[inter arma enim silent leges]
Dale's heart sank to her stomach. "What?"
Eli resisted a wince, meeting Dale's gaze sympathetically. "Do you really want me to repeat it?"
"There has to be another way," Reese insisted. "We can't just kill Chase!"
Dale sat down, suddenly feeling like she was having an out of body experience. Reese's and Eli's voices droned on around her, debating the how's and the why's of this twisted game; if they destroyed Typhon, they would kill Chase.
A shiver ran down Dale's spine at the thought. For the daughter of the goddess of life, she felt as if it was a sick curse to be witness to so many deaths in her lifetime.
At the thought, Dale caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye, and when she looked up, she wished she hadn't. Standing just behind Reese and Eli, feet away from Mark, was the ghost. She looked the same, wispy and elegant, just corporeal enough to be noticed but transparent enough that she went fuzzy from time to time. Haunting, nonetheless.
And she was looking right at Dale.
Dale's heart stopped. She forced herself to her feet, eyes still locked on the ghost.
"Enough," Dale said, her voice gravelly. She cleared her throat, hoping to rid the feeling like she'd been choked from it. "There's no discussing this."
Eli blinked, gaping at Dale. "B-but—"
"Eli," Dale asserted. "We will find another way. We can defeat Typhon without killing Chase."
"If you have another idea, I'd love to hear it," Eli said. "I don't like it either, Dale, but that's what we're looking at."
"We'll find another way," Dale repeated. She glanced at Mark and Reese, standing nearby, watching her carefully. The ghost nearby appeared to smile, and then dissolved into shadows.
Before anyone could protest, a blur of movement raised everyone's attention to the windows. Sprinting past Nectar & Ambrosia and through the front door were Jesse Argent, Bianca Windsor, and Orpheus Spencer. They were all out of breath, panting from beneath their armor as they stumbled into the base.
"Oh," Bianca wheezed, her hands on her knees. "You're all here."
"Bianca," Reese asked, walking towards her. "The hell happened?"
The daughter of Aphrodite shut her eyes, catching her breath. She waved her hand at the two boys flanking her on either side, similarly tired. "Ask them."
"Boys," Reese boomed. "Status report."
Jesse Argent straightened up, blowing out one final exhale as he regarded Reese. Seeing Jesse in action was always mind-numbing for Dale; just a few months ago, he'd been one of the sole survivors of an attack by the Masks. He'd been cautious ever since, but apparently, going to war was enough to get him fighting again.
"We were on patrol, and we found a group of Menoetious' goons." Jesse began.
"Did you engage?" Dale asked, alarmed.
Jesse shook his head, brushing back his dark hair. "There was no need to."
"What do you mean?" Mark furrowed his eyebrows, getting to his feet.
Jesse took a deep breath, his eyes pinned on some point along the horizon, as if he was trying to relive the encounter. "They gave us a message. They said that Menoetious wants to meet with you all tonight at midnight. Unarmed. They said that he has something you'd want."
"Like what?" Mark scoffed. "A peace treaty?"
Dale ignored Mark's comment, although it was wishful thinking. She snagged Jesse's attention. "Did they say anything else? Did they do anything else?"
Jesse shook his head. "No. It was weird."
"They seemed to come in peace," Orpheus chimed from where he'd slumped into a booth seat. "So maybe this is a good sign?"
"Or a trap," Reese muttered, setting his jaw. When Reese got to deliberating, he looked scarily like The Thinker, save the classic pose. "Get the next patrol group out while you guys rest. I'm going to go tell Tessa."
"Think she'll go through with it?" Dale asked.
Reese crossed over to the elevator, hitting the button. "It's Tessa," He said, slipping inside. "She'll have to."
--
Being unarmed felt a lot like being naked to Dale. Especially as of recent. But according to Menoetious' demands, they would meet with him unarmed or they would not meet at all.
Dale cast a wary look out at the streetfronts, still teeming with people this late at night. New York might have been an unwilling battleground, but the mortals still seemed to go about their daily lives as recklessly and fearlessly as they would any other day. The city that never slept did not relent either.
