The Prophecy Of The Wolves I - The Beginning
~ Chapter Twenty-Three ~

Cayden was sitting in his office when he felt his world spin around him. He closed his eyes and let himself get pulled to Artemis’s meadow. He blinked against the sun and looked at Artemis, Apollo, and Hades.

“Hello, Cayden,” Artemis said in greeting.

Cayden frowned. “Is everything okay? Have you heard from Lily?” He questioned with hopeful eyes.

Artemis nodded. “We have spoken with Lina. She’s okay,” she reassured him. “However, she is now in Tartarus.”

“Zeus has been watching us quite closely,” Apollo said quietly. “But we managed to bring Liliana here and partially heal her. We didn’t have a lot of time, but she managed to devise a plan to get her and Jacques out.”

Hades quickly went over the plan. “You must ensure that Roman is ready and in place on time. Liliana will be exhausted from using so much magic and need help as soon as possible.”

Cayden nodded. “I’ll make sure that he’s there,” he promised.

“Good luck, Cayden,” Artemis said before sending him home.

As soon as his eyes snapped open to reveal his office, he was out of his chair. He rushed to Roman’s room in the pack house and pounded on the door.

Roman yanked the door open. “What the hell, man?” He demanded as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Cayden shook his head. “No time. We need to talk,” he pushed past Roman and started pacing the room.

“Sure. Come right in,” Roman muttered as he closed the door. He sat on the edge of his bed and ran a hand through his hair. “What’s going on, Cayden?” He questioned.

“Lily’s in Tartarus with Jacques,” Cayden said as he continued pacing.

Roman shot to his feet. “What?!” He exclaimed. “Since when?” He questioned.

“Not sure when but she spoke with Artemis, Apollo, and Hades. They healed her as much as possible within the short time they had. Lily also came up with a plan to get them out.”

Roman raised an eyebrow in question. “Which would be what exactly?” He asked.

“How long will it take for you to get ready and be at a specific place in Tartarus?” Cayden asked him.

“Um, I can be ready within the next hour. But, to get to a certain spot in Tartarus, well, that depends on where I’m supposed to be,” Roman said with a shrug.

Cayden pulled out the map from Hades and showed him where he would meet Liliana and Jacques. “That’ll take me about a day, maybe a day, if I have to preserve my energy. Why?”

Cayden explained Liliana’s plan to him. Roman just smirked and shook his head. “Even while severely injured, Liliana devised a genius plan.”

Cayden let out a chuckle. “Yeah. Her brain is always running. Even in the direst situations.”

Roman had to agree. “Okay. Let me get ready. I’ll make sure I have everything I need to go to Tartarus. Then I’ll leave. Tartarus is tricky. You can teleport out, but you can’t teleport in,” he looked at the map and studied the spot where he was going to be meeting Liliana and Jacques. “The closest entrance to this spot is just past the river Lethe is here,” he pointed to a city in Europe. “I can teleport there and then go on foot the rest of the way.”

“And you can be there in time?” Cayden asked in concern.

Roman nodded. “None of the creatures are stupid enough to try anything against me. So it’ll be easier for me to get through Tartarus than Liliana and Jacques.”

Cayden scrubbed a hand over his face. “Okay. Thank you for this. I am truly in your debt.”

Roman shook his head. “She’d do the same for me,” he said softly.

Cayden gripped his shoulder before leaving him to get ready.

Liliana grumbled in annoyance as Jacques shook her awake. “We have to get going if we want to get to Roman in time,” Jacques said quietly.

Liliana groaned as she sat up. Her body still ached but not as badly as it had been before. “Let’s go then.”

Liliana grumbled some more as she walked to the cave entrance. She frowned as she pulled out the map Tartarus Hades had given her. “It doesn’t look like we have to go far, but with everything that I’m sure will be in our way, I’m sure it’ll take a bit longer.”

Jacques nodded. “Alright. Let’s go,” he clicked his tongue. “I hope you have a plan for the River Lethe. It’s the river of oblivion and forgetfulness.”

Liliana waved a hand in dismissal. “I already have a plan for the river. We have to get to it.”

Liliana put the map in her remaining good pocket and started walking toward Cerberus’s home.

They were about halfway there when they were stopped in their tracks by a pack of hellhounds. It seemed as if the hounds had decided to eat one of their own. Liliana assumed that it had to be the weakest hound of the pack, and they hadn’t been able to replace any other food.

“We have to go straight through them,” Liliana mumbled. “There’s no other way around,” she bit her lip before nodding. “Okay,” she whispered as she glanced at Jacques. “I’m going to use magic to make us invisible. I will also shield us to mask our footsteps and breathing so they can’t hear us.”

“That’s quite a bit of magic to be using,” Jacques said in concern. “You’re going to exhaust yourself.”

Liliana sighed heavily. “We have no choice. We’re both too weak to fight against an entire pack of ravenous hellhounds. They’ll tear us apart in seconds. There’s no other way around them,” she shook her head. “If we go as quickly as possible, I’ll be fine,” she shook out her hands and rotated her neck before saying. “Try not to make any loud noises. I’ll use less magic if I only mask our smaller sounds.”

