Page 27 of The Gods We Defy (All Gods Must Die #2)

CHAPTER 27

W e reach the end of the Burren landscape and come to a colossal mountain and its entrance. I spot the caves and passages up and along the mountain wall, but also find long columns and ruins along it. As if the mountain once had a temple built into it.

The huge gold face sits farther up at its center, watching us all from above.

I take a step toward the mountain when Hunter reaches out a hand, stopping me.

“Look,” he says, tilting his head.

I follow his line of sight and find four chosen trying to conceal themselves among the rocky jutting entrance.

“I’ve got an idea,” Indira says, and we all turn to her.

“You four each take one of them down,” she says.

“And what will you be doing?” Yasmin asks with a raised brow.

“Creating your distraction.” Indira raises her hand and wiggles her fingers, her Sidus light appearing and weaving around her hands.

I spot the glint of a smile in Yasmin’s eyes before she looks at me. “She’s got this,” she says as if trying to convince me, but I can already see from the look in Indira’s eyes that she’s confident in whatever plan she has.

Yasmin and Hael slip around the rocks, slowly making their way to the chosen. While Indira moves farther backward into the edge of the Burren and starts climbing one of the rocks.

“Let’s go,” I reply, and Hunter nudges my shoulder. I find his eyes and the warmth that’s in them.

“Looks like you finally figured out you can trust them,” he says, bringing a smile to my face. Even if he can’t see it.

We follow Yasmin and Hael, each picking a target as we wait for our distraction from Indira. We don’t have to wait long as a beaming light glints around us, gaining the attention of the chosen. They head toward it when the light changes direction and blinds them. The four of us sneak quickly up behind them, knocking them out.

The luminescent light pulls away as Indira steps up in front of us. Her eyes glinting with a proud smile.

“Impressive,” Hael says to her, and she practically preens as we make our way inside the mouth of the mountain.

The passages are similar to the island cave only larger and rounder. Almost as if they are carved by a creature tunneling through.

If these were made by the snake, it must be enormous. Far bigger than the sea dragon.

We move through the passages when Hael comes to a stop near one of the walls.

“What is this?” he asks.

Indira weaves her Sidus light and moves it to the wall. There’re swirls and small carvings and at their center an ancient language.

“All who enter do not return,” Hunter says, and we turn to look at him.

“That’s what it says.”

Hael frowns at him. “You can read an ancient language?”

He shrugs. “Some.”

I open my mouth to ask him how, when we hear shouting.

Heading toward it, we move past more immense columns and ruins and back into the passageways to come out to two chosen fighting off a dark monster nearly the size of the room.

Two branch-like horns sit on the top of its pointed head, and four white oval eyes stare out of the front of its face. Its body is round and thick, covered in a dark leather hide, its hands and two legs humanoid but wider, and its long black nails far sharper.

It has the two chosen blocked in. They’ve found a crevasse in the rock where it can’t reach, but now they are stuck in there.

“Let’s let them distract this one and we can make a move around it,” Indira suggests, and Hael agrees.

But I recognize the way they move and fight. I look closer at their masks. My eyes widen when I spot the black mask with silver streaked across it in a thick line and the other with patches of black and silver.

It’s Oryn and Nevan.

“We can’t leave them,” I tell them, and they freeze, all turning to look at me.

“It’s Oryn and Nevan.”

“We never get a break.” Hael exaggerates a long sigh, but I catch the glint of light in his eyes as he looks at me. “Let’s go save your friends.”

I glance over at Yasmin and Indira as a plan forms. With one look, they move over to me. “What’s the plan?” Yasmin asks.

“Me, you, and Indira can hold it with our light and shadows. While Hunter and Hael can move around it to free the others. When we have it surrounded, we should be able to subdue it.”

Without question, they get moving, Hunter and Hael head toward Oryn and Nevan while I reach down and draw up my Sidus light, weaving a large net. Indira mirrors me, her string thinner than my own, but she weaves them closer together while Yasmin’s shadows curl out around her and wait.

We don’t have to wait long as the dark monster turns its massive body shaking the ground of the cavern, drawn to our light. Mesmerized, it makes a move toward us, and we let it get close enough to strike.

My net weaves around its body, with Indira’s wrapping around its thick legs.

Yasmin’s shadows draw up and slam down on its hands, pinning them to the ground.

We hold it in place while Hunter and Hael help free Oryn and Nevan from the crevasse.

A whine groans from the dark monster’s throat, drawing me a step closer to it and I spot the light in its eyes reminding me so much of the sea dragon. Something tugs at my chest, and I open my mouth to suggest knocking it out instead of killing it when something moving above the monster catches my eye.

