Forged in Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Protector Book 5) Page 5

  I halted in my tracks, skidding on the ground. Ares, as if compelled, did the same.

  I lowered my arm, panting, and peeked out. The bats and pomegranates had frozen in midair. A beautiful woman stood in front of me. She wore a Greek-style dress and had golden threads of wheat woven through her hair. Her magic was a balm to my soul, flowing out of her like a rush of cool water and the feel of rich, life-giving dirt. She held a torch that glowed bright, making her look like she stood in a pool of sunlight.

  I dropped my arm. “Persephone!”

  A cocky smile tugged at her lips. “How did you know?”

  “Your magic. And the wheat in your hair.”

  “Well done. And you are Phoenix Knight, our newest hero.”

  “I sure hope so.”

  “You doubt yourself?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “You shouldn’t.” She looked at Ares. “He doesn’t. Ares Warhaven believes in you. Should I?”

  “That’s a doozy of a question.” I glanced warily at the bats, grateful to see that they were still frozen in midair.

  “Then why don’t you answer one for me?”

  “Okay.”

  “You will have a choice of two monsters to fight when you attempt to reach the River Acheron to leave this place. Would you rather fight the Empusa or Medusa?”

  “I know who Medusa is. But what is the Empusa?”

  “The Empusa is the daughter of Hecate and the spirit Mormo. She was born evil, her only desire to devour the flesh and blood of others. She has hair of flame, dagger teeth, and the wings of a bat. Though there is a small chance you can defeat her, your chances are much better against Medusa. You must only avoid looking into her eyes so that you aren’t turned to stone. But if you want to escape her, you must kill her. It would not be terribly difficult, as she is not much of a fighter.”

  I scoffed. “That’s easy. I’ll take the Empusa.”

  Ares glanced sharply at me, as if surprised that I would choose the more dangerous monster.

  Persephone’s brows rose. “And why is that?”

  “Medusa isn’t really a monster, according to Ovid. She was cursed because Poseidon raped her in Athena’s temple. Athena was so angry that she turned Medusa into the monster she is today. So I’m not going to sign up to kill her.”

  Persephone nodded. “You know your history.”

  “And the difference between right and wrong.”

  “That as well.” She waved me forward. “Come with me. I will help you.”

  “Will Hades be okay with that?” I asked.

  “Ha! Hades. He thinks he owns me. But I do as I please during my time here. And I will help you. Your magic is that of life, like mine. And you’ve chosen wisely twice. You’ve helped my friend Nestor, and you chose to fight the correct monster. You are worthy, Phoenix Knight.”

  I liked hearing it, but really, I’d just done what anyone would do. I didn’t see how it made me worthy if everyone would do it.

  But I didn’t argue, just followed along behind her.

  “Move quickly, now,” Persephone said. “My magic will not hold them forever.”

  We ran through the forest, following her between the trees of bones. They didn’t attack us as long as we were with Persephone. Finally, the trees thinned as we neared a cave.

  Persephone ducked inside. “Come.”

  Her torch lit the gray stone walls of the cave. It was narrow and tight. My breath drew short. I hated tiny places like this.

  We squeezed through, going deeper and deeper into the mountain, until finally, we reached a room of medium size that had an enormously tall ceiling. A beam of light filtered down from the ceiling, shining upon a silver helmet that sat upon a pedestal in the middle of the room.

  I gasped. “Is that Hades’s helmet of invisibility?”

  Persephone grinned. “It is. He has no idea that I have it. I requested that Hephaestus make me a replica, and I left it in his armory. Now, whenever he puts it on, I pretend that I can’t see him.”

  “He buys that?”

  “A guy with an ego as big as his? Sure. He never saw it coming.”

  “Why did you do it?” Ares asked.

  She shrugged. “Why not? Sometimes I like to be invisible. And this place is protected from him. The light conceals it from his gaze.”

  “Well done.” My gaze all but stroked the gleaming silver. What an incredible artifact.

  “You may wear it to escape here. It will help you get past the Empusa. If you hold Ares’s hand, he, too, will be invisible. When you get to the river Acheron, leave it with the child of Cerberus.”

