Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

T his was not the place I wanted to be right now. After we'd seen the images in the Sanguine Tracker, Eve, Faith, Damon and I had left Tegan at her house with Spencer. Part of me wanted to be a fly on the wall to see if they talked. The other had been happy to go home with Eve and get a good night's sleep.

"You ready to close a rift?" I asked my BFF as we crossed pack lands and entered the section that had been cordoned off for the council chambers.

Eve smiled over at me. The joy on her face as she walked next to her mate, Hunter, made her shine like the sun. She deserved it and so much more. "Yep. I'm still working through the process, but I feel so much better. I don't think I could have done it if we'd kept going last night."

I scanned my friend closely and was relieved the sallow coloring was all but gone now. "I was right there with you. And thanks for letting me stay with you last night. I didn't want to go home alone."

Hunter snorted. "You mean you didn't want to have to cook yourself breakfast. As Eve's best friend, you're always welcome. "

I smiled up at her mate. "Can you blame a girl? Your pack makes a mean French toast. I never would have thought to do crème br?lée over the top. That hit the spot."

All that custardy goodness soured in my stomach as we entered the council chambers and saw Caton and Lucinda glowering at Damon, Faith, and Tegan. There was nothing like stepping into a bureaucratic nightmare. This might be a magical government, but it came complete with the requisite egos and power struggles. Lucinda's and Caton's faces were etched with the kind of smug satisfaction that only came from making other people's lives difficult.

"You cannot send your lackeys into the council chambers whenever you want, Nishi," Lucinda snapped. She looked so bad I wondered what she'd been up to. If I didn't know better, I would wonder if she'd been traipsing all over the world fighting Milens, trying to stop gods, and traveling via portal. "They do not belong here. Everyone must send in a request for an audience with the council. They cannot come and go as they please."

I rolled my eyes and then gave Greyson a smile. He was already fiddling with the portal controls. "When will you learn, Lucinda? We're here to make sure the world doesn't implode. And I told them to meet us here so we could go and seal a rift in the veil keeping the gods out of our realm."

Caton stood beside her. He was silent but his presence was imposing. It was like staring at a particularly dour statue. His disapproving glare was almost a physical force. How did Eve stay married to that man for so long? I would never understand what someone as wonderful as her saw in him.

"I need to connect the portal to the Sanguine Tracker," Greyson said, ignoring the tension as he worked. Tegan handed him the dagger. Its twisted runes were writhing and squirming under the dim light of the chamber. He carefully aligned it with the portal's mainframe and did his warlock magic. He was ten times the warlock Caton was. It was too bad he refused to consider a seat on the council.

"What do you mean, seal a rift? What have you four done? I swear, do you even know what you're doing?" Lucinda asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently.

Never one to miss an opportunity for a snarky retort, Faith leaned toward Lucinda. "I didn't realize you were the ruler of everything now, Lucinda. Maybe you should be the one to fix this mess then?"

Lucinda's eyes flashed with anger, but before she could respond, the portal began to hum and shimmer with energy. Greyson gave us a quick nod, signaling that everything was set. I pinned Lucinda with a hard stare. "What's it going to be, Lucinda? Are you and Caton going to handle this? Because I would be happy to go back to the pack and eat more creme br?lée French toast."

Lucinda paled, and it made the bruises beneath her eyes stand out even more. "It's not my problem to fix."

Eve glared at her. "And why not? You're on the council. As you so often remind us, we are not. It's more your responsibility than ours."

Caton lifted a hand. "Lucinda is not trying to stop you from dealing with this new emergency."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "That's what I thought," I told the vile witch and then smiled over at my friends. "Time to step through and save the world. Again."

Hunter pulled Eve into his arms and kissed her soundly. I snickered when I saw the scowl cross Caton's face. Damon went first and the four of us followed after him. The familiar sensation of being stretched and pulled through space enveloped me. It was like being spun around in a blender and then shot out the other side, but with more sparkles. When we emerged, it was into the grandeur of one of Apollo's temples.

"We've never arrived inside a temple before," I observed .

"That's courtesy of the Sanguine Tracker," Tegan explained. "Do we have a signal?"

Faith checked her phone. "Yep. We're good to go if this ends up not being the place."

Cocking my head, I looked at the two of them. "What does that mean?"

