Selena's Men (24 page)

She watched in horror as Cronus turned, huge teeth snapping and ten-inch claws extended, beckoning the newcomers closer. He swatted them away like flies, not even blinking a glowing red eye. Her hand flew up to muffle the scream she felt bubbling up her throat.

Selena raised her arms out to her sides and swung them up in an arc, bringing them in front of her in a fighting stance, and screamed. The walls shook, and she heard the shattering of glass.

“Bastard,” Selena yelled, and flew across the room. She didn’t have time to wonder at the ability, but made a mental note to do it again.

“Oh how sweet. You’ve come back to save these worthless creations. I knew I smelled the stink of something on your body. Had I known it was these two”—he spat at the bodies on the floor—“I would have dipped you in a tub of acid.”

“I love you too, Gramps.”

Selena never let the smile slip from her face. She wanted to keep his focus on her, giving Max and Malcolm a chance to heal. She’d gotten a glimpse of their abilities when Max healed her earlier and knew they needed a little time. She wouldn’t allow her mind to think they wouldn’t survive. She dodged the first strike Cronus threw at her.

“Is that all you got, big boy?” She curled her fingers. “Come on then, bring it.” She laughed again and danced backward. She started flipping head over heels, landing in a crouch. One minute he was hovering over the forms of her men and the next he slammed into her from behind. She stumbled forward and barely kept from landing on her face.

“Nice, we call that a sucker punch, or being a bitch.” Selena taunted him and turned, facing him again.

Cronus swiped his arm out, hitting her in the face, knocking her off balance. Rolling with the fall, she came up and sent a bolt of lightning toward his head.

“Fuck,” she muttered as he disappeared.

“Is that all you got, little girl?” he sneered.

Selena tracked his voice and without raising her arm, created a bolt of energy and struck at the open space where she gauged him to be located. She heard a roar and felt bits of the roof hitting her head. Her cheekbone throbbed like a son of a bitch. Swiping angrily at the blood she felt running down her face, she grimaced at the sting. What the hell did he have his claws tipped in, anyway? She wanted to take the time to heal herself, but he was a dirty fighter.

He proved it with his next move. He didn’t reappear and gloat in her face. Oh no, the big man had to go and grab her by the throat, bringing her up to meet his angry look. She reached up and tried to push his gaping mouth away, but his stench made her gag. She felt her lunch coming back up to make an appearance and instead of fighting it back, she let it loose.

“You bitch,” Cronus tossed out before launching her across the room.

When she landed in a heap of bodies, she thanked the goddess they broke her fall. If only something wasn’t stabbing her in her back, Selena was pretty sure she would’ve jumped right up. Knowing every moment counted, she expended precious energy healing her face and probing the thing in her back. She smiled. A sword with an extremely sharp blade and yep, rubies in the hilt, had been tossed aside like garbage.
Well, you know what they say? One person’s garbage is another person’s treasure
.

Trying not to let Cronus know she’d recovered from her injuries, Selena twisted around, removing the blade from her back and freed it from the grip of one of the beasts. With her back to her grandfather, she knelt on top of the bodies that lay in a pile, waiting for him. She heard him stalking toward her over the pounding of her heart. With every step he took, she breathed in, centering her energy, infusing the blade with her essence. Knowing him in all his arrogance, Cronus probably thought he’d bested her, so she let the wound in her back continue to ooze blood.

She gripped the hilt of the sword and rolled forward off the pile, putting a mound between them. He flicked his wrist and the bodies disintegrated into a cloud of dust. She almost lost her nerve at his show of power, but hearing a groan come from the direction where Max and Malcolm lay gave her strength.

Selena didn’t take the time to look around and see if the other Ravens were faring any better. From the sounds of it, they still continued to fight off the baddies, giving her hope of a rescue. Focusing on her gramps, she raised the sword in her right hand and slashed forward. With each arc of the blade, lighting flashed out, hitting her target and forcing him back. She jumped up and spun in the air, slashing down with the blade, connecting with his shoulder and slicing through the thick hide of his flesh.

