As soon as Lare left, Jonas allowed the words “day off” to soak in. He considered sleeping in . . . He considered it again. But. Those
words . . . he hopped out of bed, cleaned up, and then dressed in a black tunic top with blue pants. His black shoes seemed to work with anything, so he didn’t bother with Orline’s provided footwear.
After eating breakfast, he realized he had left Fragment on his bed, and hurried back to his room. Someone knocked on his door the second he strapped the sheathed sword on his side.
“It’s unlocked,” Jonas said.
Athena entered. “Morning,” she said. Jonas froze, his eyes praising the sight of Athena’s attire. She wore a white chiffon dressed that revealed a lot of her legs, with matching sandals. A diamond necklace draped across her deck. Jonas almost drooled.
“Mo–morning,” he said, feeling a little stupid. “What kind of luck have I’ve been blessed with to have your presence this morning?”
“Well . . . you’re like my only non-political friend,” Athena said with a giggle. “So I thought maybe I’d spend time with you on this beautiful morning.”
Beautiful indeed, Jonas thought, trying his hardest not to gawk.
“I’d be pretty dumb to turn away such a good friend,” Jonas said.
“There is this amazing place of swords I wanted to show you,” Athena said. “Knights love the place.”
Jonas’s face lit up even more. “Let’s not waste the day here; come on.” Jonas and Athena left the room and started down the hall. Athena’s gaze turned to the familiar medallion draping across Jonas’s neck.
She flushed. “I see . . . you’re still wearing that medallion Father gave you.”
“I am. It felt like it became a part of me before I knew it.” Jonas looked at Athena. “Have any idea about its meaning?” He read her flustered face and guessed that she did. “Come on . . . tell me.”
“I . . . can’t. You’ll have to figure out the secret on your own,” Athena quickly said.
“I’m not sure where to begin . . .” he paused and grinned.
“What?” Athena said nervously.
“I think I know where to look,” Jonas said.
“That should be the least of your worries.” The two spun. Loki waved from several feet away.
“Hello, Loki,” Athena said. “Wh—”
“Good-bye,” Loki said, “the two of you.”
At that moment, a pillar of light struck Jonas and Athena from above. They tried to move, but it was futile. Jonas’s vision faded to a rainbow of colors: blues, purples, yellows. Then just as quickly as it happened, the light was gone, the colors too, and the duo found themselves in a forest. They looked at each other and then the surrounding area.
“Hello, can you both hear me?” Loki’s voice echoed through a breeze.
“Loki, what have you done?” Athena fumed. “You better undo this now, or my father will destroy you.”
“Relax, this is only a mere game,” Loki said with a laugh. “You two are currently in the realm of Demonia. If you want to be sent back here, simply find the object—that which its master visions you and I. Get your hands on that, and my spell will be broken.”
“No!” Athena boomed. “Get us out of here now; we have plans!”
“Too bad,” Loki laughed. “You better move forward now if you want to get back on time. Don’t worry; you’re not too far from that object, but Demonia’s the land of desires. Will you make it out?”
“Loki!” Athena snarled.
“Good-bye for now,” Loki said. “And good luck. You won’t be missed.”
Chapter 29
Abaddon, Prudus, and Flow stood outside of the fortress. Their presences froze the heat of the daunting afternoon sun. Prudus and Flow remained at attention, awaiting their master’s orders. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Abaddon nodded. He felt confident with the plan.
“I approve of your plan, Prudus,” Abaddon said. “However, I need your attention elsewhere.”
“Assisting Riley, my lord?” Prudus said.
“Distracting that fool Ares without him identifying us—that could only work so long. Take your men, enter the battle, and give them a fresh feeling.”
“My lord, who will go with Flow to the palace?”
“After she identifies the sword holder and places her stigma on him so we can track, I will accompany her during the attack.”
“My lord, what if you run into powerful titans,” Prudus said.
