by Alex Steele
She glanced at me and I knew that she’d known about Chaos all along.
Talos stepped over the threshold. “This is going to be a long walk.”
He wasn’t wrong. The narrow stairwell spiraled downward for what felt like miles. My already tired legs burned even with Swift supporting most of my weight.
A thick layer of dust covered every step. No one had come down here in a very long time. Perhaps not since Prometheus had been imprisoned in this place.
Finally, the end of the stairs came into view. I’d expected some kind of epic chamber, but in comparison to the rest of the prison, the cavern we walked into was fairly small. The ceiling was uneven. They must not have bothered to smooth it out when the rest of the room was carved out of the stone.
The whole space was about thirty feet across. In the center the darkness deepened. A circle of strange shadows moved as if they were flames, flickering and dancing as they stretched toward the ceiling.
“What is that in the center?” I asked.
“Void flames,” Yamashita said with a choked whisper. “They’ll kill any mortal that passes through them, but we have to get through them and bring Prometheus out. It’s the only way. Those flames cannot be extinguished.” She looked back at them fearfully. “Not by any of us.”
“I hate to break it to you, but we’re all mortal,” I said staring at the flames with frustration.
Yamashita glanced at me. “Not completely.”
She’s right. We can pass through unscathed.
I took a deep breath. “How do I do this?”
“You can’t be serious,” Swift interrupted. “You heard what she just said.”
“I can use Apollo’s Bow when no one else can. I can use magic within Purgatory. There’s a reason why. The mayhem magic isn’t just magic. It’s Chaos.”
Swift stared at me silently as all the clues filtered through her mind. It had all been there all along, we just hadn’t wanted to admit it.
“I have a god trapped inside of me, Lexi.”
She ground her teeth together and looked at Yamashita. “He might have a god somewhere inside him, but his body is still mortal. Will it hurt him?”
“I...don’t think so,” Yamashita admitted.
“We’re wasting too much time. You agreed to this, Blackwell.” Talos strode over and stopped right in front of me. “Prometheus said you could pass through. Perhaps Chaos’s magic will protect you, but we won’t know until you try.”
I tugged my arm away from Swift, swaying in place a little from the effort it took to support my own body weight. “I’ll do what I promised.”
Swift opened her mouth to object again, but I stopped her.
“Chaos is telling me I can do this. I don’t think he has a death wish.” I gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Trust me on this.”
“Fine. But if you end up charred meat, know that I think this is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.”
I flashed her a grin as I began limping toward Prometheus’s prison. “Not by a long shot.”
As I drew closer, I realized that the flames put off no heat. There was no smell of smoke either. The lack of anything made them seem like an illusion, but Yamashita’s fearful reaction to them told me that wasn’t true.
Before I could overthink it, I thrust my hand into the fire. Mayhem magic — Chaos’s magic — flowed over my skin like a glove. The flames swirled around it, but they couldn’t touch me.
“Here goes nothing.” Taking a deep breath and squeezing my eyes shut, I walked into the fire. With two steps, I was through it and the mayhem magic seeped back into my skin.
It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the lack of light within the circle of void flames. I held still, unsure of what threats I might face in here alone. Slowly, the area came into view.
A strange, misshapen thing hunched over a slab of pure, black rock. Its head jerked down, then up with sharp tugs. I blinked and my vision cleared a little more. I saw that it was a bird. A much larger one than was natural. It was at least seven feet tall from its head to its tail. Golden feathers were streaked with filth, dulling what must have once been vibrant plumage.
Beneath the bird’s clawed foot lay a skeletal figure. Prometheus was not what I expected. He was gaunt. Pale skin stretched too thin over a quaking body. He did not look like a god — he barely looked alive. His head turned toward me and his arm jerked in the chains that bound him. A soft plea fell from his lips, barely audible over the wet noises of the bird’s feeding.
The bird looked up, startled by Prometheus’s movements. Gore dripped from its beak as it cocked its head to the side. A gleaming, yellow eye met my own. Blood trickled off the side of the slab and I realized what the bird had been eating. It was feeding on Prometheus himself.
I pulled out the bow very slowly, not wanting to startle it. Its head twitched curiously at the movement. This thing had been feeding on a god for a long time. I probably looked like food.
This creature was as much a prisoner as Prometheus. They’d both been trapped in here for centuries. Perhaps longer.
The bird straightened, the feathers on its head flaring out. An ear-splitting cry echoed through the room. I lifted the bow as it shot up into the air. Mayhem magic flowed through the leather bound grip and the pale, silvery limbs of the bow shimmered into being. The pull on my magic increased.
When I’d tested the bow, I’d held back as much as I could. This time, I intended to go all in. The bird spun around and dove straight toward me. I focused on it as the mayhem magic surged into the bow. A pure black arrow formed in place.
I let the string go. The arrow screeched through the air like a missile. It struck the bird and surged straight through it.
I ran for Prometheus as magic exploded in every direction. Mayhem magic flared out over us like an umbrella, shielding us from the shockwave and the gore that rained down with it. My vision swam as I struggled to catch my breath. The grip of the bow tumbled from my fingers. I hated using that thing. It exhausted me physically and magically, neither of which I could really afford right now. I hadn’t wanted to take any chances trying to fight off that bird though. Yui had given me the bow for a reason.
