Cursed [malexmale]

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

"Oh shit." I breathed, stepping back and plopping down on the bed, gripping the bedpost for support to avoid melting to the floor. I couldn't even focus on the rest of Hannibal's conversation with Akin, not that it was any good news, I'm sure.

Atlan has the power to destroy other gods. How was that possible? I knew he could destroy the Khalian without rupturing the Source now, because we were part of him and the Source had already deemed us unfit to live in this world the day we struck our bargain. However, this was a whole different game. There was a huge difference between destroying a god and just dropping a god into a prison in the Source. Atlan could completely wipe out the other pantheons and become what the other gods had feared.

An omni-god. Omnipotent and omniscient.

Not to mention, he'd completely destroy the meaning of the world polytheistic.

The balance would be thrown off and the Source would resort to one final act to save itself and its creations.

Total destruction of space and time.

Everything would be gone. It would destroy everything.

And Atlan was just the kind of person to think he could outrun it.

"Akin's alerting Hades," Hannibal said as I managed to tune back in to see him sitting on the bed beside me, looking grim, "It sounds like this might be serious enough for Hades to actually come to Olympus."

"That's not a good idea," I muttered, "First of all, putting Hades and Zeus in the same room, let alone the same realm, is just asking for violence. Second of all, having all these powerful gods in one place? If Hades comes, what if Xenon comes? If he does that, Atlan will have all the pieces he wants in one spot. He got into Olympus once and he can do it again, and with Hades's spell, he can kill any god who gets in his way. Hannibal... Things don't really look pleasant for us right now." Hannibal nodded in bitter agreement, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees, hands folded together tightly before he drew his thumbs up to push against his chin thoughtfully.

"We need to get that spell."

"We don't even know where Atlan is hiding. Not even I can pick up on his signature. Hannibal, he snuck right up behind me and I didn't even know. He's gotten stronger since he's killed the other Khalian. If he kills Teslius, he might get even stronger. And there's no way we can send you after him. That would be stupidity."

Hannibal still seemed to be thinking hard, brows knitted together in a stern frown, jaw shifting as if he were grinding his teeth.

I sighed and glanced over at the digital clock sitting on his nightstand.

"It's getting close to sunset. We have a meeting with the other gods. Can we really trust Aphrodite enough?"

"To be honest," Hannibal said slowly, sitting up to look at me, "We really can't trust anyone. But that's just me... And unfortunately, if Hades shows up, the meeting may no longer consist of just the sane gods." As if on cue, a powerful sonic boom pulsed through the air, stealing my breath away in a sharp intake of breath and Hannibal actually winced, rubbing at his chest.

I recognized that power anywhere.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." The look on Hannibal's face concurred. We got up and walked out just as Menoetius and Arikos were coming down the hallway toward us.

"Did you feel that?" Arikos asked, expression dark. Hannibal nodded and Menoetius looked surprisingly calm about the whole thing.

"I think this is our cue to crash the party," he said. We exchanged solemn stares before teleporting as a group from Apollo's temple to the source of Hades's power that was crackling through the air, and seconds later, the sky darkened overhead and rumbled with thunder to indicate Zeus had met with Hades.