Fated (15 page)

I dug through my knapsack and pulled out the Map of Souls, handing it to her.

"I was told to guard this with my life. So you should do the same," I instructed.

She nodded curtly at me and gestured toward her massive wall of tomes.

"I’ve got experience," she said wryly. I smiled for the first time since we had arrived. The witch had a sense of humor, something I hadn’t noticed before.

"You need to go," she continued. "Free your father and find your mother. I have seen that you will have obstacles. Keep your head clear and you will outsmart them. Remember, greatness comes from unexpected places."

I nodded. It sounded so easy when she put it that way. Just keep my head clear and all would work out. Really? I knew better. Nothing was that easy.

We turned and filed out of the cave, Cadmus right on my heels and the Amazons behind him. We re-mounted, the Amazons turning the horses toward the mountain rising from the horizon.

Olympus.

The once magnificent city was deserted. Even the falcons stationed at the gates of the city were gone. It was eerie and unsettling. Not a glimpse of movement throughout the still streets. It was as though we were walking through a ghost town. We moved quickly until we stood at the base of the stairs leading to the palace.

I glanced at Cadmus and Ortrera.

"Where is everyone?" I asked uneasily.

Cadmus shook his head slowly as he gazed around us. "I have no idea."

A lone raven sat on the abandoned porch of a crumbling stone home nearby. I turned to it.

"Where has everyone gone?"

It simply stared at me, its crimson eyes gleaming in the light.

"Where has everyone gone?" I repeated, louder this time.

It opened its beak wide. Its tongue had been cut out. Just like Annen. I gasped. Why would they bother with a bird?

The warriors slapped the rumps of their horses and they took off into the sky, circling above us in a perfectly formed holding pattern. I knew they would return the moment that the Amazons’ called for them.

As we climbed the stairs and entered the palace, the first thing I noticed was the horrible smell. Covering my nose with my hand, my gaze flew around the room to find the source of the foul odor. Sulfurous and acidic, the horrid smell seemed to penetrate my nasal tissue and cling there. Every breath I took tasted of it.

"Dragon," Cadmus murmured to us and his quiet voice seemed to echo in the empty building.

I looked at him, my eyebrows raised.

"Dragon?" I repeated nervously. He nodded.

"No doubt about it. This is their scent."

I sighed. "They need to shower."

He laughed and I marveled at his ability to find humor even as we faced such a dire circumstance. There was a dragon running loose here for Pete’s sake.

We treaded carefully through the abandoned halls, carefully scanning every corridor before we entered it. There was still no movement and no sign of a dragon. Normally, I would be relieved. But I knew that it was here somewhere and I would rather face it now then continually wonder when it would appear.

Crossing a great room, I pulled Achilles’ Shield out from where it was half-concealed beneath a lounge. It was very strange that the Moirae didn’t take it or at the very least hide it better. It would benefit them greatly in the case of a fight. I gulped as I realized that they didn’t think it would go that far. They thought this would be an easy victory for them.

I handed the heavy shield to Cadmus and then glanced at the others.

"Stay clear of Atropos," I warned. "She can suck your life away if you get too close."

They nodded as we crept forward.

Searching the main floor of the palace proved to be anticlimactic. There was simply no one here. It was as quiet as a tomb. We stared at each other uncertainly.

"The dungeons," I murmured.

Ortrera looked around warily as we descended the marble stairs.

"You know this is a trap," she pointed out.

"Yes. But we have no choice," I replied. And we didn’t. Whatever happened would happen.

Turning the corner at the base of the stairs, we entered a long corridor that led to the dungeons. With every step we took, the rancid smell grew stronger. The dragon was down here. And it could probably smell us coming. I found it strangely ironic that as horrible as they smelled, they had the keenest senses of smell on the planet. Like a shark in the water, they could sense prey from a mile away. I shuddered

Cadmus gripped my hand for a moment.

"We will be alright, my love," he assured me. "Just stand behind me. I have the shield."

He stepped ahead of me and for the time being, I allowed it. I would never allow him to endanger his life for me, though, not as he had in Alexandria when he almost died to save me. I couldn’t go through that again.

