Page 72 of Devastation
Thanny doesn't let me simmer in my unease at this as he asks, "So, what is your plan to take the fucker down?"
"I don't know enough about him and his powers. I'm going to rely on you guys to catch me up to speed in the next minute. But what I do know is that, if my own death is what takes him down, then so be it," I vow, knowing my mates and I would rather give up our lives than see all of the realms plummeted into the darkness the fae realm saw for forty-years—or worse.
"It won't come to that," Thanny retorts while scooping me into his arms, "I figured you could use a lift if we're going to fight in the sky."
Without warning, his wings unfurl and shoot us up into the air, and Hypnos is quick to follow, his powder blue wings soaring next to us and his white hair blowing behind him, not trapped in a braid for once.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but most of what we know of Erebus' powers are rumors. He's a secretive man who doesn't allow anyone close, other than our mother once upon a time, and that was purely for his physical pleasure, not emotional connection," Thanny admits.
"So we attack as one and overpower him. It's our only option," I respond, accepting that we're going in blind.
"Agreed," Hypnos and Thanny respond in unison.
I glance down to the battlefield and see our armies have successfully broken into their elemental units. The fire and wind sections are working together while water and earth work on the other side. Each of my tethers to my men alerts me that they are with each of their elemental units, helping lead the charge of each faction.
Small tornados break through the dark army, tossing them around with ease.
I want to cheer, but they still outnumber us greatly, and when one is taken out, another easily steps in.
A small gasp escapes me as the fire users funnel fire into these tornados, turning them into raging infernos of flames and taking out even more of his army.
The earth caves in on the other side of the field under large sections of the dark army. Arrows made of ice fly through the sky, hitting those that didn't get taken under by the ground giving in.
My attention is jerked towards a wave of mist rolling over the army and my jaw drops slightly as Ash’s attack levels at least a hundred of the soldiers at one time.
A kernel of hope unfurls within my soul.
We can do this.
We burst through the clouds and see Nyx and Erebus both breathing heavily as she screams at him, "You took my sister from me! I will fucking kill you."
His deranged laughter rings out, "You think you have what it takes to do such a thing? You stupid woman. This is why you were only worthy of being my consort to spread my seed. You are too dumb to be my true equal."
My blood boils at his misogynism, and the two gods by my side growl at the insult to their mother.
"Let's battle, boys," I say with bloodlust dripping from each word. I’m ready to tear this fucker's head from his body.
Pulling the clouds into a firm landing pad, I jump out of Thanny's arms and hold my hands out, charging the clouds with static electricity, amping up to direct it all at Erebus.
"Ahh, finally you have arrived," Erebus states as his ruby eyes settle on me. "That means I can stop toying around here," he admits, and from out of thin air, a gleaming bow and arrow made of his energy is in his hands and shot at Nyx in less than the span of a second.
The arrow hits its target, and she cries out, her wings no longer beating in the air. She's falling through the clouds before I have a chance to catch her.
Hypnos dives for her and yells, "I've got her. Finish this!"
Thanny flies through the air next to me and I yell, "Are you ready?"
He cheekily responds, "My phanny was born ready!"
Erebus laughs again as the clouds beneath me turn the same shade of red as his energy once more—energy that is flowing through the clouds and toward me with ease.
Jumping up, I summon the wind to carry me forward as I pull the electricity from the clouds into me, using myself as a conduit for the energy.
My body shakes with all of this flowing through me as I head towards Erebus, closing the distance. I feel the moment his energy seeps into my electricity from the clouds, but before I let go of it, an idea comes to me. I continue to pull it into my body, knowing this is the last thing he would expect me to do.
Thanatos dives beneath the clouds and I lose sight of him, but I keep my focus on my attack.
Erebus’ powers will deflect my attacks, but he won't be prepared for them to be imbued with his own power, and he won't be guarding against that. He assumes he knows my powers based upon how Gaia used them before. But the thing is, I don't know what the hell I'm doing, and that makes me a dangerous opponent because I don't stick to any predetermined notions of how to use them.
