The Power
Page 90
She rushed the Titan, launching off the ground a foot in front of him. She spun in the air, about to deliver a brutal spin kick.
It never connected.
Atlas twisted around again and caught her leg. He swung her like a damn baseball bat, throwing her right into Aiden as he regained his footing. They went down in a tumble of arms and legs.
“Holy balls,” muttered Solos.
“Fuck getting close.” Spinning around, I launched my Covenant dagger at Atlas’s head, mostly for a distraction. It worked. The Titan moved to avoid that as I summoned the element of fire. A ball of amber flames formed above my hand. I threw that like a baseball.
A burst of energy rippled from Josie. She’d tapped into fire a second after me, adding another burst of flames to the mix.
Atlas whirled on us. The flames fizzled out before they reached him, as if they had smacked into some kind of force field. “Don’t tire yourself out, girl. I’ve got big plans for you later.”
I did not like that.
Neither did Josie.
“Sorry. I’m busy later.” A burst of power rippled through the air, washing over my skin, and I could feel it inside me, beating at me to get free. A bolt of akasha left Josie in a brilliant blueish white bolt of energy. It slammed into Atlas’s shoulder, knocking him back a step.
“Ouch,” Atlas said, shaking his arm. “That wasn’t very nice.” He lifted his arm, and suddenly Josie was skidding across the stone floor, her arms wheeling as she tried to gain control of her body, but it was like an invisible hand was dragging her toward Atlas.
Cursing, I shot to the left and snagged her around the waist, throwing her to the floor and breaking the connection. I twisted, taking the brunt of the fall as we landed, her on top. I rolled before Atlas got the upper hand. My knees hit the ground between hers. Our eyes met for a fraction of a second, and then I was in the air. I braced myself for impact.
Hitting the table, I crashed through a potted plant. Soil flew in my face as wood broke under me. I caught myself before I ate stone, landing on my side. I looked up and saw Hercules.
He was on his feet, and he hauled ass across the foyer, his heavy footsteps rattling the table. Slamming his shoulder into the Titan, he tried to bring him down, but that didn’t work. Atlas wrapped massive arms around Hercules’s chest, lifted the demigod up in the air, and then slammed him into the floor, power-driving him down. Stone cracked under their weight.
Atlas rose, spreading his arms wide. “Who’s next?”
“Gods.” Solos whipped out his Glock and fired several rounds. Like before, the Titan dodged them and headed straight for the Sentinel. Solos tossed the Glock aside, bracing himself for hand-to-hand.
Aiden came out of nowhere, rushing the Titan from behind. He launched into the air and landed on Atlas, hooking his knees at Atlas’s hips. Aiden grabbed the Titan’s head and twisted sharply. The crack of bone breaking echoed through the room a second before Atlas reached around, grabbing hold of Aiden’s shirt. Atlas threw him over his shoulder, sending him flying through the air. Aiden crashed into the floor, rolling several feet before he came to a stop on his back.
“I could’ve told you that doesn’t work,” I said, clenching the poisoned blade, trying to figure out how to get close enough to Atlas to use it.
“Thanks,” Aiden groaned, rolling onto his side, “for the heads-up.”
Luke was the next to go down. He was tossed like a damn football after rushing Atlas. Deacon tapped into the fire element, drawing Atlas’s attention as Josie sent another bolt of akasha at him from the other side.
I ground down on my jaw, ignoring what felt like a slumbering giant waking up in my chest as I also tapped into akasha. Before I could let it go, Atlas smiled again as he lifted his arms. A high keening cry echoed from outside, and then black smoke poured into the house, breaking off into several streams. Shades.
Shades were everywhere.
“Holy crap,” Josie shrieked as one went straight for her. She dipped and spun around. Stumbling back into the wall, her wide eyes met mine. It was written on her face, how bad this was.
“Gods.” Alex hit the ground, narrowly avoiding one of them. “They smell like the River Styx.” Rolling onto her side, she used her legs to power back onto her feet. “So freaking gross.”
“Keep out of their grasp,” Aiden ordered, picking himself back up. “There’s nothing we can do about them.”
Josie darted to the left, scowling as one grabbed at her long hair. “We need a furie. Like, stat.”
Yeah, and like always, those bitches were nowhere to be found when you actually needed them.
It was chaotic, engaging with Atlas while avoiding the shades. One stream of black smoke grabbed hold of Deacon and lifted him all the way up to the ceiling, and that caught Luke and Aiden’s attention. They rushed across the atrium, and the tugging in my chest returned as Aiden sent a bolt of akasha at the shade. It dropped Deacon.
Right on top of them.
Atlas stalked across the atrium, heading for the stairwell. I shot in from the right. Beyond him, I saw Josie also heading for him. I wanted to warn her back, but we had the poisoned blades. He was halfway to the staircase when Solos came running up from behind Josie.
The Titan whipped around so fast that by the time any of us realized what he was doing, it was too late. He caught Solos by the arm with one hand and then hit him in the chest with the other—no, not hit. His hand went through Solos’s chest.