Jacques nodded. “Okay. No loud noises, and move quickly.”

Liliana took several deep breaths before whispering a spell to make them invisible. Then she used her magic to put a shield of air around them to block their scents and any sounds they may cause. “Let’s go,” she whispered. “Quick as you can go.”

They took off running. They kept as far away from the hounds as they could. Then, being careful of the rocks and gravel, they rushed past the pack of hounds. They were almost to the end of the trench when Liliana felt her ankle twist at an odd angle and let out a yelp of pain. She hadn’t seen the sharp, jagged rock that sent her ankle bending at that bizarre angle that caused agony to radiate through her leg. Jacques held her arm to keep her steady as they both went reticent.

One of the hounds lifted its head and looked right at them. They didn’t even risk breathing as they stood utterly still. They stayed like that until the hound finally looked away and returned to its meal.

Liliana let out a barely audible breath of relief. Jacques wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her as they rushed out of the trench. They didn’t stop until they had gotten several feet away. She let the spell and the shield disappear as she leaned against a large boulder. “That was a close one,” she whispered.

“What happened?” Jacques asked as he knelt in front of her to check her ankle.

Liliana shook her head as she looked down at her ankle. “I didn’t see the jagged bit of rock, and I stepped on it. My ankle rolled, and now it’s twisted, but I’ll be fine,” she took several deep breaths as she tried to rub a bit of the pain and soreness away. “We have to keep moving,” she said as she stood up and tried to put weight on her ankle.

Jacques kept a hand on her arm as she tried to take a few steps forward. Liliana quietly swore as she leaned into him. “You can’t walk on that ankle,” he said. “I’ll help you, and hopefully, we won’t come across any other creatures or obstacles besides Cerberus and the river,” he put an arm around her waist and made their way to Cerberus’s home.

“So, do you have some sort of plan to get past Cerberus?” Jacques asked as they got closer to Cerberus.

Liliana clicked her tongue. “Honestly, I’m hoping I can tame him the way I tamed Orthrus and the other hounds,” she smirked at him. “You always did say that I had a gift of taming all types of creatures.”

Jacques chuckled. “Well, that’s the truth,” he said as they continued walking.

They went quiet as they slowly made their way closer to Cerberus. Then, a sudden, deafening silence enveloped them as they walked up to the entrance of Cerberus’s home. “What is that?” Liliana asked quietly.

Jacques frowned as he scanned their surroundings with his predatory eyes, which went wide when the figures made themselves known. “Shit,” he swore. “Phantoms. Run as fast as you can.”

“Do they have any weaknesses?” Liliana questioned as they started running.

“The only weakness that anyone knows of is fire,” Jacques breathlessly said as they made a rash decision to run into Cerberus’s home.

Cerberus let out a low growl as the phantoms followed them inside. The three-headed guard dog seemed to hate the six phantoms, just as the six phantoms seemed to hate Cerberus more than they wanted Liliana and Jacques.

The phantoms started circling Cerberus, taunting and stabbing. Cerberus seemed to be helpless against them. “Come on,” Jacques whispered. “Let’s run while we can.”

Liliana shook her head with saddened eyes. “We can’t just leave him,” she said quietly as the phantoms started severely damaging Cerberus. “They’ll kill him,” she whispered.

Jacques groaned. “Okay. What do you want to do then? Their only weakness is fire,” he said as he watched the phantoms closely.

Liliana let out a long breath. “Stay next to me. Don’t move, and be ready to catch me just in case.”

Jacques gave her a single nod.

Liliana took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She focused on the six phantoms, and as she took another deep breath, the phantoms were consumed by fire. Their high-pitched screams caused their ears to ring, but it didn’t take long for the phantoms to become nothing but ash.

Cerberus snapped his three heads in her direction. Even though she was swaying on her one good foot, she reached out a hand to Cerberus. “It’s okay, Cerberus. They’re gone now. We’re not going to hurt you,” she said softly.

Liliana held her hand towards him as Jacques gently gripped her arm to help keep her on her feet.

Cerberus hesitantly walked up to her. He used his middle head to sniff her outstretched hand. After a couple of minutes, he licked her hand. Liliana smiled as she scratched his head. “You’re welcome,” she whispered as Cerberus nuzzled into her touch.

Cerberus licked her face before taking a step back. “Let’s rest here for a minute,” Liliana whispered to Jacques.

Jacques could only nod as he stared between her and Cerberus in astonishment.

Liliana slid to the ground as her legs gave out. That seemed to shake Jacques from his shocked state. He knelt next to her. “Are you alright, little one?” He asked as he gently stroked her hair.

Liliana nodded. “Tartarus is affecting my magic more than I thought it would,” she sighed as she leaned her head against the wall. “I’m so tired,” she muttered.

Jacques frowned as he studied her. “I know Tartarus drains your magic and energy, but I don’t think you should be this tired.”