"It's like they don't even know," Mark chimed, materializing beside Dale.
Dale snorted, shooting Mark a look. "More like they do know, they just don't care."
"Or that," Mark conceded. "That works too."
A ghost of a smile laced itself onto Dale's lips as she regarded the group with her. Jesse, Bianca, and Orpheus were leading the way, considering they had the location. Reese was a step behind, as if being unarmed did not mean he could not be vigilant; he scanned the sidewalks and streets as if waiting for an ambush. Eli was keeping up, an absent look on his face as he trudged down the city streets. Bringing up the rear were Kaden and Tessa, conversing in hushed tones. Despite being wounded, Kaden had insisted he come along—once he woke up, that was. Tessa, on the other hand, had accepted Menoetious' offer eagerly.
"In other news," Dale began, tearing her gaze from Tessa. "Are Kaden and Tessa back together?"
Mark scoffed. "Did you not see them practically make out at Ben and—" Mark cut himself off, clearing his throat. "I think they're together whether they realize it or not. If the Fates want two people to be together, they'll make it happen."
Mark went silent at that, and Dale noticed. She took in Mark's distant expression, how his eyes seemed to darken despite the lights of Manhattan blinking around him.
"Hey," Dale nudged Mark, snapping him out of his reverie. "We'll get her back."
Mark went rigid. "It's not just that, it's..." He drew out a sigh. "Dale, I've been having these...visions."
Dale raised an eyebrow. "Visions? What about?"
Mark dragged a hand through his hair. "Just...the future, I guess. What could happen if Menoetious gets his way."
"All hell would break loose," Dale offered.
"Exactly," Mark said. "But, it's just jarring to think about. So many people have been taken already. So many more might have yet to die. What separates them from me? From you? From them?" He gestured to the others walking around them.
Dale pursed her lips, unsure of what to say. This war had been different than the others, she could feel that as clearly as she could feel a temperature shift when she walked into a different room. Menoetious had made it clear that he'd arranged everything to happen as it did in order to wake him, to give him the strength he needed to wage this war. But still. So much could happen, and would he have planned it? Would Dale and her friends be able to stop it?
"We can't predict the future," Dale decided, her words soft. "But we can focus on what's ahead of us now. This meeting could end the war entirely."
Mark scoffed. "The day Menoetious decides to sign a peace treaty is the day I retire."
"Well, that would just be ironic," Dale observed. She earned a laugh out of Mark, but it stopped as soon as it had started.
The group had come to a halt at Central Park. Whereas during the day, Central Park was crowded with residents of New York and tourists alike, it was populated by next to no one this late at night. Well, no one worth knowing, anyway.
The eight of them slowly made their way down one of the illuminated paths and Dale resisted a shiver down her spine. The streetlamps cast an eerie yellow light on the path, distorting the shadows and making them stretch. Anything could jump out at them now, and they'd be unarmed to stop it.
Slowly, Dale pulled a hand from her jacket pocket, wiggling her fingers ever so slightly. As if receiving a wakeup call, the greenery surrounding her latched onto her senses. Dale became hyperaware of every piece of plant life in the area, as well as anything surrounding it. So when she caught a movement about twenty yards out, she didn't let it slide.
"Someone's coming," Dale warned, and the group slowed to a stop. Instinctually, everyone reached for weapons that weren't there and assembled into as close a battle formation as possible.
Footsteps pierced the silence that had cast around them and it wasn't long until three figures emerged from the shadows. They slowed to a stop beneath the nearest streetlamp, the harsh beams illuminating the face of Menoetious, flanked by two figures with bags over their heads.
Dale's heart stopped, and she bit back a curse at not being armed. Who were they to meet the demands of a maniacal Titan when he had two hostages at his beck and call?
"I see you obeyed my wishes," Menoetious said by way of greeting. He nodded at the group. "Good evening, everyone."
Tessa stepped forward, forcing Jesse, Bianca, Orpheus, and Reese to part for her. She raised her chin at Menoetious, her hands at either side. "What do you want?"
