Nick flashed to the middle of the battlefield in Argolea. Strength and power surged in his veins thanks to the little Kumbaya handholding ritual Zeus and Poseidon had made him do on Olympus. There was great power in three, and somehow, forming a trifecta—three sons of Krónos—had been enough to unleash what was hidden inside him. That and, as Zeus explained, the fact he was choosing to unleash it, rather than it being taken.
For as much as everything in this world seemed to be governed by destiny and prophesies and fate, when it came down to it, free will was the force that kept the world moving. And it, above all else, had the power to defeat the darkness.
His gaze swept over the battlefield. Theron and Zander and Demetrius fought a pack of daemons to his left. Orpheus and Cerek did the same to his right. At his back, he spotted Gryphon and Titus swinging out with their swords, taking down one monster after the next, and ahead, Sirens—Zeus’s elite kickass female army—unleashed arrow after arrow into the daemons rushing the gates to the city of Tiyrns. But there were no satyrs.
Confusion dragged at his brow. He turned a slow circle, looking closer.
“Nick!”
He whipped around and found Skyla near the gates, her bow at her side, her eyes wide with a what the hell are you waiting for? expression. Then his gaze shot toward the wall, where daemons had launched ropes and were climbing steadily to the top, about to infiltrate the city.
They were out of time.
He centered himself, just as he always had when Cynna had pulled him back from the edge, then held his hands out in front of him and focused on all that fucking darkness.
Power surged in his hands, and an arc of light erupted from his fingertips, rippling outward, targeting anything holding on to that darkness.
A shock wave blasted the daemons backward. They went down like dominos, starting in the center of the battlefield and spreading outward. Screams of agony rose up in the dark as they crumpled to the ground. Once they hit the surface, their bodies went up in flames then finally smoked out until all that was left behind was ash.
Gasps of surprise rose up from the bloody battlefield. Followed by an eerie silence. And finally, an eruption of cheers, and one menacing growl.
Nick peered up to the dark hillside where Hades stood staring down at him, absolutely fuming.
Take that, fucker. Nick pointed his index and middle fingers toward his own eyes, then toward Hades. You’re next, asshole. Better get the hell out of here.
Fury erupted over the god’s face. Dark smoke swirled all around him. And when it cleared, the god was gone.
“Holy shit!” Skyla was the first one to reach Nick. She launched herself into his arms, then dropped to her feet, her green eyes alight with excitement and victory. “You did it. I didn’t think you could actually do it.”
Nick let go of her and nodded toward the Sirens, several of whom turned to look their way. “You did it too.”
“Yeah, well.” She grinned. “Athena was more than willing to fuck with a few satyrs, but they were all gone by the time we got here.”
That didn’t make sense. “All of them?”
A rolling, bellowing laugh rumbled behind Nick before she could answer.
Nick turned just as Orpheus swept Skyla up into his arms and spun her around. “Hell, yeah. Did you see the way those fuckers went up in flames? Thank the Fates I got rid of my damn daemon. I’d be toast right now.”
Skyla laughed as he lowered her to her feet. “Not toast. Definitely not toast. Just mine. Mine, all mine.”
Footsteps echoed as the two kissed. Theron, Zander, and the rest of the Argonauts moved up to join them, breathless, bloody, scraped, and sweaty. But thankfully, none were seriously injured.
“Where’s D?” Cerek asked.
“He already flashed to the settlement to check on the queen.” Titus swiped the damp hair out of his eyes. “He was out of here as soon as the daemons went down. Said something felt different.”
“Different isn’t always good,” Gryphon muttered.
“No, good different,” Titus answered. “D was excited. Said it felt like she was better.”
Nick was relieved to hear that. Because he could no longer feel anything from Isadora. It was as if the soul mate bond that had connected him to her for so long had completely vanished the moment he’d gained the full use of his powers. Which, actually, made sense, since gods didn’t have soul mates.
And holy fucking A. He was a god.
He looked around, frantic now to find Cynna, to share it with her, only he still couldn’t see her.
“Nick. Dude.” Orpheus said at his side. “She’s gone.”
Nick turned to face him. “What do you mean gone?”
With one arm slung over Skyla’s shoulders, Orpheus frowned. “I was wrong about her. Somehow she convinced Zagreus to pull his army. He and his satyrs left just after you and Skyla did, which gave us the upper hand once Skyla returned with the Sirens. Man, Hades was pissed.”
Nick didn’t give a flying fuck about Hades. Panic clawed at his chest. “What about Cynna?”
“She left with Zagreus too.”
Everything inside Nick stilled as he searched for her. Not with his head but with his heart. The heart that belonged to her. And when he found her, when he realized where she’d gone, he knew exactly what she’d sacrificed. And why.