“Your plan was well thought out, Prudus. I do not intend to undermine it further.” Abaddon folded his arms. “Flow will track the sword holder. I’m sure she will obtain enough information to know when he is alone. Your idea to have a great force to serve as a diversion while we go straight to the sword is quite interesting. Flow will make quick work of the holder, and then, at last, the curse shall be broken. Now is not the time to have doubts, Prudus the Deadly.”
“Indeed, sire,” Prudus said.
“Like you said, not even Zeus will have a remedy for a plan this simple. He expects something complex. My choosing of this may actually surprise him.”
Abaddon turned to Flow. “Go on now, but stay hidden. You may be powerful, but not even you can kill every titan by yourself.”
“Yes, Lord Abaddon.” Flow spread her wings, leapt several feet into the air, and flew off into the afternoon sky.
“Prudus, you’re dismissed too. Good work. Make sure that commander stays alive. If Odin is really involved, then I have no time to waste. And keep watch. Those damn ravens of his could be anywhere.”
“Yes, sire.” Prudus about-faced and headed back into the fortress. When he was out of sight, Abaddon chuckled.
“Gabriel, you can undo your invisibility now. I know you’re there.”
Just a foot in front of Abaddon, Gabriel became visible, her face expressionless. “My plan is no secret to you. I will break this curse and take revenge.”
“Overconfident, are we?” Gabriel said.
“No. Overcautious, for now. If you were a threat, I’d know it,
but . . . will you betray me?”
Gabriel didn’t respond.
“The reason why you feel unsure is because I haven’t told you what happened then. When you hear this, you must hold your tongue from Celestial and help me.”
Chapter 30
“This is ludicrous!” Athena fumed.
Jonas sighed. “Let’s go,” he said. “Waiting here in a place like this will not do us any good.”
“How can you be so calm about this? We’re in Demonia!”
“You’ve got it all wrong,” Jonas said. “I’m only setting aside my anger. I’d rather try to get out of here, not stand still and panic.”
Athena studied Jonas’s face before finally giving in. “Fine.”
There was only a single clear path forward. Behind the duo were endless runs of dark woods. The two walked the path in silence. As time passed, Jonas stole glances at Athena. He tried hard to stop but felt like he was falling off the edge of a losing battle. His eyes targeted her fine legs; her perfect shape; her long, snow-white hair; her bosom; even her lips. He could barely understand what suddenly came over him . . . In fact, he didn’t want to understand it. He just wanted Athena. Too much.
“Jonas.” Jonas continued to stare. “Jonas, snap out of it!” Jonas flinched, returning to himself.
“Sorry, I was just . . . thinking about our situation,” he lied.
“I doubt you were,” Athena snarled. “You were falling victim to the pheromonal magic in the air.”
“What’s that?” Jonas asked.
“It’s an invisible mist that will cause outsiders who breathe it to go mad with worldly desires over time.”
“If that were so . . . then why aren’t you affected by it?” Jonas asked.
“I’ve got a way higher tolerance for it than you.”
“So unfair,” Jonas said with a light laugh.
“Maybe. I’ll just smack you out o
f any daydreams while we’re here.”
“I think I’ll be fine for a while,” Jonas said, clutching Fragment.
“It’s not that simple,” Athena said.
“If I can keep my eyes off you while we’re walking, it is,” Jonas said.
“Wait, you mean you were desiring—”
“I’m going ahead,” Jonas interrupted and ran.
“Hey, wait up. Don’t try to run away from this! Athena bellowed as she hurried after him. The duo stopped when they noticed a small village ahead.
“Maybe Loki’s clue isn’t far from us,” Jonas said, hoping Athena had forgotten about his perverted desire. She glared at him for a few seconds.
“Well, let’s go,” she said. “Coward.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Jonas and Athena watched eyes turn to them as they entered the village. All of the villagers were young women whose ages ranged from Jonas’s age to the early twenties. Deep down, Jonas felt familiarity with the village setting: clean air, familiar people, friends. However, behind the huts and small houses, he knew of this place. He recalled a story passed from the Altmias when he was but a young boy. The story warned men that a village of beautiful women is the domain of beings called seductresses.