Faith lifted a shoulder as she looked around us and said, "I talked to Greyson, and he said he would send us to the locations one at a time. And if we had cell service we wouldn't have to return to the council first."

I lifted a hand, and she slapped it with one of hers. "I'm so glad your brain was working. Once Lucinda opened her mouth, everything I wanted to address first flew out of my head." I turned my attention to our surroundings and the search for the rift.

The temple was magnificent. Golden columns soared upward, supporting an intricate ceiling that depicted scenes of divine grandeur. The air was filled with the faint scent of incense. The soft glow of the sun flowing through the openings bathed everything in a warm light. Murals were painted directly onto the walls. They showed Apollo in various heroic poses. The colors were vibrant and almost lifelike.

"Damn," Faith muttered, looking around in awe. "These gods really know how to decorate. This is the nicest temple we've ever seen."

Eve nodded. Her eyes were wide as she took in the opulence. "Yeah, it's a far cry from usual. Why is that?"

Damon's expression was one of both awe and surprise. "That's because my father fixed this while he was here. Which explains why his energy signature was so strong here. I wonder why he bothered."

"He clearly wanted some of his old glory back. Mundanes will flock here after word gets out about this sudden transformation. I just hope he didn't leave mythical beasts here too." My heart raced when the adrenaline from our last encounter surged through my blood.

"Why not? They make such great target practice," Faith replied in a dry tone as she adjusted the strap of her crossbow. She turned to Damon with a serious expression. "Okay, where do we start?"

Damon took a deep breath and scanned the temple. "We'll need to search for any signs of significant power. And anything that shouldn't fall into mundane hands. My father often used these temples as places to hide his most valuable artifacts. We can't leave anything like that lying around."

We spread out with each of us taking a different section of the temple. I moved toward a set of grand double doors at the far end. I pushed them open to reveal a smaller, more intimate chamber. The walls were lined with shelves holding scrolls and various objects that seemed to hum with magical energy. This was all going to have to be taken back.

There was nothing in there that was a rift, so I went back out and found Eve examining a large, ornate altar in the center of the main hall. "This place is incredible. It's like stepping back in time," she said. "I can't believe he returned it to its former glory while he was here."

Tegan and Faith were checking the murals, looking for any hidden mechanisms or clues. "Nothing here," Tegan called out. "But it feels like there's something just out of reach."

I pointed to the chamber. "As our relic hunter, I bet you're picking up on all the artifacts in that room back there. It will need to be cleared out."

Before Tegan could respond, Faith cut in. "The rift in the veil isn't here. We need to move on to the next location. Let's see what these relics are and if we can stuff them in our bags.

"That's not going to be possible," I replied as we trudged across the temple.

We gathered in the small room surrounded by a treasure trove of relics. The space was filled with ancient magic. Every surface seemed to hum with power. Tegan and Damon were deep in discussion, trying to figure out the best way to transport the artifacts safely because there were too many of them to carry with us.

"We can use the portal to get back to the council chambers," Tegan suggested as she took in the room. "Once there, we can drop off the relics and return for the next batch."

Damon nodded, considering her words. "That will be the easiest way. We need to ensure they're secure before moving on to the next location. If we leave them here, there's no telling what might happen. A mundane could stumble across this at any time. The temple isn't exactly hidden."

I could see the logic in their plan, but I was getting impatient. "How about we just get this done quickly?" I interjected. "We don't have all day."

Eve pointed to me. "That's how it has to be done. Activate your crystal."

Pulling out my portal crystal, I did as she asked. Magic built around us as the portal began to form. "Let's get these artifacts through," I said, motioning to the others.

Eve picked up several of the scrolls. "I just hope Caton and Lucinda don't try to steal the artifacts while we're gone."

"Just throw them through. We don't have the time," I told them and proceeded to chuck a stone statue through. "They will try, but thankfully, Greyson is there and won't let them."

Damon growled as he began tossing items. "I will make sure they keep their paws off this shit."

We worked quickly, tossing the artifacts through the portal one by one. Each relic seemed to pulse with its own energy, adding to the surreal nature of the task. Once the last artifact was through, we followed, stepping into the shimmering light of the portal.