Cerberus walked up behind Jacques, and two of his heads appeared over his shoulder. His third head reached around and sniffed at Liliana before zoning in on her stomach. He whimpered and moved to sit beside her, lying partially in front of her in a protective manner.

Liliana smiled as she gently rubbed his head closest to her legs. Jacques’s eyebrows furrowed in thought as he leaned forward. Jacques inhaled deeply, and his eyes went wide as he sat back on his heels. “You’re pregnant,” he said in awe.

Liliana gave him a sleepy smile. “Yes,” she let out a tired sigh. “I just found out before Martin grabbed me. I haven’t even had a chance to tell Cayden,” she scoffed. “Though I’m sure Autumn gave him my gift as soon as she got to our house and told him what happened.”

Jacques shook his head. “It’s no wonder you seem so worn out,” his eyes went wide. “Is the baby okay?” He started to panic as he stood up and started pacing. “Max tortured you, and now you’re here. That can’t be good for the baby.”

Liliana shushed him as she wearily reached a hand out to him. “It’s okay. The babies are protected and safe from all harm. Eileithyia put a protective shield around my womb. So even if my stomach gets injured, the twins are protected,” she let a small smile slip onto her lips. “She spoke to me while she did it. She said that no harm would come to them until the war was over or they were born. Whichever happens first.”

Jacques stared at her with his mouth hanging open. “They?” He choked out with tears shimmering in his eyes.

Liliana nodded with a loving smile. “Twins,” she said softly.

Jacques knelt in front of her again. “This is amazing news,” he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We have to get you out of here,” he said as he stood up again.

Liliana exhaled roughly. “Alright. Help me up,” she said, holding her hands out to Jacques again.

Jacques grabbed her hands and carefully pulled her to her feet. Cerberus was behind her for support. “The sooner we get to that barrier, the better. I know Roman will be waiting,” she said as she leaned into Jacques for support.

“Let’s go then,” Jacques said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and started leading her out of Cerberus’s home.

They had just made it outside when Cerberus joined them. Liliana looked at him with a smile. “He wants to come with us,” she explained to Jacques.

Jacques chuckled. “You always have had a way with creatures,” he said as he helped her walk towards the river Lethe.

Their progress towards the river was slow but steady. Liliana’s exhaustion was getting worse the longer they were walking. Her ankle was also not doing well. The more she stepped on it, the more it hurt.

They weren’t sure how long they had been walking, but they finally reached the river. There had been no other encounters with any other creatures. With Cerberus at their side, nothing even dared come close to them.

They now stood at the edge of the river. It stretched in front of them with no visible way across. “How the hell are we supposed to get across that?” Jacques demanded in frustration.

Liliana huffed out a breath of air. “I can make a path across, but we’ll have to be fast. It’s a big, magical river. I may be mighty, but with the atmosphere and the pregnancy, I won’t be able to hold it for long,” she explained.

Jacques glanced at Cerberus before focusing on Liliana again. “Could he carry us across?” He questioned curiously. “He’s faster than both of us right now.”

Liliana tilted her head slightly as she thought about it. “Maybe,” she muttered. She turned to Cerberus. “Cerberus,” she said softly to gain his attention. She held her hand out to him, and he instantly nuzzled into her hand. Liliana giggled and gave each head equal amounts of attention. “Do you think you could carry us across the river?” She asked in a gentle voice. “I can create a path, but we’ll have to be quick. I won’t be able to hold it for long.”

Cerberus didn’t even hesitate as he lowered his body to the ground. Jacques couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed as Liliana rested her forehead against Cerberus’s middle head. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Cerberus seemed to purr in response.

Liliana turned to Jacques. “Let’s go. Roman should be at the barrier by now. But, unfortunately, I still have to punch a hole in the barrier, and who knows how long that’ll take,” she said exhaustedly.

Jacques carefully climbed onto Cerberus’s back before helping Liliana up. She sat in front of him. “Okay. Jacques put your arms around me. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to hold on while I do this,” Liliana said softly.

Jacques wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close so she wouldn’t fall. “I won’t let you fall,” he promised protectively.

Liliana leaned into him as she closed her eyes. She took several deep breaths as she focused on the river’s flow. It took her a minute before she was able to get a grip on the river. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she mentally pushed the river apart and made the gap wide enough for Cerberus to fit. “Go now, Cerberus. Fast as you can,” she managed to get out breathlessly.

Cerberus took off like a bullet out of a gun. Jacques held onto Liliana tightly as she leaned her head against Cerberus’s neck. She mentally held the river apart as Cerberus ran as fast as he could and made it to the other side of the river. As soon as Cerberus’s back legs were flat on the ground, Liliana lost her mental grip on the river. She collapsed onto Cerberus’s back, losing consciousness.

Jacques swore in a couple of different languages as he checked her pulse. He sighed in relief when he felt it beating strongly. He patted Cerberus’s neck. “She’s okay,” he reassured the three-headed beast. “Can you carry us to the edge of the barrier?” He asked kindly.

Cerberus started walking towards the barrier where they would meet Roman.