Page 7 of Flame and Fury

Atlas glances over his shoulder at Kat and then steps in front of me, blocking her from my view. He puts his hands back on my shoulders. I glare down at them and then back up to his aloof face.

“Wren. We have the chance to change the way things are, to help people. I’ve seen you in action enough to know that you want that too. We aren’t the bad guys here.”

Instinctually, I know Atlas isn’t an evil tyrant, even if it’s becoming increasingly clear that he’s a complete stranger. “You’ve already lied to me. How do I know this is any different?”

Atlas’s jaw clenches. “I simply omitted details.”

“And put my life in danger,” I hiss, annoyed that he’s treating any of this as trivial.

“We could save so many people.” This time, Atlas’s eyes match his tone of voice. Sincerity rings through clearly in both.

“I hate to rush you, Wren. But you and Atlas need to get back to the other champions. You’ll be missed if you’re gone too long, and we should fill you in on some additional details before you leave.” I can’t see Kat, but I nod anyway, never looking away from Atlas. What difference does my acceptance make? They never even gave me a choice.

It looks like I just joined the Underground.

CHAPTER5

WREN

Atlas and I are back in the town car that brought us to the underground tunnels that sit beneath Chicago. Kat had gone over a few details with me, but it wasn’t like it was classified information that only the upper tiers of the Underground are privy to. Not that I blame her. I’m not exactly one hundred percent on board with this scheme.

Basically, my directive is to tell Atlas everything. Talk to another champion, tell Atlas. Flirt with Ares, talk to Atlas. Take a shit, talk to Atlas. All right, fine, Kat definitely didn’t say that, but things aren’t far from that extreme. Ironically, now that we’re back in the fancy car, neither of us is speaking. Even though Atlas has just become my new bff, I’ve never felt like I know him less. Not that I ever thought I understood him in the first place. I guess I created an image in my mind of who he is, and that picture has had a lot of holes poked through it.

Atlas turns his head, his eyes raking over me. I’m sure I’m a mess. My face feels oily and dusty. I’m desperate for a shower. The leather bodice of my outfit is hot and makes my skin itch, and I definitely stink.

“Are you good?”

“Like morally and ethically?” I angle my head to look back at him.

Atlas huffs an annoyed laugh. His eyes flare with irritation, like he didn’t mean to make that sound. “I mean, do you have any questions about the plan?”

I take my time looking at him, taking in his chiseled jaw, sculpted cheekbones, golden skin, and changing eyes. My heart gives a hard throb in my chest and my skin tingles, but I turn away and look out the window without responding.

“Once, when I was five, a cleric came into my kindergarten classroom.” I don’t know why the memory pops up, or why I’m sharing it with Atlas. I guess…I need him to understand how much it hurts that he took my secret and shared it without my permission.

It was a September day, much like today. Even as a kid, I remember being sweaty and uncomfortable. Our school didn’t have air conditioning, and humidity in the Midwest is no joke.

“At the time, I thought the cleric was ancient, but he was probably in his mid-forties.”

Atlas makes an amused sound, and I turn to face him.

“He squinted at all us kids like we’d been rolling around in pig shit right before he got there. We may have been a little sticky and stinky, but that's practically a permanent state for a five-year-old. The cleric's red robes were soggy with sweat. He had this wispy combover plastered to his head with perspiration.” I drag my hand across my head, remembering the man clearly. “I think being in a room full of children is what made him most uncomfortable.

“My teacher had given him one of those child-sized chairs to sit on. He could barely squeeze one butt cheek on the seat. I’m pretty sure she took some perverse pleasure at his discomfort.” I chuckle, but it quickly fizzles out. “She didn't have a choice about bringing him into her classroom. The clerics could enter at will and provide any lessons they saw fit to give.”

That had been terrifying as a child. I knew I had to keep my Fury nature a secret, but it always felt like the stakes were so much higher whenever the clerics were nearby.

“That day, the cleric came in to tell us the tale of how the Furies put the gods to sleep. I still remember it. He’d said, ‘Many, many years ago, after the gods already ruled this earth for longer than you could imagine, a darkness grew. The gods blessed their people by walking among the humans, allowing them to be near to their divinity. They were truly fortunate to be so close to such power. But the darkness swelled. It crawled across the land like a serpent, slithering into good people’s homes and tainting their very thoughts. It would skitter and creep while they slept, an infection that rotted their souls from the inside out. This infection was the Furies. They were horrid creatures. With sagging gray skin, long fangs that could shred through bone, and leathered wings like a bat. They fed on children, just like you.’”

He’d pointed his finger at a few of the kids. A couple of them outright cried in fear. I’d sat with my hands folded in my lap, watching a bead of sweat trickle down the cleric’s face. My dad told me stories about the Furies, but they were secrets I had to keep to myself. I couldn’t scream at the cleric that he was wrong, regardless of how badly I wanted to.

“He went on to say, ‘The Furies schemed and ensorcelled the demi-gods, forcing them to fight against their beloved gods. They amassed an army of poor, indoctrinated fools and used them to distract the gods. While our almighty deities were caught up in taming the brainwashed masses, the Furies struck. They used their dark, forbidden magic to put the gods to sleep. Depriving the world of our divine lords’ splendor for thousands of years. And that is why when you hear rumors of a Fury, you must report it to your local cleric.’”

I sigh and turn back to the window. I don’t want to know how Atlas feels about any of this.

“Before that day, I already knew I needed to keep my nature a closely guarded secret. That cleric’s lies made me realize how dangerous it would be if someone else found out.” And now too many people know.

The streets of Chicago blur by. The sun is just starting to set, but it’s hidden by the towering buildings, casting the streets in shadow. We’re still in the wealthier part of the city, but it doesn’t take long before the buildings get shorter and more run down. Litter is strewn over the sidewalks; windows are busted out of storefronts. Traffic has slowed, and the car crawls past a group of barefoot little kids running around. I wince, hoping there’s no broken glass on the sidewalk.