I’d take it.
When Cronus was done, we stood, gathered our stuff; he grabbed my arm and zapped us across the world to Hyperion. “How did you know where he was?” I asked, shaking my head to relieve it of the slight disorientation that happened when he used that power on me.
“We’re all connected,” Cronus told me, tapping his head. “Beings born of power and energy. It’s a physical connection that supersedes many others, but only when they are alive. Hyperion can send me mental messages of his whereabouts.”
The only important thing I took from that was Hyperion and Cronus were not blood related. Not in the way of humans. Otherwise I’d be lusting after someone I was related to, and that was not cool with me.
Looking around, I blinked. “Where are we?”
Cronus had zapped us into a small group of scraggly trees, but the moment we stepped out, it was like we’d entered a war zone. The scent of dust, blood, and … a powdery substance that made my nose twitch was in the air. “Egypt,” Cronus said. “Strife and Turmoil love to team up, and they love the desert. It doesn’t surprise me that we’d find them here.”
It was a different part of Egypt to where we’d found Rhea, and I tried to orientate myself to these new surroundings. The ground rocked as an explosion shook the land, and I all but dove back behind the scraggly bushes. There was nothing green where we were, and while it didn’t look like full desert, it was close. The sun intensified as I had that thought, no doubt wanting to remind me that it could still kill me, “full desert” or not.
“I didn’t really dress appropriately for this,” I said, lifting my collar and trying to block my mouth and nose from the acrid winds. Sand was already accumulating in places that I didn't like to have sand in. “Jeans and a t-shirt is not much protection against these elements.”
I didn’t even have a damn hat.
Cronus wasn’t worried. “Hyperion is just over the way. You won’t be exposed for too long.”
“Does he have the sins contained?”
Cronus nodded, looking off into the distance as if reading Hyperion’s mind or something freaky. “Yes … he kind of does anyway. They’re in a slight standoff … you’ll see.”
He stepped out of the coverage. I ducked my head and followed, reaching out to hold his hand, because the sand was blowing straight into my eyes. Cronus didn’t seem to have the same issue, ducking and weaving with ease, only pausing at another explosion, his arm wrapping around me to stop a faceplant.
“Cronus … Maisey!” Hyperion shouted; Hound was at his heels barking excitedly.
He was standing shoulder to shoulder with Koios and Crius, the three of them sending some of their Titan energy across to a set of buildings in the distance. The three were hidden in a natural sand bank, protected from the winds.
“We need to stop playing around now,” Cronus growled. “We’re running out of time. This was not a war zone last week, according to the locals hiding in that building.” He pointed to another set of buildings, not close to where the sins were, but also not close to us, and I had no idea how Cronus heard what they were saying. I mean, that was like supersonic hearing—his powers were growing scary powerful.
Hyperion grumbled. “They’re so strong, the turmoil and strife energy of this time is off the charts. We’re trying to weaken them first.”
“We’ve got them barricaded into this section at least,” Koios said. “Spent the last few days tracking those bastards, and it’s only with Hyperion that we’ve been able to lock them down.”
After another explosion, this time so close that I was knocked on my ass, my ears ringing, Cronus helped me up, his face wreathed in scowls. “The fucking humans,” he growled. “They’re making this easy for those sins.”
That’s when I realized the explosions and such were not coming from the direction of the two sins, but from a town that I could see in the distance, to the east of us. They were full-on at war, and that powdery scent was in the air again as the loud crack of gunshots were heard.
I wrinkled my nose. “Explosives and gunpowder,” Hyperion said, noticing my reaction. “Both are strong scents if you’re not used to them.”
Strong and horrible. Teamed with the heat and dust, I was starting to really regret my huge breakfast.
“What are they fighting over?” I tried to wrap my mind around how the sins worked.
“The humans?” Hyperion asked, and when I nodded he shrugged. “When Turmoil and Strife are nearby, the humans with the weaker minds, who are more prone to rage, just start going berserk. Pretty soon it will be World War III.”
Koios nodded. “We need to lock them in the necklace. Now.”
Cronus placed a hand on my lower back. “Then that’s it. I won’t allow her to carry more than three sins. We need to find another box.”
No one said a word to go against him, but part of me wondered if there would be another way. If there were, Selene probably wouldn’t have sacrificed herself.
Cronus turned to me. “The bond started to thin after we locked Sickness in the necklace. I’m not sure what adding two more will do, but you should prepare yourself.”
I sucked in a deep breath, knowing there was no way I could prepare myself for that.
Cronus continued. “You wait here and we’ll bring the sins to you. Don’t. Move.”
