The Last Hunter: Collected Edition (Antarktos Saga #1-5)

“As I said,” the clone taunts, “I am—”

Krack! The clone is crushed to oblivion beneath the immense weight of the stone pillar to which Hades was bound. While the beast was distracted, I severed the pillar and tilted it toward us. After a quick calculation of the column’s size, I met him precisely at the spot where he would be crushed and I would be spared. The end of the severed column is just two feet away. Purple blood gushes out from under its girth. I step back to avoid getting any on my feet and catch sight of the first Whipsnap.

I won’t leave you behind, old friend. I quickly pick up the weapon, forgetting that it’s covered in Cerberus’s blood. I look down at the red for a moment, then catch a shadow shifting overhead in the cloud of dust kicked up by the crashing pillar. With a gust of wind, I toss the dust higher, obscuring the flying warriors’ view.

After attaching the bone and stone Whipsnap to my belt, I make for the far wall, sprinting through the obscuring layer of dust. When I clear the cloud, I see that I’ve miscalculated the speed and intention of the warriors. Several of them are nearly upon Kainda, Em and Kat.

I will my legs to move faster, but my muscles have limits. So I leap and the wind carries me up. I’m not flying. Not this time. I simply shoot myself across the chamber and allow the laws of physics to keep me in motion and arc me toward the floor and my friends. I might be able to move faster with a constant wind propelling me, but I don’t want to risk running out of energy before I attempt my ridiculous plan.

Gravity takes hold and pulls me down. I use the wind to adjust my trajectory twice and then fall, like a cannonball toward the far wall where it meets the floor.

“Keep running!” I shout as loud as I can.

Em glances back, and then up. Her eyes widen when she sees me descending.

I’m sure all three women are questioning my plan. I have them running toward a solid wall of stone. But there is a fissure in the rock running vertically from the floor for ten feet. It’s far too small to pass through. You’d only see it from a few feet away. But it’s a weakness I can exploit.

However, I’m not the only one dropping toward them. One of the Nephilim has sprung its attack.

I surge forward with another gust of wind, directing myself at the warrior like a demon-seeking missile. As I streak beneath its extended wing, I stab up with Whipsnap’s sharp metal blade and shred the wing. It will heal quickly, but the momentary lack of control throws the monster off course and slows its descent.

With just seconds before I pancake on the stone floor, and before my three friends run into a solid wall, I turn my attention to the natural fissure. I raise my hands like I’m parting window curtains and the stone wall opens up just as easily.

Without missing a beat, Kainda, Em and Kat dash through the fresh opening. The effort tires me some, but I made sure only to open the space twenty feet in. Any more and I might risk passing out before I hit the ground.

I’m moving so fast that it takes a strong burst of wind in the opposite direction to slow me down. The torrent twists me, and I stumble when I hit the ground. But I turn the fall into a roll and get back to my feet long enough to dive into the cave, just before the pursuing giant with the now healed wing, pounds the stone floor behind me. His bones crack loudly from the missed blow, but his attack continues. Even as the six broken fingers reform, the giant reaches in.

“Kid, look out!” Kat shouts.

I jump back, just out of reach and bring my hands together. The stone walls close together, returning to their original state, fusing the Nephilim’s arm with the wall. I have no doubt the giant will simply sever his arm and grow a new one, but we are out of its reach.

“They cannot follow us here,” I say, out of breath.

The wall shakes. The warriors are pounding on the stone.

“Someone should tell that to them,” Kat says.

The small stone tunnel glows yellow, green and blue as Kat takes out her glowing crystal. “Just call me Rainbow Bright.”

Kat’s change in attitude confuses me, but then I remember who she is. An assassin. A trained killer. Unlike Kainda, Em and me, she chose a life of daring escapes, close calls and, let’s be honest, killing. “You enjoyed that,” I say to her.

Kat looks at me, a half smile still on her face. “Yeah, I did.”

“Why?” I ask.

She stops, thinks and says, “Because it showed we could win. You’ve got more tricks up your sleeve than David Copperfield.”

It’s a good answer and not the one I expected.

“Plus it was kind of fun.”

There it is. Her honesty brings a smile to my face.

“Sorry about the big guy,” she adds, her face going serious. “I saw his face. I know what he was. That couldn’t have been easy.”

“He gave his life to save ours,” Kainda says. “It was a good death.”