“What is going on?” Arsenio asked, completely lost.
“Relax nephew.” Glancing at him, Hades grinned. “You’re welcome here. More than welcome, in fact. I’ve been hoping you would stop by.”
“Why?”
“He wants to make a deal with you,” I replied, suddenly realizing what game Hades was playing.
“Correct.” Hades’ tone was even and calm, a calculating look crossing his features as he stared at my brother in arms. “I think I could make it worth your while.”
“My Lord!”
Everyone turned to the sound of the voice, gazes falling on a frantic guard who was running toward us. His armor was dented in several places, a smear of blood dripping out of his hair line.
“What’s happening?” Hades asked immediately, looking past the man to the path behind him.
“Titans, Sir, and lots of them. They’re attacking the gates. Their leader, though, I’ve never seen her before. If I weren’t mistaken, I would have thought she was Typhoon.”
“Avalon,” I breathed, stepping forward in excitement.
“Well.” Hades glanced back at me, his fire whip appearing in his hand. “It seems your beloved has come to you.”
Chapter Eleven
Hades
Battle. I hadn’t partaken in one in so many years, and now the war was banging on my door once again. With my fire whip in one hand and the fingers of the other curled into a fist, I made my way to the front gates of Tartarus, trying to ready myself for whatever was waiting there. War with the Titans was usually bloody, but I’d been away from such carnage for many years. Even when I’d joined Zeus and Poseidon on the front lines after my banishment, I hadn’t really seen much of a slaughter.
The call for battle had come in the middle of the night, a number of weeks after I’d gone to Olympus and presented my case for Katrina. Personally, I’d felt they weren’t calling me out on purpose, trying to punish me by keeping my powers at bay for as long as possible. In the end, though, I’d known they would need my help eventually. When the summons came, I was ready to do my part, even if it was just for the one battle.
“Hades,” Zeus said coldly, watching as I met him at the war table. “Wonderful of you to join us.”
“Shut up.” My tone was cold and strict. Thankfully, he didn’t fight back.
“The Titans are gathering at the Temple of Poseidon,” he stated, going on with whatever he’d been saying to the group before. “It’s only a small number, but they will be powerful.”
“What are they doing there?” Audrey asked, adjusting the shoulder of her breastplate.
“They’ve gathered some mortals,” Poseidon said quietly. “They’re forcing them to jump from the cliffs into the sea. It’s some kind of game for them, I’m sure, meant to get a rise out of me.”
“Is Erebos with them?” I interrupted, glancing over the map of the area before us.
“Will you leave your senseless mission alone for one minute?” Zeus growled, glaring at me.
“It has nothing to do with that,” I partially lied. “Is my helmet there? How are they convincing the humans to jump? Will we be fighting against the fear as well?”
He at least had the decency to look a tiny bit ashamed of accusing me. “No, Erebos is not there. We don’t know how they’re coercing the people to jump.”
“By our calculations, there are around one hundred souls that have been taken, with more filtering in from the surrounding cities. Whatever the Titans have done, it’s spread over the entire coastal area.” Poseidon pointed to marks on the map as he spoke, showing everyone where the settlements were. “We may need to split up and search the towns for any Titans as well.”
“Sounds like a plan,” I replied, smiling tightly as I stared at the faces around us. Karly smiled softly in return, as did a few of the other gods. For the most part, though, I was distrusted.
They all knew I was only back to reclaim my powers.
“Listen,” I started roughly, glancing down the table. “I know you don’t all trust me right now and that’s fine. If I were in your place, I wouldn’t either. But I’m with you for this fight. If you need help, I will be there.”
“Strong words,” someone murmured, causing an uncomfortable shiver to move through the group.
“True words,” I reinforced.
“Let’s go,” Zeus announced, breaking the tension. “There is time yet to discuss other matters.”
Thoroughly brushed off, I nodded, falling into line with the other gods as we made our way to the portal door. A hand wrapped around my wrist as the group moved and I looked over at Karly, who nodded in reassurance, squeezing me tightly. “It’s good to see you again,” she said softly.
