Page 58 of Until the End of Ever (To the Cruel Gods #2)

LUCIAN

I barely paid any mind to the terrified crowd in the main hall, racing for the doors, until one voice pulled me out of my focus.

"Lucian!"I turned to my mother just as she leapt into my arms, pressing me hard against her.Before I could warn her, she let go, barely ever wincing at the way my power lashed out at the first source of life.

One quick glance behind her showned me that my father and brother were herding frightened, confused valers to the lift leading to our side of town.

"Where's Kleos?" she demanded.

I didn't know how to start explaining what I'd witnessed, and I didn't have time.

"Kicking Zeus's ass. Long story. Listen," I said intently, "I need you to get home, warn the underside, prepare defenses.

The gods are attempting to break the walls and the shields.

If they do it, we'll all be vulnerable."

"It sounds like we'd be of more use here, then!"

I shook my head. "Mother, you're one of the strongest woman I know, yes, but first and foremost, you're the leader all turn to. Let me do my part. Besides, Father needs to be out of the way, and he won't leave without you."

Tears in her eyes, she brought her palms flat against her shoulder and lowered her head, accepting my judgement with respect and deference I'd witnessed from her. "I'm proud of you."

And then she ran back to Father. I kept racing toward the exit, wincing as the light hit my eyes. Even in late autumn, and with the clouds summoned by the asshole Skyfather, I'd never be accustomed to mid-morning sunshine.

"Catch!"

I lifted my hand out instinct, grasping the light projectile tossed towards me. Sunglasses .

"Damian," I said, frankly confused to see him catch up to me when I'd expected him to follow our parents.

He smirked. "You don't think I'd let you get all the glory now, do you? Mother said something about the walls?"

Both of out attention was then caught by the sound and vibration of an enormous explosion straight ahead, near the temple of Dionysus.

"That's be it. A bunch of gods have been told to destroy them, and the shields protecting Highvale."

"And how, exactly, are we stopping gods ?"

"We aren't," I retorted. "It's only six of them, for twelve doors." Apollo was otherwise engaged, attempting to not get murdered by his father. "Whatever they raze, we rebuild. They can't destroy the shields unless all the walls are down. They're written in the fundation."

"I hate manual labor."Damian grunted. "All right, I'll take the east."

I dashed out west, shields up, doing my best to ignore the screams of the crowd converging in the other direction, all making their way inward, away from the gates.

When I reached the wall between the temple of Poseidon and Ares, completely obliterated, with wrecked stones the size of boulders either side of the city limits, I noticed the bare spell, written in golden, glowing runes, at ground-level.

The shield they wanted gone once the outer city walls built by Poseidon were torn down.

My eyes moved to the temple to my right, intact, built on an intersection of canals, with a white stone trident at the top.

I know I'm not your favorite person. I'm screwing your daughter. But Poseidon, this city, your city is under attack. Your daughter is fighting your brother. Maybe get off your ass and ?—

Fuck. I knew better. The god could hold a hell of a grudge, if the Odyssey was even ten percent accurate.

Look, we need help.

I looked at the rocks, sighed, and started to levitate them one at a time, pushing one, then another, back down onto the bare foundation to cover the spell Athena herself wrote to secure Highvale.

Except the moment I'd covered the pan of wall between Ares and Poseidon, instead of an awkward, easily smashed pile of rocks, the wall re-form, perfectly alined, levelled white, gleaming stones.

I looked up to the trident again, finding it gleaming blue.

I blinked, utterly confused about the fact that the shark-toothed god had answered my prayer.

Quick as I could, I moved another row of stone, then choose to leave it.

The wall had been over twenty feet tall, and stood now barely higher than me, but I didn't need it perfect, I just needed it covered.

Taking inner streets in order to avoid the Olympians, still at work on the walls, I found my next destroyed section, between Demeter and Hermes's.

I'd only managed one full row when I screamed in pain and surprised, as two arrows hit me in the back.

Thankfully, the shooters had shit aim, hitting my shoulder and shin.

I pulled the blades out and turned, shields up, to watch two of those enthused dicks run to me, Timothee, holding a sword and Castor, the bow and arrow.

The arrows bounced against my red shield, but I had to admit their impact was stronger than expected, making me slide backward.

The was on me, moving in a smooth, fast way that suggested years of expertise in the art of war. Which was hilarious, given the fact that he was daintier than Silver.

"Really?" I chuckled at the tiny man as he lunged towards me.

The first hit of his iron blade pierced my shield, hitting my arm in a way that would have claimed flesh, had I not worn Witch Styles fabric.

"All right, I see we're not playing, then."

Two against one, both of them with godly help? I didn't hesitate, raising both hands, and sucking on the energy of both. They were close enough to claim it without physical contact, though it took some effort.

I was too focused on the two, I didn't spot the third, colossal warrior until he was almost upon me. He had no weapon, just his fists, and that was enough. One punch propelled me backward, so hard I crashed against the four foot tall wall, breaking Damian's sunglasses.

All three creatures smirked, walking toward me.

"Lucian Regis," the tallest called.

"I don't think we've been introduced," I said lightly, patting my breast pocket.

"You should have known better than to move against the will of the gods."

"Let me guess. You're one of Zenya's pawns, huh? You plotted to enslave Kleos."

The man sneakered. "She would have been given to me. A worthy wife, obedient and docile. But you had to get involved, signing her death warrant. And yours."

I found what I was looking for, a vial of pure black shadow, that I uncapped and tossed into the air.

Darkness covered every inch of the air around us. I'd have to thank Ronan for that one.

"Now that's better." I removed the broken glasses.

"Where is he?" the giant grunted.

"Over here," I taunted, letting my voice echo around the entire space.

The three fools turned on their heels, weapons and fists raised. I Grasped the twig's throat first, breaking it cleanly, in order to get the weakest out of the way, then went for the archer, as the shadows started to dim already.

He was harder to get a hold off, shooting as soon as he sensed me. So I let him waist his arrows, side stepping as he shot. When he was done, I tapped his shoulder and winked, knowing he'd see my gleaming red eyes from up close.

He screamed, and I fed on every exquisite ounce of energy and pain. He'd wanted to pin a murder by syphoning on me this morning. It was only fitting to show him exactly how I went about that.

The midday light had prevailed against my trick by the time I was done with Castor, but at least, I only had the giant left.

Enraged, either by my killing his friends, or tooling with him, he launched himself at me, and I braced for an impact that never came.