Chapter 7

Deino reeled from the doorway,narrowly avoiding a swipe.

"I'm fine," she muttered. "Just stupid."

A lie. Typhon could see a thin tear in her shirt and smell the blood. The attacker had sliced her, and he inwardly seethed.

A creature, covered head to toe in a chitinous armor of dull gray, stepped into the room. It made no sound as it stalked toward Deino, completely ignoring Typhon.

A monster taking no notice of the monster god.

Typhon stepped in front and growled. "Leave her alone."

The thing fixed its red eyes on him, and he had to wonder where it came from, as he'd never encountered the likes of it before.

It went to step around him, and Typhon shifted to block it. "Who sent you?" He pushed some power into the command and forced it to speak.

"Give. Wo. Man." The thing clicked its demand.

"I don't think so," the offended witch snapped. Magic blasted over Typhon's shoulder and hit the intruder, the lightning spreading over its exoskeleton before dissipating.

"Its armor is made to repel magical attacks," Typhon stated before she tried again.

"That's annoying," she complained.

"It means someone sent him on purpose, knowing you couldn't fight it," he said as he used a chair to fend off the creature trying to get around him to grab Deino. "I don't suppose you packed a sword in your satchel."

"Not yet. Enyo was supposed to pick one up."

He ducked as the creature swung its arms. The hands lacked fingers but ended in razor-sharp blades that sheared through the legs of the chair.

As he threw the remains of the chair at the creature, he shifted his outfit from suit to something more combat-appropriate, meaning heavy with hard boots. Before the creature could swing again, Typhon kicked. The sole connected, and the creature grunted but barely budged. Typhon really wished at times like these that his cloak had a weapons feature.

"How do we kill it?" she asked as the creature swung its knife-tipped hands and missed again.

"Most efficient way? Decapitation."

"Hence why you wanted a sword," she muttered, handing him a lamp.

He ducked under an attack and smashed the object against the creature's skull. It had no effect. The creature shook its head and kept coming, forcing them to retreat to the far wall.

"Can it fly?" she asked, eyeing the window.

"No, but if you're thinking of using magic to toss him, think again."

"That's annoying," she grumbled, hiding behind him. Meanwhile, he was down to using the television he grabbed in passing to block the swinging blows.

"Blame Ariadne. If I had my power, this wouldn't be an issue." Because the monster would be under his command. Didn't matter he'd never encountered it before. The god of them would control.

"Can't you use that fancy word again?" she asked.

"I'm not yet recovered enough from the last time." He hated to admit it.

"Can I use it?"

"Depends. Would you like to still have a mind afterward?"

The monster knew it had them cornered and stomped in for the finish.

"Cover your eyes," Typhon advised as he rushed it, ducking under its swing. He rose up with an arm between its legs, heaving upward, his body weaker than he liked, but still stronger than it used to be when he had his full magic. During his exile, he'd had to learn how to rely on his own wit and muscle.

He heaved, and the armored creature broke through the window to fall to the ground below. A glance showed it shattered enough to no longer be a problem.

Deino blinked at him. "Nice wrestling move."

He wanted to puff his chest at the praise but instead ordered, "Prepare to leave."

"Why?"

"Most likely he was an advance scout."

"Wait, there's more coming?"

"Can we talk about this on the way out of here?"

"My bag is packed." She snared the satchel. Her dog, who'd been surprisingly quiet during the attack, emerged from under the bed, tail wagging.

"Ready?"

"What about Enyo and Bane?" she asked.

"We can call them with our new location. Keep your magic tight."

The moment he opened the door, the mongrel ran out into the hall, barking at the armored invaders emerging from the stairwell. More ominously, the building began to shudder.

"Not the worm again," she muttered. "This is getting ridiculous."

"I didn't expect them to react this quickly to our use of magic." He'd expected a reprieve after the last failed attack.

"Is there anywhere we can go that they can't track me by magic?"

"No."

"Then maybe it's time we left this world."

"Agreed." As he spoke, the elevator opened, and out spilled Enyo and Bane, loaded with two oversized bags, but more astonishing…

"French fry? I didn't expect you until tomorrow," Deino exclaimed as if they didn't have a horde of marching menace coming for them.

