Hunt of the Gods

by Amy Braun

  Which, in fairness, I did a little.

  “Yeah,” I replied, “but he hasn’t answered.”

  She didn’t mask the worry on her face.

  “It could just mean he’s knocked out or too far away from me. The bond only stretches about a hundred feet. He’s still alive. I know it.”

  “How?”

  I hesitated. I didn’t want to answer. Reliving old memories had never done me any favors.

  “I wasn’t there when our father stabbed him. Thomas had led me out into the woods, and I got turned around trying to chase him. He went back for Liam when I wasn’t there. As soon as Liam got stabbed, I… I felt it. Not as in I felt his pain, but I knew something was horribly, horribly wrong. I knew it a split second before he called to me with the bond. But I don’t have that feeling now. I’m still scared shitless for him, Thea, and I doubt he’s going to be uninjured when we find him. But if he were dead, I would know it.” I tapped a finger on my heart. “I would know it for sure.”

  Thea nodded, taking in my words but unable to fight whatever grim emotions she was feeling.

  “Liam can’t die yet,” I assure her. “He still hasn’t asked you out.”

  My remark was so abrupt that Thea’s entire body jolted. She blinked and straightened, staring at me with shocked eyes and reddening cheeks. It made me smile a little bit.

 

  No response. I stood firm in my belief that my brother was alive, but with every passing second, that might stop being true.

  Blood sacrifices were not small things.

  Selena gasped and opened her eyes. “I Saw them. It was dark, and they were in some kind of large stone cavern with smooth walls and engravings on the floor. It’s probably the same one I Saw earlier.” She paused and added, “There were glinting knives and shadowy faces, a dark void, and… and two men who were too tall to be completely human.” She pointed to the east. “That’s where the vision pulled me.”

  Thea gnawed her lower lip.

  “What is it?” I asked, already not liking the answer.

  “There’s a network of caves that run beneath the island,” Thea explained. “In most areas they’re pretty narrow and run throughout the whole island, kind of like a honeycomb.” Thea nodded in the direction Selena had pointed. “An entrance in that direction will lead us to the chamber, but it’s a bunch of winding routes, and it takes a long time to get through. There’s another, shorter, and more direct way.”

  “I’m guessing there’s a giant, dangerous, and potentially lethal ‘but’ coming up,” I quipped.

  Thea sighed. “But… the shorter way goes through a hive before it reaches the chamber. A hive where creatures live.”

  “What kind of creatures?”

  Thea looked at me. “Gorgons.”

  I twisted away and gripped my hair roughly.

  Gorgons. Perfect. Just what we needed—snake creatures that would turn us to stone the moment we looked into their eyes. We had no choice but to take the longer route and lose more time.

  Or do we?

  I lowered my hands and looked at them, palms facing upward. Dark smoke rippled out of my skin.

  I’d created a miniature lift to carry four unconscious bodies. Thea hadn’t been hurt by the aether’s touch because I’d been focused and controlled.

  I turned to the women. “We take the shorter route.”

  Selena’s face was grim.

  “Are you sure?” Thea asked. “I want to find them too, Derek, but I don’t know if I can fight a bunch of gorgons.”

  “We’re not going to be helpless.” Before she could quip back, I opened my palms and showed her the aether.

  Thea stumbled back in shock. “What… What? How?”

  “It’s a long story, and I’ll tell you on the way. But the longer we stand here talking, the more likely it is our friends will be injured… or worse. People are already dead. We can’t add to the body count.”

  Neither Selena nor Thea wanted to go through with my plan. I didn’t blame them. If we ran out of magic, we would be royally screwed. But they knew as well as I did that we didn’t have time to think of anything better. There was no question that we were going to attempt a rescue. I didn’t doubt Selena’s Sight or Thea’s warning. But they couldn’t argue with me, either. Not with so little time on our side, and no outside help coming.

  Thea looked at my hands again, watching the black smoke circle my wrists.