Josie screamed as blood sprayed out from Solos’s back.
It never connected.
Atlas twisted around again and caught her leg. He swung her like a damn baseball bat, throwing her right into Aiden as he regained his footing. They went down in a tumble of arms and legs.
“Holy balls,” muttered Solos.
“Fuck getting close.” Spinning around, I launched my Covenant dagger at Atlas’s head, mostly for a distraction. It worked. The Titan moved to avoid that as I summoned the element of fire. A ball of amber flames formed above my hand. I threw that like a baseball.
A burst of energy rippled from Josie. She’d tapped into fire a second after me, adding another burst of flames to the mix.
Atlas whirled on us. The flames fizzled out before they reached him, as if they had smacked into some kind of force field. “Don’t tire yourself out, girl. I’ve got big plans for you later.”
I did not like that.
Neither did Josie.
“Sorry. I’m busy later.” A burst of power rippled through the air, washing over my skin, and I could feel it inside me, beating at me to get free. A bolt of akasha left Josie in a brilliant blueish white bolt of energy. It slammed into Atlas’s shoulder, knocking him back a step.
“Ouch,” Atlas said, shaking his arm. “That wasn’t very nice.” He lifted his arm, and suddenly Josie was skidding across the stone floor, her arms wheeling as she tried to gain control of her body, but it was like an invisible hand was dragging her toward Atlas.
Cursing, I shot to the left and snagged her around the waist, throwing her to the floor and breaking the connection. I twisted, taking the brunt of the fall as we landed, her on top. I rolled before Atlas got the upper hand. My knees hit the ground between hers. Our eyes met for a fraction of a second, and then I was in the air. I braced myself for impact.
Hitting the table, I crashed through a potted plant. Soil flew in my face as wood broke under me. I caught myself before I ate stone, landing on my side. I looked up and saw Hercules.
He was on his feet, and he hauled ass across the foyer, his heavy footsteps rattling the table. Slamming his shoulder into the Titan, he tried to bring him down, but that didn’t work. Atlas wrapped massive arms around Hercules’s chest, lifted the demigod up in the air, and then slammed him into the floor, power-driving him down. Stone cracked under their weight.
Atlas rose, spreading his arms wide. “Who’s next?”
“Gods.” Solos whipped out his Glock and fired several rounds. Like before, the Titan dodged them and headed straight for the Sentinel. Solos tossed the Glock aside, bracing himself for hand-to-hand.
Aiden came out of nowhere, rushing the Titan from behind. He launched into the air and landed on Atlas, hooking his knees at Atlas’s hips. Aiden grabbed the Titan’s head and twisted sharply. The crack of bone breaking echoed through the room a second before Atlas reached around, grabbing hold of Aiden’s shirt. Atlas threw him over his shoulder, sending him flying through the air. Aiden crashed into the floor, rolling several feet before he came to a stop on his back.
“I could’ve told you that doesn’t work,” I said, clenching the poisoned blade, trying to figure out how to get close enough to Atlas to use it.
“Thanks,” Aiden groaned, rolling onto his side, “for the heads-up.”
Luke was the next to go down. He was tossed like a damn football after rushing Atlas. Deacon tapped into the fire element, drawing Atlas’s attention as Josie sent another bolt of akasha at him from the other side.
I ground down on my jaw, ignoring what felt like a slumbering giant waking up in my chest as I also tapped into akasha. Before I could let it go, Atlas smiled again as he lifted his arms. A high keening cry echoed from outside, and then black smoke poured into the house, breaking off into several streams. Shades.
Shades were everywhere.
“Holy crap,” Josie shrieked as one went straight for her. She dipped and spun around. Stumbling back into the wall, her wide eyes met mine. It was written on her face, how bad this was.
“Gods.” Alex hit the ground, narrowly avoiding one of them. “They smell like the River Styx.” Rolling onto her side, she used her legs to power back onto her feet. “So freaking gross.”
“Keep out of their grasp,” Aiden ordered, picking himself back up. “There’s nothing we can do about them.”
Josie darted to the left, scowling as one grabbed at her long hair. “We need a furie. Like, stat.”
Yeah, and like always, those bitches were nowhere to be found when you actually needed them.
It was chaotic, engaging with Atlas while avoiding the shades. One stream of black smoke grabbed hold of Deacon and lifted him all the way up to the ceiling, and that caught Luke and Aiden’s attention. They rushed across the atrium, and the tugging in my chest returned as Aiden sent a bolt of akasha at the shade. It dropped Deacon.
Right on top of them.
Atlas stalked across the atrium, heading for the stairwell. I shot in from the right. Beyond him, I saw Josie also heading for him. I wanted to warn her back, but we had the poisoned blades. He was halfway to the staircase when Solos came running up from behind Josie.
The Titan whipped around so fast that by the time any of us realized what he was doing, it was too late. He caught Solos by the arm with one hand and then hit him in the chest with the other—no, not hit. His hand went through Solos’s chest.
Josie screamed as blood sprayed out from Solos’s back.