“Loki has really made this difficult,” Jonas said to Athena in a low voice.
“Even so, we can’t afford to let him win,” Athena replied in the same manner. Just then, a woman with long, red hair approached them, a seemingly warm smile perched across her face.
“Visitors are rare,” she said. “I’d like to personally welcome you to our village.”
“Thanks,” Jonas said. He suddenly felt his eyes wander to the woman’s body. He bit his lip and forced his eyes away, fighting the trance with all of his will. He wasn’t sure if the mist pulled him or the seductress.
“I know you two are passing through, but why not rest here a bit before continuing on your journey?”
“Sure,” Jonas said before realizing he had accepted a seductress’s invitation without thinking. Athena didn’t scold or comment on his choice, which surprised Jonas.
“My sister runs an inn. You can rest there until you’re ready to go.”
“Jonas, you go ahead and follow umm . . .”
“It’s Sarin.”
“Sarin. There are some things I want to check out.”
Jonas shot Athena a confused look. She grinned, almost evilly. “Don’t worry, I’ll catch up.”
Sarin grabbed Jonas’s hand. He flushed. “Respect the wishes of your lady friend.” She giggled. Jonas sighed. He hoped Athena’s prank wouldn’t get him forever stuck in a madman’s trance.
When the two entered the inn, Sarin closed the door behind her. She placed her hand on Jonas’s shoulder. “Relax and make yourself at home.”
Jonas looked around. The inn appeared luxurious—more than it did on the outside. Floors were made of marble, walls of painted stone, and expensive candles were perched on every corner. The aroma smelled sweet of flowers. Maybe these women were not seductresses after all. Maybe they weren’t demons. “Please sit.” Sarin pointed at a chair cushioned with luxurious cloths and padding. Jonas accepted the offer. He immediately felt a rush of comfort overtake his body, almost heavenly. The inn felt cool and comfortable. Jonas didn’t know how but didn’t question it. He looked up at Sarin, a smiling beautiful woman, and let his suspicion fly away. During that quick gaze, he noticed on her wrist, a stunning gold bracelet embedded with a symbol that looked like an eye, glittering.
“That’s an interesting bracelet,” Jonas said.
Sarin’s gaze suddenly felt different to Jonas, alluring. He couldn’t turn away from her no matter how hard he tried. She walked over to him.
“It’s called the Vision of Perforate,” she said as she straddled Jonas. Her faint smirk revealed a fang. “Embrace me, delicious human,” she whispered. Jonas felt mesmerized as she brought her face closer to his. Her sweet perfume tingled his nose. Her soft skin hugged his. Jonas felt himself slipping further and further away from reality. Sarin rested her forehead against Jonas’s and grinned, revealing fangs alongside her perfect teeth. She licked her lips. “You smell so delicious—so much that I may become drunk.”
Deep down, Jonas felt it was all over for him. Sarin had him all along. But . . . another grim feeling, siding with his current, covered him: Athena was alone with demons.
What was she thinking with this? Jonas thought. He flinched, realizing he somehow thought clearly again. He shoved Sarin off him.
“Nice try,” he said, “but I’m not your damn breakfast.” He pulled the bracelet off Sarin’s wrist. “I’m going to borrow this for a while.” Jonas walked out of the inn. Close call. Somehow, simply thinking of Athena saved his life. He located her yards away, dagger in hand, surrounded by three seductresses.
“Hey!” Jonas snarled. They all looked at him. He unsheathed Fragment. Its silver blade gleamed in the sunlight.
Chapter 31
The seductresses froze at the sight of Fragment, its magnificent gleam empowering its threatening presence. Slowly, one-by-one, they all dropped to their knees, pale, and lowered their heads.
“Great One who wields the sword of curses and creation, please accept our forgiveness.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Athena whispered. The seductresses remained on their knees as the duo exited the same way as the entrance.
