We stood near the edge, each taking turns drinking the water. I glanced at Lucian and saw he still had soot on his cheek. I reached over and tried to rub it away. He grabbed my hand and held it to his face.
I was happy standing here with him, and with Jasmine. It felt like the past three months hadn’t happened and I hadn’t changed. Maybe there was still hope for me. That I hadn’t turned into an angry instrument for Hades. I could just be me. Melany. A girl who had hoped to find a new life at the academy, and found friendship and belonging, and maybe love as well.
I moved closer to Lucian, so he could put his arm around me. As we stood there, a strange thudding sound came up from the gorge.
Jasmine frowned. “What do you think that is?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s one of the helicopters bringing water over—,”
The sudden violent rush of air that blew over us cut me off.
A prickling sensation erupted over my scalp as the hairs on the back of my neck lifted.
I knew what was coming.
“Run!” I screamed at Lucian and Jasmine, but it was too late. It was too late to run, too late to do anything.
The chimera rose from the gorge, a monstrous creature, seven feet in height, with a lion’s head and body, a goat’s head protruding from between its shoulder blades, and large dragon wings flapping to keep it hovering above us. A hissing sound came from it, as its tail reared around, a tail that was a six foot long snake with long fangs, dripping venom onto the rocks beneath it.
I heard the shouts and screams from the men behind us, but it was too late for them. There was nowhere for them to run to get away. The beast opened its lion mouth and a stream of fire spewed out, aimed right at the startled and frightened firefighters.
It was their shrieks of pain as they burned that finally knocked me into action.
“In the air!” I shouted as I shot up above the chimera. I formed a fire ball in each hand and threw them at the creature.
One ball hit it in the side, but it did nothing but singe its fur. It dodged the other ball with ease. By this time, Lucian and Jasmine had also flown up into the air. Jasmine tossed fire at it as well, while Lucian formed a lightning bolt and threw it like a spear toward the chimera.
The beast maneuvered out of the way, but only barely. The tip of the bolt did sear the head of the snake. It shrieked and hissed, but it wasn’t injured.
We weren’t going to win this fight. We were unarmed and out manned. There were already four or five dead men on the ground, burnt to cinders, and if we didn’t do something, that would be our fate as well.
“Keep it distracted!” I shouted to Lucian, as I dropped to the ground.
“Where are you going?”
But I didn’t answer; I didn’t have time. I ran for the nearest shadow, sinking into it instantly. The trip back to the underworld took seconds, and I ran out of the darkness in the corridor and into the training arena.
“Help me!” I shouted even as I dashed to the weapons wall and grabbed a sword and back scabbard for myself, a bow and arrows, and a spear. While I grabbed a shield, the Furies jumped down to the floor from the rafters they usually rested on.
“What’s going on princess?” Tisiphone tried to grab my sword.
I smacked her hand away. “The fire was just a diversion. The real threat is a chimera. And I need your help.”
Megaera rubbed her hands together. “We haven’t fought a chimera in a thousand years.”
Tisiphone grabbed a sword. “Finally. We get to have some fun.”
Without a word, Allecto armed herself, and then took a few extras.
Together we went back into the corridor. Before we disappeared into the shadows again, I put my fingers in my mouth and whistled. It was a matter of seconds before I heard the thump thump thump of very large feet on the stone floor. The doors to the hall burst open and Cerebus trotted inside, his head ducked down, but his tail thudding against the ceiling.
“Want to go for a run, boy?”
His excited panting was all the answer I needed.
All four of us climbed onto his back, and I guided him into the darkness.
When we came out on the other side, the chimera was razing the tree line with another stream of fire. Jasmine was on the ground, one of her wings burnt to a crisp. Lucian was still in the air zipping around the creature trying to electrocute it, but having no luck.
Su and Quinn were trying to get the other firefighters out of harm’s way. Quinn picked up one of the men and flew him to safety, while Su tended to another’s injuries.
Everyone turned toward us as we emerged from the darkness. The Furies were airborne in an instant and with triple shrieks shot toward the chimera. Cerebus charged toward the hovering beast, but it flew up out of his way. He let out a loud earth-shaking triple bark.
I took to the air, even as I nocked an arrow on my bow. “Get the others out of the forest,” I shouted at Cerebus. He obeyed and ran over to Su and the injured firefighters.
I let the arrow fly at the chimera. It maneuvered out of the way, but ended up in Allecto’s path. She was able to cut the creature across the back leg. It let out a roar. I smiled. It was a small victory, but at least I knew the beast wasn’t impenetrable and it could bleed.
As I flew up toward Lucian, I threw him the spear. He caught it and dove toward the chimera that the Furies had circled. I nocked another arrow, aimed at its goat head and fired. It was confused now, and cornered, and this time it couldn’t dodge away. The arrow went right through its left eye socket.
The Furies let out a collective war yell in celebration, and then went in for the attack.