By the end of the hall, the air was so ripe with the stench that it was literally difficult to breathe. Regardless, I took a steadying, deep breath before we pushed open the massive wooden doors that led to the inner dungeons.

A dragon loomed in front of us, practically filling the entire cavernous chamber. Massive and dark yellow, its eyes were wild as it watched us. It was covered in serpent-like scales and easily weighed several tons. It had delicate looking wings folded at its sides, red and paper thin. I could see the black veins through the membrane-like skin.

As I stood observing it, I could feel its fetid breath flaring out of its nostrils and moving the hair on my forehead. And I froze. I knew it could breathe fire. Behind it, Ares hung limply from the ceiling, bound at the hands and feet. His eyes were closed and his head was slumped against his chest. I could see his chest barely moving. I sighed a small sigh of relief. He still breathed.

The dragon took one awkward step toward us, the tip of its tail twitching like a cat’s. The tension was unbearable. It was like we were suspended in time, each waiting for the other to act.

And then it did.

Unexpectedly, it reared back on its enormous hind legs and threw its head back, exhaling a gust of fire from across the room. We lunged behind Cadmus as he blocked us with Achilles’

Shield. The fire was diverted off of the impenetrable surface, flowing instead to the stone ceiling of the dungeon where it fizzled harmlessly and went out.

I could smell scorched fabric and singed hair, but none of us were harmed. I locked eyes with Cadmus. His chocolate eyes stared pointedly at me.

"Trust me," he murmured.

Before I could even react, he thrust the shield at me and lunged to the side, rolling beneath another scorching breath of fire and vaulting himself away from the dragon’s dangerous mouth.

I screamed for him, but he didn’t look back.

I watched his lithe limbs move gracefully as he danced away from the dragon’s face. I couldn’t help but admire his agility. He was born to be a warrior. I clenched my teeth so that I didn’t scream again and distract him. The entire time, I wondered what his plan was. How did one conquer a dragon? Although, he had done it before, a fact I silently repeated to myself in order to remain calm.

The dragon’s scales glistened in the light as it watched Cadmus with golden, reptilian eyes.

Every few seconds, the thick membrane that covered its eye twitched, an outward sign of its annoyance with us.

"Aim!" Ortrera called from behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder to find the Amazons squatting tensely with their bows poised.

Thin arrows tipped with bronze were aimed at the dragon, half at its head, half at its heart.

Cadmus rolled to the side as Ortrera called, "Release!"

The arrows flew in graceful arcs toward the dragon, each one falling away impotently. The sharp arrows might as well have been pixie sticks or dull pencils. They simply couldn’t penetrate the dragon’s leather-like skin. Dejection started to form in my belly and I thrust it away. There had to be something we could do.

Racing to the edge of the room, I threw open the doors of a nearby cabinet. Inside, hung several odd torture devices. A mace, strange looking long screws, sharp hammers and a rusty sword. Wrestling the sword from the brackets constraining it, I lugged it several steps. My muscles ached from the effort. It was incredibly heavy.

"Cadmus," I cried. He locked eyes with me and nodded from halfway across the room.

I gathered my strength and concentrated on focusing my efforts. I pictured my inner strength pooling in my arms, building with each heart beat. I felt it pulsing with each breath.

Growing. With a shriek, I released my pent up goddess strength. Like a rubber band, it flexed and broke free. Catapulted by my super-human effort, the sword flew perfectly into Cadmus’

hands.

I slumped to the floor, spent by my effort. My limbs were weak and shaky. Drawing on goddess strength was an intense experience.

Cadmus effortlessly handled the iron sword, bending and swaying to avoid the dragon’s harmful breath. I flattened myself against the wall- I was too far away to enjoy the benefits of the shield.

"Cadmus," Ortrera called.

He glanced her way and she hefted the shield toward him. He caught it in his left hand, the sword still in his right. I concentrated on my breathing. It wouldn’t help anything to hyperventilate. With the safety of the shield gone, the Amazon warriors quickly rolled out of the dungeon and back into the safety of the hall. My gaze flew back to my soul mate.

