Jenna swallowed. Stress. It had to be. A moment of temporary insanity. It might not even be the woman’s fault. The hybrids had brought the Vestals back to the Azilian compound where they’d suffered so much and now they were having to hide while Erebus and his monsters surrounded them. It might have been too much.
“Jenna.” A soft voice, a whisper really. It was surprising she could even hear it given the din of overlapping chatter around her.
Jenna looked around. No one was near her or paying her much attention. She shook her head. It was just the room and situation playing tricks on her. She needed to get to the bathroom and calm down.
She made her way to a small bathroom around the corner from the main room where everyone else was staying, enjoying the silence and the time it was giving her to collect her thoughts. She walked up to the sink and splashed some water on her face.
The cool touch only mildly helped distract her from her dark thoughts and the ache in her lower body. She took slow, even breaths. Her contractions were getting closer, but not close enough to worry about. She might have given up on pretending they were Braxton Hicks, but that didn’t mean she needed to panic.
The contraction pain intensified. She opened her mouth, managing only a strangled cry. Cold sweat trickled down her back as she started shaking. Jenna gripped the sink in order to steady herself. Damn. It hurt.
Another whisper floated from behind her. “Jenna.”
There was no one in the mirror. No one in the bathroom with her. She turned her head. Still, no one.
Jenna stepped toward the door. She needed to tell someone what she was hearing and about her contractions. She only made it a couple of steps before crumpling to the floor and groaning. Her stomach clenched from the pain. If this was what women had to go through when giving birth, it was a miracle the human race hadn’t gone extinct.
The door opened, and Nicole stepped through. Her eyes widened. “Oh my God, what happened?”
Nicole rushed over to help Jenna to her feet. As a cop, it was likely this wasn’t the first time she had dealt with a pregnant woman in need of aid in an unusual place. Though this was probably her first time helping a pregnant woman on the eve of the end of the world.
“I think he’s coming,” Jenna panted, the whispers no longer seeming that important.
“Fuck.” Nicole grunted. “Your kid has shit timing.”
Jenna gave a feeble laugh. “You’re telling me.”
Shouts and yelling sounded from the other room. One woman screamed. What the hell was going on?
They rounded the corner back to the main room. Vestals were clawing at men and women. A general brawl had broken out. Two Vestals launched themselves from the crowd at the new arrivals, one at Jenna and another at Nicole. The agile cop rushed in front of Jenna.
“Get as far back as you can,” she shouted to Jenna.
Jenna held onto the wall as she made her way back toward the bathroom, her heart thundering. The farther she got, the better she started to feel. A warm hum filled her body, and when she glanced down at the bracelet, she could see a soft white glow. She closed her eyes and pressed her feverish face against the cool brick wall.
It took several moments for the pain to decay, but by the time she opened her eyes, the warmth had spread across her and the pain was bearable. She moved away from the wall and took a deep breath, wondering what the hell was going on.
The whispers. It had to be something to do with that. Did knowing that help? As much as she didn’t like the idea, it was obvious they needed to secure all the Vestals to stop them from hurting themselves or others.
Jenna froze and cocked her head. Something was wrong. Something was different, and not her pain decreasing.
She listened intently. Just moments ago, there had been so much noise from the main room, she could have heard a pin drop, but now there was nothing. Only silence. Jenna frowned and slowly made her way back to the others.
Everyone lay on the ground, Vestal, townspeople, and Nyx. Doctor Myers sat slumped against a wall, his head lolled forward. There were some cuts, scratches, and bruises forming, but no obvious major wounds and no pools of blood. The men and women who had guns still had them slung over their shoulders. She hadn’t heard any shots.
Jenna crouched by the nearest person, Nicole. With a shaking hand, she reached out and pressed her fingers against Nicole’s neck. After feeling the steady pulse, Jenna let out the breath she’d been holding. She surveyed the room slowly. People’s chests were rising and falling.
“Jenna.”
Erebus. There was no question what had happened.
Come out or he dies.
Her heart thundered in her chest. Rem. From what he’d told her, Lapis had said Jenna would know what to do when the time was right. Well, it seemed just as right a time as any. She went over and grabbed the two pistols from Nicole’s holsters.
Jenna straightened and stared at the locked door. She’d be damned if anyone, demigod or not, threatened her family.
Chapter Sixteen
Rem crawled out of the vent onto the muddy ground. Rain continued to pound down, and the only good thing he could think was it might help mask their location from the creatures. Though he had no real idea just how they worked or even what they were. For all he knew, rain made them stronger, but he chose to believe he had a chance. He had to, for his son and woman.
It didn’t matter what he faced. He’d win.
He nodded to the men behind him as they made their way along the edge of the compound’s outer wall. He stopped at the corner and peered around. The shadow army stood there waiting just outside the front of the compound with Erebus in the lead. His eyes were closed as he faced the gate. None of the monsters were trying to get in, but he didn’t think it’d be long.
At least the hybrids had one thing going for them. The monsters might have come from the sky, but none of the monsters were flying or had wings.
