Godsons and Glycons continued their battle, with several of the Glycons and godsons breaking away from their fighting and stalking toward the hybrids and townsfolk.
Rem cleared his throat. “We can’t promise to keep you safe.”
It was Frank who stepped forward this time. “Couldn’t accept that promise anyways. This is our home. If I’m gonna die, I’m gonna do it fighting.”
The hybrids couldn’t argue really. If there was anything they understood, it was wanting to hold on to what was yours.
Hope placed a hand against Alec’s chest. He looked down at her.
“Same,” she said as she moved out of his arms to stand on her own. “I’m going to fight for what’s mine, just like I did before.” She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. “I’m going to fight for all of us. For the life we deserve.” She picked up one of the pistols from the ground.
Alec spread his palm over her stomach. He couldn’t feel the child growing there, but just knowing it was there nonetheless made him swell with pride. They would fight. And if they lost, they would die together. He gave a sharp nod.
A loud crack echoed across the way as the gate opened. The rest of the hybrids poured out of the compound. The tides had finally shifted in their favor.
“Now!” Rem shouted.
Hope moved forward as the men charged. Alec headed toward a godson rushing at them. The hulking men the circled one another for a few seconds before Alec threw a punch that caught his larger opponent off-guard. The godson grunted and threw a blow of his own. The hybrid grimaced in pain as he blocked it. Rem rushed to join him while Sergius and Nero engaged another godson. Hope’s stomach churned.
The rest of the hybrids threw themselves into battle, ripping into the back of the Glycon line and sweeping around to flank the godsons. With a three-way struggle going on, the godsons and Glycons seemed confused, unsure who to concentrate their attacks on.
Alec and Rem traded kicks and punches with their opponent, landing blow after blow. They might not have been escaping unscathed, but the godson’s movements were slowing, whereas they only seemed to be getting warmed up.
The crack of firearms cut through the din of the growls and shrieks. Bullets ripped into both the godsons and Glycons. One godson charged the sheriff. He fired several rounds into the charging beast, and a man beside him finished off the monster with a shotgun blast to the head.
The Glycons screamed as they died. Their initial attack had weakened the godsons, but they were losing three or four men for every one they took down, and the hybrids’ reinforcements hadn’t lost anyone. Agatha and Anassa retreated to the edges of the battle.
Hope’s vision swam. There was too much going on, and too many superhumans moving almost faster than she could track. She was glad to see Jenna hanging behind with the sheriff and a few others. Despite the brave face she’d put on before, Hope knew the other woman was still tired from what they had shared with the stone. It had taken far more out of them than she expected, and Hope realized now it was only adrenaline keeping her moving.
She gripped the stone in her hand so tightly it dug into the skin, carrying a gun with her other hand. They needed to press forward. The only way they would get through this was by taking them all out. It was the only way they would find safety. They couldn’t let anyone escape. If they did, there would just be another battle in the future.
It wasn’t exactly Hope’s first time shooting a gun, but she wouldn’t say she was skilled. Going to a couple bonfires while in school and shooting at random targets in the woods didn’t really seem like good preparation for firing at something like a Glycon.
One of the beasts rushed toward her. She pulled the trigger twice. Her target screamed loudly, but the wound only seemed to piss him off as his blood-red eyes fixed on her. She looked around wildly, hoping someone might offer some help, but Alec was still wrapped up in fighting a godson. Everyone was either fighting a godson or a Glycon.
The Glycon leapt on her, bowling her over. He snarled in her face, his spittle dripping on her. Hope pressed against his chest, doing whatever she could to stop his gnarled teeth from finding purchase on her skin. He screamed at her, blood all over his body, and his skin in tatters from both the battle and growing so rapidly. Hope twisted her hand with the gun against his chest. Just a little further, and she would have it. The beast reared back and slapped the gun out of her hand with ease. He pinned both of her arms. This was it. She was going to die.