  “I’m sure I’m going to regret this,” she grumbled. “Unfortunately, that’s not anything new.”

  We took only a quick break to catch our breath, eat some of the packed food, drink some water, and check that our prisoners weren’t going to make any daring escapes. I was impatient but admitted the rest had done Thea some good. She’d regained some color and energy as well as a few hints of magic. She wouldn’t be able to perform any major spells, but if all she had access to were her ice daggers and the sai strapped to her waist, I was grateful.

  Selena had spent her time wandering the station until she found a weapon to replace the kukri she’d lost in the water. Thankfully, one of the Sea Guards shared her affinity for the curved weapon, and she “borrowed” it with the promise of returning it to the Sea Guard once she found one to claim as her own.

  On the way to the nearby western cliff, I explained the aether to Thea. She had a billion questions, and I had few answers to give, but she was generally more receptive to the idea than Selena had been.

  Selena had lapsed back into silence, and I couldn’t even begin to guess what she was thinking.

  Fortunately, we arrived at the cliff’s edge in under thirty minutes. Unfortunately, while we’d been in the safety of the station discussing what we would do, storm clouds had been brewing overhead. By the time we reached our destination, the downpour was torrential. Our wetsuits kept us warm enough, but any exposed skin was treated to the sting of the fierce raindrops. We were physically drenched and emotional aggravated.

  The view was as tumultuous as our mindsets. The edge of the island dropped straight down for about thirty feet into violently churning waters. There was a slight dip that created a makeshift trail down the side of the island to a hooked outcropping. We could drop down against the island’s cliff and shimmy across, but it was going to be risky thanks to the rain.

  “The caverns are just below us,” Thea called over the storm. Strands of black hair were plastered to her neck and chin. I’d never seen her look more determined. “I’ll go first. I’ll survive the jump, but you two would be better off climbing. I’ll wait in the water for both of you and will help if either of you slip.”

  With that, she pivoted on her heel and dashed for the edge of the cliff. She leaped off and dove into the raging ocean before we could even think to stop her.

  I jogged to the cliff’s edge and peered down. A small, dark head bobbed in the raging ocean. Thea had her back to the island and her hands outstretched in the water. She was focused, using her magic to create a deep divide between her and the rest of the ocean that stopped waves from smashing directly into her. But she wouldn’t be able to hold it for long.

  I knelt and slipped down the side of the cliff. Thankfully, there were rocks I could grasp and set my feet on, but they were slick as hell. It took me three tries to get to the first, best footing. I made my way to the right, glancing back and forth on the path I needed to take until I was near that rocky hook. Selena followed behind me, and neither of us sacrificed safety for speed.

  Hanging on to that cliff was one of the most harrowing things I’d ever done—never really seeing where my next foot would be planted, water slicking my arms against the rocks, the roaring storm and thunderous waves crashing below me, the taste of sea salt spraying into my mouth the lower I went. I was not under any illusions; if the current hit the wrong way and bashed me again the cliffside, it wouldn’t matter how much I Adapted. I would be breaking bones if I was lucky, sustaining permanent brain dama
ge if I wasn’t.

  I wondered what Zeus thought of us, watching from his Council of Clouds. Rather than help us by putting an end to the storm, he was probably laughing his ass off. Or having sex with something and not even paying attention.

  The top of a wave crashed against my legs. My hands tightened on the rocks I was holding, but I lost my footing. My knees and shins barked against the cliff face, and my heart collided with my ribcage. I glanced over my shoulder.

  Only ten feet between me and a furious ocean.

  Thea waved at me, shouting something I couldn’t hear. I figured she was ready for me to jump.

  Gods above and below, this is such a bad idea. And we haven’t even gotten to the caverns yet.

  I didn’t let myself think about it any longer than that. I set my feet against the cliff’s face, bunched my legs, and pushed myself off into a backward dive.

