by Haley Weir
She ran over to Madeu, stepped onto his leg, and catapulted herself at the beast. Olivia yanked the creature's head back. Madeu hit it with a swift punch that made the beast delirious before Olivia finished it off with the Divine Blade. The body slumped to the ground, knocking her off balance.
Giddeon helped her to her feet. "I need to free my people," he said. The sounds of war raged on around them. "You have to close the gateway into the mortal world before the other Titans are released. I would go with you—”
Olivia shook her head with a sad smile. "Don't worry about me. Go be a hero."
"We'll use Rina's ring to get everyone to Plutus's layer in the Underworld. If you and Balor aren't back in three days, I'm coming after you."
"Apology accepted," she snorted. "I'll find Diana and Seth. We'll have to work together to close the gateway."
"Good luck, sister."
~*~
Tartarus
She searched chamber after chamber, finding nothing but red crystals that grew along the walls of the rooms. Olivia smelled something foul in the air—like rotted flesh and sour milk. She covered her mouth to keep from vomiting as she moved towards another doorway. The room was dark and dank, dripping with greasy liquid that made Olivia's nose scrunch. A shadow moved in the corner. Olivia reached for the Divine Blade and eased inside. She waited for whatever it was to attack, but she saw it quiver instead.
Her magic flourished, illuminating the shadows until the figure became visible. "Artemis?"
The goddess peered up at Olivia and stood slowly. A festering wound in her side bled harder with each movement. "You shouldn't be here. The cage...it will affect you."
"Why aren't you healing?"
"The cage only works to imprison the Titans because it neutralizes magic and makes their powers obsolete. It was the only way to keep them from destroying everything, but Zeus…he uses it to punish us."
Olivia removed her blood-soaked sweater and wrapped it around Artemis. "I'm looking for Diana and Seth. Are they here?"
Artemis nodded. "They fought to keep Zeus from taking Giddeon. I can show you, but you will grow weaker as you get closer to the Titan Cage."
"No," Olivia replied. "If you're being punished, then it's because you tried to help us. Head back through the tunnels. Giddeon is freeing his people and taking them to Plutus's realm for safe harbor."
"I allowed this to go on for far too long. Please, let me make amends." Artemis took the lead and scurried down the corridor with Olivia on her heels. A jagged staircase made of demonic skulls led to an iron door. Olivia kept her weapon ready in case they ran into any surprises. The staircase spiraled upwards. Bones crunched beneath their feet as they climbed higher and higher. Olivia held her breath as they reached the door. Artemis scrawled something in Ancient Greek upon the iron, and the lock snapped. The goddess swayed on her feet. Olivia grabbed her before she could topple over the edge of the staircase.
"Artemis! Stay awake."
She looked around in confusion as Seth appeared in the doorway. He took the Olympian from her arms and carried Artemis into the cell where she was placed upon a cot. Diana hurried over to Olivia, pulling her into a warm embrace. "I knew you'd come for us."
"Your father is here," Olivia told her friend. "He's keeping Zeus busy so I can get to the cage and close the portal."
Diana turned to her husband and said, "Take Artemis back to Olympus. I have to help Olivia. Tell my father where I am and then go help Giddeon."
Olivia turned her head while they shared an intimate moment and, again, her mind returned to Balor. She knew in her heart that he was alive, but the fear she felt for him was surreal. She thought back to when they had spent days in bed on the cruise. The scent of him had lingered on her skin, constantly filling her mind with memories of their passion long after she had left. When Seth kissed Diana goodbye, Olivia felt a strange sense of responsibility. She didn't know how the fight would end, but she wanted to make sure that his goodbye wasn't the last. "I'll bring her back to you," Olivia said to the towering bear shifter in the bloodied sheriff's shirt.
Seth hugged Olivia and lifted Artemis into his arms before he made his way down the macabre staircase. Diana searched around for a weapon, but her bident had been taken during the attack. "Son of a bitch. Where do you think they put it?"
"Don't know. How did they catch you in the first place?" she asked as they headed in the opposite direction as Seth and Artemis. "I'm imagining a fishing net situation, and that doesn't seem right."
