Scorching fire burned within the heart of ashen darkness, clinging to the remains of the chimera. My final attack with the serpent turned the creature’s body to dust, leaving only severed limbs smoking with fragments of the Empty and Seraphim’s flame.
Someone grabbed my shoulder and whirled me around. Seraphim wiped the blackened sweat from her eyes. “Are they free?”
“Yes,” I panted.
Eris had died, or become distracted. Which meant . . .
“I have to find Aethra,” I shouted. “Go after the others!
Nodding, Seraphim raced across the smoldering road toward Phaedrus. I tore in the opposite direction—back toward Apet square.
Choking on the smoke, I blinked the stinging cinders from my eyes. Frantic people clogged the streets, and corpses lay broken against the stone buildings. Something dark and furry ran toward me, and I cursed.
“Shit, Whisper.” Reaching down, I grabbed his scruff. Soot coated his ears, and his left flank was burned. “What are you doing here?”
Whisper sniffed me vigorously and bit my hand gently before weaving between my feet and darting back the way he’d come. I chased after him, heart thumping. The dog was a hunting hound, not a war dog.
I really hated when he was near the fighting.
Whisper leaped over a burning wagon and turned right, toward Apet Square. Was he tracking Aethra?
Gods, I had the best dog.
A brilliant spot of white appeared in the skies—Athena. New blood coated her wings and side as she dove toward us.
The Pegasus hit the ground harder than she intended and stumbled. Drawing in her wings, she rushed past me before turning sharply and returning to my side.
Aethra leaped off her back and limped forward. Leaving my spear, I ran to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. She flung her arms around my neck, and I lifted her off the ground, spinning around once before setting her down and pulling her close.
“She’s dead,” Aethra breathed.
I kissed the top of her head, and my lips curled up into a grin. My princess had come so far. Now, she was slaying goddesses single-handedly.
Whisper growled and released a low, hostile bark. PushingAethra behind me, I readied my spear.
A unit of Hades Knights quickly surrounded us. Archers raced across the roofs, bows pointed down. More thundered down the street, stopping a few paces away, glaives leveled toward us.
“Stand down,” I shouted. “Your Lady’s dead. I won the throne.”
“You did no such thing,” a senior officer snarled, stepping forward. “This whore murdered Lady Eris.”
“Call her that again,” I growled. “And I’ll take your head in payment.”
“Seth,” Aethra hissed.
She probably wanted me to choose diplomacy, let her come up with the right words to say. I had no interest in dealing with these people anymore.
Baring my teeth, I called upon the serpent of the abyss. Three shadow cobras burst from the road and encircled us, their heads looming above the archers on the roofs.
The Hades Knights stepped back—and I noticed a few gape in recognition.
They knew the serpents matched the prophecy—and the throne of the king.
“Eris tried to destroy this city,” I shouted,. “Tried to have my own men kill me. And now she’s dead. Bow before your ruler, or none of you will leave here alive.”
One of the archers fired. The serpents lunged, intercepting the projectile before lashing at the man responsible.
Stone cracked as they struck one after another.
