Daywalker chronicles com.., p.116
Daywalker Chronicles Complete Series Boxed Set, page 116
The scent of blood and sweat mingled with the acrid smell of dragon fire, assaulting my senses.
“Let the dance begin!” cried Caligula, tearing off his clothes and throwing himself into the fray. Naked and wild-eyed, he pranced around the battlefield with abandon, arms flailing and laughter bubbling up from his throat. The sight of him would have been comical if it weren’t for the knowledge that this madman had once claimed to defeat a god, Neptune, the Roman equivalent of Poseidon. I wasn’t sure if it was true, but Caligula certainly believed he’d done it.
“We need to go after Ares!” Zoey shouted, reminding me of the priority at hand. “We need a dragon to reach him!”
“Leave it to me!” I shouted back. My eyes locked onto Ares, still hovering above the battlefield with a twisted grin. With a surge of energy and determination, I focused my thoughts on my transformation.
My skin prickled as I felt the familiar cold sensation spread through my body. The world around me blurred momentarily, and when it came back into focus, I was no longer Sienna the vampire, but Sienna the ice dragon.
Zoey and Achilles jumped on my back. My wings spread wide, and with a leap I took off into the air.
I didn’t see Thoth. He must’ve been elsewhere. We hadn’t confronted him, but I knew he was involved. He just wasn’t taking a direct part in Ares’ assaults. He was probably somewhere working behind the scenes, gathering warriors across time to send to Ares as reinforcements.
As we ascended, Leonidas and his Spartans took notice of our approach. With fierce determination etched across their faces, they maneuvered their dragons to form a protective barrier around Ares. They were not going to make this easy for us.
I’d have to be clever. In the skies, I could come at Ares from above as well as below. The Spartans were clearly novices when it came to aerial combat. I could use the three-dimensional battlespace to my advantage.
I took off higher in the sky, preparing to dive bomb right over Ares and his dragon.
The Spartans figured it out and flew between us. They moved in sync, expertly keeping us at bay. Their dragons snarled and snapped at us, sending exhales of blazing fire at us in mid-air, but I dodged their attacks, careful not to turn too hard lest I throw Zoey and Achilles from my back.
“Sienna, we need to get past them!” Zoey shouted over the roar of the wind and the clashing of dragons.
“Trust me, I’m trying!” I growled in frustration. My mind raced, searching for a solution. That’s when it hit me—these dragons were no match for my ice powers. With a deep breath, I unleashed a torrent of freezing air at the Spartan dragons, aiming for their wings.
The effect was immediate. The icy blast struck the leathery wings of three Spartan dragons, encasing them in layers of frost. They struggled to maintain flight, and then began to plummet toward the ground. Their riders yelled out, attempting to rouse their dragons back into action, but it was too late. The ice weighed them down, pulling them from the sky like stones.
“Nice work, Sienna,” Achilles called out.
“Thanks, but we’re not done yet,” I replied, gritting my teeth as I prepared to face off against the remaining Spartans.
These warriors may have been legendary, but I was a legend in the making, damn it. Not that I cared about eternal glory, but I’d done my share to kick some gnarly supernatural ass in my time.
I just had to do it one more time. I had to take out one final god and end Ares’ campaign of terror.
“Zoey, get ready with that scythe,” I shouted over the roar of battle. She gripped the weapon tightly in her hands, determination etched on her face.
“Got it, Sienna. Just lead me to Ares.”
I maneuvered around the fallen dragons, my eyes trained on Ares and his monstrous steed. The god of war seemed to revel in the chaos he’d created, a twisted smile plastered across his face.
We pushed forward, deftly avoiding the thrashing tails and snapping jaws of the remaining Spartan dragons, their riders doing everything they could to keep us from reaching Ares.
“Just take out a few more!” Zoey shouted. “Get me just above Ares!”
Just above? What was she going to do? Surely she wouldn’t… when I blasted another dragon, creating an opening between myself and Ares, Zoey jumped off my back. She dove headfirst, scythe in hand. She was going to try to take down Ares mid-flight.