We emerged in the council chambers, and I wanted to scream when I saw Caton and Lucinda already gathering the relics. Their greedy eyes were fixed on the treasures. Greyson stood nearby, trying to intervene.

"You can't take these," Greyson was saying in a firm but strained voice.

Damon stepped forward, his expression dark. "Stop right there!" he barked at Caton and Lucinda. "These relics belong to me. Touch them, and you'll regret it." He let a little of his demigod power trickle through. Caton and Lucinda froze, their hands hovering over the artifacts. The tension in the room was palpable, and for a moment, it felt like a fight might break out.

Faith turned to Greyson. "Protect these relics for Damon until we're done, please. Long story short, Apollo gave one of his temples a makeover and we couldn't leave all this for the mundanes to find."

Greyson nodded, stepping between the relics and the would-be thieves. "Consider it done."

Faith beamed at him and pressed a kiss to his lips. It lasted a bit longer than I had hoped. I got it. If I had Alex here I would be kissing him. "Can you set the course for the next spot on the Sanguine Tracker?" she asked when they finally broke the lip lock.

Greyson nodded and went to work. The portal activated a second later. "Let's go," I said, stepping into the portal once more.

The next temple was nestled in a secluded valley that was surrounded by lush forests and towering mountains. Weathered columns soared upward, seemingly reaching for the heavens. When we climbed the stairs, and I peered in the doorway I saw what I imagined were once intricate murals. They were now faded and the walls crumbling, but I got a good idea of what they would have looked like at the last temple.

"Who else is relieved Apollo didn't do an overhaul here, too?" I asked as I glanced around. It might help if we knew what we were looking for. My mind conjured an image of a tear in an iridescent ripple in the sky. I didn't share that with anyone because it felt a little too literal for me. Not everything with magic was what you'd expect. I knew that better than most.

Tegan lifted a hand. "I'm glad. We don't need to keep relocating artifacts. Not to mention it would gain too much attention with the mundanes. Did he have to go to such lengths with that temple?"

Eve chuckled. "He wanted to relive his glory days. Subtlety isn't really Apollo's style, is it?"

"Nope," Damon replied. "Let's find that tear."

We spread out again and looked around as we entered the crumbling building. Before spending so much time in Greek temples, I had no idea the structures were more than countless columns holding up a ceiling. There wasn't much left of this one, but we looked thoroughly, nonetheless.

I felt along the murals for hidden compartments. There could be another hidden chamber here. I traced the lines of Apollo's heroic poses, half expecting one of them to come to life and give me a lecture on the importance of divine decorum.

"Any luck?" I called out.

"Not yet," Faith replied, her voice echoing slightly. "But this place has to have some secrets."

"Secrets are the foundation of any good temple," Eve said, her tone light as she inspected the altar. "And this one has plenty of nooks and crannies."

"Is a rift really going to be hidden somewhere?" I asked.

Eve's brow furrowed. "I have no idea, but we can clearly see there is nothing out in the open, so that leaves us checking for anything that might be hidden."

"Eve is right. And I can see my father wanting to hide it after arriving, so he couldn't be forced back through." Damon joined me near one of the larger murals. "If there's a tear in the veil, it could be anywhere. My father's power is strong here. "

"Great," I muttered. "We're looking for a needle in a divine haystack. Awesome."

After a while of fruitless searching, Eve stepped back from the altar. "We need a different approach. Searching every location like this will take forever. I'll cast a spell to identify the energy sources in this place. That should give us a clue where to look."

I smacked my forehead. "Why didn't I think to ask sooner?"

"Because you're not a witch," Eve said before chanting softly. A soft glow enveloped the temple, highlighting several strands of energy that crisscrossed the space. Some were faint, barely visible, while others glowed brightly, pulsing with power.

"Well, that's nifty," I said, in awe over my BFF's power.

"Let's follow the brightest one," Damon suggested. He pointed to a particularly vibrant strand of energy that led toward the back of the temple.

We followed the glowing trail through a series of narrow hallways and into a dimly-lit chamber. The air grew colder as we moved deeper. The remnants of the once-grand decor disappeared as if this part of the temple had been forgotten over time.

"I don't like this," Tegan muttered. "Feels like we're walking into a trap."

"That's because we probably are," I replied. "But what else is new?" I pulled out my kris knives and held them tightly.