"Quick to the point, aren't you, Tessa?" Menoetious remarked, a grim smirk on his face. "Nonetheless, I am willing to make a trade with you all."
"State your terms," Kaden insisted. His emerald eyes flicked towards the hostages on either side of Menoetious, as if trying to determine who they were from beneath the bags on their heads.
Menoetious cast his gaze over the buildings of New York City surrounding Central Park, a wistful look on his face. "Such a beautiful city, isn't it? Such a shame that you all have reduced it to a battleground." He sighed, turning his attention back to them. "I am willing to return two of your people to your care, as well as halt the bloodshed in exchange for your cooperation."
Dale made a face. "Cooperation for what?"
"Why would we condone any more of your heinous acts?" Reese rebuffed.
"Now, now," Menoetious spread his hands placatingly. "Let's not make accusations, children. I don't need your cooperation. I need hers." He pointed to Tessa.
Tessa released a single, wry laugh. "Never in a million years."
"Your people would be safe," Menoetious said. "Your cooperation would not endanger one half-blood life."
"But you expect me to condone the endangerment of mortal lives? Innocent lives?" Tessa spat, venom in her voice. "Absolutely not."
Tension was growing between the two, like a rift beginning to cleave its way through the earth at their feet. Something about this didn't feel right to Dale; she sent out another wave of feelers, but she couldn't find anything abnormal. Still, that didn't stop her from maintaining her control on the plant life, carefully making the branches of the trees nearby grow a little bigger, a little longer, in case things headed south.
Menoetious' eyes gleamed with a wicked light. He glanced at the hostages flanking him on either side, set his jaw, and thrust them forward. "Take them. They're spies and thieves."
For a moment, no one moved. The hostages remained on their knees, but a flicker of movement caught Dale's eye. Their hands were bound, but one finger was pointing to the shadows beyond as subtly and frantically as possible. Dale furrowed her brow and followed where the finger was pointing but was met with nothing but shadows.
She sent a feeler towards the shadows and felt her heart sink to her stomach. She turned back to the hostages, where Orpheus Spencer was approaching with the intent of bringing the hostages to their side.
Dale didn't have time to scream before the arrow fired from the hidden archer in the shadows and pierced through Orpheus' shoulder. Another arrow found a chink in his armor, then another. He staggered to his knees and collapsed.
A volley of arrows flew towards them and Dale sent out her energy to the surrounding wildlife. In a swift flourish, Dale brought her arms back to her chest, and the nature responded to her will. A barrier of greenery and bark encroached around her and her friends, deflecting the arrows as they landed.
"I knew this was a trap!" Mark exclaimed.
Dale gritted her teeth as she held the barrier, shooting Mark a look. "Not...now!" She jerked her head over to where Orpheus was lying. "Help him!"
Mark dropped to Orpheus' side, aiding Kaden and Jesse in ridding him of his armor. It seemed that he was still alive, just barely.
"Dale, drop the barrier," Tessa commanded. "We need to go after him!"
"No!" Dale refuted. "He's probably long gone by now." She took a deep breath as the arrows kept hitting the barrier with resounding thumps. "We need to get back to the base."
"Where are the hostages?" Tessa asked.
Dale risked a lapse of concentration to search the interior of the barrier. Thankfully, she hadn't excluded them from its safety. They were huddled along the far side of the barrier, trying all they could to rid themselves of their bonds.
"Bianca," Dale called. The redheaded daughter of Aphrodite sprang up from where she was kneeling. "Free the hostages."
Bianca nodded and hurried to where the hostages were sitting.
"We can't just sit here and wait for the barrier to break, Dale, because it will," Tessa said. "We need a plan."
"I'm open to suggestions!" Dale ground out as she supplied the barrier with more energy. Tessa was right, though. She could feel the barrier's integrity beginning to weaken; five more minutes of this would cause the would to splinter and the brush to give way. They needed to act now.
A hand rested on Dale's shoulder, and when she looked up, she found Eli Allistairs setting his jaw, staring resolutely at the barrier. "Lower the barrier, Dale. I've got this under control."
