Venus Rising Deleted/Altered Scenes and Snippets

Snippets

Then suddenly Hades was there, standing beside her. He opened his arms to her and she collapsed into them, his darkness swallowing her light.

All at once the pain stopped. I fell to my knees, power spent in a brutal wave, then pitched forward, unable to lift my hands to stop my face from crashing into the ground.

##

Poseidon seemed to be in every corner of the room at once, disarming demigods carrying Steele. His triton whirled in an arc of green lightning. Artemis fought hand to hand, her powers spent by the same poison flowing through my veins. I worried she'd be nicked by Steele, but she moved fast. Even Athena joined the fray, inverting shields around demigods and pinning them to walls.

But in the center of it all was Persephone.

##

He shrugged. "You're annoying, but that doesn't mean I want you dead." His good eye flickered over me, looking me up and down. "Good to see you back."

##

I had to stop Persephone before she destroyed us all. 

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Shallow breaths to combat the thick stench of the overtaxed septic system.

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Much less help us once we reveal where we our location. Our only chance is to take him somewhere else and try to negotiate for our own safety." 

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Restrained, still fighting. The demigods were careful not to nick him with Steele, but they still outnumbered him and he'd been weakened by their poison already. Adonis was still bound in the corner, largely ignored. And I didn't see Medea anywhere.

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Aphrodite cut Otrera a look. "Saw you practicing with the Steele today. You were really

Otrera shrugged, apparently unbothered by the accusation in her tone. "I like training, fighting, drills all of it. In practice. I don't want to have to use it. But they all do." She took a sip of her water.

##

 "Okay..." the athletic demigoddess said. "I think you've had enough."

Aphrodite laughed again, surrendering her drink. "You have no idea. You guys have fun. I'm going back to the cabin."

I watched her walk away, somewhat unsteady.

##

"I can't believe Narcissus didn't give you the time of day today. It's like he has no concern for you at all." She glanced at me. "He'll burn right through your powers if that's what it takes to kill the gods. And I thought Jason was bloodthirsty. Narcissus is suicidal."

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The hospital probably, since that's where my people are. And shrink the shield to just that building. That should free up a lot of your power."