The Return
Page 49
“That sounds fun and all,” Seth said, blocking me. “But I think I’ll pass.”
The Titan was on the porch one second and then in a heartbeat he was right in front of us. Seth swore violently as he twisted, but even he—as fast as he was—wasn’t fast enough.
Seth was seized by the shoulders and tossed to the side like he weighed nothing more than a bag of potato chips—a half-eaten bag of potato chips. Full of rising horror, I watched him slam into the side of the house, cracking the exterior. He hit the ground, and I didn’t see him move.
Hyperion cocked his head to the side. “You are rather… boring for a demigod, but your father’s scent is all over you.”
Instinct propelled me into action. I spun around and took off between the vehicles. Where was I going? I couldn’t leave Seth. I could circle back, and then what? Scream for help? It didn’t matter. As I reached the opening, Hyperion was in front of me. Crying out, I skidded across the gravel and began backpedaling.
One side of his lips curled up. “Don’t run. It’s rude.”
Forget that.
Whirling around, I ran back to where I came from, breaking out between the cars, but then he was right there. Shrieking, I couldn’t stop in time and bounced right off his rock-solid chest. I fell back, landing on my ass.
He looked down at me, the shit-eating grin on his face. “It’s also pointless to run, little one. I am a Titan.”
I scrambled back across the gravel, heart racing as he casually strode forward. His arm snapped out, digging his hand into my hair. Fiery pain erupted over my scalp as he hauled me to my feet. I grasped at his thick wrist and dug my nails in.
He didn’t even blink as he lowered his head. “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this?” he asked, and a silver color flashed across his black eyes. “Thousands of years I’ve been trapped with nothing but the thirst of vengeance to keep me sane.” He jerked his arm, and my back bowed as he leaned over me. “Well, the sanity part is up for discussion.” A warm hand circled my neck, cutting off my strangled gasp. “You don’t even know why, do you?”
I opened my mouth, but there was no air. No words. I smacked at his hand, trying to pry the fingers off of my windpipe. Stretched up on the tips of my toes, I was beyond the point of panic and knee-deep in terror. Like with the daimons, there was nothing I could do to fight him, no way to defend myself.
“Oh. Can’t breathe? Sorry about that.” Hyperion’s grip loosened enough to allow a ragged breath to scorch down my throat, but he curled his fingers, digging his nails into my skin like talons. His head came closer and when he spoke, I felt his breath on my cheek. “You think I want to kill you?” He laughed and the cars trembled around us. “No. I don’t want something quick for you. Oh no, I’m going to drag this out for years. Soon, you will call me Master, and when —only when—your father is broken and Olympus is ours, will I release you into the abyss. But until then, you’re going to be my personal PowerBar. Looks like someone already got to you.”
I kicked out, but my feet bounced off his legs with no effect.
“You fight like a girl,” he said, laughing coldly. “So weak. So helpless. There’s almost no sport in this.” He let go of my hair and shoved his hand against my chest. “As I can see you know, there is one painful way to feed off of aether. The other is less painful. Less,” he stressed.
“You’re going to scream,” he said. “And you’re going to lure your father out.” He let go of my hair as he lined up his mouth with mine, and I swung on him as my fear squeezed my chest in an iron vise. He caught my hand before it connected and turned, slamming me into the side of the truck with enough force to rattle my bones. Moving his hand from my throat, he pressed his palm between my breasts. For a horrifying second I thought he was about to seriously grope me, but he inhaled and his palm—it seared straight through to my breastbone.
Something inside me woke up like a slumbering giant, uncoiling in the pit of my stomach. Warmth swirled like a mini tornado, whirling to where his palm was. Thin slivers of silver in his eyes crackled as the Titan smiled. My body jerked and the warmth turned to scalding hot water. Something was happening inside me—leaving me—and it hurt, like when the daimon had bitten me, but more intense. I cried out.
“Hey, Hyperion.”
The Titan drew back, lifting his head. The tugging sensation eased off as I slumped back as far as I could go, dragging in deep breaths. Wet warmth ran down the front of my throat. He’d scratched me.
“Yeah, you. Asshole.” Seth stood there, one hand curled around the handle of the dagger. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his lips. “So you’re Hyperion? Disappointing. I’d expected someone bigger.”
“Seriously?” he asked, releasing me. “You have a death wish, something I am more than happy to fulfill.”
I fell forward, hitting the ground on my knees. Rocking back, I pressed my hand against my stomach. The burn receded to a pulsing ache as I lifted my head.
Seth and Hyperion were going toe to toe.
It was insane—a death match. Punches were thrown. Powerful, brutal kicks delivered. Seth was landing more, but the Titan was virtually unaffected. Pushing to my feet, I staggered out from between the vehicles, spying the shotgun. I wasn’t sure if it would help, but it was better than nothing.
Seth dipped down and kicked his leg out, but Hyperion reared back, avoiding the kick, and as he turned, he swung out, catching me in the back and knocking me forward. I hit the ground, coughing as my ears rang.
