The Unbreakable Sword: The Complete Series

By S. M. Schmitz

Shadows of the Gods

As a powerful demigod, Selena has been running from the gods who control the government agency, the New Pantheon, for the past three years, but now, they’ve caught up to her. 

When they trap Selena in an alleyway in New Orleans, she is ready to admit defeat. But an unfamiliar demigod rescues her, and the more she learns about Cameron, the more she discovers their common bonds may be the key to unraveling her own mysterious history. 

In the first book of The Unbreakable Sword series, Selena and Cameron must not only evade the New Pantheon, which is ruthlessly hunting the remaining gods and their descendants, but an angry Aztec god that wants Selena’s power to himself. And they will discover in the impending final battle of the gods, no one can be trusted.

Cities of the Gods

As Cameron and Selena learn more about their ancestry, they discover that by connecting to their pasts, they are already becoming more powerful. But Cameron refuses to consider a future on the pantheon of the Tuatha Dé, and Selena cannot imagine a future without it.

Meanwhile, their secret has been revealed to all, and it’s no longer just the New Pantheon they have to evade. The Norse know the prophecy that ties Selena to the future of their enemies, and the easiest way to defeat them is by killing her. But the Otherworld remains the prized treasure for all of the gods, and one outcast in particular has set his sights on overthrowing the Irish on the eve of Samhain.

In the second book of The Unbreakable Sword series, Selena will be faced with the possibility of the Tuatha Dé losing the Otherworld, as well as losing her friendship with Cameron as their desires for different futures threaten to tear them apart. And if Cameron refuses to join her on the Irish pantheon, whom can she really trust amongst the gods? 

Treasures of the Gods

Time is running out for Cameron and Selena to find the Unbreakable Sword and Nuada’s heir before the Norse lead a devastating war against the Tuatha Dé for control of the Otherworld. But ever since Cameron took the Spear and became the next sun god, new threats keep emerging: one from a Persian god and one from Cameron himself.

In their quest to find the Sword, Selena is confronted with the uncomfortable realization that Ukko might not be as evil as she’d always believed, but he’s clearly no ally either, so where does that leave the New Pantheon? And worse still, when presented with the truth about Alan’s deception, she discovers that some afflictions of the heart are far worse than just having it broken.

In the third book of The Unbreakable Sword series, Cameron and Selena must find Nuada’s Sword, but if Cameron can’t learn how to be a god himself, none of the Treasures of the Gods will matter. 

Battle of the Gods

Cameron and Selena must find Nuada’s heir before the war begins, but Mithra and an Aztec god have complicated their mission. And finding the Tuatha Dé’s next ruler and combatting gods who want them dead aren’t the only problems facing the young couple; they also must find themselves. As those whisperings of familiarity grow stronger and Badb continues to insist she can’t interfere with their destinies, Cameron and Selena realize they are on their own to reclaim their lives.

In the final book of The Unbreakable Sword series, Cameron and Selena’s journey to protect the Otherworld will come to an end. But as they will learn, in their new world, nothing is ever as it seems and in the Battle of the Gods, old rivalries and new alliances will be tested.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S. M. Schmitz
• Release date: Dec 31, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386774846

Book preview

The Unbreakable Sword

The Unbreakable Sword

The Complete Series

S.M. Schmitz

Contents

Volume 1

Shadows of the Gods

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Also by S.M. Schmitz

Volume 2

Cities of the Gods

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Also by S.M. Schmitz

Volume 3

Treasures of the Gods

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Also by S.M. Schmitz

Volume 4

Battle of the Gods

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Afterword

Also by S.M. Schmitz

Volume One

Shadows of the Gods © 2016, S.M. Schmitz

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All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

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Chapter One

Selena hid in the shadows of a nearby building as the men who had been chasing her for three days now rounded the corner of the street and weaved through the bodies on the crowded sidewalk. She retreated farther into the alleyway, but she had nowhere else to go. She couldn’t block them from finding her. She had heard that some people could do that, but she’d never learned how. Besides, she was exhausted and was concentrating on just trying to stay upright. She hadn’t slept in almost three days .

The conversations of pedestrians buzzed past her as people, ordinary people, normal people who had been allowed to have normal childhoods and normal lives, excitedly walked toward the nearby nightclub. Selena had no idea what time it was; she guessed it was getting close to midnight already, and yet, the popular club was still attracting swarms of friends and lovers and singles hoping to find some other normal person to hook up with. She envied them, even the lonely men and women looking to go home with someone for just one night.

She’d never had a one-night stand. She couldn’t touch anyone she didn’t trust.

Selena glimpsed the blonde hair of the tallest man who had been pursuing her. The man looked in her direction. He’d sensed her. It wouldn’t be long now, and her twenty-six years of trying to hide from them, trying to avoid becoming one of them, would be over, all because she’d been stupid enough to trust the wrong person. She whimpered softly to herself as she backed against the building’s wall and waited for them.

A strong, firm arm wrapped around her and what felt like a gloved hand covered her mouth. She wanted to scream but she was too scared; she hadn’t seen anyone in this alleyway. She was so sure it had been empty when she ran into it to hide. A man’s voice whispered in her ear, Be quiet if you want my help. Otherwise, I’ll let them take you.

Selena’s heart raced as she considered her options. She had no idea who was behind her, but he must know who was following her and why, which meant he was most likely not completely human either. He may be trying to escape them as well or worked with them and was trying to trick her. Regardless, they were going to catch her, so she decided to accept his help. She nodded to acknowledge she’d cooperate with him just as the five men appeared on the sidewalk in front of them.

"Who the hell are you?" the blonde man asked. Selena assumed he was asking the guy behind her because they already knew who she was.

There are a lot of people around you. Willing to kill them just to get to her? the man replied. He moved his hand away from Selena’s mouth, but his other hand held onto her arm. He pulled her farther back into the alleyway, which was barricaded by a large dumpster and the back of another building. Selena was far more concerned with where the hell he thought they were going than who he was at the moment.

A masked man saving a damsel in distress, the blonde man said smiling. How utterly superhero-ish.

