Page 42 of Gambling with Time

Bellamy left my side, cutting through the Egyptian demons effortlessly, and for a moment, I was transfixed by his deadly dance.

Caught off guard, Cerberus saved me, yanking me away from the swipe of a blade and lunging at the culprit.

“Thank you, Cer,” I said.

I stumbled, almost falling as I backed up a small rise. My attention caught on a demon that could take a message to the others. If we failed, they needed to know what was coming.

I called out to him, and he pivoted my way, rushing up the small hill I had ended up on.

“Tell the others what is happening,” I ordered. He nodded once and turned away, fighting off a hybrid animal. I opened the portal to the mountains, and the courtyard shimmered on the other side, teaming with unsuspecting dragons and demons to the chaos that was enveloping our worlds. “Go!”

As soon as he turned for the portal, a blade slammed into his chest, and he stumbled forward with shock. He dropped through the portal, and I could only hope he lived long enough to get the message to Samantha and the others.

CHAPTER 23

Samantha

Lex finding out about my pregnancy had been the calm before the storm because chaos soon erupted. A demon we had watching Hades' home had appeared, a knife jutting from his stomach in the middle of the icy courtyard. The only words he could force out through the gurgling blood before he collapsed were, ‘They’re here.’

A suffocating wave of panic gripped me, threatening to shatter the fragile calm within. Bellamy and Alastor remained absent, leaving an agonizing void in my heart. Each breath became a desperate gasp, tearing through my constricted lungs, as if the weight of the world pressed upon my chest. And it did.

Raiden, resolute and commanding, took charge, issuing orders to both the mighty dragons and the formidable demons, his voice slicing through the tumultuous air. The scene unfolded before my eyes, as if I were just a spectator of a play, a heart-wrenching reminder of the stakes we faced, fueling the flames of anxiety that consumed me from within. I was as frozen as the landscape that surrounded us.

Held securely in Lex’s protective embrace, my heart raced with a mixture of urgency and fear. The immediate danger might not have lurked within the palace walls, but it loomed like a black cloud over the place where my other men fought. And I needed to reach them, their safety my single-minded concern.

Gathering my scattered resolve, I hastily brushed away the unbidden tears that streaked my face, evidence of the emotions that had overwhelmed me unnoticed. My gaze fixed on Raiden, his authoritative commands still echoing in the air.

“Take us to them,” I spoke, my voice trembling, but with a determination that could not be shaken. I embraced the rawness of my emotions, recognizing that feeling was not the enemy. Time slipping away was the only adversary here. The possibility of failing to reach them in time.

As my words hung in the air, Raiden’s eyes blazed with a fierce resolve. In an instant, he had shed his clothes, his human form dissolved, replaced by the magnificent form of his beast, scales shimmering under the palace’s illumination.

Lex and I exchanged a determined glance, a shared understanding passing between us. With unwavering trust, we hurriedly climbed onto Raiden’s broad back, finding secure footing amidst the spikes and ridges of his scales. I wrapped my legs around him as Lex settled behind me.

With a powerful thrust of his mighty wings, Raiden launched from the ground into the night sky, the rush of wind whipping against our faces making my eyes water. Fear and anticipation intertwined within me, my heart pounding against my chest as we soared through the darkened abyss.

The palace lights dwindled behind us, replaced by the vast expanse of star-studded heavens. It felt as if time itself bent to our urgency, propelling us forward at a breakneck speed.

As we flew, I could feel Lex’s grip tightening around me, his silent protection offering reassurance amidst the tumultuous journey. This was it. The battle had arrived.

Tartus blurred beneath us, an indistinguishable mosaic of red rocky terrain, interspersed with blue rivers. With every beat of Raiden’s colossal wings, hope and determination surged within me. I was ready to fight. No, we were ready to fight. We were a force united, each of us propelled by our unwavering loyalty and love for those we fought to protect. For the world we needed to save.

In the distance, the sound of battle drums reached our ears, the clamor of conflict growing ever nearer. A surge of adrenaline coursed through me, mingling with the bittersweet melody of apprehension.

Gods and Goddesses fought together side by side with demons and dragons. The magic lit up the night sky, booming through the air, because this was no longer a mortal matter. No, the war was brought to the Underworld’s doorstep.

As the wind carried us closer to the fray, I gripped my dagger, channeling every ounce of determination within me. I prayed to any God that would listen to give me strength. Snorting at the idea. They needed it as much as I did.

The time for hesitation had passed.

I slid from Raiden’s back before he had even touched down completely, then I was in it. My muscles had the memory as I fluidly fought and danced through the Egyptian hybrids, killing them the same way I used to kill demons. They fell. It didn’t matter what head they wore, cat, dog, bird, or alligator, it was all the same.

A clawed hand swiped at me from one with a bird head. The flap of wings as a hybrid with the head of a lizard filled the space as they tried to trap me. Still, I swiped at them, removing the threat in the only way I knew. One with the head of an eagle tore at the flesh of an already dead demon, its lizard’s tail swung out behind him in lazy swipes. I took him out too. It was a blur of monsters.

For long minutes, it was all I knew. One after another, they fell at my feet while the guys took out even more around me.

Souls screamed through the air, taking out even more by entering their mouths and bursting from their chests. The animal-like men fell to their knees in silent screams as their souls were claimed by the others.

Alastor stood on an small hill, the spirits converging around him, each circling him before flying like wraiths above the battle. He was taking them out. For a moment I let myself admire my man, in his power, a power he didn’t think he’d ever have control of. Yet look at him. He was magnificent. A hero. A God.

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