“Free me.” Prometheus’s hoarse voice shocked me out of my thoughts. Up close, he looked even worse. His hair was matted to his head. Scars, new and old, covered his skin. The open wound on his belly began knitting back together as I watched. It must have been agony to relive this torture day after day.
I straightened and stepped back, releasing the shield I still had hovering over us. “I have a few questions first.”
“I expected as much,” he croaked.
“Why are the gods fighting now? You all faded into myth and legend. There has to be a reason you are returning.”
Prometheus’s head jerked in agreement. “Fate made a mistake. Long ago, they wrested control from Zeus. All gods were bound by Fate and forced to stop interfering with the human world. But they broke the rules first. They made a mistake and slowly the binding has broken. Every day my power returns. The prayers of the righteous uplift me.”
“And you’re going to fight him for control.”
“No,” he hissed, jerking at his chains as he attempted to lunge toward me. “I will break their control. All I have ever wanted is freedom, and I have been punished for sharing that dream with humanity.”
If he was lying, I couldn’t tell. It didn’t really matter anyhow. I had to hold up my end of the bargain with The Awakened.
“Before I free you, I want a promise.”
“Name your price.”
“A favor repaid in kind. I’m helping you escape now, and you have to swear to help me in the same way when I need it. I know you have the power to do that. The Awakened have been feeding you magic for years now.”
A grin spread across his face, then nodded,. “I accept your deal.”
I grabbed the bow and shoved it in my pocket, then lifted my hand. Mayhem magic shot out, breaking all the chains at on
ce. I slipped an arm under Prometheus’ legs and shoulders and picked him up. He weighed next to nothing.
I hurried out of the circle of void flames as a sick sense of dread built in the pit of my stomach. There was no time to waste.
Forty-Four
Swift let out a sharp breath of relief as I stepped out of the flames. “There were a lot of very disturbing noises while you were in there.”
“There was an aggressive bird,” I said with a shrug.
Yamashita fell to her knees and clasped her hands together. “It’s really him.”
Prometheus’s head rolled to the side and his eyes found her. “Have you brought the vessel? This body is weak.”
Talos walked forward, his eyes shining with fervent adoration. “Yes, I am here.”
“What is going on?” I asked warily, not liking what I was hearing at all.
“Lay him on the ground,” Yamashita demanded, shaking off whatever shock she’d experienced at seeing Prometheus again. “We have to move quickly.”
I did as she asked, having no interest in carrying him around. Talos knelt beside his body and placed both hands on Prometheus’s chest.
“I come willingly.”
Hiroji tapped my elbow as I stopped near him and Swift. “We need to leave. Now.”
“I-”
Talos’ head fell back and vibrant, red flames poured out of his eyes and mouth. A powerful shockwave of magic smacked into us, throwing us to the ground before even Chaos could react. I grabbed Hiroji and Swift and dragged them close as I threw up a shield. This was the same magic I’d felt back in Bound. It was Prometheus’s power.
All at once, the magic buffeting my shield stopped. I lowered and we scrambled to our feet. Talos lay on the ground, panting as if he’d just run a mile. He pushed up into a sitting position, then stood. Prometheus lay at his feet — or what was left of him. The already emaciated body was crumbling into dust.
Talos turned to face us and I realized what he had done. He was gone. Prometheus had taken his body — the ultimate sacrifice of a fanatical zealot. He held out his hand to Yamashita, who took it with a look of awe.
“We should …” Prometheus paused as if listening to something very far away, then winked at me. “Good luck.”
He and Yamashita vanished without so much as a puff of smoke.
“I think we need to run,” Hiroji said, putting one hand on his katana.
Before we could move, the air shook around us. For a moment I thought it was the aftershocks of Prometheus’s sudden disappearance, but it soon became apparent this was something much worse. Magic pressed in from every direction, increasing until the pressure was almost unbearable.
The fabric of reality split in front of us. A shadow stepped out, both ethereal and frighteningly real. The darkness solidified into a being, but it was not human. A hood shrouded his face, partially concealing it, but it was clear he had no features. No eyes, no mouth. There was only nothingness there. An abyss that it was hard to tear my eyes away from.
“Where is Prometheus?” His words slithered over my skin and into my skull. My mind ached at the assault.
“Gone,” I gasped out, needing the pressure to end. It only increased.
“And who released him from his rightful punishment?”
“I did.” The words were pulled from me this time. I could not have held my tongue no matter how hard I tried.
“Who...are...you?” Swift choked out.
“Hades. Death. Mortals have given me many names.” He swept toward us, or perhaps we moved toward him. I could not tell. The room seemed smaller than it had before, and everything had gone cold and quiet.
Death stooped down to look me in the eye. “You took something from me. Did you think your actions would not have a price?”
“I had a chat with the Warden earlier and got permission. Guess he forgot to mention he had a boss,” I stuttered out with more nerve than I felt.
“A foolish mistake made by a foolish child.”
