Clash of Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Amazon Book 3) Page 9

  Fates, I hated this power.

  Beneath me, the water surged and roiled. I couldn’t see Maximus, but prayed he was still in the boat. I didn’t want to fall into the water and electrocute him. He was impervious to most injury, but still…

  Still hanging from the monster’s lip, I began to swing left and right, trying to force my body weight toward the shore. The creature, vibrating from my electricity, swayed with me, then finally collapsed with its head on the shore.

  I let go immediately, rolling aside and panting. The magic faded, taking the pain with it. My muscles melted as I lay in the grass next to the stinking Cetus. It wasn’t dead, but stunned. No way I wanted to be lying there when it woke.

  Aching, I dragged myself upright, searching the river for the boat.

  Shock lanced me as I spotted the bottom half of the Cetus. It was a huge snake-like beast that was far bigger than I’d even realized. The bottom half of its tail stretched all the way across the river, bobbing on the surface and blocking the boat from traveling downstream. Hundreds of spikes ran down its back, each one black and glinting in the light. River water built up against the creature’s body, and the empty boat was pressed against it.

  Maximus had jumped onto the Cetus’s long body and was running toward me and the shore. He moved so fast I didn’t have a chance to ask what he was doing.

  Next to me, the Cetus blinked its milky eyes. It opened and closed its mouth once, then twice. Then faster and faster, like it was trying to eat the air. Giant nostrils quivered as it caught my scent, and it wriggled to try to get to me.

  I lunged backward, stumbling against a lump of dirt and going to my butt. Panicked, I scrambled upright and ran from the monster. It wasn’t as fast on land, but it moved toward me unerringly, its mouth constantly opening and closing, as if it were determined to get a bite of me.

  It was an eating machine with breath like dead bodies.

  I could light it up with electricity again, but I really didn’t want to. My muscles still ached like hell.

  When Maximus reached the shore, he leapt onto the grass and grabbed one of the long spikes that stuck up off of the Cetus’s back. Then he pulled, his muscles straining and veins popping.

  The creature was so huge that it had to weigh two thousand pounds, but he yanked it across the grass, dragging it away from me and out of the water entirely.

  Water that had built up behind the monster’s body poured forward, rushing down the river.

  Maximus had dragged the creature entirely out of the river, but it was still moving. The head was still chomping, and it was pretty damn spry for having just been electrocuted. It could probably wriggle back into the river if it really tried.

  Maximus let go of the monster’s back spike and sprinted to the tail. He grabbed it and dragged it to the monster’s head. Quickly, he shoved the tail into the mouth. Fangs chomped down on the tail, and the monster didn’t even flinch. Then it chomped some more.

  “Moron.” I sprinted toward Maximus.

  “Hurry! The boat is fast.”

  He was right. It drifted away from us on the current about twenty yards ahead. I joined him, and we raced for it. My muscles ached and my legs wobbled, but I pushed hard, desperate to reach the boat that the dragon had given us.

  We sprinted through the waving grass, gaining on the boat. It was about twenty feet from shore, so way too far to jump.

  Damn it, we needed it closer.

  As if the boat had heard me, it veered toward shore.

  “Are you doing that?” Maximus asked.

  “I think so.” I panted, running toward the water as the boat pulled up alongside us.

  When it was only a couple feet away, I jumped and landed in a pile in the bottom of the boat. As quickly as I could, I scooted out of the way so Maximus could join me. He jumped in far more gracefully and landed in an elegant crouch.

  Gasping, I scrambled onto a bench as the boat rocked. It veered back toward the middle of the river. My muscles trembled.

  “Nice work with the human lightning bolt,” Maximus said.

  “Thanks.” I grinned. “I like how you turned him into an Ouroboros.”

  “He just wouldn’t stop biting.”

  “Miserable beast.” I peered back toward the monster, which was currently still eating its own tail. “I guess he doesn’t care what he eats.”

  Maximus grinned and pulled me to him, pressing a kiss to my forehead. I leaned into him, absorbing his warmth and strength.