  “A miniature three-headed dog?”

  “Two-headed.” She smiled. “His third has yet to come in.”

  Like baby teeth. But heads. “Okay. Thank you.”

  She nodded. “You must hurry. Beat Drakon to the stone of Synnaroe. You are the world’s only hope, Phoenix.”

  I swallowed hard and nodded, determined to be worthy. “Thank you. Truly.”

  I reached for the helmet and put it on. The metal was heavy and smooth. Cold magic chilled me, dripping down my skin like water. The invisibility charm. I gripped Ares’s hand, and he shivered as the magic washed over him.

  “It works.” Persephone grinned, then pointed to a passage on the other side of the room. “Follow that next passage there. It will lead you to the Empusa’s territory. Try not to let her hear you. Get past her, then cross the river Acheron. Do not forget to give the helmet to the child of Cerberus.”

  “I won’t. Thank again.” I then turned and ran for the tunnel. Ares gripped my hand tightly, jogging alongside. Fortunately, this tunnel was wider. But the way was long. By the time we spilled out into the dark forest on the other side, I was grateful to be in open air.

  We stilled to take in our surroundings. The trees here were made of bones, but the bats were gone, leaving the branches bare. The ground was barren and rocky. Silence reigned.

  I nodded at Ares, and we set off, running through the forest as quietly as we could. My dragon sense pulled us along, directing us toward the River Acheron. Our exit.

  The first flap of wings made my hair stand on end. Though I wanted to look back, I pushed myself forward, desperately trying to control my breathing.

  The shriek nearly made me stumble. All around, thousands of bats fluttered alongside. Ah, hell. Empusa’s minions?

  Chapter Five

  Overhead, heat blazed. The flap of wings was so loud. I chanced a glance upward, catching sight of flaming hair and fangs so long they could pierce straight through my neck.

  Ice raced through my veins.

  The Empusa swept past us, her leathery black wings carrying her through the air.

  She hadn’t seen us.

  But she swooped back, flying low over the trees, her blazing red eyes searching the ground below. Her hands were tipped with white talons that could shred the flesh from my bones.

  I ran harder, gripping Ares’s hand. If I let go and she saw him….

  The bats coalesced around us, as if they could sense us more easily than the Empusa. Their little wings brushed against my arms and face. Shivers raced over me.

  The Empusa swooped down at us, drawn by the bats.

  I dove low, dragging Ares with me. We skidded on the ground, narrowly avoiding the Empusa’s raking claws, then scrambled upright.

  My muscles were burning as we ran, the bats and the Empusa so close that the flap of their wings was the only thing I could hear.

  When the trees began to thin and the Empusa shrieked her rage, hope gave me an extra shot of energy. We hurtled from the forest, skidding to a stop at a river bank.

  I clutched Ares’s hand tight and spun. The Empusa hovered in midair at the tree line, her gaze searching the shore of the river.

  “She can sense us,” Ares whispered.

  “But she can’t approach.”

  Her minions flew around her. She vibrated with rage, her black dress trembling. Her hair
blazed out from her head, a fiery orange that somehow complimented her massive fangs.

  “Do you think she barbecues people with her hair before she eats them?” I whispered.

  Ares choked back a laugh. The Empusa’s head shifted towards us, her gaze narrowing. Chills raced over my spine.

  Barking sounded from our left. I turned. A two-headed dog the size of a horse galloped along the riverbank, his fiery red eyes trained on the Empusa. He charged right up to the forest, growling and snapping.

  The Empusa hissed and wheeled away, disappearing back through the forest. Her bats followed.

  The hound turned to face us, its two heads nearly identical save for the different colored eyes. One had red eyes, the other orange. His fur was a shiny black. Muscles rippled underneath.

  “He’s a puppy?” I said.

  “I’d hate to see his father.”

  The child of Cerberus trotted toward us. Though menace rolled off of him, I barely felt worried at all. I slipped off the helmet and handed it out to him, then let go of Ares’s hand.

  He woofed low, then took the helmet in his jaws. Well, one of his jaws. The one with orange eyes. The other head reached out and licked my hand.

