Selena's Men

by Elle Boon

  “How they gonna do that, boss?” Rafe asked.

  “I’m leaving a trail, so to speak. Let’s go!” Max linked with the men and they flashed out, reappearing outside the mausoleum Cronus called home. He still couldn’t believe Cronus had not only clawed his way out of hell but was smack dab in the middle of the Arizona desert. Add in the fact he was able to hide something that could easily fit three football fields inside, was a testament to the god’s powers.

  “What the hell is that monstrosity?” Grayson asked in a gravelly tone.

  “That, my friend, is going to be the final resting place of a god,” Malcolm answered.

  With only six Ravens, Max planned an attack that was less brawn and more stealth. He didn’t want to alert the beings—be they human or other—inside the temple to their presence until they had a chance to get in. He’d been trying to speak with Selena for the past hour. However, every time he’d thought he felt their link connect;

  he ran into a wall she’d obviously mimicked from his. Smiling, he scaled the imaginary wall and sighed when he penetrated her mind.

  “Thank you, gods above, I found you. How are you, baby?” Max whispered.

  “Max! Is that you?” she whispered.

  “Don’t make any move to alert them we are talking. I’m going to look through your eyes to see what you see. I need you to take a slow look from side to side.” Max continued to tell Selena what to do, taking in all she saw. “Good job, baby. Leave this line open and I’ll keep you informed of our plans.”

  “Max, I need to tell you and Malcolm something.”

  “Hush, sweetheart. You can tell us face-to-face in a few.” He surrounded her with his love and embraced her body with his heat, trying to warm her. “I need you to be strong just a little longer, and then we’ll get you out of there and with us, where you belong.”

  Max could feel the strain she was under and vowed he would rip Cronus and his people to shreds with his bare hands. With a little burst of power he stopped the flow of her blood but left the illusion for the people watching.

  He could see Cronus holding court to the hundreds of humans kneeling at his feet. The humans didn’t concern him—much. It was the army of half men, half beasts that surrounded the bowed people. Through Selena’s eyes, he focused on a group of people who had an aura of power near the back of the room. He saw the communication between the two women and knew these people would be allies in the battle to come if needed. He hated using humans with their fragile lives but had learned early that not everyone survived in wars.

  Shrugging his shoulders, he broke his link with Selena to face his brothers. He replayed what he’d seen through Selena’s eyes and saw Grayson’s eyes widen at the picture of the bowed redhead. He didn’t have time to wonder what caused that reaction in the usually stoic man’s expression. He felt a flash of pain and knew it was from Selena.

  “Son of a bitch, we can’t wait any longer. He’s hurting Selena. Malcolm and I will immobilize the humans with an order of paralysis. If any are strong enough to resist then we will take care of them. Rafe and Vin, I want you to take the back wall and spread out. Colt and Gray, you take the front and do the same. Malcolm and I will take the middle, but our main focus is going to be Selena. Understood?”

  He didn’t wait to see if they all agreed. That was one of the best things about the Ravens. They were a unit first and foremost. He flashed inside the temple with Malcolm right beside him. Cronus floated above the ground looking more like the devil, with bright red skin and horns longer than those he’d seen on bulls in Texas.

  Max shook his head at the image. Cronus was so focused on his people and the newest wound he’d inflicted on Selena, he sucked up the fear and pain of others. The crowd gasped and stared wide-eyed in awe at the pool of blood, giving the Ravens the leverage they needed.

  Malcolm reached up to break the chains surrounding Selena’s right wrist when a bellow from behind them sounded. Max didn’t have time to wonder what happened. Cronus turned his head in a completely grotesque imitation of The Exorcist. Obviously, the man’s neck couldn’t be broken. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Cronus smiled, showing a full set of teeth that looked razor-sharp, and several rows of them.

  “Holy shit. That must be the offspring of Satan and Jaws,” Malcolm said. “Dude, how much are your dental bills?”

  Max wanted to smack his brother until he realized he’d moved away from Selena. Malcolm was trying to keep the god’s focus on him, giving Max a chance to free Selena. Gods were known to be very vain, and Malcolm hit him right at the heart of his vanity.

