Thanatos could only hope she didn’t use that term for him around her father before he had a chance to speak with Hades about her.
For added peace of mind, he prayed to the Moirai that if she did use it, Hades wouldn’t know what it meant. The Moirai were Calindria’s protectors, which meant they had to be on her side, and that meant they had to offer him some protection too. Right?
A male could only hope.
He seized her hand in a grip as possessive as hers had been and stormed back the way they had come, forcing his mind onto the matter of dealing with the demigoddess. He cleared his head of thoughts of what came after that, because if he didn’t focus on winning this battle, there would be no facing Hades, no life with Calindria. There would be only death, or worse. Captivity.
Or, gods forbid, even worse than that.
Calindria might be killed.
So, he was going to focus on the here and now, on laying his past to rest in the only way he could now. Killing the demigoddess was no longer an option. That dream of vengeance was gone. Now, he would capture her and hold her instead, would make her talk and reveal everything. He would stop this enemy from completing its wretched plans for the Underworld.
They broke out into the open air and he released Calindria, bellowed as he swung his sword and cut down a male who had his back to him. Calistos and Marinda were quick to launch into action, breaking off to his left to fight the warriors cowering behind the wall there, hiding from the blasts of ice and magic that shot through the air at them.
Stone exploded outwards above him as one of the orbs of violet light impacted with the ancient wall of the building. Thanatos grabbed Calindria and tucked her to him, leaning over her and raising his wing to shield them both as black rock showered like rain onto them.
None of it struck him.
It bounced off the shield of vines that curved over him, protecting him.
Calindria smiled slightly as he looked at her. “Two can play at that game.”
Indeed, they could.
He worked with her, slowly advancing through the throng of warriors, protecting her at times while she protected him at others, and hell, it felt good to fight at her side like this. It felt good to have someone watching his back.
He twisted and lunged, skewered a male through his gut as he raised a short blade and tried to cut Calindria down. She waved her hand towards him and vines burst from the ground, impaling him and pushing him back from her. Thanatos tugged her forwards, cutting down another of the warriors, and Calindria yanked on his arm, pulling him into a crouch as a spear of ice shot over their heads.
Above him, a male bellowed in agony and fell from one of the crumbling parapets, landing with a thud close to him, his bow tumbling from his grip.
He looked across at Daimon as the white-haired male hurried towards them, Cassandra hurling twisting sharp spears of crimson and orange magic at the warriors pursuing them. Several of the warriors stopped and nocked arrows, loosed them and waited. They struck an invisible barrier rather than the witch, and a faint blue wave rippled across the air where they had hit.
“You all good?” Daimon looked at Calindria and then Calistos, and finally Thanatos. “Got eyes on a female. Only one here. Silver hair. Black leather. Has holed herself up within a ring of warriors and is heading for the edge of the barrier.”
“The demigoddess,” Thanatos snarled. “We need to capture her. She has vital information about an attack the enemy plans to carry out.”
Daimon nodded and glanced over his shoulder at Cass. “You good, baby?”
She grunted and muttered, “I could use some help. The barrier will not hold without me shoring it up. A power boost might be nice.”
“Kinda tapped out.” Daimon didn’t sound happy about that.
“Big man.” Cassandra jerked her head at Thanatos. “Take my hand.”
Calindria stormed towards her. “My boyfriend will not be going anywhere near you.”
Cassandra took one look at her and shrugged.
“You’ll do.” The witch slapped a hand down on her shoulder before Calindria could evade her touch. Her pale eyes went as large as full moons and the barrier that had been flickering weakly suddenly shone bright blue. “Dark. Dark. Dark… dark… dark. What are you, little one?”
Calindria jerked backwards, trying to dislodge the witch.
Cassandra’s grip only tightened, her painted nails pressing into the soft leather of Calindria’s shirt. “Oh, don’t take your toys home and pout. This is delicious.”
The witch swept her hand out and a black cloud that sparked with lime green swirls swept outwards from her. The warriors that had been advancing on them took one look at it and tried to run, but they weren’t quick enough to escape it. It rolled over the slowest of them, and their screams filled the air as they contorted, as black patches appeared on their skin and spread to devour them.
“Stop!” Calindria shrieked.
Thanatos growled as he felt her fear, her pain, and closed the distance between him and Calindria in a beat of his wings. He shoved Cassandra forwards, earning a snarl from Daimon as the witch lost her balance and fell on her knees, and pulled Calindria back the moment she was free of her grip.
“It is all right, little goddess.” He pulled Calindria into his arms as she shook, unsure whether it was all right.
She clawed at his chest, pressing close to him, and he watched the black mist rolling across the land, watched as the warriors fell one by one, some killed by the devastating effect of the mist and others because they came into contact with those warriors. This wasn’t good. Around him, agonised bellows filled the air, the scent of fear thick in it as the warriors desperately tried to escape the plague spreading through their ranks.
Calindria curled into him and covered her ears, and over the din of the dying warriors, he heard her whisper, “My brothers.”
He held her closer to him and beat his wings, ignoring the ache in his injured one. The air current he created disturbed the charred remains of the dead warriors closest to them, sending the ashes flying away from her brothers, keeping them safe for her.
Calistos noticed what he was doing and used his power over the wind to help him, creating a vortex around them that slowly spread outwards, carrying any remaining ashes far from them.
“This doesn’t look good, Cass.” Daimon helped her onto her feet. “Any way to stop this?”
Cassandra looked as worried as he did. Her black eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the spreading black mist. It was gaining pace.
“I think so. Maybe.” She looked back at Thanatos.
Thanatos shook his head and curled his wings around Calindria, making it clear the witch wouldn’t be having access to her again. Calindria’s hurt tore at him. He couldn’t understand why she felt guilty whenever she killed with this power, but he was damned if he was going to let anyone make her feel worse than she already did by forcing her to see what her power was doing to these people. She was going to stay in his arms until it was over.
Thanatos’s gaze scanned the falling warriors, seeking the demigoddess. When he spotted her, he jerked his chin in that direction.
“We need her alive, witch.”
And the black mist was drawing dangerously close to her now as she desperately tried to break through the barrier.
Cassandra nodded and closed her eyes, held her right hand out and extended her index finger. Wherever her finger went, golden light appeared in its wake. She was drawing something. It took shape. A plain circle at first, and then another within it, and three circles that intersected the outer ring. Inside those circles, she drew a symbol.