Page 16 of Dead End (Crossroads Queen #9)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

With a shriek and a wail, the Night Mallt summoned the horses of the Wild Hunt. The trusty steeds skirted the house on both sides, converged at the bridge, and filtered through the gate.

Claude tossed weapons from my trunk like he was distributing Halloween candy. I wasn’t even sure when the trunk had been brought down from my bedroom. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve considered it a boundary violation, but we’d strayed very far from normal circumstances, even for us.

“What about me?” Goran asked, glancing at the empty trunk. “I still don’t have a weapon.”

I sheathed another throwing knife. “Actually, you have loads of weapons, but they’re buried on the property.”

“How does that help when they’re in the forest?”

Clapping a hand on his shoulder, I looked him in the eye. “Listen, Goran. I need someone I trust to act as the castellan while I’m gone. If any gods attack the Castle, you already know how to activate the security system. ”

Goran gave the group a longing glance. “But everyone else will be fighting. I’ll be here on my own.”

“Chief Garcia and Officer Leo aren’t fighting. They’re heading into town. They’ll send any residents at risk here and it’ll be your job to keep them safe.”

Goran blinked. “I’d be responsible for the people?”

“That’s what a prince is meant to do, isn’t it? Take care of his people?”

“I never got the chance to do that in my homeland,” he said in a quiet voice.

I gave him an encouraging smile. “Consider this your chance.”

With a shaky breath, he nodded. “I won’t let them down. I won’t let you down, Lorelei. Good luck.”

Another blast rocked the forest. A blinding white light flashed alongside streaks of gold. Everyone swarmed to the fence for a better view.

Chief Garcia snapped her fingers. “Leo, we’re up.”

“This is the best day ever.” Leo grabbed Camryn’s waist and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Then he rushed to his vehicle, leaving Camryn in a daze.

“Those bastards are going to destroy Wild Acres,” West said in a terse tone.

“No, they’re just announcing their arrival,” I replied.

Gun scoffed. “There’s no need for that. This isn’t an airport.”

Josie stalked through the gate. “What are we waiting for? These gods aren’t going to kill themselves.”

“If only,” Gun muttered.

“Not to give false hope,” Camryn said, “but I read our cards this morning and nobody dies.”

West cocked an eyebrow. “Not that I doubt your abilities, but how is that possible? ”

Camryn shrugged. “How should I know? I’m just the messenger.”

Kane’s gaze flicked to Kami, clearly hopeful the prophecy goddess would support Camryn’s claim. The petite goddess, however, seemed oblivious to the conversation. Her focus was on the smoke-filled forest as her fingers gripped the strap of her messenger bag.

I held Camryn’s words close to my chest. As the liminal deity of these crossroads, any blood spilled today would be on my hands, regardless of what anybody else said.

Kane eyed the large group. “We should split up. Half the group to the crossroads and half to the Falls.”

“Why the Falls?” Alessandro asked.

“Because of the magical energy it pumps out,” Josie answered. “Some of the gods will be drawn to its power. The rest will go to the crossroads to try to secure it.”

My breath shortened as I formed my next words. “You lead the group to the Falls,” I told Kane. “I’ll take the crossroads.” As much as I wanted us to stay together, I knew he was right to divide our strength between the two groups.

“My thoughts as well.” I heard the unspoken fear in his tone. “Stay safe, Lorelei.” He palmed the back of my head and pulled me in for a kiss that could’ve melted glass. An explosion of sensations followed as my body surrendered to the moment.

Alessandro leaned against the side of my truck, grinning from ear to ear. “Do we all get kissed like that or is she special?”

Kane leveled him with a look as he released his hold on me. The incubus offered a sheepish grin in return.

“I’ll ride with Kane,” Josie said, as if anyone would’ve thought otherwise. The vampire was his right hand, right down to the bitter end .

I stopped myself. This wasn’t the end. It couldn’t be. We’d fought too hard. Loved too much. We deserved more time.

But I knew all too well that we didn’t always get the outcome we deserved.

“I have the flatbed of the truck available,” I said. “Whoever needs a lift can pile in.”