Smiling, I nodded. There was nothing like a fight for your life to make you feel close to your family again.
Making quick work of the portal, we each traveled to the cliffs, remaining silent as we took in the scene before us.
The ruins of the Temple of Poseidon stood out in the moonlight, the broken pillars reaching up to the sky in a somewhat lonely and forgotten manner. Chipped stones lay scattered across the ground, shadows dancing over them as humans moved among them. A great wailing sound was emanating from the place as well, as people sobbed and cried out. One by one, they made their way to the cliff’s edge and flung themselves off. In the distance, I could see more coming, each mortal seemingly lost in their own thoughts and misery as they marched toward their deaths.
“What is it?” Audrey asked, horrified. “I don’t see any Titans anywhere.”
“Neither do I,” Poseidon confirmed.
“Heads up!” Another god pointed to the sky, where it seemed stars were falling to the earth. It wasn’t stars, though; it was three Titans, rocketing down to meet us.
“Remember the plan,” Zeus said calmly, lightning crackling between his fingers. “Karly, Audrey, and Nike will stop the mortals from jumping. The rest of us are to protect them and stop the Titans from gaining any more ground.”
Looking around, I counted fifteen of us in the group. Something felt off; why did Zeus bring so many for so few Titans?
Before I had a chance to think about it, a Titan landed right in front of me, his sword raised high as he charged the remaining two feet toward me.
Panicked, I dodged his first swing, suddenly realizing that I still had no powers. “What the hell?” I yelled in frustration, rolling out of the way of the second swing. “Zeus?”
“I don’t know!” He yelled back, sidestepping the second Titan as it punched toward his face.
“Helpful,” I replied snottily.
Huffing in annoyance, I balled my hand into a fist and slammed it into the face of the Titan, kicking his legs out from underneath him. Ripping the sword from his hands, I plunged it through his chest, throwing all my weight into it in an effort to make sure I really gouged him to death. With a gurgled cry, the beast crumpled, his eyes going dark in an instant.
Suddenly, a surge went through me, shocking my body. Crying out, I stared up at the sky, feeling the red hot fire of Hell burn through my veins once more. It was almost too much to handle, after being without it for so many years, but, as I sucked in a deep breath and felt the flames burning in my gaze once more, I felt myself relaxing for the first time since Katrina died.
“Apparently, joining with us meant killing a Titan,” Poseidon said, laughing slightly. “The Fates were very specific with your sentence it seems, brother.”
“Screw the Fates,” I growled, turning to the last Titan as it crashed to the ground in front of us. “Hades is back.”
Fire crackled through the air, forming into a whip around me, and I grabbed the end, snapping it around the Titan’s neck and yanking him to the ground.
It was quick work, finishing the monster off. However, the screams still echoed from the temple, and we all knew something else was wrong still.
“It doesn’t look like they’ve been able to stop the jumpers,” I said casually, watching the
three goddesses struggle to keep the mortals from ending their own lives.
“No.” Zeus frowned, standing over the corpse of the Titan he had lain waste to.
“There must be more in the cities,” Poseidon interjected. “We should split up.”
“I agree.” Zeus turned, considering the group. “Athena, you go help the others at the cliff’s edge. Poseidon and I will check the furthest city. Hades, you and Ares check this one here.” He gave the rest of the group their assignments, each set quickly moving off in their appointed direction.
Glancing at Ares, I tried not to roll my eyes at my nephew. His golden armor shined like it was brand new and his face looked like he was smelling something rotten whenever he looked at me. He’d always been a somewhat self-righteous child, though. He hadn’t liked his nickname I gave him either—Lord of Moodiness.
“Don’t slow me down,” he warned me, heading off in the direction we’d been given.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I replied as happily as possible. As annoyed as I was at being paired with him, I had to admit to myself that it was nice to be out with people again. Even if it was the Lord of Moodiness.
