Chapter 15
City of Ouranos, Tetartos Realm
Hades reformed beside Sacha, near the blue-domed city of Ouranos. The winds howled in the snowcapped mountains above them. The sun was barely coming up in this part of the world. He noted Immortals wielding swords and fireballs against the hell beasts barreling up the hill toward the city. Of course Draken would send him to help a city defended by phoenix and dragon warriors. Battle cries and furious shrieks of hundreds of beasts rent the sulphur-filled air. He took in the sight of brilliantly iridescent dragons clashing with the oily black dragons of Hell. The pairs were matched in mass.
The mountain rocked with power and the thundering of hooves of Ophiotaurus, large bull-like creatures with snakes for tails.
“What would you like, agapi mou?” His love. Hades’ muscles flexed along with his wings as he anticipated the battle with delight. He needed distraction until his son was safely back in Earth, where he belonged.
Sacha’s dark eyes lit. “I’ve got the dragons.” He was forced to watch her snug leather-covered ass disappear only to reform gracefully atop a moving black hell dragon.
He barely glanced at the three rabid hellhounds thundering toward him amid a cacophony of furious snarls. He absently tore the souls from their bodies, cutting off their growls as they crashed to the ground at his feet. He spared a look at two more hounds and unfurled his wings before sending power to slam them into a tree with a heavy crack of splintering wood. After dropping to the ground with pained howls, the evil creatures took one look at him and retreated toward the warriors. He shook his head.
His gaze reverted once more to the sight of his female. Her long hair was tied in a braid whipping in the wind as the beast writhed and roared beneath her, not pleased at having a passenger. He frowned when she and the creature disappeared.
He absently ripped more souls from thundering hell beasts with a flick of his hand as he searched for her.
That split second Sacha was out of his sight made his shoulders tense. He tracked her new position just as she reformed with the creature at the same time as she slammed her sword down into its skull. The blade pierced hard flesh and bone, silencing the furious roars and raging fire that was spewing from its gaping mouth. Sacha was already gone the second the wings went limp. He smiled as the beast plummeted toward the lake below in a haze of smoke. A massive blue serpent shot from the depths in a cascade of waves, crushing the dead dragon in its powerful jaws before taking it beneath the surface.
It was a rather convenient placing, and he wondered if Sacha had done the same before.
I have, she admitted, already on the next dragon as she added, Leave the hounds for the phoenix warriors. I need you to take down the Ofioeidis that’s rushing up the mountain. The massive serpent is too dangerous for the Immortal warriors. His female did not sound pleased at the creature’s presence, which was confirmed by her next words. We try to kill all of them we can find in Hell before the bastard Tria can send them here. Their venom is deadly and the creatures are immune to phoenix and dragon fire.
His eyes tracked the deadly serpent downing trees and brush as it slithered up the mountain. Two warriors crouched at the ready. The large males seemed small in the face of the giant serpent gliding in their direction. With a flick of his hand he teleported the warriors out of the way just as the serpent struck with violent speed and accuracy into the space one of the big males had just occupied.
He was in front of the beast with a thought. A big smile lit his face as the creature roared to a halt and hissed out flames he easily dissipated.
He heard the warriors’ angry battle cries as they reformed out of harm’s way. He downed more hooved creatures with a thought. He’d yet to even get his blade bloodied, but he planned to stay free of the acidic blood in case the Thulians arrived sooner rather than later.
His voice boomed in the direction of the ungrateful warriors he’d just saved. “This one is mine.” And he flexed his wings wider, pleased when the serpent starting to coil, attempting to defend its throat. The phoenix warriors’ furious noise silenced, but he felt their tension as they remained at his back. A moment passed before he heard them taking down a few snarling hounds.
The serpent lashed out with speed almost too fast to see. He ported out of its way with a laugh. He wanted a fight, not that this was much of a challenge, but it would have to do. It would calm his agitation.
He glanced over when he heard a few more creatures with thundering hooves snorting in his direction. With a thought he cleaved their life forces. The ground shook with the force of their muscled bodies crashing into the dirt and rock of the mountainside.
Hades toyed with the serpent while tracking his female and killing any beast that came close. She’d wanted the dragons, and now they were all destroyed. He smiled when he felt her behind him.
“Are you done playing with it?” she asked calmly.
A pack of snarling beasts thought to catch them unawares, and he was pleased when his female used the power she’d gotten from him to rend the violent creatures’ life forces with a wave of her delicate hand. A hand she’d obviously already cleaned of hell dragon blood.
She was everything beautiful, perfect and deadly in the world, and now she was his Goddess.
When the air charged, he lit with anticipation.
A portal was opening.
Hroarr was about to deliver Apollo to him. And if the Thulian didn’t deliver, Hades would have a much more satisfying fight.
With little effort he destroyed the serpent with a thought. Its massive head collapsed, violently rocking the ground when the body unfurled in death.