Masked? Selena glanced over her shoulder, half expecting to see Spiderman attempting to rescue her, which actually would have been handy considering they could use a magical ability to shoot spider webs and escape right about now, but the man behind her was dressed nothing like Spiderman. He looked like he’d gone AWOL from the Navy SEALs, not like he’d stepped from the pages of a Marvel comic book.

Great. A rogue special ops soldier wouldn’t do her any good now, and it was feasible he was just a human who had decided he didn’t like what these gods and demigods were doing.

I’m only going to ask you one more time, the maybe-a-human-soldier said. Are you really willing to let innocent people get killed over this woman?

The blonde man shrugged. Apparently, you are.

True, but I don’t work for a government agency that pretends to protect this country or its people.

Wait, Selena interrupted. "I’m not willing to let anyone die."

Both men ignored her.

Typical.

The blonde man shifted his gaze to the brick wall beside them and Selena only had time to gasp and duck before the wall exploded into fragments of brick and mortar that rained heavily on them. The man who still held her arm pulled her closer and covered her with his own body. She whimpered again because she’d witnessed what this blonde man could do, what his accomplices could do, and they apparently lacked her moral compass. And the man who was trying to help her would die for her.

Well, the man murmured in her ear, that was considerate of him. There’s a hole in the wall now. Let’s go.

Selena had a dozen reasons that was an incredibly stupid idea, starting with the fact that the damn building was on fire, but he tightened his arms around her and lifted her from the ground. She heard the blonde man yelling at him as the man in the black mask jumped through the burning hole and into the night club that was being evacuated.

He set her down and pulled on her arm, and she blinked stupidly at the fiery wreckage behind them. She had no idea if any of the other guys out there could safely jump through fire. She had no idea how she hadn’t been burned. She had no idea how her rescuer hadn’t been burned either.

The ear piercing wailing of the fire alarm inside the nightclub combined with the thick smoke made her feel like all of her senses were turned off. She couldn’t even think properly anymore. As he dragged her farther through the nightclub toward the rear exit where a long line of panicked people were pressing through the narrow doors, she stumbled and coughed and her head threatened to split open.

He pushed through the crowd and they tumbled into the fresh, cool night air. Selena inhaled deep breaths and coughed again. He pulled on her arm and kept her walking.

They won’t be far behind us. We can’t stop.

"I can’t… breathe," Selena protested.

You’ll have to.

Selena glanced over her shoulder to try to spot the men who had been following her. She groaned when she saw the tall blonde man’s head, bobbing and winding through the stunned crowd from the club.

Don’t worry, the man said. My car’s not too far.

"Your car? Selena panted. Batmobile?"

The man turned his head toward her, but the lenses in his mask didn’t allow her to see his eyes. She had no idea if he was angry or amused.

I wish, he finally responded.

Me, too, Selena muttered.

Selena saw the lights on what appeared to be a dark blue Volkswagen blink then the man stopped and opened the passenger door. She wanted to ask him if he was serious. She was really getting rescued by a mysterious masked stranger who drove a Jetta?

She wasn’t stupid though. She’d wait until she was far away from the five men who were trying to kidnap her before letting him know he should upgrade his sedan for a Batmobile. Or at the very least, something cool enough to warrant running around New Orleans dressed like Snake Eyes rescuing people: something like a Porsche.

Selena twisted around in her seat and watched the retreating crowd behind them; the men who were trying to abduct her would follow them. They had to have seen what kind of car they’d gotten into and they wouldn’t be far behind.

They, at least, lived up to their stereotypes. She would recognize their black van with illegally dark tinted windows anywhere. She’d been trying to escape it for three years now.

Her rescuer turned onto Tchoupitoulas and headed toward the interstate.

Where are we going? Selena asked.

I-10.

Selena sighed and rubbed her eyes that still burned from the smoke inside the nightclub. East, west? What city? Why?

West. No city, provided they don’t follow us.

What’s your name?

The man kept driving and didn’t answer her. Selena sighed again.

Fine, she said. Then I’m calling you Bruce Wayne.

Bruce shrugged. Wish I had his money.

Don’t we all, she responded.

Yeah, then I could build a Batmobile.

Well, Selena yawned, I wasn’t going to say anything, but a superhero probably shouldn’t be driving a Jetta.

Bruce shrugged again. I never said I’m a superhero.

Then why are you dressed like one? Sort of. Actually, you remind me more of Snake Eyes.

Bruce glanced at her, or at least turned his head in her direction, before facing toward the interstate again. Snake Eyes? Who the hell is that?

"From G.I. Joe. Dude, do you live under a rock?" Selena retorted.

Bruce shook his head. Never read that one.

"I’ve never read them either, but I’ve still heard of him."

I’ll look him up.

Selena couldn’t tell, but he sounded like he was smiling.

The mask is creeping me out, she admitted.

Too bad.

How can you even see where you’re driving?

Lenses have image intensification.

They have what? Selena yawned again.

Night vision, Bruce sighed.

You could have just said that.

I did.

Selena turned in her seat again but all she could see were the yellow headlights of occasional cars. If the blonde man and his men had followed them, she couldn’t tell. "Does your image intensification allow you to see if there’s a black van behind us?"

Bruce shook his head. No, but I’m sure they’re back there somewhere.

God, she groaned.

Which one? Bruce asked, and he sounded like he was smiling again.

Don’t know, Selena mumbled, resting her head against the back of the seat. I have no idea who I’m related to.

Bruce was quiet for a long time as they drove westward, and she’d almost fallen asleep when his voice surprised her and her eyes snapped open. Me either.

Selena inhaled sharply and sat up. He was a demigod then, and not only that, but one who was as severed from his past as she was from hers. Everyone I’ve ever met who’s like us tells me that’s why I can’t control it better. If I knew my ancestry, if I were connected to it, I’d be stronger.

"What is your gift?" he asked.

Selena bit her lip and studied his dark profile. The last time she’d been completely honest and trusted someone with this knowledge, he’d betrayed her and she’d been running from the consequences since.

I’m telekinetic, she finally said.

All this trouble for someone who’s telekinetic? They’ve got to have a hundred demigods who are telekinetic.

Well, Selena responded, "what is your gift? Other than suddenly appearing behind damsels in distress, scaring the shit out of them, but admittedly saving them from a fate they don’t want."

