Exoria (The God Chronicles #5)

by Kamery Solomon

  “Party time,” I said under my breath, conjuring a fire orb to follow us. “Now we just have to get to Erebos before Phoenix does.”

  “I don’t understand, why is she here?” Arsenio asked, breathing heavily. “Does she want the helmet?”

  “It makes sense. I guess we’ll find out if we run into her.”

  Cristos remained tight lipped as we half jogged deeper into the side of the mountain. It was clear he wasn’t happy to see the demi-Titan here, but I wasn’t sure why.

  “Remember the plan,” I said sternly, trying to calm the racing of my heart. This was it. Today I would get revenge for Katrina’s death and bring her back to me. “Get in, get out. No getting caught up if we can help it.”

  “We know,” Cristos said crisply.

  “Do you have Erebos showing up in your tracking powers yet?” Anxious, I waited for him to answer, feeling like we were wasting time trying to get everything set in order.

  “No. We need to go deeper. He hasn’t been to this part of the maze.” Cristos frowned, looking around at the walls.

  “What do you mean?” Arsenio pushed. “He would’ve had to come through here at some point. It’s the only entrance.”

  “His trail is being masked by someone else,” Cristos replied, shrugging.

  “Who?”

  He frowned at that, grimacing as he glanced back at both of us. “It’s Typhon—Phoenix’s father.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Cristos

  Arsenio’s face paled and he froze, looking scared for the first time since we’d left the Underworld. “Erebos and Typhon? There’s no way we can go up against the both of them. Typhon ripped Zeus’s entrails from him, remember that? He’s one of the only Titans to have gone one on one against the king and live, let alone win.”

  “Phoenix ripped his insides from him as well, if I remember correctly,” Hades added, looking annoyed. “I think it’s safe to say that Zeus isn’t quite the powerhouse he used to be.”

  “Yeah? Well, she’s in here, too, if you forgot. That’s three Titans, two of which have been known to rip your insides out during a fight. I don’t know about you, but those aren’t exactly odds I like. I’d feel safer in Sweeney Todd’s barber shop.”

  “What?” I asked, looking at him quizzically. “Is that another movie reference?”

  “He’s the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Cristos. We’re about to die and you’ve never seen a damn movie in your life. Yes, it’s a movie reference, and no, I will not apologize for it. If I’m going out, I’m doing it my way, cheesy lines and all.”

  “No one said anything about going out,” Hades butted in tersely. “We all have to make it out of here, for Katrina.”

  “For Avalon,” I added, nodding.

  “For Azeroth!” Arsenio shouted and then rolled his eyes. “Look at you two. Out trying to save the woman you love. Maybe my helping you will clue Aphrodite into my existence, finally.”

  “She’s married,” Hades and I said at the same time.

  “And you’re both a pain in my neck,” he replied semi-bitterly.

  Trying to put the conversation out of my head, I focused on the trails laid before me. Several Titans had passed through here, as well as a few traitorous Olympians. Thankfully, it didn’t seem that we’d run into the entire Titan army here; there weren’t enough trails for that. The trick was going to be following the right one, though. Typhon’s track appeared a lot like Avalon’s—super red in the middle, fading out to light pink on the edges—which was why I recognized it immediately. I’d spent limited time around Erebos, though, and was having a hard time pinning his path down. If I remembered right, it was black and smoky, almost like Hades. Erebos had a water like trait to his trail, though. It didn’t just float through the air, instead smearing the ground like a thick sludge of mud. If I searched hard enough in the darkness . . .

  “There,” I said, triumphantly, pointing down the right side of the first break in the maze. “Erebos is this way.”

  “You’re sure?” Hades’s eyes seemed to burn brighter as he looked down the dark path, a small smile curling his lips upward.

  “Positive.”

  “Let’s get going, then.”