  “I know of a really great plastic surgeon who could help with the um…Well let’s just be real. You are so fucking ugly even one of those Hollywood doctors couldn’t help you. However, I hear there’s an opening at Celebrity Rehab.”

  Cronus roared and lunged for Malcolm.

  Max tracked Malcolm’s movements out of the corner of his eye and worked on freeing Selena.

  “Hold on, baby. I just have to break these chains,” Max said.

  “You can’t break them,” Jaklyn said next to his side.

  Max spun and grabbed the smaller woman by the throat. He felt several things poke his sides but didn’t take his gaze off of the stunning creature in his grasp. She smiled, showing cute little dimples in her cheeks.

  “You are the one who spoke with Selena?” He didn’t give her a chance to answer. The swords pointed at him didn’t deter him. “Do you know how to break these?”

  She nodded, and he carefully set her back on her feet. He noted she had on sturdy black combat books and that smile still graced her mouth.

  “Of course I do. My name is Jaklyn. Now step back,” she answered and waved with one hand to make a space for herself. “I will not hurt the goddess.”

  Max gave a simple nod and allowed enough room for her to stand beside him. The sharp swords became more like a mosquito, in the desert sun, and he tired of their poking. He sent a small shock from the point of their blades, to the hands and up the arms of the ones holding them. They gave a little grunt but held still. Amazed, he let them have their little victory. If he truly wanted to hurt them, he could’ve incinerated them. But they seemed to want to protect his Selena, so for that, he gave it to them. That didn’t mean he was going to allow them to stab him or Selena.

  He watched as the human ran her palms over the steel holding Selena’s wrist and barely restrained the gasp he felt when the chains fell away. He caught Selena to his chest and held her as Jaklyn did the same to the ones at Selena’s ankles. He sent a blast of healing warmth through the wounds and pushed the blades out from the inside.

  Selena’s smile lit up her face, but he didn’t have time to bask in her glow.

  “Yo, Max. Can you quit fondling our woman and help with the fighting?” Malcolm panted.

  Max turned to see Malcolm suited up in his favorite armor, fighting off a very pissed-off Cronus. He looked to the group of humans surrounding him and Selena and asked one thing. “Will you protect Selena with your life?” He watched as they all nodded without missing a beat, and hugged Selena.

  “I had a dream several years ago. It’s led me here and hasn’t let me down yet. I think you can trust me. If we wanted her dead we wouldn’t have helped.” Jaklyn held her hands out. Her two companions that looked very similar tilted their heads in agreement.

  “Baby, I need you to be safe. But I can’t leave Malcolm to fight that thing alone.” He nodded to the battling pair. “I don’t know how much you know, but you’re a goddess, the youngest child of Zeus and his wife Hera. Until you come into your powers you’re at risk. I’m going to transport you all out of here. I need you to promise me you will stay safe and be careful.”

  Selena smiled at the authority in his tone. The poor man had no clue she’d already come into her powers, if that was what this excess energy zinging through her body was. She felt like bolts of lightning kept striking her flesh, a really pleasant feeling that made her hum in pleasure. Max
and Malcolm were such overprotective men they had no clue she equaled them. Bless their hearts. She couldn’t wait to show them what she could do.

  She realized he waited for her answer and the longer she held off the more danger Malcolm faced, alone. Not wanting to lie, she nodded. “I promise I will be safe and very careful. Go help Malcolm.”

  He kissed her hard and leaped down, obliterating the beings in his way. Her heart fluttered and then turned over at the sight of her two men standing side by side with shiny armor covering their torsos and swords raised. Good lord but they made her freaking hot with a capital hot.

  “Don’t even think of it, goddess. He hasn’t forgotten to get us out of here,” Jaklyn said.

  Selena’s eyes widened as a burst of light flashed all around her. She blinked her eyes and stared in awe at her new surroundings. Jaklyn had her mouth gaping open until one of the men next to her tapped the bottom of her chin. She almost smiled at the snarl Jaklyn let out, until she realized she had no clue where they were.