The chimera turned its lion head as Tisiphone dove at it. It opened its mouth and let out another stream of fire. She didn’t have a chance to duck under it. Fire caught her wings and instantly burned them to nothing. She dropped from the sky.
Allecto swooped after her, and was able to catch her before she plummeted into the gorge. Allecto set her down on the ground, and then shot back into the air, twice as angry, twice as determined to bury her sword into the chimera’s flank.
“Cut its wings!” I shouted.
I wasn’t sure if she heard me, but she must’ve thought the same thing since she swooped under the chimera and then up, sword pointing and tore through its right wing. The creature banked to the left nearly colliding with Lucian. But he was able to evade it by going into a roll toward the ground. Right before he reached the rocky side of the cavern, he pulled out of it and soared upwards his wings spread wide.
Gods he was magnificent. Like a golden eagle, powerful and majestic. I was lucky to have him in my life.
Megaera flew at the chimera’s other side, Jasmine with her, and swiped high then low with her sword. Her blade caught the left wing, tearing a hole in the leathery webbing. The beast listed to the side again, and I could see it was having trouble staying aloft.
It was now or never.
Bolstered by seeing Lucian’s power in the air, I slung my bow over my shoulder and unsheathed my sword. As I flew upwards I met his gaze and smiled at him. I knew it wasn’t the most appropriate time to feel joy, but I did. It was flowing through me like the fire raced through the trees. I felt empowered. I felt invincible.
I swooped toward the chimera, avoiding the stream of fire that spewed from its mouth. The attack had been desperate, a last ditch effort to kill someone before it fell from the sky. On the ground, the beast wouldn’t be as efficient, and it knew that.
I dove down, spun, and then came up again. As I shot directly toward the chimera, I feinted to the right, the beast turned to the left, but I spun at the last second, and swung down with my sword. I closed my eyes, knowing my blade rang true.
The chimera dropped to the ground, its lion’s head rolling across the blackened landscape. Its blood staining the soil. When the body landed, it was with a loud thud. The Furies descended on the beast to finish the job.
I floated down to the ground then looked for L
ucian. He was descending to the ground slowly, a look of triumph on his face. I grinned at him again, and he returned it.
Then his body convulsed and he cried out. He flung out a hand toward me. Reaching for me to save him.
“Noooo!” I ran toward him, swinging my sword and slicing the snake tail in two.
But it was too late. The damage had been done.
Lucian fell from the sky.
I caught him before he could hit the rocky edge of the gorge. I gently as I could, I lay him down onto the ground. His body quivered in my arms. I dared not look at his back, knowing full well that the snake’s bite had pierced his flesh and shot venom into his body.
He looked up at me, his face paler than I’d ever seen it. “Blue…” He gasped.
I pulled him closer in my arms, rocking him. “Don’t talk. Save your energy. It’s going to be okay.” Tears rolled down my cheeks as I looked around in a panic for help.
The others started to gather around. Allecto, Tisiphone, Megaera. They looked down at us, faces blank.
Jasmine crouched down beside us.
“Help him,” I whispered.
She pressed her lips together as tears ran down her face. “I don’t know what to do.”
I heard more flapping of wings, and others started to land nearby. Ren ran to our side.
He knelt down and touched Lucian’s face which was sallow and slick with sweat. “What happened?”
I opened my mouth to tell him, but the words wouldn’t come. I could feel Lucian’s body growing cold in my arms.
“The chimera’s snake bit him in the back,” Jasmine said, her words wobbling.
Without letting Lucian go, I let Ren roll him a bit so he could see his back. The look on his face told me everything I needed to know. Everything I would ever know.
I ran my hand over Lucian’s face. “It’s okay, baby. You’re going to be okay.”
“Blue…” He lifted his hand and cupped my cheek. “I love you.”
I swallowed down my sobs. “Someone help me!”
Then his hand fell away, and he slumped in my arms. Slowly, his eyes fluttered closed.
And that was the last thing I remember before my whole world fell into darkness.
Thank you for reading Demigods Academy Year Two!
Don’t miss YEAR THREE.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Kiera Legend writes Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance stories that bite. She loves books, movies and Tv-Shows. Her best friends are usually vampires, witches, werewolves and fae. She never hangs out without her little dragon. She especially likes writing kick-ass heroines and strong worldbuildings and is excited for all the books that are coming!
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Elisa S. Amore is the number-one bestselling author of the paranormal romance saga Touched.
Vanity Fair Italy called her “the undisputed queen of romantic fantasy.” After the success of Touched, she produced the audio version of the saga featuring Hollywood star Matt Lanter (90210, Timeless, Star Wars) and Disney actress Emma Galvin, narrator of Twilight and Divergent. Elisa is now a full-time writer of young adult fantasy. She’s wild about pizza and also loves traveling, which she calls a source of constant inspiration. With her successful series about life and death, Heaven and Hell, she has built a loyal fanbase on social media that continues to grow, and has quickly become a favorite author for thousands of readers in the U.S.
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