Page 148 of Blood of Olympus

I skewered him with an intense stare as I dared ask: Hyperion?

He unfolded his arms as his face dropped into something more like concern.

Hyperion, he signed back.

That doesn’t bode well for us. Not with half an army scattered across the ruins of a once-great city. Not without allies surrounding us, and the Strathian army either unaware this is even happening or unwilling to help us save their people.

How long until the other kingdoms join us? he asked.

Days at the earliest.

We’re on our own, then.

I nodded. We’re on our own.

Apollo straightened, his golden armour gleaming in the bright sunlight. Send me.

Send you where?

To deal with Hyperion.

Can you tell where he lurks?

Apollo nodded, pointing. Somewhere over in that quadrant.

Vel? I mentally asked my dragon.

Finally, she growled. As her wings flared and muscles coiled once more, I sent one final message to Apollo.

Save as many as you can. And send word to the Bloodhold. I conjured a small black doorway beside him with a flick of my fingers, my attention already diverting to the section of Hellespont he’d indicated. I didn’t look back to see if he, or anyone else did as I asked. I didn’t wait for his response, either.

Velira lurched forwards and upwards, her wings snapping thunderously as she worked to gain altitude. It took less than a minute for her to reach the city, but even her sharp dragon gaze could not discern where the Titan lord of light hid.

Perhaps we should have brought Apollo with us, Vel murmured.

Perhaps, I sent back. Or perhaps not. Have you noticed how this quadrant appears less damaged than the others?

Now that you mention it…

Land, Vel.

She loosed a jarring shriek, swooping down to alight in the middle of an earthen road. Despite our surroundings seemingly barely touched, the streets were deserted and the air tainted by the cloying scent of coals — and the metal of mortal blood.

What are you doing? she snarled as I unlatched the first then the second of the straps encircling each of my thighs.

Going where you can’t. I leaped from her back, landing nimbly on the ashen ground. The second my boots hit, my surroundings changed, and I was no longer on a clean street surrounded by whole buildings and scattered sunlight.

The road was stained black, both from blood and an inferno that still tore through the houses further down the row. Not a single building still stood. Each had been razed until barely any of its previous form was discernible through the haze of smoke.

I coughed as I strode forward — freezing when my boot crunched down on something that snapped audibly beneath it, too sharp to have been the crunch of gravel.

What is it? Vel snapped, sniffing. I can smell the devastation, but for some reason, am blocked from seeing it.

Horror clawed its way up my neck, lodging itself firmly in my throat so that even if I was able to find the words, I could not speak them.

Slowly, I lifted my foot and stepped back, dreading what I would find.

I was right to fear it. I was right to dread it. Because beneath my careless boot, was a length of bone: human, blackened and burned, too small to be anything other than a large child or small adolescent.