What a freaking badass! I chuckled a little, a few blasts of ice escaping my lips.
Zoey disappeared in mid-air. She’d gone astral. She could navigate the rest of the way on the astral plane and take Ares by surprise. It was brilliant. On the astral plane, after all, we weren’t beholden to the laws of gravity.
“Look out!” Achilles yelled suddenly, and I glanced up to see Leonidas’ dragon bearing down on us, its powerful wings kicking up a storm of dust and debris.
“Damn it!” I cursed under my breath, realizing that this dragon was different, stronger, and faster than the others we’d managed to take down. This would not be easy.
Leonidas’ dragon thundered toward us, its fiery gaze locked onto our position. I tightened my grip on the icy reins of my own dragon form, ready to meet the beast head-on.
With a roar, I charged toward Leonidas and his dragon. He dodged us easily.
“Look!” Achilles shouted. “On the ground!”
I glanced down before Leonidas could pivot with his dragon and take his turn against me. Zoey had managed to ground Ares and the two were locked in combat, the god waving away her scythe with every attempt.
“Get me to her! She needs my help!”
Ignoring Leonidas for a moment, I tucked my wings behind my back and dove to the ground. Achilles hopped off and, with a scream, charged toward Ares.
As he did, a barrage of flames assaulted me. It hurt like hell, but I was a dragon. I couldn’t be grounded that easily. I took off back toward the sky to stop Leonidas. I couldn’t let him interfere with Zoey and Achilles and their attempt to reap Ares.
As I ascended, I saw Leonidas’ dragon faltering in the air, losing altitude. With a surge of determination, I struck the beast with a blast of ice from my frigid maw. The dragon roared in agony as it plummeted toward the ground, but Leonidas, ever agile and resourceful, leapt from his failing mount and clung onto the Eiffel Tower.
Keep Leonidas distracted! Dracula urged.
Dracula was right. I had to keep him occupied. I needed to give Achilles and Zoey a chance to take down Ares.
I growled, banking around to face the tower. With careful precision, I circled the structure, trying to freeze Leonidas in place without causing him fatal harm. Yet, each time I breathed a torrent of ice, he managed to evade me, his movements swift and calculated.
My frustration grew with each near miss, knowing that every second I wasted on Leonidas was another second Ares had to escape—or worse, turn the tide of battle in his favor.
“Think, Sienna, think,” I whispered, racking my brain for a solution. There had to be a way to stop him without killing him. He was a legendary warrior, one who had earned my respect despite our opposing allegiances.
As I continued my pursuit, Leonidas deftly climbed higher up the tower, his eyes never leaving mine. He seemed to understand my intentions, taunting me with a sly smirk as if daring me to try again.
“Fine then. Let’s see how you like this.”
I unleashed a more concentrated blast of ice, aiming for the metal beams surrounding Leonidas rather than the man himself. If I couldn’t freeze him directly, perhaps I could trap him in an icy cage instead.
To my surprise, the plan worked. Sort of. The ice rapidly encased the beams, locking Leonidas within a frozen prison. But even with his movements restricted, he still managed to break through the icy bars, shattering them with sheer force.
He was one hell of a man! No wonder history never forgot his name.
This wasn’t working. In my dragon form, I was too unwieldy, unable to maneuver as precisely as I needed to. It was time for a different approach.
With a resigned sigh, I reverted back to my normal, human-like form and decided to use the astral plane to seize him. As soon as my body started to fall I touched my brooch, projecting myself into the ethereal realm.
Willing the force of gravity away, I took off toward the tower.
Appearing beside Leonidas, I lunged at him, engaging in a fierce astral battle. I went in and out of the astral plane, biting him when I could. The taste of his blood amplified my rage.
“Leonidas!” I shouted, trying to reason with him between attacks. “I don’t want to kill you! Join us! Help us defeat Ares and protect humanity!”
But my pleas fell on deaf ears, as Leonidas didn’t speak English. He responded with a furious roar, continuing to fight me with every ounce of his strength.
