Page 15 of The Gods We Defy (All Gods Must Die #2)

CHAPTER 15

B eneath the water, I’m blinded by its darkness. But I immediately spot my foolish mistake.

That girl may have lured me away from the others, but it was my naivety that got me into this mess.

Instinct has me immediately moving, kicking my legs and swimming up toward a sliver of light above.

I reach the top and gasp in a lung full of air. Just as I take another deep breath, something coils around my left ankle and yanks me back under, dragging me deeper into its depths.

Reaching out, I grasp at water and try to kick and push away whatever is clasping my ankle so tightly. Its sharp claws scraping against my leg.

Remembering my powers, I release my Sidus light and spear it toward the thing that has me in its grasp.

A muffled shriek hits my ears and the thing holding me releases my leg from its grasp.

Swimming up, I force more and more of my Sidus light out and around me, warding off any other monsters as I push my body through the water.

Sending a string of light up, I mimic my dive off the cliff and use it as rope to help pull myself to the surface.

Coming closer to the surface, I spot the silver masked, bronze-eyed chosen now surrounded by chaos.

I let the burn in my lungs fuel my anger and send my Sidus light out toward him. It quickly reaches him, wrapping around him, and I use his body as an anchor as I approach the surface.

He grips onto the nearest rock, and a chosen beside him helps him from getting pulled in as I break the surface of the water. I don’t release my light, instead I pull on it harder, breaking his hold from the rock and yanking him and his friend into the water, launching myself onto the shore.

The splash they make draws the gray creatures to them and they drag them to its depths.

Testing the movement in my body, I hiss when my stomach burns. Glancing down, I lift the side of my top to find deep claw marks from when the creature caught me.

Scanning the area to make sure no one can sneak up on me, I quickly rip a strip off the end of my cloak and wrap it tightly around my bleeding stomach.

There’s intense pain throbbing throughout my body, a heavy exhaustion settling in to match my killer headache. I’ll need a healer, but I’ll live. My eyes are clear, and the dizziness fades away. Which means I need to focus on the next task.

I get my bearings, spotting Hael surrounded by the strange creatures. He’s holding his own, but more are joining in threatening to overwhelm him. It won’t be long before they have him cornered.

Finding a discarded sword, I move toward him and take out the smallest of the gray creatures first before moving to the bulkier ones. I turn to head toward them when I see the two large creatures sneaking quickly behind him.

But I’m too far away to warn him. I won’t make it to him in time. Reaching down, I feel for my shadows, hoping they will re-appear in my time of need, but just like every time since leaving the underground prison, nothing happens. I push it to the back of my mind for now and focus on my other abilities. My Sidus light blares to life, reminding me I’m never without power.

Feeling a measure of relief, I let it rise and push it out toward the two large gray creatures heading straight for Hael, hoping to hold them off long enough for me to reach him.

A long line of white light snaps out and coils around their necks. Hael whips his head around finally noticing them, his eyes widening when he spots my Sidus light. But I ignore whatever question blares to life in his eyes as I try to hold them where they are, yanking on the line of light to keep them in place as I move closer.

But instead of holding them in place when I pull, my Sidus light slides right through their necks, instantly beheading them.

I freeze in place, my eyes widening, and Hael’s own shocked gaze finds mine.

I’ve never done that before. No Sidus has.

But I don’t get a chance to think on it, a loud rumble vibrates through the cave, shaking the ground beneath my feet.

The monsters that are left flee straight into the water and disappear within seconds.

I quickly find, Yasmin, Indira, and Hael. We share a look and get moving, our quick steps morphing into a run as the cavern collapses around us.

The rocks crumble into the water, dust and chunks of rock fall from the ceiling and walls.

We run, jumping from one rock to another, narrowly avoiding the devastation all around us. But the destruction moves quicker than we do and the ground beneath us falls.

Indira’s scream pierces my ears as we free-fall. With Yasmin and Indira to one side of me and Hael on the other, we all land inside a long tube-like tunnel with a steep descent.

I release my Sidus abilities ready to use them as rope once more, but a different light flits across my eyes, capturing my attention. Before I know it, we’re pushed out of the tunnels and into another cavern of water with a loud splash.

Immediately breaching the surface, I gasp a lungful of air and make sure the others are nearby. Just in case those gray monsters are in here too, I swim toward the rocky cavern floor and the others follow.

