Chapter Fifteen
Suddenly, footsteps sound in Apollo's ears. He immediately can sense it's an approaching contingent of Corsair soldiers. He lets go of Luna as he detects eight in all and he can feel them getting closer. He looks over at her and she must sense them as well because she's crouched down with Tonfa in hand, ready to strike. Wait for my mark, he tells her as he backs her up, giving as much room between them and the door as possible. When the first of the soldiers enter, they immediately yell back, "They're in here!" Instantly the others promptly fall in and now all eight glare at the two teenagers.
Apollo hears the words, "Kill them," and immediately employs a strategy. He clinches his fists and each soldier stares down at their feet as their boots frost over in a thick rime. They struggle to break free from the icy embrace and Apollo looks over at Luna, calmly stating one word, "Wait."
He focuses in on a voice that's now coming from the device attached to one of the men. He hears instructions, telling all available units to converge on the library. He mentally tries to count all of the souls in Alcazar, there must be hundreds.
Luna conveys a thought out to him, I've got an idea. She simultaneously illustrates something inspired by the voice minutes ago; command the guards. Apollo takes her lead and holds his hand out to the soldiers and in an instant, he's aware of the minds of all eight men. He effortlessly coerces them under his control and they turn in unison, drawing their blades from their sheaths. As the ice melts from around their boots, they lead the way out of the library.
Apollo paces behind them like a field general commanding a battlefield. He instructs them to go into the Porticus hoping the ones hunting them will follow suit. The open garden gives them plenty of room to fight. They're barely a few meters into the hallway before they meet yet another detachment of four more leather-clad men. Apollo doesn't even break stride, bringing them under his subjection and they too, turn towards the open center of the Acropolis.
"Beautiful." Those is the word that leaves Luna's lips the second they enter the Porticus Acropoli. She gazes up at the tall trees, newly budding in the oncoming spring. Apollo stands next to her, taking her hand into his, they're almost here. He sends his gang of guards out in a wide arc in front of them just in time to engage the inundation of soldiers now coming through the doors.
Once the fighting begins, Apollo plants a suggestion in the minds of half of the soldiers currently in his dominion. He tells them to out and hunt for a specific target whose image now thrives in their minds, Brutalius Kaine. Luna watches as six men withdraw from the battle and leave the Porticus.
She almost panics before she realizes Apollo's actions. He quickly collects the consciences of the soldiers in the garden, four or five at a time, and instructs them, sending them out in small groups. He doesn't relent until every soldiers is gone and he and Luna are the only ones in the garden.
Apollo takes Luna's hand we need to go now, follow me. He leads her behind one of the larger trees in the Porticus, to a small trapdoor hidden in the southwest corner. He opens the hatch and they climb down a steel ladder, dropping into a extremely narrow passage that's pitch dark. Stone walls press against them from both sides as they squeeze through. "Where are we going?" Luna asks and Apollo tries to reassure her as they walk through the blackness, "Don't be afraid, I'm pretty sure I know where I'm going. It's like this whole place is mapped out in my head or something." Apollo follows his words with an image of a Corsair truck, closing in on the northern gate of Alcazar.
Suddenly the ground shakes beneath them and they hear what sounds like thunder. Apollo seeks out Brutalius' location in his mind and he's shocked by what it tells him. "Come on! We have to hurry!" They rush down the tunnel as another cacophony of explosions crashes around them. Finally, they manage to make it to the end and Apollo pushes open a door into blinding daylight. They are several meters away from the Acropolis facing the north gate when Luna shudders in shock as she sees the appalling scene before them.