t a place. It was a

eping towers. The city looked peaceful. It was a lie. Marcus could feel the

t. Dmitri hauled Marcus out and shoved him toward the ent

lood and ozone and something else. So

gi

concrete. Symbols glowed faintly around its edge, pulsing like a heartbe

his watch. "Strap him in. The Ve

against his back. Metal cuffs locked around his wrists, an

her face hidden behind a bronze mask. A priestess. She carr

hurt," she

shed over Marcus, then cold, then heat again. His mark b

forward and drove the

s scr

wound. It was light. Golden light, bright

stess breathed. "

Each wound released more light, more pain, more of whate

s, but they held. The collar arou

e heard Viktor's voi

iestess said. "He will be hers to co

o

arcus. Somewhere that had been silent for

o

righter. Hotter. The priestess s

pening?" Vik

" The priestess grabbed her knife a

blade toward

ehouse

t bombs. Som

rce. Wind howled through the opening, carrying the smell of w

weapons that hummed with power. The

hispered, terror

r. "Viktor Kozlov. You hold something that

s," Viktor snarled, pulli

" The warrior's gaze shifted to Marcus, strapped to the chair, ble

ir, frozen. The warrior flicked his wris

m," Vikto

d like lightning, shields rising, weapons flash

tri

and lunged at Marcus. "If I ca

scended towa

rk exp

ng the stone chair, ripping through the chains, throwing ev

eir own, skin knitting together with threads of gold. Powe

the Vesper had spoken of. W

a

war god's final curse, burn

kward, face white. "

they held. For the first time in

ed. "Marcus Chen. Come with us. We can protect y

e came out rough, br

d. "The pantheons are going to war. And you,

. Red and blue lights flas

hoose quickly. The mortal authori

orner. At the dead guards. At his own hand

months as a priso

nded t

k the warr

warrior said

os behind. And in the shadows, the Vesper wat

on had a

would n