All were dark, insubstantial, as if made of concentrated shadow, but that was were the similarities stopped. Some of them were roughly humanoid, with two arms ending in claws, but their solid pale blue eyes stood out. Others rested on six or eight legs and almost as many barbed arms. A twisted shadow centipede-like monster several yards long stood near the front and Erebus. Smaller packs of squat, three-legged creatures with large mandibles scurried around the feet of their larger brethren. There was surprising variation in the concentrated evil.
Rem narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t sure what he expected in the final showdown, but a single man surrounded by an army of grotesque creatures sounded about right.
“What are they waiting for?” Nero asked, pulling down his rifle.
Other hybrids readied their weapons. Rem didn’t bother. He’d long suspected they’d be useless, but there was no harm in trying for the others.
Rem shook his head. There were more than enough of the creatures to break down the gate. But maybe they couldn’t. This wasn’t a normal battle, and normal restrictions didn’t apply.
“The wards Anassa placed must be keeping them at bay,” he said.
Rem turned back to the men, his confidence building. If what he said were true, then everyone inside would be safe. The hybrids could concentrate on pure offense. The best thing they could do would be to draw the creatures into the woods and take them out there.
He nodded to Magnus. “Take a team and head into the woods. Make sure they follow. My team will flank them from behind. If the guns don’t work, drop them immediately and go hand-to-hand.” He lifted a fist, a light glow around it. “Right now, we’ve got ancient power flowing through us.”
Magnus replied with a firm nod, gesturing to half the hybrids. He watched in silence as the men made their way over to the edge of the woods, making sure to stay close enough to Erebus’s army to draw attention. The creatures let out unearthly roars and screeches as they followed into the woods, an unholy stampede, the massive surge of darkness blocking Erebus. Just as the last monster disappeared into the
tree line, Rem nodded to his squad to make their move.
Magnus’s team opened fire. The rifles cracked in the night, their bright muzzle flashes lighting up the darkness. All the deadly advances of humanity meant nothing against the monsters, the bullets bouncing off with no effect. The hybrids, already prepared for this eventuality, didn’t panic. They dropped the guns without ceremony and raised their fists, their tattoos glowing brightly.
A centipede monster charged Magnus. The hybrid bellowed out a roar in challenge and charged forward, lifting his hand. White light enveloped it before he smashed into the head of the monster. Unlike with the bullets, his fist broke through, splattering dark liquid all over and crushing the head of the hideous creature. It collapsed to the ground, sizzling, its body disappearing into the sky as dark smoke.
The storm intensified, the rain falling even harder than before, causing a hazy silhouette of the shadow army. Lightning flashed in the sky, the loud thunder following barely audible over the screeches of the enemy and the shouts and yells of the hybrids.
Rem’s team, including Alec and Nero, charged into the exposed flank of the enemy, slicing and punching with their empowered bodies. Alec punched clean through one of the humanoid monsters, before spinning and finishing off a second. Nero roared and smashed two of the smaller creatures together. Other hybrids on the team ripped into the enemy.
The monsters might have numbers, but it took a couple dozen monsters disappearing in a sizzling mess before a portion of the army broke off to engage the second hybrid force. That left the enemy sandwiched between the angry glowing hybrids who continued their assault. The dying shrieks of the monsters were almost indistinguishable from their war cries. Despite the raging storm and the shadow army, the bright white around the hybrids’ hands and arms stood out, as did the glow of their tattoos. The light was pushing back the shadow.
“Hold back nothing!” Rem screamed.
A six-legged beast that looked like a cross between a dog and spider charged at him. Its mouth was full of three rows of razor-sharp fangs. Rem’s powerful kick sent it into a tree, but didn’t kill it, his leg and foot not lighting up like his hands. The monster bounced off the tree and landed without any sign of pain rounding again on its target and sprinting before leaping toward him.
This time he was ready. Rem dropped beneath and slashed his nails along the belly of the beast. His glowing hand cut through with ease, and the beast let out a piercing cry before collapsing to the ground. Like the others it sizzled away into a loose cloud of black smoke dissipated by the heavy winds.
Rem took short, ragged breaths. He was missing something. Something obvious. He growled and surveyed the battlefield, looking for the one enemy who wasn’t a shadow beast.
Magnus punched through a trio of monsters that resembled giant two-headed beetles. Rem rushed his way, finishing off several smaller crablike monsters the size of large cats.
“Erebus?” he called out. “Have you seen him?”
Magnus shook his head, ducking to avoid the spear-like arm of another creature. He repaid it by slicing its head off with his glowing hand.
Rem clenched his fists. He’d been an idiot. He’d assumed that the wards would protect the people inside and thought he had the advantage, but it was clear now that the monsters were a distraction. There were no guarantees Erebus couldn’t force through the wards or that he didn’t have some other trick in mind.
“Shit,” Rem said. “I didn’t give Nyx the power. If Erebus gets inside…”
“We’ve got this,” Magnus said. “Go find him.”
Rem nodded. Magnus was right. With their new powers, his men could win against the minions. It was time to find their master.
Chapter Seventeen
Jenna stood at the gate. The rain had drenched her, but she paid it no mind. She was on a mission and knew that no matter what, she would have to face the man on the other side. Rem was putting everything on the line to protect their son and the world. It was time she did as well.
