Impasse
CYRUS
The world shifted, morphing and changing as Cyrus, Lagos, and Evander stepped through the portal. They emerged in darkness, the air musty and damp. Cyrus wrinkled his nose. He’d forgotten how stale the air smelled in the Realm of Gaia.
Beside him, Lagos wobbled, his legs unsteady. Cyrus grabbed his arm to keep him from falling over.
“Gods,” Lagos muttered, shaking his head. His hands were trembling. “That was… disorienting.” He inhaled deeply, then made a grunt of displeasure. “What’s that horrible smell?”
“The human realm,” Cyrus said grimly. “You’ll get used to it.”
“It’s not just that,” Evander said, looking around. “We’re in a cavern. There isn’t much fresh air here.”
Cyrus frowned, blinking in the darkness. He couldn’t make out anything except the moist rock wall beside them, barely illuminated by the lingering glow of the portal. It felt strange that Cyrus hadn’t been here before but Evander had.
The last time Cyrus had been in this realm, he’d been with Prue.
A bolt of yearning split through him, sharp and merciless. Gods above, he missed his wife.
Soon, he told himself. You’ll have her back soon.
He didn’t want to think about what state she’d be in when he found her. Or what horrors she’d endured at the hands of the Titans.
No. For right now, all he needed to think about was the next step: locating the fire witches.
“So, where do we go from here?” Cyrus asked his brother.
Evander hesitated, glancing back and forth between the rock wall and the portal. “I’m… not sure. I wasn’t entirely conscious when I came through last time.”
Cyrus sighed, inching forward with his hand outstretched. His fingers met the moist surface of the cavern wall. He stepped forward, his feet crunching on rocks.
This wouldn’t work. He would trip and fall, likely breaking his neck and killing himself before he could even get to Prue.
“To hell with this,” he muttered before spreading his hands and summoning his Titan power.
“Cyrus, don’t—” Evander warned, but it was too late.
Energy crackled through him, and he summoned the smallest kernel of magic. White light sizzled along his fingertips, bathing the cavern in a brilliant glow that revealed a narrow tunnel built into the rock wall. He never would have found that without a light source.
“This way,” Cyrus said with a satisfied smile, stepping toward the tunnel.
Before he could, however, shouts rang out, echoing and bouncing off the cave wall. A soft amber glow appeared on the other side of the tunnel, followed by heavy footfalls.
“Shit,” Evander muttered. “They sensed your magic.”
Cyrus dropped his hands, and the electric power coursing through him vanished. In an instant, several figures appeared at the mouth of the tunnel, each wielding a ball of fire in her palm.
“Who are you?” barked the woman in front. She had dark skin and gleaming golden eyes that blazed with fury.
Cyrus opened his mouth to speak, but Evander grabbed his arm to stop him.
“Farah,” Evander said, stepping forward with his palms outstretched. “It’s good to see you again. This is my brother, Cyrus, and our friend Lagos.” He gestured to Cyrus and Lagos in turn.
Farah’s eyes narrowed as she focused on Cyrus. “Osiris? God of the dead?”
Cyrus straightened. He wasn’t sure he liked the threat in the woman’s voice. “Yes. That’s me.”
Her nostrils flared. “You are not welcome here, death god.”
Of course he wasn’t. Cyrus barely refrained from rolling his eyes.
“Please,” Evander begged. “Mona and her sister Prue were captured and brought somewhere in the Rhea Desert. We could use your help in finding them.”
Farah stepped forward, her movements slow and measured. Her gaze never strayed from Cyrus. The flames in her hand rippled as she walked. “What unholy magic have you brought to my coven, God of the Underworld?” Her voice was soft and lethal.
Cyrus swallowed. How could he explain this in a way that wouldn’t mark him as an enemy? With a steady breath, he said carefully, “I was struck by a Titan in a duel. I managed to absorb a modicum of his power, and now it flows through my body.”
“Impossible,” Farah said at once.
Cyrus shrugged his shoulders. “What’s your explanation, then? I am clearly not a Titan.”
“We have dealt with deities before who dabbled in Titan magic, death god. It did not end well for them.”
Cyrus stiffened, thinking of Pandora. “I did not willingly acquire this power. I can assure you, I have not meddled in the magic of the Titans. I am here to destroy them.”
Farah’s flames flickered, and something like recognition stirred in her eyes. “You know the Titans are here?”
Cyrus nodded. “Can you tell me where they are?”
“We do not know. We felt the earth tremble when they came into the realm. Wherever they are, it is close enough to send power rippling through our caves. One of our tunnels collapsed from the force of it.”
Cyrus’s chest tightened. The Titans were here. They were so close… Prue was so close…
“Will you let us pass through?” Evander asked, his voice laced with urgency.
