Warriors of Poseidon 04 - Atlantis Unmasked

Grace.
     
    Vonos realized what was going on just a fraction of a second too late to beat Alexios to the Bane, and his clawed hand closed around air as Alexios ducked and rolled, coming up on the other side of the pedestal with the Bane clutched in his fist.
     
    “Use it now!” Rhys shouted from across the room. The Fae was tucking something silver and oddly shaped into his jacket, but Alexios couldn‟t get a good look at it.
     
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    “Now is a good idea,” Grace said, crouching next to him, and Alexios lifted the diamond and called out “For Atlantis!” and aimed it in the general direction of Vonos and Prevacek.
     
    For an instant, nothing happened. Then a powerful beam of yellow light burst forth from the diamond, rimming Vonos with light so that he looked like a skeleton caught in a flood lamp. Then he simply exploded right where he stood, screaming the most unearthly sound Alexios had ever heard.
     
    “Where was Prevacek? Did we get him?” Grace asked, but he didn‟t know.
     
    “I didn‟t see him. Rhys?” But the Fae was gone as if he‟d never been there, and Alexios and Grace stood alone in a cell with a deadly diamond, while Anubisa was on her way.
     
    “Out! Now!” He grabbed Grace‟s arm and they dashed out of the room, leaping over the scorch marks that were all that was left of Vonos.
     
    They ran, dashing through the crowded great room of the mansion, shoving politicians and vamps alike out of their way, the diamond burning a hole in Alexios‟s pocket, calling out to him to use it, to destroy every vamp in the house. But it wasn‟t time, it wasn‟t even necessarily right; there were actually some vamps who were living in harmony with humans.
     
    At least a few.
     
    And he wasn‟t going to be judge and jury on those who hadn‟t murdered, plotted, and schemed.
     
    It was enough for now that they had had retrieved the Bane for Atlantis. Another jewel in the Trident. Another step toward Atlantis rising.
     
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    But then Alexios heard the voice he‟d prayed to Poseidon to never again hear in his lifetime. It was Anubisa, and she was screaming.
     
    May the gods save them all.

Chapter 30
    Grace‟s steps slowed as though she were trapped in molasses or cement or simply caught in the gaze of a vampire goddess who could squish her like a bug, thus bringing her full circle in a distinctly unpleasant way from her original meeting with Rhys na Garanwyn, the lousy rat who‟d deserted them.
     
    Everyone in the room started screaming and shouting and cowering at the sight of the goddess. Anubisa shone with a terrible, hideous beauty, but evidently she didn‟t much like Grace‟s dress, because with one negligent flick of her wrist, she sent Grace smashing into the front door. Hard.
     
    Possibly all-my-ribs-are-broken hard. So Grace started praying, also hard. To Diana, who‟d had reason in ages past to want to kick a little vamp goddess ass, or so Grace had heard. But her prayers were silent and her body was crumpled, so Anubisa dismissed her as nothing to worry about.
     
    Grace only hoped to live to prove her wrong.
     
    Satisfied, the goddess turned toward Alexios and beckoned him forward with one finger.
    “Oh, how lovely,” she purred. “One of my own coming back to me. We will have such fun together this time, and I‟ll know better than to ever let you go.”
     
    “I don‟t think so!” The Russian was nearly guttural in his rage, and as he limped into view, pointing a pistol directly at Alexios‟s heart, Grace could tell why. Evidently he hadn‟t escaped the Bane altogether whole. The entire left side of his body and head Atlantis Unmasked - Warriors of Poseidon 04
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    was simply gone, leaving a charred mess of twisted flesh on what was left of him. The sight was hideous; a burned manikin limping along on one remaining leg. Grace felt like she was going to be sick from the smell of burnt flesh, and the sight of his half-incinerated head was pushing her farther over the edge.
     
    Anubisa turned toward the horrible meat puppet and shuddered delicately. She was so beautiful that she probably even ripped the wings off flies delicately. Bitch. But a flash of heat and power trailed across Grace‟s crumpled legs just then, so she instantly released her rage and redoubled her prayers to Diana.
     
    “What are you?” Anubisa asked, her voice