You haven’t already figured it out? he asked.

Selena thought back to the burning wall, how he’d jumped through flames yet neither of them had been burned. She shook her head slowly. Even firestarters wouldn’t have been able to protect me from flames.

No, he agreed. But I’ve never met a firestarter who can control a fire once it’s ignited.

A sun god, Selena breathed.

Bruce glanced in her direction again but didn’t confirm her suspicion that he was either a sun god or descended from one, and most likely not just any sun god. His lineage must come directly from a major pantheon or his power would be the same as any other firestarter they’d met – able to create fires from nothing but unable to control it once they set it free.

And you’re no ordinary telekinetic, Bruce said. They wouldn’t go through so much trouble for you if that’s all you could do.

Says the man hiding behind a mask, Selena snapped.

Bruce seemed to think about it for a few seconds then shrugged. Fair enough.

Selena put her head back on the seat and watched the dark interstate stretch endlessly before them. She had no idea where her real-life Batman was taking her, but as long as she wasn’t in the back of their van where she’d be forced to assume a role in a modern-day pantheon of deities who were willing to hurt and kill others under the illusion they were working with the Americans to protect this country, she didn’t care. She’d rather die in Gotham than live in a world that would insist she keep humans alive just so they could be tortured indefinitely. But with no ties to her pantheon, with no knowledge of her ancestry, Selena was on her own, and she couldn’t hide from them forever.

Chapter Two

Selena awoke when the car stopped, and she rubbed her eyes and looked around the darkness surrounding her as she tried to place where she was and who she was with. The dark profile in the driver’s seat startled her at first until she remembered the sun god who refused to tell her his real name, let alone take off his mask or gloves .

The world outside the car was just as dark and unfamiliar though. They definitely weren’t in a city. There were no streetlights and the light reflecting from the waning moon did little to penetrate this much blackness.

Where are we? she asked.

Bruce turned off the ignition and reached into his backseat, pulling out a backpack that didn’t look worthy of Batman either. He really needed to step up his game.

Atchafalaya Basin. That’s my camp up there.

Selena peered through the windshield, but she didn’t have image intensification lenses. She saw nothing but more darkness.

I’m not actually from Louisiana, Selena admitted. I just ended up in New Orleans trying to run from those guys. The Atchafawhatever means nothing to me.

It’s a huge basin with thousands of camps scattered throughout the waterways. Nobody followed us off the interstate. Unless one of those men has psychic powers that can pinpoint a particular person from miles away, we’ll be safe here for a while.

Selena sighed and opened her car door as Bruce climbed out of his Jetta. "One of them is psychic. That’s how they’ve been able to find me no matter where I went."

She followed Bruce toward a small building that didn’t look nearly as rustic as she’d imagined. She held out hope it would have running water and a functioning bathroom. Bruce unlocked the door and motioned her inside.

Hurry. Unless your telekinesis works well enough to keep mosquitoes away.

"I don’t think anyone has powers that great," Selena said. She hurried through the open door.

Bruce locked it behind them then nodded toward the back. There was only one short hallway, a small kitchenette to her right, and a small living room where they both stood now. You can sleep in the bedroom in the back. The door on the left is the bathroom. I’m a light sleeper, so don’t try to kill me in my sleep.

Selena blinked at him. Is that a joke?

Depends. Are you going to try to kill me in my sleep?

Depends, Selena retorted. You have anything here worth stealing? I’m thinking a Jetta isn’t really worth the trouble of committing murder.

Bruce nodded and told her it wasn’t even paid for yet. She smiled at him and shook her head. All right then, Bruce Wayne. You’ll live through the night.

If it were paid for, I wouldn’t though, right? he asked.

Selena shrugged. I’ve always liked German cars. You’re just lucky it’s not a Porsche.

"Actually, if I were lucky, it would be a Porsche."

Selena snickered and eyed the dark fabric that covered his entire body. Whatever he was hiding, she wondered if it were as troublesome as her own secret. Goodnight, Batman, she said.

Goodnight, Robin, he replied.

Selena groaned and waved him off. "Lamest sidekick ever. I need to rethink your superhero affiliation."

Bruce sat on the sofa and even though she couldn’t see his face, she heard him yawning. It was almost four a.m. As long as you don’t try to call me Snake Eyes, I don’t care.

Don’t like snakes?

No. Now I’m going to sleep.

Bruce stretched out on the sofa and didn’t bother taking off his boots or gloves. She’d already suspected he wouldn’t be taking off the mask, even to sleep. The whole situation just unnerved her. She understood the need for secrecy and privacy, but his refusal to tell her his name, to show her any part of his body, was far more bizarre than anything she’d encountered before.

Selena felt along the walls of the narrow hallway until she found the door leading into the single bedroom of Batman’s camp along the Atchafalaya River Basin. She closed the door behind her then ran her fingers along the paneled walls until they felt a light switch. She flicked it on and squinted at the sudden onslaught of bright yellow light.

A neatly made bed with orange and brown blankets was shoved into the corner of the room. A single brown dresser stood next to it, but there was nothing on it. She crossed over the faded brown carpet and quietly opened the top drawer. It was just as empty as the top of the dresser.

Shocking, Selena muttered.

He’d hung no pictures or paintings on the walls, and the open sliding closet door already told her there were no clothes hanging in his closet, only two wire hangers that looked like they hadn’t been used in years. She hadn’t known wire hangers could rust, but then again, she hadn’t lived in one place long enough to have a closet or hangers in years.

Selena flicked the light switch off and pulled the blankets back on the bed. She realized too late that she should have checked under the covers for spiders or any other unwelcome guests, but she was too tired to thoroughly inspect the bed for whatever might lie beneath the sheets.

She pulled the blankets back over her and closed her eyes, wondering how she could be in the heart of some huge swamp and have it be so quiet. It was almost as unnerving as the living mummy in the other room. Selena closed her eyes and tried to ignore the strong smell of smoke that still clung to her clothes and hair. She hoped everyone had gotten out of the nightclub alive and unhurt. She understood why Bruce hadn’t extinguished the fire if he really had so much control over it, but at the same time, if people had died, had it been worth it?

