by Maggie Walsh
Micah lost his hold as Hades’s arm expanded to four times its original size, and he fell to the ground, landing on his feet. His wolf pushed Jesse behind him as he snapped and snarled at the now twenty-foot-tall Hades.
Chapter Seven
Four dragons flew toward him, circling around his head as they all shot fire from their mouths. Hades swung his arm out, hitting one, and the dragon exploded, what was left of him raining down onto the field, and everything below that the gore touched, started to sizzle and burn. The other three doubled their efforts and attacked, talons ripping into Hades’s back and chest. Hades grew larger, now standing thirty feet tall. He snatched one of the dragons out of the air with both hands and twisted them in different directions. The dragon cried out, then fell silent. Hades dropped the dead carcass as if it were a bug, then stepped on its head, crushing the skull. At the same time, he reached back and grabbed the wing of the other dragon. Hades flung the dragon to his front and gripped the other wing, then yanked hard until both wings ripped from the dragon’s body. Hades released the dragon, and as it landed, he stepped on that one, too, as he turned toward Ryland who stood about four hundred yards from them in a battle with two demons.
Lucifer, standing at more than thirty feet tall with his black-feathered wings spread wide rushed to Hades, tackling him, and wrapping his wings around him before they both hit the ground. The two rolled around, punching each other as they headed toward the pack house, crashing through it. Hades pushed with all his might and sent Lucifer away from him. Demi came forward and raised his hands, flinging energy blasts at Hades.
Hades swatted Demi away like a fly. The little demigod sailed through the air and crashed into a tree, his body wrapping around it. Demi dropped, lifeless.
Lucifer let out a deep, gut-wrenching roar full of pain and rage. He got to his feet and raced back to Hades, throwing himself against the god again. “You cannot beat me, Lucifer. When are you going to learn Archangel means nothing to a god, and you, an ex-archangel, even less?” Hades said, then thrust both hands in Lucifer’s back, driving them inside him. A light began to grow within and soon engulfed Lucifer. Hades pulled his hands apart, ripping Lucifer in two, but the pieces glowed and turned to ash, twirling and floating up into the heavens.
The ground began to rumble violently, earth and debris pushed up toward the sky, and fissures opened across the land. A soft grumbling began to grow louder and louder. Micah could hear snarls, snapping teeth, and roars. Hands, some normal, others gnarled and twisted, reached up out of the cracks, grasped the edges, and pulled their bodies up. Thousands of demons from hell crawled out of the earth. Nuriel, Duma, Laylen, Kareal, Zephon, Ryx, and the other remaining thirty or so Legion Warriors as well as Ryland, Sasha, and the remaining fifteen fae warriors, immediately attacked, fighting with everything that they had, but the demons were like a wave in the ocean crashing down on them, ripping and tearing until nothing remained.
Hades held up a hand, and everything stopped. No sound could be heard but their own breathing. Micah and Jesse stood side by side looking around at all the carnage. Micah spotted Raith’s head not too far away, and another swell of grief raced through him. Storm and Bastian lay lifeless beside a pile of demons, and Noah knelt at their side, holding one of each of their hands, tears rolling down his cheeks uncontrollably as he whispered frantically. Micah knew his brother-in-law was trying desperately to heal his mates, but nothing was working. Anger rolled through him as heat rose within. Sebastian’s chest heaved, then fell as he released his last breath. Noah dropped down over his mates, sobbing.
“It looks like now would be the time for you to kneel at my feet and pledge your loyalty to me,” Hades said, and Micah looked to him. Hades was back to his normal human height and stood facing them a few yards away, a victorious smile on his lips.
Gabriel sneered at Hades and yelled, “Never! We would rather die with our brothers than to ever―”
“As you wish,” Hades said and held up his hand. In the blink of an eye, a fireball the size of a basketball appeared, and Hades threw it at Gabriel. It crashed against his chest, and Gabe dropped back to the ground and rolled around trying to put out the flames. Taylor threw up his hands and a wave of water rushed toward Gabriel, extinguishing the fire, but Gabriel lay motionless, his body singed black from head to toe. Micah’s eyes filled with tears and his vision blurred. Hades quickly sent out an energy blast, and Micah watched in horror as it hit Noah. His sweet little brother-in-law dropped forward to lay across his mates…dead.