But once I get out and glance back at the water, I find it crystal clear, the only ripples emanating from our swim to shore.

I make sure the others are all right before checking out the cavern we landed in.

In one glance, I can see everything in the area. The water is at its center, with the rocky cave floor surrounding it. There is a ceiling with jagged, pointy rocks high above us, and small ledges up and around the sides.

Dozens of passages are scattered in and around the area, instantly making my headache worse at the thought of figuring out which one to take.

We’ve already lost at least half a day. Finding the crystals in what seems like a labyrinth of caves is feeling impossible.

“Where the hell are we now?” Yasmin asks with a groan as she glances around.

Hael winces as he inspects the cavern. “Looks like another cave system.”

“You’re hurt?” I ask him, checking him for any injuries.

A glint of light enters his eye as he turns back to me. “Nothing a good bath and long sleep won’t cure.” His eyes scan down and up my body, and I narrow my eyes on the look he gives me. “Though if you want to really help me?—”

“Don’t even think about finishing that sentence,” I warn him, and he raises his hands, the light in his eyes only growing.

It seems he’s just fine.

Shaking my head at his shameless flirting, I open my mouth to suggest trying out one of the larger cave passages to our left when three figures walk through it.

My sword is in hand within seconds. Yasmin and Hael follow suit and turn to our newest guests.

They freeze upon seeing us as if shocked to find us here. The one in front raises his hands and takes a step back.

“We’re not here for a fight,” a familiar voice says, making me lose some of the tension in my body.

“Oryn?” I call out, making him freeze. He’s wearing a black and silver mask. The silver is streaked in long thick lines across it.

He drops his hands and looks in my direction. “Seren?”

I catch Indira glance between us. “You know each other?”

I nod. “We’re from the same kingdom,” I tell her.

Sheathing my sword, I meet Oryn halfway. The one closest to him keeps his distance, his mask a mix of black and silver patches while the other turns away to glance around the cavern.

Yasmin, Hael, and Indira follow closely behind me.

Yasmin keeps her sword out by her side, but Hael quickly sheathes his, trusting my judgement.

Oryn instantly wraps me in a hug. “I thought it might have been you. You free dived off the cliff, didn’t you?”

I pull back and nod. “Vidarr has taken an instant dislike to a group of us. He sent word to meet on top of that mountain and said a portal would be there to take us to the first trial. Turns out it was a trick. I’ll be less na?ve for the next one.”

“Vidarr wants to rule the trials and choose the winner for himself,” Hael says, and I turn to look at him. “He’s amassed a lot of power over the years. Most of the chosen vow allegiance to him, hoping that he will allow them to win. But he will choose who he wants. No favors gained will change that.”

I tilt my head to Oryn. “I guess you’re on his good side.” He was in the group led outside the cave after all.

Oryn shakes his head at me. “Unlike some people, I keep my head down.” He glances down at the sword in my hand and then over at Yasmin’s and Hael’s, his eyes lighting up when he spots them.

“We think we found where the crystals are. But there’s one issue,” he says.

“What issue?” I ask, an excited thrum rushing through me at the thought of not having to search endless passages on a time limit.

“Come see for yourself,” a deep voice says, drawing my eyes to the farthest of Oryn’s company.

The one closest to me avoids looking at me, making me realize it must be Nevan. The other one that spoke is now staring directly at me, and I recognize him right away. Or at least his mask.

His half black mask and line of gold are a contrast against his dark brown eyes. The bottom half of his face covered in a cloth completely conceal the rest of his face.

He silently stares at me, a strange look in his eyes that has me wondering if he actually did catch me when he was being healed.

“This is Hunter,” Oryn says. “He’s with us. He’s a fae and one of the less psycho ones.”

“So is Hael,” Indira says. “A fae that is.” She narrows her eyes on him playfully. “We’re still wondering about the psycho part, though.”

Hael barks out a laugh before winking at her. He nods to Hunter, but Hunter’s gaze hasn’t left mine, watching me as if waiting for something. When nothing happens after another minute or two, he nods to himself and looks at the others.

“What are you doing down here if you know where the crystals are?” Yasmin asks.

“That little issue we mentioned?” Oryn replies, glancing over at her. “Needs a well thought out plan, and, at bare minimum, some weapons. Ours got lost when the cave we were in started collapsing and although we have abilities, we don’t think they’ll cut it.”

