Page 78 of Summer's Seduction
“Until next time,” Hermes said, slipping into the silver mirror as Morpheus circled, looking for a place to land.
“No,” Psyche said, the grip on Morpheus’s tunic tightening. “We can’t land.”
A human screamed pierced the night air as they dropped from the portal hovering a few feet from the mountainside, narrowly missing the ledge. Their body hit the side of the mountain with a sickening crunch as it fell, tumbling against jagged rocks and leaving a crimson trail of gore until it sank beneath the snow.
Another followed, and another—hundreds of them flooding through the portal in a torrent of flesh and blood. Thosewho made the jump turned down a narrow path, flooding the mountainside as they rushed to reach the battle.
“We need to land along the tree line between the armies,” Psyche said as Morpheus angled toward Hades.
He glanced down at me, but I only shrugged in a‘she’s been right so far’way. Mouth set in a grim line, he dove, landing exactly where she’d asked us to.Snow and ash crunched under my boots, the air heavy with the scent of death.
“Larkspur!” Persephone’s voice cut through the chaos of war. I whipped around, searching the trees for her bright red hair. “Use your compulsion.”
My gaze locked on The Queen of The Underworld a few paces away and the army of gorgons at her throat. Their scaled bodies glinted in the fading moonlight, impenetrable by blade or arrow. They swiped at those nearest them with great, brass talons, shredding flesh bone as if they were nothing more than cumbersome webs.
I ran toward them, trusting Morpheus to keep Psyche safe. Persephone wielded vines as snares, slowing some down long enough for our warriors to take them out.
“The only weak point we’ve found is through the eyes,” Persephone panted, her eyes ringed in light as she called on more of her magic. Vines burst from the snow, ensnaring a gorgon as a soul from Elysium rushed forward, thrusting a knife through the gorgon’s eye socket. Her body bowed as she gasped for air, letting the bands of leaves fall away as the body dropped. “But I can only hold so many at a time.”
I nodded, understanding what she needed from me. Turning to face the snarling gorgons fighting through the trees, I lifted my hands, eyes locked on the nearest one, and spoke.
“Stop!”
The air vibrated with the force of the command, magic pricking, as I forced their bodies to slow and then freeze. Allthose in my line of vision stopped, the souls making quick work of taking them down, but others rose from the trees, replacing and outnumbering the ones we’d only just disposed of.
“Again,” Persephone said, brow knit with sweat as her arms wove new traps.
How long had she been here, keeping the threat from reaching Hades’s back? Her arms shook as her chest heaved, but her eyes showed resolute determination. Persephone intended to defeat Hypnos today or to die trying.
Trepidation and anger simmered through me, stemming from Morpheus. Sparing a glance for him, I found him braced with his sword raised and eyes trained on the sky.
He stepped before Psyche as a swarm of dark ones flew in from the east.
She stepped to the side, raising her hand, and waved. “Over here!” she called, face bright as if drawing out enemies toward us was exactly what she wanted to do. And there, at the head of the charge, was Lucius.
Swallowing down the wave of panic as the chaos swirled around us, I focused on what I could do, telling myself that no matter the odds or the outcome, even one life spared was important.
Here, on the grounds of my murdered family, coated in the ashes of my slaughtered people, I looked for the next thing I could control—concentrated on my next breath.If this were my last day, I’d be sure to take as many of my enemies as I could with me.
Lifting my hands toward the gorgons, I drew on my magic, feeling the familiar surge of power, the thrill of compulsion, and let it out.
MORPHEUS
My little monster was incredible. She reached toward Lady Persephone without hesitation, wielding her power of persuasion like a magical web, snaring the gorgons while the souls ended them. As brilliant as she was, more were coming. Which wasn’t helped by the fact that Lucius was leading what looked to be three-quarters of the army right toward me.
With my wings wide to shield Psyche and sword drawn, I searched for a way this could end differently. Larkspur trusted me to keep her sister safe. We’d only just managed to break her out of prison, and now we were going to die.
“Stay behind me,” I called over the sounds of clashing steel and beating wings. “I’ll request a duel with Lucius. If he takes it, you must flee when our swords meet.”
“I won’t be doing that,” Psyche said. Her voice had lost some of its dream-like quality, returning to a pitch a few octaves higher than Larkspur’s. She also seemed less dazed as she stepped to the side of my wings and waved at the descending army.
“What are you doing?” I scowled, attempting to block her once more.
She laughed as Lucius landed, thousands of boots rattling the earth as the army at his back followed suit.
“Get to Larkspur,” I yelled to Psyche, but I could see she and Lady Persephone were losing ground, unable to keep up with the gorgons pressing forward. Psyche turned and ran, fading into the mist and melted snow.
Hades was locked in battle with Ares, unable to divert more Elysium warriors to their aid, and there was a throng of humans swarming from the portal.