Shadows of Fate

Chapter 18

The pain tearing through my mind eased for a moment. Tobias's voice faded from my mind. I panted in the earthy smell of the forest floor. Icarus gently pulled me up from the ground and wiped the dirt off my face.

"What's happening?" Icarus asked. He was trying to remain calm, but I could hear the tension in his voice.

"T-Tobias." I cringed. "They're torturing him."

Tears ran trails down my cheeks, and Icarus brushed them away. He cradled me in his arms, but just as I began to soak in his warmth, another blinding stab of pain shot through my mind. Tobias's screams were weak, but agonizing.

"It's going to be okay," Icarus said. "I'll take you to my father."

"He's so weak," I cried. "You have to save him!"

"I'm not leaving you like this."

I tensed in his arms and white hot pain seared down the back of my head. I cried out, unable to fight the source of the pain, unwilling to push Tobias's screams from my mind. I knew Icarus would never take me to Ares as long as he had my brother. He had to take me to Zeus and hope the council would protect me.

The pain suddenly stopped. My body went limp. Something was wrong. Our connection was cut off, like a knife had sliced through our string of fate. I couldn't feel anything.

Icarus brushed my hair back. "Hold on. I'll take you—"

"He's gone," I wheezed. "Where did he go?" My mind was foggy, and I couldn't even lift my head.

"Where did who go?" Icarus asked.

"Hermes," Ares' voice hollered from deep within the forest.

Icarus whirled to face his brother who rushed towards us. I gasped as the pain eased completely, and I looked to the man who had ordered my twin to be tortured. But anger wasn't on Ares' face. The god of war looked panicked.

"What have you done?" Icarus shouted at him. "Where's Tobias?"

"Quickly," Ares said. "Take her and go."

I wasn't sure if I was hallucinating or not. Ares was suddenly on our side, which had to be a dream.

"They are coming for her!" Ares shouted at Icarus's confused face.

"Who?" Icarus adjusted so he stood directly between me and Ares.

"Take her to the council, hurry! Father will know what to do." Ares threw a blast of his energy past us, just as a hellhound leapt from the darkness. The shadow beast howled in pain as it vanished into smoke.

Icarus turned to grab me, but shadows lashed out from behind the trees and coiled around his limbs like whips. They yanked him off his feet. Icarus fell hard on his chest, driving the air from his lungs.

I struggled to push myself off the ground, but a new stab of pain dragged down the back of my spine and I collapsed onto the ground, crying out.

Ares leapt over Icarus, who was being wrapped tighter in shadow vines. Ares reached for me, and I held my hand out for him. The god I feared most dodged past all but one shadow rope. The final one wrapped around his ankle and he slammed onto the ground in front of me.

"Grab my hand!" Ares shouted.

I desperately tried to reach for the man I hated. But I could barely move and our fingers slipped through each other's. The shadows dragged him backwards. Five shadow hounds piled on top of him and melted with the darkness that swallowed most of his body.