Waves of energy shot from my mates, colliding into the gods’ combined forces. My mates were getting better at working together. They were one mind, one voice, and one force against our enemies.
“I’ll take care of the bad actors, beloved,” I told them. “You watch my six.”
And the Living Flame blasted out of me, crashing into the gods’ powers. This time, I held my ground.
“What is that?” Poseidon demanded.
Hades’s eyes widened. “That’s the power I sensed in her earlier. It’s glorious and destructive beyond measure. We must subdue her.”
“That’s the Living Flame! Lucifer and I searched for it for months when we cut her open,” Ares said. “The shrewd fiend was hiding it from us!”
“You’ll die today, Ares! I’ll cut you open inch by inch,” Axel screamed in fervent hatred for his father.
My mates had heard from Loki’s dukes how I had suffered in Hell.
Axel and Héctor peeled away and charged the war god with a battle cry, their blades raised high. Zak and Paxton guarded me on either side as the Titans rushed toward us. Zak kicked a Titan away while his blade slashed another across the shoulder. Paxton wheeled as he ducked under a Titan’s ax, then buried his blade into his opponent’s chest.
The prison sentinels also moved toward us. Soon we’d be swarmed by their sheer numbers. I couldn’t retract my Flame to shield us since I was locked in battle with the gods. Sweat coated my forehead.
A bellow sounded from the silver dome, followed by echoing battle roars. Then Dad charged out into the prison yard, leading a dozen Titans. They dashed through the open door and sprang toward us with rudimentary weapons, like kitchen knives, spoons, and forks. Some of them simply waved their bare hands, ready to pound into anything that moved.
“We stand with our Princess!” one of Dad’s Titan lackeys called out, and Dad’s other followers yelled “Aye!” and flashed their fangs at me in a savage, fond grin.
They would probably never return to civilization after such long imprisonment.
“My heir, the pride of the Titans, has come and freed us,” Dad roared, wielding a rustic mace. “It’s time we fight for my heir, for honor, and for our old glory!”
Zak and I shared a look while he crossed his blade with a prison guard.
Dad’s inspirational speech might be out of style. But he was a Titan, and his Titan fellows got it as they shouted, “Fight for the heir! We’ll go down in glory!”
Even they could see the odds were against us, despite adding their numbers.
Dad gave another bear-like roar before he crashed into Cronus. They hissed, exchanged insults, and smashed their weapons toward each other’s head.
“Gather round!” Zak barked.“Defensive formation!”
“Protect my Lamb, Axel!” Héctor shouted. “I can take that fucker alone.”
My Héctor blasted Ares with his death light, but Ares defused the attack with a golden shield. I blinked. The God of War had lost his power in the Void. Where did he get the shield?
The answer struck me a second later. Zeus brought the shield for him from the blacksmith god’s armory. The King of the Gods chose his true born over Zak.
Héctor leapt and slammed his sword on Ares’s shield, and Ares stumbled.
“You brute!” Ares twisted out of Héctor’s reach, then lunged and thrust his blade toward the soft center of Héctor’s throat.
Héctor ducked like a flash and brought up his sword to parry against a series of jabs initiated by Ares. They were both excellent swordsmen. Ares may have temporarily lost his godly power, but not his strength and speed. And he was best known for his unbelievable velocity.
The two warriors lunged, retreated, and lunged at each other again. The duel would go on for a while. Through the mating bond, I felt Héctor grow more anxious as he desired to take down Ares quickly so he could come to my aid.
“I got this, Héctor!” I shouted.
I wouldn’t want one mishap resulting in him losing his life. Ares was one of the most cunning, formidable foes.
“Focus on taking down that son of a bitch!” I added.
Maybe I shouldn’t call Ares that, since it insinuated that Axel was the grandson of a bitch. I hoped Axel wouldn’t take it personally. I meant well.