“Enough!” I snarled, my patience wearing thin. If I couldn’t reason with him, then I would have to incapacitate him some other way. I dodged another swing from his powerful fist before seizing an opening, grabbing his arm, and twisting it behind his back.
“Stop fighting me, damn it!” I growled.
But the Spartan warrior refused to yield. His pride, his loyalty to Ares, it all ran too deep.
With a swift and unexpected kick to my chest, Leonidas sent me flying off the tower. The force of his blow knocked the wind out of me, leaving me gasping for breath as I hurtled through the air. Panic surged through my veins as I reached for my brooch once more.
“Got to stop this fall,” I thought, willing away the force of gravity once more and charging into the astral plane. In an instant, I reappeared behind Leonidas on the Eiffel Tower.
“Your loyalty is misplaced!” I yelled, desperation lacing my voice. “Ares will destroy everything you hold dear!”
Leonidas turned to face me, his eyes filled with defiance. I felt the adrenaline from his blood coursing through me, fueling my own rage and determination.
“This isn’t Sparta!” I screamed, channeling every ounce of strength into a powerful kick aimed directly at his chest. My foot connected with a sickening thud, and Leonidas stumbled backward, losing his footing and plummeting from the tower.
“Take that, bitch.” I spat, my anger momentarily getting the better of me as I watched him fall.
But when Leonidas hit the ground below with a resounding crash, reality came crashing down on me as well. I had killed one of history’s greatest warriors. What had I done? The potential consequences of my actions unfolded in my mind like a nightmare.
I screwed with history. I messed up the timeline. There was no way to fix it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The wind whipped my hair around my face as I stood on the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower, gazing down at the chaos below. The metallic taste of Leonidas’ blood still lingered in my mouth, fueling my guilt and regret over killing him. How could I have allowed my rage to consume me like that? What would be the consequences of altering history so drastically?
I looked down and watched Zoey and Achilles work together to battle Ares amid the shattered cobblestones and flickering streetlights. Both were warriors from different eras, yet their combined skills seemed to be a match for the god of war himself.
I was torn. Could I come to their aid? They needed my help. At the same time, I didn’t trust myself. Not anymore. I’d fucked up—big time. Again. First with the whole attacking the portal in Alexandria debacle. Now this.
Snap out of it, Sienna! Dracula commanded. What’s done is done. You must help stop Ares.
My mind raced, trying to push aside the gnawing guilt long enough to focus on the task at hand. I couldn’t let my friends down, not when they were risking their lives to protect humanity from the supernatural threats that lurked in the shadows.
As I watched from above, Zoey skillfully manipulated the shadows around her, using them as both a shield and a weapon against Ares. Her movements were fluid and graceful, like a dancer moving through a macabre ballet. Achilles, on the other hand, charged headlong into the fray, his ancient bronze armor glinting beneath the dim glow of the streetlights. He was a force of nature, every swing of his sword a testament to his legendary strength and prowess.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself and fight!
Dracula's voice was filled with urgency. He was right. I couldn’t stand idly by while my friends risked their lives below.
“All right, I’m going,” I whispered, touching my brooch and stepping over the ledge. For a split second, I considered not using my brooch, just letting gravity put an end to me. I didn’t dwell on the thought. I wasn’t suicidal. I couldn’t screw up history and then leave my friends to try to fix my mistake alone.
As I floated down, the wind whipped around me and the city lights blurred together in a kaleidoscope of color. But my focus was on the battle unfolding below. Achilles had managed to land several punishing blows on the god of war, the impacts echoing through the streets like thunderclaps. Despite his injuries, Ares fought back with a ferocity that was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.
“Hey asshole!” I screamed. I was still a good hundred feet overhead. Ares turned toward me for a split second. It gave Achilles a chance to act.
Achilles roared, grappling with Ares and momentarily restraining him. “Zoey, now!” Zoey saw her chance and lunged forward, her scythe held high above her head. The air crackled with an electric charge as she swung it downward, the blade biting into Ares’ flesh with a sickening crunch.
