Page 98 of Hades' Shadow
We round the tree line and get to a clearing and my jaw drops. Two men are battling with a single demon. They are very clearly residents of Elysium.
“Should we help them?” I ask, tightening my grip on the whip.
Every time they get close to the demon, he sucks a little of their essence out of them, killing them slowly.
“It’s destroying them,” Jayden says, and his shadows wrap around him, pulsing with rage.
“Stop,” I shout. “It’s destroying you.”
The men glance at us in unison and I gasp. One man is wearing a golden pelt and I narrow my eyes at it. The fur glints in the light like metal. The Nemean lion.
I scan the other man, unable to place him, but he must be another hero for him to be fighting alongside Heracles. I almost don’t notice the string wrapped around his wrist.
I raise an eyebrow. Could he be Theseus? Is that Ariadne’s string?
Lost in thought, I don’t see what’s coming until Jayden tackles me to the ground.
I hit the ground and pain radiates up my back. “Shit, Jayden.”
I push the huge demigod off me and sit up. I shake my head to clear it.
“Sorry, the fucker has magic somehow,” Jayden says and stands.
He holds out a hand to me and I take it, letting him pull me up. “Thanks, but maybe a little warning next time?”
I turn to the demon that is battling with both heroes and Raven as Adrian stands off to the side with his bow at the ready.
I pick up my whip and crouch into a fighting stance, widening my feet as I wait to jump in where needed.
The demon hisses, “The daughter of Zeus and son of Hades, it will be my pleasure to kill you both.”
I roll my eyes. “You demons really need to learn some new lines.”
Heracles widens his eyes and glances at me, appraising me for the first time. The demon lunges at him, but he jumps back at the last second.
I flick my whip out at the demon, cracking it across his midsection. He bellows in pain and flings something inky and black at me.
I roll to the side before the disgusting magic can hit me and Raven charges it with her ax held high.
The demon stands there, waiting for her attack.
“Raven, don’t,” I yell, but it’s too late for her to stop.
She gets close to the demon, and he throws more of that inky magic at her. Raven flies back, hitting a tree with a thud.
“Raven,” I scream and flick my whip with one hand and pull my sword with the other.
The demon laughs and turns his attention back on me.
Jayden unleashes his shadows, and they slink along the ground around him. His eyes turn black as hellfire skates across his hands and arms.
He’s losing control. Shit.
Heracles lunges at the demon again and the demon breathes in some of his essence.
“Get back. You’re making it stronger,” I shout at the dead demigods.
Heracles frowns but takes several steps back. “What do you mean?”
