It was why gods who belonged to more than one pantheon were stronger. They could call on these additional powers and not be weakened.
Being a Charonte, Simi had an advantage as her powers had nothing to do with theirs at all.
“Katra!” Styxx called as he saw Epithymia going for her back.
She turned the instant Epithymia went to touch her.
Instead of retreating, Kat pulled her close and sucked her powers out of her. “You won’t be needing those anymore.”
And as she pulled Epithymia’s powers, her teeth elongated, and her eyes turned demonic red. Her skin began to swirl like Simi’s.
“Acheron!” Artemis screamed. “The demon’s taking over Katra. Help!”
His face turning white, akri met Styxx’s gaze.
“She’s more important than I am,” Styxx said. “Get her out of here.”
Simi ran cover as akri ran to his daughter to get her to safety.
“Follow us, Simi.”
Unsure, Simi looked back at Styxx who’d manifested a hoplon to deflect their god-bolts as he covered their retreat.
“Shouldn’t I stay, akri?”
“No.”
Still not sure if this was the right thing to do, Simi teleported with them back to Savitar’s island.
Akri handed Katra off to Sin. “Something from the old demon bite interacted with Epithymia’s powers. I drained her, but she needs to feed.”
Sin nodded grimly as he took her and vanished.
Breathless from the fighting, Simi looked at the others in the room who were supposed to have been there with them, protecting Styxx.
“What happened?” akri asked.
Set growled. “We’re locked out. If you’re not Greek or Atlantean, forget it. Only Katra had the ability to get to you. And even then, it wasn’t easy for her to teleport in.”
Oh … that explained it. Since the Charonte served the Atlanteans, Simi had been able to go.
“I couldn’t get in either,” Urian said. “You’re all he’s got, boss.”
“Simi, return to me.”
She immediately laid herself over akri’s heart as a dragon-shaped tattoo.
Xirena bit her lip. “Me, too, akri?”
“Absolutely.”
Akri glanced around at his allies. “I’m weakened. Every time I strike them, it drains a portion of my god powers—and the weapons Artemis brought might work on Apollo, but they’re shite on the Atlanteans. We are in over our heads, and I won’t lie, it’s ugly. So, who wants to try to go in with me and save my brother’s life?”
They all stepped forward.
“All right. Here goes nothing.” Closing his eyes, akri summoned all the powers he could and teleported them back to Katateros.
As soon as they returned, Simi peeled herself from akri’s body and flew above the blood-soaked floor. It looked like the Malachai and his army had been here.
