Exoria (The God Chronicles #5)

by Kamery Solomon

  “Fire doesn’t do so well without oxygen, does it?” The demon’s voice was clipped now, like he was so bored that he just couldn’t be bothered with caring about a single thing.

  Grunting, I reached out and felt the wall, grateful to have something solid to anchor myself to. His gloating had also given me an idea. It would be risky, but I also thought it would work.

  Hopefully.

  Taking as deep a breath as I could, I summoned my own smoke, allowing myself to fade away into the haze, becoming one with the mist. If the darkness was too strong, it could destroy the little bubble I’d created before I was able to escape. If I moved just right, though, Erebos would think I was part of the swirling darkness he’d summoned and not realize I was coming right for him. Drifting through the mass that Erebos controlled, I readied myself to call the fire forward once more, the heat burning inside me like a million suns, all waiting to unload on the son of a bitch who had killed my love.

  Suddenly, I felt the air return to me; I’d managed to glide through the darkness to freedom. Bursting back through my smoke shield, I immediately lit the air, igniting the walls and parts of the ground with the blast. Erebos, emerging from his screen of darkness, swiped down at me, the blade catching my arm and slicing deep.

  Pulling away before he could take everything below my elbow off completely, I spun around, fire whip cracking as it arced over and snapped around his neck. My blade quickly followed, digging into his gut as I pulled him closer, away from his shield.

  Shrieking, Erebos slashed out with his scythes again, missing when I leaned out of the way. As he pulled the blades back, I took the opportunity to kick him in the stomach as well, yanking my sword free in the process.

  Stumbling, the Titan managed to rip the whip from around his neck, falling back into the mass of darkness.

  “Running away?” I goaded, watching eagerly for him to reappear.

  “On the contrary,” he said from behind me, his voice right in my ear.

  Jumping, I hissed as one scythe slid into my back, sticking me like a kabob. I only just managed to get out of the way of the second blade as it aimed for my heart, watching as the metal dug into the wall of the maze beside me.

  “Say goodbye, Hades,” Erebos hissed as he yanked the blade from my back. “I will make sure the entire world knows you died alone and afraid.”

  The fear magic rolled off the helmet as he raised the blade high, grabbing me around the neck and slamming me against the wall. The back of my head scraped against the bricks, bleeding freely, my reflection shining in the scythe stuck in the wall beside me.

  “I’m not afraid of you,” I growled, grabbing the hilt of the blade. “I never have been.” Yanking the weapon from the wall, I stabbed forward, catching him in the chest.

  Jerking, Erebos missed me as he swung down, the second blade burying itself in the wall beside my head. Wide, black eyes stared at me in surprise, blood gurgling up from his mouth and slowly rolling down his chin to splatter on his ruined chest. Falling to his knees, his hands wrapped around my own, holding tightly as the life drained from him.

  “You killed the woman I loved,” I said bitterly. “My helmet has never made me fear you the way it did everyone else. How could it? My greatest fear has already been realized; I live in a world where she doesn’t exist.”

  The Titan coughed, blood splattering on me as I continued to hold the blade in place. Slowly, what little life there was in his eyes faded away, his body crumbling to the ground, a worthless heap.

  Staring down at the body, I waited for the happiness I’d thought killing the murderer would bring. Instead, I only felt disgust and a spark of outrage for having to release someone who deserved endless punishment to death’s cool embrace. Not wanting to take any chances, I flicked my fingers over the carcass, engulfing it in flames before I could even blink.

  Turning to the wall of darkness that was quickly dissipating without someone to control it, I pulled the remaining scythe out of the wall and waved it through the mist, watching as the darkness retreated into the metal with ease. The blade had been made from Erebos, after all, and now it would hold the only remaining piece of him—his essence.

  With the weapon safely sheathed on my hip and the darkness cleared from the tunnel, I turned back to where Erebos had been, satisfied to see only some ashes and my glittering, golden helmet sitting on the ground. As I picked the armor up, a smile crossed my face. If anything, today was at least going to be a turning point in this war—one that finally stacked the odds in the Olympians favor once more.