The Titan was on the porch one second and then in a heartbeat he was right in front of us. Seth swore violently as he twisted, but even he—as fast as he was—wasn’t fast enough.
Seth was seized by the shoulders and tossed to the side like he weighed nothing more than a bag of potato chips—a half-eaten bag of potato chips. Full of rising horror, I watched him slam into the side of the house, cracking the exterior. He hit the ground, and I didn’t see him move.
Hyperion cocked his head to the side. “You are rather… boring for a demigod, but your father’s scent is all over you.”
Instinct propelled me into action. I spun around and took off between the vehicles. Where was I going? I couldn’t leave Seth. I could circle back, and then what? Scream for help? It didn’t matter. As I reached the opening, Hyperion was in front of me. Crying out, I skidded across the gravel and began backpedaling.
One side of his lips curled up. “Don’t run. It’s rude.”
Forget that.
Whirling around, I ran back to where I came from, breaking out between the cars, but then he was right there. Shrieking, I couldn’t stop in time and bounced right off his rock-solid chest. I fell back, landing on my ass.
He looked down at me, the shit-eating grin on his face. “It’s also pointless to run, little one. I am a Titan.”
I scrambled back across the gravel, heart racing as he casually strode forward. His arm snapped out, digging his hand into my hair. Fiery pain erupted over my scalp as he hauled me to my feet. I grasped at his thick wrist and dug my nails in.
He didn’t even blink as he lowered his head. “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this?” he asked, and a silver color flashed across his black eyes. “Thousands of years I’ve been trapped with nothing but the thirst of vengeance to keep me sane.” He jerked his arm, and my back bowed as he leaned over me. “Well, the sanity part is up for discussion.” A warm hand circled my neck, cutting off my strangled gasp. “You don’t even know why, do you?”
I opened my mouth, but there was no air. No words. I smacked at his hand, trying to pry the fingers off of my windpipe. Stretched up on the tips of my toes, I was beyond the point of panic and knee-deep in terror. Like with the daimons, there was nothing I could do to fight him, no way to defend myself.
“Oh. Can’t breathe? Sorry about that.” Hyperion’s grip loosened enough to allow a ragged breath to scorch down my throat, but he curled his fingers, digging his nails into my skin like talons. His head came closer and when he spoke, I felt his breath on my cheek. “You think I want to kill you?” He laughed and the cars trembled around us. “No. I don’t want something quick for you. Oh no, I’m going to drag this out for years. Soon, you will call me Master, and when —only when—your father is broken and Olympus is ours, will I release you into the abyss. But until then, you’re going to be my personal PowerBar. Looks like someone already got to you.”
I kicked out, but my feet bounced off his legs with no effect.
“You fight like a girl,” he said, laughing coldly. “So weak. So helpless. There’s almost no sport in this.” He let go of my hair and shoved his hand against my chest. “As I can see you know, there is one painful way to feed off of aether. The other is less painful. Less,” he stressed.
“You’re going to scream,” he said. “And you’re going to lure your father out.” He let go of my hair as he lined up his mouth with mine, and I swung on him as my fear squeezed my chest in an iron vise. He caught my hand before it connected and turned, slamming me into the side of the truck with enough force to rattle my bones. Moving his hand from my throat, he pressed his palm between my breasts. For a horrifying second I thought he was about to seriously grope me, but he inhaled and his palm—it seared straight through to my breastbone.
Something inside me woke up like a slumbering giant, uncoiling in the pit of my stomach. Warmth swirled like a mini tornado, whirling to where his palm was. Thin slivers of silver in his eyes crackled as the Titan smiled. My body jerked and the warmth turned to scalding hot water. Something was happening inside me—leaving me—and it hurt, like when the daimon had bitten me, but more intense. I cried out.
“Hey, Hyperion.”
The Titan drew back, lifting his head. The tugging sensation eased off as I slumped back as far as I could go, dragging in deep breaths. Wet warmth ran down the front of my throat. He’d scratched me.
“Yeah, you. Asshole.” Seth stood there, one hand curled around the handle of the dagger. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his lips. “So you’re Hyperion? Disappointing. I’d expected someone bigger.”
“Seriously?” he asked, releasing me. “You have a death wish, something I am more than happy to fulfill.”
I fell forward, hitting the ground on my knees. Rocking back, I pressed my hand against my stomach. The burn receded to a pulsing ache as I lifted my head.
Seth and Hyperion were going toe to toe.
It was insane—a death match. Punches were thrown. Powerful, brutal kicks delivered. Seth was landing more, but the Titan was virtually unaffected. Pushing to my feet, I staggered out from between the vehicles, spying the shotgun. I wasn’t sure if it would help, but it was better than nothing.
Seth dipped down and kicked his leg out, but Hyperion reared back, avoiding the kick, and as he turned, he swung out, catching me in the back and knocking me forward. I hit the ground, coughing as my ears rang.
