“I doubt we’ll see him again too- if he’s smart.”
“We have ten minutes.” Savannah was looking down at a watch, before holding it out to us to see for ourselves. “We should get going.” We all nodded in agreement as everyone shuffled around. There were some who had lesser powers, who couldn’t defend themselves if something happened. We wanted them to stay behind; whereas, others with strong fighting skills were coming with us. That meant most of the Olympians were coming.
Except for Idina. If Renae were still with us, she would’ve stayed behind too. I still needed to tell Valentina her Godly mother was dead.
“Okay, Aidan, I need you to stand here so I have a visual to work with and, Blaine, if you want to stand here and try not to move. The slightest movement might make you turn out hideous.” Hermes flashed a cheeky smile at Aidan, deliberately pressing his luck with the King of the Gods.
Blaine placed himself where Hermes asked, and the Messenger of the Gods reached out and clasped his face between his hands. He pressed his thumbs into his cheeks and a sickening crack echoed for a moment before he began to massage and shape Blaine’s face like it was nothing more than clay to be worked with. Stirling concentrated on the task at hand, his tongue protruding slightly from the corner of his mouth, as he kept glancing at Aidan and back down at his handiwork once more.
It was a grotesque sight to see Blaine’s features mashed around like a Picasso painting, while Stirling created very Aidan-like features in him. It took about five minutes to get the perfect replica.
“One problem,” Savannah said, pointing at Blaine, “Aidan’s about five inches taller than him.”
“Not a problem,” Stirling said cheerfully, clicking his heels like he was Dorothy, and suddenly he rose in the sky. Hovering over all of us he moved to Blaine’s back. “Griffin, Aidan, please stand on his feet to hold him down.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a part of whatever was about to happen, but nonetheless, I stood down on Blaine’s foot, watching his face cringe in pain.
“Sorry, mate.” He nodded, jaw tight as he held in whatever choice words he was considering. Once we were both in place, Stirling grabbed Blaine by the shoulders and stretched him. Like his face, his entire body stretched out and changed form. Blaine worked quickly, molding and remodeling his features, until we were left with two identical Aidans.
“Swap clothes. He might remember what you were wearing,” Savannah pointed out with a nod.
“I’m going to leave,” I said, turning quickly to the door. Several other lingerers followed me out as I thought about the door taking us to the Gates of Hell. As we exited the throne room we came to stand outside of a Gate, beyond its bars stood Soren, Oliver, Gage, Montgomery, Hanna, and of course, Valentina.
I moved quickly to push the gate open, stepping out to look at her and make sure she was still untouched.
“She’s fine,” Soren said with boredom, waving his hand at me.
“She looks malnourished and exhausted,” I countered with a glare.
“Nothing being back in this world can’t fix. She’s just not used to being away from the faith of her people for so long.” He grinned at me, the sight setting me on edge. I just wanted to punch him in his teeth and be done with it, the smug bastard.
“Let her come over to me, then.”
“Not until the duel is over and I’ve won,” he reiterated, eyes scanning the growing number of faces behind me. “Look at all my friends,” he said with a wave of his arm, “but no opponent. Where is the King of the Gods? Not hiding like a coward, is he?”
“I’m here.” Aidan—Stirling that is—stepped in behind me, coming around the group to face Soren head on. “We gonna do this or you going to talk shit all day?”
I wasn’t too sure if his style of phrasing was going to convince Soren this was the real deal. We couldn’t afford any slip-ups, what with Blaine’s promise to sacrifice himself anyways.
“Of course not. Have you brought a second?”
“Stirling—Hermes.” Stirling stepped up, glancing at me before shrugging. This hadn’t been a part of the plan, not that we’d talk about who we’d pick as a second. Thank the Gods, Blaine hadn’t hesitated.
“Hermes, huh? None of your other Olympians felt like standing up with you?” His eyes surveyed the group of us gathered behind the fighters. “Cowards,” he finished with a smirk.
“Again, with the talking thing, can you shut up so I can beat your ass?”