  Breathing deeply, I raised the helmet over my head, sliding it on as I had so many times in the past. It was hot from the fire, but felt like an old friend.

  Finally, the Lord of the Dead was back, and soon, Katrina would be, too.

  Glancing around, I picked a direction to go and started through the maze, allowing the helmet to wash over me with invisibility. All that remained for this to be a completely successful mission was finding Arsenio and Cristos. As soon as we were together, we could fly out of here and leave the fighting to those who had already been here before us.

  Traversing the maze was much harder without Cristos, though. There was no way for me to know which way to go for certain, especially with the walls changing every few minutes. Several times, I found myself at a dead end, having to turn around and try again. Oddly enough, I didn’t run across any other Titans, the maze appeared clear and monster free. It didn’t feel right, after all the fighting I’d seen outside. Something was wrong, but what?

  A shuffling noise caused me to pause, still invisible to whoever was coming along the way. Raising my sword, I crept forward, trying to gauge how many Titans I was about to run into.

  Bursting around the corner, I froze, surprised by the sight before me. Arsenio was trapped beneath a few big stones, holding his bloody side as he tried to kick his leg free. Beside him, the Minotaur laid dead, an arrow through the eye, its body apparently crushing the demi-god’s leg.

  Grunting, Arsenio kicked the stone with more strength, crying out slightly when it moved, settling further on his leg. Blood was beginning to pool underneath him, causing the sand to ball up as he struggled in it.

  “Hey,” I said softly, releasing the invisibility magic from around me.

  In an instant, he had an arrow trained on me, his eyes half-crazed, a grimace on his face as he stretched to hold the attack stance. “Oh, it’s you,” he replied, relief in his voice. “I thought some other gods awful beast was coming in here. There was a giant spider some way back, but it left when it saw this guy.” Motioning to the half bull, he kicked the stone crushing him again, putting his bow down.

  “Let me help.” Stepping forward, I grabbed the rock. Lifting up, I was able to give him barely enough room to slide out. His leg, however, did not look good. “I think your knee might be crushed,” I said conversationally.

  “You think?” He sounded grouchy, his eyes constantly going back to the beast. “That thing almost killed me. Knocked the wall right on top of me. If I hadn’t been able to get that shot fired, he would have eaten my face right off.”

  “Looks like he almost did anyway,” I offered, noting again how close the animal had fallen beside him.

  “Where’s Cristos?” Pushing himself up against a whole piece of the wall, he gingerly felt his side, looking at the blood on his hand as he pulled it away. His knee he simply stared at, a strange expression of surprise and annoyance on his face.

  “I don’t know. We got separated during our fight with Erebos.”

  “I assume you won, judging from the helmet on your head and the scythe you’re carrying around.”

  Mildly, I realized the boy was in shock. He was still losing a lot of blood and his leg twitched every now and then. He needed to get out of the maze soon if he wanted to make it out alive. Cristos and I were gods; we would quickly heal from any wounds given to us. Arsenio was only half god, though. There was a very real possibility he would bleed out and die
if we didn’t move quickly.

  “Come here,” I ordered gruffly, bending down and sliding an arm around his back. “We need to get you out of here.” Helping him to his feet, I pulled his arm around my shoulders to help steady him. “I’m very sorry for this,” I added, acting before he could even reply.

  Heating my palm, I pressed it over the wound on his side, recognizing the feel of a horn puncture. The Minotaur must have gouged him at some point, giving him a wound that would have killed him if he weren’t part god. Arsenio yelled in shock and pain as the heat seared the wound shut. He wouldn’t bleed out now, but he would still need immediate medical attention once we returned to the Underworld.

  “We’ll try to head outside,” I said, urging him forward as quickly as possible. “Cristos will catch up. He can track us. That’ll be a lot easier than us wandering around trying to find him.”

  “Not to be a downer or anything, but I don’t think I can ride a Pegasus like this.” Arsenio clamped his mouth shut tightly as he limped alongside me, his grip on my shoulder like an iron vice.