  I didn’t fall as gracefully was I wanted. I was a warrior, not a gymnast. But I didn’t break my neck when I landed in the waves. Thea’s cold aura swept around me the moment I hit and slowed the current before it dragged me away. I Adapted quickly, ensuring I would be able to breathe underwater. Salt water stung my eyes, so I Adapted them to lessen the burn. I also drove up my body temperature because the water was freezing. I could have sworn I’d fallen into a vat of ice rather than an angry ocean.

  More graceful than I, Selena slipped into the aggressive water and swam to where Thea and I were treading.

  We all took a collective breath and forced ourselves under the waves.

  The current was just as relentless as the cold. It took me a precious couple of minutes to reorient myself and swim aggressively so I wouldn’t be swept into open waters. Selena struggled to do the same next to me, her body lighter and drifting away quicker. I swam over and looped my arm through hers. She clung tight, and soon, Thea took my other arm. She pointed to the island’s underbelly and a distant light next to it.

  The cavern’s entrance.

  After Adapting my speed and strength, I kicked my legs and swam against the rough current. The women provided even more power on either side of me with their kicks, but it was no easy going. Waves crashed over our heads, forcing us deeper until my ears roared with pressure. We kept swimming and let out small breaths to conserve our oxygen. Once we were closer to the entrance, Thea slipped out of my grasp and took the lead. I didn’t let go of Selena, refusing to lose her in the water again.

  I could see the cave entrance ahead—a single circle of light gleaming just above us.

  I pumped my arms and legs faster toward the shimmering light at the surface. It formed a wide circle and curved completely under the island. It was damned hard to reach and impossible to find unless you already knew it was there, but the current lessened enough near to it that I wasn’t worried about being swept away.

  My head broke water and I gasped in lungfuls of welcome air. Selena popped up next to me, breathing deep and tossing water from her eyes.

  We reached the rocky shoreline and hauled ourselves out of the water. I took in my surroundings. The cavern was surprisingly massive, a large dome that curved far over our heads and to our sides. Water filled half the floor space, and the other half was a craggy shore with a single, jagged crevice acting as a tunnel leading into the caverns.

  I turned to Selena, whose eyes were already closed and Seeing into the future. She opened her eyes and turned to us.

  “I can See that the path to the gorgons is clear and straight, but I can’t See what’s beyond it. I also can’t See what’s happening to Mason and the others. I just sense this… dark energy. Not aether but something else. Something that doesn’t belong here.”

  I extended my aura from my body, and immediately understood what she felt.

  It had been powerful on the surface of the island, but underneath it… it was the difference between standing in front of a raging fire and sticking your hand into it.

  Previously, I had yanked my hand away from the unnatural power because I didn’t want to be anywhere near it. I didn’t pull away this time. I felt every second of cold, piercing magic and understood its warning to back away. I withdrew my aura from the island’s curse. I had wanted to escape it before, but with my brother likely trapped in its net, I had no choice but to move deeper into its web.

  I turned to Selena. “At least we have a Seer to warn us about potential death threats.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “It’s a little different now. Last time, I wasn’t stuck in a cave with a bunch of deranged mobsters lurking in the passages ahead.”

  I chuckled. If she was trying to be witty, she was going to be okay.

  And that was the most any of us could hope for at the moment.

  THE TUNNEL WIDENED the deeper we went into the island’s heart, but it was hardly what I could call “roomy.”

  Thea and Selena eventually needed to separate, Thea taking the lead as her experience with the tunnels was more reliable than Selena’s Sight. I had enough space that I could walk behind the Seer without bumping into anything or brushing the roof with my head, assuming I didn’t need to jump in any direction.

  We hadn’t said much since leaving the entry cavern and didn’t want to speak too loudly in the tunnels lest we provoke the gorgons into leaving their hive. But the silence must have been getting to Thea, because she slowed down, looked over her shoulder, and murmured, “Here’s what I don’t understand. Cassandra made all these traps and hid all the Weapons and Shards, but how did she do all of… this?”

  “I don’t think she made the caves,” Selena quipped.