Yeah, Blaine should’ve undergone lessons on how to talk and convincingly sound like Aidan.
“Beat my ass, huh?” Soren smirked more and glanced at me. I knew what he was thinking, and I hoped he wasn’t right. “Let’s get to it then.” His fingers waved at his side and a forceful blast hit Blaine, throwing him high up against the top of the gate’s fencing, his body nearly folding between the bars. “Too easy.” Soren clucked, flicking his fingers again, without even bothering to move his hand and Blaine was tossed once more like a rag doll from the gate onto the ground at Soren’s feet.
This was the part we’d had trouble with deciding how to make it accurate. Blaine couldn’t make lightning bolts like Aidan so he couldn’t convincingly fight like Aidan without them. So he needed to let Soren believe his powers were stronger, letting him think that he couldn’t get the chance to conjure a bolt because Soren was winning.
Of the group that had come out of the gate with me, it was only half of the Olympians. Charlotte had insisted that it be the men, because without the women there, it wouldn’t look as suspicious. Soren would probably read it as us trying to protect the girls.
But what he didn’t know, was the girls were coming up behind his group and going to take them by surprise. I hoped.
Edging along the crowd around me, I slowly started to make my way in a circle around Soren who was still throwing Fake-Aidan around like it was nothing. The eyes of the Titans were glued to Blaine as blood pooled from his nose and mouth, while bruises blossomed on his skin. If it was Aidan, I was sure Savannah would’ve been having heart palpitations. My eyes glanced to her in our crowd, she certainly looked like she was.
Everything was going so smoothly, it couldn’t have been better. I didn’t know how it was working in our favor, the only thing I was uncertain about, was Asher’s lack of appearance for these proceedings. The duel had been his suggestion, or had that all been staged ahead of time with Soren? My eyes flicked back to Gage, and Valentina was watching me carefully. I could read on her face, she didn’t know what was happening, she believed that Aidan was being beaten to death right now. So I shook my head, just barely, hoping it would be enough for her to believe me. I couldn’t tell, but it seemed like she had sighed in relief.
But it was enough to alert Gage’s gaze from the fight to where I was coming toward him. He glowered, throwing Valentina behind him protectively, and the gesture was enough to turn the attention of the other three Titans.
“Soren!” One of them shouted, dragging his attention away from Blaine, who was piled in a heap in front of him, broken and bleeding.
I didn’t have much time before they caught on to what was happening. So I ran, hand outstretched as it collided with Gage’s neck. I focused on his cold magic, where it trickled through his veins and called it to me. A scream sounded at my left, Charlotte had struck—driving her knife into Hanna’s back and straight through her chest. Gaia clutched at the wound, crippled to her knees as she stared at it in horror.
But that was all the time we had left. Oliver threw up his hands and a circle of flames ignited around us. I heard Charlotte cry out as it caught her and she stumbled backwards out of it to avoid its wrath. The flames behind me licked closer, the heat scorching the back of my neck and making my skin burn angrily. I gritted my teeth and tried to ignore it, focusing on killing Gage.
“Griff- in…” Valentina spluttered, turning my gaze from the glazed look in Gage’s eye to her. I wasn’t just drawing from him, I was drawing from her too! I pulled back in horror and both sunk
to their knees in exhaustion. Soren chuckled, looking over at me as he held Blaine’s limp body in his arms, the same glazed and dead look in his eyes as those of my partner.
“You didn’t even think to consider the possibility I would bind her to one of my own, just in case you tried something like this?”
“Bind her? How is that possible?!” Soren chuckled like he had all the answers.
“Souls are very powerful things, but at the same time, they are our hubris. Without them, there is no life; but they must always be tempered by something—usually a body and another soul. This is what we call soulmates… The trouble is, just because you’re destined to have one, doesn’t always mean it is the right one. At least not for Valentina anymore. It really pays to know a guy, you know?”
He discarded Blaine’s body and looked at me with a grin, “now you’ve lost everything Griffin, and I will finish each one of you off before the night is done.”
