"You sure the oni are dead?" Darren asked. "I thought they were invincible."
"Not in their human form," I replied. "They didn't have a chance to change before they fell. They're dead. But there could be more somewhere. Let's get out of here. Ekhidna won't risk coming for us with the police around."
"Where can we go?" Demeter asked.
Darren hesitated. "My place. I can get you in without my mom seeing."
Darren took us to his house using the most-deserted route possible. The fewer people, the better. We didn't want to attract attention. Attention brought questions, questions we couldn't answer. Besides, monsters could be anywhere. We'd sensed the oni, but not the yokai. We couldn't afford to trust anyone.
As he'd promised, Darren got us into his house unseen. He slid open one of the basement windows far wider than it should've been able to open, a modification he must've made. I didn't need to wonder why. It was the window to his bedroom.
He laid Jason on the bed.
"What now?" he asked, as he slid the window shut again and drew the curtain.
"We rest," I answered, trying not to sound as tired as I felt.
"Rest?" he echoed. "With monsters out there hunting us? Hurting people?"
"I don't like it any more than you do," I assured him. "But we're no use half-dead, and if we try to keep fighting tonight, we'll wind up all-dead."
I looked at Jason meaningfully.
"I can still fight," Darren insisted.
"But that doesn't mean the rest of us can," I said. "And the only way we're going to succeed is together, which means when one of us needs to rest, we all rest."
"But I can't sleep now!" he argued. "I'm too wired! Come on! Let's do something!"
"Do whatever you want," I said. "Just don't leave this house."
Darren stiffened. He wanted to keep arguing. But seeing my implacable face, he grabbed a laptop from his desk and disappeared, slamming the door behind him.
"We can't stay here," Demeter said. "Ekhidna can track us with her magick. It won't be long before she sends monsters after us, if she hasn't already."
"Tell your plants to keep watch," I replied. "We'll leave the moment Jason wakes up."
He was already snoring. I couldn't help but smile. He looked so small, so insignificant and helpless, lying on the bed. But that was only his body. Inside, he was something else entirely. Judging by his powers, it was something immensely precious and powerful, something that could turn the tide of the war in my favour.
"We'll know long before anyone suspicious reaches us," Demeter assured me, lying down next to Jason and shutting her eyes.
I felt the whisper of her power, calling out to all the greenery in the neighbourhood, a living network of spies.
I trusted my sister, but I closed my eyes, just in case.
"See anything?" Demeter asked.
She didn't have to open her eyes. She knew me better than anyone, and she wasn't offended that I was taking my own steps to protect us.
"Darren's mother. She'll be at the hospital for some time. They found the cancer and they want to do surgery right away. Then they'll keep her there to recover," I answered, opening my eyes.
Demeter smiled. "You were worried about Ekhidna hurting her to get to Darren?"
"I was worried about him being distracted," I sniffed. "And now he won't be. I need my Heroes strong and focused."
Demeter rolled her eyes. She didn't believe me.
"Speaking of Heroes, we're still missing two," she yawned.
Her eyes kept shutting, but she valiantly forced them back open again. It was a losing battle.
"We'll find them tomorrow," I assured her.
Demeter nodded and smiled as if that were the simplest thing in the world. I let her drift to sleep. No use both of us staying awake, worrying.
Ekhidna was still out there. She couldn't touch us in public, not with mortal witnesses around. It'd be too risky. But where to find the other Heroes? We could go back to the school. But just because Ekhidna couldn't touch us there didn't mean she couldn't ambush us when no one was around. She'd done that with the yokai, and it had almost worked. If she used magick to cloak the school, keeping it hidden from mortals and driving them away with a repulsion spell, then she'd be free to send in an army of monsters.
My powers could give us some warning. So could Demeter's. But there were no guarantees that they'd be enough. There were no guarantees of anything anymore. Mortal life was uncertainty. That's why I hated it so much. It was impossible to live properly when you couldn't plan on anything.