Someone yanked the Glycon off her. A sickening crunch followed, and his body fell to the ground, his head bent too far. Hope let out a sigh of relief, assuming Alec had come to rescue her. She gasped when she stared up into the last face she ever expected to see, the godson leader.
“Why?” Hope whispered.
“You are not for him.” He growled at the dead Glycon.
Hope didn’t wait to find out what he had in store for her. She was up and running before he could get his hands on her, but only got in a few steps before running into a whole different menace. She’d not even noticed Anassa moving toward her.
“I’m so glad to see you, Hope.” Anassa’s hand clamped firmly around her arm, and Hope knew there was no escape.
Chapter Seventeen
Alec slammed hard into a godson. The super-Glycon was strong but not as strong as the one they had fought near the meeting house. Rem had been helping him, but was forced away by his own enemy. Alec and the godson hit the ground hard, and he knew from the stunned look on his opponent’s face that the impact had done at least some damage.
Having the godson pinned to the ground made landing a few more blows to the side easier. The godson howled in pain when Alec slammed his fist into his ribs and felt something crack. It was hard to fight with broken ribs.
With sudden strength, the godson tossed Alec off with ease. The hybrid flew backwards through the air and skidded across the ground like a rock skipping on the water.
Alec groaned. He could feel the radiating pain of the impact as it coursed through his body. He growled.
A sharp kick to the side made his breath catch in his throat, and for a moment, Alec saw stars. Another kick to the face sent him rolling backwards. He could taste the blood in his mouth and knew it flowed freely from his nose. He wouldn’t lose, not to this bastard.
When the godson tried to kick him again, Alec grabbed his foot and gave a sharp twist. The ankle snapped, and the godson fell to the ground, grimacing in agony. Alec smashed his fist into the godson’s face again and again until the man stopped moving, his face a battered wreck.
A scream ripped through the air, and Alec turned in time to see the Glycon knock hope to the ground. His heart hammered in his chest. He had to get to her. Alec hopped up to sprint toward her, staring in surprise as the godson pulled the Glycon off Hope, saving her.
The godson Alec had been fighting jumped up. He grabbed Alec’s throat and squeezed. The bastards sure liked to choke a man out. The edges of the world grew hazy, and Alec knew he wouldn’t last much longer. He tried to pry the fingers from his windpipe.
Alec didn’t have time to worry about himself. He needed to save his woman. He let go of the hands and grabbed the godson’s neck. A quick turn followed, along with a satisfying snap. The godson’s grip loosened, and he collapsed to the ground. He wouldn’t be getting up from that.
The hybrid fell to one knee, gasping for breath. He looked back over at Hope in time to see Anassa pulling her away and Agatha not far behind. The battle continued to rage around them, even as the numbers of Glycons and godsons dwindled.
“Get up,” Rem shouted at him as he blocked a blow from a godson. “She can’t have the stone!”
Alec pushed himself hard and stumbled to his feet. He would kill every last thing in his way if he had to. Whatever it took to get to Hope.
Hope yanked hard at her arm, but the older woman held on tight. Her charred bony fingers dug into Hope’s tender flesh. Clearly, she still had use of the hand. A part of Hope had
hoped it would fall off.
“Give me the stone,” Anassa hissed. “You’re standing in the way of the advancement of humanity.”
Her face contorted in rage. Hope could hardly believe this was the woman she had been following. Sure, she was always strange, but she just assumed that was all a part of the aesthetics of the Azilians. This was next-level insanity.
“Put her down,” said a familiar voice.
“Alec,” Hope said breathlessly.
He had come for her.
“She will hand over the stone, or she will die,” Anassa said.
Alec took a step forward but stopped when Anassa pointed her gun at Hope’s stomach. “She and the child will die.”
Hope lifted her chin. “You kill me, and you seal your own fate. Alec will tear you to pieces.”
Anassa twisted Hope in her arms to glare at her. “That may be, but it won’t bring you back all the same. I’m willing to make sacrifices. I’ve proven it. The hybrids have seen it.”
