The Dominion soldiers froze in their kneeling positions, looking utterly stunned. Esme remained where she was, but she looked at me as if expecting me to stop the fight.
A golden shield appeared in Ares’s hand. He raised it to fend off the dark light surging toward him, and the death light fizzled out around the edges of his shield. A golden spear materialized in his other hand the next second.
“I’ll kill you to set an example,” Ares declared, thrusting his spear toward Héctor.
“Take her away from here!” Héctor yelled at Axel. “Guard my lamb!”
The Demigod of Death had lost his head over me.
“No!” I said, ducking out of Axel’s grab.
I would never go to safety and leave them at Ares’s mercy.
I called for my fire, but only a residual hint of my power surfaced.
It wouldn’t be enough, but I didn’t have any more juice left in my magical well. I was spent. I needed to feed, but it seemed I wasn’t going to get fed anytime soon.
No matter, I would give all I had and burn the god should he touch my Héctor. I didn’t even care anymore if Ares, or anyone, recognized my hellfire in the mix.
Héctor and Ares lunged at each other, and I followed right behind Héctor’s left wing, charging as well with a battle cry.
I planned to toast Ares from his blindside while Héctor battled him.
“Stop!” Zak shouted.
His lightning cut a space between Ares and Héctor, and Paxton’s ice storm followed its path to separate the war god and death demigod before they crashed.
It was a wonder Paxton still had any power left. The sea demigod was tougher than I thought.
I threw a dagger I’d taken from a dead mage at Ares. I’d never missed a target, but Ares slapped it away with his armguard and glared at me while he staggered back from the barrier forged by Zak and Paxton.
Héctor reeled back too, and Axel dragged me back before I crashed into Héctor’s wing.
“Easy, my little warrior,” Axel said fondly.
“Don’t pull me out of here,” I shouted. “Or I’ll never forgive you, Axel! I stay with all of you.”
This isn’t the time to lose your shit, Héctor, Zak shouted in their mental forum.Even with our combined forces, we can’t bring down Ares today. And one of us is wounded. Rosebud is hurting, too!
Bide our time, Paxton added.We’ll train Marigold. When she’s ready, the five of us can take anyone down.
I hadn’t thought Paxton had such a high opinion of me, but my chest warmed a little at his warrior’s faith in me.
So we’ll let him take my lamb?Héctor snarled.I won’t allow it. Not now, not ever.
I needed to get into their channel, too, since I also had opinions. I didn’t know if I could do it, but I had to try. I focused on their minds, mentally hooking mine to their private channel, and I blasted my thoughts at them.
Let him take me, I shouted.I won’t watch any of you get killed!
The demigods were incredibly powerful, but Ares was a pureblood god, born of the mightiest original gods. And he had eons of experience on the battlefield.
Hearing my voice join theirs in their exclusive boys’ club, the demigods snapped their heads at me in shock. I rolled my eyes, yet I was giddy inside.
Yeah, I can hear you just fine, boys, I said coolly.You’re all very loud. Anyway, we have to stab Ares in the back. Let him take me for now, and you can bust me out later. He can’t have his guard up twenty-four seven. Even a god has a weakness. I bet you know how to exploit it.
I’d always believed that Ares had a dirty deal with Lucifer. There was a reason he was so interested in me. They say to keep your friends close but your enemies closer. I wanted to hide from him, yet the wild side of me urged me to dig out his dirt.
Paxton shot a gaze of adoration toward me.