As soon as they were several yards out of sight of the village, Athena and Jonas stopped.
“Okay, what was that all about?” Jonas said,
“That’s my question,” Athena retorted.
“You’re the one who sent me to my death,” Jonas said, his voice nearly angry. He knew he couldn’t be angry. In the end, he had an idea of why Athena sent him. He didn’t disagree; no one forced him.
“Let’s see the relic,” she said.
“Athena.”
She gazed at him, eyes glistening with warmth. “I placed a blessing on you. There is no way I’d allow those monsters to have their way with you.”
Jonas chuckled, feeling stupid, as he pulled the bracelet out of his pocket.
“It was a pretty close call. She was seconds away from devouring me.”
“You weren’t the only one who had it rough,” Athena reminded. “The second you were out of sight, they whispered among themselves, and then eventually attacked me. They probably intended to turn me into one of them.” Jonas passed the bracelet to Athena.
“The Vision of Perforate,” she said softly. “This thing was said to be lost in the Unknown. How did Loki know it was here?”
“What kind of powers does it have?” Jonas asked.
“I’m not sure. I just know that it’s incredibly valuable and collectors seek it.”
“Then Loki’s probably a collector,” Jonas suggested. “He’s probably using us, afraid of entering this mist and retrieving it himself.”
“Sounds about right,” Athena agreed. Just then, the bracelet shimmered of white light repeatedly. Like before, Jonas experienced a vision of many colors. When they cleared, the duo was back at the palace, standing right in front of Loki. His eyes widened, surprised.
“You escaped Demonia in only four hours,” he said. “Now that is both surprising and amusing. I wanted you to despair and cry before getting rescued by yours truly and owing me a great debt.”
Jonas shot Loki a glare that would’ve broken any human man. Loki only grinned. “If you ever do that again, I will kill you,” Jonas snarled. “This may be a competition, but cowardly moves like that will probably not impress Pila.”
“Well said,” Athena agreed. “I can have you deported right now.”
“Honestly, I wouldn’t care,” Loki said with a laugh. “Don’t be so stuck up. I’m giving that bracelet to you as an award for saving our heads during the test. Throwing you in Demonia was just for fun.”
“And you almost got us killed,” Jonas barked.
“That would
be true if I sent you alone,” Loki said, “but there isn’t a single demon that could break Princess Athena’s blessings.” Loki turned his back. “Jonas, I will probably kill you during the free-for-all. Don’t make it too easy for me.” He walked off.
“I’ll deal with him later,” Jonas said. “What should we do about the bracelet?”
“I will have Orline check it for curses before giving it back to you.”
“You mean you’re letting me keep it?” Jonas said.
“Why wouldn’t I? You’re the one who retrieved it.” Athena started to walk away.
“Athena.” She stopped. “On the next day off, let’s try this again.”
“It’s a promise,” she answered without turning around.
That night, Lare visited Jonas. He revealed to the lemming the events of that day.
“You’re very lucky to have escaped that village of seductresses,” Lare told Jonas. “You may be one of the very few men who ever has, if not the only one.” Lare hovered toward the open door. “I stopped by to make sure you were back in time. Do you know what kind of trouble I’d have to go through if you just disappeared? Just try to be a bit more careful, nitwit, and don’t be too trusting. Remember what’s at stake.” Lare left Jonas to think on his own.
As soon as Jonas believed the lemming to be gone for the night, he headed to the balcony. Medusa stood on top of the railing, staring at the ground.
“That’s dangerous,” Jonas said.
She stepped down. “Good evening.”
“Evening,” Jonas replied.
“What you and I see as dangerous are two completely different views, like two objects located on opposite sides of the sea.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Jonas replied.
Medusa smirked. “The irony—a human worrying about the evil Medusa.”
“You’re not evil,” Jonas said. “You’re . . . just a mystery.”
Medusa laughed.
“What?” Jonas said, flushing of embarrassment.
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