“Not if I have a say in it.” I moved toward him, hand outstretched and aiming for any part of him that I could grab first. In my preoccupation, Aidan pushed himself with effort through the flames, his clothes licked with small sparks as he entered the circle. He patted them down and then turned to Soren.
“He’s mine, Griffin. Get your girl.” I stumbled slightly, turning to look at him as Soren did the same.
“What? But you…” He looked down at Blaine, who had transformed back into himself at his death. This hadn’t been a part of the plan. Guilt curled around my stomach, but I couldn’t linger, I needed to return the power to Valentina. But there had to be a way to kill Gage without hurting her.
I started back towards Gage, but Oliver stepped in between, throwing up another wall of fire to block me from her. I still couldn’t feel how badly she was hurt, but I suspected that had something to do with her soul being tied to Gage’s now, instead of mine. He was her soulmate now.
The idea chewed at me, wearing my heart down as I glared at Oliver. I turned to him, my intentions clear, with my hand outstretched at my side. He laughed, further infuriating me as I moved toward him. Another wall of fire. I gritted my teeth and walked through it, forcing my feet to move faster. This time, I would move faster than his magic could be conjured.
As I nearly reached him, a war cry sounded from beyond me and through the flames Zane ran into the circle. He brandished his sword like a Viking Warrior, before swinging it hard toward Oliver, clipping it into the hand that held the fireball he commanded.
Oliver screamed, dropping the fire as he grabbed his arm where half of its hand detached. As he turned to glare at Zane, he grabbed me by the scruff of the neck for support.
“Get Valentina!” I stumbled away, looking over my shoulder as Oliver blasted Zane in the chest with fire, burning right through the thin fabric of his shirt and melted away the flesh over his muscles. But the brute didn’t even flinch as he swung the sword again, hacking Oliver at the elbow this time.
I turned away with a grimace, my stomach couldn’t handle seeing anymore. I leapt through another wall of fire and nearly fell into Gage and Valentina on the ground. I crouched down in front of her, holding out my hand. “Take it back, baby. You can, I know you can.” Her eyelids flickered as she tried to look up at me. She was too weak and I didn’t know how to force it back into her, if that was even something I can do.
“Please, Val, I know how strong you are. You’re strong enough to do this for me.” Her fingers curled enough around my hand, her nails scratching against my skin. “Focus on the coolness in my blood, pull it toward you. It’ll turn warm. Think hard about it.”
We sat there for longer than I wanted, desperately waiting for her to do as I said. Then I felt it, it was only a small trickle, but she was doing it. She was taking some of it back into her. I sighed in relief and slumped down closer to her, tucking her small body against mine as she pulled more and more. I glanced over at Gage, watching his recovery. This was the trouble. The stronger she got, the stronger he got, and I’d have to find a new way to fight him.
My other hand stretched out against my will, smoke billowing from my fingers as it curled toward Gage, climbing up his body like wild vines before tightening around his neck. It was strong enough to jolt him awake as he tried to grab the smoke, only managing to scratch his own neck raw. His face began to turn blue as I withheld the oxygen from him. My eyes glanced away, no longer caring to see the effects, while making sure that Valentina was okay. She was still pulling my life-force back out of me, giving herself back the strength I took. She wasn’t ready to run, which was what I needed her to do when she was on her feet. I needed her to get out of here while we finished the others off.
No Titan was coming out of this alive it seemed and when we were done here, we were going to find Asher and bring him down.
“Griffin,” she spoke softly, opening her eyes once more and their warm chocolate brown warmed me from the inside out.
“Yes, my love?” I reached out, brushing her hair out of her face, letting my fingers trace their way down her cheek.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“Sorry, they took away our connection; that I wasn’t strong enough to fight…”
I shook my head, “don’t be ridiculous. There’s nothing to apologize for. You did fine, you’re doing fine, and you’re going to be fine.” She smiled sadly like she knew something I didn’t know.
“I’ve taken enough,” she let go of my hand and pulled it back.
“No, take more, you’ll need your strength. I can do without. I’ll get more from another Titan.”