She was positive her life wasn’t more valuable than anyone else’s. Perhaps it could be if she lived in a different world where she would be allowed to make her gifts known and use them to save others, but she didn’t live in that world. Instead, the descendants of the gods were hunted like wild animals and given a choice: conformity or death.

Selena wanted to believe she was strong enough to choose death, but she’d come so close to surrendering to them before Bruce rescued her in a narrow alleyway of the French Quarter in New Orleans. She wasn’t even goddess enough to sacrifice herself for the good of others.

Whatever pantheon she came from, she suspected they must all be selfish and capricious gods. Maybe she was Greek after all. She’d long suspected she was and had gone looking for the proof once. Selena yawned and rolled toward the dark door and wondered one last time what secrets Bruce was hiding. Nobody who wore a mask should be trusted, she told herself. Except I have no one left to trust.

A strange orange-yellow light filtered through the curtains of the single window in the bedroom Selena woke up in. She blinked and stared at the ugly brown paneling and tried to remember why she was in such a completely brown room. A loud crash in the front of the house startled her and she sat up, pushing the blankets off of her as she placed herself. Camp. Swamp. Batman.

Goddamn it.

She didn’t know which god was supposed to be damning anything either.

Selena pulled the door open and peeked into the hallway. The dark, covered figure of her mummified Batman appeared near the doorway of the kitchen. Lunch? he asked.

Lunch, Selena repeated.

Yeah, you slept through breakfast.

"You’re cooking like that?"

Bruce actually looked down at his body like he didn’t know what she was referring to.

Seriously, Bruce. The gloves. You can’t even take those off?

He shrugged and held up the skillet. Keeps me from burning myself.

If you need full body armor to cook a meal, then congratulations, Bruce. You’re even more accident prone than I am.

Bruce’s head nodded and he disappeared behind the wall of the kitchen. Selena followed him. She smelled coffee and offered a silent prayer to any god that might be listening that there was some left. Her eyes settled on the half-full pot and she smiled and shot Bruce a hopeful look.

Mugs are in the cabinet, he told her.

Selena opened a few cabinets before finding the right one then smiled at Bruce again as she poured her coffee. Do you know of any religions that had coffee gods? Maybe I’m descended from a coffee god.

Bruce turned the heat down on the stove and shook his head. Food, wine, stuff like that. Coffee beans are originally from Africa, aren’t they? You don’t look like you’re descended from an African god.

Selena held her pale arm out in front of her and thought about it. In every religion I know of, gods were around before humans. I don’t even know how many of the original gods are still… alive.

Don’t know either, Bruce agreed. We know they’re not technically immortal, but as long as someone doesn’t kill a god, he can live indefinitely. Regardless, they aren’t exactly showing up to help any of us out so I’m betting my unpaid-for-car on most are still alive and just in hiding. Hand me the pepper.

Selena reached across the counter and plucked up the pepper. She watched as he seasoned two fish filets and heard herself asking, Did you seriously go fishing this morning? She had no idea why she asked him that. Maybe it was trying to envision him fishing dressed up as Snake Eyes, and even in her world that was filled with absurdities and impossibilities, that was just too much to believe.

Bruce stopped shaking the pepper and his head turned toward her. She suspected he was gaping at her, but his damn mask prevented her from seeing his eyes or facial expressions.

Well, we’re surrounded by water, aren’t we? she asked.

They were in the freezer, Selena.

Did you catch them? Before freezing them?

Bruce set the pepper down and put a gloved hand on his hip. Yeah, why?

"Like that?" Selena gestured toward his Snake Eyes uniform.

She heard him sigh and he picked up the tongs on the counter and put the fish in the hot skillet. They sizzled in the melted butter and Selena’s stomach rumbled. She hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning.

How are you even going to eat through that thing? Selena pressed.

Why is this bothering you so much? Bruce shot back.

"Because being so unwilling to share your name or any personal information or take off your mask or gloves or even your shoes is freaking me out."

Selena sipped on her coffee, but Bruce apparently wasn’t going to answer her. He grabbed a spatula and flipped the filets over, and Selena rolled her eyes at him.

Fine, she acknowledged. I get it. You saved my life. You don’t owe me anything. But to be fair, I didn’t try to kill you in your sleep so we’re sort of even.

Bruce snickered and pointed toward a cabinet. Hand me a plate.

Selena set her coffee down and pulled the cabinet door open. "I’m going to help you figure out your ancestry, Bruce. A powerful sun god. An inability to say please or thank you. Helios, maybe?"

Selena flinched at the name and Bruce’s hand froze in mid-air. She wondered if he was gaping at her again.

Selene, he breathed.

Selena shook her head. I can’t be related to you. I’m not a moon goddess. I don’t even know what powers a moon goddess would have.

Nobody knows why telekinetics have that particular power.

Selena shook her head again. No. The names are just coincidental.

Bruce took the plate from her and put one of the fish filets on it. I doubt I’m related to Helios anyway.

No, Selena agreed. Maybe Ra.

Don’t think I’m Egyptian.

"You and your insistence that we descendants have to look like the humans who worshipped the gods."

Bruce grabbed two forks and gestured toward the table. Selena didn’t care if coffee and fish were the worst possible combination in culinary history: she was finishing them both. She sat at the table across from where he’d placed his plate, and he handed her one of the forks.

"We should resemble our ancestors. The gods had offspring with humans who lived in the same area, so why wouldn’t we?"

What do I look like then? Besides white.

Bruce’s head tilted and she guessed he was studying her. She hated those damn reflective lenses that covered his eyes.

Northern European, he decided. But I wouldn’t rule out Slavic.

Selena’s eyes drifted to the fish on his plate then back to the mask that covered his face. If he somehow managed to eat that filet without removing his mask, then he really did have supernatural powers no other demigod possessed.

Bruce picked up his plate and shook his head at her. Eat your lunch, he said.

Are you kidding me? she called after his retreating back. She heard the door to the bedroom close and stared stupidly at her own plate. She took another sip of her coffee and felt a little braver.

My room is going to smell like fish now! she yelled.

If Bruce cared, he didn’t bother letting her know.

