Exhaling shakily, Seth pulled me toward him, burying me in his arms. Pressing my head against his warm chest, I allowed myself a moment to breathe. To feel like my hope hadn’t been misguided.
Gods, but finding him alive and well lifted a heavy burden from my heart.
“Um.” Percy’s voice broke the moment. “Um!” He repeated.
Fire blazed through the hall behind us, and I broke from Seth’s grip, stepping outside. Seraphim strode past, scythe of blood and fire forming in her grip. The guard outside had awoken, one hand on his weapon, but his courage fled at the sight of her.
Scrambling back, he fled down the hall into darkness.
“Well,” Seraphim turned to me, faced bruised and bloody. “Time to make our daring escape.”
30
Chapter 30
Flames burst from the dungeons’ doors, shooting out into the night like a pair of phoenix wings. Seraphim strode down the steps to the courtyard, bloody scythe in hand, facing the knights gathered outside.
Several armored men, clad in the silver and blue of House Cynthus, blocked each entrance to the square—there would be no escaping without a fight.
Seraphim turned her head, eyeing the western road. Slashing the scythe across her wrist, she thrust her wounded arm forward, and the blood surged through the air. Flames crackled to life as the blood solidified into two spinning scythes.
Seeing the whirling death heading their way, the men scrambled. Stone fractured where the scythes impaled, bursting into pillars of flame.
“Get to the harbor,” Seraphim ordered.
Nodding, I darted past her, whistling for Whisper. The hound burst from its hiding place and dashed to my side, skirting between my legs to reach Seth. Skidding to a stop, I whirled around, staring past the men and flames toward the hitching post where I’d left Athena.
Seth followed my gaze and cursed. “I’ll get her. Go.” He shouted, spinning on his heeland darting away.
I moved to follow him, but Eleos caught my arm and dragged me away. “He’s going to get himself killed if he has to protect you, too.” He pressed a scabbard into my hand, filched from a passed-out guard.
Shoving the sword into my belt, I squeezed between the pillars of flame left by Seraphim’s magic. Trusting Eleos’s sense of direction, I kept pace with him as he slid down a steeply sloping path.
The lighthouse glowed with fire in the distance, a beacon to light our way. Gut churning, I glanced behind me, wishing I hadn’t left the others behind. Percy ran into my back as we reached the bottom of the hill, nearly knocking us both over.
“I know what you’re thinking.” He said. “If Seraphim can’t handle it,no one can.”
“But-” I cut off, gazing back up the slope. Several knights appeared above us, spears drawn as they gave chase.
“Time to go!” Percy shoved me, and I obeyed.
Alarm bells rang above us, resonating throughout the city. We ran for our lives, darting into alleys when resistance appeared, weaving through narrow roads to lose their pursuit. Salt carried on the breeze, and the crash of waves sounded on the horizon—we were nearly to the sea.
Eleos squeezed through the narrow crack separating two buildings, and I followed. We emerged on an ancient stone dock, where the ocean crashed into the piers, sending white foam into the sky.
Clinking armor and pounding footsteps sounded to my right, and I barely had time to turn my head before a guard was upon me, thrusting his spear toward my flank. Skidding backward, I tried to avoid the attack, but his spear grazed my side, drawing blood.
Grabbing the sword Eleos had given me, I yanked it loose from its scabbard, thrusting it forward into the defensive position Seth had beaten into my head.
Every muscle in my body quivered as the man charged again, this time trying to sweep the spear across my feet. I tried to block it, thrusting forward. Steel rang against steel. Pain rang through my arm, but I managed to knock his attack aside.
With my attacker thrown off balance, an opening appeared for me to step back, escaping his reach. Raising my sword, I prepared for him to charge again.
A spear whirled past me, striking the guard in the thigh. Blood spurted from the wound, and he gasped, falling to a knee. His weapon clattered to the ground, and Eleos slid past me, snatching it up.
“Not bad,” he said, twirling the spear. “Maybe you’ll be a warrior after all.”
“I thought you couldn’t fight!” I chattered, nerves running up and down my limbs like lightning.