“Let’s go,” Hunter says. “We haven’t got long before our time here is up.” The tone of urgency in his voice gets us moving.

“Lead the way.” Yasmin nods and Hunter takes the lead, turning and heading back through the way they came.

We follow silently through the curving passages, dipping our heads as the ceiling drops and moving through the tightening tunnel until finally it opens out into a smaller cave with a small opening. It’s big enough to fit two people, or at least two normal sized people. Hunter and Hael aren’t exactly small. Both have broad shoulders and are a couple of inches taller than Oryn and Nevan.

“There,” Oryn whispers.

I move around the others to look through the cave to where Oryn is pointing. A flood of elation rushes through me when my eyes land on a mass of glittering light that shimmers.

The crystals.

Every color imaginable is scattered all over the walls and ground as if they are growing from the very cave itself. Some are larger than others, but none are bigger than the size of my fist. My gaze tries to spot one I’m drawn to but find the little issue Oryn was talking about.

The sea dragon.

My stomach drops at the size of it. It’s enormous. A monstrous beast with long claws and sharp spikes that run from its head down the length of its body.

It has two large slits on its back, as if it once had wings. But even without wings, it looks like a force to be reckoned with.

Its white, blue, and gold body slides along the cave ground and up into the top ledge where most of the crystals are.

“We’ll need to distract it somehow. Lure it away from the crystals so we can get them,” Oryn says.

It can’t be that easy… I think, but I keep that to myself. Nothing about trying to get past a sea dragon is going to be easy, but something inside me is telling me it’s not right. That we’re looking at this the wrong way.

“We were going to try to find weapons to distract it long enough for one of us to get the crystals for everyone,” Oryn says.

“That won’t work,” Hael says, shaking his head, drawing our attention to him. “You can’t just pick a random crystal, and no one can choose for you. You have to be drawn to it. It will help amplify your abilities and make a suitable weapon for the last trial.”

Yasmin narrows her eyes at him. “How do you know this?”

“Let’s just say I didn’t enter these trials completely blind,” he says, looking past us to the sea dragon. “I have heard stories of the sea dragon as a child. It’s called the Olliphéist and is centuries old. This cave system is not only its home but also its creation.” Hael dips his head toward the dragon. “It has created most of the tunnels and passages, carving them out with its body.”

“There is an old legend that speaks of the Olliphéist. It will grant you what you wish for, but what you seek will seek you.”

“What a load of nonsense—” Yasmin starts, but I tune her out, concentrating on his words. There’s something niggling at the back of my mind telling me to focus on it. On the dragon.

What you seek, will seek you… We seek the crystals, but glancing over at them, I don’t feel drawn to any of them. They’re beautiful, yes, but that’s their only appeal.

Maybe that’s their only role in this. Their appeal. To act as a distraction against what we should really be looking for.

The others talk among themselves, moving into the back of the cave and while they're distracted, I pull Oryn over to the entrance.

“I don’t think those are what we need,” I tell him quiet enough that the others don’t hear. What I’m about to suggest is nothing short of crazy.

“What do you mean?” he asks.

“It’s just a feeling, but a strong one. I think we’re looking in the wrong place. If Hael is right and what we’re seeking seeks us, then maybe it’s not these crystals. Maybe it’s the dragon.”

Oryn frowns, looking at me like I’ve completely lost it. “The dragon?”

I glance over and focus on the very thing that is drawing me to it. My hunch is telling me what we’re looking for has to do with that dragon and not the shiny crystals around it. My gaze draws down its body and halfway down, on the top of its back, I spot them.

Crystals. They’re not as shiny as the ones in the cave. All deep blue and most likely covered in debris, but they line half of its body.

“Seren—”

“There.” I tilt my head toward the dragon. “On its back. Do you see them?” I whisper.

Oryn’s gaze runs down the dragon, his eyes widening when he spots the crystals.

“I feel it. But… Surely not,” he says before looking at me and wincing when he realizes what we’re going to have to do. “We’re going to have to get those, aren’t we?”

I share a worried look with him. Yes. Yes, we are.

We can’t just distract it and lure it away anymore. We’re going to need to find a way to not only sneak around it but also get on top of it.

It’s the only way to get those crystals and get out of the cave to pass the trial.