“And then there were three,” Hades taunted, then snickered. “That was fun. So, who wants ice cream? You? You? No?” Hades threw his head back and laughed.
“We can’t defeat this army. We stood here together and got our asses handed to us by him and his first army, now this. We need to figure out another way,” Jesse argued.
Taylor grabbed his arm and turned Jesse to face him. Taylor’s cheeks were soaked with tears. “I will not run now, Jesse. We were given this task by the gods themselves for a reason. We must all stand and fight. That is what Aurora always told us. We must stand together as one. Everything we have done, everything that we have lost, everyone, would stand for nothing if we just accept defeat. You know he will not stop at us. He has found a way to open the gates of hell and has released their evil onto the world. Hades and his legion of demons will burn through this planet like a wildfire destroying everything that still lives, then they will turn their sights on the heavens, and then what? We stand but three, but we are two powerful demigods and one powerful guardian. We may not win, but to fuck with that if I’m going to die without putting up one hell of a hissy fit first before I go. He has now taken everything from us, and we have nothing left to lose. Nothing. Because you know our lives mean nothing without them,” Taylor stated as he swung his arm around, motioning to the bodies around them. “Our trembling hand can yet become a fist. A fist of power that we can use against him.”
Micah stared at Taylor for a moment then turned his gaze to Jesse. Each stood before him covered in blood. Blood of their enemy and blood of their loved ones, showing their desire to fight and live free. Micah could see the fire inside his mate. The fury and need to end this, fighting with all they had, to the death. Micah cupped Jesse’s cheek and leaned in giving him a tender kiss, then he pulled back. “Let’s do this, or die trying.”
Micah took one of Jesse’s hands as Taylor took the other and they turned to face Hades and his horde of demons.
“That was very touching but so meaningless. I will give you one last chance to kneel before me and pledge your allegiance or die,” Hades said.
“As Aurora said, we all stand together as one. I know what she meant now. Give me all your power,” Taylor whispered from the side of his mouth.
Instantly Micah felt all the power within him and Jesse drain from them. Taylor threw his head back and screamed as a bright white light forced its way out of his chest, the wave slamming into Hades and his horde. Micah watched stunned as every demon exploded at the same time and Hades dropped to his knees, writhing in agony.
“No! How could you take my powers?” Hades cried.
Micah realized then what Taylor had done. He used all his and Jesse’s powers to boost his siphoning power, then pulled Hades’s power from him and turned it around, using it on the demons like he had done with Malachi back in that cave so long ago. The light around Taylor grew so bright it burned his eyes, and Micah had to shield them.
“I was chosen to be the Guardian for a reason. I was to live to protect the Heart, and with this I have done that. Don’t let my sacrifice be for nothing. Kick his ass. I love you both. Thank you for loving me and coming into my life. Now I go to be with my Gabriel. I’ll see you again someday in the afterlife,” Micah heard Taylor say inside his head, then Taylor erupted in the bright light. It lasted for a few seconds, then went out, and Taylor was gone. Micah looked to Gabriel and saw that he too now lay motionless, no breath entering him.
Micah looked down to Jesse and met his mate’s beautiful icy blue eyes. “I love you.”
Jesse gave him a watery smile as his eyes filled with fresh tears. “I love you, too.” They both turned to face Hades.
“And then there were three,” Micah said, taunting Hades with his own words.
“Well then, come and get me,” Hades replied.
Micah and Jesse slowly walked toward Hades, stepping over bodies as they went. When they got to within eight feet of him, Micah saw something glimmer under Hades’ arm and knew he was hiding something behind his back. “He’s concealing a weapon, baby. On the count of three, grab one of the weapons at your feet, and we’ll strike,” Micah said through their mating link. Jesse squeezed his hand and Micah knew his mate was acknowledging what he said. “One…two…three,” Micah said, and jumped away from Jesse to the left, reaching for a sword he saw lying there. At the same time, Jesse pitched to the right, rolling head first across the ground in a perfect summersault and snatched up a demon spear as he rolled back to his feet and stood. Micah grabbed a second sword lying nearby and turned toward Hades. At once, he and Jesse both lunged as Hades swung his arm around. As Micah had suspected, the god had a demon sword in his grasp.