Tessa lit up, then halted, as if she wasn't sure. "Eli, are you—"
"Yes," Eli rebuffed. He gave Tessa a lingering glance. "It's our only chance right now."
Tessa looked between Dale and Eli, as if waiting for another alternative to materialize between them. However, they were stuck between a rock and a hard place; the only direction was out.
"Fine," Tessa relented. "On my count."
Dale braced herself, willing the barrier to hold just that much longer.
"One."
Eli took a deep breath, cracking his knuckles.
"Two."
The barrier began to crack, dissolving into ivy green energy.
"Three!"
At once, Dale willed the barrier to disappear, forcing the shards of its remains outward as Eli surged forward, hands outstretched. Dale's projectiles took out a good chunk of the archers, but as for the rest, they soon found themselves writhing on the ground, crying out in pain.
Eli flexed his hands, his fingers taut like those of a puppetmaster's. His icy blue eyes seemed to glow with nuclear energy, and the veins in his temples and neck were straining against his skin.
As the child of Ahklys, Eli had control over poisons, which allowed him to inflict a torturous, burning feeling into his enemies. Their blood would raise in its acidity, turning to poison in their veins as their muscles deteriorated. Only, the torture he inflicted onto his enemies was reciprocated onto him as well.
"Eli!" Tessa called when the last of the archers had collapsed. "That's enough."
Eli lowered his hands, stumbling a bit. Mark surged forward, supporting him. "We should head back."
Tessa fixed Mark with a pleading look. "Orpheus?"
Mark's face darkened. He merely shook his head.
Tessa drew out a breath, the light leaving her eyes. "Okay. Let's head back to the base and see to his burial." With that, she walked off.
Dale nodded. She swept a flyway strand of hair out of her face, searching for Bianca and the hostages. When she saw them, she halted.
Bianca had freed the hostages, all right. So, when Lukas Abbott and Adhara Wren got to their feet, looking every part the tortured prisoner save the devilish smiles on their face, a silence fell upon the group.
"Hey, everyone," Lukas beamed. "Miss us?"
~~
For having been hostages in a time of war, Lukas and Adhara were in surprisingly good moods. As they arrived back at Nectar & Ambrosia, they hardly even attended to the wounds dotting their bodies, no matter how much Ms. Hale insisted it. They were chipper and energetic, as if they'd planned for this to happen.
"So tell us one more time," Reese said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "How are you both still alive?"
Adhara tilted her head to one side, her raven hair tumbling down her shoulders. "Not happy to see us?"
Dale shot Adhara a warning look, but the daughter of Nemesis merely winked at her playfully.
Lukas set down his drink, smacking his lips. "You see, Adhara and I were on different missions. I was looking for the stolen artifacts; she was looking for her own answers. Our paths intertwined, of course, because we were caught. But not before we found what we needed."
"You found the missing artifacts?" Tessa asked, eyes wide from where she leant against the counter.
"One of them," Lukas shuffled around in his pockets. He pulled out a small burgundy burlap sack and tossed it to Kaden, the closest person to him. Kaden caught it, tugged open the sack, and pulled out its contents: a beautiful golden necklace, embellished with shimmering citrines the size of apricots and dripping with tiny sapphires and aquamarines.
"That, my friends," Lukas folded his arms across his chest, looking smug. "is the Necklace of Harmonia."
Upon speaking its name, the necklace appeared to glow, taunting them all to try it on, despite the strife it would bring to its wearer. It was a curse: to appear beautiful and young for seemingly forever until strife and struggle tore your life apart before your eyes.
Kaden quickly poured the necklace back into the sack, tying it shut. "How'd you find it?"
Lukas waved a hand. "That's not important. What is important is that they've moved the rest of their artifacts, and I know where to find them."
"Do tell," Mark said.
Lukas sighed, drumming his fingers along the top of the table. "That's the tricky thing. They were being held in a vault at Cartier, but after I caught the necklace, he ordered the rest of the artifacts to be moved to their base on Wall Street. It's heavily fortified by his soldiers. Had he not offered me up as bait, I wouldn't have gotten out alive."
Tessa straightened up. "Wall Street?"