  But just for a moment.

  This place was far too dangerous for any distractions.

  I pulled back and turned to face the water.

  “How did Zeus’s magic feel?” Maximus asked. “Are you getting it under control?”

  “I think.” I nodded. “It felt better this time than last time. Easier to call to the surface. And it hurt, but not as badly. And at least it didn’t explode out of me.” Like it had in class.

  I didn’t mention that bit, though.

  Ahead, the water rippled again. I pointed toward it, exhaustion snaking through my bones. Whatever was coming, I didn’t want to fight it.

  “The ripples are smaller, at least.” I squinted, trying to see what was beneath the river.

  As it neared, a head broke through the surface of the water. A beautiful woman, with a crown of red coral sitting on her gleaming blonde hair. White silk waved around her in the river, and she turned to us and smiled. She was still about twenty yards away, but I could sense no threat from her. No dark magic.

  “Hello!” I called.

  She smiled wider and swam closer. “You defeated the Cetus.”

  “Miserable jerk,” I said.

  “He was such a menace.” She kept pace with our boat easily, though I could see no legs or fins beneath the water. “What are you doing here in the Garden of Hesperides?”

  “Looking for the Hesperides, actually.” I grinned. “I’m Rowan. And this is Maximus.”

  “I am Actaia, a Nereid.”

  I frowned, searching my memory for the term. “A sea nymph?”

  It seemed as good a guess as any.

  Her smile lit up her whole face, and she really was pretty. “Precisely. We are part of Poseidon’s entourage. We symbolize everything that is beautiful and kind about the sea.” She laughed and spun in the water, a vision of pure joy. Sure, she was a bit nuts, but she seemed nice and that was all that mattered.

  “Why are you in a river if you symbolize the sea?” Maximus asked.

  She scowled a bit. “It was getting crowded in the Aegean. There are a lot of us, you know.”

  “So you struck out on your own,” Maximus said.

  She beamed. “Yes, exactly. I wanted adventure.”

  I hiked a thumb back toward the Cetus. “Well, you’ll get it here.”

  She scowled in the direction of the monster. “He was the bane of my existence. Always swimming around, looking for something to eat. Preferably me.”

  “Now he’s out of your hair.” I glanced back at the Cetus, who had almost disappeared from view. He was still eating his tail. “Looks like he’ll be busy for a while.”

  She smiled again—she was literally the smiliest girl I’d ever met—but this grin was tinged with evil glee. “Yes, that was clever.”

  “Is there any chance you could help us find the Hesperides?” I asked.

  She turned to me, her blue eyes glinting. “I’d be delighted. I’ve taken it upon myself to perform a Nereid’s duties upon this river.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled. “It would be very kind of you to show us the way.”

  “Indeed.” She inclined her head, then grabbed onto the bow of the boat. “Come, I will show you the way.”

  She pulled us along, surprisingly strong for such a normal-sized woman. Fish. Woman-fish. Whatever.

  I glanced at Maximus and shrugged, smiling.

  The boat moved more quickly with her help. As she swam, she began to sing. At one point, she looked over her shoulder. “Our voi
ces are very melodious, aren’t they?”

  “Very.” Yep, she was a bit odd, but I liked odd.

  “The dragon Ladon must have favored you if he gave you this boat,” she said.

  “What does he do here?” I asked.

  “He guards the grove. Be sure to take the boat with you when you go. This is a wondrous gift.”

  Take it with me?

  She veered toward shore.

  “We’re here!” She shoved the boat onto the shore, then smiled. “Head away from the river directly. I must be off, now. Safe travels.”

  With that, she plunged into the river, gone as quickly as she’d come. I didn’t even have a chance to ask about taking the boat with me.

  I turned to Maximus. “Well, that was a lucky break.”

  “That’s the truth.” He jumped out of the boat and pulled it onto the shore with ease.