She stepped over to the gate control panel and pressed a button. The gate started to swing open, and she made her way toward it. Erebus stood there, waiting for her just outside the circle, something approaching smugness on his face.
“I knew you would come,” he said softly but clearly. He voice seemed to float through the cacophony of the rain, shrieks, and roars in the background.
“That’s strange since I didn’t know I was going to come.”
Erebus smiled. “Maybe I know you better than you know yourself. All this struggle was pointless. Fate has led you inexorably toward me.”
Jenna laughed and leveled one of the guns she was holding directly at his head. “I doubt that, asshole.”
Erebus raised a brow. Clearly, he hadn’t been expecting that, and it gave her more than a little satisfaction to know she was one step ahead of him. This monster had been hunting them for far too long.
“I am stronger than your halfling,” he said. “This only shows what a match we are that you would meet me where he hasn’t. Why delay the inevitable?”
Jenna frowned. “Strength isn’t just what you offer in a fight.”
Erebus’s face scrunched up in confusion. “In battle, strength is the only thing that matters.”
Jenna shook her head. “There is so much more than that. And I think maybe you knew this once long ago, but time has stripped you of that. Strength of heart is the most important thing any of us can have.”
He opened his mouth as if he wanted to respond but instead turned his head to the side. His long black hair blocked her from seeing his face. Something she had to think was done intentionally.
“I will be born unto you. The wheels of fate are already in motion.” His voice was quiet but firm, and Jenna wondered if he said it more for himself than her.
“Would that make me your mother?” she asked.
Erebus turned back toward her. “The lives of purebloods aren’t measured in such a way. We come into life, and we exist. Our lives aren’t wrapped around your narrow conceptions of reality. You’re such a limited creature, but you will give birth to something far greater.”
Jenna wanted to ask more about the other definitions of life and who they existed for, but needed to keep him on track if she was going to end up where she wanted. This wasn’t about exploring the possibilities of life. This was about protecting the life that wanted to come out of her any minute.
“So you ask me to sacrifice my child so you can have life?” she asked. “You think that’s fair?”
Erebus gave a harsh laugh. “All things require sacrifice. It’s what you’re willing to pay to have what you want.” He pinned her with his clear blue eyes. “I can give you children. I can give you a life as long as you want it. What can that inferior creature give you?”
Jenna let out a shaky breath. “Love. He gives me love.”
For a moment, she saw the veil drop, the partially smug distance, and Erebus looked more human than she’d ever seen him. Human and in pain. He needed to remember. If there was one thing she believed in above all else, it was that love had no end.
Jenna wasn’t even sure if the gun was stopping him. She lowered her weapon, if only to give Erebus more time to think about what she’d said. He didn’t react.
She took a small step forward but stopped herself from passing beyond the compound entryway. If she stepped outside the seal, it would be broken, and Erebus would get exactly what he wanted. Her.
A stabbing pain shot through her womb. She leaned over and tried to grit her way through the pain. Something caught her eye on the ground, but a new wave of pain brought her back to the moment and to her knees, rain splashing in the puddles around her
“It won’t be long now,” Erebus said. “You will both be mine.”
Jenna looked up, tears from pain and frustration ran down her face only to be washed away by the rain.
“Over my dead fucking body will I let you have my woman,” growled Rem.
Jenna gasped
as he stepped out from the shadow of the building. A glowing white light from his arms spread over his entire body.
“You want her, you’ll have to go through me.”
Erebus glared at Rem. His lip pulled back in a sneer. “Gladly.”
Chapter Eighteen
Jenna slumped to the ground, the guns in her hands slipping out. Her whole body shook with pain, and Rem knew that Erebus had been right about one thing. It wouldn’t be long before Rem’s child made his way to this world.
It was now or never. The other hybrids were risking their lives, but it’d all mean nothing if they didn’t defeat the man responsible for creating the army.
Rem stepped forward, the powerful energy coursing through him increasing with each step, as if responding to the other man’s presence. His tattoos burned, and he growled at Erebus.
“Looks like someone got an upgrade.” Erebus laughed. “You really think it’s going to be enough to take down a god, you insignificant creature?”
This time it was Rem’s turn to laugh. He took another step forward and squared his shoulders, locking eyes with Erebus.
“Good thing I’m not fighting one, isn’t it, then?” Rem scoffed. “All I see is someone who got locked in the darkness and couldn’t even get himself out without the help of humans. You’re a god? Give me a break.”
Erebus sneered at the mention of the dark, and Rem knew he’d struck something with his taunt. It must have burned Erebus that after everything he was locked away and could only escape with the help of lesser beings.
“Enough!” Erebus shouted. “Show me what you’re made of and then we can compare just who is truly the god. I will be born again into my true power, but you can die with the solace of knowing you provided me my new vessel.”
He charged forward, his movement a near blur. He was far faster than Rem had ever seen a Glycon or hybrid move, and he closed in on Rem an instant, a firm fist landing square in Rem’s ribs and producing a crack loud enough to be heard through the storm.
Rem: #12 (Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas) Page 9