5 Onslaught Read Free Page B

full of pouches, and Whipsnap—my weapon—wrapped
around my waist, but a quick adjustment dulls the effect of the wind on our
bodies.
    My
control over Antarctica’s elements is more honed than ever. I can control the
air, water, land and other natural elements of the continent as though they are
part of my own body. Performing an unnatural feat, like flying, still wears me
out, but summoning a storm or shifting the wind is almost second nature. I
don’t understand how I’m able to do these things. All I know is that my
connection to the continent is a supernatural ability given to me at my birth,
which was not too far from our current location. I was the first and only child
born on Antarctica to non-Nephilim corrupted humans. That somehow bonded me to
the land. Cronus, the Titan who resides in Tartarus, would probably say it was
a gift, bestowed on me by a higher power. Actually, Adoel the angel would
probably agree. And it’s hard to argue with powerful beings that are not only
ancient, but also genuine.
    I’ve
thought a lot about this during my time here. Certain events and the
connections between people, and beings, times and places stretching back
through time are hard to ignore. On one hand are the Nephilim, soulless
half-demon, half-human monsters who want to eradicate the human race. On the
other hand is a ragtag group of redeemed hunters, teachers, Titans, clones and
even a traitor Nephilim willing to sacrifice himself to protect humanity. This
war has been waged for thousands of years and is coming to a head...because of
me.
    A kid.
    Sure,
in surface years, I might be thirty-something years old, and yeah, I have a
full beard, but I’m really just an eighteen year old who wouldn’t be allowed to
drink a beer.
    And now , Nephil, aka Ophion, the first
Nephilim whose spirit now resides in Ninnis, wants to claim my body for
himself, something he came very close to doing. Now , the human race is looking to me for leadership against a
supernatural army. And now , I’m doubting . Not in my purpose here. Or
in my abilities. Or even in my ability to lead, or fight, and maybe even
win.
    But in the rightness of it all.
    I’ve
come to believe in God. I’ve even prayed. Twice. I’ve
seen things, and spoken to creatures, and experienced other worlds that leaves
no doubt that some kind of architect or mastermind is sitting behind the
curtain, pulling our strings, directing us all to some sort of destiny. But
there had to have been another way.
    Billions
died when Nephil used my body, and my connection to
the land, to rotate the Earth’s crust around its molten core, bringing
Antarctica to the equator and destroying entire countries in the process. And
then there are the more personal losses: Elias, Xin, Hades, Cerebus, Wright—even Ninnis, whose memories of his true self were
returned for just a moment before Nephil took over once again. And what about
the hunters—Kainda, Em, Elias, Zuh, and thousands more who have been tortured,
corrupted and turned into monsters? How can all of this darkness, and hate, and
death be allowed?
    And why do I have to be at the center
of it all?
    “Solomon!”
The voice is faint, barely reaching my consciousness. Then it repeats, louder,
“Solomon!” I recognize the voice. Kainda. I open my
eyes, not realizing they’d been closed, and I see the cliff face, streaking
past, just a few feet away. We’re traveling as fast as a missile and I’ve
nearly crashed us into a rock wall.
    I
slow until we’re hovering. My breath is ragged. The first pangs of exhaustion
clutch my muscles. Lost in my anger and confusion, my powers took on a life of
their own, reflecting my mood.
    “Are
you alright?” Kainda asks.
    I
nod. It’s my second lie and I feel a pang of guilt. I don’t want to lie to
Kainda, about anything. “Actually, I’m not sure.”
    Before
she can reply, I see the top of the cliff and forget all about my doubts and
waning energy. “Look.”
    I
spin us around so we can both