  I climbed out, grateful to be on solid ground. As soon as my second foot left the boat, it began to collapse. The scales folded in on themselves until the boat had returned to its original size of just one scale. It sat in the grass, glinting black and diamond.

  “Whoa.” I bent to pick it up, inspecting it. “Freaking amazing.”

  “The dragon chose you,” Maximus said. “It believed in you.”

  I met his gaze. “I don’t know if that should make me feel so good, but damned if it isn’t awesome.”

  He grinned.

  I tucked the scale into my pocket and turned to survey the land around us. The field gave way to forest in the distance, and I pointed to it. “Since Actaia said to head directly away from the river, I bet she meant to go toward that forest.”

  “Let’s go quickly, then. The sun is getting low.”

  I glanced toward it. We only had a couple of hours of daylight left. Three, at most. “Yeah, I want to be out of here by nightfall.”

  As soon as I stepped away from the river, the comms charm at my neck vibrated with magic.

  “Rowan? You there?” Bree’s voice whispered out.

  “I am. Safe to talk.”

  “Good.” Her voice came through louder this time. “We’ve got an update. Hedy found a spell that allowed us to see through the barrier.”

  “But not break through?” I cut in.

  “Unfortunately, no. But we saw the Stryx. They’re both in there, along with an army of almost a hundred.”

  “A hundred?” Shit.

  “Mostly demons. They’re helping them dig into the earth, like we thought. Explosives mostly, and some magic.”

  “Damn.”

  “With that many workers, they’ll move fast,” Maximus said. “Did you get any clue as to what they’re after?”

  “No,” Bree said. “Can’t see that far. And since we haven’t found a way to break through the barrier, we’re counting on you, Rowan.”

  I swallowed hard, the pressure settling on my shoulders like a heavy cape. “I’m on it. I think we’re getting close.”

  “Good luck, then. And be safe. We’ll keep you updated.”

  “Likewise. Love you.”

  “Love you.” She cut the connection, and the magic in my comms charm fell dormant.

  I looked at Maximus. “Let’s hurry.”

  We strode across the field, grass waving against our legs as birds chirped from the sky above. It was all so lovely. I didn’t trust it.

  The forest itself was creepier, the trees casting a dark shadow within. A layer of dead leaves crunched underfoot as we stepped inside. The air changed, growing cooler without the light of the sun. A protection charm prickled against my skin, and I’d bet big bucks it meant we couldn’t transport in or out of this place.

  I veered closer to Maximus, who reached for my hand.

  “The Romans believed the forest was dark and full of terrors,” Maximus said.

  “They might have been right.” I shivered as a tree branch scraped across my arm.

  “I’m not sure they were. Their cities were bad enough.”

  “Good point.”

  “To them, the forest represented the unknown. But to me, it was escape. When I was in the Colosseum, I dreamed of the forests of my home.”

  My heart ached for him. “Did you ever see them again?”

  He shook his head. “They were gone by the time I escaped and was sent forward in time. Which is fine. It wasn’t the forest so much as the freedom that I wanted.”

  “So you’re not scared here?”

  He looked at me, his gaze calm. “I’m not scared much of anywhere. Nothing compares to the Colosseum.”

  “Except helicopters.”

  A smile broke out across his face. “Exactly. Helicopters are the devil himself.”

  I laughed.

  What’s so funny?

  Romeo’s voice sounded from my feet, and I looked down. He trotted alongside us, with Eloise and Poppy next to him.

  I smiled. “When did you get here?”

  Just now. Danger coming.

  “Danger?”

  “What danger?” Maximus asked.

  “Romeo says danger is coming.” I looked down at the raccoon. “What kind?”

  Don’t know. Just felt it.

  Well, shit. That wasn’t good. I stayed alert, inspecting the forest as we walked. We were still headed away from the river as Actaia had suggested, but I had no idea if we were getting close. The forest all looked the same.

  It was silent except for our footsteps. Maybe too silent.

  The hair on my arms stood on end as we walked. I couldn’t hear the threat, but I could feel it.

  “Do you feel that?” I whispered.

