Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
Blood soaks Draven’s shirt around the wound. Someone screams and I’m not sure if it’s in pain or anger. Draven is going to die if we can’t get to him.
“The elixir, Beth. The elixir can still save him if we hurry.” Thad shakes me and it takes me a moment to realize I was the one screaming.
“We have to get to him, now.” My voice is a hoarse whisper.
Despite everything we’ve been through and everything he’s done, Draven has become a friend, and I won’t let him die if I can save him.
“What about the hydra?” Jayden asks.
“Hell fire, Jayden. That should keep the wounds cauterized long enough to kill the beast.” I glance back at Draven; every second we waste is a second he could die. “I have to get the elixir to Draven. It’s his only hope.”
“I don’t want you wading through monsters on your own.” Jayden pulls me into him.
“I’ve got her, Jayden,” Thad says. “You two are the only ones who have the means to kill that thing and she has the elixir.”
Kira’s scream is bloodcurdling as she stares at Draven in the doorway. I teleport to her across the field and plant my hands on her shoulders. She stares right through me, not seeing me.
“I can save him, but I need you to snap out of it and fight.” I grip her tighter.
Kira blinks at me and nods, pulling something mechanical from her pocket.
“Let’s do this.” She rolls her shoulders back.
We wade through the monsters, the metal thing in Kira’s hand glowing with her magic transforms to a sword as she hacks at the monsters in her way.
It’s taking too long though, and a frustrated grunt escapes as I slash my glowing blade through more fog.
A shriek fills the air and then more ash coats my body as the fog recedes just barely.
There are too many of them, but no matter how hard I try to teleport us to Draven, something is blocking me from getting us close to him. “I can’t get to him. I think it’s the caduceus blocking me from getting close.”
“We can get to him. We have to get to him,” Kira growls.
Touching the charm for Ares, I stow my sword in the ether and let electricity flow from my hand instead. It blasts out of my fingers into the fog and cries fill the air as the foggy mist finally clears. We’re only fifty feet from the entrance when Pelops steps in my path.
“Here, Kira.” I toss my medical pack to her and call my sword again. “You’re looking for a fight instead of just stabbing people in the back?”
“Hera will reward me for bringing her your head.” He brandishes a sword and a spear.
“You see? I keep hearing that, but my head is still firmly attached to my shoulders.” I glance at Kira. “Go, I’ve got this.”
Kira nods and jogs off, slashing at demons and lizard things as they attack her.
“You can’t save him or his father from the inevitable,” Pelops says.
“I can and I will. The queen won’t win.” I flip my hair over my shoulder.
“You refuse to even say her name for fear that she will appear from Olympus.” Pelops laughs.
I keep an eye on Kira’s progress from my peripheral. She crashes to her knees next to him, holding his head in her hands. She needs a shield, but Pelops has my full attention.
“I’m not afraid,” I snarl. “I just don’t want her knowing my plans.”
“She’s always known your plans.” Pelops swings his sword at me.
I block the jab at the same time I leap over the swearing spear aimed for my ankles. He’s acting like I’m an amateur or something and it’s insulting.
“Go ahead and underestimate me. She’s always known? So was it her plan to lose to me every single time?” I ask, swiping my blade out. When he blocks, I flick my whip so the crackling lightning wraps around his leg.
Pelops screams and lunges forward, his sword narrowly missing my side as I yank at his leg trapped in my grip and he falls on his back. He throws his spear like a javelin. Searing heat grips my shoulder as the spear stabs through muscle and bone, sticking out the back.
“You missed,” I grit through clenched teeth.
“Not the only time he missed.” Draven’s voice sounds behind me.
I spin toward Draven, who is heavily leaning on Kira as she has her weird sword pointed at Pelops on the ground. “Missed the heart by inches. Still would have killed me but bought me some time.”
“No,” Pelops roars, lunging with his sword for my heart, but Kira gets there first, swiping at the center of his throat and his body explodes to ash.
His spirit slowly sinks into the ground. Hades must want this one back much more than the rest.
The world spins as I stumble to the side. My pulse beats erratically in my chest as the throbbing ache in my shoulder intensifies.
“Gotta pull it out,” I mumble, flopping to the ground.
I reach up to pull the damn spear from my body but my vision blurs and Kira slaps my hands away.
“You are not pulling that spear out of your own damn chest,” Kira says. “Adrian.”
My vision turns dark around the edges as Adrian jogs toward us. “What do you need?”
His voice is distorted and far away.
