Page 53

KLEOS

" P raying? That's your whole plan?" Silver made a derisive snort.

I shot her a look. She was irritable--understandably, after her experience at Pan's--but taking it out on Lucian wasn't helping anyone. Especially since he seemed just as pissed as her.

No, not just pissed. Lucian felt cold today. Like the remote, untouchable prince I always assumed he was.

"We're asking a god for a favor. Call it whatever you want to call it." I watch Lucian toss a single rune into the pit, before taking a step back and getting to the ground.

He sat crossed legged and closed his eyes.

He'd asked each of us to bring five things we'd dearly miss, for the five attempts we could make today.

The first item I chose the first jewel I ever made, an awkwardly braided leather bracelet woven with a worthless stone that I'd kept on my nightstand for years.

I tossed it after him, and moved to copy his stance.

To say that trying to pray felt weird was understatement. Witches didn't believe in the one sentient God of modern religions, capital G. And while we knew of the existence of the ancient gods, most of us didn't bother with them. They didn't care about us. They weren't supposed to.

But here in this quiet still watchful place, I could make myself believe there was a chance someone, something was listening.

Erm-- you don't know me. I'm not much of a worshipper.

I now know the gods are around, sometimes, and it still fucks with my mind.

I'm sorry? Do you mind people saying fuck?

Apologies if you do. Apollo. You're the gods of prophecy.

See, I have a problem. Someone has been trying to hurt me.

They've killed people to get to me. If there's a chance you can help, a chance you know what to do. ..

I heard a low snort, andI chanced a quick look, spotting Silver, who shook her head, before throwing an item I recognized. One of the pendants I'd charmed for her.

All of a sudden, I wanted nothing more than to get to my feet and hug her tight. I must have charmed dozens of stones over the year. The fact that was what she thought about when asked to bring something she'd miss reminded me why, for all her fault, she was my best friend.

And she was here. She didn't believe in the gods. She thought we were wasting our time. She sure as fuck didn't trust Lucian. And still, she came for me.

I was about to get to my feet to grab her tight and thank her.

But then, Silver knelt.

I t happened the moment one of her knees touched the cave's floor. A deep, rumbling growl from the depth, that had every single one of us up and on our feet.

Oh hell .

"What the fuck is going on?" Silver screamed at Lucian.

"Do I look like I know?" he yelled back, both hands filled with red mists.

Both of them assumed the same protective stance without another word, Silver to my right, Lucian to my left.

Ronan jumped into action, taking Lucian's back.

Gideon, Idiot En Chef, opted to step in front of all of us, as we waited, my heart racing.

The ground was shaking, something approaching from the depth.

"That's no Apollo," Silver said, stating the obvious.

It occurred to me every single one of them had moved in a way that protected me. All of this was about me. I'd put everyone in danger here. "Should we run?" I offer.

Ronan snorted. "Are you kidding? This is way too much fun."

We all stared at him, gasping. Gideon was the first to recover. "That's what I was going to say!"

And just then, it appeared.

I decided to permanently, once and for all, forever banish the notion that any myth might have been fiction, as I took in the gigantic serpent.

fangs the size of my arm, eyes bigger than my head, a body so tall I couldn't comprehend it, and thicker than a car, it was so much more than any monster, any demon.

The silver green into the humongous pupils shone with the kind of understanding, and power no mere beast possessed.

This thing could only be one kind of creature.

A god .

A very monstrous one, certainly, but a god nonetheless. I couldn't recall Python's parentage, but something told me it was someone huge.

The beast reeled to strike and the three of us with magic shoved the strongest shield we could between us.

Python hissed, his tail hitting the shield. All three of us took several steps back, shaken.

"We can't kill him," Lucian screamed over the terrifying angry fizzle coming out of the serpent.

"I know. He's fucking strong," I replied.

"No, I mean, we can't kill him. He's Gaia's son. We don't need to piss her off today."

"You're kidding me? That's our concern right now?" I yelled back.

If I had my shot, and a chance, I'd absolutely strike that thing and deal with Gaia later. My own life aside, if freed, it was going to destroy, well. Everything.

I thought about the world serpent of another myth—this one, Norse. "Is thatJormungandr?"

If so, his awakening was supposed to mark the start of Ragnarok. The bloody apocalypse .

"Tell me we didn't end the world on a Monday morning," I begged, as the creature's body and tail kept pushing our shields.

"No," Ronan assured me. "The world serpent is a lot bigger. That's definitely just Python."

Except it wasn't just anything.