  “The forest doesn’t like us,” Maximus murmured.

  “Or something in the forest.” I peered through the trees, trying to spot anything that was a threat.

  The Menacing Menagerie skulked along, their fur raised on their backs as they warily eyed the forest.

  A sense of deep unease washed over me, along with the feeling of being watched. My skin prickled under the weight of dozens of eyes. I knew there were dozens. They lurked in the forest.

  We neared a clearing where the trees were particularly fat and gnarled. They looked like sentries guarding a place I never wanted to enter.

  “Let’s go around this part,” I said.

  “I like that plan.”

  We moved left, but a low growl sounded.

  I stopped in my tracks, my muscles tense.

  “Who’s there?” Maximus demanded.

  The growl came again, followed by another. And another. Soon, there were dozens, the sounds coming from all around. But I couldn’t see them.

  Animals. Not monsters. Romeo arched his back, his gray hair standing upright. Eloise hissed, puffing up her fur. Poppy pulled back her lips, revealing little fangs.

  From behind the trees, animals crept out.

  Wolves and stags, bears and large forest cats. Dozens of them. They surrounded us in a circle, all growling. All with their eyes on us.

  All looking a hell of a lot like they wanted to eat us.

  I swallowed hard.

  Shit, we were screwed.

  Chapter Nine

  There were so damned many.

  How were we supposed to fight them all?

  We couldn’t. If they charged, we couldn’t take them all on. Not to mention, I wasn’t keen on killing a bunch of forest creatures, even if they were in a bad mood and wanted to kill me back.

  Maximus and I stood shoulder to shoulder, each vibrating with tension. My fingertips itched to draw a blade, but I didn’t want to show any signs of aggression.

  I’ve got this.

  I looked down at Romeo, who had flattened his fur in an attempt to not look scared. “What do you mean?”

  Just watch. He walked toward the animals, then sat on his butt, holding up his front paws. We come in peace.

  Two wolves in front of him lunged, teeth bared and growls low.

  Whoa! Romeo darted back toward my legs.

  The wolves stopped, their lips
still up and their rumbles of aggression rolling through the forest. The fur at their backs stood straight up. Around them, the rest of the animals were poised to attack.

  I don’t think I’ve got this.

  “It’s okay, Romeo.” I looked from him to the animals, suddenly very annoyed. “What the hell is your problem? We’re just walking through.”

  They growled louder, and it just pissed me off even more. “Are you guarding something?”

  More growls. I had no idea if they understood me, but I could feel their angst. They were pissed I was here. It was obvious, not just from the sounds they made, but from how they felt.

  Hang on.

  How they felt?

  Was I feeling what they were feeling?

  Magic prickled through me, filling me up with a sparkling sensation of knowing. Like I was connected to the animals.

  You are.

  I blinked.

  The voice sounded in my head again. Command them.

  Holy fates, I was getting another DragonGod power. From a goddess this time, if the tone of the voice was any indication. Artemis, I had to assume. She was goddess of the hunt. She held dominion over the animals of the forest.

  The animals prowled closer, fangs and claws glinting. They did protect something in this forest, though I had no idea what. The Hesperides?

  “Stop it.” I imbued my voice with command.

  They just growled louder.

  Embrace your magic.

  I called upon the new magic that bubbled within me. It was a less aggressive power, more elusive. It floated through my being like smoke, hard to grab ahold of. So I didn’t fight it. Instead, I let it fill me, relaxing my whole body and embracing the idea that I could share a connection with the animals.

  I already felt their annoyance with me. I wanted to feel more. Their hopes and desires and fears. I wanted them to feel connected to me as well, so they’d listen to me.

  Slowly, Artemis’s magic filled me. As it did, my hearing improved. Suddenly, I could hear heartbeats beneath the growls. I could smell warm fur and musk over the aroma of fallen leaves.

  Was I getting the powerful senses of some of these animals?

  Jackpot.

  There were at least thirty of them here. I didn’t need to count—I could feel their life forces, connected to mine.