Page 113 of Dead End

“Hello again, Dis.”

“Because we are reasonable gods and we wish no harm to your people, we’ve chosen to give you one final opportunity to relinquish your claim on these crossroads and leave Fairlawn in our care.”

“It’s Fairhaven, you nitwit,” Anna shouted.

Inanna stepped forward. “I told you before, Melinoe. Power isn’t true power unless it’s concentrated in the hands of only a few.” She gestured to either side of her. “These few, specifically. Without us, the realms are under a constant threat of imbalance.”

“The only real threat to the realms is you,” Matilda shot back. “You dishonor those you are duty-bound to protect.”

Inanna heaved a weary sigh. “Night Mallt, why am I not surprised to see you here, nipping at Melinoe’s heels like her own personal lapdog?”

“You are no match for us, child,” Feng Po said. “If this town is precious to you, you will submit to our request.”

Submit. Obey. Cave. Bow. Yield. Surrender.

They seemed to have forgotten with whom they were having the pleasure. “What makes you think I’d stand aside when I have my own army behind me?”

Laughter rippled through the deities. Dis turned to his compatriots. “She calls that an army.”

The laughter intensified to a roar.

Gun bristled. “They’re mocking us.” He thumped hischest. “I’ll have you know thatIdo the mocking around here.”

Lightning split the sky in response. Max doubled over, placing his hands on his knee area. “Oh, gods. I can’t breathe. Anybody have a paper bag?”

Sage rubbed his rocky back. “It’s going to be okay, Max. We’ve got this.”

I wasn’t so sure. There was no sign of Bossu. Without their ringleader, we’d lose our shot at ending this here and now. The chairman of the board would simply pluck another seven strong deities to serve alongside him.

“Enough.” Eyes dark and shining, Inanna gave two short claps. “Now you will suffer the consequences of your poor decisions.”

Gun snorted. “Honey, that’s my typical Sunday morning.”

Chaos erupted. Werewolves shifted. Blades clashed, the sound of steel on steel rang through the forest like woodland chimes. Fuchi became a living flame. If the goddess wasn’t careful, the entire forest would burn to the ground with all of us still inside it. I pictured the destruction I’d witnessed in Dilmun. I could not—wouldnot—let that happen to Fairhaven.

The earth quaked again, causing cracks to spiderweb across the ground. Wild Acres had become a battleground of raw, primal forces, and we were in its epicenter.

I scanned the area for Kami and found the goddess pressed against the trunk of an oak tree. She clutched her messenger bag to her side like it contained the crown jewels. I wished we could’ve left her at the Castle with Goran, but she and her bag were a crucial part of the plan.

A storm of unrelenting fury tore through the forest. Trees groaned. Rocks rumbled. Feng Po flickered in and out of visibility as he harnessed the wind. To their credit, my friends remained unfazed by the violent storm. Assassinsswarmed. Tarot cards arced through the air, unnoticed by their targets. Sage tossed water balloons filled with defensive potions. One of them broke against Epona’s rump. The green liquid splattered across the horse’s backside and tail. Epona whinnied as the potion took effect, paralyzing her hind legs. She used her front hooves to drag herself to the safety of a copse.

I stabbed and thrust, losing half my blades as I danced from god to god. This was the battle Pops had trained me for all those years ago.

Only this.

Fiery explosions scorched the air, creating pockets of flame that threatened to turn the forest into an inferno. Sage and Gun used their respective types of magic to dowse the flames. If only Phaedra were here. Witchcraft would’ve been helpful, too. I tried not to worry about my friend.

I felt a rush of relief as the other half of our team descended upon the clearing. I searched for a glimpse of Kane and his flaming sword but saw no sign of either. Josie launched herself into the fray, using the backs of the wolves as a springboard to reach Inanna. The wolf underneath her was shoved aside before she reached her mark. As she descended from the air, the vampire found a new target. She stuck to Skanda like a starfish to aquarium glass. Before he could react, she thrust her fangs into the god’s neck. Nobody made a move to assist their comrade. It was every god for himself, which came as no surprise to me.

The wolves howled in unison. The haunting sound was ominous. Camryn shuddered. “Can they play something more up-tempo? This is depressing.”

“I’ll tell you what’s depressing.” Gun lifted his purple boot that was covered in blood. “I’ll never get the stains out.”

“Why did you wear your favorite boots?” Cam asked.

“Need I remind you we’re fighting gods. I had to dress to impress.”

My heart raced. “Where’s Kane?” I shouted to no one in particular.

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