  Pulling an arrow from his pack, Arsenio nodded, setting it into his bow. Moving quickly, the three of us went forward, eyes and ears straining to notice anything out of the ordinary. We came to two more forks in the road, each one leading off in different directions, but I was able to find the correct path with ease each time. The entrance fell away behind us, and with it, my fear and anticipation for Phoenix grew. Her trail was scattered through here, but I couldn’t quite pick up on it while I was focusing on another person. What was she doing here? Why did she choose to attack the Titans first?

  Suddenly, the floor beneath us began to shake, the walls moving rapidly around us as if they had wings of their own.

  “The maze is changing!” Hades shouted over the din, sidestepping a stone as it hurled in his direct path. “They’ve enchanted it!”

  “Stay together!” I yelled in return, doing my best to join him on the other side.

  “Cristos!” Arsenio was being blocked off on his own, the stones quickly piling around him, despite his efforts to get over the wall forming in front of him.

  In a move of desperation, I summoned the lightning within me and sent a bolt toward him, shocking the stones. They halted in their movement for a second, cracking beneath the strength of my power. It was enough for Arsenio to wiggle himself through the tiny opening, flinging himself to the ground beside me.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, grabbing him by the upper arm and pulling him to his feet.

  “Watch out!” he shouted, eyes wide as he looked behind me.

  A savage yell echoed through the newly settled walls, the snort of a beast long forgotten making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Swinging around, I watched a monster paw the ground at the end of the new tunnel ahead of us, his eyes red with fury.

  “What do you know. They found a Minotaur for their maze. Go figure.” Arsenio quickly reloaded his bow, aiming down the path. “You two go. I can hold him off here and meet you outside.”

  “But you don’t have my tracking to rely on to get you on the right path, especially if the walls are changing,” I argued, not wanting to leave him behind.

  Arsenio let out a slow breath, focusing on the half man half bull creature ahead of him. His expression told me there would be no arguing. He was willing to do his part, as always. I had to let him, or it would all be screwed up.

  “I’ve got this,” he stated, smiling. “It’s been a while since I was in a good fight. If I’m not outside when you get there, you’ll come and find me. I trust you.” His eyes never left his target and I could tell he was already thinking strategies. “What are you waiting for? Get out of here!”

  “I agree,” Hades said calmly, already heading in the other direction. “Let Arsenio take care of this one. Erebos is still in here somewhere.”

  The Minotaur charged, growling as he hurtled down the tunnel straight for us. Releasing his arrow, Arsenio struck him in the shoulder, darting forward as the creature stumbled and roared in pain. In a flash, the demi-god had pulled the water out of the canteen on his hip, manipulating it with all the finesse that the son of Poseidon would. Liquid wrapped around the monster’s head, causing it to stumble even more.

  “Go!” Arsenio yelled, waving me away.

  Not needing him to tell me again, I moved after Hades, practically running down the hall as I tried to pick up Erebos’ trail again. With the walls changed, though, it led to dead ends and frustrating pathways we had to climb through.

  “You there!”

  Glancing back, I saw a Titan made of rock tumbling after us, the walls practically bending around him. His face was a picture of absolute glee as the maze began to change around us again, halting our efforts to face him head on.

  Rolling out of the way of a massive stone as it slid across the floor, I
shot a lightning bolt toward the Titan. Unfortunately, he ducked, the energy hitting the wall behind him. It caused a shower of bright pebbles to rain down on him like a shower. The distraction lasted just long enough that he didn’t see Hades’ fire whip lash out until it had struck him in the chest, flinging him back against the wall.

  “Again, Cristos!” Hades ordered, pointing to the ceiling.

  A long, sharp piece of rock dangled over the top of the struggling enemy. With a flick of my fingers, I sent another bolt toward the formation, causing it to fall on the monster.

  “Dust to dust,” Hades said grimly.

  Behind us, the labyrinth began to move again, opening up massively for the first time. In an instant, we were in a large room, surrounded by broken pieces of stone and bones.

  A faint scream echoed through the space and I turned, instantly panicked.

  “Avalon!”