"It is my tomorrow." Frieda rolled her eyes.

"Time zone, dude. And to think she's supposed to be the smart one." Enyo snorted. "Now, move out of the way. Monsters to fight." Enyo dropped a heavy bag at their feet as she passed. Bane shed his load as well but waited with them.

"Aren't you going to help her?" asked Deino.

"Bah, in this narrow hall, I'd just get in her way," he scoffed.

Indeed, Enyo needed no help. She pulled a sword she'd sheathed down her back and stood in the middle of the hall. "Come on, you ugly bastards. Pick on my sister, will you?" She rushed them, screaming, and no surprise, with that and the fact the dog continued to bark, someone chose that unfortunate moment to stick their head out of a hotel room door and lost it.

The armored creatures didn't pay any attention to the woman screaming about her headless husband as they aimed for Enyo, who glowed with her particular brand of magic.

Dexterity. Strength. Speed. And she used them all as she battled.

Apate truly had given Typhon some gifted champions. Enyo's blade, an extension of her that flowed and cut and killed. Frieda, meanwhile, whispered with Deino, who nodded and said, "I think I can picture that. Hold on. Let's see if I've got enough juice to get a doorway going."

As the fight raged, the building continued to shudder. Given everyone had a task but him, Typhon did the one thing he knew Deino would appreciate. He grabbed her dog, who gave him a look. "Yes, I know you don't want to be left behind."

Enyo took care of the monsters and returned to them barely winded. "I think that's all of them."

"For now. Time we blew this joint." Deino finished her casting with a flourish, and as a portal opened, a cold breeze fluttered past. A glance within showed nothing but darkness.

He might have asked where it went, only the seer said to her sister, "You visualized the place I showed you."

Deino nodded.

"Dare I inquire where we're going?" the god of monsters asked, unused to being the last to know.

"To a waypoint that will take us where we need to be," was Frieda's cryptic answer. She winked. "Bundle up, Reaper. It'll be chilly, but we won't be there long."

The party stepped through, Enyo going first with Bane, then Frieda and John with Deino's satchel.

Typhon glanced at Deino, who had a look of concentration as she held open the doorway. While he had the dog tucked under one arm, his other remained free, and for some reason, he clasped her hand before murmuring, "Ready?"

"Do I have a choice?" was her wry reply.

No. But he didn't say it.

They stepped into the portal and emerged in a cavern of ice and rock. A deep chill permeated the place but not for long. John quickly cocooned them in a bubble of warmth as they glanced around.

"What is this place?" Enyo asked.

Frieda repeated, "Access point to other worlds. Or it used to be. Most of the doorways are broken now."

She gestured to the arches carved in stone peppering the space. Of the five they could see, three of them were barely visible for the ice sheeted over them. Another appeared scorched. Leaving only one intact arch. The sigil above was one he recognized and probably not so coincidentally exactly where he'd planned to go.

Enyo stalked in front of the intact arch and squinted at it. "Where's this one go?"

It was Frieda who replied with a cryptic, "This goes where we are supposed to be."

"Way to not answer," grumbled Enyo. "How's it work?"

"You'll see," was the sassy reply by the once fragile sister. She'd grown in confidence since Typhon first met her. Found her courage too. "Follow me."

When Frieda would have stepped through first, her foot passing through the stone in the arch as if it weren't there, Enyo bumped her aside then proceeded to go ahead, Bane at her heels. They walked through seemingly solid stone, the magical passageway not something Typhon could explain. They'd existed long before him. All worlds had at least one, although some had been broken and others required special circumstances, like the eclipse that kept the doorway to his prison world shut.

John held Frieda's hand as they stepped through next, and the warm bubble encasing them disappeared.

Deino shivered. "That is some complex magic. Are we sure it's safe?" She grimaced. "Guess I should have asked before my dumbass sisters decided to go first."

"The place it leads to is known for its neutrality."

"You've used this door before."

"A long time ago."

"Guess we'd better get going before my sisters get in trouble."

Typhon glanced at Deino. "I take it this means you've accepted the bargain I offered."

Her grin tightened his chest. "Let's go kill that twat Ariadne and make me immortal."