“I cannot possibly allow Titan magic to fester among my sisters,” Farah snapped. “It is far too dangerous and volatile. It would likely cause another of our tunnels to collapse. You must return through the portal and find another way.”
“Farah please—” Evander begged, but Cyrus was done negotiating.
He spread his hands, summoning his power again. Lightning flashed, igniting the cavern. Several witches gasped as he struck the cavern wall next to him. Rocks trickled from the ceiling and crashed to the ground.
“My brother asked kindly,” Cyrus growled, “but I will do no such thing. You will let us pass, or I will tear this cavern apart piece by piece. The choice is yours.”
Farah let out a low hiss, her eyes flashing. For a moment, her pupils narrowed into snake-like slits. The fire in her hand intensified, spearing toward the ceiling until a pillar of flames appeared beside her. “Go ahead and try, death god. You will not get far.”
But Cyrus only cocked his head and smiled. “Perhaps not. But how many of your beloved witches do you think I’ll take down before you manage to stop me? How many lives are worth losing over this petty argument? Simply let us pass, and no one will get hurt.”
Farah hesitated, her expression conflicted. But she did not vanquish her fire. Behind her, the other witches summoned more flames as well, until a wall of amber fury stood between Cyrus and the exit.
This was about to get messy.
But Cyrus bared his teeth, unafraid of the challenge. If he had to kill these witches to get to Prue, he would do it without a second thought.
He was no longer in the Underworld. These people were not his to protect.
They were dispensable.
Evander hurried forward, hands outstretched as he placed himself between the witches and Cyrus.
“Please. Please. Farah, you know me. I would never intentionally put you or your coven in danger. You know the Titans must be stopped. And Cyrus is the only one who can do it. He’s the only one with enough power.
Please let us pass so we can put an end to this.
Would you prefer they remain in your realm, wreaking havoc and destruction? ”
Farah shrank back a step, her brows knitting together. The flames next to her shrank until they were nothing more than a ball in her hand.
“Is Romanos here?” Evander asked.
“No. He is in the Thanassian Empire with the Gorgon sisters.”
Cyrus’s chest hollowed. Damn. Clearly the fire witches weren’t on their side. And with Romanos gone, he wouldn’t be able to help, either.
From his left, Lagos cleared his throat and stepped forward. Cyrus withdrew his power, momentarily forgetting the demon was with them.
“If I may,” Lagos said politely. “The sisters we are here to rescue are quite precious to us. There is nothing we would not do to save them. Please understand that we have no intention of going back through the portal. Not when Prue and Mona are so close to us. This is the only way, fire witch. And the three of us are willing to die for this cause.”
Cyrus blinked, emotion stirring in his chest at the fervor in Lagos’s words. It touched him in ways he’d never known before.
The demon was as committed to this as Cyrus was. If Prue were watching, she would be welling up with tears.
Farah dropped her hands, her fire vanishing as she gaped at Lagos. It seemed she, too, had not realized the demon was there. “You—You are a demon.”
Lagos inclined his head. “Yes.”
Farah’s face paled. Behind her, the witches began whispering and murmuring to one another. Farah’s mouth opened and closed a few times before she stammered, “I—Demons… should not be here. They do not belong in our realm.”
“Well, clearly this one is an exception,” Cyrus said.
Farah shook her head. “Forgive me. I just—I have never met a demon who is so… civilized.”
Lagos bristled, clearly offended by this.
“I mean to say,” Farah said quickly, “the only demons we have encountered are the monsters from Pandora’s box. Before the box was opened, demons could not travel to this realm.” Her gaze shifted to Cyrus, and a strange sense of awe filled her expression. “You are friends with this demon?”
“I am,” said Cyrus. “I trust him with my life.”
Farah inhaled a soft gasp, then looked over her shoulder at the witches behind her. She nodded, and they doused their flames as well, save for one, who raised her arm as a sort of torch to light the way.
“Perhaps I misjudged you, death god,” Farah said, drawing closer and bowing her head to him. “A king who can befriend a demon is certainly someone worthy of my respect.”
Cyrus blinked, startled by this abrupt change in the witch’s behavior. He exchanged an uncertain glance with Evander, who shrugged.
“I—uh—thank you,” Cyrus muttered, bowing his head in return. “I appreciate that.”
“You are not like your father,” Farah said with a small smile. “That is for certain.”
“Good,” Cyrus said, his voice coming out as a growl. “Then I’m doing something right.”
Farah jerked her head toward the tunnel behind her. “Follow us. We will escort you through the caves.”
Relief spread through Cyrus’s chest as Farah and the witches turned to stride through the narrow tunnel. Before following, Cyrus put a hand on Lagos’s shoulder.
“Thank you for that,” he murmured. “This might have turned into a nasty fight if you hadn’t said something.”
Lagos only grunted, and Cyrus couldn’t tell if it was meant to be a laugh or a scoff. Together, the three of them set off after the witches.