‘Well, well, well,’ cried Nyx gleefully. ‘Look who’s come to play!’

‘E! Mate! What you doing?’ cried Hermes, swooping down to protect his friend.

‘Hermes! Look out!’ cried Virgo as she saw an evil grin spread over the Goddess’s face.

‘Elliot!’ shouted Hermes. ‘You gotta—’

With a mighty explosion, Nyx unleashed a blast of red lightning at the Messenger God, who had turned his back for a crucial second.

SMACK!

The bolt hit Hermes square on the shoulder, sending him spinning to the ground like a paper aeroplane hit by a lit match, landing right at Elliot’s feet.

‘Hermes!’ Virgo ran out to join Elliot as the Messenger God writhed in pain on the floor.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Elliot gasped, while Nyx turned victory loops in the sky with a terrifying screech. ‘I was just trying to give you this.’

He held out the bow and a single arrow. Hermes stopped writhing and a slow smile spread across his face.

‘Mate,’ he whispered.

‘There’s only one arrow,’ said Virgo.

‘Babe. That’s all I need,’ Hermes winked. He struggled painfully to sit up.

‘Oh, children!’ cooed Nyx, coming to a halt above their heads and summoning an almighty bolt of red lightning between her talons. ‘It’s time for naughty children to have their punishment. Get ready to learn your lesson—’

‘LEARN THIS, YOU FEATHERY OLD FART!’ Hermes cried, suddenly springing to his feet and taking aim at the Goddess of the Night. ‘BABE. IT’S TOTES TIME FOR YOU TO EPICALLY DO ONE!’

And with a strong and true arm, Hermes drew the bow back . . . and loosed the arrow.

Another mortal expression Virgo had never understood was ‘time stood still’. Time was an abstract concept and could neither stand nor sit, nor do cartwheels. But again, in that moment, she understood.

The arrow sliced through the air, its venomous tip hurtling towards its target. The lightning between Nyx’s fingers fizzled out as she realized what Hermes had unleashed. But the realization came a fraction of a second too late.

The arrow found its mark. Straight into her heart.

For a moment nothing happened. The Goddess of the Night merely floated in mid-air, staring at the arrow protruding from her chest. Then she raised her head, a look of hateful, confused helplessness in her eyes.

‘Curse you,’ she gasped as she fell to the ground, clutching her chest. ‘But you’re too late. You’ve still lost.’

Hermes casually strolled over to her. Virgo flinched as he yanked the arrow from her body.

‘Babe, I’ve learnt two things lately,’ he whispered, slotting the arrow back in the bow. ‘One, never, ever wear your dodgy novelty pants, just in case you end up in a coma and they are on show for everyone to see. And two . . .’

He pulled back the string and aimed it at Nyx once more.

‘It ain’t never too late. See ya. Babe.’