Bedeviled (12 page)
K
yana sprinted to the alcove housing the gate to Olympus with Ryker and Silas at her heels. From the number of bodies lying about, the attack hadn't been well thought outânor had it been a solo effort on Haven's part. The attack seemed to have originated from Cronos's supportersâsuicidal supporters who'd thought they could actually take on Olympus?
However, the attacking army had been large enough to take many Order members down with them. The corpses of Mystics and Witches were mingled with dead Hatchlings and Lychen. It was disturbing, to say the least, to see a sentinel spread out beside a mound of Leeches, his body half gone from where they'd fed upon him.
Anger, rage, and a tiny bit of fear waged war in Kyana's belly. She didn't doubt for a moment that Cronos was responsible for this through Haven. Those who supported Cronos knew Haven was leading their war. Did they truly expect to get into Olympus without being stopped? To steal an Oracle?
“Stay here. Try to help the injured.”
“Like hell I will,” Silas tried to shove Ryker aside but, like a stone pillar, Ryker didn't so much as sway. “I'm not a god, but I may be able to help where it really matters.”
Not willing to waste valuable time arguing, Kyana grabbed Silas's arm and fell through the portal. Together, they hit the ground with a thud. Ryker caught her gaze over Silas's head. The red swirled in his eyes. Beyond looked much like Below with bodies of the fallen strewn everywhere. Except here, the battle still waged.
She had to pull Silas to his feet when his stunned disbelief seemed to hold him immobile. She pointed him toward Artie's temple. “Find Artemis and stay with her until I come for you.”
She didn't wait to see if her order would be obeyed. Pulling out her daggers, she dove into the fray. The road to Zeus's temple was lined on the left with Dark Breeds snarling at Order members on the right. Bodies clashed together, raining blood upon Kyana as she ran by, searching for any sign of Haven, any sign of Artemis. Something slammed into her side and she tumbled toward the ground only to be righted again by a strong hand on her elbow.
Ryker yanked her away from the road, away from the steps leading to Zeus's gardens.
“Take cover, Ky. This isn't your fight.”
“The hell it isn't.”
She jerked her arm away and pushed off her toes, soaring twenty feet into the air to land on the other side of Zeus's massive gates, where the focus of the fight had centered. Hundreds of beings, Dark Breed and light, spilled blood all around her.
She slit the throat of a Hatchling before sprinting forward, weaving her way between the clashing bodies. Because so many Dark Breeds had joined the Order of Ancients over the years, it was hard to tell friends from enemies at a glance. In order to know who she was killing, she had to look them in the eyes, see if the wildness existed there, then decide what to do. Not her usual style of fighting. Too many of their own were going to be slaughtered by friendly fire.
Better to keep her focus on the top of the mountain where a series of rocky pathways would lead her to Zeus's Oracles. If Haven had stepped onto Beyond, that would be her destination.
Ryker was beside her again. He swung his elbow backward into the gut of a Dark Breed approaching from the rear. “Get safe or I'll
make you
.”
“Not until I find Haven.”
“I will hurt you if that's what it takes to keep you safe.” His eyes swirled bloodred and the bodies blocking the path away from Zeus's temple flew backward.
“Are you trying to save
me,
Ryker, or the Goddess of the Hunt?” It was a question she'd been struggling with since becoming Artie's Chosen. Which half of her was Ryker drawn to more? Even as she ran, her bare feet being sliced to ribbons on sharp pebbles, she mentally kicked herself for even caring. Here she was ready to fight and spill blood, and she wanted to know if Ryker liked her? What the hell was wrong with her?
Ryker seized her around the throat and dragged her behind a huge willow tree before shoving her to the ground. “Do you see any other damned gods out here? No. They're smart. They know they can't riskâ”
She kicked out, catching Ryker in the groin before spinning on her knees and diving back into the fields. She had her answer. He was more concerned about the goddess in her than the woman. Well, he could go be concerned somewhere else. Right now, Haven was here somewhere and Kyana wasn't about to be manhandled into submission.
