“Let’s go. I’m losing hold,” Cronus muttered, reaching for me.
In a blink, we were back in front of the mountain where the Titans and gods remained frozen in place. Seconds later, Hyperion, his wife, and the three Titans they had resurrected, popped in too.
Cronus grunted in pain and there was a sound, almost like the screeching of tires, before everyone started moving at once.
Okeanos was the first to speak, eyes wider as he saw the new beings in our midst. “Whole fam back together,” he said, his smile broad.
Everyone nodded to each other. Honestly, they took it surprisingly well to find a bunch of new Titans in their midst.
“So why are we here?” one of the new Titans resurrected by Hyperion asked.
Cronus took point. “I’m sure you’ve heard plenty in the underworld. The sins are causing havoc here and we need to deal with them right now. Hephaestus is going to make a box to contain Death and the other sins, and we all need your help to get them where they belong.”
I chewed at my lip. “The box won’t be made for like eleven hours and forty minutes.”
Cronus frowned. “What?”
“You stopped time!” I reminded him. “We gotta wait until his hunting trip or whatever. He’s off-world.”
“Off-world?” Cronus growled. “What a coincidence.”
It dawned on me then: hadn’t Cronus said that Zeus was off-world too? Or in another realm or whatever?
“Everyone, follow me,” Cronus said as he grabbed me and blinked away.
We popped into a forest that seemed … off. The trees had a bluish hue to them and the dirt was orange. One by one, the gods and Titans popped in around us. “Umm, where are we?” Panic seized me as I came to the realization that I was staring at two moons.
Before anyone could reply, an arrow came zipping through the trees, headed right for Cronus’ chest. He reached out and caught it in mid-air.
“Hephaestus, you prick! Show yourself!” Cronus bellowed.
A giant of a man popped into view before us. His skin was dark brown and his eyes an arrestingly beautiful honey color. “Cronus, you brought the cavalry,” he drawled. “Afraid to fight me on your own?”
Cronus rolled his eyes.
#ITaughtHimThat
“We don’t have time for your petty grudge. Earth is on its last hours. We need to fix it, now,” Cronus snapped.
Hephaestus shrugged. “Not my problem. I built this world to escape that one.”
There was a crackling noise and I stepped back as lightning built between Cronus’ palms. “Hephaestus, son of Zeus, you will make me a box to contain the nine sins, including the final sin of Death, or I’ll wipe out your existence right here and now.” Cronus’ voice was so deep it didn’t sound human. I took another step back for good measure.
“Brother, see reason,” Ares called out to Hepatitis. “Your wife will cease to exist without the adoration of the humans.”
Hephaestus pulled a huge iron anvil from behind him. “Don’t talk about my wife. This is between Cronus and me.”
Without another word, he chucked the anvil, lightning-fast, right at my Titan.
Before I could even shriek in alarm, Cronus caught the anvil, and lightning shot out from his hand, slamming Hephaestus in the chest, knocking him backward.
“You really want to waste time doing this?” Cronus said.
“You fucked her!” Hephaestus ran at Cronus, a glowing sword in his hands that dripped fire.
Oh shit. We all backed up and made room for the fight. Cronus pulled the sword Nerada had made him, that he seemed to keep in the same sort of invisible realm as his dick-gold, and they clanged together, creating a spray of sparks.
“It was one night! And she seduced me!” Cronus said, sounding annoyed more than anything.
Of course this was about a woman. My man couldn't keep his anaconda in his pants apparently.
They traded blow for blow, Hephaestus looking winded and consumed by rage while Cronus looked like he could run a marathon after this. Now that he was no longer holding time, the Titan was full on his powerful reserves.
Hephaestus slipped, his foot landing in a divot in the ground; he fell backward. Cronus kicked the fire blade away from him, holding his sword to the god’s throat. “Vow to help me or lose your head.”
Arrogant anger flashed in Hephaestus’ face. “Apologize for lying with my wife.”
Cronus scoffed. “She. Seduced. Me. Are you mad? You married the goddess of love and sex. What the fuck did you expect?”
Hephaestus’ cheeks reddened and Cronus pressed the blade harder into his throat, drawing blood. “Vow it!”
Hephaestus glared at Cronus, breathing deeply through his nose. “Fine. I vow to create a box that will contain the sins, but I cannot promise it will work.”
Cronus nodded. “Try your hardest or there will be repercussions.”
Hephaestus’ arm glowed blue, as did Cronus’, and they shook, a white rope of energy lacing up their arms.
“I am witness,” Rhea called out.
“Second witness,” Hype said.
Cronus nodded. “If you don’t go through with your word, they will kill you.” He pulled the blade off the god's neck.
Hephaestus scowled at Cronus. “I know how a life vow works.”
Cronus nodded. “I need the box in…” He looked at his watch. “…now.”
Hephaestus stood, wiping the dirt from his pants. “I’ll need an hour at least.”
Cronus sighed, looking back at me and then all of the gods surrounding me. “I’ll need to stop time again. This time only Hephaestus and I will remain so I can target the sins as well. I won’t completely halt them, but they’ll slow.”
He looked at me as if asking if that was okay and I nodded.
A second later he was standing twenty feet away, black soot all over his chest and face. Hephaestus was wearing blacksmith gear and holding a gold, silver, and bronze box the size of a Harry Potter trunk.
“It’s ready and the sins have amassed. We’re out of time,” Cronus growled.
“Holy shit,” I breathed. An hour went by…? What? That was scary and unsettling.
Okeanos took a deep breath. “I’m pulling a few boats near