Death reached his hand back and the void flames sank into the floor before disappearing completely. I felt his displeasure in the very air around us. Slowly, he turned back.
“Your kind have asked a question many times that I find fascinating. It has taken different forms over the millennia — but the essence always remains the same. Is the life of one person you hold dear more valuable than the lives of thousands of strangers?” Death circled me, his hollow gaze never straying from me. “What would you choose Blackwell? Her?” Swift was yanked from the group into the air. Her limbs shook as she struggled against the impossible power controlling her. “Or them?” Death waved his hand and the faces of every prisoner in Purgatory appeared as a misty apparition.
This is what Fate had promised me. This choice. Swift’s life for thousands of others. But I knew now that it was all a manipulation to get what he really wanted.
“Neither.”
Death paused and crept closer. “You must choose.”
“I choose myself. I’ll pay the price and go with you willingly — if you let all of my friends and allies go free, without repercussion.”
“Logan, no-” Swift’s cry cut off abruptly.
I looked up into the shifting darkness of his face. “There’s not long left before the decision is taken out of both our hands.”
I tugged my shirt open so he could see it. He’d know what the rune meant. What it would do in less than ten minutes now. He’d know it was irreversible.
Death stared at me without speaking for a long moment. I held his gaze without fear. I’d made my peace with this the night I’d listened to my mother’s message.
“I accept.”
At his proclamation, silence fell over me. The fear I wanted to deny pounded in my chest with painful certainty. The instinct to fight until the last moment to survive was impossible to overcome. Darkness crept in from the edges of my vision. All sensation fled from my limbs. No more pain, no more cold. There was...nothing.
I was nothing.
I was…
Forty-Five
Lexi Swift
Rain splattered against the window as I stared out at the Blackwell manor grounds, not really seeing anything. Numbness alternated with searing grief, anger, and confusion. I replayed the moment Death had taken Blackwell over and over in my mind. He hadn’t fought. It wasn’t like him.
Everything had gone to shit after Death had taken Blackwell. Hiroji and I had barely made it out of Purgatory. The Awakened had done their best to bring the prison down with well-placed dynamite. Yamashita was still missing and we had no idea where Prometheus had taken her. There was so much we didn’t know.
I turned away from the window, shoving the memories to the back of my mind. We still had work to do. I’d expected my father’s people to be here waiting for us. That they weren’t worried me. It meant that we were not the biggest threat. That we were no threat at all, perhaps.
I wouldn’t let his current inaction lull me into a false sense of security though. He’d find a reason to come after us if we didn’t fall in line. He always did. Bootstrap was packing up all his things, then we were getting out of here.
Hiroji knocked once on the doorjamb, then strolled into the office. “Everything will be ready by tonight. The two of you can go with Bradley and his family.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. “Sounds good. Are Lopez and Viktor still planning on staying with the Awakened to keep an eye on things?”
“Yes. Yamashita has also promised to keep in contact, though…” he trailed off for a moment. “Things are going to get ugly fast. Even in hiding, you will all be at risk if a war breaks out.”
“I understand. We just need a little time to figure out what to do next.”
“There’s one more thing.” Hiroji walked over and held out his hand. “Before we freed Prometheus, Blackwell gave this to me and said it was for you.”
Hiroji dropped Blackwell’s family ring into the palm of my hand. I stared at it in confusion.
“I’m not sure. I was suspicious, but there was no time to stop and question him about it.” He paused, pressing his lips together in frustration. “Blackwell was a good man, but he wasn’t the type to martyr himself to play hero. Something must have happened, because he went down without a fight. It doesn’t sit right with me.”
I closed my fingers around the ring. “Me neither.”
“I do find it interesting that he didn’t just give it to you directly.”
I snorted. “I would have stopped and argued with him about it no matter the circumstances. He must have known you would do as you were asked.”
Hiroji laughed, but there was no humor in it. “I guess he knows us better than we know ourselves.”
“Apparently so,” I said with a tight smile.
“Akita will be here to pick the two of you up in a half hour. If anything happens before then, get to the rendezvous spot we discussed.”
“Understood.”
The door shut quietly behind me as Hiroji left. I looked around the office. It still felt like Blackwell would walk in at any moment.
I looked down at the signet ring. I’d spent a lot of my life alone, fighting with no one else at my back. Blackwell had seemed like a selfish asshole when I’d first met him but, somehow, we’d truly become partners. I pushed the ring onto my finger as I swore a silent oath to myself to finish what Blackwell had started. I would find a way to take down my parents and Fate. One way or another.
I moved to leave — Bootstrap had probably gotten distracted — but the bookshelf caught my eye and I paused, glancing down at the ring on my hand. Blackwell was more sentimental than most people gave him credit for, but he was also practical. This ring didn’t just represent family. It was the key to the hidden room that contained a chest his mother had left behind.
Perhaps…
I walked over to the shelf and pressed my hand into the empty spot normally taken by a book. The wood warmed under my hand and the door unlocked, swinging inward. That shouldn’t have been possible. I wasn’t blood-related. For this to work, Blackwell would have had to alter the enchantments to include me specifically.