They stared at one another for a moment, Hope just waiting for the gun to fire.
“You will not threaten her,” shouted a booming voice.
The thunderous voice startled both women. Hope gasped when Anassa was suddenly ripped away from her by the godson leader. He held Anassa by her neck.
“Forget her and take the stone,” Agatha said from behind him.
The godson tossed Anassa to the group and turned toward Hope.
“No!” Alec shouted.
Hope turned toward him and started to move.
BANG!
The gunshot rang out so loudly that it hammered her eardrums. For a moment, Hope was certain she had been shot and they had finally decided to end it all and just take the damn stone. She froze, not certain what she was supposed to do about being shot. Alec moved forward and pulled her hard against his chest.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Alec kissed her forehead. “So am I.”
He stumbled into her arms, and she felt the wet patch against his chest. She lifted her hand from his black shirt. It was coated in blood.
“I’ll take the stone,” Agatha said from nearby. She waved a pistol. “Or you could just give it to me, girl.”
Hope’s eyes widened. The red woman still held the gun she’d used to shoot the love of her life. All for the damned stone.
Anger bubbled in Hope, a rage she’d never felt in all her life. Hope squeezed the stone so hard that she could feel as it cut into her hand. This wasn’t how her story was meant to end. She wasn’t going to lose her soulmate like this. They were so close to having the life they had both dreamed of, and now it would be over from a bullet.
She pressed the stone to the hole on Alec’s chest, not really sure what she was doing, but it hadn’t let her down every other time. If Agatha and Anassa wanted it so badly, it had to have even more power than she realized.
Deep blue light pulsed around them. She could feel as the stone connected them once again. His heartbeat was faint. He might be more than human, but there was only so much one body could take. She could feel him slipping and knew it wasn’t enough. She needed more.
Hope pressed her other hand against his tattoo. The glowing lines on his body responded instantly. Alec took in a deep breath. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She had to hold on a little longer. He was almost there.
Alec reached up and placed a hand over her. She shook all over now. Cold overtook her.
“Enough,” Alec said. “I’m here. Enough.”
Hope slumped against him. Her whole body trembled as she leaned against him. He was alive.
“Sorry to break up this family bonding, but I’ll be taking this,” Agatha said.
Hope groaned, barely holding onto consciousness. Agatha reached down and yanked the blue stone from her fingers. They had won only to lose in the end.
Chapter Eighteen
Alec pulled Hope against his chest. She had saved him once again. Every time he thought he had her safe, she was right back in the middle of it all over again.
Agatha strolled away with the stone in her hand, the godson leader nearby. Several godsons broke away from the other fights to put themselves between the hybrids and the woman. A feeling of dread filled Alec. Nothing good would come from her having the stone. She’d had it before and used it to create a dome that nearly absorbed half the county, burning the ground as it did so. There was no telling what she would do this time.
A scream shook Alec from his dark thoughts, and he looked over to see Anassa charging Agatha. He expected one of the godsons to stop her, but instead, they let her pass. A changing of loyalties at the last moment, or the stone exerting more influence? Anassa collided with Agatha, knocking the gun out of her hand before clawing and grasping for the stone. Agatha batted at the other woman, doing her best to keep her fingers tight around the stone. Neither woman would give up the power represented in the small stone.
“I won’t let you have it,” Agatha screamed. She backhanded Anassa, but the attack didn’t slow the other woman.
The stone started to glow. The growls, shrieks, and thuds died down around the battlefield. Godson and Glycon stood almost side-by-side staring at the battle. Whoever won the battle would decide their fates. The few godsons who had blocked Agatha’s escape before backed away, curiosity on their faces.
Alec struggled to stand, Hope still resting against his chest.
“What’s happening?” she mumbled.
Alec placed a kiss against the crown of her head. “Nothing good,” he whispered. “We need to move back. Something is happening, and I don’t want to be caught in the middle.”