  “Ouch!” I shook my hand. His tongue was as rough as sandpaper. It’d left little red scrapes. I shook a finger at him. “You’re very sweet, but you have to be careful.”

  He woofed low.

  Ares chuckled. “You’re scolding a hound of hell?”

  “Please. Del has a hellhound. You met Pond Flower. They’re just dogs.” I bent down and picked up a stick, then tossed it. The dog jumped, spinning in midair, then took off after the stick. I dusted my hands together. “See?”

  Ares grinned. “Point taken. Ready to cross this river?”

  “As I’ll ever be.” I turned back to it.

  The water was an oily black, like thousands of gallons of ink. Oddly, it smelled like metal. About thirty yards away, a boatman punted across the river. He wore a long black cloak that concealed his whole form, making him look like the grim reaper.

  “Want to try for a ride?” I asked.

  “Sure.”

  We jogged down the beach, reaching the ferryman just as he beached his small boat on the shore.

  “Hi.” I stepped forward. “Can we get a ride?”

  His head tilted up. Though he had no features—just a gaping black space where a face should have been—his eyes gleamed red. His magic felt like flames licking against my skin.

  “This isn’t the River Styx. And I’m not for sale.” His voice held all the rough darkness of hell, and I shivered.

  “Um. I’m sorry.” I held up my hands, placating. “No offense meant. Perhaps you could just help us? Please?”

  “No.” His voice whipped out, ice cold. “This task is for you, not me. You shall not find the underworld so accommodating.”

  He lifted his pole and pushed off of the bank, sending his boat drifting back across the river.

  I turned to Ares. “Well, shit.”

  “Could you try conjuring?”

  “Yes.” Though I’d hoped to save the power, especially since hell suppressed a lot of my magic, this was necessary. I called upon my gift, envisioning a small wooden rowboat. It appeared on the shore, half of it floating in the shallows of the river. Last, I conjured two oars. I turned to Ares. “Ready?”

  He nodded. I climbed on first, moving toward the stern. Ares jumped in then pushed off the bank. As soon as the boat was floating freely in the water, it began to sink.

  “But there are no holes!” I cried. My boat was perfect.

  But the inky water devoured it. Soon, it lapped at the tops of my boots, burning my skin. Then at my knees and thighs. Agony swept through me, then despair. Sadness like I’d never known clawed at my mind.

  “Back to the shore!” Ares’s voice was pained.

  “No!” It was up to my chest now. “We have to swim for it. Quickly!”

  There was no other way. With my perfect boat sinking and the only native hell-made boat now out of sight, swimming was our only shot.

  “Hurry, then,” Ares gritted.

  The water was up to my neck, bringing with it pain and sadness. My skin felt like it was burning, and horrible thoughts and memories bombarded my mind. It was as if the water were made of Phantoms. But this was just the nature of the River Acheron. Each of the rivers in hell had a characteristic. Unfortunately, we had to swim through the worst one.

  I struck out through the black water, kicking as hard as I could. When my arms broke the surface, they were coated with inky black water.

  Tears rolled down my cheeks as I swam, thoughts of failure filling my mind. What if I couldn’t beat Drakon? What if everyone in the world lost their magic because of me?

  What would we lose? Not just our magic, but our way of life. Drakon would use his ill-gotten gains to subjugate the world. Nothing was past him. He could turn us all into prisoners. Or slaves. Or kill us all. He was so evil that his end goal could be anything—but no matter what, it would be the annihilation of everything I knew and loved.

  What would happen to my deirfiúr ? To Ares?

  I swam through the pain, turning my misery into determination.

  At the middle of the river, the water turned thicker. Almost like pudding. Ares swam next to me, even his strong strokes faltering.

  A cold laugh sounded from the bank behind us. I managed to turn my head just enough to catch a glimpse of a huge man. He wore ancient armor, and his eyes were black as coal.

  Hades.

  “I’m doing this for all of us, you know,” I shouted back at him, suddenly angry. I didn’t expect help from all the gods, but his cold laughter in the face of my pain? Bastard.