Micah spread his legs shoulder-width apart and bent his knees slightly, balancing himself in a fighting stance. As Hades attacked, swinging his blade up in a high arc, Micah countered the attack and thrust up both swords, crossing them, blocking Hades. The sound of metal clashing made a ting sound. Hades immediately pulled back and swung again toward Jesse. Jesse jumped back out of the way, but at the same time, he drove the spear forward. Hades was not expecting it, and the tip of the spear grazed across his cheek, tearing at his ear, and Hades hissed.
Micah lunged, swinging his leg around in a roundhouse kick. His foot made contact with Hades’s chin, and his head snapped to the side, as he spun around. Before he could get his footing, Jesse ran forward, lifted his leg and kicked out, forcing his foot square into the center of Hades’s chest, sending him spinning. Hades landed heavily on the ground face first with a thud. Jesse quickly threw his hand forward, plunging the spear toward Hades’s back.
Hades rolled over just in time, but the spear drove into his side, and he cried out as he rolled to his back. Jesse pulled the spear out and took another step closer, lining the spear up for another attack, but Hades was ready this time. He swung out his arm, making contact with the spear and sent it sailing through the air out of Jesse’s grip. Then Hades swung around and sliced across Jesse’s thigh. Jesse cried out and grabbed his leg as blood poured from the wound.
Micah’s rage increased from seeing his mate hurt, and he vaulted forward, driving both blades down into Hades’s shoulders and into the ground beneath him. “How does it feel to be a mere mortal, asshole? Hurts like a bitch doesn’t it?” Micah seethed, then began raining blows against Hades’s sides and face.
The god cried out from the pain as his body jolted back and forth with each hit. Hades clenched his jaw and forced out a yell of anger through his teeth as his face twisted with rage. Suddenly Micah was thrown off him, sailing through the air about a hundred yards and landed hard with a loud thump.
As Micah righted himself and got to his hands and knees, he saw Hades grab the sword in his left shoulder and pull it free, throwing the blade away, then he did the same with the other. Once free of the swords, Hades’s body lifted up off the ground in one swift move, and he was standing erect on his feet. His eyes filled with fury as he seethed, and his gaze locked on Jesse.
“Shit, his powers are back. Baby, run!” Micah yelled, but it was too late. Hades lifted his hands, palms out toward Jesse and a bolt of light pushed out toward his mate. Jesse threw up his hands and blocked the attack, but Hades’s power was too strong, and Micah could see Jesse fighting with everything he had to protect himself. His face was contorted in pain as the cords of his throat strained. The two beams of energy coming from each of them was visible and clashing against each other in a fiery spray.
Micah got to his feet and ran as fast as he could toward them, his gaze never leaving the sight before him. Jesse’s face was twisted in agony and rage, but he pushed his hands forward more, forcing more power out. The two fields of energy crackled and warped, pressing against each other as sparks flew out in every direction around it.
Hades’s gaze flicked to him, and an evil smile crossed his lips. A cold, empty feeling of dread filled him, and Micah pushed harder. Hades shifted his gaze back to Jesse. He pulled one arm back while still holding off Jesse’s force field with the other, then with his free hand, Hades made a slicing motion, and Jesse’s body arched back as his arms dropped to his sides and his mouth hung open, blood oozed down his front from throat to groin, coating him.
“No!” Micah screamed and closed the last few feet to Jesse, catching him in his arms before he fell. Micah wrapped his arms around Jesse and slowly dropped to his knees, cradling Jesse in his arms. Micah pulled him close as he closed his eyes and cried out his pain. Micah looked down into Jesse’s lifeless eyes, as the tears flowed freely down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’m so sorry. I was supposed to protect you and keep you safe. I failed you. I failed everyone. Gods!” Micah threw his head back and screamed at the heavens.
He looked back at Jesse’s face and cupped his cheek tenderly. “I love you, baby. I love you so much. Please don’t leave me. Jesse, you can’t die. You have to stay here with me and fight. We’re not done yet, baby. We still need to start that family we wanted. We still have so much to do. Jesse, please. Please, baby, don’t go.” Micah pulled Jesse against his chest and held him tight as he sobbed uncontrollably and rocked his mate.
