"Mom, we have to go." I wasn't sure which was true, but if Tyler was getting himself into trouble trying to play the hero, I would murder him.
"Be safe, honey." She attempted a smile, but there was sadness in it still. I silently promised to make everything better. To me it was no longer a maybe, because I had solid proof of a prophecy telling me it would happen. Add to that Lex's sisters, and it was almost foolproof if we all worked together. Right?
* * *
Raiden and I headed into the darkening woods, Tyler's location still pulled up on the phone. The night creatures were scurrying in the shrubbery, squeaking in outrage at the disturbance we were making. Crickets played their song, and lightning bugs lit up the dimming light with their mating call. My focus was on the path in front of us. We were getting closer. No fire burnt the air, but it was also silent.
I knew the area, it was around where the portal had originally opened. We slipped off the trail to circle the small clearing. It was empty, but Ty's phone had pinged its last location here not even five minutes ago. I ran my gaze over the packed dirt, looking for the silver surface of it. No sign of either.
With a sigh, I stepped into the space and turned in a circle, searching more. A yelp exploded from me as a figure dropped from the trees in front of me, catching me off guard. I yanked my dagger from the holder and slammed them to the ground, only to realize the second after we hit, I had effectively taken down my brother.
"What the fuck! Ty! You scared the shit out of me." I pushed off of him and back to my feet as he let out a chuckle and sat up. "What are you doing out here? Why didn't you answer your texts?"
"I'm glad to see you too, I thought I lost you forever to the Underworld." He brushed his pants off. "I was trying to gather intel, so I could come to your rescue. Leaving my sister defenseless and in danger isn't something I could do."
"Did you bump your head? You could get yourself killed." I shoved him in the shoulder, and he sidestepped me with a laugh.
"That muse did something to me. I can be a hero now too," he said, looking down at his hands.
"Wait, that was real? I thought you were drunk," Raiden said.
"I felt off for a couple of days, but now, I'm powerful. Look," Ty said. He shook his hands, and light flared to life in his palms. They looked like mini suns floating above his skin. The clearing was bright as the middle of the day before he curled his fingers around the balls. "I always wanted fire breathing, and this is just as cool. Don't you think?"
"Ty, that looks dangerous. What if you burn the forest to the ground?" I asked.
"You mean like Rai?" he quipped with a lift of his eyebrow.
I shifted on my heels, glancing between the two of them. There was something off about Tyler's power, besides the fact a Goddess had gifted it to him, he didn't really know how to wield it. They had an entire school for that kind of thing, you didn't just wake up one morning and know how to use magic.
"We aren't talking about Raiden right now. You were randomly hanging out in the woods, where demons have been. What if you got into trouble? You were out here all alone. I can't keep saving everyone if we are going to focus on saving the muse from the mage. I need to know you are safe, not putting yourself in danger," I said.
"Says my little sister that is continuously putting herself in danger daily. Don't be jealous that I can help now, too." Ty crossed his arms and frowned down at me.
"It isn't jealousy, Ty," I said, throwing my hands up in annoyance. "You don't think it is strange that a muse just so happened to give you powers? My brother. When I'm supposed to be helping Apollo find another?"
"I think it is strange that you aren't happy for me!" Ty shouted, matching my annoyed stance.
"Uh, guys—" Rai said.
"I'm concerned! Gods, Ty, what if this was created to distract me from the task?"
"It isn't always about you, Sam!"
"GUYS!" Rai yelled, grabbing our attention. "Incoming!"
Then I heard it, the sound of feet crunching through the underbrush. A lot of them. Raiden was stripping out of his clothing at lightning speed. I faced the danger with my dagger in my hand, Ty braced himself right next to me. I glanced over at him, and he looked back seriously at me before he uncurled his fingers, and the tiny sun formed once again. Looked like we were doing this.
The first line of demons flowed from the shadows. They were unlike anything I had ever seen before. Gnashing teeth, slimy drool dripping to the ground and burning on contact like acid. Their claws were long and sharp looking, and I wasn't sure they were much more than gremlin-looking monsters. Looks like someone fed them after midnight.
We took them out, my brother proving he knew enough to use his newfound magic to take out the threat. It was a new feeling, not needing to worry about him. Sure, he knew hand-to-hand combat and could hold his own that way, but add in the magic, and he was strong in his own right. Pride filled me as I took out another demon, and he flattened three in one burst of sunlight. I was wrong. He didn't need my protection.
I still wasn't sure that I trusted his new abilities. What if they were limited? Or what if she came back and took them away? There were too many 'what ifs' I could come up with.
Raiden eliminated the rest of them in a single breath of fire. Smoke curled up into the sky, and the clearing smelled of burnt flesh. We were lucky we hadn't burned down the entire place already. I sagged, shoving the dagger back into the holder, before pressing my hands to my knees as I gulped in breaths of fresh air. I had missed one too many training sessions in the last week.
"Fine, you win. Your powers are great, but don't go seeking danger. Okay?" I said, meeting my brother's gaze.
"I love you too, Sammy!" he said as he reached out to ruffle my hair. I smacked his hand away as I straightened with a laugh and stepped out of his reach.