Alessandro immediately vaulted over the side. Max heaved himself onto the flatbed with a push from Hel. The werewolves split up amongst the two groups, as did the Wild Hunt.

“Wait, where’s Phaedra?” I asked.

West scratched his head. “Good question. She acknowledged the emergency text.”

If Phaedra Bridger were another witch, I might’ve chalked it up to pure selfishness, but I knew my friend better than that. If she wasn’t following protocol, then there was a very good reason.

“Xander, can you head to Bridger Farm and make sure she’s okay?” I asked.

The werewolf saluted me and shifted.

“Steer clear of the trails,” West called after him, but the wolf was already off and running.

I climbed behind the wheel and waited for everyone to finalize their rides before I drove away. Gun sat in the passenger seat, chattering throughout the short drive to the woods. My stomach sank as I watched Kane’s convoy deviate from the course and continue southeast toward the Falls. Gun was still yammering when I parked the truck on the side of a dirt road.

“You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” he asked.

“I heard every word. I just didn’t process any of them.”

His face radiated sympathy. “Not to worry. I’ll repeat it all on the ride home so you won’t have missed anything.”

I laughed. “I appreciate your optimism. ”

The ground seemed to roll beneath the truck’s tires as another tremor hit the forest. I took a final look at my team that included Gun, Claude, Alessandro, West, Sage, Anna, Max, Matilda, Kami, and Brody.

“Remember the plan,” I said. “I know it will be challenging once the fighting starts, but we have one chance to end this…”

The trees shook at their very roots, dumping leaves onto the path.

“This feels like a march of doom,” Alessandro complained.

“If anyone should feel that way, it’s our other team,” Sage said. “We have two goddesses.”

“Kane has a goddess, too,” I said. “Hel went with him.”

“Seems apt,” Gun remarked.

Bert shook his head. “It won’t be enough.”

Anna rewarded his statement with a swift kick in the calf. Bert fell to his knees with a cry of pain.

“We’re keeping things positive today,” Anna said through clenched teeth. “If you don’t have anything upbeat to say, keep your mouth shut.”

Bert scowled as he returned to his feet. “I’d rather not start the fight of my life with an injury, thanks.”

West shushed us. “I hear something.”

We fell silent and listened. Hoofbeats.

“They came on horseback?” Alessandro glanced at Matilda. “Or more of yours?”

“Mine are all accounted for,” the Night Mallt replied.

“They have a horse goddess,” I said, acknowledging Epona with a crisp nod. The goddess trotted toward us in her equine form.

“Melinoe,” she said. “We meet again.” There was no warmth in her voice.

Alessandro tilted his head as he scrutinized the goddess. “I have questions. ”

Gun slapped the incubus in the chest. “Not now.”

“Are you the scout?” I asked.

“The herald.”

I folded my arms. “Okay, let’s hear the message.”

“Straight from the horse’s mouth,” Gun added.

“Relinquish your claim to the crossroads and your people will remain unharmed.”

“And if I refuse? Because spoiler alert: I’m gonna.”

She whinnied her amusement. “This is a fool’s errand, child. And here I thought you were smarter than this.”

“We will not let your reign of terror continue unchallenged.”

“Terror?” she scoffed. “And still, you fail to understand our purpose. Our goal has always been to keep others with power in check.”

“Then why develop a new avatar program that gives supernaturals the strength of the gods? Seems like you’re only creating more work for yourselves.”

“These avatars will serve us and remain under our command, and the new elixir is far superior to the one your parents received. It only infuses the supernatural with the powers and not the consciousness.”

“I’ll be sure to pass that update along to my parents. They’ll be pleased to learn of the improvements.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Oh, did I forget to mention I found them?” I smiled. “My parents are alive and well.”

“Impossible!”

“Seems they outwitted you.” I clucked my tongue. “And here I thought you were smarter than this.”

Epona nickered. “Very well then. I shall deliver your answer.” Her eyes raked over us. “Though you seem ill-equipped for this battle. Shall we give you time to assemble a larger army, and perhaps a few more weapons to give the illusion of a fair fight?”