"They used the children against us. Athena and I fought for a while, but Giddeon didn't want me exposing my powers."
"Smart. Did he—” Olivia's eyes widened as her cellphone blared in the darkness. She quickly snatched it out of her pocket and accepted the call. "Tartarus blocks your magic, but it gives you some wicked good cell reception! What's up, Styx?"
The sound of squealing tires came through the phone. Metal crashed into metal, and a chorus of screams swirled around him. "We're battling freakin' demons on the freeway! Hundreds…no, thousands! These assholes just keep climbing out of holes in the ground. Some of them are falling from the sky too, so hurry up and close this thing."
"It isn't that easy," Olivia argued. "Balor is fighting Apollo, Hades and Zeus are in a full-on godly smackdown, Giddeon is saving the prisoners, and Madeu is battling a horde of demons."
"Shit."
"Yeah," she chuckled. "After the whole fiery pit of damnation thing, Tartarus is a labyrinth of caves that lead to other realms. Finding the cage is impossible."
"The other Olympians are here!"
"What?"
"Eros says the war for humanity's extinction has begun. The guy really knows how to ruin a good time." Styx went quiet for a moment, but the sound of a demon's hiss filled her ears before a gory pop. "We're running out of time, Liv. I don't know how much more of this we can take."
"I'll do what I can." She ended the call and met Diana's stare. "It's all on us now. Let's go." They continued down a long path that delved into the deepest recesses of Tartarus. Olivia felt herself pass through an unseen barrier as her power was purged from her body. The goddess and the Titan shared a look of concern. Artemis's warning had been sincere.
"We're human," Diana gasped.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Titan Cage
Balor landed with a splash as he tumbled into the cage. Seven times. He had killed Apollo seven times, and the bastard respawned again and again. Brown, murky water covered the floor of the Titan Cage. Balor pushed up onto his hands and knees, peering around the darkness until he saw the silhouettes of the deities inside. The largest among them was Cronus. Balor gripped the Sword of Zeus and stood up on shaky legs. Whatever wards had been forged into the cage kept him from healing his wounds. He lifted the crackling sword of lightning. A writhing blue glow revealed the angry faces of the Titan gods.
Apollo fell into the cage after Balor. The filthy water darkened his blond locks, and the ethereal glow that once surrounded him faded to nothing. "Kill him," Cronus said. "Teach the Olympians a lesson."
But another voice rang louder in the darkness. "Stay your hand, my child." Thanatos stepped into the light. His enormous wings surrounded him like a cloak. Balor looked at the personification of non-violent death and felt his stomach drop.
"How dare you?" he snapped. "For eons, my brothers and I collected souls for you! We waged war against the ancient kingdoms and harvested power to help you ascend. Your title is false. Your purity only exists because you were too much of a coward to get your hands dirty! The humans...they think so highly of you—of all of you. They see you as beings of legend and mythos that create the world they live in…"
"Basilius—”
"No!" Balor charged towards Thanatos with the sword held high. "You don't get to say that name! I have forsaken all of you. The gods have failed. Titans are mere whispers in time. I am no child of yours."
"Samael pledged his bloodline to me. Everything you are and every
thing you will become is by my doing." Thanatos spread his wings, and a gust of wind and water blew through the cage. "You and your brothers were my weapons...you were my Divine Blade. I wielded the strength of kings and blood of the heavens."
"No more."
Cronus stepped up beside Thanatos and smiled evilly. "And what are you going to do to stop it?" He turned around and gestured to the rippling portal spreading through Tartarus. "The age of mankind has come to an end."
Balor struck with the sword. The blade grazed Cronus, and an explosion of red flame flashed through the cage. Apollo dove under the water to keep from burning. Balor snuck behind Thanatos and shielded himself with the deity's wings. Thanatos shook him off and reached for Balor, but he rolled out of the way. The wards on the cage glowed brilliantly, casting a silver light through the shadows. Balor leaped for the stones above him and started to climb. Spikes pierced his hands, digging into the bones until he was forced to drop back into the water.
"Do you think we haven't tried that?" Cronus barked. "Foolish mortals. Always so eager to jump into danger."
