Hunt of the Gods

by Amy Braun

  The No Go Zone was the one place in all of Néo Vasíleio that was off limits to everyone. It was a dumping ground for monsters and home to cursed power.

  It was the place where I had taken the mantle of heir from Thomas Areios and changed the entire Prophecy.

  That ground had felt heady and wrong the moment I’d touched it, so I knew Liam was catching my words.

  I stood up and walked with purpose, acting as if the entire event hadn’t shaken me.

  “Ah,” drawled Kallis, “I can only imagine what those memories are like.”

  I hated his smirk, so I chose not to look at it. My gaze found Selena. “What did you See?”

  She stared at me, confused, then replied, “It’s across the island. There’s a series of tunnels that lead to an underground cavern, a big network of them.” She looked at Thea. “You know where that is?”

  “Yeah. It’s a long walk, but the water on that side is too rocky to anchor the yacht. If we get delayed, there are some campgrounds we can rest at.”

  “Did you See anything that might get in our way?” Tobin’s voice reminded me of gravel stones grating together.

  Selena shook her head. “I tried, but things were hazy. We might have a few encounters with some creatures, but I couldn’t tell what they were. The visions moved too fast.”

  The Cetea grumbled to one another, but Selena didn’t pay them any mind. Thea started leading our large group farther inland.

  Selena grabbed my hand and pulled me to a stop. I looked over my shoulder.

  “It was a gold haze, Derek. Same as I Saw before when I learned they had the Trident.”

  Same as when she Saw a god.

  I nodded gently, letting her know I understood, and she slid her hand from mine. We walked together, and when I saw Kallis watching us, his expression was tense and filled with suspicion.

  He knew a god was involved. The only question was whether or not it was Ares that Selena was sensing or someone else.

  I didn’t want to find out, but it wasn’t going to be up to us.

  NOTHING HAPPENED FOR the first two hours. We didn’t see any wildlife or encounter any traps. The last time we’d gone searching for a Cronus Shard, we’d met some nasty surprises left behind by Cassandra. One of them had been a giant spider—Arachne herself—and I dreaded to think what else Cassandra had in store for us.

  But there were no spiders. No predators. No curious prey. Just twelve scions walking silently and grimly across a rough island as storm clouds churned over our heads.

  After the first hour, Thea told us that it would take at least five hours to walk from one end of the island to the other. The wetsuits wicked away the sweat from our skin and kept exhaustion from getting to us, but we agreed that too much strain would hinder us when we faced whatever Selena had Seen, so we didn’t push ourselves too hard.

  She hadn’t spoken much since her latest vision, despite my trying to coax some casual conversation out of her. Eventually, I stopped trying and just stayed by her side. It seemed to be enough.

  Relief filled me when one of the Sea Guard stations came into view. It was little more than a flat-roofed brick building that stretched out to occupy a hundred feet of land. There was no fence, but there was a lone watch tower standing twenty feet away from the main entrance.

  Just like the rest of the island, the building appeared to be deserted. No Sea Guards watched from the lookout tower and no rangers came out of the building to greet us.

  I recalled Thea mentioning the posts had been abandoned to give Santa Rosa back to its animals, but the lack of people still felt eerie to me.

  We did a quick, cursory inspection of the tower and the perimeter. Seeing no one between us and the edge of the island, we moved to the front door of the building. An electronic lock and hinges kept the building secure. I glanced at Mason. He clicked his tongue, stepped forward, and raised a hand to the lock. Flickers of electricity shot from his gloved fingers into the lock. Sparks flew from its edges, metal clicked, and the door slid open.

  Mason and I looked at Thea. “Think we’ll get in trouble for breaking in?”

  She glanced through the open door, hesitated, then shrugged. “If anyone were here, they would be grumbling at us already.”

  Not the words of encouragement I’d hoped to hear.

  I slipped through the door and pulled Ki̱demónas from my back. The spear, currently shortened to just two-feet long so it could fit comfortably against my spine, shivered in my palm, though there was nothing dangerous about where I was standing. It was just a waiting room with an “Employees Only” door across from it. I pushed the door open, revealing the dark hallway beyond.

  “Hello?” I called.

  No answer.

  I heard the others enter the station behind me. Mason pressed a hand to the wall. A low, buzzing hum filled the room, and the lights ignited. I nudged the employee door open a crack and looked down the hall. Another heavily secured door was at the far end of the long, long corridor. It was empty, save for closed doors that probably led to about a dozen offices. At the far end of the hall was another, nondescript door.

  I pressed a knuckle to the wall and teased out more aether, just enough to sense any magic, but not enough to be seen by the others. Still, there was no magic I could feel. The power I’d felt earlier was exclusively outside.

  I turned to the group. “You guys search the offices. I’m going to check that door at the far end of the hall.”

  “What do you expect to find?” Kallis asked.

  “Something to tell us if any Sea Guard are here, spare supplies if we need them, anything.”

  Thankfully, he didn’t argue. I was grateful he at least asked a relevant question.