  Her cries continued to dance around me, leaving me with no clue as to whether they were actually real or just a memory of her earlier summons for help. Turning every which way, I tried to pick up her trail, but to no avail. She hadn’t passed through this part of the maze yet and there was nothing for me to follow to get to her.

  “It’s not Avalon,” Hades said impatiently. “Cristos, listen! I need you to focus. Where is Erebos?”

  Angry, I gritted my teeth and glared at him. “I don’t know. Everything keeps changing. We’ll be lucky if we get out of here at all.” The lightning was building up inside me again, shooting through my veins with its stinging power, making me feel even more jittery.

  “Focus. Breathe. I know, it’s a lot. Avalon needs help. We won’t be able to help her at all if we don’t get Erebos taken care of first, though. You understand?” His voice was calm and soothing, but the fire in his eyes burned so hot I knew he was absolutely livid at my delays. His fire whip crackled hotter than I’d ever seen it before, almost as if it were alive itself and itching to fight.

  Taking a deep breath, I nodded. We had a mission, a purpose. It wasn’t Avalon, today. Doing as my uncle asked, I let the tracking powers of Adrastia seep through me again, lighting up the pathways around us. Faintly, leading under one wall, I caught sight of Erebos’s line once more.

  “This way,” I stated confidently. Raising my hands, lightning built up in my palms, growing brighter and brighter, until I finally let it go. The wild arch shot out like one of Arsenio’s arrows, striking the wall with so much force that the stones shattered before us, revealing another path on the other side. The thick sludge of a path smeared down the dirt walkway, a beacon of light pointing us right toward our end goal.

  We continued our path through the maze, dodging pieces of the wall as they moved around us. Whenever we came to a dead end, I blasted us through it, not caring enough to follow the rules of the game any longer.

  With each step, Hades seemed to grow in fury, the fire inside him burning so hot that his skin was actually letting off steam, his gaze hot enough to actually feel whenever he looked at you. His expression was one of revenge and I knew he would not leave this place until he was standing over Erebos’ dead body.

  “How much further?” he asked after a time, his hands fidgeting by his side.

  “Not much. The trail is very fresh here,” I said quietly. “He was here just a few moments ago.”

  “Good.” A cruel smile covered his face as he looked forward, his chest moving quickly from the speed of his breathing.

  “He can probably hear us right now,” I warned, moving slowly down the path.

  “You hear that, Erebos?” he called loudly. “Your time is finally up. I’ve come to collect what you owe me—a life.”

  Bouncing off the walls around us, a deep laugh made my spine tingle. “Hades. It has been too long.”

  “I agree,” Hades spat. “Why don’t you show your face? Or are you too much of a coward now?”

  Sucking in a deep breath, I felt a wave of sickness wash over me, fear suddenly pricking at my insides. Every cell in my body was screaming for me to run, the lightning going haywire inside me.

  “I’m no coward,” Erebos stated calmly, his voice closer than before. “You, on the other hand . . . I believe we could have a nice debate about that.”

  “Using my own helmet against me?” Hades called back, apparently not effected by the magic of the helm. “Good luck.”

  Somewhere in the distance, I heard another scream. With the fear inducing magic washing over me, I almost vomited at the thought of Avalon—Phoenix—hurt and dying in this place.

  “I don’t need luck. I think I’ve proven that. I am the one wearing the helmet, after all.” The Titan of Darkness sounded almost bored, like he was playing a stupid game with us.

  Hades, however, didn’t seem to care.

  “Show yourself and let’s end this now,” he growled, looking around the tunnel.

  Suddenly, the maze began to change again, and Erebos slowly appeared through a dark mist between the stones.

  “As you wish,” he replied snidely, raising his twin scythes in preparation for battle.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Cristos

  Soaring beside me, the bricks and rocks that made up the maze stacked and tore themselves down in the blink of an eye, the sound of their collisions roaring through the space. Dust flew into the air, making it hard to see which way was up and where I needed to go. Getting hit by one of the projectiles would be more than enough to knock me out. If that happened, I would be as good as dead.

