“It wasn’t enough,” I mutter. That took a lot out of me, too, and he’s already getting up. I watch as he slowly stretches to his full height, and when he turns to me, I see the odd angleof his jaw before he whips his head to the side, snapping it back into place. He then looks at me with something that you can’t really call a smile. He’s livid, and that sneer is burning with wrath.
“You mortal scum have confidence,”he whispers menacingly, his voice trembling with fury.“Let’s see how long it lasts.”
He slams his palms together.
The sky turns a dazzling white, and then it’s raining molten sunfire, enough to destroy anything it touches. I raise my hand, spreading my aura across to my brothers, feeling the intense strain as the fire rains down. Ares raises a wall of water, but it’s too much for him.
The storm of flames cascading from the heavens keeps coming, and I search for Helios.
We need to stop him!I shout through the mind-link. The floor is already melting under the force, glowing veins of light running across the arena like rivers of fire cutting through the streams of water.
We’ll distract him!Renji says as both he and Carter go again.
Right now, they are the most vulnerable, but I know I can’t protect them; it would only hurt them. They are alphas, too, and they don’t like being treated differently. I simply nod, allowing them to go for Helios as I raise my arm, searching for my next move. Even through the gauntlets, the heat tears at my skin. Every breath burns, and every sound is drowned by the roar of the sun.
I spot Helios, but when I race towards him, he raises a wall, flinging me back.
“Theo!” I shout, but the fire devours my voice.
Shapes move through the inferno. I have to let go to attack. I nod to Ares, who motions for me to move. His water surges upward, struggling to hold against the sunfire rain. Shimmering aqua blue collides with the golden blaze, steam exploding in all directions. For a heartbeat, the elements clash, then the fire and water disappear, leaving behind a crater of molten glass.
Ares drops to one knee, smoke rising from his shoulders, but he pushes up again, fury in his eyes.
Helios walks through the chaos as if it’s nothing. His aura flares brighter, burning so fiercely that it bathes everything in bright white light. The ground trembles with every step he takes. At that moment, he looks like the sun itself.
I see a glint behind him, the glimmer of black telling me it’s Theo, his scythe raised, his darkness-fuelled, pale blue aura pulsing. He slashes at Helios’ back, the blade coated with his power, but Helios twists in time. His hand closes around the shaft of the weapon and snaps it clean in two.
Theo barely has time to react before a backhand of light slams into his chest. He hits the ground hard. I hear the breath leave him as he rolls over, clutching his ribs.
“Theo!” someone shouts, but the immense power around me is making my ears ring.
Helios is burning with rage as he now raises his arm, and a spear of sunlight forms in his hand as his eyes turn on Theo.He’s going to go for him.
I move before he can throw it, lightning cracking through the sky, my body a blur as I race to stand before Theo as Helios throws it. I make it just in time, grabbing the spear mid-air, the force pushing me back several feet, the metal burning my hands even through the gauntlets. I snarl and hurl it straight back at him.
Helios blocks it with his forearm, light splintering off in every direction.
Renji reappears from the smoke, fur matted with blood, eyes glowing crimson. He leaps for Helios again, his jaws closing on the god’s shoulder, but Helios moves too fast. He catches Renji mid-air, fingers sinking into his fur. With one brutal motion, he slams him into the ground.
The sound of bones breaking echoes through the arena, making anger surge through me.
Carter snarls, his wolf form darting through the smoke to protect our brother. He lunges for Helios’ throat, but Helios lifts his leg and kicks him mid-leap. Carter hits the wall of the arena with a sickening thud, falling in a heap. Blood stains the ground beneath him.
“Carter!”
He doesn’t move.
White-hot fury tears through me. Lightning ripples across the arena, feeding off my rage, turning the sky wild as thunder roars louder.
“Enough!”
The word bursts out of me, half roar, half command. The flames flicker. The ground cracks, and I don’t fucking think, I act.
Lightning floods my veins, my body turning into a charged volt itself. I charge straight at Helios, our auras colliding mid-strike. The impact rips through the arena like a thunderclap, the shockwave ramming into the stands, but I feel several auras surge, creating barriers to protect the spectators. The crowd roars and screams, the shields of energy flaring stronger to protect them.
Helios blocks my punch with his forearm, sparks flying. His skin doesn’t burn, but his expression hardens, and I’m satisfied to see the shock on his face.
Good.
