What would've been a quiet summer turns into a globe-trotting adventure when an incident in Olympian High's campus garden gets the attention of resident Chosens Amelia Kingston and Zeus Olympian. To their surprise, the culprit is none other than the...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The earth turned deathly still. While precious moments passed by, not a single person moved or spoke or even breathed, as if they were in a collective stupor. But then, some of the dead in armor flocked toward Hades, and Claudius, who had already stopped cackling by then, raised his arm, signaling his men to aim their guns at the newcomer. By his side were the Cardinal twins waiting to attack.
Hades is here, Amelia thought, a ray of hope blooming inside her chest. He's going to help us.
"Now you decide to crash the party after you failed to get the Artifact," Leonidas said, referring to Aphrodite's belt. "You're not even supposed to be here, lad."
Claudius berated him with a wave of his hand. "There's no need to talk to him like that." He glanced at Hades with a calculating yet suspicious eye. "You seem to have found your own. . . means to get here swiftly. You want permission to finish things off, to make up for your failure. Is that what it is?"
Hades removed his hands from his pockets, adjusting his hoodie. Amelia's face fell when Claudius' words finally sunk in.
Hades was still part of the Titan Mafia. Of course he won't help her and her friends. Their ominous interaction back at Paris' catacombs was only between Amelia and Hades. If anything, it didn't happen at all. He would be smart enough not to tell Claudius, his superior, that he gave Amare to Amelia voluntarily.
"I won't."
Amelia did a double take. Did she hear him right?
She probably did, because just from his twisted face, Claudius obviously didn't expect him to say no. Meanwhile, Hendryx simply pressed his lips into a thin line, and Leonidas looked like he was about to enjoy Hades getting into big trouble.
"What. Did. You. Say." Claudius uttered every word with a tone bordering wrath.
"I said I won't," Hades said, his voice firm and final.
"Traitor," Claudius snarled. "I was wrong to think that you were loyal enough for the Mafia."
"I was never part of the Mafia," Hades said calmly. "You didn't give me a choice. And even if you did, I will never become one of you."
The army of the dead suddenly charged, swinging their swords and spears to the enemy. After that, it all descended into chaos. Bullets flew in every direction. One after the other, men alive and dead fell to their demise from being struck down by stray shots, piercing blades, or both. The only ones that seemed to hold out longer were the Titans themselves and the Chosens. Alistair was already by Ivy and Sei and covered them from incoming mafia cronies with his fire. Hendryx apparently took notice and headed towards them. The Oracle was nowhere to be found-he must've ran away. The little coward.
Amelia watched this all unfold at the same spot she was rooted on. She was astonished that no one seemed to be coming for her. But it took her a while to realize that a barrier surrounded her, protecting her from danger. She must've conjured it unconsciously when everybody started to attack everyone else.
