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I woke my raven, releasing that part of me to fly high in the sky, keeping watch over him. Ravenal gasped, watching as that part of me separated. She turned to stare at me, her white eyes assessing what she was seeing. I ignored her for now; this was a conversation for later. For now, I needed that part of me freed.
Lexi strolled closer to Hermes, who was still engaged in a staring match with Lily. My mate was now standing on the porch with a slight smile on her face. Her eyes had changed from their lavender shade to white, similar to Ravenal’s, except for the lavender sparks flashing through them.
“Go now.” Lily spoke to me, reading my thoughts. "I'll be with you in a moment."
Justin dropped back to protect me while I sat on the ground, my mind jumping into Lily’s dreamland.
As I entered the darkness, she was already there. She shone like a beacon, her light so bright I almost had to shield my eyes.
She had pulled the god and everything under his direct control here. Hermes was a shadow, standing before my mate. And his ravens filled the skies in this place. All except Sterling. He was left on Earth for the others to deal with.
Here, I was also a raven. And I wasn’t just any raven. No, I was Lily’s Raven. The one that ruled this place with her.
I took to the dark sky, my sleek black feathers difficult to see. And I called out, my voice filling the space. They were not human words, but caws, clacks, and chirps the other birds understood.
They all hesitated, breaking Hermes’ concentration as he stared up at them, shocked. The ravens had always been his to control. And if we were in the real world, they still might have been.
But here? This was our place. Lily’s and mine. The god had made the mistake of not fighting her pull; of following her here. He thought his godly powers allowed him to be invincible anywhere he went. Not here, though. He was losing control over his birds, because in this place? I was a force to be reckoned with.
I peeled off his allies, one bird at a time, as they moved to join me. We flew in a pattern over the two figures below us. When I had a third of the group, I sent them away, releasing them from his bonds and explaining to them that this was not their fight. I then started working on the next set.
Hermes erupted in anger, rushing at Lily, but he couldn’t quite reach her. No matter how hard he tried. This land would allow no harm to come to her while she was here.
James popped into existence in his spirit dragon form, high above us. He came in quiet but I could feel his presence like a heavy weight in the air above me. I knew he had been called here by The Oracle.
I had never seen the Spirit King here before. But it appeared that Lily could pull whomever she wanted into her dream world.
The large dragon was almost invisible, his body like a dark shadow that flowed through the space with ease. And when he opened his mouth, instead of fire exploding out towards the god, strands of colored light appeared.
The light wrapped itself around him, changing colors where it touched his skin. Marking him. Binding him.
“Those are your soul strands, Hermes.” Lily stood, her smile serene. “James, when in connection with his mate, can view and manipulate them. From the colors, I can see you are associated with birds. Ravens, in fact. It's a pity they are under Soren’s control here. He is banishing all who want to leave or won't submit to his command. Oh, and you have no control over him because he isn't truly a raven, so don't even try that."
She smiled at him, before continuing. “I can recognize the snakes from your staff, their soul strands wrapping around your arms. That is interesting, since it shows your connection with the Naga. I had wondered how you were able to convince him to return. You persuaded the snake part of him. Gods themselves don’t have colored soul strand, because you have no souls. You are only as real as those who believe in you. And much of your life energy comes via your association with Apollo.” She cocked her head. “Oh, dear.”
Hermes stumbled, his feet shuffling a few steps forward. “What—?”
I took the last of his ravens, sending them back from where they had come from, as the god disappeared from in front of us.
Lily chuckled. “Lexi, or should I say Artemis, just reached him. Her touch pulled him back into the real world. Let’s go back and see how he is dealing with the one he used to call a friend.”
I landed on her shoulder, glad I had removed the birds who really didn't want to be involved in all this, and we returned to Earth. I was lucky I had been sitting on the ground since my mind swirled for a moment, before I realized that Lily had moved to stand next to me, her hand on my head. We both turned to face the god.
James had also returned, landing in front of the gate. Maggie stood beside him, her hand on the pure white scales on one leg.
Fewer ravens flew amongst the clouds now, exposing Sterling, who was still in his hawk form. Realizing this, he let out an angry screech and dove straight for Lily, his claws out to harm her.
Before I could react, Justin shifted once more into his Berserker form, growing taller and bulkier than before. He lifted one large, hairy arm and batted the hawk out of the air with a lazy swipe of his gigantic paw.
It must have packed a punch, though. The hawk slammed into the ground, and the Berserker bounded over to him, picking him up and wrapping those enormous hands around him. Sterling screeched his anger at being held by the wolf, unable to use either his claws or his wings to defend himself.
Justin twisted towards Konner, a canine grin on his face.
Konner sighed, as he spoke to the man inside the hawk. “Sterling, I think it is time we have a talk. With both you and Koran over there. I know the Naga can remember his time in Tellus' cave. That space is mine now. We are going to take you two there, while the others deal with Hermes. I think Artemis has this under control for now.”
Konner went over to Koran and pulled him out of the ground. It reminded me so much of a person pulling carrots from their garden that I barked out a laugh. The Protector ignored me, striding over to Justin, the mercenary hanging from his hand, quiet for once.
Justin, though, got it. He grinned at the sight, his sharp teeth showing. And let me tell you, a Berserker grin is terrifying.
