~ Chapter Twenty-Four - Part 2 ~

Katalina let out a barely audible breath of relief. Jacques wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her as they rushed out of the trench. They didn’t stop until they had gotten several feet away. She let the spell and the shield disappear as she leaned against a large boulder. “That was a close one,” she whispered.
“What happened?” Jacques asked as he knelt in front of her to check her ankle.
Katalina shook her head as she looked down at her ankle. “I didn’t see the jagged bit of rock, and I stepped on it. My ankle rolled, and now it’s twisted, but I’ll be fine,” she took several deep breaths as she tried to rub a bit of the pain and soreness away. “We have to keep moving,” she said as she stood up and tried to put weight on her ankle.
Jacques kept a hand on her arm as she tried to take a few steps forward. Katalina quietly swore as she leaned into him. “You can’t walk on that ankle,” he said. “I’ll help you, and hopefully, we won’t come across any other creatures or obstacles besides Cerberus and the river,” he put an arm around her waist and made their way to Cerberus’s home.
“So, do you have some sort of plan to get past Cerberus?” Jacques asked as they got closer to Cerberus.
Katalina clicked her tongue. “Honestly, I’m hoping I can tame him the way I tamed Orthrus and the other hounds,” she smirked at him. “You always did say that I had a gift of taming all types of creatures.”
Jacques chuckled. “Well, that’s the truth,” he said as they continued walking.
They went quiet as they slowly made their way closer to Cerberus. Then, a sudden, deafening silence enveloped them as they walked up to the entrance of Cerberus’s home. “What is that?” Katalina asked quietly.
Jacques frowned as he scanned their surroundings with his predatory eyes, which went wide when the figures made themselves known. “Shit,” he swore. “Phantoms. Run as fast as you can.”
“Do they have any weaknesses?” Katalina questioned as they started running.
“The only weakness that anyone knows of is fire,” Jacques breathlessly said as they made a rash decision to run into Cerberus’s home.
Cerberus let out a low growl as the phantoms followed them inside. The three-headed guard dog seemed to hate the six phantoms, just as the six phantoms seemed to hate Cerberus more than they wanted Katalina and Jacques.
The phantoms started circling Cerberus, taunting and stabbing. Cerberus seemed to be helpless against them. “Come on,” Jacques whispered. “Let’s run while we can.”
Katalina shook her head with saddened eyes. “We can’t just leave him,” she said quietly as the phantoms started severely damaging Cerberus. “They’ll kill him,” she whispered.
Jacques groaned. “Okay. What do you want to do then? Their only weakness is fire,” he said as he watched the phantoms closely.
Katalina let out a long breath. “Stay next to me. Don’t move, and be ready to catch me just in case.”
Jacques gave her a single nod.
Katalina took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She focused on the six phantoms, and as she took another deep breath, the phantoms got consumed by fire. Their high-pitched screams caused their ears to ring, but it didn’t take long for the phantoms to become nothing but ash.
Cerberus snapped his three heads in her direction. Even though she was swaying on her one good foot, she reached out a hand to Cerberus. “It’s okay, Cerberus. They’re gone now. We’re not going to hurt you,” she said softly.
Katalina held her hand towards him as Jacques gently gripped her arm to help keep her on her feet.
Cerberus hesitantly walked up to her. He used his middle head to sniff her outstretched hand. After a couple of minutes, he licked her hand. Katalina smiled as she scratched his head. “You’re welcome,” she whispered as Cerberus nuzzled into her touch.
Cerberus licked her face before taking a step back. “Let’s rest here for a minute,” Katalina whispered to Jacques.
Jacques could only nod as he stared between her and Cerberus in astonishment.
Katalina slid to the ground as her legs gave out. That seemed to shake Jacques from his shocked state. He knelt next to her. “Are you alright, little one?” He asked as he gently stroked her hair.
Katalina nodded. “Tartarus is affecting my magic more than I thought it would,” she sighed as she leaned her head against the wall. “I’m so tired,” she muttered.
Jacques frowned as he studied her. “I know Tartarus drains your magic and energy, but I don’t think you should be this tired.”
Cerberus walked up behind Jacques, and two of his heads appeared over his shoulder. His third head reached around and sniffed at Katalina before zoning in on her stomach. He whimpered and moved to sit beside her, lying partially in front of her in a protective manner.
Katalina smiled as she gently rubbed his head closest to her legs. Jacques’s eyebrows furrowed in thought as he leaned forward. Jacques inhaled deeply, and his eyes went wide as he sat back on his heels. “You’re pregnant," he said in awe.