West’s nostrils flared. “We have everything we need.”

She looked down her muzzle at him. “Wolves, I take it?”

“Horses are skittish of us,” West said. “You might want to bear that in mind.”

“Not this horse, I’m afraid.” Her gaze slid back to me. “May the best gods win.” She turned and trotted away, melting into the shadows.

Anna cracked her knuckles. “Shift now?”

“Not yet,” West said. “On my signal.”

I needed my sharpest sword to cut through the tension in the air. Silhouettes sliced through the trees, taking shape as they hardened into familiar figures. The bright red plume on the helmet of Mars. Dis, the Celtic god. Fafnir, the dragon god. Feng Po. Fuchi. Inanna. Skanda. Their A-team, indeed. Fear sparked in my chest, squeezing the muscles. I fought the instinct to take a step back.

They had wind and earth and fire on their side. Shadows and starlight.

“Ooh, they have a tiger,” Sage said in an awe-filled voice. “This sucks. I love tigers.”

I craned my neck to see Feng Po astride one. Shadows and starlight and a cool tiger? Life was so unfair.

Alessandro gaped at the red plumed helmet. “Hold the phone, my dudes. Is that Ares?”

Gun snorted with laughter. “I beg you to call him that to his face and see what happens.”

“It’s Mars,” I said.

Alessandro blinked in confusion. “Mars is a planet.”

“And where do you think the planet got its name?” Mars roared. Apparently, a keen sense of hearing was one of the god’s superpowers.

The incubus winced. “Sorry. I didn’t realize. ”

“See?” Mars waved around his spear, prompting his companions to jump out of range. “This is what I’m talking about. The level of ignorance in modern times is staggering. Forget the parley. I say we kill them all.”

Alessandro’s olive skin turned a lighter shade of basil. “I’m a lover, not a fighter. I’m only here for the vibes.”

Dis broke through the throng of deities to address me, clutching a giant hammer that rivaled Mjolnir.

“Hello again, Dis.”

“Because we are reasonable gods and we wish no harm to your people, we’ve chosen to give you one final opportunity to relinquish your claim on these crossroads and leave Fairlawn in our care.”

“It’s Fairhaven, you nitwit,” Anna shouted.

Inanna stepped forward. “I told you before, Melinoe. Power isn’t true power unless it’s concentrated in the hands of only a few.” She gestured to either side of her. “These few, specifically. Without us, the realms are under a constant threat of imbalance.”

“The only real threat to the realms is you,” Matilda shot back. “You dishonor those you are duty-bound to protect.”

Inanna heaved a weary sigh. “Night Mallt, why am I not surprised to see you here, nipping at Melinoe’s heels like her own personal lapdog?”

“You are no match for us, child,” Feng Po said. “If this town is precious to you, you will submit to our request.”

Submit. Obey. Cave. Bow. Yield. Surrender.

They seemed to have forgotten with whom they were having the pleasure. “What makes you think I’d stand aside when I have my own army behind me?”

Laughter rippled through the deities. Dis turned to his compatriots. “She calls that an army.”

The laughter intensified to a roar.

Gun bristled. “They’re mocking us.” He thumped his chest. “I’ll have you know that I do the mocking around here.”

Lightning split the sky in response. Max doubled over, placing his hands on his knee area. “Oh, gods. I can’t breathe. Anybody have a paper bag?”

Sage rubbed his rocky back. “It’s going to be okay, Max. We’ve got this.”

I wasn’t so sure. There was no sign of Bossu. Without their ringleader, we’d lose our shot at ending this here and now. The chairman of the board would simply pluck another seven strong deities to serve alongside him.

“Enough.” Eyes dark and shining, Inanna gave two short claps. “Now you will suffer the consequences of your poor decisions.”

Gun snorted. “Honey, that’s my typical Sunday morning.”

Chaos erupted. Werewolves shifted. Blades clashed, the sound of steel on steel rang through the forest like woodland chimes. Fuchi became a living flame. If the goddess wasn’t careful, the entire forest would burn to the ground with all of us still inside it. I pictured the destruction I’d witnessed in Dilmun. I could not— would not—let that happen to Fairhaven.