She had just reached the fork that led to the mountain peak behind Zeus's temple where the Oracles' cave resided when a white light burst overhead. The heat emanating from it lifted her from the ground and tossed her back fifty feet. She rolled down the jagged, stony cliffs, rocks cutting into her shoulders and ripping her baggy jeans. She landed with a skull-rattling thud against the base of an oak tree and saw stars.
Ryker was still standing where she'd left him, unaffected and unharmed.
She gritted her teeth against the throbbing in the back of her head and tried to stand, but her legs wouldn't obey. The light burst again, this time throwing bodies past the gates, near the glowing portal that was beginning to pulse an ominous red. Too many uncleared bodies were passing through now. By all rights, those without permission to pass on to Olympus should have been sent into a void realm. Yet here they wereâon forbidden land. How?
There were two portals on Olympus: one that led to the human realm and one that led Below to the magical realm. Why hadn't the attackers used the portal from Above? Why take the risk of having to get through Below unnoticed before attacking Olympus? None of this made any sense.
A screaming howl sounded among those landing near the portal to Below. Kyana flipped onto her belly trying to see what had happened. It was then that she realized that only Dark Breedsâfrom both the Order and the enemy armyâhad been thrown.
A pop exploded about five feet away. Ryker appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her under the shoulders and dragged her behind a large oak. As he shoved her between his body and the tree, she couldn't pull her eyes away as one by one, the Dark Breeds popped open, their bellies exploding with clouds of black dust as they disintegrated right before her eyes.
She wiggled against Ryker. She had to get out of here. A panic that was unfamiliar and yet violently urgent was choking her. A tingling had begun in her gut, and she was certain if she stepped even one fraction closer to that damned light, that tingling would become an explosion.
“You still have Dark Breed in you! Stay still!” Ryker jammed Kyana's back so deeply into the bark of the tree that it tore through her flannel shirt and cut into her shoulder blades.
“What is it?” she asked, her eyes burning from all the black dust. Bits of Dark Breeds fell into her hair and coated her throat, making it hard to swallow or even to speak.
“Him.”
Taking Ryker's warning more seriously now, Kyana was careful to keep her body safely tucked between him and the tree, but craned her neck to see what held his attention. Zeus, cloaked in white and gold robes, marched between five sentinels down the temple steps. His staff held out in front of him, he thrust it into the air. Another bolt of white shot out, clearing the field of more Dark Breeds.
Even the Dark Breeds of the Order were expendable. Faces she recognized exploded all around her. Kyana tucked her face against Ryker's back, blocking out the vision now seared into her brain.
“Half the Order are Dark Breeds,” she managed, unsure now if her throat was constricted from dust or the threat of tears. “What the hell is he doing?”
“Protecting us all.”
“At the expense of us who get in his way? Gods, stop him, Ryker!”
“Casualties of war,” Ryker muttered.
She looked at him, found him watching her from over his shoulder, his jaw tight and his gaze unapologetic. She opened her mouth to berate him for his casual attitude over the loss of her peers, but another blast of white lightning flew past her head. Suddenly, she was on the ground, gasping for air, Ryker pinning her to the grass with his body sprawled on top of her.
He managed to pull her behind a low wall. “Keep your head down,” he shouted, trying to force her to stay on the ground.
Kyana fought to her knees and peered over the wall. Morbid fascination had her watching Zeus continue his slow parade down the road. Bodies soared off the plains and over the cliffs of his mountains. Screams accompanied roars of pain, and Kyana cupped her ears to shut them out. They were unlike anything she'd ever heard before, and Dark Breeds or not, they were puncturing what little soul she had left.
Knowing they were outnumbered and completely beaten by the power of the God of Gods didn't persuade the remaining enemies to turn tail and run. Instead, they pushed forward as one, determined to take as many Order members' lives as possible before they gave their own.
Another bolt flew overhead. More Dark Breeds fell, but still more surged through the portal to take their places. Kyana pulled her gaze away from Zeus to take in the fight still being waged on the bloodied field. Most of Cronos's supporters fought with Order members, but a few, however, were taking to the outer rim where trees, rocks, and protective walls could hide them from Zeus's wrath.
