"Nick," Ash said, "I want you and Eric ready to mobilize if you're needed."
The Squires nodded.
Ash put his sunglasses on. "Talon, you stay with me. You and I are going after Dionysus and his crew."
"Just out of curiosity," Talon said, "how do you know all this?"
Ash ignored him.
"All right, children," Ash said, "head out and guard the streets."
"Just one question?" Eric asked him.
"Sure."
"Maybe I'm being dense but why are these guys after power now? Why didn't they do this last year or at some other time? Why wait?"
Ash's answer wasn't comforting in the least. "This isn't the first time they've tried to take their powers back. This is just the best shot they've had at succeeding."
"Okay," Eric said slowly. "So what happened to their powers to begin with?"
Talon answered for Ash. "When a god ceases to be worshiped, their powers diminish. If a god is defeated by another god, then a chunk of his powers is absorbed by the victor and he loses his ability to regain his former position."
Eric nodded. "Okay, one last thing. What happens if they do regain their powers?"
Ash looked away. "Let us hope we don't find out."
"Why?"
"Because according to Atlantean myth, the Destroyer is supposed to be the one who will bring about Telikos-the end of the world. No doubt Dionysus and Camulus are thinking that Apollymi will be so overcome with gratitude when they release her that she won't think twice about joining them and sharing her power with them.
"What they don't know is that there was a really good reason why Apollymi was imprisoned by the Atlantean gods. Even the other gods feared Apollymi's wrath, and in the end, she killed them all. Whatever we do, we can't ever let her escape. If they free her tonight, everything you know about this existence will change. Everything."
"Gotta love saving the world," Talon said. "Another day in the life."
Ash took a deep breath. "And on that note we have things to do."
Talon nodded, but in his heart, he wished he could see Sunshine one more time.
He didn't want to die without seeing her face again.
Duty, how it reeked.
Valerius headed out first.
Talon, Nick, and Eric went out through the back door with Ash pulling up the rear.
As Ash left the house, the back door slammed shut, catching the tail end of his long black coat.
Ash jerked to a stop and cursed.
Nick howled with laughter at the sight of Acheron trapped. "Don't it take the bad-ass right out of you?"
Ash arched a brow.
The door opened by itself, freeing his coat, then it slammed shut again.
Nick sobered instantly. "And that puts it right back in you."