His angry growl made her smile, but she didn’t stop her pursuit. He started jumping back, trying to avoid her blade, but she’d paid attention when he flashed out and in. She focused and was able to block his abilities. She knew when he realized she held him semi-captive with her mind when his eyes seemed to become thin slats. Her blade continued to arc and swing as she lunged and jumped. She kept trying for a killing strike, but decided to weaken him with more wounds.

Lighting shot out of the blade, making the small slices on his skin burn and smoke. Her arm began to feel heavy and shake from the exertion of swinging and hitting the rock-like surface of Cronus. He fell over another pile of bodies, landing with a loud
thunk
. She hoped to take advantage and leapt over the mound, raising her sword high, and aimed for his heart, but she was stopped in midair by an unseen force.

She gasped and looked down to see Cronus holding his own long sword. She dangled like a skewer of meat from the blade. “Shit,” she mumbled between gritted teeth.

Malcolm King couldn’t believe his eyes when Selena stormed in like an avenging angel and engaged their greatest enemy. The little fool taunted the big-ass beast with words a child would use, and by all appearances, it worked like a charm to divert Cronus from killing him and Max. He waffled between beating her ass red and kissing her senseless. He decided he would do both, just as soon as they finished this fight.

He looked over to see Max rolling to his side, pulling the numerous stakes Cronus had thrown at him that made him look like a porcupine out of his body. Deciding he needed to get on with the healing and quit gawking at the train wreck, he groaned and wobbled on his feet.

“Damn I feel lightheaded.” Malcolm rubbed his head.

“I think our girl might have come into her powers.”

“Gee, ya think?”

Malcolm laughed at Max, who flipped him the bird. He looked around the large room, assessing the collateral damage, and was happy to see his brothers still fought. If he and Max could just get their lazy asses back into the battle, they could save their girl and make it back home before sunrise.

“You are so projecting right now and I so don’t need a hard-on while I battle that thing.” Max growled.

“Sorry, but fuck…look at her move. She is fan-fucking-tastic, for real dude.”

“Are you ready?” Malcolm asked.

“As I’ll ever be, I guess…”

Malcolm and Max both gasped as they saw Selena advancing on Cronus with bolts of lightning flying out of her blade. They watched in horror as the big beast fell on his back and Selena jumped in the air with a battle cry to finish him off. Time seemed to stand still as they saw Cronus raise a blade and stab into her stomach.

Both brothers flashed to the pair, and Malcolm focused on Cronus as Max grabbed Selena by the waist and dematerialized out of the hall. She dropped her sword and with a roll, Malcolm picked the thing up, amazed at the weight and the power he felt pulsing through it. He raised the sword and aimed it at the head of Cronus.

The bastard smiled, his shark-like teeth covered in blood, and swiped at the spittle dripping from his chin. Malcolm wanted the god to pay for the pain he’d caused Selena. He pictured skewering him on a pike like he did to Selena. Cronus wavered and seemed to shrink right before Malcolm’s eyes.

Blinking, Malcolm stared at the man who looked so much like Zeus it shocked him and he didn’t finish with the strike aimed at Cronus. He barely missed the blow aimed at his own head. Malcolm channeled Keanu Reeves and dodged several more strikes and kicked out, hitting Cronus in the chest.

Rafe stepped up on his right with Vin on his left and they all raised their blades, ready to strike at the same time. Nobody could ever charge Cronus with being a stupid man. Arrogant yes, but stupid not so much, and he proved it in the next moment.

Cronus flashed out, leaving the battered and bloody Ravens staring at the space where he’d been.

“Fuck,” Rafe and Vin said in unison.

Malcolm turned in a circle, holding his blade in front of him, and spotted Balky who had come to steal Selena from them. “You,” Malcolm snarled, and flashed across the room and grabbed the ugly son of a bitch by the front of his shirt. “Where did he go?”