  “We won’t be flying back. We can use the portal. It’s not very far from here.” Glancing over my shoulder, I searched for my nephew, hoping he would catch up with us soon.

  “What about the fighting outside? How are we going to get through it?” His voice sounded tired now, as if he were ready to lie down and be done.

  Quickening the pace, I practically carried him every few steps, desperate to find the path out. “I have my helmet now,” I replied, tapping it with my free hand. “We’ll walk right through it.”

  “Hades!”

  Looking ahead, I sighed with relief at the sight of Cristos coming around the corner. He was a little worse for wear, but alive, thankfully. I was coming to like the boy, for more than his abilities it would seem.

  “Arsenio needs to get out now,” I told him quickly, stopping as we all joined together once more.

  “The exit is that way,” Cristos said, pointing to the right. “I don’t think that’s going to be the best way out, though. Phoenix just killed Typhon; the Titans are scattering. She burst right through the ceiling and went back to the fight before I could even try to stop her. Outside is going to be a bloody mess of charred arms and legs right now.”

  “We have the helmet,” Arsenio said roughly. “It won’t be a problem.”

  “We have to go,” I added, alarmed at how much the son of Poseidon was drooping in my grasp. “He needs help now.”

  “Let’s go, then,” Cristos agreed, grabbing Arsenio on the other side.

  Hurrying through the tunnels, Cristos barked out directions, the light of the entrance finally shining down on us.

  “Stay close,” I ordered, letting the power of fear seep from the helmet as we burst outside. Just as I’d planned, the crowd parted easily for us, both warring parties falling apart and scrambling away as we ran across the muddy field. On the other side, the remains of the great palace that had once overlooked the maze sat, cut into the mountain. There was a portal inside; all we needed to do was walk through it and we would be home free.

  Phoenix sat on the top of the palace, watching the fighting beneath her. She was covered in blood, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she watched us approach. It wasn’t lost on me that all the creatures that had been fighting in front of the ruins were now on the ground, burned to a crisp. It was unclear if her action of taking them out had been a coincidence, or if she’d done it to help us, though.

  Either way, I wasn’t about to complain.

  Cristos watched her as we approached, his expression weary, but neither moved toward the other.

  With another few steps and a grateful breath, we carried Arsenio through the portal and into the tunnels just outside the Underworld.

  Chapter Twenty

  Hades

  “I’m okay, really.” Arsenio grimaced as he adjusted his position on the bed, holding his side tightly.

  “You could still be bleeding internally,” Cristos argued, crossing his arms as he stared down at his cousin. “And your knee is worthless.”

  “I don’t heal as fast as you two. It’s one of the perks of being half god.” Snorting half out of amusement and half out of pain, Arsenio nodded to Cristos and myself. “You two look like you just had a nice walk in the park.”

  “I’m still bleeding,” I offered, not really concerned with any of my own wounds at the moment, fast healing or not. “Not that it matters. There’s already someone on the way to patch us all up.”

  Right on cue, the door to the bedroom burst open with a loud bang, the presence in the entryway seeming to seethe as she looked on our tiny group. A dark green, flowing dress wrapped around her form, the many layers of the skirt hanging limply around her lower half.

  “This was not part of our deal, Hades!” Her voice was high and shrill, with a hint of desperation to it. “All you mentioned was the girl. Not two other gods and an entire ritual.”

  “Circe.” Smiling warmly, I motioned for her to join us at Arsenio’s side, ignoring the shocked expressions of my counterparts. “Boys, I don’t believe you’ve met the sea witch, yet.”

  “I’m not a witch,” she snapped, chest heaving as she continued to hold her ground. “I’m as much a deity as you, even if my father betrayed the Olympians.”

  “If you’re a goddess, I’ve spent my entire life as a chef in Paris.” Chuckling, I shook my head. “Having a god for a father doesn’t automatically make you one of us.”

  “Helios is your father, isn’t he? The Traitor?” Cristos asked, eyes narrowing.