  I kicked harder, rage propelling me in a way that grief couldn’t. I pushed myself, dragging my body through the mucky water. By the time we reached the other shore, my muscles were trembling and achy, my face soaked with tears.

  I crawled out of the muck, thoroughly coated. Hades’s cold laughter died. I flopped onto my back, panting, and turned my head.

  He was gone. I could almost feel the annoyance he’d left on the air. “Take that, jerk.”

  Ares struggled upright, then reached a hand down for me. “Come on, there’s a clear pool up ahead. We have to wash this stuff off.”

  He was right. It still burned, and the grief brought by the river still lurked at the corners of my mind. I dragged myself up and followed him to the clear pool, taking in the forest around us.

  It was lovely, actually, a mass of silver birches. The sun shined dimly through the trees, as if it were dawn. Birds chirped. The water in the small pond glittered crystal clear, the pebbles at the bottom a bright, shiny silver.

  I stumbled into the water alongside Ares. It was cool and fresh, washing away the black ink. The pain faded, and the grief drifted from my mind. I sagged, submerging my head and letting the water wash away my tears.

  With the misery gone, all that was left was the memory of what I was fighting for. Strength filled me. Inspiration. I could not fail at this—even if I didn’t think I was worthy, I had to be.

  Lungs burning, I pushed myself to the surface. Ares had just broken through as well. His hair was slicked back from his head and his face clean of the black inky water.

  His gaze zeroed in on mine immediately.

  My heart thumped, swelling with an unfamiliar emotion that felt a hell of a lot like—

  “I love you.” He dragged me against him, clutching me close. His voice was raspy at my ear. “In the river, I faced my greatest fear. Losing you. And it became clear … I love you.”

  Lightness and joy filled my chest. Yes. Yes. This was right. It was so right. The River of Acheron had stripped away all of the unnecessary bullshit that clouded my mind and taken me down to pure fear and loss.

  And one of the things I’d feared losing most was Ares. Like my deirfiúr .

  And he felt the same.

  My heart felt like it would burst out
of my chest as I pulled back and met his gaze. Love burned in the depths of his green eyes, so obvious. I’d always thought it sounded trite when I read it in books, but I was so damned wrong.

  I pressed my lips to his, kissing him hard. “I love you, too.” I laughed, a slightly crazed sound. “Holy shit, I do.”

  I blinked, suddenly full of strength and determination. I had so much to fight for. I always had, and even if I hadn’t, I’d have fought anyway. The fight was that important.

  But now, with Ares….

  “I want more of this.” The words spilled out of me. “A lifetime of it.”

  “So do I.” He kissed me hard. “Which means we need to get started. We have to get to that stone before Drakon does.”

  “Yes.” I pulled back and swam for the shore to climb out.

  Ares joined me, shaking his limbs as water flew off. My clothes dripped, heavy and wet.

  I pulled the mirror from my pocket, grateful to see it uncracked. Within, Drakon flew. Behind him, the sky was a dark gray.

  Shit. Almost out of time. My heart thumped.

  I was about to conjure a fresh set of clothes when a voice sounded from behind me.

  “Well, I cannot say that I am not impressed.”

  I turned. Hermes stood at the other side of the pond, his golden sandals glinting in the dim sunlight.

  “How long have you been there for?” I didn’t like the idea of him witnessing the moment between me and Ares.

  “Just a moment. Long enough to see you crawl out of this pond like a primordial creature.”

  Whew.

  “You may be impressed, but Hades wasn’t,” I said.

  “Miserable bastard, Hades,” Hermes said. “But can you blame him?”

  “I guess not,” I said. “What did you do with Nestor’s shell?”

  “Added it to my collection.” He grinned. “You would know all about that.”

  I thought longingly of my trove. “I would, though turtle shells aren’t my thing.”

  “You don’t know what you’re missing.” Hermes’s voice was rapturous.

  Okay, Hermes was a nut job, apparently.

  “I am here because I was impressed,” Hermes said. “You passed my test—with Nestor—and then you passed Persephone’s. Well done, the two of you. Thus I am here to give you a tip. A hint.”