The earth quaked again, causing cracks to spiderweb across the ground. Wild Acres had become a battleground of raw, primal forces, and we were in its epicenter.

I scanned the area for Kami and found the goddess pressed against the trunk of an oak tree. She clutched her messenger bag to her side like it contained the crown jewels. I wished we could’ve left her at the Castle with Goran, but she and her bag were a crucial part of the plan.

A storm of unrelenting fury tore through the forest. Trees groaned. Rocks rumbled. Feng Po flickered in and out of visibility as he harnessed the wind. To their credit, my friends remained unfazed by the violent storm. Assassins swarmed. Tarot cards arced through the air, unnoticed by their targets. Sage tossed water balloons filled with defensive potions. One of them broke against Epona’s rump. The green liquid splattered across the horse’s backside and tail. Epona whinnied as the potion took effect, paralyzing her hind legs. She used her front hooves to drag herself to the safety of a copse.

I stabbed and thrust, losing half my blades as I danced from god to god. This was the battle Pops had trained me for all those years ago.

Only this.

Fiery explosions scorched the air, creating pockets of flame that threatened to turn the forest into an inferno. Sage and Gun used their respective types of magic to dowse the flames. If only Phaedra were here. Witchcraft would’ve been helpful, too. I tried not to worry about my friend.

I felt a rush of relief as the other half of our team descended upon the clearing. I searched for a glimpse of Kane and his flaming sword but saw no sign of either. Josie launched herself into the fray, using the backs of the wolves as a springboard to reach Inanna. The wolf underneath her was shoved aside before she reached her mark. As she descended from the air, the vampire found a new target. She stuck to Skanda like a starfish to aquarium glass. Before he could react, she thrust her fangs into the god’s neck. Nobody made a move to assist their comrade. It was every god for himself, which came as no surprise to me.

The wolves howled in unison. The haunting sound was ominous. Camryn shuddered. “Can they play something more up-tempo? This is depressing.”

“I’ll tell you what’s depressing.” Gun lifted his purple boot that was covered in blood. “I’ll never get the stains out.”

“Why did you wear your favorite boots?” Cam asked .

“Need I remind you we’re fighting gods. I had to dress to impress.”

My heart raced. “Where’s Kane?” I shouted to no one in particular.

A gruesome lupine creature appeared above, his griffin wings so powerful, they tore the upper branches from the trees.

Kane in his monster form.

He descended like a meteor, fast, furious, and without mercy. He flung Fuchi to the side, smashing her body against a sturdy oak tree. The goddess fell to the base in a heap. For one brief, shining moment, I believed the arrival of Kane’s group would be enough to sustain us.

I was wrong.

More deities had also arrived, although I was thrilled to see Bossu among them. The momentary distraction cost me. A rock-like fist made contact with my stomach, knocking the air from my lungs. I slumped to the ground and gazed distractedly at the expanse of sky above me as I attempted to regain my breath. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement. At first, I thought they were simply a flock of birds passing overhead until my eyes focused and I realized they were crows.

I snapped back to earth as an oversized foot appeared above my face. I rolled to the side in time to avoid a crushed skull. Jumping to my feet, I felt a rush of adrenaline as an arrow whooshed past me, and not just any arrow. The kind that had been fashioned from the nearest branch. The kind that could only have been crafted by a nature mage.

Brody stepped out from behind a tree to examine his handiwork. “T’was foolish of me to think I could find this kind of excitement outside of Fairhaven.”

“T’was,” I agreed.

Above us, crows cawed. The earth seemed to bend and break under the weight of all their divine might. To be fair, their egos were probably the real culprit.

“Remember, we need Bossu,” I announced to everyone within earshot.

“Which one is Bossu again?” Cam asked.

I pointed across the clearing. With his three horns and bullish head, the god was easy to spot.

“Time to grab the bull by the horns,” Gun quipped.

“You first, lad,” Brody said.