"At least all of us aren't cowards," Balor retorted. "There's still some mortals willing to fight." He kicked up and dashed towards the portal. Balor dove through the opening just as someone jumped into the cage. Olivia. He hit the cement hard, knocking the air out of his lungs. The Sword of Zeus slid across the ground until it was trapped beneath a burning car.
Styx helped Balor to his feet. "You are the best-looking thing I've seen come out of one of those in a long time."
"Olivia...I have to help her." He stumbled over to the portal and watched as she stood before her fellow Titans with Diana at her side. "Why can't I go back?" Balor asked as he banged on the surface of the portal.
"It's a one-way trip, pal."
Eros ran over to Balor. He held the Sword of Zeus in his hands. "Use your magic, Basilius. You can't pass through again, but your magic can. Pool your energy into your mate. Keep her safe."
Adonis joined Balor as they raised their hands towards the portal. Magic flowed through him like a river. Eros and Styx clashed with the demons that approached, using the sword of Zeus to carve through their enemies. But Athena dropped from the sky, knocking Balor off his feet.
"Oh, I don't think so, little cub."
Eros tossed Balor the sword just in time for him to deflect Athena's blow. Sparks flew as one celestial weapon hit another. "I'm getting real sick of you and Apollo," Balor said through tightly clenched teeth. "Too bad Zeus couldn't be there to see him dying over and over again."
Athena let loose a battle cry that caused his ears to pop. She kicked him backward and Balor lost his footing for a moment. He recovered quickly and deflected another blow of her sword. Hermes, Ares, and Demeter appeared with a flash of light. Balor cursed under his breath and sprinted towards Styx. They stood back-to-back with their weapons in hand. "I need you to summon Nemesis!"
Styx twitched, and a few feathers shook loose from his wings. "No way! She hates me."
"Do it for Olivia," he pleaded. "We can't take on all of these Olympians on our own."
"You're not alone."
Balor turned his head as Giddeon and Madeu stalked towards them. Behind his brothers was a sleuth of bear shifters and Damien's wolf pack. Plutus, Rina, Eliza, and Caleb stepped out of a rift with their own demons in tow. But it was Artemis in her golden armor that brought a smile to Balor's face. Giddeon took the lead. With a deafening roar, he summoned the change in his bears. The shifters answered to their king and alpha, transforming into the beasts that had been created to protect humanity. Madeu and Damien commanded the wolves to attack the demons from Tartarus.
Balor swung the Sword of Zeus and turned back towards the Olympians. "Witness the fall of the gods," Madeu shouted. Balor felt the fight rising within him as he rushed towards Athena with renewed vigor. She blocked the first hit with her shield, but he managed to surprise her with a second blow to the leg.
Creatures passed by him in a blur of fur, scales, fangs, and claws. They collided with the full strength of Olympus, and Balor saw fear in the eyes of the gods.
~*~
Titan Cage
Olivia saw Balor dive through the portal and felt a swell of relief. She yanked the Divine Blade from her belt, falling into a fighting stance beside Diana. The smell of rotting flesh had come from one of the Titans. Suddenly, Olivia regretted not brushing up on her mythology while in college. Luckily, Diana stepped forward with all of the confidence and swagger of her father, Hades. "Zeus is the one who locked you in here," her friend reminded them. "He took you off of your thrones and crowned lesser gods. But fate should have it that he became the very thing he swore to put an end to."
The largest Titan among them snickered, "You think to sway us?"
"I'm offering you a chance to redeem yourselves. Not all of you are the villains the legends speak of." Diana's grip tightened on her bident as Apollo moved off to the side. Her eyes narrowed on him with a hatred Olivia had rarely seen in her friend. "I am Diana, Daughter of Death and Retribution, and I have seen what is to become of this world should Zeus remain on the throne."
"I care not," Cronus said. "Release us or die."
Olivia flipped the broken spearhead in her hand and caught it with deft fingers. She sighed as if she were bored with the conversation—a skill she had learned from Balor on his brooding days. The Titan's eyes widened, locking on the Divine Blade as he stepped back with a snarl. "Where did you get that?"