“Something’s wrong.” My tongue is too thick in my mouth and my words slur.
What is happening to me? I blink the black spots out of my vision and shake my head to clear the fog.
“We have to get it out. I think it’s poisoned,” someone says.
Adrian maybe? I don’t know. I can’t think past the pain and the fog in my brain.
“Jayden,” Kira screams.
Strong arms materialize around me and a hard chest presses to my back. Jayden. He threads his fingers through mine in my lap, whispering unintelligible words in my ear as searing hot pain tears through my chest, ripping my body open.
“Shhh, baby, wake up.” Jayden’s words startle me awake.
“What?” I ask, glancing around the battlefield. “I passed out?”
“The spear was poisoned,” Jayden says. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
“Hey, guys, kind of not out of the woods yet,” Raven grunts.
Glancing up, my eyes widen. All my friends are standing in a protective circle around us, still fighting off demons.
“They’re still attacking? That’s not their usual MO,” I say, standing on wobbly legs.
“She’s here,” Raven says between clenched teeth.
My stomach sinks, dread twisting in my gut with those words. She can’t be talking about who I think she is, right?
“Who?” I ask.
“Do you think your friends would have you in a protective circle if it were Artemis?” The shrill laugh scrapes at my eardrums.
“Fuck.” I glance at Jayden, but he shakes his head.
“No matter what, you can’t give her what she wants, baby. Not ever.”
“She has us all exactly where she wants us, Jayden. I won’t sacrifice your lives for mine.” I shake my head.
“Oh, how absolutely revolting the two of you are. You can stop all of this here and now, if you simply surrender.” Hera waves a hand.
“You think I’m an idiot? You won’t ever stop. You want Zeus’ power, and the only way to have a hope at winning this war you’re hell-bent on is by getting me out of the way.” I glare at Hera.
“Well then, I guess all your friends here will die for you.” She snaps her fingers and several of the other gods we know to be on her side appear before us.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Apollo steps forward. “They aren’t without resources.”
He nods to me and stands directly in front of me, blocking me from Hera. Hermes pops in next to Draven with a wink. He grabs his caduceus and sighs with relief. The glow around him intensifies until I have to glance away, but then he’s back to normal Hermes.
“You. You dare double-cross me?” Hera screams.
“None but the fates themselves and maybe Nereus knows the burdens I bear. I have had to play the villain in my own story for millennia to stand in this spot and finally defy you. I had to hurt my twin to make sure my baby sister succeeded in saving her.” Apollo shakes his head.
“You knew this would happen and have been quietly betraying me for millennia?” Hera screeches.
“You shouldn’t be too shocked. I mean, honestly, he and Artemis are the only products of Zeus’ dalliances that you couldn’t punish because they are Olympians.” Hermes shrugs.
“I made everyone think that I craved your approval because if I hadn’t, if I had sided with my father from the beginning, we would be in a much worse place than we are today. Stop this now, Hera. Give up on this war,” Apollo says and sighs.
“Never. The girl must come with me to be punished,” Hera says maliciously.
“For the crime of being born?” I ask with an incredulous laugh. “Or for stopping the world from ending on multiple occasions and helping save the humans?”
“All of it. Your very life is in defiance of me as Zeus’ wife.” Hera steps forward and everyone tenses.
“You see, though?” Hermes says with a grin. “That’s not happening because Beth and all these young warriors are under Zeus’ protection and as such, they are untouchable to you.”
“No, stop it.” Hera lunges toward me. “You can’t do this.”
“Zeus won’t let his daughter turn herself over to you to save her friends. Anyone who has encountered you or watched you over the last few months can see that’s exactly what you were about to do before we arrived, Beth. You’re too good for all of us,” Hermes says.
“I didn’t even have to see it to know it would have happened.” Apollo taps his temple with two fingers.
I glare at them because they’re not wrong. Before Apollo turned his back on Hera, that was my plan. But they don’t have to know that. Jayden’s arm tightens around my waist and he sucks in a startled breath.
“I heard that,” he whispers in my ear. “Don’t ever even think of doing that again.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” I smile at his glare.
“Stop this. She is mine to punish. Zeus never stopped me from punishing his other bastards. What makes you so different?” Ice-cold eyes narrow on me.
“Your punishment has nothing to do with her fate. It would be a detriment to what fate has in store for all these young warriors.” Apollo crosses his arms.
“I don’t care about fate. I will take over the pantheon and I will have your head. Now, surrender,” Hera screams, lifting her hands, and magic pours from them.