Lizabeth POV
"For the last time, Lord Barres shut the hell up!" Lady Rivera snaps. "We don't have time for your old drivel, we are at war and I say it's about time we end it."
There were mutters of agreement from the other Keepers and Leaders all clad in armor. Outside I could hear the clash of weapons that set my teeth on edge. There are innocent people out there being slaughtered. It's been almost 3 weeks and with the help of my father and Aurora, I managed to bring both the Keepers of Lynchester and a few members that weren't loyal to Hades from the Leaders of Khaos. Leaders Walters, Evante, Jones, and Pierre had joined us and were willing to try and talk down soldiers on their side. It took a lot of explaining to both sides what had happened and to get them on board but fortunately, they agreed to help. Finnick-Hades had been very active while I was recovering from my injuries, he had attacked his own father's home; killed everyone there, and toppled his army and business in one fell swoop. The attack was a blow to our resources, we had just lost a third of Lynchester's army and the hits kept coming.
"Listen up guys," I project my voice. "Our main focus needs to be to get the soldiers to stop fighting, if we can somehow get both sides to come together against the real threat we might stand a chance."
The faces surrounding me looked how I felt: pale, anxious, and ready to fight. I had no idea how we were going to defeat a God but I refused to let him use the Earth and its people for some cruel personal agenda. It was time to end this damned war. And get some revenge in the process.
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The roar of battle was overwhelming but I manage to force my way through the crowds without hurting myself or anyone else. I can see my father in front of me shouting to the soldiers while Lord Torres pulls people away from the fray. The large man ushers a small child to safety before turning back to the battle, he picks up two opposing soldiers and knocks their heads together.
Across the street was Lady Kastillino was dragging wounded to a hidden corner to heal what she could. I push my way past them and run toward the pavilion in the middle of town. That's where I needed to be. That's where Hades is. His plan was still unclear to me but I knew whatever he was planning would kill everyone here. My legs are carrying through the town only to be kicked up from under me, the sky above me as fall back.
I land with a gasp for air stumbling back to my feet to look at whatever I just ran into. My eyes start at the rather large legs and feet, sliding up to meaty hands and bulging biceps up to an enraged ghoul face. His nose was looked broken in several places and his mouth was a mass of sharp thick teeth. I pull my longsword out of the scabbard on my back and jolt when I feel a sharp tingle run through me. The hell was that? I push it aside, I had something more important to think about. Like the furious Mythic in front of me.
"I don't want to fight you," I tell him hoping he can hear me through the rage. "I don't want to hurt any of your people, I just want to help end this war."
The ghoul doesn't listen taking a lunge at me with a large closed fist. I tried to sidestep him but he was quicker than his weight made him look. I ended up being rammed into a wall and the Mythic stalks forward ready to kill me. "You killed my pack leader." He growls.
Forcing air back into my lungs I level my sword. "HE WAS KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE."
I bring my sword down on the ghoul's shoulder, It lodges itself there with a sick scream from the ghoul. Pulling with all my might I manage to get my weapon out of him breathing heavily from the effort. A dark blue glow covers both my sword and the ghoul's shoulder. From the wound, I could see a little spark of what looked like electricity the glow spreading from my sword to me, the air smelt like sulfur. The Mythic looks up at me with hate in his eyes. "You won't win this little girl. Long Live Kin-"
He is cut off by my sword in his throat, anger, and disappointment rising in me. I didn't want to kill anyone. He was my first kill. The thought hits me like a brick and I heave on the sidewalk, my stomach emptied. A gust of wind kicks up and it's followed by a familiar scent. Aurora is at my side red eyes on the body in front of her, with cool hands she pulls me away from it and forces me to run.
"I know this is hard for you Eṉ kātal but you must keep going." She huffs in my ear as we jog forward. "Do not stop for anything, I'll be right by your side protecting you, just keep going."
I nod and watch as she runs forward with a speed I can't follow but the way my sire moves is incredible. The female vampire is a deadly tornado whipping through the crowd making a clear path for me to run through. I don't stop, following her command I run straight through the battle ignoring all the bodies limp on the cobblestone streets. I can see the pavilion just ahead the Greek gods craved into the stone seem to stare at me as I get closer. When I reach the door Aurora is there, different colored blood splattered on her clothes and hands. Her slanted eyes are filled with a bloodlust that makes me shudder.
"Are you ready?" She says in between pants of breath.
Lifting my sword I grip it firmly with both hands and hardened myself for whatever awaits me inside. "Let's get this over with."
My sire kicks the door down, debris flying as the metal door is tore off the hinges. I enter first with Aurora at my side in defense mode, the air felt different in here. The tingle in my body is stranger, making me thrum with energy. It reminds me of how the oxygen was sucked from the air in the chapel and I fight back a wave of fear. We move further into the building alert and ready for an attack. Reaching the central room My eyes land on a figure yelling up at the ceiling in a forgotten language. Hades pulses with a powerful aura that makes the tingle in me go crazy, all the cells in my body are humming with electricity.
The God turns to me lazily with a sneer on his face. His face. It was twisted and contorted in a permanent glare and his eyes with hollow, the teal irises replaced by a dark abyss burning with rage. I could see the fire and souls flickering through his eyes from here. This really was the God Hades. I shiver in fear. "So glad you finally showed up." Hades' voice is deeper and it almost brings me to my knees.
If Finnick had been still inside that vessel it was clear he wasn't now, the god had destroyed the boy that once was. He looked nothing like the man I first met. Instead who stood before me was a furious powerful god who wanted to bring the world to its knees. How am I supposed to defeat a god?
"Come closer darling," Hades' rough voice calls out to me. "Let's finished what we started, wife."