  Hades didn’t even flinch as the tangled web rearranged around him, though. His eyes were trained solely on Erebos, murderous intentions burning bright in his gaze. This was his fight, his chance to avenge Katrina. There was never any vocalization of that part in the matter, but I’d always known it. I was only here to help; Hades would be the one to finish the Titan off when the time came.

  Erebos himself looked as menacing as he had the last time I’d seen him. Long, dark robes cocooned him in the shadows, smoke swirling around him. He was a creature born of darkness, the product of what happens when there is an absence of light in the world. Everything about him was evil. On his head, Hades’ golden helmet shone brightly, out of place on the being. Its presence caused the fear that kept spiking through me. As long as it was on Erebos’ head, he would have the upper hand in the fight.

  All of these recognitions came to me in a split second, as I watched the barriers glade past us, opening new pathways and closing old ones in their spot. In the time it took me to blink, Erebos and Hades were suddenly darting past the stones, grappling with each other, fire whip and scythes glinting dangerously in the dim light. They were two shadows now, rolling across the ground, narrowly avoiding being crushed as the ceiling suddenly opened up and dropped an entire wall into place.

  Erebos spun and kicked, his blades twirling, spinning so fast they seemed to whistle a deadly tune as he moved. The Titan had been in his fair share of fights and knew his was around the battle field.

  Hades was just a quick, though, blocking each move with his own sword, snapping his whip against his enemy more than one time before being shoved to the ground.

  Snapping back to attention, I jumped through the wall closing me off from them, barely making it before the last stone fell into place. Opening my arms wide, I summoned the lightning within me, watching as it jumped between my hands. Directing the power toward the ground, I sent a shock wave straight for Erebos, succeeding in knocking him off his feet.

  Leaping into the air, Hades came crashing down on top of him, driving the tip of his sword into the general’s shoulder with a satisfying crunch.

  Screaming, Erebos writhed beneath him, suddenly turning to smoke and reforming a few feet away. Glaring at the two of us, he rolled his shoulder, reaching up to touch the wound. He hissed as his finger grazed it, his eyes narrowing as he watched us slowly approach.

  “Tag teaming it, Hades? I would have thought you learned your lesson last time. Katrina wouldn’t have died if she had
n’t been trying to save you.”

  “She also wouldn’t have died if you hadn’t killed her,” Hades growled, fire suddenly erupting in the palm of his hand.

  The ball of fire he held shot forward, slamming into the wall behind Erebos. Hades quickly followed, shouting as he slid onto his knees, dodging the blade coming for his head. As he passed the Titan, he dragged his own sword across Erebos’ thigh, eliciting another scream from the monster.

  Gathering more energy, I sent a powerful bolt straight to our enemy. My attempt at knocking him back again was blocked by a wall of smoke, though, the gas absorbing the lightning with astonishing speed. Rushing forward, I punched through the mist, emerging on the other side just in time to duck a scythe flying past my head.

  Hades rolled past me, somehow getting to his feet in one fluid movement, before propelling himself forward with more fire power. He shot across the tunnel like an arrow, slamming into Erebos and knocking him against the wall.

  Scuffling, the two men each got in a few punches, but that wasn’t what I was focused on. Erebos had dropped his scythes—just as we had planned beforehand.

  “We have to get the blades from him,” Hades had said, instructing Arsenio and I in his war planning room in the Underworld. “They are made of darkness, just like he is.”

  “And a Titan can only be killed by the thing that created it,” Arsenio finished, nodding.

  “How will we get him to drop them, though?” I questioned. “Surely, he won’t just put them aside in a fight. He would know that they could kill him.”

  “Of course he knows,” Hades replied, waving the comment away as he stared down at the large, round table. “Why do you think he keeps them so close? No, we’ll have to just hit him so hard that he drops them.”