Selena finished her pan-seared fish and thought about yelling at him again, this time to tell him he was a better cook than he gave himself credit for, but she washed the dishes instead. She heard the bedroom door opening then another door closing and the shower turned on. Selena dried her hands on a dishrag and walked quietly down the short hallway, peeking into the bedroom where Bruce had disappeared so he could eat without having to take his mask off in front of her.

He’d left his plate on the dresser but nothing else in the room had changed. Even the blankets hadn’t been moved. He’d probably sat on the floor so he wouldn’t disturb what he already considered her space. She picked up his plate and brought it back to the kitchen.

Selena waited patiently at the table for him to return, having made up her mind that no matter the consequences, she would offer her help to him, just as he had helped her. The water switched off and the small house grew quiet. She watched the clock on the wall. Fifteen minutes passed before the bathroom door opened and he appeared again, remummified in his black and gray attire.

Selena took a deep breath and nervously twisted the napkin in her hands. The last time she’d trusted someone with her secrets, he’d betrayed her and she didn’t even know this man. She’d loved Alan and thought he’d loved her in return.

You’re scarred, aren’t you? she asked.

Bruce stopped tugging at his sleeves to tuck them inside his gloves and his face turned toward her. He was probably gaping at her again. She had a way of causing that reaction in just about anyone she met.

What? he asked.

That’s why you keep your body covered. You’re scarred. You’re afraid I’ll judge you. Please don’t be. I may be able to help.

Bruce let his hand fall from his sleeve and she heard him inhaling. She braced herself for the inevitable questions and even the possibility that he would turn around and bring her to the men who had chased them out of New Orleans.

You can help, he repeated quietly.

Selena nodded. I want to. And I won’t judge you, Bruce, I promise…

Cameron, he said.

Selena blinked at him. He pulled a chair away from the table and sat in it.

You started calling me Bruce last night, but my name is Cameron.

Cameron, Selena whispered. She smiled at him and told him, That’s a much better name than Bruce.

He snorted and shrugged at her. I didn’t choose either one.

Selena put the napkin down and hid her hands beneath the table. Her fingers trembled because she didn’t want to have this conversation with him any more than he wanted to, but if he was going to try to keep her out of their hands for more than one night, then he deserved to know the truth. And he deserved her help if he wanted it.

I’ve been thinking about your gift… and my own. How I had to learn to use them just as I had to learn to walk and speak and everything else I can do. And maybe when you were a young child, you couldn’t control fire like you can now and it burned your entire body. That’s why you hide beneath this costume like you’re Peter Parker or something. Actually, Snake Eyes would still be way more fitting.

You read a lot of comic books, Cameron interrupted.

Selena smiled and lifted a shoulder at him. I spent a lot of time alone. I can’t touch anyone without them noticing there’s something strange about me. They can feel it.

And what is it you think you can do for me? Cameron asked.

Selena closed her eyes and remembered the last time she’d used this power she’d long been warned to keep a secret, a power that could transform the way the New Pantheon operated and could catapult it from working with the United States’ government to overthrowing it, which she’d suspected for years now was its goal all along. After all, it wasn’t in any deity’s nature to be someone’s servant.

And having the power of immortality at their fingertips would ensure their success at subversion.

I can heal, Selena said.

Heal, Cameron repeated. There was something unusual in his voice, but she couldn’t place it. It wasn’t skepticism and doubt or even the calculating tone of a man trying to decide how much the New Pantheon would be willing to pay for her. She lifted her eyes but she couldn’t meet his; they were behind the lenses of his mask.

The last time I healed someone was three years ago. My boyfriend was a demigod who I thought was trying to escape them as well, and he knew there was something unusual about me, but I never told him anything other than I was telekinetic. We were in Greece, trying to uncover any connection to my ancestry when they caught up to us. The tall man with the blonde hair caused the building we were in to collapse and Alan was crushed beneath a pile of sheetrock and cinderblocks. I thought he was dead…

Selena closed her eyes again as she tried to forget the memory of his broken body, the ripped skin and exposed bone, the stillness of his chest and his heart. I healed him. He survived. And when he realized what I’d done, he refused to leave with me. He didn’t run.

She heard Cameron inhale again and she opened her eyes and stared at the black and gray mask. "He joined them. You saved his life and he joined them. Why?"

Selena shook her head. Maybe he was always one of them. I’ve had three years to think about it, and maybe they suspected I was a healer all along. Everyone knows they’ve been looking for one for a long time. So they sent a handsome young man my way to pretend like he was also trying to hide from them, and eventually, when I didn’t give up my secret on my own, they forced me to act.

But what made them suspicious of you in the first place?

Who knows? The wrong person bumping into me at the supermarket maybe. It’s not something I can hide. I could have spent my life covered like you to hide it, but I chose not to.

And you’re telling me this because you think you can help me, Cameron sighed.

It won’t hurt to try, Selena offered. I’ve gotten rid of scars before. I’ve never tried to heal someone who was extensively scarred, but even if it helps…

Cameron reached up to his mask and pulled it off and Selena gasped. She blinked and stared back at the handsome young man in front of her, whose face bore no signs of scars or injury. With his dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, his high cheekbones and soft pink lips, he wasn’t just normal: he was remarkably attractive and Selena felt her cheeks flushing and finally pulled nervously at the napkin on the table again.

How stupid she’d been for telling him the truth, for thinking he needed her help, for trusting him. He was another Alan, another deception, another trick they engineered to trap her, and she’d fallen for it. Again.

Selena, he said quietly, "I haven’t hid behind a mask for twenty-seven years because I’m deformed. I’ve done it because I’ve been able to live a normal life without the New Pantheon knowing anything about me. They have no idea who I am. I’ve never had to run. I’ve lived in Baton Rouge my whole life and I was able to go to college and I have a job and an apartment. None of my human friends know the truth about me. I wasn’t hiding from you because I’m ashamed. I just… I wanted to help you, but I didn’t know if I could trust you."

Selena blinked away tears and twisted the napkin tighter in her hands. And yet, you somehow magically appeared in New Orleans at the exact moment I needed an escape. God, I can’t believe I was this stupid again.

"You’re not stupid for wanting to help people. And I’m not one of those guys. But I did follow you to New Orleans."

Selena opened her mouth to ask him how he’d even known anything about her, but she never had the chance to even attempt to articulate her questions. The sound of gravel crunching beneath the tires of an approaching vehicle told them that the gods had found them after all.