Then I heard it. Scratching. At the window.
I willed myself to be as silent as possible. The others hadn't even stirred. If it was trouble, Demeter should've gotten some kind of warning.
Unless she was too deep asleep to hear it. Or maybe this trouble didn't look like trouble. Maybe the warning would come too late.
More scratching.
It hadn't been my imagination.
I felt sick to my stomach. I could call out and wake everyone, but that'd alert whatever was outside.
More scratching.
And then it stopped. Something had changed.
I closed my eyes. The garage!
I bolted out of the room and ran up the stairs. I didn't care if I woke everyone. I didn't care if the creature heard me. I had to stop it before it got inside. I had to buy time for the others.
"What the..." Darren called as I barrelled past where he was sitting in the kitchen.
I heard him get up and run after me.
I ran to the garage door. I tore it open.
Nothing. The garage was empty. The door was still shut.
But then metal screeched, and a strip of light appeared at the bottom of the garage door. It moved up. And up. And up. Something was pulling it open. Fast.
I finally saw it. Or rather him, dressed in dark denim and a black leather jacket. He smiled.
"Monster?" Darren asked tightly from behind me.
He was so close I could feel the heat of his skin. He was tense, ready to launch himself at whoever or whatever it was.
"No. Not a monster," I murmured. I smiled. "Reinforcements."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I walked over to the gigantic young man standing at the garage door. He knelt on one knee. He was still almost as tall as I was. He looked at me with a cocky grin.
"My queen," he said.
"Ares," I replied, arching an eyebrow. "Let me guess. You drew the short straw?"
Instead of saying anything, Ares stood. I had to crane my neck to meet his eyes. He towered over me, nearly seven feet tall.
"Can't you at least pretend it's chivalry?" he countered.
"No," I replied bluntly. "I know you too well."
Ares sighed. "Fine. The truth is that Zeus thought you could use some ... company."
"Help," I corrected. I sighed. "He wasn't wrong. For once. Except maybe in who he sent to help me."
Ares laughed.
"He had his reasons," he assured me.
My eyes narrowed. "Oh, really?"
Ares shrugged. "There may have been a bit of a misunderstanding..."
"This wouldn't have anything to do with that time you tried to wipe out all life in the mortal world to find the Fates?" I asked.
"It was a solid plan," he argued.
"I was in the mortal world at the time," I reminded him. "So was Zeus. And a lot of the other gods, as I recall."
"Why is it you always remember the bad stuff and never the good stuff?" he complained.
"What good stuff?" I countered flatly.
He laughed again. "Got me there."
I sighed. Ares deserved to be punished. Sending him to the mortal world, where he faced the very real prospect of dying, was about the worst punishment I could imagine for a god.
Ares grinned. He flexed his enormous muscles, one at a time, admiring himself.
"Not bad, right?" he said. "I know how to pick 'em."
I rolled my eyes.
"Who's this tool?" Darren demanded.
Ares studied Darren from a moment, as if noticing him for the first time. His cocky grin never left his face. But his eyes narrowed dangerously.
I quickly stood between them.
"Ekhidna is here," I informed Ares.
He tore himself away from his glaring match with Darren.
"Isn't that what we want?" he asked. "A chance to take her out?"
"I was hoping to gather all the Heroes before running into her," I replied. "She's too strong right now. And she's not alone. She's brought who-knows-how-many monsters with her."
"She's had enough time to breed an army," Ares guessed.
"Which means we need an army of our own," I said. I took a deep breath. "This is Darren. One of our four Heroes. He's a hypersoph."
"Really?" Ares replied. "Doesn't look too brainy. But I guess that explains why he's so scrawny."
Darren lunged at Ares, but I caught him and pushed him back.
"We don't have time for this," I snapped. "Save your testosterone for Ekhidna and her monsters."
Neither of them said anything. Ares was busy provoking Darren, who in turn was busy trying to kill Ares with his eyes.
