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"Gwen!" I heard Vic say, although the sword’s voice see after you! Snap out of it! Right now!"

I shook h h my breath frosted in the air But hoas that possible? It arain

On instinct, I ducked to the right

CLANG!

The Reaper I’d sidestepped earlier brought his sword dohere I’d been standing a second before His weapon got stuck in the wooden base of the artifact case, and he cursed, trying to pull it free What was it with people always trying to kill ns Danger: Working here could be hazardous to your health

Since my hands were full with Vic and the other swords, I kicked out andpopped underbuckled and he went down to the floor

"That’s ain, sla my sneaker into the Reaper’s rubber mask as hard as I could He et under the artifact case so I couldn’t kick hi toward the circle of Reapers

The other Reapers were so focused on Oliver and Alexei that they didn’t realize I’d gotten back into the fight I put my shoulder down and barreled into the one closest to h the ring

"Oliver! Alexei! Weapons!" I yelled and shoved the scabbard into Alexei’s hands

Alexei s the other one to Oliver, who shook his head

"You take the second sword Give me the scabbard instead!" Oliver barked

Alexei held the leather out to hi Alexei to wield the tords Oliver hefted the empty scabbard in his hand, and then he actually sht he could possibly do with a piece of leather-

The Spartan ducked a Reaper’s blow, then spun around so that he was behind his attacker In an instant, Oliver had wrapped the straps of the scabbard around the Reaper’s throat like some sort of leather vise Oliver twisted the pieces of leather, and the Reaper’s neck snapped with an audible crack

Oh So that’s what he was going to do with it I should have known he had so in mind, that his Spartan killer instinct would pro clever and deadly Oliver noticed rinned at ht the next Reaper

And just like that, the whole battle changed

The Reapers, who’d been laughing and inching forward, stopped in their tracks, and Oliver and Alexei pressed their advantage The two of the of Reapers, Alexei’s tords flashing like silver fire underneath the library’s lights, while Oliver wrapped the ends of the scabbard around another Reaper’s neck In a second, they’d killed two Reapers In another, two more had fallen to the floor

But there were still plenty of Reapers left One cahtened my hands on Vic and stepped up tohis sword at ain, but I focused on his hands and feet, and I was able to anticipate his ainst the Vic out in vicious arcs and stabbing lines On ed to slice the blade across the Reaper’s shoulder He screah his heart The Reaper dropped to the floor, still screa-

Crack!

A fist slammed into my jaw, and I realized that a Reaper had crept up on ered back My sneakers slipped in a pool of blood, and I hit the ht his sword up Dazed, I raised Vic, putting the sword between us, even though I knew I didn’t have the strength to deflect the blow that was coolden arrow blossomed like a flower in the middle of the Reaper’s chest, and he toppled to the floor I looked behindon top of one of the study tables on this side of the library, her onyx bow in her hand Sigyn’s bow, the one she’d gotten fro in her dorave the weapon back to Professor Metis

A puff of golden smoke appeared, and the Valkyrie reached around into theonyx quiver strapped to her back and pulled out another golden arrow to replace the one she’d just fired

A an was by my side The Spartan held out his hand and helped an and Daphne were both okay Relief roared through irl, I leave you alone for a few minutes and what happens? Reapers invade the library," he said, his icy eyes alrinned at ht Soon, he was beside Oliver and Alexei, the three of the in almost perfect step with each other as they battled the Reapers, while Daphne picked off others with her bow and arrow In seconds,in on the rest

I whirled around, ready to fight the next Reaper, when I noticed one of the into the stacks Not just any Reaper, but the tall, slender leader I frowned The fight was out here So ould one of the Reapers be retreating? They never retreated Their whole purpose in life was to kill warriors-not run away My eyes narrowed Unlessus wasn’t the only reason they were in the library

There are s and people here that he needs in order to finally defeat us, Nike’s voice whispered in my mind

It made perfect sense The artifacts in the Library of Antiquities had a lot of power, and Nike had told et his hands on, things that could help him and the Reapers finally defeat the Pantheon What if-what if the fight was just a distraction? A way for the Reapers to hide why they’d really corip on Vic, pushed past another dying Reaper that Daphne had just shot through the neck with an arrow, and darted into the stacks

"Gypsy girl!" Logan called out "Wait!"

But I didn’t want to wait I wanted to get answers, and all I had to do to get them was catch the Reaper