Katalina gave him a sleepy smile. “Yes,” she let out a tired sigh. “I just found out before Martin grabbed me. I haven’t even had a chance to tell Damien,” she scoffed. “Though I’m sure Autumn gave him my gift as soon as she got to our house and told him what happened.”
Jacques shook his head. “It’s no wonder you seem so worn out,” his eyes went wide. “Is the baby okay?” He started to panic as he stood up and started pacing. “Max tortured you, and now you’re here. That can’t be good for the baby.”
Katalina shushed him as she wearily reached a hand out to him. “It’s okay. The babies are protected and safe from all harm. Eileithyia put a protective shield around my womb. So even if my stomach gets injured, the twins are protected,” she let a small smile slip onto her lips. “She spoke to me while she did it. She said that no harm would come to them until the war was over or they were born. Whichever happens first.”
Jacques stared at her with his mouth hanging open. “They?” He choked out with tears shimmering in his eyes.
Katalina nodded with a loving smile. “Twins,” she said softly.
Jacques knelt in front of her again. “This is amazing news,” he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We have to get you out of here,” he said as he stood up again.
Katalina exhaled roughly. “Alright. Help me up,” she said, holding her hands out to Jacques again.
Jacques grabbed her hands and carefully pulled her to her feet. Cerberus was behind her for support. “The sooner we get to that barrier, the better. I know Roman will be waiting,” she said as she leaned into Jacques for support.
“Let’s go then,” Jacques said as he wrapped an arm around her waist and started leading her out of Cerberus’s home.
They had just made it outside when Cerberus joined them. Katalina looked at him with a smile. “He wants to come with us,” she explained to Jacques.
Jacques chuckled. “You always have had a way with creatures,” he said as he helped her walk towards the river Lethe.
Their progress towards the river was slow but steady. Katalina’s exhaustion was getting worse the longer they were walking. Her ankle was also not doing well. The more she stepped on it, the more it hurt.
They weren’t sure how long they had been walking, but they finally reached the river. There had been no other encounters with any other creatures. With Cerberus at their side, nothing even dared come close to them.
They now stood at the edge of the river. It stretched in front of them with no visible way across. “How the hell are we supposed to get across that?” Jacques demanded in frustration.
Katalina huffed out a breath of air. “I can make a path across, but we’ll have to be fast. It’s a big, magical river. I may be mighty, but with the atmosphere and the pregnancy, I won’t be able to hold it for long,” she explained.
Jacques glanced at Cerberus before focusing on Katalina again. “Could he carry us across?” He questioned curiously. “He’s faster than both of us right now.”
Katalina tilted her head slightly as she thought about it. “Maybe,” she muttered. She turned to Cerberus. “Cerberus,” she said softly to gain his attention. She held her hand out to him, and he instantly nuzzled into her hand. Katalina giggled and gave each head equal amounts of attention. “Do you think you could carry us across the river?” She asked in a gentle voice. “I can create a path, but we’ll have to be quick. I won’t be able to hold it for long.”
Cerberus didn’t even hesitate as he lowered his body to the ground. Jacques couldn’t help but stare wide-eyed as Katalina rested her forehead against Cerberus’s middle head. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Cerberus seemed to purr in response.
Katalina turned to Jacques. “Let’s go. Roman should be at the barrier by now. But, unfortunately, I still have to punch a hole in the barrier, and who knows how long that’ll take,” she said exhaustedly.
Jacques carefully climbed onto Cerberus’s back before helping Katalina up. She sat in front of him. “Okay. Jacques, put your arms around me. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to hold on while I do this,” Katalina said softly.
Jacques wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close so she wouldn’t fall. “I won’t let you fall,” he promised protectively.
Katalina leaned into him as she closed her eyes. She took several deep breaths as she focused on the river's flow. It took her a minute before she was able to get a grip on the river. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she mentally pushed the river apart and made the gap wide enough for Cerberus to fit. “Go now, Cerberus. Fast as you can,” she managed to get out breathlessly.
Cerberus took off like a bullet out of a gun. Jacques held onto Katalina tightly as she leaned her head against Cerberus’s neck. She mentally held the river apart as Cerberus ran as fast as he could and made it to the other side of the river. As soon as Cerberus’s back legs were flat on the ground, Katalina lost her mental grip on the river. She collapsed onto Cerberus’s back, losing consciousness.
Jacques swore in a couple of different languages as he checked her pulse. He sighed in relief when he felt it beating strongly. He patted Cerberus’s neck. “She’s okay,” he reassured the three-headed beast. “Can you carry us to the edge of the barrier?” He asked kindly.
Cerberus started walking towards the barrier where they would meet Roman.