The Shadow Summoner | Book Three - PJO Universe

sixteen

A BALL OF LIGHT

Ariana's felt her heart physically breaking at the sight of waystation.

The scene was eerily calm. Smoke flooded out the gaping hole of the roof, billowing from the loft where a smoldering bulldozer chassis was, inexplicably, lodged nose-down.

Heloise and Abelard's nest appeared to be intact, but there were no signs of the male griffin or the egg.

In Josephine's workshop area, sprawled across the floor, lay the severed head and neck of Festus, his ruby eyes dark and lifeless.

The rest of his body was nowhere to be seen.

Sofas had been smashed and overturned. Kitchen appliances were riddled with bullet holes. The scope of damage was heartbreaking.
But the most serious problem was the standoff around the dining table.

On the side stood Ariana, Josephine, Calypso, Lityerses, and Thalia Grace. Thalia had her bow drawn and Ariana wore her swords.

Shadows fluttered around the room, Ariana had already used a dangerous amount of her powers that day but she refused to show her exhaustion.

Lit brandished his sword.

Calypso raised her bare hands, martial arts-style, and Josephine hefted her submachine gun, Little Bertha.

On the far side of the table stood Commodus himself, smiling brilliantly despite a bleeding diagonal cut across his face.

Imperial gold armor gleamed over his purple tunic. He held his blade, a gold spatha, casually at his side.

To either side of him stood a Germanus bodyguard. The barbarian on the right had his arm clamped around Emmie's neck, his other hand pressing a pistol crossbow against Emmie's head.

Georgina stood with her mother, Emmie hugging the little girl tightly to her chest.

The little girl seemed to have fully recovered her wits only to be faced with this fresh horror.
To Commodus's left, a second Germanus held Leo Valdez in a similar hostage stance.

Apollo clenched his fists. "Villainy! Commodus, let them go!"

"Apollo!" Ariana could finally breathe.

The daughter of Hades had been worried sick all day for him and Meg, who was not currently by his side.

Despite that, Ariana held hope that the young girl was okay and that she was simply helping the others outside.

"Hello, Lester!" Commodus beamed. "You're just in time for the fun!"

*•*

Thalia's fingers clenched her bowstring. A bead of sweat, silvery as moonwater, traced the side of her ear.

"Say the word," she told Apollo, "and I will bore a hole between this moron emperor's eyes."

Thalia was just as terrified as Ariana was of losing Leo and Emmie... and especially poor Georgie, who'd been through so much.

Ariana doubted any of their weapons could kill an immortal like Commodus, much less him and two guards.

No matter how quickly they attacked, they would not be able to save their friends.

Josephine shifted her grip on the submachine gun. Her coveralls were splattered with goo, dust, and blood. Her short silver hair glistened with perspiration.

"It's gonna be okay, baby," she muttered. "Stay calm."

Ariana wasn't sure if she was talking to Emmie or Georgie or herself.