Bossu unleashed a roar that even frightened Feng Po’s tiger. The beast bolted into the woods.

“Somebody get that tiger on a leash!” I yelled. I didn’t want the creature happening upon innocent bystanders.

“On it,” Sage said. She whistled and West was by her side in a heartbeat, still in his wolf form. Together they dashed in the direction of the tiger.

Brody nocked another arrow and let it fly.

Bossu seemed to be surrounded by other deities at all times. If he moved three feet to the left, his tight circle accompanied him. If I had any doubts about my plan, they vanished with this observation.

I fought my way toward Bossu. His size was intimidating, but speed was my ally. As I slashed and struck my way through deities, Mars managed to disarm me. My longsword flipped to the ground.

“You should’ve stayed behind your castle walls,” Mars sneered. “You don’t have the power to defeat me, let alone the rest of us.”

Max attacked from the side. He bulldozed the Roman god to the ground and promptly sat on him. “Kami, I’ve got one!” he yelled.

I continued my pursuit of Bossu, still surrounded by his own version of castle walls.

The realization slammed into me. Of course. Of course !

“You have no power!” I yelled, although it didn’t matter as long as Bossu had others with power willing to protect him.

The god’s head jerked toward me. His eyes glittered like two chunks of coal dusted in diamonds. He knew I meant him.

Because I was right.

“That’s why you lust for power so badly!” I shouted over the din. “You have none of your own.” Unlike most of the deities, Bossu derived his power solely from others, all external, no internal. Bossu needed a Board of Directors and an Executive Committee. He needed avatars fueled by the power of the gods inside them. He needed the protection of his fellow deities to prop him up. Bossu was desperate to cling to his secondhand power and prestige, and that made him more dangerous than anyone else in this fight.

My teammates continued to clear a path for me. Kane’s monster form swiped at Dis. The Night Mallt and her hunters swarmed the others in an attempt to break through their ranks.

Bossu’s eyes blazed with barely contained fury. “How dare you. I am worshipped,” he ground out.

“You were worshipped. Times change.”

“I think my compatriots might have a differing opinion.”

More deities strengthened the wall between us.

“Coward!” I yelled. Of course he was. For ages, he’d hidden behind a faceless company as the leader of a secret board, forcing others to do his dirty work while he kept his hands clean. Those weren’t the actions of a brave and honorable god. Bossu wasn’t revered by those he deemed beneath him. He was feared.

“Why don’t you come closer and say that again?” Bossu taunted from behind the wall of perceived safety.

I withdrew a throwing knife and flicked it with the expert precision of years and years of practice in the woods with Pops. The knife skimmed multiple heads before hitting Bossu right between the eyes. The god wrenched the blade from his forehead and wiped away the blood with the back of his hand.

Thick-headed. I should’ve guessed.

Even Bossu’s chuckle was condescending. “You’ll have to do better than that, I’m afraid,” he said.

The gods charged. The earth quivered in response, or at least I thought as much until I spotted a jotunn headbutt one of the gods. Suddenly trolls were everywhere. They gushed from the ground like fountains of water. Large and small, they converged on the battlefield. I said a silent thank you to Madame Thea that our interests had finally aligned.

The smaller trolls scrambled into the trees and dropped onto our enemies from above with axes clutched in their clawed hands. The large ones wielded their blunt instruments, charging through the crowd with anger in their eyes. They were right to join. The fact that they lived underground wouldn’t save them from long arm of The Corporation.

Amidst the chaos, I managed to recover my sword. I’d been wrong to ever think this fight was mine. This was everyone’s fight. The trolls were as desperate and determined to protect who and what they loved as I was. They fought side by side with wolves and mages. Gun flicked his cards like he was dealing a game of poker. When he flung his last card across the clearing, I saw the moment that fear took hold.

In his dragon form, Fafnir’s tail smacked into him; the mage flew, as light and aimless as one of his cards.

“Gun!” I couldn’t reach him. There were too many gods between us.

