Chapter Six
Atticus watched out of the corner of his eye as Celine slipped into the forest. He couldn’t linger on her though. Thrax was hell bent on getting to her.
The hybrid bit back a growl, though he was as confused as he was angry. He’d never seen a Glycon so set on getting to a Vestal. The hybrids already had seen that the women pulled at the monsters, but it wasn’t clear just what the Glycons would do once they had one.
He rushed in front of the hulking Glycon as Thrax attempted to pursue the small woman.
“You cannot have her,” the hybrid spit out, “you ugly son of a bitch.”
The large Glycon circled Atticus, his red eyes fixed on him.
“She smells of mine,” Thrax hissed.
Atticus glared at the other man, his anger starting to boil up. How dare the wretched monster before him say anything like that. All the logic about why he wanted to stay away from his Vestal didn’t matter when she was threatened.
"She is not yours," Atticus roared, unable to stop the rage that bubbled inside.
The large, mutated Glycon shook his head at him. "She smelled of my mate," Thrax growled.
Atticus frowned. He hadn’t smelled anything particularly unusual about Celine. He wasn’t quite sure what the Glycon was getting at, but it didn’t matter. Either way, there was no way in hell he was letting Thrax anywhere near Celine to find out.
Even now Atticus could smell her blood as it lingered in the air. She’d cut herself in the chaos. That sort of thing could drive a Glycon insane. She was vulnerable, and he had to protect her.
Thrax charged forward, and Atticus met him once again. The hybrid grunted at the force of the blow, but it didn’t matter, as he’d prevented the giant Glycon from following Celine.
"You will not get to her," Atticus grunted.
Thrax moved forward again, this time slamming his fist into the hybrid’s stomach. The pain radiated from the blow, and he stumbled back.
The Glycon was stronger than he was. Atticus had no question about that. Whatever they had done had made these new Glycons much stronger and faster than the hybrids, and Thrax seemed even tougher than the others. He presented a new sort of enemy who wouldn’t be easy to defeat.
Atticus didn’t need to win, though. He just needed to slow the bastard down. He swept his feet under the large Glycon. Thrax tumbled to the ground with a howl.
He glanced at the woods and knew that he couldn't let Celine get too far without him. Bleeding like that, she was in danger of being tracked by any roaming Glycon.
Thrax at least had some intelligence. The other Glycons were more animals than anything else. They would not hold back.
The battle still raged inside the gate, mostly the hybrids fighting the Glycons who had made their way inside. The Azilians shouted and were bringing their own weapons, but the truth was if the hybrids hadn’t been there, many of the cultists would have been slaughtered.
Atticus stood over Thrax as he struggled to his feet.
“How did you get past the sound barrier?” the hybrid shouted.
Thrax shrugged. “I am tough.”
Atticus frowned. It had to be more than that. He seemed unaffected by the sound. No more so than any hybrid. Their whole strategy for defending the town depended on that barrier.
The Glycons attacking inside the gate cried out in the distance. Even if Thrax was special, that didn’t explain all the others who had accompanied him.
Atticus suspected the creatures had been compelled to go against their nature. From what the hybrids had seen, that was something Agatha had no problem doing, but getting Thrax to confirm it was everything. It would let the hybrids know what they were up against for sure.
“And them?” Atticus nodded toward the gate.
Thrax snarled, now fully off the ground. Apparently, he wasn’t so keen on being lumped into the same category as the other Glycons. It was an interesting thing to learn, though Atticus wasn’t sure how useful it might be.
“They are animals,” Thrax hissed. “They do the bidding of their master.”
The two men circled one another now, each waiting for the other to attack. This was exactly what Atticus wanted, Thrax with his attention on him and not going after Celine. He hadn’t given up on taking out the super-Glycon either.
Atticus raised a brow. Now he had an idea. Maybe if he could get the Glycon off-kilter, he might be able to find his shot. It was the only way he would win against him.
“I seem to remember you running away like a bitch at our last fight because your master said to,” Atticus said. “So who is the real animal?”
Thrax snarled at his words. “She is not my master!” His roar echoed in the darkness around them, and for a moment, Atticus wondered if he had gone too far.
The Glycon charged at him once again, slamming into the hybrid at full speed. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of the hybrid’s lungs as he slammed against a hard concrete wall.
Pieces of the wall broke off around him. Atticus could feel a few bones strain under the pressure, and pain shot through him. He wondered if any bones were broken.
“What do you know of freedom, dog?” Thrax yelled. “So long you waited to be told what to do. You are as chained as any of us.”
The Glycon’s words stung, as they were all the things Atticus had been thinking deep inside.
Atticus pushed off the wall, taking a large stone with him. In one swing, he raked the rock across the skull of the Glycon. Thrax tumbled to the ground.
Blood oozed from a gash in his head, and the Glycon had trouble looking up at Atticus as the hybrid stood over him.
"I will kill you for what is mine," Thrax growled at him. For a moment his eyes glowed a strange purple shade before flickering out as he laid his head against the ground.
Atticus stared down at the other man. “You’re going to have to if you want to get your hands on Celine,” he said flatly. “She is mine.”
Thrax raised a hand to move but slumped over, still growling, but not completely out. He stumbled back a bit and shook his head. It was only a matter of time before he regained his bearings.
Atticus considered charging him, but another solid blow to the hybrid’s ribs might end up with him on the ground instead of Thrax. He glanced back to the compound and shook his head. It would do them no good if he stormed in. Besides, he needed to protect Celine. She was the only one in any real danger at the moment.
He rushed after her. Atticus lifted his nose into the air. Her scent still hung everywhere around him as he tracked her in the darkness.
The forest at night was no problem for him. With his eyesight, he could see things as clearly as if it were day.
He heard her before he saw her. Her small body was slumped over on the ground as she quietly sobbed to herself.
Atticus came to a halt just as she lifted her head. Her makeup ran down her face from her tears.
"We need to go," he said stiffly. “You’re in danger from the Gl… from the enemy.”
Celine glanced back in the direction he had just come. "But what about the others?"
Atticus shook his head. "I don't know, but we need to go.” He knelt down beside her and held out his hand. "He's coming for you.”
His words seemed to strike a chord with her, and that was good because he was in no shape to take on Thrax again with both his ribs and back in bad condition.
Celine stuck a shaky hand into his own and carefully stood. He could see now that the blood he smelled earlier had been from the wound on her knee. It would need to be bandaged at some point, but for now, they needed to get some distance between them and Thrax.
The Glycon was driven, and that could really mean trouble.
"I'm going to carry you," he said softly. "Close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you."
She closed her eyes, and with ease, Atticus lifted her into his arms. He couldn’t think of what was happening back at the compound. Right now, he had one focus: keeping her safe. That would just have to be enough.