She frowned and I felt a flicker of insecurity come up once more, wondering if maybe she was judging me for who my God was. Don’t be ridiculous, I repeated to myself… but my words weren’t nearly as heartfelt as they’d been with Valentina.
After another minute or so, she let go and my eyes flicked to Gage, I released his dead body feeling a creeping sensation up the back of my neck. How long had he been done while I clung magically to his corpse?
“Can you stand?” I pushed myself to my own feet, feeling my knees quake from the effort. I wasn’t going to tell her how weak I felt, she would only feel guilt no doubt.
“I’ll try.” She pushed herself up with ease, she looked a lot better than I felt, thankfully.
“Okay, get yourself out of these flames. The others are waiting by the gate, you should be able to get into the Underworld. Your powers will strengthen once you’re closer to our realm.” I kissed her forehead and she gave me another one of those half- smiles.
“Be safe,” she said like she was saying goodbye. I tried to smile, but I didn’t believe in it as I did.
“Always.”
I turned back and headed through the flames, knowing Valentina was safe now. I searched out Zane and Oliver first, knowing they were closest, when a flash of lightning lit up to my left and I nearly was hit as I side-stepped to avoid it. Aidan came tumbling after it, grabbing it with a graceful duck and roll, before landing on his feet. He looked like hell, but he was still breathing at least.
“Val?”
“Safe.”
“Good.” He launched himself back through the flames and disappeared again. I hurried through after him, tripping on a leg as I glanced down to see the mangled bits of Oliver thrown on the floor. I lost my stomach again, turning away and puking. I was never going to get used to seeing human body parts ripped apart like that. It wasn’t normal.
“AIDAN!” Savannah screamed somewhere through the fire and smoke, and I straightened up, forcing myself further into it. The floor was sticky and wet, making it hard to move with grace like Aidan had. I stumbled further into the circle, breaking through another wall of fire as I looked down at my shirt. It was ragged now, singed where great holes had been burnt, and underneath my skin was raw and pink from where my immortality worked overtime to heal the wounds I was inflicting.
If the others weren’t united with their Gods yet, would they be healing from th
e flames? Valentina—would she be able to heal herself?
I turned quickly, panic racing through my heart as I doubled back. Feeling myself get more turned around, the more frantic I got. I felt like I was walking forever, when I knew the circle hadn’t been that big. But the space between where I was and where she had been had grown exponentially. Something had changed about where we were, I just couldn’t tell what it was.
Chapter 23
Valentina!” I shouted for her, the voice in my head cursing me for leaving her. Something was wrong. I felt sick and scared. “Valentina!”
I tripped again, looking down in horror at Oliver’s leg once more. How was I back here? I’d been walking away from it. I twisted around, trying to force my vision to see through the white smoke filling the room. If I were mortal, it would burn my lungs, it would choke me alive.
Some distant part of me recognized this fact, as the sounds of someone coughing faintly reached me. The others would have a harder time not just against the flames, but the smoke. If that were the case, the Titans still had the upper hand.
“Valentina!”
I reached out my hand, conjuring what I had left of the smoke and magic inside of me. I didn’t know if it was going to work, or if it would only flicker like last time, but a flicker would be enough. I just needed to see where she was, I needed to be able to help her.
Someone was sobbing, was it Val?
My brow furrowed as I concentrated harder, feeling the coolness rush me like someone had dumped a bucket of ice down my back. The smoke spurted from my fingers like a geyser and I pressed it toward the base of the flames. Slowly they doused it, just enough for me to see beyond them. Savannah was crouched on the ground, holding Aidan’s head in her lap and sobbing as she touched his face. His hand was wrapped around her wrist, but there wasn’t much force behind it. Royce was standing over her, looking down at Aidan with a deep frown. Charlotte had returned to the group by the gate, everyone ushered safely behind it so the Titans couldn’t get in. Only the brave stood beyond it, like Hunter, who was shooting out streams of water from his hands trying to work the flames down. Beside him, stood two other water Gods doing the same.
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