"We need a plan, other than waiting for him to get through and eat us, that is. Maybe I can freeze his blood--" I start.

"He's a bloody snake," Lucian remind me. "Cold blooded anyway. I can probably absorb his energy, but I doubt I can do it fast enough. Someone needs to distract him, or he'll just eat me."

"We got this," Silver assured him, tapping Gideon's shoulders. "You take the left?"

He nodded, grinning at her. "Go for the eyes, avoid the teeth."

"Wait!" I screamed. "You can't! You'd have to go through the shield!"

She looked over her shoulder, smiling at me, in that winning way of hers. Like she truly had this. "The shield's not gonna last anyway, Kley."

"There's a fucking pit to the underworld right there."

"And about two kilometres of snake to walk on," Gideon said, with a fucking chuckle. "We're good."

Except, they weren't. They were foolish. But there was nothing I could do to stop either of them from racing towards the pit, and jump to the snake.

I screamed, reaching out with my hands, with my soul, and everything in me towards my best friend, my cousin, my family , jumping had first into danger the likes of which I didn't even know existed until now.

If Python killed them, they wouldn't merely die. They'd be destroyed, obliterated, down to their souls. I knew it to the bottom of my heart. This was going to be their end.

The jolt of power coming out of me was nothing like I'd felt before.

I wasn't hesitating though. I aimed it right under Sylver's feet, first, then Gideon, golden steps guiding them up, higher and higher, faster than either of their feet could have.

The serpent reared, mouth ready, and I rushed my fists, letting it all out, until there was nothing but gold all around me.

My scream had started with fear, and it ended with fear. A thousand years’ worth of battle cries, coming out in order to make the enemy tremble.

Over the pit, the snake kept its eyes on mine, widening as blades made of golden light, shaped like javelins, aimed right at the serpent.

Yes, there was fear in the end too. His . And I relished it.

Lucian's voice finally cut through whatever was happening in my head. "Dammit, don't fucking kill Python!"

I glanced at him, remembering his words. Losing my focus, the javelins began to lose aim, dropping towards the pit.

Fuck .

Yes, I certainly didn't want mother Earth pissed at me, but my pressing concern was saving my two idiots right now.

" Trust me, " he insisted.

Ah, fuck. I did trust him.

It surprised me I knew how to drop the weapons, when I wasn't even certain how I'd summoned them.

"One move towards any of us, and I will destroy you," I called loud and clear.

Except, this wasn't what I was saying. I wasn't speaking any language I knew.

The serpent hissed again, this time, with annoyance more than relish at the prospect of a nice meal.

"You will return where you came from or you will die.

" I lifted my arm again, a javelin right inside, as my golden steps brought the two idiots where they belonged, by my side.

"Test me, I dare you. I vow forever night!

" I wasn't in control of my words anymore than my action, my arms trembling.

"Ipromise you shadows, and blood, and ruin--"

"Not those words! Fucking hell, Kleos, shut the hell up!"

Again, I stilled. This wasn't like Lucian. Even pissed, he'd never talked to me like that.

Because I wasn't acting like me, was I? These words were ripped out of my throat, unwilling.

He stepped toward me, holding my hand. I focused on his grasp.

His voice was quiet as he addressed the godly serpent. "You heard the term. She's bound by them now. You attack any of us, until the end of time, and she will have to destroy you. No matter the cost."

Another hiss, and the serpent unfurled, before dropping back down into the abyss.

I fell to my knees, all energy leaving me. I shivered and sobbed.

"Do that again, and I will kill you both, you fucking idiots," I screamed at Gideon, or Silver, or both. "You were going to die !"

"We would have all died if we did nothing," Silver replied. "Well, at least that was the assumption until you did--whatever that was."

"What that was," said an unfamiliar voice. "Is dramatic ."

We all jumped, turning to find a young man leaning against the furthest cave wall.

He was dressed all in white, with a few shining gold threads at the edge of his clothing.

Long, bright red hair, wavier than mine, fell to the middle of his back.

His eyes, even in the distance, shone sky blue.

Then he tilted his head, and smiled, and it was as though the sun had risen right into the cave.

He brought his hands up and clapped. "Truly spectacular. I'd demand an encore so I can get the muses to write the perfect replay."

Surprisingly, Gideon was the first to react. He took one knee, lowering his head.

Fuck .

We all scrambled to follow suit, as the god in the cave straightened up, retrieving a golden bow discarded on the floor.

"Well? You called, and here I am. Apollo. At your services."