  We separated, and I made my way down the hall, listening to doors being opened.

  So, the doors were all unlocked. That should mean someone is here. But there’s no one in sight. That doesn’t make sense.

  I reached the farthest door, gripped the handle, and shoved it open.

  The room was designed to be open sleeping quarters for the Thálassa Frourá, similar to an army barracks. Against each wall were large cots with rumpled blankets and stout nightstands. Tributes to Poseidon were arranged on each. A couple of the nightstands held candles with melted wax at their bases. All the fruits and flowers looked fresh.

 

 

 

  He paused for a minute, then prodded my head again.
  A cool breeze blew through the room. I followed its path.

  A ragged, gaping hole had been torn in the wall near the corner of the room, like an excavator had swiped a gouge through the wall. Dangling electrical wires, sheared rebar, and tufts of insulation crowded the hole, which was only a foot or two wider and taller than I. A trail of broken concrete littered the ground outside, leading to the edge of a cliff and the sirens’ cove beneath it. Thea had warned there would be one on our walk to the station.

 

  I walked closer to the gap to inspect it. Black, sooty smears ringed the edge of the breach.

  I touched the wall.

 

  A god.

  Liam asked.

 

  I peered thr
ough the gap but could see only refuse from the shattered wall, green grass, and a cliff’s edge about twenty feet away.

  A high-pitched noise carried over the breeze. I stood still for a long time, certain I’d misheard, listening carefully.

  The sound came again, and that time I recognized it.

  A voice. Screaming for help.

  I stepped outside and waded through the debris.

 

 

 

  My brother paused.

 

 

 

  I knew that was what I said. I even meant it. But those screams tore at me. The man wasn’t just in pain. He was in agony. I knew my brother and my friends would be here soon. I knew better than to run into hostile territory. I knew what sirens were capable of. I knew…

  I knew I couldn’t let that man suffer any longer.

  I sprinted toward the tortured man, Ki̱demónas singing to life in my hand. I was morbidly grateful that his cries of anguish were easy to follow. They led me down the cliff and straight to the cove. I reached its edge and peered down.

  The water of the lagoon was a shimmering layer of crystal-blue hovering over mysterious cobalt depths. The ocean water lapped against a line of sandstone reefs that acted as small islands and a broken barrier between the lagoon and the ocean.

  Reclining languidly on the stony reefs were the sirens.

  They didn’t look like the mermaids society so often depicted them as. They looked like angels. Large, white, feathery wings curled around their naked, pale bodies. There were three of them, two lounging on the rocks while a third gnawed on something. I squinted, turning my gaze from the line of rocks and following it straight down…

  To pools of blood.

  Blood… but no bodies.

  Warning bells screamed in my head just as another scream ripped into the air. I knew I’d heard the voice, and it had been a male. Sirens would only sing when they sensed fresh prey nearby. Their song was gentle and warm, like the caress of a lover before she told you how much she wanted you. It was a song of promise and release, something that couldn’t be ignored…

  I shook my head, telling myself that the sirens couldn’t see me. They’d be looking right at me if they did. I glanced at them. One had its head turned in my direction, but I couldn’t tell where its eyes were focused.

  A wistful sigh carried on the breeze, wrapping around me in a melody that touched my heart. I closed my eyes.

  I was wrong. The sirens could see me. Time to get back. Distance would help me resist the sirens. I pushed away from the edge of the cliff, turned my head…

  And heard an agonized wail for help coming from the water.

  I hesitated, knowing I shouldn’t turn around, knowing that the sirens voices could be tricking me. But the desperate cry came again.

  If someone was trapped in the water, I couldn’t leave them to drown.

  Putting Ki̱demónas back in its sheath, I swung around and opened my eyes. I glanced over the edge of the cliff and found a rough staircase leading down the cliff wall to the rocky ledge of the lagoon.

  Right into those pools of blood.

  A scream of pain and desperation rose up from the lagoon, but I couldn’t see where it was coming from.

  There’s so much blood… what if I just can’t see him? Someone has to be alive. I know what I’m hearing…

  The blood bond tugged at my mind as I started down the steps.

  Liam sounded annoyed and a little worried I that wasn’t in the staff sleeping quarters like I was supposed to be. For an eighteen-year-old, he really did worry too much.

 

 

 

  I reached the rocky ledge where the blood pool was, and that gentle, caressing song drifted over me again, pulling my attention away from the blood bond. My first instinct was to open it and talk to my brother, but I couldn’t exhaust my energy talking to Liam, finding and helping the wounded man, carrying him up the cliff, and watching out for the sirens at the same time. All I could do was Adapt to dampen my hearing so I couldn’t hear the sirens with as much clarity.

  Though I did have to look at them.

  They crawled along their little islands, spreading their wings and stretching sensually, each movement catlike and graceful. Since I couldn’t completely shut off my ears, their song reached through my Adapted hearing. It was barely more than a whisper, but it was enough to give me second thoughts about swimming through the lagoon’s smooth blue waters, crossing that meager thirty foot gap, and giving in to their—

  I shook my head, focusing on the blood-smeared rock. There was nothing, no trace of clothing or other items that told me what had happened. That could have been animal blood for all I knew.

