was better, even if it did feel like lying down on the freeway to let rush hour traffic run over me.
Once everyone was able to listen, I brought them up to speed on Phanes, Morana, and Ruaumoko. Some of them already knew the lore about the three, which saved me a lot of questions. Others, however, were more scornful.
From Phoenix, our youngest council member: “This goddess Morana can cool the entire planet? That would fix our global warming problem,” he added with a derisive grunt.
“Oh, it will,” Ian said in a silky tone. “It’ll fix all the problems created by humans, because few of them will be left once Morana reaches full strength. Ice killed nearly all life on earth before. Fancy giving that another go? Morana likely does.”
“If these gods are as powerful as you say, what chance do we have against them?” Sanjay asked, to murmurs of agreement.
Ian swept his hand toward me. “Look at what one vampire from a mixed bloodline can do. She’s the only one brave enough to reveal herself to you, but decriminalize mixed bloodlines and magic, then sit back and watch even gods fall before you.”
“We will not change thousands of years of peace-sustaining laws for one unproven threat!” Lucius snapped.
No shock that Lucius would be the council’s biggest objector. He’d been Haldam’s closest friend for centuries, and the “birds of a feather” saying was true for a reason.
“Then our continued infighting and criminalization of those we needlessly fear will propel our enemies to victory,” I said curtly. “Add the additional power struggles that are inevitable now that two council seats have opened up for the first time in centuries, and Morana, Ruaumoko, and Phanes can sit back and watch us destroy ourselves for them.”
“Not to mention your only other hope of victory is allying with the ghouls,” Ian said in a mild tone.
Lucius’s head jerked as if he’d been slapped. “An alliance with filthy flesh eaters? Never!”
“You’d rather risk the safety of the entire world than abandon your precious, prejudiced laws? Of course you would,” I answered my own question. “You’ve been comfortable letting others do the fighting and dying for you since your days as a rich, pampered aristocrat back in Julius Caesar’s Rome!”
Lucius’s cheeks puffed out in outrage. “How dare—”
The ground fell out from beneath me. Everyone else stayed suspended in their time-frozen state, but I dropped several meters before landing on the remains of the circular stage, which was now splitting like a smashed plate. Metal screeched as the scaffolding supporting the stands crumbled, sending the stands tumbling down around me.
I started to release my time-freezing hold on the amphitheater so that everyone could flee, then immediately snapped it back when scalding ash and gases rushed up to burn me and a deadly reddish-orange glow destroyed the floor.
Ian grabbed me and flew me above the amphitheater. Only then did I realize what had happened. Mount Lycabettus had somehow been instantly transformed into an erupting volcano.
That shouldn’t be possible, especially since Mount Lycabettus wasn’t a former volcano! Still, I knew a magmatic eruption when I saw one, even if I’d never before had a terrifying bird’s-eye view of it.
Ruaumoko.
He was here, not Phanes, and he’d decided to take out the council by blowing up the whole damn mountain!
Chapter 29
I sent everything I had into extending more of my time-bubble over the mountain. Only suspending everything in a single, frozen moment would hold back the fiery eruption. Vampires could survive a lot, but being blown to bits and immersed in red-hot lava would definitely kill us.
Agony bashed me from the extended effort, until I felt like I’d explode along with the mountain. I tried to hide that from Ian as I gasped out, “Save the council. Can’t . . . hold this long.”
Ian cursed in three different languages, but set me down at the base of Mount Lycabettus, away from the immediate eruption danger. Then, he teleported away.
The ground shook. People started pouring out of their houses shouting, “Earthquake!” I looked around in despair. All the lights that had made up the gorgeous skyline when viewed from Mount Lycabettus now seemed like potential headstones. This was one of the most populous areas in Athens. Even if the residents somehow escaped the exploding rock and deadly lava flow from the eruption, the wide-spreading gasses and ash would still kill thousands.
I stretched my power to the limit. I had to stop this long enough for the people to evacuate to safety.
Ian reappeared with