We sprinted up the hill and into the city, moving through the streets in silence. Everything was mostly empty, a few people here and there wandering through the streets toward the temple.
“I’m going to try and stop them,” Ares said. “Maybe I can lock them inside a building somewhere. You keep looking.”
“Don’t order me around,” I said under my breath. He was right, though; we needed to do something to try and stop them, but we also needed to make sure there were no Titans in the area.
Moving swiftly, I continued to check every street and house, an eerie feeling of being watched pressing over me. The shock of having my powers returned at last was also messing with my mind, senses that I hadn’t had the use of suddenly coming back to life. I could feel the heat all around me, sense any smoke or shadow that moved. All was quiet and calm, though.
The last house seemed still as I entered it, peering around for any inhabitants. This place was the furthest from the temple, tucked in the higher hills, a small grape vineyard growing all around the residence. As I passed through the hallway, I had the sudden sense of something moving in the shadows and turned, pausing as my eyes fell on the Titan Mnemosyne.
“Fancy meeting you here,” I said casually, catching sight of the mortal behind her.
“Hades,” she said warmly. “I didn’t know you had returned to the war.”
“An unfortunate necessity, I’m afraid. And you? I didn’t think you were one for fighting.” Swallowing, I tried to gauge the consciousness of the human. She was sitting at the table, an empty glass in her hands, eyes staring into it blankly.
“I’m not above being persuaded,” the Titan replied with a breathy laugh.
Something in the way she spoke made my mind light with an idea, and I realized exactly what was happening at the Temple of Poseidon.
“You’ve given them all your memory draught,” I said carefully, stepping forward slowly. “It’s in the water, isn’t it? They aren’t jumping because they’re being forced to; you’ve made them relive their worst memories until they wished to die.”
“I always thought you were a clever one,” she replied easily. Her eyes flashed dangerously as she also moved to meet me, her long dress swaying over the floor. “Of course, they did need a little nudge in the right direction, but that was simple enough. All I had to do was make them remember how easy it was to jump.”
Her words made a cold spot form in my chest and I clenched my hands into fists briefly, releasing them as I tried to think of what action to take. The Titan of Memory wouldn’t be easy to beat, let alone if I was trying to make sure the mortal woman wasn’t injured in the process.
“Do you wish for me to take your memories?” Mnemosyne asked quietly, smiling at me as she took another step forward. “I could erase her from your mind, you know.”
“Who?” I asked, refusing to back up.
“What was her name . . . Katrina. Your Katrina. I could make it as if you’d never known her, you know. All of that pain and suffering gone in a single instant.” She took another step forward, an anxious glare in her gaze as she stared me down.
The offer was a threat, not a gift. She knew those memories were the ones I cherished the most, the ones I wanted to keep forever. If I attacked her, she would take them from me.
That was when it hit me. She was forcing the mortals to remember parts of their lives with the water from her well.
She had something that would bring Katrina’s memories back.
“I think I’ll keep suffering,” I said simply, grinning. “Keeps me young.”
Laughing, she stepped forward again, stopping with just an inch between the two of us. “Oh dear. I was so looking forward to experiencing them for myself, though. Besides, I can’t just let you walk out of here and tell your little brother that I’m here, now can I?”
“No, I don’t suppose you can.”
Chapter Twelve
Hades
I moved out of the way just in time, the silver of her dagger flashing in the moonlight as she stabbed toward my stomach, angling for the break in my black armor. Grabbing her wrist, I twisted her arm until she dropped the blade, turning her around and pulling her against me, conjuring fire that ate at her skin.
Screaming, she threw her head back, connecting with my nose. Using my stumble to her advantage, she stomped on my foot, breaking free. A desperate scramble ensued as she reached for her knife again, but I grabbed her by the hair before she got it. Kneeling beside her, I won her over with my strength, holding her securely by the head.