Kyana struggled against Ryker's hold. “Zeus and his sentinels aren't guarding this path anymore. The Oracles are unprotected, and if Haven is going after themâ”
Ryker refused to budge. “No. If you die, there's no one left to fight for Haven.”
Yes there was. There were Geoffrey and Silas . . . Kyana froze. Ryker believed she could still save Haven? After everything Haven had done, he believed Kyana had that kind of power? She swallowed and fell limp beneath his stony body. His belief in her was overwhelming, but her muscles grew taut again as she pushed those emotions aside and sought out her logic.
If Haven had a chance to get her hands on an Oracle, they'd all be dead. One Oracle could lead Haven to all the Eyes of Power, though with Zeus's show today, they already knew where
his
was. Likely, Geoffrey still had his amulet as well, but the whereabouts of Cronos's ring was still unknown by all except Ryker and whomever he'd given it to. If Haven succeeded in this suicide mission, she could find out. Then she'd be able to retrieve them all and finish raising Cronos.
“We don't have a choice.” Kyana wiggled her arm free to point at a group of Dark Breed picking their way around a small outcropping near the edge of the cliffs. “Zeus can't stop them all and his guards won't leave him. It's up to us to make sure those Oracles are protected.”
She didn't wait to hear his objection. Bracing her hands against the wall, she shoved backward as hard as she could. Caught off balance, he released his hold and Kyana broke free.
Knowing he'd follow her, and praying she wasn't about to get herself ashed, she ran straight for the path that would take her farther up the mountain above Zeus's temple. From the corner of her eye, she saw Zeus raise his staff again.
Certain she was about to find out how much electricity a body could hold before it popped like an overfilled balloon, she skidded to a halt. The blast soared several feet overhead, clearing a path in front of her, but somehow, she remained on her feet.
Zeus's icy blue eyes locked on Kyana. He gave a slight nod before returning his full attention to the frontal attack. It was all the encouragement she needed. Not willing to risk her remaining strength on a god-speed sprint, she balanced on the balls of her feet, bent her knees, and jumped.
She landed in the middle of the pack of Dark Breeds stealthily making their way toward the Oracles' cave. Kyana swung out with her leg and sent two over the edge into nothingness. Their companions charged forward but then the three closest to her careened backward and disappeared into the mist.
Ryker had joined the fight.
She didn't wait for the remaining Dark Breeds to coordinate an attack or run away. She flew forward, breaking a Lychen's neck before turning on the remaining four. Saliva dripped from their bared teeth, and they lowered their furry bodies toward the ground in preparation to pounce.
Not giving them the chance, her blades quickly sent two to their bellies. The others flew backward, sailing into the boulders, bones snapping upon impact.
Turning slowly, she checked to make sure they hadn't missed anyone. Satisfied that the path to the Oracles was deserted for the moment, she nodded at Ryker. “Let's go.”
As they started back up the mountain path, shrieks of pain kept calling Kyana's attention to the temple gates. There had to be hundreds of attackers still spilling from the portal. The Order was fighting a losing battle. For every one that Zeus's bolt turned to dust, two more quickly took his place. Even with every Order member willing to give their lives to protect Olympus, too many were going to die before this battle ended.
Kyana cursed, swinging her head to look up the path toward her destination. This could be her last chance to get her hands on Haven. But if Zeus was overtaken, it wouldn't matter whether Haven figured out where the conduits were or not. Zeus had no Chosen, which meant his powers would cease to exist with his death. As much as it pained her, she grabbed Ryker's hand and began pulling him away from the mountain peak toward the bottom they'd fought so hard to get away from.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“The portal!” she yelled, her voice muffled by all the screams cocooning Olympus. “We have to clear the path so Zeus can shut it down!”
If they could manage
that
, then not only would they prevent more from breaching Olympus, but they'd also have trapped Haven inside.
If
she was here at all.
She summoned what was left of her energy and surged forward, hoping Ryker would trust her instincts and follow. She lost track of the number of Dark Breeds she brought down as she ran, giving herself only a moment with each to check their eyes before delivering their deaths. Her hands and clothes were covered in black blood that smelled so horrendous it was smothering.