Chapter Three

Cameron grabbed his mask from the table and reached across for her arm, pulling her to her feet. "We’ve got to get out of here. Now ."

Selena listened as four doors opened then slammed closed. She already knew the fifth god would wait inside the van because she’d witnessed this before; the driver would wait behind the wheel so he could take off as soon as she’d been thrown into the back, assuming they were finally successful. And if Cameron were telling the truth, she wouldn’t be abducted alone.

Cameron pulled her toward the back of the camp, but they were at least ten feet off the ground. The four men who had come for her had most likely walked beneath the camp to surround it. There wouldn’t be a safe exit for either of them.

Cameron looked at her and took a deep breath. I’m burning it down. I won’t let you get hurt. Trust me.

Selena shook her head quickly but it was too late; she smelled the smoke coming from the front of the camp and groaned as Cameron pulled her closer to him and wrapped his strong arms around her again.

I’m going to need you to help, he said softly in her ear. None of them can walk through fire. We’re going to try to run through the marsh behind the camp, but I’m not burning down the whole Basin. Bring the camp down on them if you have to. Block their paths. Anything to give us enough time to get to the marsh.

Ok, Selena coughed. The camp was filling with so much smoke, her eyes and lungs burned. Cameron pulled his mask on then put his arms around her again and kicked the door open and pulled her into the fresh air outside where the tall blonde man spotted them immediately.

"God, you’re annoying!" he yelled at Cameron.

Cameron shrugged. You have no idea.

An explosion behind them sent them both flying off the porch; Selena didn’t have a chance to look for anything she could move into their path to break their fall. Cameron twisted his body around hers and landed on his back. She felt every muscle in his body tense with the impact and he grunted in pain, but he had covered himself again; even if she’d had time to heal him, she didn’t have easy access to his body. And there were four pissed off gods pursuing them.

Bring it down, he breathed.

Selena glanced at the burning camp and it broke apart, sending fiery shrapnel around the men who had to deflect the blazing pieces of wood and furniture. Cameron forced himself to his feet and pulled her up with him. "We have to run. Now!"

Selena risked once last glance in the direction of his camp and blew the debris on the ground toward the gods who would follow them into the marsh. They would never be able to buy themselves enough time to escape this way. She ran with him into the thick grove of trees anyway.

Watch your step, he warned her. The ground will suddenly turn to three-feet deep water without warning. And there are snakes everywhere.

Venomous?

Some.

Selena watched him as he led her deeper into the marsh, studying the way he walked, searching for any hint of injury. He wasn’t limping and he wasn’t moving slower than she’d expected after such a hard impact. She looked over her shoulder again to see if the gods were following them yet. She could still hear his camp burning and smell the smoke. She didn’t think she’d ever be able to wash the smell of smoke off of her after the past twelve hours.

See them yet? Cameron asked.

No. Any chance you’re hiding a psychic power, too?

Um… no.

Selena eyed his perfectly normal gait again and sighed. All right, Bruce Cameron Wayne. You’re a sun god who can’t get hurt?

I get hurt, he countered. Being thrown by a gas stove exploding twelve feet off the ground and having a woman fall on top of me hurts. I don’t recommend it.

Selena stepped over a fallen cypress log and glared at the black fabric on his back. I didn’t have time to find anything to break our fall, she insisted. "And you don’t seem hurt at all."

Cameron glanced over his shoulder at her and she imagined his beautiful eyes dancing, his lips curving into a sexy smile. Cut it out, Selena. He’s hiding something from you; he probably is psychic and knows you’re fantasizing about him now.

Fantastic.

She was attracted to the man who may or may not be one of the gods trying to kidnap her and who had so many skeletons in his closet, she would be crazy not to try to get away from him as soon as she could.

Or maybe she was being far too judgmental because she’d chosen a different path in life, one in which she refused to hide behind such literal masks. But she still couldn’t imagine how he’d known she was running from the New Pantheon and how he’d been able to follow her to New Orleans. Something wasn’t adding up, and if she’d listened to that nagging little voice in her head more often, she may not have ended up in Greece with Alan to begin with.

So… Cameron said slowly. Is now a good time to tell you that I think there’s some scary ass snake-like creature living in this swamp?

Selena stopped walking and glared even harder at his back. Cameron took a few more steps before seeming to realize she was no longer following him.

You’re messing with me, right? she asked.

Uh… no. But now you know why I don’t like snakes.

Selena threw her arms in the air and sighed loudly. What the hell is out here?

Cameron turned around and pulled his mask off, running his fingers through his dark hair to smooth it back down. Ever heard of Quetzalcoatl?

"Quet… Cameron, what?"

The Mesoamerican god. Feathered serpent. You should probably look it up.

Selena groaned and looked around uneasily. "You think Quetza… snake god is living here?"

Cameron shrugged and motioned for her to keep walking. "I’m just saying I’ve seen a huge ass snake with teeth and what may or may not be feathers and I don’t think there’s any normal animal that fits that description."

And were you sober? Selena asked, but she watched her step far more carefully as her shoes hit the muddy ground of the marsh.

I don’t drink, so yeah.

Selena peeked into the grove of cypress trees to her left and walked a little faster to catch up to Cameron. How big was this snake god?

Pretty big. Like… could-swallow-me-whole big.

And aggressive?

One corner of Cameron’s lips turned up in a sexy smirk, and Selena blushed and looked into the marsh again to see if she could spot a feathered snake preparing to eat them.

"Well, he didn’t seem happy about me trespassing into what he obviously considered his territory."

"We are so going to die out here," Selena mumbled.

Cameron just nodded. Possibly. This is actually a pretty good hiding place for a lot of gods, especially those who can take an animal form. And I’m pretty sure Quetzalcoatl isn’t out here alone.

Selena groaned then yelped as something buzzed near her ear. Cameron shushed her and told her she needed to be quiet; the New Pantheon probably wasn’t that far behind.

You don’t get to scare the shit out of me by telling me about giant snake gods then expect me to be quiet when something flies in my ear, Selena hissed.

I can actually, Cameron said. I’m not surrendering to them. I’d rather die than become one of them.