He danced gracefully in front of the dragon, shifting his weight from the ball of one foot to the other. His hands didn’t falter or shake. He was calm and his gaze was deadly. I realized that I had stopped breathing and I took a deep breath. It also wouldn’t help anything if I passed out from lack of oxygen.

I glanced behind the dragon once more and Ares still hung limply and unmoving. I had a feeling that time was running short.

"We need to hurry, Cadmus," I cried. "Ares can’t hold on much longer."

Cadmus nodded silently, keeping his intense gaze on the beast in front of him.

The dragon’s large eyes rotated and fixed on Cadmus, while dark steam poured from its nose. It pawed at the floor with its webbed front claws, pluckily moving from one side to the other like it was prepared to lumber in either direction.

"Harmonia?" Cadmus called, without taking his focus from the beast in front him.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Get down!"

I dropped to the floor in a balled up crouch, instinctively covering my head with my hands.

Peeking from around my arms, I watched as Cadmus dropped the shield and used it as a platform to lunge from. He rocked on it backward, then bounced off the front, flying through the air toward the reptile.

In response, the dragon roared a mouthful of fire, but it was too slow.

The fire spread to the walls and ceiling in a flattened out cloud, but Cadmus was already in front of the flame and rocketing toward the dragon’s head. Looping one strong leg around the dragon’s neck, he landed astride the writhing animal. Heaving the heavy sword, he plunged it deep into the side of its neck.

The beast froze with one more strangled cry. Its roving eye found mine and with its gaze locked onto me, it fell to the ground. The dungeon shook with its weight as it landed. I literally felt the earth between my feet move. I looked back at the dragon and saw its sides heaving as it struggled to breathe. Black blood ran down the side of its neck and pooled on the ground beside it.

Its chest shuddered, then stopped.

It was dead.

I uncrouched and launched myself toward Cadmus, leaping into his arms, completely disregarding the fact that he was covered in black dragon’s blood. I covered his face in kisses, clinging to his neck.

"Oh, my god, oh my god," I muttered as I clung to him. "Don’t ever do that to me again. I almost had a heart attack. It could’ve killed you."

He rolled his eyes.

"Woman, I’m not a novice. I’ve killed dragons before."

"Thousands of years ago!" I exclaimed. "You’re out of practice."

"Are you doubting my skills?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

I looked at the dead dragon to our side and shook my head.

"Never. You are a warrior, through and through."

"Well, I’m glad you realize that," he acknowledged.

I slid from his grasp and raced around the hulking frame of the dragon. Ares was suspended from a weird pulley of sorts from the ceiling. I hurriedly looked for the lever that controlled it.

"It’s over here," Cadmus called from the other side of the dragon. I abandoned my search and joined him just as the Amazons re-entered the chamber.

"That was foolish," Ortrera observed to Cadmus. "I approve," she smiled.

I rolled my eyes. Warriors.

Cadmus pulled the lever, slowly releasing Ares from the ceiling. The thick chains creaked as they moved and I raced to his side, helping Cadmus lower him gently to the ground.

Ares lay curled on his side, his thick black hair curling around his neck. They had clearly given him nectar for some reason or another. He had regained his god-like appearance. He reminded me strongly of Marc Antony now. His muscles bulged, his shoulders were wide. His mouth was full and slack as he rested.

"Ares, wake up," I rustled his arm. "Please, wake up."

The manacles constraining his thick wrists caught my eye and I remembered the key. I quickly slipped the knapsack from my back and dug through it, coming up with the brass key.

And then froze. I needed to dip it in my own blood.

"Cadmus," I began. He knelt by my side. "Your dagger, please."

His gaze flew to my face. "No."

"Yes," I replied. "I must. It will only be a small cut."

He wordlessly handed me his black-handled dagger and grasped my shoulder as he waited. I felt him stop breathing as he held his breath. I knew he couldn’t bear to watch me injure myself, so I did it quickly.

In a quick movement, I sliced an inch long cut into my forearm. Blood instantly gushed and I rolled the key in it. I wryly hoped that the key was clean, although it was probably unlikely that a goddess would get an infection.