Slamming her face into the floor twice, I tried to hold back a little, watching as the blood ran from her nose and mouth. “Where is it?” I asked calmly.
“What?” Laughing, she clawed at my hand, yelping as I crushed her face into the floor once more.
“The memory potion. The pools in the Underworld were drained. You’re the only person who still has any of it.”
“You want it for Katrina?” Smiling, blood washing over her teeth, she laughed again, shaking her head, nails digging into my flesh. “There isn’t any left.”
Angry, I shoved her face into the floor again, hitting it so hard bones made terrible cracking sounds. “Tell me!” I roared, repeating the action.
“Stop!” She cried out, pain lacing every word as she sniffed. Her nose was definitely broken and one of her teeth had cracked in two. “There really isn’t any left. I gave the last of it to that girl there.”
Glancing at the woman who was still sitting at the table, I saw tears running down her face, some memory playing through her mind.
Mnemosyne laughed, a crazy, desperate sound, causing me to look back at her. “It’s in her blood. If you want any of it, you’ll have to kill her and drain her. Otherwise, there won’t be enough for Katrina.”
“I could take just a little,” I argued. “I don’t need to kill her.”
“The draught has mixed with her system and spread out. There’s no way to get enough from her without killing her. Of course, you’re welcome to try. Let me know how it goes.”
Giggling pitifully, she closed her eyes in pain, hands shaking as she held onto my hand knotted in her hair.
“You’ve got to have more somewhere.” Shaking her violently, I pulled her to her feet, ignoring her cries.
“There isn’t any! I’m tired of this war, or choosing sides. I’ve been alive for so long, Hades. I had planned to kill myself as well, tonight. I came from the water, you know. Born from the memories of my parents, in the water outside their home. I was going to jump as well. Death is the last great adventure for me to experience.”
Pity filled me and my grip loosened, exactly as she’d been wanting. With a screech as loud as an attacking bird, she ripped away from me, grabbing the knife off the ground and turning on me faster than I could catch up.
Duckin
g out of the way of the madwoman, I stumbled over the rug on the kitchen floor, falling against the counter. My elbow connected with the faucet and I looked back, seeing an opportunity. Quickly, I plugged the bottom of the sink and turned the water on, diving toward the Titan as she advanced on me again.
Struggling on the floor, I managed to get the blade away from her again, pinning her down several times, only to have her wriggle away before I could get a good hold on her again. Finally, I grabbed a fist full of hair once more and jerked her around, struggling to get the both of us on our feet. Finally, standing triumphant, I dunked her face into the tub of water and pushed down with all my might, holding her face in the liquid as it rose.
Thrashing, she tried to back away, but she’d told me her secret; she was born of water and water would be the only thing that could kill her. Eventually, she stopped moving, her body going limp beside me. After several minutes, I lifted her beaten and bloodied face from the liquid, looking into her dead eyes to be certain she was gone.
“I’m sorry,” I said simply, laying her on the ground.
The woman at the table sobbed, smashing her glass against the ground and gaining my full attention. Apparently, this mortal hadn’t been reminded to jump and was set on killing herself right in this very room.
Grabbing a shard from the floor, she dragged the makeshift blade down her arm, dark red blood welling to the surface instantly. Fainting, she fell against the wall, her life slowly draining from her.
Hurrying to her side, I put pressure on the wound. The blood on the floor sparkled with a silver substance as well—Mnemosyne’s memory potion. In horror, I realized that the Titan had been telling the truth; there wasn’t enough to help Katrina in the blood here. If I wanted to use the substance, I would have to take all the blood from this woman.
Staring down at her, I followed the trail of her tears over her face, my grip still tight on her arm. I couldn’t kill her, could I?
Closing my eyes tightly, I tried to erase the thought from my mind. Of course I couldn’t let her die. She was a mortal and her belief in the gods was what gave us powers. If I let her die, I would be killing off another piece of our chance at winning this war. An innocent person would leave this world, all because of me.
Exoria (The God Chronicles #5) Page 8