Hope nodded against his chest. They backed away slowly as the stone’s light grew brighter, a blue star in the morning. It spread over the women, bathing them in illumination.
This blue was a darker shade, different than the pale blue light Alec had seen before from the stone, let alone the white light. It grew cloudy as it surrounded the fighting women.
Anassa whipped a knife from underneath her robe and sliced Agatha’s wrist, causing the woman to scream in pain. The wounded woman in red repaid Anassa’s favor by lashing out with her nails.
Energy crackled in the blue glow surrounding them. Arcs of blue lightning shot off the growing field around them. Alec knelt, most concerned about avoiding the lightning.
“What are you doing?” Agatha screamed to the nearby godsons. “Kill her!”
The lead godson stepped past the others. His eyes met Alec’s for one moment, and there was a connection there that Alec couldn’t quite explain. They were enemies, but in that one moment, he wasn’t quite so certain they actually were.
Both the hybrids and the godsons were born of the stone. Both were trapped by the roles they were meant to play. Maybe they were more alike than either wanted to admit.
The godson leader stepped into the blue light. Alec wondered if he might be burnt like Anassa had been before, but the huge man stepped through with ease. He placed a hand on Agatha’s shoulder.
“Do as I say, or I’ll have you all killed!” Agatha screamed at him.
The godson pulled the woman’s head back to look him in the eye. “I do not work for you,” he shouted.
Both women stopped struggling and looked at him. Alec looked down at Hope. She watched them with both horror and interest.
“He saved me,” Hope whispered to Alec. “Why would he do that?”
Alec shook his head. He couldn’t quite explain most of what the godsons did. They were as mysterious as they were dangerous.
“Of course you work for me,” Agatha laughed. “I made you.”
The godson shook his head. “He created us. He created us all. Out of chaos and wonder. He is the creator of all who are not man. We are his to do with as he pleases.”
Alec frowned. They always seemed to talk in riddles. The godsons knew more than what they seemed to but confirmed little. His stomach knotted. There was one possibility that made sense.
“Who?
” Hope asked quietly.
The godson turned toward her, still holding Agatha. “Erebus. And he will rise tonight.”
Alec opened his mouth to say something, but there were no words for what came next. He watched in horror as the godson placed his other hand over the stone.
The stone screamed. It didn’t take a Vestal to hear it this time. Alec hissed but kept his hold on Hope despite the pain.
The godsons and Azilian Glycons dropped to the ground, clutching their heads. They writhed in agony as the stone continued to cry out in anguish. The gathered hybrids grimaced, but they didn’t seem to be suffering as much.
“We need to move,” Hope whispered, her gaze fixed on the godson leader.
The light was barely blue anymore. Mere cloudiness had become swirls of black that had eaten all the blue. Agatha and Anassa tossed back their heads in unison and opened their mouths. Black smoke poured out as they silently screamed. Their eyes turned as black as the deepest night.
Hope was right. They needed to move. The now black bubble around the women and the godson leader had grown, and he was fairly certain they didn’t want to be caught inside.
Alec forced himself standing again. He put his arm around Hope’s shoulders, uncertain if she was keeping him up or the other way around. They moved slowly, only glancing back to make sure they had put some distance between them and the bubble.
A loud crack sounded, like a whip striking the sky itself. Alec wrapped his arms around Hope and whirled around to see what was coming next. Thick ash filled the sky and drifted up overhead.
He looked back at the bubble. The women were breaking apart. Their bodies charred and turned to black ash, flowing into the air. And yet the godson still held on in the middle, an almost serene look on his face. His body was just as charred as the women, but he was not finished with his goal.
More ash drifted past Alec from behind him. He turned that way. The bodies of all the godsons and Glycons had turned into ash and were blowing away. The dark specks swirled around the area, slowly erasing any evidence that the godsons or Glycons had ever been alive.
Alec: #11 (Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas) Page 9