  “Ha,” Thea jibed back with very little humor. “I meant how was she able to hold on to the Weapons and Shards and hide them all in the first place? They’re deadly when you touch them, and the Heart of the Devourer nearly sucked out all our magic, but Cassandra wasn’t even a scion. She was just a princess who rejected Apollo and got cursed.”

  “You’re putting it mildly,” grumbled Selena.

  Thea raised her hands. “I’m not saying I don’t feel horrible for everything that happened to her over the years. I do. I really, truly do.” Her voice was soft and sincere. “But I just don’t understand how or why she did all this.”

  “Athena said that Cassandra was trying to save the world from the Titans. The goddess pulled her up from her lowest low and gave her a purpose. But as for how…” Selena shook her head. “I’m not sure.”

  “Maybe you already hit on the answer.”

  She glanced over her shoulder at me. I unclipped the waterproof flashlight from my belt and clicked it on. A bright beam of light emerged from it and cast a pale glow against the craggy walls. I really did not like how bright and narrow the beam was, but it would save me from expending magic.

  Selena and Thea were still waiting for my explanation.

  “Cassandra and Athena were inexorably tied,” I reminded them. “Athena made the box that contained the Heart. The goddess must have helped her set the other traps and carry the Trinity Weapons and the Shards.”

  “But why didn’t Athena just claim the items for herself and end all this?” Thea asked. “She must have known what to do and where they would be.”

  “She was being watched by the Olympians and couldn’t physically get close to the objects,” Selena stated. “She wouldn’t have been able to do much.”

  That was true. So, what about Ares and the other Olympians he had involved in his scheme? They’d known about the Cronus Shards longer than anyone, even Cassandra. How did they plan to take hold of them and use their power? Did they really think they could control creatures as powerful as the Titans?

  There was no way such a thing would end well. If these rebellious deities succeeded, they would take control of the entire planet. If they failed…

  If they failed, there wouldn’t be a planet left.

  Even with the glow of our waterproof torches, the darkness of the cave seemed to wrap around us. We didn’t hear a sound. I reached out with the blood bond, but I still
couldn’t sense Liam.

  That just means I’m not close enough to him yet. I will be soon.

  I was just about to ask Selena what she could See when the tunnel widened into an open cavern. I clicked the torch off and slipped past Selena and Thea. I filled my hand with fire to illuminate more of the cave beyond.

  The cavern looked like a honeycomb for bees the size of Rottweilers. Circular gouges covered the walls. Stalagmites dripped moisture from the ceiling into shallow, murky puddles. The smell of wet earth was strong, making the entire area feel like an enclosed tomb.

  A series of sharp hisses and angry growls echoed from within. I called Ki̱demónas into my hand, but Selena moved faster than I did.

  Flames uncurled from her palms and wrapped around her wrists. She leaped into the cavern and slashed her hands through the air. Fire whipped across the cavern, darting for three of the holes. The hisses turned into piercing shrieks, but Selena didn’t relent. I snapped Ki̱demónas out to its full length and sprinted into the cavern. My heart all but stopped at the sight of an umber serpent body.

  The gorgons were massive. The length of an anaconda and about as heavy. The lower half of their scaled bodies were covered in sickly yellow spots. The upper half of the body smoothed out into a vaguely feminine shape with small breasts covered in dark-brown scales. Two thin arms tipped with four sickle-like claws hung at its side. The flat, snarling face had chipped tusks protruding from its mouth, and a pair of wide nostrils flared like a bull’s. A black forked tongue flicked between its lips. Black snakes writhed in its hair, alive and hissing with agitation.

  The eyes of those three gorgons had been cauterized by Selena’s fire. She must have Seen the gorgons hiding to ambush us and then took the first, crucial step in fighting them—blinding their vision. We weren’t in the clear yet, but she’d made sure the biggest advantage against us had been taken from the gorgons.

  If we made it out alive, I was going to kiss her senseless.