Not something, someone. Oryn .

He lands on the creature and slams his sword into the top of its head with a roar.

My Sidus light slips away with the bolt of shock that spears through me as the monster drops with a thump, its four white eyes slowly turning dark as it dies.

Indira’s and Yasmin’s powers slip away as the others make their way over just as the mountain rattles and rumbles, shaking the ground beneath us.

Dust and rock crumble and break apart just as a loud angry hiss echoes down the passages to us.

I share a worried look with Hunter.

The snake. It must have heard us.

“Let’s get out of here before it collapses on us,” Indira says, and we run for it, barely avoiding the large rocks falling from the ceiling and cracks opening in the ground.

We keep running from the tremors until we finally make it far enough that the world is no longer shaking.

We’re on a large ledge that juts out over expansive nothingness. There’s a small rope bridge leading across the cavern, but it looks precarious at best.

“That was close,” Hael pants.

“Why is it so hot in here?” Oryn asks and Yasmin points down past the ledge into the pit of boiling lava.

“Because of that,” she replies.

We can’t go back the way we came. But there are no other passages. The only exit is across from us. On the other side of that lake of burning death.

Hael glances down at the pits and flinches back before his eyes find Indira. He makes his way closer to her, but she doesn’t notice. Too focused on our next major obstacle. He keeps moving until he’s between her and the edge.

“There,” Yasmin says, pointing to a small, narrow bridge I didn’t notice down in the dark shadows of the cavern. Who knows how it’s even still standing with the lava bubbling up around it.

But it’s a better option than trying to climb down into the spewing pits.

We make our way toward what’s left of the bridge as Hael keeps Indira on the inside and away from the lava. I smile to myself, but then notice Hunter is right beside me, doing the same thing.

Swallowing hard, I push it to the back of my mind as we take turns crossing what's left of the old narrow bridge.

As we move along, Oryn comes up beside me.

“I’m sorry we haven’t spent more time together. It’s been chaos since I got here. I’ve barely slept between training with Asra and everything else.”

I reach out and pat his shoulder. “I understand. Time has not been our friend. Hopefully, we’ll both get what we want out of this.”

He nods and sighs. “Hopefully.”

Indira weaves her Sidus light and raises it above us, lighting the area around us.

The cavern we are now in looks to have been part of the temple from long ago. The grand columns and archways blend seamlessly with the great mountain.

We investigate the room for our next direction when something gnaws at the corner of my mind. I scan around the room when complete darkness ripples across the room, blinding us.

I push my Sidus light out around me and jump back as a sword swipes across my body, almost gutting me.

Two chosen corner me, their matching scimitar swords in hand.

Where are the others? I move the light above us and over the room, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone else in here anymore.

Pulling my Sidus light back, I move it above us and move to draw my sword when another low rumble shakes the cavern around me.

Dust and small rock start to fall on me, and something hits my side, pushing me backward.

I stumble back through an opening and the chosen advance.

Drawing my sword, I get to my feet and run away from the collapsing cavern, using my Sidus light to help me see in the dark.

Weaving in and out of passages, I finally feel the end of the tremors and find myself in a larger chamber that branches off into dozens of passages. Picking the closest passage, I keep up my pace until the room opens up to a large echoing cavern.

Hearing footsteps still echoing around me after I stop, I whip around. The chosen have made it past the collapsing rock and have caught up with me.

Holding my light above us, I step back into the center of the room and watch as they advance. One shoots forward and I twist, slashing my sword across his body, but it slides right through him as if he’s made from smoke.

I freeze, glancing between my sword and him as he moves back.

They’re not chosen. They’re an illusion.

I slide the sword across my hand like last time with a hiss of pain. But unlike last time, nothing happens. The chosen stare at me, standing still, while the room around me stays hidden in the dark with only my Sidus light above.

If I’m in an illusion, then so are the others. And we’re all running out of time.

Closing my eyes, I focus on my energy, my light. I take a slow breath, pushing everything away.

I float down deep inside my mind, finding the very core of my Sidus light. Its warmth drawing me in. Into the serenity as it fills me and seeps into every inch of my body.

I hold onto it and open my eyes. The chosen in front of me ripple and slowly dissolve.

The room begins to lighten and when the darkness fully clears, instinct has me looking up, only to find two dark red eyes with slitted pupils staring back at me .

And unlike the sea dragon or dark monster, there’s not an ounce of light or warmth in its cold, sharp gaze.