  No, no, I know what I heard.

  Water splashed against the small islands. My eyes followed the sound…

  I locked eyes with the creatures, feeling the last vestiges of my defense slipping away.

  From where I stood, I could see their faces perfectly.

  Gold hair braided with dark-green kelp surrounded round, pale faces. Big, dark eyes watched me with desire. My feet moved of their own accord, stepping into the water. Over my head, someone was shouting. I couldn’t hear them clearly over the soft song of the sirens.

  The sirens twisted on the rock as I swam into the lagoon, unfurling their wings and beckoning me closer. I followed the heavenly sound of their voices, the music they were creating solely for me. The song trickled through my mind, speaking to me the way no song ever had. It was high and low, steady and uncertain, much like my own life had become. There were no words I could comprehend, but there didn’t need to be. I understood the meaning all the same. The closer I swam, the clearer it became.

  Their hymn soothed my soul, taking away all the pain and worry I felt. I didn’t care anymore. All I wanted—all I needed—was their song.

  Water splashed behind me. I jumped and turned to see what had caused the sound. Selena’s head emerged from the water, and she swam toward me. The sound must have been her diving into the water to chase me. I noticed I was fifteen feet from the ledge, though I didn’t remember swimming that far.

  Behind her, Thea was diving off the staircase’s rocky base and into the lagoon. I didn’t see Liam, Mason, or Corey anywhere.

  The wordless ballad hit a painfully high note. I cringed and found myself drifting toward it again.

  The sirens’ faces glowed, their silky hair glistening under the sun. Their pale skin was completely free of pores, with no visible imperfections. I could see my reflection in their dark, almond-shaped eyes. The water sparkled underneath the sirens and reflected in their eyes, making them seem even brighter.

  Graceful, tender voices flowed into my mind like honey. Their music twirled around my heart as if dancing with it. Even though there were warning cries and splashing water behind me, a voice in my head told me to relax, to give in. I had suffered for so long. I had earned the embrace of an angel. I let them reach out, pushing myself higher onto the rocks so they could place their gentle fingers on me.

  Hands grabbed my arms and pulled me through the water, away from the angels. Their anguished song broke my heart as I was stolen away from them. I whirled furiously to see who had taken me from my saviors.

  Before I could fight, Selena gripped the back of my neck and kissed me.

  I tried to push her away, but she kept her lips locked on mine. She kissed me fiercely, possessively, refusing to let me think about anything but her. Slowly, my focus and sense returned. I drowned out the sirens’ spe
ll and focused on Selena. On the person I really wanted.

  I placed my hand on the small of her back and pulled her close to me. Our thighs bumped as we treaded water. The sirens were wailing, begging me to come back. Their cries didn’t compare to Selena’s soft lips, smooth skin, and warm body pressed against me. I was trapped in a new spell, one that I didn’t want to be pulled from.

  Until I heard Thea shout.

  Selena and I broke apart and reached for our weapons. Ki̱demónas flipped over my shoulder and into my hand at my call. I flicked my wrist. Metal sang as Ki̱demónas pulled itself free and extended to its full seven-foot length.

  The Rage stirred in my chest, rejoicing with Ki̱demónas like an old friend.

  Thea pushed her hands through the water. Five-foot waves crested and crashed. I saw a flash of dark scales flip under the wave and vanish into the deep. She looked at us and screamed, “Get out of the water!”

  We didn’t need to be told twice.

  Selena and I swam for the ledge near the cliff wall. We hauled ourselves up onto the rock, and I heard a scream behind us. I twisted and swung Ki̱demónas around me. The spear struck the creature in the side and knocked it into the water, but not before I got a good look at it.

  Its body was covered in cracked and torn dark-green scales. The fins on its back were thin and riddled with holes. Six gills lined the neck, and thin black hair hung in strands down its back. I caught a glimpse of its swollen face and jagged shark teeth. There were no nose or ears. Its eyes were enormous and glassy with black pupils, like the eyes of a piranha. The spear it held was a crude metal stick, but the tip was sharp enough to skewer a boar.

  Selena batted the spear away, filled her hand with fire, and pushed it at the merman. The creature slipped underwater, and Selena’s fire doused against the water’s surface. The sirens shrieked, their songs of beauty twisted into screams of rage.

  A clammy hand grabbed my ankle and pulled me off the ledge and into the water. My back scraped against stone and my head plunged beneath the surface. I held my breath and twisted just as the merman shoved its spear toward me. It skimmed my chest, cutting a line along my shoulder. Salt water burned in the wound, but I ignored it and slashed back with Ki̱demónas. My strike was slowed by the water’s pressure, and the merman avoided it easily. It was in its own element. All I could do was fight and hope I could keep up. I Adapted my skin and my speed and kicked to the surface.