Feng Po summoned winds so strong they uprooted trees, sending the oaks screaming through the air like missiles. The branches of one tree snagged on Brody’s shirt as it sailed past and dragged the nature mage along with it. A scream built in my throat but died a quick death when I saw Josie rush to his aid. She freed Brody from the wreckage and jumped right back into the ruckus. I had nothing but admiration for the vampire.

A hard object pelted the side of my head. Shadows crowded my vision. Proprioception and equilibrium were important in a fight, and right now I had neither.

“There you are, rebel rouser,” someone hissed.

I didn’t need to see in order to recognize Fafnir’s voice. I thrust my sword in his direction.

“Missed me.”

“Why did you shift out of your dragon form?” His power had to be waning; it was the only explanation. If I could keep him occupied, I might weaken him enough to…

He swung a roundish object at my face. It crashed against my cheekbone, causing me to bite my tongue. My vision finally cleared, and I saw that he clutched his helmet of dread. I laughed as I spat blood on the ground. “You’re so arrogant, you didn’t even bother to bring a real weapon.” Fafnir hadn’t expected the fight to last long enough to lose his dragon form. The hubris of the gods would never cease to amaze me.

The dragon deity glowered at me as I brandished my sword again. “It will take far more than a flimsy piece of metal to best me,” he growled.

“Won’t stop me from trying.” I jammed the tip of the blade into his jugular notch. Despite the blood that spurted from the wound, Fafnir laughed.

“You cannot kill me,” he rasped.

I pulled my sword from his throat. “Who says I want to kill you?” My words were mere bravado, however. I was beginning to question whether we’d be able to subdue them long enough to carry out our plan .

Dis raised his hammer again and again. The god was tireless and relentless in his pursuit of victory. He raised his weapon high and brought it down with all his might. The blow struck the earth, causing a shockwave that split the very ground in two. The forest trembled, and the trees around us splintered like dry kindling.

Bodies rose and fell. The battle raged on.

I froze in place, Fafnir’s blood dripping from my blade. “Otto?” The vampire’s head bobbed across the clearing. I had to be hallucinating. Otto wasn’t here, nor was he tall enough to be visible in this crowd—unless, of course, the vampire was astride a werewolf. I recognized the coat as Xander’s, but why would he bring the cursed vampire straight into the heart of the battle?

Otto stuck his fingers between his fangs and whistled. My breathing hitched as ghostly soldiers stormed the battlefield.

Great gods above. The phantom Yanmen Army. He and Phaedra had done it. That explained the witch’s absence.

The flood of ghostly soldiers broke The Corporation’s stranglehold. I rushed across the clearing to help Gun. The mage was out cold.

I checked his pulse. Faint but still there.

“Is he alive?” West’s voice was mangled by his muzzle, but I understood him.

“For now. Can someone carry him to safety?” I turned to see Otto still riding Xander’s back. “Well done, Otto. Where’s Phaedra?”

“Casting spells at the rear, although she’s quite spent from the effort. I encouraged her to stay at the farm with Ashley, but she refused.”

“Can someone help Gun? He’ll get trampled if he’s left here.”

“Xander and I will do it,” Otto said .

“If I lift him, can you hold him and keep him stable?” I asked.

“I’m stronger than I look,” Otto said.

I gave the vampire a nod of approval. “Yeah, you are.” I braced myself as I scooped the languid mage into my arms and transferred him to Otto and Xander.

The Night Mallt weaved through the trees like a specter, catching Inanna off guard. Between the Wild Hunt and the phantom army, The Corporation lost their footing. As each deity succumbed to their new foes, Kami scrambled from the safety of the trees and fastened a collar around their necks, suppressing their powers. One by one, they fell.

Dis. Mars. Inanna. Fafnir. Esege Malan. Fuchi. Feng Po. Skanda.

Unless we captured Bossu, though, the remaining gods would continue to fight. The god was nowhere to be seen. Had he fled after my revelation, or did he steal away to regroup? I hurried deeper into the forest in search of three horns.

“Looking for someone?”

Before I could turn to defend myself, I felt the sharp point of his horns pierce the flesh of my lower back. A scream erupted from the deepest part of me as I fell facedown on the forest floor.

