Page 63 of A Spell of Bones and Madness
The most difficult task would be carrying the staff by herself that distance. One of the crew had fashioned her a pack that strapped the long object across her back, but its weight was one she had shared with Ajax the past few days. Ember would need to dig deep, remember that pain was temporary as the weight became unmanageable, as her feet blistered with every snap of a twig and scuffle of dirt below. Even more so since she carried her long sword across the opposite direction.
Trees thinned on the opposing side of the lake, allowing the brightness of the moon to guide her along the weaving path to the mountain that loomed mere miles away. Howling wind and hooting owls made for an almost peaceful melody on the journey. A white noise to distract Ember from the fear that scratched its way into her very bones.
It had been months now that she had been training, but that wasn’t nearly enough time to battle a god as ancient as time itself. No—she could only hope that the fear of this object she carried stunned the Olympi enough to strike. And if it was not enough—if she failed in this task—maybe at least Katrin, Ander,and Ajax could escape, could find their way back toThe Nostosand prepare for battle. Maybe they could live to fight another day, work out some way to destroy the god without the staff. If only she had her powers, if that healing magic flowed through her blood freely, if the sunfire coursed through her like her mother.
Or maybe it would have been better to have her father’s powers—the ones Katrin so effortlessly conquered now. Would darkness and starlight defeat an Olympi with such similar powers? Would the two feed upon each other, the weaker snuffed out? It was useless to ponder such things. Not when the task would not change.
Padding footsteps knocked Ember out of her mental spiral. Her lungs constricted and her hand flew to her back, unsheathing the sword she had come to master. Who knew what lurked within the forest so close to the damning mountain beyond.
A tall, cloaked figure stood peering out from a nearby tree, their arms hidden beneath billowing sleeves. The light from the stars and moon above seemed to twinkle out until a shadowy cloud of darkness fell upon the dirt path. These were not the shadows of Nikolaos—they were something different, yet familiar. Eyes squinting, Ember tried to adjust to the low light.
“Show yourself, coward!” she screamed into the endless night, brandishing her sword. The figure glided over the now smokey ground with a preternatural speed, circling behind her. Ember whipped around once more. “I said show yourself!”
A low laugh reverberated around her. This laugh—it’s raspy cackle, the low rumble—it was definitely familiar. “Father?” she croaked out, almost in a whimper for the man she did not think she would see again.
“Who are you? Who sent you for me?” the man whispered, drawing closer. Silver flickered by his hand, while the other dropped the hood. Deep brown eyes pierced her to her core.
“Father, it’s me. It’s Ember.” Slowly she took a step back.
“I have no daughter.” Aidon lifted his hand, the sleeve of his cloak sliding down to reveal a decadent dagger, rubies and onyx covering the hilt, bronze metal sharpened so thin it could separate layer upon layer of skin.
Bile began to rise in Ember’s throat. The water from the Lethe truly had taken his memories—all of them. Before she could respond, Aidon had circled her once more, pinning her against his chest, arm locked tight around her throat, dagger equally as close.
“What trickery you spew, Lady of Spring. I know he sent you,” he rasped into her ear, tightening his arm.
“Father, please,” she said with what little air she had left in her lungs, but then the grip loosened. Ember fell forward to her knees, gasping for breath. When she finally looked up, Aidon was nowhere to be seen. She reached for her back, the pack seeming lighter as she stood.
Not just Aidon was missing.
“Shit, shit, shit!” Ember muttered, patting down the floor around her, looking for any sign of footsteps, a trail she could follow.
This is what she got for thinking she could make it all the way to the mountain and defeat Hades herself. I mean, gods, she was onlyone woman and she knew absolutely nothing about that damned bident other than what her father told her. Her father, who had just stolen the thing right from under her nose. Her father who had just tried to kill her.
How was she supposed to tell her companions? They trusted her to keep watch, to stay calm and make sure harm didn’t come to them, and now she had to explain she lost theonething that would let them succeed in their quest.
Shit, shit, shit.
Hazy golden hues began to creep over the tree line. Dawn was coming and Ember needed to find her way back. She began to sprint back down the dirt trail that had led her to this clearing, moving over broken twigs and crushed leaves with more ease because of her lighter pack. With every step she took, rustling sounds from deep in the forest had her head spinning. What creatures loomed deep between the branches? Leighton described the beings that lurked in the caves, but never mentioned what might be out in the open on this decaying isle.
Picking up her pace once more, Ember wove through the last bit of the path to the side of the lake they had marked for camp.
“Where in the gods have you been?” a shrill voice had Ember sliding to a halt. Katrin appeared out of nowhere, hands on hips, narrowed eyes.
“I—I, um,” she tried to get the words out but couldn’t through gasps of breath. Gods, she hadn’t run that fast in, well, ever.
“We woke and you weren’t here! We thought something had happened to you—that someone had taken you!” her sister screamed.
Appearing behind her, Ander wrapped his arms around Katrin. “Shh, Starling. Ember is back and we do not know what spies trail these woods.”
“You better have a good explanation for this.” Katrin walked up to Ember, poking her in the chest in time with every word she spoke.
“Where’s Ajax?” was the only thing Ember could think to say.
“We sent him to track you. He was frantic when he woke up and you weren’t there.” Ander pointed behind her.
Spinning around, Ember saw the commander standing there, equally muddied boots and heaving chest. So that was the noise she’d heard in the woods by the trail, he was chasing after her.
“How reckless can you be?” Ajax growled, hands fisted beside him. “You went after him alone!”
