Page 55 of The Stars

“I’m really strong. I can create weapons from out of thin air. I can understand any written or spoken language. I can see an opponent’s moves before they make them. I’m immortal. Oh, and I can fly,” she said, matter-of-factly. “We can fly,” she corrected. “Dante… well, he’s really strong and kind of invincible now.”

Michael let out a low whistle. “Damn. That’s some next-level superhero shit.”

Dante smiled, but there was a weight behind his words as he added, “It’s not all fun and games, though. There’s more going on—big things. We’ve got a lot to figure out.”

Amy’s expression sobered a bit as she nodded in agreement. “We were told that the final battle is coming, and we’re going to need all the help we can get. We need two more people if we’re going to win.”

“Who?” Jess asked.

“Elpis,” Mia and Lucas answered together.

Dante and Amy glanced at them. “How did you know?”

“Only Elpis can stop Moros,” Lucas answered.

“And Pandora will waken Elpis when it is time,” Mia added. “We too visited the Fates,” she added dryly.

“Right.” Amy nodded.

At least no one thought they were crazy. He and Amy might have been the ones chosen by the gods, but they weren’t in this fight alone. They had their friends and their family. They had a team.

The group stepped out finally into the field above the silo and its underground hidden mazes of rooms and chambers.

As they headed back towards Xtina and Michael’s house to regroup and talk through everything, Dante hung back for a moment. He glanced at Amy, who was laughing with her brother and Liz. He enjoyed seeing her smile, which was wide and so full of life. At that moment he felt an overwhelming sense of peace.

They were back. And together, they were ready to face whatever came next.

Then Jacob slapped him on the shoulder. “Why don’t you fill me in quickly as we walk?”

For the next fifteen minutes, as they made their way across the dark field, he gave his boss, who was also one of his best friends, the rundown.

By the time they stepped into the house, Jacob and a few others, including Lucas, Michael, and Joe, were all caught up since they had walked together. The rest of the group had followed Amy closely as she talked quickly about some of the visions that she’d seen.

Thankfully, Michael and Xtina gave them a change of clothes. Once they were out of the ancient attire, they all gathered in the living room with a fresh pot of coffee and they filled everyone in on what they’d discovered.

He was grateful for the warm, familiar clothes and space, not to mention the smells and taste of freshly brewed coffee. He and Amy both enjoyed two cups along with some freshly baked cookies Jess had made.

As Amy explained the rest of what they’d gone through, Jacob sat at the table, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. Lucas stood by the window, staring out with a pensive expression, while Joe hovered near the coffee pot, refilling mugs. The rest of the group sat around listening, hanging on every word they said.

Amy was very animated as she caught everyone up. She spoke with urgency and determination.

Dante sat on the couch next to her and added bits to the story where he could. The relief of finally being back in regular clothes helped him relax.

The gods weren’t just an abstract danger—they were real, and they were coming. Soon. He looked at Liz, knowing that they only had a month after the triplets were born.

“Okay,” Xtina said, clapping her hands together to get everyone’s attention. She stood by the coffee table, her sharp gaze sweeping over the room. “Let’s break this down. Amy, you said the gods are going to attack a month after Liz gives birth to the triplets?”

“October tenth,” she said with a frown as she leaned forward. “Joe told me.” She glanced over at her brother. “I was sent ten years into the future, long after…” She shook her head. “You told me that Moros and Thanatos will lead the charge.”

Joe let out a long breath, his hand resting protectively on Liz’s shoulder as she sat beside him.

Dante noticed that Amy didn’t mention the fact that Liz would die in that first wave and that Joe would be left to raise the triplets alone or that, in ten years, everyone in the room would die as well.

The room fell into a tense silence, everyone absorbing the gravity of what they were up against. Dante could feel it in the air, the unspoken fear, but also a shared resolve. They’d faced danger before, but this… this was different.

Michael leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “So what exactly are we up against? We need details.”

Amy’s eyes flicked over to Dante, and for a moment, he felt the warmth of their connection surge between them. She turned back to the group, her voice steady despite the weight of her words. “It’s not just Moros and Thanatos. There will be others—minor gods, creatures… Harpies. We’re going to have to rely on our powers, all of our powers, to stop them.”