Bossu seized the advantage. He withdrew his horns, which hurt just as much as when they went in. I managed to roll onto my back and slip another throwing knife from its sheath. As Bossu made another attempt to gore me, I jammed the blade into his neck, hoping to hit the same jugular notch that felled Fafnir. The knife hits its target, but the damage was minimal.

The pain in my back was almost unbearable. Bossu pressed his weight against me. I couldn’t move fast enough to get away .

The god sneered. “What was that you were saying about my power?”

Searing pain radiated up and down my spine. Between the gushing wound and the heavy weight crushing me, I was out of options.

We’d been so close.

He lowered his head to my ear. “Foolish child, believing you could best me. And yet you speak of our hubris. Hypocrisy at its finest.”

His words sank into my skin. Why did I think we could take on the most powerful gods in all the realms? I’d accused The Corporation of arrogance when I was just as guilty. I was so certain we could fight them off that I’d enlisted the aid of everyone I knew and endangered their lives in the process. I’d seen what happened to Dilmun when the Sumerian gods had resisted. Even if we prevented The Corporation from getting their greedy hands on our property, we still risked Fairhaven’s destruction. They weren’t a forgiving organization.

I was about to lose Kane and everyone I cared about. Lose Fairhaven.

My back was sticky with blood and my bones began to crack under pressure. Darkness crept into my peripheral vision. I could feel myself losing consciousness.

Tremors rocked the ground beneath me. I braced myself for the arrival of another god. I inched my head toward the reverberating thud of heavy footsteps. My blurred vision snapped into focus, and for a split second, I thought I was dreaming.

“Cerberus?”

There was no mistaking the hellhound—or his ferocious growl in stereo.

Despite the looming threat, Bossu’s hold on me didn’t slacken. The god simply snarled at Cerberus as though the hellhound had interrupted his evening meal.

Bossu angled his head, preparing a final strike with his horns. I struggled in vain to free myself.

Cerberus lunged. All three of his heads acted as a battering ram to throw Bossu off his perch. Using the bark of a tree for leverage, I clambered to my feet as the hellhound pounced on Bossu. The god thrashed in an attempt to wield his horns as a weapon, but Cerberus’s mighty jaws latched onto all three horns and snapped them in half.

“Who’s a good boy,” I cooed.

An arrow whistled past me and pierced the side of Bossu’s neck. The god struggled for another few seconds before his arms slumped to his sides.

Brody fell in step beside me. “Phew. For a moment there, I was worried I might hit your pup.”

“Poison?”

“Sedative. I’d hurry if I were you. Not sure how long it will last on a god that large.” He looked me up and down. “Are you capable of hurrying, lass? You look a wee bit worse for wear.”

“I’ll make it.” I shouted into the void, “Kami! You’re up!”

The goddess was beside me in a heartbeat. She thrust a collar into my waiting hand.

Cerberus kept the god pinned to the ground while I fastened the collar around Bossu’s neck, severing the god from whatever limited power he possessed. “Gotcha.”

The god’s eyes snapped opened, and he instinctively tried to rip the metal from his neck. “Remove this at once.” His speech was slurred as he fought the effects of Brody’s poison.

“Or what? You’ll insult me to death?” A quick survey of the area showed that all the critical gods were now collared, and those without collars had surrendered to the hodgepodge of Fairhaven’s finest. “The fight’s over. ”

“Thank the gods,” Brody breathed, then frowned. “What am I saying? It’s no thanks to any of you lot.”

Kami hustled to my side. “Melinoe, you’re hurt.”

“It’ll heal eventually. Right now we need to finish this.”

“The gods are ready for transport.”

“Thank you.”

Bossu’s eyes opened and closed as he fought to regain consciousness. “Back to Paradise?”

“In your dreams,” I said.

The forest itself looked like a nightmare, a wasteland of splintered trees, scorched earth, and shattered rocks. Wild Acres would bear the scars of this battle for decades, but it was worth it. We were battered. We were exhausted.

Most importantly, we were victorious.