Page 45 of Wild Hunt
Praise from him was rare, but it had been an unusual day. I could tell from the look in his eyes he was already working out the logistics.
Fenrir walked toward the nearest door to force it open and Hades called, “Stop!”
He looked back, irritated. “We don’t have much time.”
“This building is barely standing. If we just bulldoze in, it’ll collapse on all those people.”
Fenrir hesitated. “What do you suggest we do?”
Hades turned to me. “Loki, can you shift into something large enough to support that wall?”
I eyed what he was pointing at and fluttered my wings, taking a dive off the ledge to shift into a massive bull. Lowering my head, I caught my horns under the ledge of the lopsided roof and lifted slightly to test it.
“That’s good,” Hades called, rolling up his sleeves. He raised his hands and blue flame began to lap at the building.
“What the hell?” Fenrir cried, echoing my dismay.
“It’s a controlled burn. I’m getting rid of the debris in our way,” he explained.
I eyed the flames that were dangerously close to my snout, but before long, the thin walls fell away, revealing a few of the terrified souls trapped within.
“Go,” Hades ordered. Fenrir rushed in and Hades followed. I could feel the tremors within the building and knew the weak structure wouldn’t hold up long, especially with them moving around. Fenrir came out holding a kid and guiding two adults, followed by Hades, who had an injured man in his arms. Several more trips and they’d pulled a couple dozen people from the building.
“Is that everyone?” Hades asked.
“I’ll do another sweep to make sure,” said Fenrir, going back into the building. I chuffed to alert Hades to the fact that I could feel the building crumbling.
“Fenrir, come on!” he bellowed.
Fenrir appeared a moment later and grunted, “That’s everyone.”
Not a moment too soon. I pulled back and the building collapsed with a plume of dust and smoke. A horn blared through the skies, announcing that our time was up.
The smoke cleared as the grid appeared once more in the sky and the simulation dissipated, leaving us standing in the center of the arena. I couldn’t hold such a large shifted form much longer and had no choice but to shift back, buck naked.
Thor walked toward us as the other group came into view. “Time’s up,” he called. I felt a glimmer of hope from the irritation in his voice, but he drew it out for as long as he could. “With twenty-seven rescues, the winning team is Loki, Fenrir and Hades.”
“Holy shit, we did it,” Fenrir muttered.
Even Hades laughed in relief, raking a hand through his hair. “Wasn’t sure for a second there.”
“Good to see you two talking again,” I said wryly.
“Shut up and put on some pants,” Fenrir said, shoving into me.
I smirked. They could deny it all they liked, but I knew they were both relieved to have put the tension behind us. We were stronger together. Someday, maybe the other two idiots would realize it.
Chapter 25
Kore
Ispent the fourth day of the Games catching up on lost sleep, at Dionysus’ urging, and by the time finals came, I was relieved I’d made that choice. I had crept back to the arena to watch the third years’ performance, and even though I’d never admit it, I was impressed that the Triad had actually managed to work together on something other than tormenting people.
My mind drifted to other team activities they might excel at, but that kind of thought wasn’t going to win the Games. I had to be willing to come at them with everything I had, and I knew they’d do the same.
As the winners of the preliminary rounds gathered onstage and the music swelled to announce the beginning of the finals, I found myself searching the crowd. I’d managed to avoid my mother under the guise of being busy with all the festivities surrounding the Games, but she was going to kill me once she heard the winning speech I planned on making.
And Iwouldbe making that speech. There was absolutely no way I was going to let Hades best me, and as intimidating as the fourth years were, I hoped them underestimating us would give our team at least some advantage.