“And then there were two,” Hades said from above him, and Micah looked up to see that Hades now stood only a few feet away, a smile of triumph on his face. “He was a little baby demigod, and he could not defeat me. You have even less of a chance of survival. I’ll see you again in the afterlife when I reclaim heaven for my own.”
The heat that had been building inside Micah became a raging inferno and all the pain and loss he felt consumed him. Micah felt a pain pierce his heart so strong that it took his breath away. It felt as if Jesse’s soul had been ripped from his chest and he now stood alone screaming in agony. But then something moved within him. Something cunning, ferocious, deadly, and bloodthirsty. A predator so deadly Micah couldn’t contain it.
Micah kissed Jesse’s lips one last time, then laid him gently on the ground. He stood and straightened his spine, squaring off his shoulders, fists clenched at his sides. With his head held high, he faced Hades. Without hesitation or fear, Micah stepped around Jesse and closed the distance between himself and Hades. He could see the shock in the god’s eyes from his movement.
Hades must have seen the pure fury and promise of death in his eyes because the powerful god took a few steps back. Micah moved forward again, forcing Hades back and away from his mate. He wanted their final battle to be away from his love, so his body didn’t sustain any more harm. Hades tripped over a pile of bodies behind him but caught himself before he fell.
He must have suddenly realized he was showing fear and cowering away from his enemy because Hades stopped and pushed out a hand, throwing a fireball at him. Micah lifted his hand and batted the ball away like it was nothing. The move took Hades off guard as his eyes widened. Two fireballs appeared in his hands, and Hades immediately threw them toward Micah, but once again he just brushed them aside. He never flinched or showed any fear because there was none inside him, only rage and the hunger to rip and tear flesh. To destroy what stood before him, his complete focus on only Hades and the death that would come.
“Your bravery and persistence is honorable, Prime. If only I had an army of those in your image, we could destroy the heavens and all who reside there.”
“The only thing I want is your head on a pike and your heart in my hand as I crush the last beat from it,” Micah said in a calm voice so cold it even gave Hades pause.
He tilted his head and stared into Micah’s eyes. “Why are you not dead? Your mate, the other half of your soul, lies dead on the ground, and you should be right there beside him. How are you still here?”
“Because my job is not yet done. I will not go into the afterlife until I send you there first,” Micah answered.
Hades smiled, then started to chuckle. “Do you not get it yet, Prime? I am a god, and you cannot kill me. Nothing can kill me.”
“That’s where you are wrong. I will kill you, and when I am done with you all that will remain is a billion tiny flecks of dust,” Micah threatened.
“You can try,” Hades replied with a smirk and lunged at Micah. Micah kept his right foot solid on the ground and lifted his left foot, then swung his body back and away, as Hades sailed past him. Micah quickly regained his footing and faced Hades.
Hades turned to face him, his chest rising and falling quickly as he seethed. “This has been fun, but it has gone on long enough. It is time for you to join your family, your mate, in the afterlife.” Hades’s body began to grow and kept lifting toward the sky until he stood taller than the Chrysler Building. Micah just stood there, unmoving, looking up at him as the ash began to rain down on him like snow.
“Any last words, Prime, before I crush you like the bug you are?” Hades asked, his voice deep and booming from above.
Micah closed his eyes, and suddenly he started to grow. He could feel the beast inside him clawing to get out. Micah didn’t fight against it and let the creature have his way. He could feel himself getting taller, wider, bigger, stronger. The shift ripped through him, and Micah’s wolf took over. His head shook and twitched from one side to the other as he snarled and snapped, then he threw his head back and howled out to the heavens in a growl so fierce the ground below him shook. When he opened his eyes, he now stood eye to eye with Hades, the world far below. Micah’s body was covered in dark fur and black scaly armored plates, with veins of red and orange that made it appear as if lava flowed around and through him. A great hunger for death, blood, and justice in balancing the scales of right and wrong raced through him, and Micah bared his teeth as his eyes glowed, but he saw double. The head next to him began to growl and snap. It was a strange feeling having two heads, but Micah knew its purpose.