Selena watched her feet as they sank into the gray-brown mud of the marshy land.

Would you kill me, Cameron? Selena asked quietly.

Cameron abruptly stopped walking and Selena bumped into him. She mumbled an apology and pulled her foot out of the mud. "Why the hell do you think I’d do that after risking my life twice to save yours?"

That’s not what I meant, Selena said. She was too close to him. She felt like a teenager again: a young, naïve, awkward child. She backed away and lowered her eyes, pretending to study the floor of the basin they were trekking through. I meant if they catch us. I don’t want to be forced to work for them either. If it comes down to it, would you kill me to keep me out of their hands? Please?

She heard Cameron inhale a sharp, quick breath and she risked peeking at him. She wasn’t sure what his expression meant. If he were telling her the truth, he had to understand why it was so important for her to stay out of the New Pantheon’s hands, even if it meant her death. He would only refuse if he were misleading her, lying to her, deceiving her into trusting him so she could fall for him, too, and follow him willingly wherever he led.

She didn’t do it for Alan and she wouldn’t do it for him.

Nobody was worth the cost of granting gods immortality.

Selena… I can’t do that, he breathed.

I knew it, Selena snapped. "You can’t let me die because you are one of them!"

She tried to walk away from him, but there was no walking quickly through a marsh. The sticky ground and thick growth of trees wouldn’t allow her to run. Judging by his physique, he could outrun her anyway.

Selena, he sighed. "You didn’t just ask me to let you die. You asked me to kill you. There’s a big difference."

Selena kept her arms crossed indignantly and kept walking. She had no intention of turning around and playing his game. He still hadn’t explained to her how he’d known she was in New Orleans, or how he even knew who she was.

Selena, would you just listen? he pleaded.

"I don’t want to hear anything else from you. Just… put your mask back on and disappear. I’ll find my own way out of this swamp."

But Selena…

Just shut up, Cameron!

Selena’s foot landed in a black pool of water and she tumbled into the algae covered swamp in front of her. She shrieked when she felt something slide past her fingers and she shrieked again when she realized she was in a shallow pool of filthy, stagnant water that was probably filled with venomous snakes and maybe even a feathered one with supernatural powers who was going to be pissed off about being woken up by a shrieking woman falling in his house.

Cameron stood at the edge of the swamp and put his hands on his hips. "I was trying to warn you."

Never mind, Selena moaned. "This is going to kill me. I don’t need your help after all."

Cameron snorted and reached for her hand. She eyed it for a few seconds before deciding she’d rather get out of this swamp than continue sulking in it. Cameron pulled her from the murky water and Selena shivered as she pulled slimy strands of green and brown algae off of her skin and clothes.

Worst two days of my life, she muttered.

I tend to have that effect on people’s lives, Cameron joked.

Selena didn’t think he was funny.

I’m soaking wet and now I stink like a combination of swamp water and smoke. Do I look like I’m in the mood for jokes?

Cameron looked her over quickly then nodded. You look like you could use a laugh.

"Yeah, except you’re not funny."

Batman doesn’t have to be funny. He’s fabulously wealthy and drives a cool car.

You’re not rich and you drive a Jetta that isn’t even paid for. This still isn’t looking good for you, Cameron.

Huh, Cameron said, too bad. You make a good Robin. Because let’s face it: this is totally something that would happen to Robin.

Selena squinted at him and retorted, I’m calling you Snake Eyes from now on.

Selena may have actually followed through on her threat if she hadn’t heard a loud rustling and hissing behind her. She spun around and felt Cameron’s hand reach around her arm, pulling her back from the swamp where the water slowly rippled into wider waves as something rose to the surface.

And not just any something: she’d awakened Quetzalcoatl and he looked pissed.

Chapter Four

Selena watched the large reptilian head rise from the water, its vermillion eyes fixed on her as she backed farther away from the swamp. Around its head, what appeared to be slick feathers lay flat against its scales. It opened its mouth and hissed at her again, its long bifurcated tongue slithering between its thick yellow-white teeth .

What do we do? Selena whispered.

Cameron’s fingers gripped her arm tighter as he continued to back away from the angry god. Any chance you speak Nahuatl?

What? Selena cried.

Didn’t think so.

Quetzalcoatl moved his large body onto the muddy ground but rather than slithering toward them, he lifted his head and hissed again, the feathers around his face arcing around him in a brilliant display of red and gold. Selena had never been so terrified in her life.

Now I know why you hate snakes, she whispered.

Man, I hope he doesn’t speak English.

Quetzalcoatl jerked his body forward and Selena screamed. She waited to feel those massive jaws surrounding her as this giant serpent swallowed her, but a flash of bright light blinded her and she blinked as purple and black spots replaced the angry serpent in front of her. She thought she smelled smoke.

We should probably run, Cameron told her.

I can’t! Selena yelled. Cameron, I can’t see!

Goddamn it, he muttered. She felt his strong arms slip beneath her legs then she was off the ground, air rushing past her and hitting her cold, damp skin. She shivered and wrapped her arms around Cameron’s neck as he tried to run away from six angry gods now.

Selena didn’t like their odds.

Somewhere in the distance, she thought she heard a loud hissing and cracking sound. She squeezed her eyes shut then opened them again, but she still couldn’t see. Her world had transformed into blackness punctuated by bright purple floating dots.

I can’t stop it if I can’t see it, she whimpered.

Just bring the whole damn grove down! Cameron shouted.

Selena closed her eyes again and concentrated on pulling the trees toward the sound of the serpent chasing them. She wondered aloud if those feathers meant it could fly.

"Don’t tell me that now," Cameron groaned.

Selena focused on the trees again, but without her sight, she had no idea if they were falling where she wanted them. She could hear the roots of the cypress trees pulling through the muddy terrain then cracks and snaps as they landed on top of each other. Cameron slowed down and she could feel his hot breath on her neck as he panted and turned around.

A roaring whoosh and the heat of another fire told her he’d tried to slow Quetzalcoatl down again, but somehow, the god had escaped the first blaze. She doubted this one would be much of a deterrent either. Maybe he had flown over it.

