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Horus sent Apollo flying into the pews, his body blasting through the up dirt Peere shoved so far forward that they blocked the side door "Do you know another way out of here?" I asked Kieran

"Around the corner, I think There arden"

Horus focused his attention on Athena, grabbing her froh one of the colu no time, Horus jumped up after her

"Okay, now’s our chance," I said "Ready?"

We went to go, but Horus and Athena fell to the floor, barring our path He got up first

"Horus, no," Arteed from her imprisonment on the wall That he was able to keep her there and hold his own in a fight spoke to his power Frustration radiated frorowled, hauled back, and punched Athena so hard she tumbled back over the pews, heels over head Artemis screamed and cursed at hi around Menai stood near the exit He see so nificant, a kind of betrayal of sorts "Leave her alone!" Artemis shouted, fear in her voice

"Like I would hurt rowled at her as he yanked the arrow from his shoulder Holy shit Horus was Menai’s father Now itfor wasn’t the baby, but Menai And apparently, he held Athena and Arterabbed Athena by the throat as she struggled to her feet Blood poured from her nose

Horus’s lion leaped over the broken pews and lunged at Menai Menai shot another arrow In , and then it was back to the lioness, slaainst Horus’s hold even as the god fought against Athena, while Dora and more of her horrors dealt with Apollo

Horus co out Menai’s throat, the large beast lay on Menai’s chest, pinning her to the floor Menai’s curses and struggles didn’t seeo," I whispered, and we crouched down, hurrying away from the altar

Dora disappeared, then reappeared in front of us Athena shot another bolt, and it hit the statue of Jesus perched on the peak of the high altar It cracked, chunks sround next to the altar, and way too close to the Hands Dora draggedKieran airborne with a wave of her hand

But Kieran stopped, hovering in the air for a second before slowly being set down Sebastian, his face and clothes covered in blood, stood in the doorway He looked like so like ruesome death

On her feet, Kieran ran tothe fighting around hiaze locked on mine But a horror jumped in his path as Dora shoved me at the table

Athena screaround and knocking the table hard as Apollo slammed into it after a punch froh into the air

Athena was pinned beneath Dora, but her sharp gaze found me immediately "Do it! Do it now!"

"Yes! Do it!" Dora sneered, throwing Athena off, grabbing my father with an invisible hand In a blink he was flat on his back on the altar table with a dagger raised at his heart "Do it!"

The Hands crested in the air and began to fall In those two seconds, a hundred thoughts went throughthe statue I couldn’t do it fro to die

And then Mel’s incorporeal forrief-stricken thud at the sight ofin despair, the struggle going out of hiaze flew back to the Hands No ti of hme open My eyes burned In my peripheral vision, I saw some shield their eyes But that was just a blink in tied up and out of me with a force that snapped h the burn of energy searing through h a cloudy haze, I slid beneath the basket, colliding with Athena as she did the same

The basket landed in my arms

Sebastian was suddenly beside me, his hand on my arm, concern in his eyes Mine were dry and hot I blinked the to erase the blurriness And then I felt the basket change from stone to reeds

TWENTY-FOUR

THE HANDS HOLDING THE BASKET--Zeus’s hands--began to change as well I shook the basket and they fell off, landing with a sickening slap on the tile

Quiet filled the church The only sounds were heaving breaths, the occasional falling of plaster and debris, and the chaos frole" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>