As we rounded a corner, we found ourselves face-to-face with a group of shadowy figures. Their forms were insubstantial and flickering like dark flames. Recognition hit me like a punch to the gut. "Shadow Weavers," I hissed. "The same bastards that hurt me before." I slashed out, hoping to slice one open.

"Looks like our brethren missed you," one of them said, its voice a whispering rasp that sent shivers down my spine. "We won't make that mistake again."

"Over my dead body," Faith snarled, her crossbow already loaded and aimed .

"That's the idea," another Shadow Weaver replied, moving closer.

The fight erupted in a blur of motion. I darted forward, my kris knives slicing through the air toward the nearest Shadow Weaver. Faith's crossbow bolt flew past my ear, embedding itself in the chest of another. It dissipated with a shriek. Tegan's daggers flashed in the dim light. Her movements were swift and deadly.

Eve chanted under her breath. I could see better when Eve's hands glowed with her hellfire. She released a burst of it and sent several Shadow Weavers reeling. Their forms flickering wildly where the blue flames touched them.

With his demigod strength, Damon waded into the fray. His fists glowed with sunshine. There was no other way to describe it. It was as if his fists were two small suns. He swung at the Shadow Weavers. Each punch left holes and sent shockwaves through their forms.

"Nice party trick," I called to Damon as I slashed at another Shadow Weaver. My blades cut through their dark essence. "But we need to end this quickly."

"Working on it," he grunted, landing a particularly powerful blow that sent a Shadow Weaver crashing into the wall. It was missing most of its chest.

The Shadow Weavers were relentless, but so were we. I moved with practiced grace, my knives finding their marks again and again. Faith's bolts flew true, each one striking with deadly precision. Tegan moved like a dancer, her daggers weaving a deadly pattern through the shadows. She'd come a long way since we met.

Eve's fire burned everything it touched, but we were in a small space, and she had to be careful with it. Thankfully, Damon's raw power was a force of nature. His blows eviscerated the shadowy forms with each impact. We fought tirelessly. The battle seemed to go on forever .

Damon flexed his demigod muscles and took control of the Shadow Weavers like a puppet master. His hands glowed so brightly, I had to shield my eyes from the glare. It was like he was holding the literal sun. It felt just as hot too. I watched as he used it to drive the creatures away.

"I didn't know you had a hidden talent for shadow wrangling," I teased, watching the creatures flee from the sun he wielded. "Maybe you missed your calling as a circus performer."

Damon's snort devolved into coughing, and he stumbled into a wall. "I'll have to remember that for next time. I'd prefer dealing with clowns than monsters like this. I'm not used to fighting anymore." His bronze skin had turned gray and he wavered on his feet.

Eve gave him a healing potion. "Not sure if this will work as well, but it should help."

"What is it?" Damon asked.

"Only the best healing potion ever created," I replied.

Damon looked at it and muttered, "Cool." He removed the cork and dumped the contents down his throat.

"Well, that was fun," I said, wiping sweat from my brow. "Next time, let's skip the welcoming committee, okay?"

Faith laughed, reloading her crossbow. "I hear you. But at least we know we're on the right track."

"I hope so," Tegan countered as she sheathed her daggers. "Let's find that tear and get out of here."

I went to take a step and nearly collapsed. Looking down, I noticed blood pouring from an injury in my thigh. Eve rushed over with a vial in her hand. She uncorked it and handed it over. I downed it without hesitation, grimacing at the bitter taste. I knew her healing potions well. "Thanks. I didn't even know that I was injured."

"Watch out." Damon pointed out the illusions before we stumbled into them like clueless amateurs. He was looking better, although he wasn't back to his normal self yet .

"We're lucky to have our resident demigod guide," I remarked as I got my feet beneath me and the dizziness eased. I still didn't feel any pain from the injury. "Is there any way you can warn us before we step into the lion's den again?"

Damon shook his head. "I can't sense creatures. It's not one of my skills. And I don't think I could send them away like that again. That took too much out of me."

Eve worked her magic and cast a protective barrier around us. "We're in a bubble of safety now."

"Not exactly the spa day I had in mind, but I'll take it. There you go saving us again. You're beyond badass," I told her with a smile. I was feeling better as the healing potion did its thing.