Olympian Elemental Trials Series

Chapter 5: Handsome Knight on a Motorcycle

Paige

Thunder boomed in the distance as I wandered down the street past an alley. A cat jumped from an empty paint can next to a dumpster and I stifled a yelp while a can rolled harmlessly from side to side. My pulse throbbed in my throat from the near-miss accident with the cute guy from the plane. I really needed to calm down.

Emily and Daniel better have had enough of their alone time, 'cause I was starting to freak out at every shadow. And I definitely didn't want to run into the silver-eyed guy again. Wouldn't mind running into sexy on the bike, though.

Overhead the sky darkened. Lightning crashed along with a clap of thunder. The streetlights sparked, going completely dark along with the stores dotting down the strip. A chill crawled across my scalp, and I shuddered.

Any moment it was going to rain. Except my insides acted like something much worse than a storm was coming.

What was wrong with me? Was paranoia an after effect of the sleeping pill? I rubbed my arms, hustling up the road and back to the hotel.

The burning, astringent scent of ozone filled the air. God, I was going to get soaked. My hotel was only a few blocks away and I just wanted to take a hot shower and climb into bed.

I raced ahead to get back before the oncoming storm. My anxiety expanded in my throat, despite my rational mind trying to tell myself it was only rain.

Rounding a corner, a shadow zinged overhead, and instinctively I ducked. What the f**k was that?

The giant winged creature landed a few yards away. Holy f*****g s**t! I blinked, trying to figure out what the heck the thing was when it straightened. Black inky-like hair, eyes that looked like they were on fire, and wings that resembled a huge bat tucked against the thing's back.

A woman? Nah, had to be some type of festival that I hadn't known about. Still, unease clawed up my throat.

"Isn't it a bit early for Halloween?" Did Greece have some weird cult wearing costumes with cables to scare the s**t out of tourists? I stood under an awning as rain erupted from the sky, but she didn't move out of the downpour.

Her hands ended in huge, black talons that looked so real I backed up a step. I looked for help or natives smiling at the scary joke. No one was around because of the rain. The woman stood in the rain as though unaffected by the fat drops cascading over her. None of the water was washing away her makeup.

"Hecate wants to speak with you," the woman-creature said in a voice that sounded like a heavy smoker, as she stepped forward and I backed up.

"Sorry, I don't know anyone by that name." I turned to head in the opposite direction.

In a flash, she reappeared out of thin air in front of me, closer than before. My heart slammed into my throat, stifling my scream. Her eyes glowed with tiny flames of fire. She placed her hands on her hips and smiled. Teeth were sharp and pointy as she took a step toward me. I gulped a breath. This wasn't normal and seemed so real. The scent of graveyard miasma and a metallic scent like copper flooded my nostrils. My gut recoiled.

"You will come when Hecate summons you, mortal."

I really should've done a ton more reading on Greece before I came here. Then again, it was a wish that I never thought would actually happen.

"I've got two friends expecting me. So I'll take your Hecate's number and call him later."

"Her," the woman's voice boomed like the thunder. "Don't insult my goddess. She was before the Greek Gods and even Zeus knows not to mess with her. The only Titan to survive his wrath."

"Okay, okay." I held up my hands, slowly stepping backward, searching for help. Where was everyone? The street was eerily quiet, empty, dark.

She narrowed her eyes, but the flames didn't go out. Moving forward in an awkward gait, she crept closer. One of her legs poked out from her black, Elvira-style dress complete with a split up the middle. Wait...was that a copper or brass leg? The metal went from her foot up her thigh. Her other leg was grayish-green like a zombie's leg.

"Come with me or you might get hurt."

I spun away. She swiped at my arm, her claws slicing across my flesh. I screamed as pain like razor blades dug into me. Blood welled on the wounds.

"What the hell?" I gaped at her. "I'm calling the cops."

This girl was seriously deranged and needed medical help.

The flames in her eyes turned a blueish color. Then she lifted the clawed hand that had scratched me to her lips and licked the blood. "Hecate was right about you, but she didn't say anything about you coming to her whole."

The woman was crazy. Terror filled me and a scream stuck in my throat. My footsteps were slapping against the pavement as I ran. Behind me, her wings flapped against the wind. She was going to catch me. I had to get away.

The pepper spray. I'd grabbed Emily's keyring earlier and there was a small can of mace attached to it. Fumbling as I sprinted, I dug through my purse. My fingers brushed across the book, which made my body tingle when I touched it.

"You won't get away from me." She laughed. The sound of her wings grew louder.

My side cramped from running so hard and fast. Where were Emily's keys? After I had used the spray on the weird guy that attacked me at the bookstore, I'd tossed it into my purse. As I ran, I shoved my wallet aside, finding loose change at the bottom of my purse. f**k! Come on, come on. I choked as I ran down a side street that ended at an iron fence.

Feeling the set of keys, I clutched them, ripping them from my bag. I turned and faced the nightmare approaching me.

"I do enjoy the game of chase, but you've made me late to my mistress and you will pay." She clicked her tongue, racing toward me in that stuttering gait.

"Stay back," I shouted, my hand trembled as I held the pepper spray out. "I will use this. Don't come any closer."

"What is that-a gun?" She shook her head. "Human weapons can't harm me."

"Well, let's find out." I hit the trigger, pepper spray spewing into her face.

For a moment, she did nothing, then her fire eyes turned to crimson flames. She shrieked and my insides shriveled from the inhuman-like sound.

A motorcycle rumbled in the distance. Yet I didn't wait for this crazy woman to regain her composure. I dodged away from her and past a row of olive trees planted along the sidewalk.

"b***h," she shouted behind me. "I will rip out your arms for this."

I bolted. A second later, she collided with me. I hit the pavement. Pain scrapped across my chin and legs. Her metal leg dug into my kidney. My scream erupted from my lungs, echoing in the night.

I gasped, fighting to get away as she yanked me up. "Please, let me go."

She wrenched my arm behind me. Her other hand yanked my head back with my hair. "You must pay for hurting me."

"No." I bucked, trying to get her off me, but she weighed a ton. A chill swiped across my skull and I felt rooted to the spot despite her holding onto me. This was it. I was going to die because of this weird she-creature that I couldn't escape.

The sound of an engine roared closer. Pain shot up my arm as she yanked it up harder. Cries ripped from my throat, nearly drowning out the sound of a motorcycle racing toward us.

Then an olive tree zinged through the air, slamming into the creature's shoulder and knocking her off me.

I scrambled up, looking from her to my rescuer. The guy from the plane and the near accident stared at me. What was he doing here?

"Come with me. Now."

Was I trading one danger for another? Glancing over my shoulder, the she-demon rose slowly as if she was momentarily stunned. Then she let out a shriek that made all the hairs on my arms stand on end and shot toward us.