The resulting blast of golden energy knocked everyone off their feet, the force of it rattling my bones. As the dust settled, Ares was gone. The sight of the mighty god’s fall was as surreal as it was sobering. Had we won? We beat Ares just in time for me to screw it up by killing a man…
I sure had a knack for doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.
All around the battlefield, warriors who had once stood against us now dropped their weapons in shock, their faces a mixture of terror and disbelief. Genghis Khan, Alaric the Visigoth, and Harald Hardrada were legends in their own right, yet they all genuflected before Athena, acknowledging her supremacy and the inherent power of the gods.
“Sienna, are you all right?” Zoey’s voice called out to me as I touched down near the group. She must have noticed the distress etched into my features.
“Zoey,” I began, my voice cracking with unshed tears, “I… I killed him. Leonidas. In a fit of rage, I… I tasted his blood, and something just… snapped.”
“Sienna.” Zoey’s eyes filled with sympathy. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out. Maybe it won’t change history all that much.”
“Maybe… but I can’t shake the feeling that we’ve done something irreversible,” I whispered, my gaze drifting back to the battlefield.
And as if on cue, Caligula, the mad emperor himself, danced maniacally among the kneeling warriors. His pristine white robes flowed around him as he did a spin, his face twisted into a grotesque grin. He seemed unfazed by Ares’ defeat and the submission of the others around him.
“By Jupiter!” he shouted gleefully. “What a spectacle! Bravo, bravo!”
His own guards, unnerved by his insanity and their loyalty shaken, exchanged uneasy glances before one stepped forward and plunged a sword through Caligula’s chest. The emperor’s laughter turned to choking gurgles as blood bubbled up from his mouth. His lifeless body crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
“Another change to the timeline,” I muttered, my heart sinking further. “How many more mistakes will we make?”
“Sienna,” Zoey began, reaching for my hand in reassurance.
Athena and Tyche appeared before our group, their expressions solemn. The goddess of wisdom looked particularly perturbed, her face contorted with anger.
“Caligula’s death has caused another problem with the timeline,” Athena reported, her voice tight with barely contained frustration. “This cannot be allowed to continue.”
Tyche, the goddess of fortune, raised a hand to her temple as if nursing a headache. “It seems that even with our guidance, you mortals are still prone to making mistakes.”
“It’s my fault.” I stepped forward and bowed my head in respect. “I screwed up.”
Athena huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I should have been the one to kill Ares,” she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. “He was my responsibility. Zoey should have been with you, dealing with Leonidas. This would not have happened if I had dealt with him myself.”
“Enough,” Tyche interjected, placing a calming hand on Athena’s shoulder. “We remain standing here, which means the timeline may still be salvageable.”
I tilted my head. “But how?”
“It seems that the Fates have determined to allow you a chance to fix your mistake. I cannot say how you can do it, but you must. They will not be patient for long. The world will change in front of us, in ways we cannot predict. You must fix this before you, too, are erased from history, or your lives are altered in ways you cannot anticipate.”
I swallowed hard, looking around at the faces of my friends and allies—Zoey, Achilles, and the rest. The weight of our actions loomed heavily over each of us, the consequences felt like chains we couldn’t escape.
I glanced back at the tower. In a split second, it faded out of existence. A large statue stood in its place. He looked like a giant bearded warlord.
“What in the name of the gods…”
“As I said,” Tyche continued. “Things are bound to change. The death of Caligula led to the emergence of Claudius, forced to the imperial throne by Caligula’s imperial guard after they executed him. If Claudius never became emperor, if a new dynasty emerged in Rome, the history of the entire world, especially Europe, will follow a new course.”
“But we’re still here…”
Tyche nodded. “For now.”
“What about our friends?” Zoey asked. “My daughter… everyone…”
Tyche shook her head. “There’s no way to know. However, if you can repair the timeline, somehow, you might just set things right again. Remember, fortune favors the bold.”
