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“Holy shit, where did they go?” Atlas asked, still clutching his shoulder.
“I think they're incorporeal.” I said breathless. I felt the electricity still flowing through my body directed toward them. Sweat dripped down the side of my face as I fought to contain it.
The bear turned to face us, once again up on its hind legs, roaring as arrows, one after another, soared through the sky, hitting home in the center of its chest.
The creature fell to the ground with a loud crash. I watched in fascination as it looked like it was melting, turning into shadows before my eyes and disappearing into the darkness of the night that was now upon us.
“Where did it go?” I asked as I looked around, waiting for the bear to manifest somewhere else.
“It’s dead, sweetheart. When the demon's body is defeated, their shadows return to the underworld.”
“Will it come back?” I turned to look at Eros.
His falcon was sitting on his arm. Huh, I wonder when she got here? She didn’t come with us on the bus.
“Astra followed us here; she doesn’t like to be contained in vehicles she cannot escape from.” He said, answering my unasked question.
Phoenix reached around my waist, pulling me against his chest and placing a kiss on top of my head. “Once the demons are destroyed, they cannot return to this world, m’eudail.”
“Diana!” Onasis shouted. “Bring them back!” She gestured to the spot Apollo and Orpheus were. “I… I don’t know how.” My voice was so quiet, sadness lacing my words.
“What the fuck do you mean you don’t know how? Bring them back now!” Anger had her voice rising by the end of her demand.
Phoenix turned me in his arms, looking up into his amber eyes, speckled with flakes of brown, tears sprung to mine. “Phoenix, I don’t know what to do.”
“Dig into your mind, m’eudail.” He said as he brought his hands up to cup my face. “What did it feel like when you made them go incorporeal?”
“It felt like I was pulling on a rope; I feel like I’m being electrocuted holding onto the power. It’s uncomfortable, but it doesn’t hurt. I feel the strand still, and I’m holding onto it tight.” I said, trying to understand the power I was controlling.
His eyes bore into mine. “Release the rope, m’eudail.”
Closing my eyes, I envisioned the silver rope wrapped around my fist at one end and Apollo and Orpheus at the other. It was wrapped around them like a lasso. I took in the shimmering silver rope and the pulse of electricity coming from the simple thread and let go.
Throwing my eyes wide and spinning, I watched them come back into view with a pop. They were both standing. Orpheus had her paw in the air, not putting any weight on it.
Unable to contain myself, I ran to Apollo and threw myself into his arms. All the fear I felt immediately vanished when he caught me. Wrapping my legs around him, I buried my face into his neck, inhaling his spicy whiskey and birch scent.
He released a long sigh and pulled me closer for a second before realizing what he was doing. The next instant I was plopped back down on my feet, the stern look firmly back in place on his face.
So much for thinking he was happy I just used my gift to save his life. What was with this man? It was like I couldn’t do anything right.
You did good, Diana, don’t let him bring you down. He will come to his senses soon.
“Let’s head back to Enyo,” Apollo said, stepping around me and heading to the bus.
Isarr came over to Orpheus, and she leaned against him for support while limping to follow Apollo. Phoenix came up next to me, cradling the small black wolf in his arms. Looking at her, I could see she was alive, but her breathing was shallow.
“We have a healer at the institute we will take her to when we get back. She will be just fine, Diana. There is no need to worry. Atlas will get his arm fixed up also.”
“There’s a healer,” I said dumbfounded. “Why the fuck didn’t I get healed then? I have bruises covering ninety percent of my fucking body. Couldn’t they heal them?”
Phoenix flinched at my outburst. “They did heal you, Diana; you had a brain bleed and three broken ribs that they mended. It took all their energy that they couldn’t completely heal all the bruises, but they should be gone in the next day or two.”
“Ooh, I’m sorry, freckles, I didn't know it was that bad. I didn't mean to get angry.” I looked to the ground, not wanting to meet his eyes after my outburst.
“No need to be sorry. Let’s go home.”
Once again, we piled onto the bus and headed home. I thought about how much that simple word tightened my chest. After my parents died, I really didn’t have a home. This place and these people were quickly filling that hole in my heart. For the first time in a long time, it really felt like home.