  Closing her eyes, she followed the faint trail that would lead her back to Max and Malcolm. Damn the man, he’d sent her and the others to California. Opening all her senses, she could smell the ocean, and if she listened carefully, could actually hear the waves crashing on the beach. With her mind open, she realized they stood in Malcolm’s California home. Knowing they were in a safe place, she latched onto the essence of Max, and with a thought she followed, leaving Jaklyn and the others behind.

  Selena cautiously entered the compound on the astral plane, not wanting to alert any of the occupants of her arrival. She nearly stumbled when she saw Max lying in a pool of blood and Malcolm not far behind. An ungodly roar split the air, and Rafe, followed by a man very similar in looks, covered the space separating them from her men.

  She watched in horror as Cronus turned, huge teeth snapping and ten-inch claws extended, beckoning the newcomers closer. He swatted them away like flies, not even blinking a glowing red eye. Her hand flew up to muffle the scream she felt bubbling up her throat.

  Selena raised her arms out to her sides and swung them up in an arc, bringing them in front of her in a fighting stance, and screamed. The walls shook, and she heard the shattering of glass.

  “Bastard,” Selena yelled, and flew across the room. She didn’t have time to wonder at the ability but made a mental note to do it again.

  “Oh how sweet. You’ve come back to save these worthless creations. I knew I smelled the stink of something on your body. Had I known it was these two”—he spat at the bodies on the floor—“I would have dipped you in a tub of acid.”

  “I love you too, Gramps.”

  Selena never let the smile slip from her face. She wanted to keep his focus on her, giving Max and Malcolm a chance to heal. She’d gotten a glimpse of their abilities when Max healed her earlier and knew they needed a little time. She wouldn’t allow her mind to think they wouldn’t survive. She dodged the first strike Cronus threw at her.

  “Is that all you got, big boy?” She curled her fingers. “Come on then, bring it.” She laughed again and danced backward. She started flipping head over heels, landing in a crouch. One minute he was hovering over the forms of her men and the next he slammed into her from behind. She stumbled forward and barely kept from landing on her face.

  “Nice, we call that a sucker punch, or being a bitch.” Selena taunted him and turned, facing him again.

  Cronus swiped his arm out, hitting her in the face, knocking her off balance. Rolling with the fall, she came up and sent a bolt of lightning toward his head.

  “Fuck,” she muttered as he disappeared.

  “Is that all you got, little girl?” he sneered.

  Selena tracked his voice and without raising her arm, created a bolt of energy and struck at the open space where she gauged him to be located. She heard a roar and felt bits of the roof hitting her head. Her cheekbone throbbed like a son of a bitch. Swiping angrily at the blood she felt running down her face, she grimaced at the sting. What the hell did he have his claws tipped in, anyway? She wanted to take the time to heal herself, but he was a dirty fighter.

  He proved it with his next move. He didn’t reappear and gloat in her face. Oh no, the big man had to go and grab her by the throat, bringing her up to meet his angry look. She reached up and tried to push his gaping mouth away, but his stench made her gag. She felt her lunch coming back up to make an appearance and instead of fighting it back, she let it loose.

  “You bitch,” Cronus tossed out before launching her across the room.

  When she landed in a heap of bodies, she thanked the goddess they broke her fall. If only something wasn’t stabbing her in her back, Selena was pretty sure she would’ve jumped right up. Knowing every moment counted, she expended precious energy healing her face and probing the thing in her back. She smiled. A sword with an extremely sharp blade and yep, rubies in the hilt, had been tossed aside like garbage. Well, you know what they say? One person’s garbage is another person’s treasure.

  Trying not to let Cronus know she’d recovered from her injuries, Selena twisted around, removing the blade from her back and freed it from the grip of one of the beasts. With her back to her grandfather, she knelt on top of the bodies that lay in a pile, waiting for him. She heard him stalking toward her over the pounding of her heart. With every step he took, she breathed in, centering her energy, infusing the blade with her essence. Knowing him in all his arrogance, Cronus probably thought he’d bested her, so she let the wound in her back continue to ooze blood.