Cameron picked up his pace again and Selena buried her face against his shoulder. She could hear voices now, men’s voices speaking English. The other gods were following the fires Cameron had started to try to escape from Quetzalcoatl.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," Cameron complained.

He stopped running and turned in a slow circle again. Selena strained to hear the voices of the gods over the fires surrounding them. She lifted her head and unclenched her fingers to point in the direction where she could hear pieces of a conversation filtering through the noise all around them. Her hand moved slowly to the east.

We’re surrounded, she breathed.

Don’t do that, Cameron warned. Don’t give up.

You’re carrying a blind woman covered in swamp water through the marsh and being chased by a pissed off god who looks like a cross between an anaconda and a peacock and five pissed off gods who want to turn me into a slave for their pantheon! I think now’s the perfect time to give up!

Ok, it’s not looking good. Plus, I lost my mask…

"Oh, that’s the tragedy here?" Selena retorted.

Hey, Cameron countered, I made that myself. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to make lenses that can switch from night to day vision?

Cameron! Selena shouted. "We’re going to die!"

"Are you always this pessimistic?" he sighed.

"Only in the moments before my death," Selena shot back.

What kind of goddess of healing can’t heal herself?

Oh, for God’s sake, put me down.

Cameron shifted her weight but didn’t set her down. You should figure out which god you’re talking to. That’s probably part of your problem.

"You are annoying," Selena muttered.

I know. I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a liar.

The voices grew louder and Cameron stepped backward. She felt him bump against a tree and her fingers brushed against a rougher bark than the bald cypress she’d touched along the edges of the swamp. Cameron must have run farther inland and away from whatever water source this part of the Refuge was near.

Twenty-seven years of obscurity, and I lose my anonymity virginity in a swamp, Cameron sighed.

Won’t matter, Selena pointed out. They’ll kill you first anyway.

Good point.

Cameron shifted her weight again and Selena heard a thunderous crack, as if the fallen trees had been splintered into fragments.

Oh, great, Cameron quipped. The snake is here, too.

Selena tightened her arms around his neck and told him, "Don’t you dare put me down now."

You’re awfully fickle.

A hiss prevented her from making another smartass comment. Even though she still couldn’t see, she buried her face against his neck and closed her eyes.

"What the hell is that?" a familiar voice asked. Selena knew that voice well. It belonged to the god with the blonde hair.

Pretty sure it’s Quetzalcoatl, Cameron answered.

Oh, you can’t be serious.

Cameron sighed impatiently. "Dude, does it look like it’s just an alligator or something to you?"

Quetzalcoatl answered them both with another angry hiss.

You’re not touching her, Dinosaur, the blonde man said.

Ouch, Cameron interjected.

Shut up, the blonde man told him.

Selena listened as Cameron inhaled quickly again then mumbled, Holy shit.

What? she asked breathlessly.

Um… the serpent just morphed into a guy.

Shut up, the new voice sighed.

"Well, that answers that question. He does speak English," Cameron said only somewhat quieter.

Selena couldn’t be sure but she thought she heard all of the gods sighing.

You’re all trespassing, Quetzalcoatl said.

Technically, Cameron interrupted and Selena groaned. "This is a National Refuge. And you’re not even a U.S. citizen, so you’re the one who’s trespassing."

"What is wrong with you?" the blonde man asked.

Not actually sure, Cameron replied. "But you’re the one who called him a dinosaur. So what is wrong with you?"

You’re awfully cocky for a man surrounded by gods who want to kill you, the blonde man snapped.

"Why do you want him dead?" Quetzalcoatl asked.

He kidnapped her.

No, he didn’t! Selena shouted. You’re the ones trying to kidnap me! We were just trying to get away from these guys when I fell into your swamp, and I’m sorry.

Don’t you eat people? Cameron asked.

Seriously, Selena hissed, what the hell is wrong with you?

People, yes. I’m trying to decide if demigods are worth the trouble, Quetzalcoatl said.

No, Cameron and Selena answered.

I’ll be honest, Cameron added. I’d probably give you indigestion.

Heartburn, Selena snickered.

You are no longer allowed to tell me to shut up.

Oh, come on, Selena protested. I’m still funnier than you.

Nobody thought that was funny. Did anyone think that was funny? Cameron asked.

Selena couldn’t see anyone’s reaction but she suspected they were all gaping at them, perhaps wondering if she was worth this much trouble after all.

If you’re not kidnapping her, then why are you holding her? the blonde man asked.

Uh… I may have blinded her.

The blonde man laughed and Selena would have rolled her eyes at him if she could see him. Is that what she told you? She’s faking it. Put her down.

Hey! Selena shouted indignantly. She wasn’t sure what was worse: being accused of faking her loss of sight or that Cameron actually set her down.

Her feet touched the firmer ground of the forest floor and she stumbled and held out her hands to grab onto anything that would keep her from falling. She expected Cameron to catch her, but he didn’t.

Bastard let her fall.

Selena tumbled onto what felt like a blanket of dry twigs and leaves and grimaced as the sharp edges of a stick broke the skin on her palm. She heard Cameron grunting behind her.

"There. You happy now? She’s blind and bleeding."

You let me fall! she yelled.

I was trying to prove a point!

"Do they always talk this much?" Quetzalcoatl asked.

Everyone seemed to ignore him. Selena didn’t think the serpent god would like that very much.

Just heal yourself, Selena, the blonde man cooed. Show our Aztec friend why this young man is trying to steal you.

A healer? Quetzalcoatl repeated.

"I can’t," Selena insisted.

Bullshit, the blonde man said. You brought Alan back from death and I watched you do it.

I can’t heal myself! Selena yelled. She sat up and rubbed her fingers gently over her bleeding palm to move the pieces of twigs and leaves and dirt away.

Weak pantheon, Quetzalcoatl observed.

"I’ve had enough of you, Lizard Man. Not even you can bring someone back from death and I’ve seen her do it. You want to become extinct like the rest of your gods?" the blonde man snapped.

This… is going to end badly, Cameron murmured.

Selena felt the leather of his gloves wrapping around her arm again and he pulled her back to her feet. The winds picked up around her as Quetzalcoatl summoned them and Cameron whispered in her ear, We should run. Again.

Selena shook her head to remind him she couldn’t, but he slipped his arm underneath her legs