"Ekhidna knows about the amulets," I continued. "And she's figured out some way to track us."
"How?" Ares asked.
"Good question," I said. "Magick, I guess."
"You don't think..." Ares started. But then he stopped.
"What?" I pressed.
"Gods have been talking," Ares admitted reluctantly. "Rumours. About traitors..."
"Hephaestus was the only traitor. And he's gone now," I reminded him sharply.
"If he could turn traitor, so could anyone," Ares replied.
"Even you," Darren interjected, eyes flashing with anger.
"Pray that I don't, mortal," Ares warned.
"Oh, I pray that you do," Darren shot back.
"That's Ares," I snapped. "God of war. You might want to pick your fights somewhere else."
Darren didn't look particularly fazed by that revelation. "Oh, I think I found my fight."
"Bring it on, meatsack," Ares sneered.
"How about right now?" Darren retorted.
He pushed past me and strode up to Ares. They were barely an inch apart. Ares didn't even flinch. But neither did Darren.
"Really?" Ares replied dryly.
"Really!" Darren snapped.
"I'm right here," Ares said. "Make your move."
"Stop it!" I said.
"You asked," Darren replied, ignoring me completely.
He shoved Ares backward. Ares lunged. Darren dodged to the side and smashed Ares in the face with his fist. But Ares didn't fall to the ground. He just stood up, grinning. He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of one hand. As I watched, the split in his lip sealed itself shut.
"He's fast," Ares admitted, nodding to himself. "Which is good, since he punches like a total wuss."
Darren roared and launched himself at Ares again, but this time, Ares caught his fist in one hand and threw him backward. Darren stumbled, but he didn't fall. He readied himself to spring at Ares.
"Freeze: I command you!" I said.
Darren was immobilized in a deep crouch. He looked at me with fury in his eyes. I looked back with twice as much fury.
"This habit you have of disobeying me? Break it. Now!" I snapped. "Because I will not tolerate it again, understand?"
Darren glared at me. I crossed my arms. Ares was grinning so hard, I thought he'd break his face.
"I can wait all night," I told Darren coldly.
"She can," Ares agreed smugly. "She really, really can."
Darren whispered something.
"What was that?" I asked.
"I understand," he repeated, louder this time.
"Be free," I said.
Darren collapsed, rubbing his sore legs. He stood up stiffly.
"And you," I turned to Ares.
His grin disappeared.
"Me?" he protested innocently.
"If you want to test a Hero, test them, but don't be an ass about it," I ordered. "Understood?"
It was Ares' turn to squirm.
"Understood?" I repeated.
"She can wait all night," Darren said. "She really, really can."
"Fine," Ares growled, shooting daggers at Darren.
"Excellent," I said. I turned to Darren. "Your mother is at the hospital getting surgery, and they'll keep her for the next while to recover. She'll be fine, but more importantly, she'll be safe there. But Ekhidna will find us here soon. We can't stay much longer."
"Then where to?" Ares asked.
"Demeter and I have an apartment," I answered. "We got it when we first came to the mortal world. We can stay there for a little while."
"I can drive us," Darren offered.
"Then let's go," I ordered. "We'll talk on the way. I just wish I could give Jason more time to rest."
"Jason?" Ares echoed.
"Our other Hero," I answered. "A telekinetic."
Ares whistled. "I haven't seen one of those in decades! Now, that's what I call a power."
Darren shot Ares a murderous look. Ares ignored him.
"Go get the others," I ordered Ares. "They're in the basement."
"You're not worried they'll panic seeing all this come at them?" Ares asked, grinning and gesturing to himself.
"Somehow, I feel like Demeter will recognize it's you," I replied.
I waved my hand at him dismissively, and Ares inclined his head and left. He made sure to smack into Darren's shoulder as he walked by him. I caught Darren before he could retaliate.
"That guy is a total jerk," Darren grumbled.
"He's also a god," I reminded him. "Show some respect."
I paused. "Honestly, I thought you two would get along. You're both so..."