Malcolm saw the smaller man lift his shoulders, but he didn’t raise his arms to protect himself. Shaking him like a rag doll, he heard the approach of the rest of the Ravens.

“Do I know you?” Something seemed familiar.

Balky shook his head and opened his mouth. “I am Balky,” he said.

Like that meant shit to Malcolm. He brought Balky closer to his face with one hand and snarled, “Start talking or I’ll start dismembering.” He grabbed the other man’s arm with his free hand and twisted. Hearing a satisfying crack he let off the pressure. The other man’s arm hung by his side, useless, and right before their eyes the being’s arm started healing itself.

“What in the hell are you?”

“I’m not sure,” Balky said.

“I don’t have time for this shit.” Malcolm looked to Rafe. “Take care of him. I need to go to Selena.”

He watched Vin open his mouth, but didn’t wait to hear what he said. He followed Max and Selena’s trail back to his home. Flashing inside, he came to an abrupt halt at the sight that met his eyes.

Max was straddling a bloody Selena with his hands pressed over the gaping wound of her belly. He saw the glow emanating from Max’s hands and heard his brother speaking softly to Selena.

“Selena, baby, I need you to focus and help me heal you,” Max said.

She raised her hand and rubbed at his brother’s cheek, and Malcolm could see the effort that small gesture took on her body. “It’s no use, Max. I can’t do it,” she gasped. “I need to tell you and Malcolm something.” She placed her palm over his mouth. “I love you both.”

Malcolm watched as a trail of blood trickled out of her nose, and when she coughed, more of her precious fluid came out of her mouth. Malcolm kneeled beside her and placed his hand over Max’s.

“Yes you can, Selena. Just concentrate and feel me and Max inside you.” Malcolm prayed and sent up a silent cry to the gods.

He blinked the tears away, but let them fall down his cheeks. He heard Max sniff, but neither let up the healing pressure on her wound. Closing his eyes, he flowed into her mind and soothed her even as Max entered the wound. He could see what Max was doing through their link and was startled at the lack of ability they had. It seemed whatever Cronus had done to his own blade caused a wound they couldn’t heal.

He heard Max snarl a silent warning and continued to shield Selena from the pain. He feared they were losing her when her eyes fluttered closed, only to snap open again when a bright light lit the room up.

“Oh, my baby,” Hera whispered, dropping to her knees and placing her hands on each side of Selena’s cheeks.

* * * *

Selena gasped and tried to speak, but choked on blood. She knew who was looking at her with such love and longing. If she weren’t dying she’d talk to her mother and give her a hug to soothe the heartache emanating from her. But oh god, she hurt.

She couldn’t feel the pleasant buzz of lightning flashing through her body. Instead she felt fire scorching her from the inside out. Damn Cronus!

“Mom?” Selena croaked.

Another flash of light, and Selena saw the god called Zeus. The look in his eyes mirrored hers, and she felt a flutter of hope. She watched him shake his head and he smiled at her. She tried to smile back, but knew it looked more like a grimace.

“Hello, my child,” Zeus boomed.

Selena would’ve laughed at the looks on her two men’s faces, but Zeus didn’t give her time to answer. One minute she was lying under Max in California and the next she was surrounded by several, larger-than-life people. She knew, without asking, she was on Mount Olympus and the people surrounding her were all gods and goddesses.

* * * *

“Ah, you are finally awake,” Zeus said.

She turned her head and saw her father seated next to her bed in a rather uncomfortable-looking chair, appearing a bit ruffled. She looked to the other side and saw her mother slumped forward, resting her head next to her leg. “What the hell is going on?” She didn’t realize she spoke her question out loud until she heard an intake of breath. Turning back, she faced Zeus.

“You have been out of it for a few days and we feared it might have been—” He swallowed. “We feared it might have been too late. Cronus poisoned that blade with his own blood before he impaled you on it.”

“That man is such a coward,” Selena whispered, and rubbed her throat. She felt like she’d swallowed a thousand shards of glass.