  Nodding, Circe met his gaze, almost as if she were daring him to say anything about it.

  “Hold up,” Arsenio butted in. “Sea witch? As in Circe the Sea Witch, who held Odysseus captive for all those years and turned his men into animals?”

  “She used herbs and potions,” I answered, cutting off her reply. “She has no power from Olympus whatsoever. Her mother, however, was indeed a witch, and taught her everything she knows.”

  “I’ll have godly power soon enough, if you hold up your end of our bargain, Hades,” she spat back, her face burning with embarrassment.

  “As long as you fulfill your part, I will vouch for you before the other gods. I have no issue with going against Poseidon.” Turning back to the two men, I smiled. “Circe’s been trying to get the gods to grant her the birthright she never received and join them on Olympus for the past two hundred years. Poseidon’s still a little miffed she hid Odysseus from him for so long, though. None of the other gods wanted to stand up for her and get in his way.”

  “It’s going to be hard to do my part if you keep adding to it.” Angry, the woman finally strode from her spot at the entrance and forced herself between Cristos and I, kneeling down to examine Arsenio. “I have a limited supply of supplements, you know.”

  “As long as there’s enough for what I want, we’ll be fine.” Taking a deep breath, I watched as she quickly checked over the demi-god, hands moving efficiently over his wounds.

  “I can help,” she finally said, in a matter of fact tone. “Give me about half an hour.”

  “And the potion?” I asked tersely, suddenly feeling all the stress I’d been holding in come crashing down around me. “Were you able to finish it?”

  “Barely.” Digging around in the many pockets of her dress, she produced a small vile, completely full with a green, shimmery liquid. “It’s not like anything I’ve ever made before. Where did you get the recipe? The ingredients were almost impossible to find.”

  “I’ll show you soon.” Taking the glass container with care, my heart rate increased exponentially as I stared at the object in my hands, my breath quick as I turned to make my exit. “Meet me at the stables when you’re done.”

  The garden felt extra bleak and dark to me, as if the entire world was watching on with bated breath for what we were about to do. Dark clouds rumbled through the sky above, a strong wind ripping through the grass. Ahead of us, the empty field s
eemed to be opening its arms, beckoning us forward. Clutching Katrina tighter against my chest, the ends of my long, black cloak flying out behind me, I pressed forward through the wind. Behind me, Cristos and Arsenio trudged, both seeming to absorb the dreariness of the situation into their countenances. Circe brought up the rear, her dress whipping around and fanning out like some majestic train, meant to inspire awe in all who saw it.

  Everything felt dark to me, except for the woman in my arms. This would really be it—I was getting her back, tonight. There would be no more loneliness, no more guilt, no more begging, no more searching, just me and Katrina, together.

  At last.

  The potion supplied to me by Circe had been in the book as part of the ritual. As soon as I’d forced it down Katrina’s throat, she’d gone still, as if even her soul were dead now. As bad as I felt for basically drugging her, I’d breathed a sigh of relief; for the first time in many years, she wasn’t being forced to relive her torturous death.

  Stopping at the edge of the small field, I looked over everything once more, shifting the weight of the being in my arms from one side to the other. The group melded into a single line, all of us standing side by side in silence.

  “What now?” Circe asked, impatient.

  “Arsenio, I need you to shake the earth some. Bring up the rocks from underneath, to act as an altar.” It was surprising, how my nerves didn’t show when I spoke. I thought for sure they would all see and hear the trembling man that I was, praying to anyone who would listen for this to work. Instead, my tone was steady and strong, my form tall and straight as I gave orders.

  “I’ve never caused an earthquake before,” Arsenio replied, uncertain.

  “Just try.”

  Nodding, he held his hands out, concentration washing over his features. The way he held himself suggested that his knee and side still hurt, but that didn’t matter right now. Slowly, the ground began to tremble, growing in size as sweat gathered on the demi-god’s brow. Finally, black stones began to break through the earth, sliding up and knocking together until a rough table had been formed.