"Do not even compare me to that clown," Darren muttered.
"Who's a clown?" Demeter asked curiously.
We spun. Demeter stood just behind us with Ares beside her. He held an unconscious Jason in his arms.
"Yes. Who?" Ares asked.
Darren glowered, but said nothing.
"Your telekinetic's broken," Ares informed me, hefting Jason for emphasis.
"I'm sure he'll be fine soon," Demeter interjected quickly.
But she didn't sound sure. And neither was I.
"Let's get going," I said. I'd keep my doubts to myself, at least for now.
As Darren drove us through the sleepy streets, it became harder and harder not to fall asleep. I wanted to sleep so badly, it was almost painful. But I forced myself to stay awake.
The last time we'd come to the mortal world, I'd had my first experience riding in a car. Then we'd all been attacked and almost killed by a giant. The injuries from that crash had eventually killed Athena. Maybe if I'd been paying more attention, she'd still be alive.
I had to stay vigilant. I scanned for people. I sighed with relief when I finally spotted a couple stumbling together down a street. As long as there were people, we were safe. People meant that Ekhidna hadn't used her magick to raise a cloak: an invisibility and repulsion field that kept mortals away and made monsters invisible so they could hunt us freely in their true forms.
"How's the Hero?" Ares asked.
"Fine," Darren snapped.
"Oh, good," Ares said. "How's the real Hero? The one in the back?"
Ares had taken the front seat next to Darren. It was the only place he could fit, but the resulting the tension was so thick, it was giving me a headache.
"Dude, I'm actually going to break your jaw if you keep it up," Darren growled.
"Dude, I'm actually looking forward to you trying that," Ares replied.
"He's getting better," Demeter said. "He pushed his powers too early. But we needed him too. He helped fight off a yokai and an oni. And he saved Hera's life."
"Tough, little dude," Ares said. "Good to know we've got one Hero we can count on."
Darren gritted his teeth audibly.
"You didn't happen to bring a healing power?" Demeter ventured.
"Just for himself," I told her. "Typical."
Ares laughed. "Healing others isn't really my style, ladies. But then again, this fleshbag got a knowledge power, so I guess anything's possible."
Darren slammed on the brakes, and Ares smacked his forehead into the front windshield.
"Sorry. Stop sign," Darren muttered.
He smirked. Ares' eyes burned with anger.
"So you can regenerate?" Demeter guessed. "Doesn't help the rest of us much."
"Oh, I'll make sure he uses his power to the fullest," I assured her. "I think Ares'll make a great human shield."
"I second that," Darren agreed.
"Gods are talking," Ares said. "Which means mortals shut the hell up."
Darren slammed on the brakes again, but this time Ares was ready. He caught himself before his head smashed against the windshield. He grinned. Darren ground his teeth and kept going.
"Wait," I told him.
But Darren kept driving.
"Stop the car!" I shouted.
Darren was too lost in his own anger to hear me.
"STOP THE CAR!" I yelled.
Darren screeched to a halt. The car behind us swerved at the last second, almost crashing into us. The driver swore as he passed by.
"What the hell? Are you crazy?" Darren demanded. "You're going to get us all killed."
"Watch your mouth!" Ares warned. "That's the Queen of Gods, you dust maggot."
"Why don't you go back to wherever you came from, you ..." Darren started.
"Shut up, you two!" Demeter yelled. She turned to me. "What is it?"
I smiled and pointed. "Got one."
CHAPTER TWELVE
"Stay with Jason," I ordered, as Darren parked the car.
My eyes were fixed on the house beside us. I'd just seen a girl, a very special girl, walk inside.
As I got out of the car, I stopped. "Darren, you're with me."
Surprised, he followed me to the front door.
"Thanks," Darren said. "I can't stand being around that guy."
"I didn't do it for you," I replied. "I did it because I might need a mortal for this."
"So, what's the plan?" he asked.
"The truth," I said simply.
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