"Yeah, why?" Lukas asked.
"Those were Matthew Baines' last words," Tessa rattled, visibly getting more excited. "Of course! He was directing us to Menotious' base. That's where they're keeping the artifacts, and the information on Operation: Tempest!"
"Operation: Tempest?" Adhara wrinkled her nose. "How on the nose."
"Exactly," Tessa pointed at her. She turned to the rest of the group. "We need a battle strategy, quick."
"Woah, Tessa, calm your jets," Lukas said. "You can't just waltz in there."
"We've done raids before," Tessa countered. "This will be no different."
"Oh, but it will be," came Adhara's musing voice. All eyes averted to her, checking her nails. Upon sensing everyone's attention on her, she looked up. "Oh. Right. I have information on this too."
"Hara, what'd you find?" Mark asked, eyes eager.
Adhara shot Mark a warning look, but Dale resisted a smile at seeing Adhara fight away her own at the nickname. She cleared her throat. "As you all might know, I've been doing some more...research of my own into some strange occurrences. It is my belief that the Great Prophecy has changed, and it will be set in stone should you march on Wall Street."
"How can the Great Prophecy change?" Reese asked. "It was given to Tessa in Delphi by the Oracle herself."
Adhara pursed her lips. "If the Fates will something to change, it shall. Menoetious may have predicted how events will play out, but he could not account for the way the powers that be affect their consequences." She cleared her throat again. "The prophecy as I received it...it's chilling."
"What does it predict?" Kaden asked.
Adhara shut her eyes. "The sun erupts, in pillars of fire. The earth destroyed, in moments dire. The seas claim the innocent, dragged to the deep. With love left behind, hell to reap. But as heroes divided, no peace shall remain. Accept thy darkness, accept thy name."
A hush fell upon the room. Dale glanced around the room, at the faces of her friends as they deliberated over Adhara's words.
"The changing of the Prophecy has stirred old forces and new, and should you raid Menoetious' lair, it will come to pass." Adhara warned.
"What does it even mean?" Dale asked.
Adhara shrugged. "That is where our next bit of information comes in." She looked to Lukas. "Take it away."
Lukas sighed, getting to his feet. "Back to the stolen objects—the Necklace, the Sword, and Ariadne's string—Menoetious stole them for their power. Considering that they were cursed, or promised power, they would wreak violence, inherently feeding Menoetious' own power reserves. However, there's another set of objects, one that only Menoetious himself knows the locations and powers of, called the Forsaken."
"The Forsaken?" Mark echoed. "That sounds nice."
Lukas made a face. "Exactly. The Forsaken are a group of objects cursed by Menoetious himself. We think that the objects are connected to the change in the prophecy." He glanced at Adhara. "But we can't determine what they are."
"Well, that's just great," Tessa slumped into a bar stool. "How do we interpret a prophecy no one but Menoetious knows about?"
"We catch him off guard," Kaden offered. "If we do this raid, it'll seal the prophecy, but we could find the information we need to prevent its passing."
Dale nodded. "If the prophecy changed once, who says we can't change it again?"
Adhara shook her head. "I'm telling you all now. If you raid Wall Street, there is no coming back from it." Her eyes seemed to gravitate towards Tessa. "Your choices will be irreversible."
Tessa arched an eyebrow but held a neutral expression. "We're left with no other choice. Typhon is getting closer to New York, and Menoetious will have the energy he needs to finish his plans once and for all. This could be our only opportunity to get the upper hand and end this war." She got to her feet. "Someone alert Camp Jupiter. We will march on Wall Street within the next twenty-four hours. This war ends now."
With that, everyone scattered. Tessa, Reese, Kaden, and Lukas began discussing strategy. Bianca and Jesse, who'd been hovering nearby, tore out into the night in pursuit of the Romans. Mark surged towards Adhara, who blitzed past him towards the elevator. Ms. Hale took the Necklace of Harmonia at Lukas' passing behest, holding it like a bomb as she carried it away. It wasn't long until Dale was the only person left in the café, Dale and the ghosts of her past threatening her from beyond the grave.