Chapter 3 Seth #2
“You must’ve been to Hades recently. I need to know what it looks like these days.”
Cutting a hand before him, Percy interjected. “Wait, wait, wait. I need to know what’s going on, first.”
Turning her gaze onto him, Cerys smiled. She leaned toward him, studying his features, turning the idiot bard red as a beet. “Another tainted? I thought the Merchant Isles killed our kind.”
“They do.” He swallowed.
She leaned back. “Set didn’t tell you he calls Duath Nun home, did he? I’m not surprised.”
I shimmied away from Percy’s accusing glare. “You said you were from far away,” he spat.
“In all fairness,” Cerys interjected, “he is.” Her eyes narrowed. “We don’t have time to talk. You make for Hades. For the Acheron hidden in its depths. But if you hope to sneak in unseen, you’ll be sorely disappointed.”
“Why?” I asked. “No one knows we’re coming.”
Cerys’ eyes lowered, and she approached the window. Percy still watched her like he’d never seen a woman before, eyes tracing the flowing silk behind her.
Placing a hand on the glass, she turned back to us. “You left someone important at the beach.”
Every muscle in my body tensed, and I reached for my blade.
“She’s in danger,” Cerys said in a low tone.
“How do you know that?” I demanded, marching toward her.
“Because the divines whispered it to me: the first Maiden of Elpis from foreign shores has arrived upon ours.”
Snapped from his daze, Percy held out a hand. “Wait, you can actually see the future? Then, do you know where Aethra is?”
I closed my eyes, cursing the idiot bard for saying her name.
“I do,” Cerys said. “And I already told your father.”
It felt like she’d driven a knife through my back. Snarling, I drew my dagger. “Why? Why would you tell him anything?”
She studied my face, eyes drinking in my expression. “Oh, Set,” she said sadly. “Didn’t you learn to stay away from Elpis maidens?”
I staggered away from her, heart pounding as my worst fear came to life.
My father knew about Aethra. Knew where she was. What she was.
Cerys glanced at me, and I saw the intent in her eyes. Lunging, I tried to stop her.
Too late.
A scream tore through the building as Cerys called for her guards—called for help. Flinching, I grabbed the windowsill and measured the dizzying fall to the courtyard before whirling around.
“I am sorry, Set,” Cerys said calmly. “All this is necessary. You’ll understand in time.”
“Godsdammit, Cerys,” I spat.
She’d called her guards off, lessened their presence in the streets to ensure I arrived. Why? I hadn’t told her a damn thing of worth.
Racing away from the window, I grabbed Percy’s sleeve and hauled him into the hall. Thundering steps shook the walls as an army of glittering gold bastards pounded up the steps and whirled in our direction.
Pushing Percy back into Cerys’ room, I slammed the door and ran back to the window. Cerys stood calmly by her bed, watching with interest as I slit my palm.
“A talented general brings an army of men to watch the eastern beach,” she said. “For the first time in decades.”
“Am I supposed to thank you, or curse you?” I hissed, shaping my blood into swords.
“You never could decide.”
My bloodforged swords whirled down the tower, slamming into the stone and impaling themselves, creating a risky path to the bottom. I pushed Percy toward it. “Jump!”
“What?” He gasped, voice an octave higher. “But she’s—” He pointed at Cerys. “But!”
“Go—” I shoved him as the door burst open.
Heeding my order, Percy leaped through the window, and I turned to face the armored guard rushing toward me.
Forming one last dagger in my grip, I flung it toward him.
It boomeranged around him as he ducked, only to swing back around and tear through his neck, spilling blood across the Oracle’s perfect white sheets.
Throwing myself out the window, I caught myself on the first dagger, breathing in relief when I saw Percy nervously balancing on the one below. A javelin whistled past my neck, scraping my cloak and dragging it away from me.
Thrown off balance, I fell from my perch. Pulling the blood from my impaled sword back to me, I forced it around my back, creating wings again. They flapped only once before I struck the ground painfully.
Not the graceful landing I’d hoped for, but no bones appeared to be broken. Percy landed nearby with a yelp of pain.
Rolling onto my hands and knees, I staggered to my feet and raced to Percy’s side. “You okay?”
“I’m alive,” Percy squeaked, grabbing my hand as I hauled him up.
Whistling for Whisper, I ducked as javelins thudded into the ground at my feet. Pushing Percy ahead of me, I glanced up one last time to see the Oracle watching us from her window.
“Shit!” Percy cursed. “You carried Aethra to safety all the time. Why not me?”
“I can if you want!” I shouted back.
“I’ll pass,” he called, ducking between two buildings into a narrow road.
“Don’t flirt with me if you don’t mean it!”
Percy wheezed out a laugh.
A hand reached out from an alley, grabbing my arm. Eleos’ green eyes bore into me like daggers.
“What did you do?” He demanded.
Flames rushed through the night as Seraphim blocked Percy’s path, scythe held at her side. Her brows knit in concern as she heard alarm bells ringing behind us.
“We don’t have time,” I said, pulling from Eleos’ grip. “Aethra,” I managed to say, before my senses clouded, and I dashed away.
The pain radiating through my body faded as terror clouded my mind.
Fuck. I’d put Aethra in more danger, not less.
My father already knew she was here.