"It was always meant to be mine. The blade can be wielded by those who are worthy...I guess Callisto knew something that the rest of you failed to notice." Olivia felt something shift in the atmosphere. Her eyes snapped to the portal. Balor filtered his magic into the cage. It passed through the barrier like silk ribbons until it forced its way inside of her. The wards on the cage disintegrated. Titans tripped over themselves to get away from her.
Thunder rumbled, and Zeus snatched Olivia by the arm. He dragged her into the water. She screamed around mouthfuls of filth as she clawed at his hand. Lightning ruptured from Zeus, and the water sparked with electricity. Olivia convulsed beneath the water, sinking further and further into darkness. Something triggered her instincts like a flipped switch. She flailed wildly before grabbing onto Zeus and yanking them both out of the greasy water. Diana helped pull her up, a shocked expression appeared on her face. "How did you survive that?"
Olivia didn't answer her friend, for Hades backed them up against the wall and blocked them with his body. Zeus's anger manifested in another shockwave of lightning. Hades bellowed with pain. Diana wept openly as she fought against her father's hold, desperate to help him. Olivia saw the other Titans moving up behind Zeus and summoned enough power to collapse the opening of the cage. Rock fell from up high, smashing against the bars until they bent at unusual angles. Cronus tossed Hades aside like a rag doll. He grabbed Olivia by the throat. She looked over his shoulder as panic began to coil deep inside of her. Balor fought with his brothers against the rebel Olympians. She smiled proudly with tears in her eyes.
It seemed as if the end had finally come for her. She closed her eyes and waited for the darkness to swallow her up, but the killing blow never came. Instead, the portal opened wider as Nemesis, Goddess of Retribution, tore open the fabric of the universe to save her daughter. Diana pulled Hades out of the Titan Cage as Balor and the others came through the opening behind Nemesis.
Styx dove into the murky water and resurfaced with the Divine Blade in hand. He launched the spearhead into the air. Olivia caught it and swiftly stabbed Cronus. She fell as he released her to grip the gaping wound in his chest. "Do you feel that?" she asked angrily. "That's what it feels like to be mortal, asshole." Balor fought his way to her side. Olivia shoved Cronus off of her blade before she turned towards Zeus. He made a run for the portal, and Olivia gave chase. Balor shouted something, but she couldn't hear him above the blood rushing through her veins.
Zeus tripped over a fallen Titan and scram
bled back on his hands. Olivia kicked him over, towering above him like he had when she was tortured in his dungeon. "Can you feel that? It's fear. You deserve every bit of my wrath and more!" Olivia punched Zeus so hard that her knuckles cracked. Punches rained down on him with the force of her Titan powers behind each one. The Olympian spat blood into the water and tried to stand, but she kicked him again. "I'm going to kill you, Zeus. I'm going to make you suffer! For every drop of blood that has been spilled because of your cruelty, I will take one of your precious children." Her gaze landed on Apollo. "Starting with him…"
"Olivia!"
She held the Divine Blade high and brought it down with all of her might, but Balor tackled her to the ground. The blade sliced through Zeus's shoulder. Olivia pushed her mate aside. "Why did you do that? We were so close to finishing this!"
"Don't let it consume you," he whispered into her ear. "I want his head for what he's done, but it shouldn't be like this. Seek justice, my love, not revenge."
Olivia cupped Balor's jaw. "He hurt you…" she sniffled. "He hurt so many people."
"Look around, love."
She glanced at the others. Madeu and Giddeon managed to secure the other Olympians with Eros and Artemis's help. The Titans, however, had fallen to their knees. They looked up at Olivia as if she were some sort of idol. "What? I-I don't understand."
Balor pointed to where Cronus's body floated upon the water and then to Zeus's battered face. "You won," he whispered. "They have surrendered."
In the haze of anger, fear, and desperation, Olivia hadn't noticed that the rift had sealed. "The demons?" she asked.
"Damien and his pack are hunting them down with Adonis."
"What about Hades?"
Balor smiled. "Diana got him out in time to heal."
Nemesis sauntered over to Olivia. Her wings were spread to each corner of the cage. "Rise, Titan Slayer, and lead us into a new age."
