and I send Jayden a grateful nod.
“We need a distraction. We need to get you inside the temple, Draven.” I scan the area but come up blank.
More monsters and demons than ever before circle Jayden’s shield. There are hoards of demons testing the shadow shield but Jayden grits his teeth, holding it steady.
“How long do we have before you lose control and the whole thing turns to shit?” I ask him.
“Maybe half an hour but probably less.” A demon takes its claws down the shield and Jayden whimpers in pain.
“Fuck this, we’re not hiding. Jayden, Raven, Greyson, and Adrian, you’re with me on the distraction duty. Kira, Thad, and Dax, protect Draven and get him to the temple. Do not go in with him under any circumstance.”
“What do we do?” Kira asks.
“Whatever you have to. We need him to get the caduceus no matter what.”
“I got this,” Dax says, pulling out his battle ax as well as a broad sword. “I’ll clear a path.”
“I’m not without my own talents.” Thad grins, twirling his trident in a wide arc.
“Okay, Jayden. Drop the shield,” I say.
Jayden sighs and his shoulders slump as he drops the magic, but we’re instantly overrun with demons and monsters.
I spin my whip, crackling with white lightning as it flicks at a demon, incinerating it on the spot.
Adrian fires one arrow after another faster than I can blink, taking out five demons in a matter of seconds.
“This isn’t distracting them enough,” Raven shouts over clashing metal and roars for blood.
“A group are attacking the others. They have us split up now and they think the other group is vulnerable,” Jayden says as his shadows sweep a group of demons back to the underworld.
I spin again with both my sword and whip crackling with white fire, taking out the demons who dare get close. Water blasts into several monsters only a hundred yards away as Thad and Dax hold them off, backing slowly but surely to the temple to get Draven inside.
This has to work. They can hold them off with their magic until Draven gets the caduceus and we can get the hell out of this place and work on the next god’s power and the coming war because this won’t be the end. It will never be the end until the queen loses once and for all.
“Beth, watch out,” Jayden screams.
Searing heat tears through me as claws rake down my back. Blood sprays the monster’s face as I spin to meet a demon with razor-sharp fangs and beady red eyes. My blood mixed with too much ichor drips from its talons.
“That was the way wrong move,” I snarl.
My magic flares and black threads through the white lightning in my weapons as a battle cry roars from my lungs and I lunge at the demon. My sword spins and I point it directly at the demon’s chest as fire spews from the blade so hot it doesn’t even touch the monster to incinerate it.
“How much juice you got?” Raven asks, sidling up to me with her ax. “Dax and Thad are flagging. They’re only about fifty yards away from the entrance but the monsters are closing in.”
“What did you have in mind?” I ask, twirling and taking the head of a slightly humanoid monster attacking us.
“The sun is shining and the weather is nice, perhaps a little too nice?” She hands me a piece of beef jerky and I stare until another monster lunges at me.
“You’re just carrying around snacks in the midst of battle?” I ask, popping the jerky into my mouth as I flick my whip at another beast.
The beast howls in agony and I take a closer look, cursing when the chimera snarls at me. They really can’t come up with more creative monsters? How many times have we killed that thing now? At least two.
“Yeah, we need the fuel since you know our magic is stronger and drains us faster.” Raven swings her battle ax.
Fire spews from the chimera straight for me. I dive to the side and the fire hits a demon that was creeping behind me. It screeches as it explodes to ash. I twirl my sword as I flip over the chimera and land on its back.
My sword pulses with a mix of white and black. I stab directly into the lion’s back, and it roars just before it explodes into ash. I jump away from it before I fall, leaving myself vulnerable.
“All right, time for a distraction.” I loosen my control on my power and it pulses, darkening the sky with clouds overtaking the sun.
“Beth, are you sure about this?” Jayden asks. “Last time you passed out. We can’t have that happening in the middle of the battlefield.”
“It will be fine. I won’t pass out. Raven has snacks.” I grin.
“Snacks… in battle. Hades, this is really what it’s come to, isn’t it?” Jayden shakes his head.
The clouds darken further and thunder rumbles. I chance a glance at Thad and the others. Thad nods to me. They’re good. They are holding their own and he’s adding his own power to my lightning storm. Good.
The first bolt of lightning strikes in the middle of the group of monsters that Adrian and Greyson are attacking with claws, teeth, and arrows. The second hits several monsters in the hoard closing in on Draven and the others.
Raven hands me another piece of jerky and I pop it in my mouth, never taking my gaze off the sky as the two closest people in the world to me keep stray demons off my back.
“Snacks were a good plan,” I say as my magic reserves refuel and I hit a group of monsters headed straight for us.
The blast takes the damn Minotaur out again and he dies with a bleating scream and turns to ash.
“See, Jayden.” Raven laughs. “The snacks are helping.”
“You two are ridiculous.” Jayden blasts solid shadows in the form of blades at several creatures.
“Fine, no snacks for you.” She sticks her tongue out at him and spins in a circle, her ax extended, and decapitates five demons who got too close.