  She gripped the hilt of the sword and rolled forward off the pile, putting a mound between them. He flicked his wrist and the bodies disintegrated into a cloud of dust. She almost lost her nerve at his show of power, but hearing a groan come from the direction where Max and Malcolm lay gave her strength.

  Selena didn’t take the time to look around and see if the other Ravens were faring any better. From the sounds of it, they still continued to fight off the baddies, giving her hope of a rescue. Focusing on her gramps, she raised the sword in her right hand and slashed forward. With each arc of the blade, lighting flashed out, hitting her target and forcing him back. She jumped up and spun in the air, slashing down with the blade, connecting with his shoulder and slicing through the thick hide of his flesh.

  His angry growl made her smile, but she didn’t stop her pursuit. He started jumping back, trying to avoid her blade, but she’d paid attention when he flashed out and in. She focused and was able to block his abilities. She knew when he realized she held him semi-captive with her mind when his eyes seemed to become thin slats. Her blade continued to arc and swing as she lunged and jumped. She kept trying for a killing strike but decided to weaken him with more wounds.

  Lighting shot out of the blade, making the small slices on his skin burn and smoke. Her arm began to feel heavy and shake from the exertion of swinging and hitting the rock-like surface of Cronus. He fell over another pile of bodies, landing with a loud thunk. She hoped to take advantage and leapt over the mound, raising her sword high, and aimed for his heart, but she was stopped in midair by an unseen force.

  She gasped and looked down to see Cronus holding his own long sword. She dangled like a skewer of meat from the blade. “Shit,” she mumbled between gritted teeth.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Malcolm King couldn’t believe his eyes when Selena stormed in like an avenging angel and engaged their greatest enemy. The little fool taunted the big ass beast with words a child would use, and by all appearances, it worked like a charm to divert Cronus from killing him and Max. He waffled between beating her ass red and kissing her senseless. He decided he would do both, just as soon as they finished this fight.

  He looked over to see Max rolling to his side, pulling the numerous stakes Cronus had thrown at him that made him look like a porcupine out of his body. Deciding he needed to get on with the healing and quit gawking at the train wreck, he groaned and wobbled on his feet.

  “Damn I fe
el lightheaded.” Malcolm rubbed his head.

  “I think our girl might have come into her powers.”

  “Gee, ya think?”

  Malcolm laughed at Max, who flipped him the bird. He looked around the large room, assessing the collateral damage, and was happy to see his brothers still fought. If he and Max could just get their lazy asses back into the battle, they could save their girl and make it back home before sunrise.

  “You’re so projecting right now, and I so don’t need a hard-on while I battle that thing.” Max growled.

  “Sorry, but fuck…look at her move. She is fan-fucking-tastic, for real dude.”

  “Are you ready?” Malcolm asked.

  “As I’ll ever be, I guess…”

  Malcolm and Max both gasped as they saw Selena advancing on Cronus with bolts of lightning flying out of her blade. They watched in horror as the big beast fell on his back and Selena jumped in the air with a battle cry to finish him off. Time seemed to stand still as they saw Cronus raise a blade and stab into her stomach.

  Both brothers flashed to the pair, and Malcolm focused on Cronus as Max grabbed Selena by the waist and dematerialized out of the hall. She dropped her sword and with a roll, Malcolm picked the thing up, amazed at the weight and the power he felt pulsing through it. He raised the sword and aimed it at the head of Cronus.

  The bastard smiled, his shark-like teeth covered in blood, and swiped at the spittle dripping from his chin. Malcolm wanted the god to pay for the pain he’d caused Selena. He pictured skewering him on a pike like he did to Selena. Cronus wavered and seemed to shrink right before Malcolm’s eyes.

  Blinking, Malcolm stared at the man who looked so much like Zeus it shocked him and he didn’t finish with the strike aimed at Cronus. He barely missed the blow aimed at his own head. Malcolm channeled Keanu Reeves and dodged several more strikes and kicked out, hitting Cronus in the chest.

  Rafe stepped up on his right with Vin on his left and they all raised their blades, ready to strike at the same time. Nobody could ever charge Cronus with being a stupid man. Arrogant yes, but stupid not so much, and he proved it in the next moment.