Katoptris

Book 2 ~ Part 4

Forgive me, but I can no longer keep my promise.

Nico fell to the ground, landing on his knees, and clutching his chest in the process. He did not know where the voice had come from. They should not have been able to communicate, unless..

No. It could not be true. It couldn't.

He could feel voices being silenced one by one, which happened whenever there was a great battle of demigods. They were dying.

She was dying.

His gaze met the pale green eyes staring down at him. She was calling for him, but he could not hear her voice. He could not hear anything except his own heartbeat.

There was no way he could tell her, at least not yet.

"Nico, what's wrong?"

The dark haired boy sucked in a large breath, glad he could finally hear his friend. He shook his head. "We need to leave now."

--

The warrior stood in the Oakland hills, gazing down at the Roman camp and the battle before her. She had been sent ahead of her Greek allies for this very reason.

The Romans needed help.

And only this warrior could help them in their hour of need.

--

Bi gasped, though it didn't help her burning lungs. The world had become a grey scale copy of what it once was. She was still standing in the cemetery, or, her spirit was. If she looked down, she could see her body collapsed on the ground and the boys trying to fix her.

But the biggest problem with that, was the fact that she could no longer hear her own heartbeat. Gods, Megera will kill me when she finds out.

"You're right. She would if she could."

Bi looked up to find three men before her. The first wore a winged helmet. The second had skin as black as ebony and wings as white as snow. The third had black wings and white skin, as though he was the reverse of the second. All looked faded, as though life had faded from them.

"I expected more from you, Daughter of Death, seeing as you have stopped me from taking others."

Bi pursed her lips and stared at the men for a moment. She could almost hear the boys calling to her, but ignored their voices.

"Well, if ending my life was the only thing needed to get the Psychopomposes together, maybe I should have done that yesterday."

"No sass from you, young one. My brother has returned, but you are still amongst the dead."

"How would you free yourself from our clutches? You have helped others, but there is no one to free you. Your companions have no knowledge of the ways of the dead."

Bi placed her arms across her chest. "Then I stay dead. I chose my path: to sacrifice myself for my people. Perhaps I run from my father's clutches later, not like he has ever wanted me."

The three men glanced at one another.

"You know he will not allow that."

"You have given up everything-"

"But your sacrifice shall not be in vain. I had lost my way, but you showed me the way back. I shall preserve your body, allow your companions to take you home. I shall give you one last week among mortals, then we shall take your spirit into your father's domain."