“I’m going to get you a ring when we get home. I…made this. It’s made out of …twigs.” Mason shrugged, seemingly nervous. “It’s not the way I had planned to propose to you, and I know it’s probably early for me to ask, but you’re it, Sky. I don’t want to wait any longer. There’s no one else I could possibly want to have forever with. And it’s not the most appropriate time, but I need you to know that you’re everything to me. I don’t know what will happen today or tomorrow with danger trailing behind us. All I know is that I want to hold onto our future. The future we will have when this is over. It’s the only thing that makes sense in this crazy world. I want to have a normal life with you.”
Dropping down next to Mason, I was on my knees. Caressing his cheek, I looked deeply into his eyes. There were no words to express how I felt or what he meant to me, because he was my universe, and there was nothing I wouldn’t do for him. It didn’t matter to me that he had proposed to me in the Night Forest, one of the most feared places. All that mattered was that Mason wanted us and the forever package that wasn’t guaranteed, but was the only thing that we could hold onto to give light to all this evil around us.
Was Mason sensing the same danger I was? Was my Mason, who was always cool and collected, and made me believe everything was going to turn out fine, having doubts? And was fear the reason why he needed to propose to me now? Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter. He could propose to me in the dumpster and I would have said yes.
“Sky?” Mason’s cheek leaned into my hand that was still caressing him. “It’s okay if you want to think about this. You don’t have to give me an answer now.”
“No.”
Mason blinked in disappointment. His green eyes lost the spark that was glistening a second ago.
“I meant…” I continued, “I don’t want to wait. Yes!” I exclaimed. “Mason. I want to marry you. Of course I do. I’m so—”
Mason took my lips and gave me a long but soft kiss. The kind of kiss that made me want more, the kind of kiss that shut me up and left me feeling like the earth was spinning.
“For a minute there, I thought you were going to turn me down.”
Running my hands slowly down his chest, I said sensually, “Who could resist these rock hard pecs?”
“Anything else?” Mason’s brows twitched in the way that sent quivers though me.
I ran my hands down, close to the zipper of his pants. I was certain I felt his body shake slightly and I heard him inhale sharply. “Who could resist these strong legs?”
“My legs?” Mason’s chest vibrated against my hand.
“Who could resist this hair?” I gripped it tightly and yanked it lightly. Hearing Mason growl sent excitement through me. “Who could resist those luscious sweet lips?” Without a word, I placed my mouth on his and kissed him madly, like I hadn’t seen him in weeks. The same way he had kissed me many times before, but this time, I was in control. His hands roamed over me everywhere, even to places he wouldn’t dare touch me before. Holy cow! He made me forget where we were.
“Sky,” he whispered, breaking away from my lips to my neck. “We need to stop. You’re glowing.”
“Okay,” I murmured, but it was impossible when Mason’s lips were on mine again.
“Who’s lighting up, Sky or Mason?” I cringed from embarrassment when I heard Nick’s loud voice and his chuckles. “If you get any brighter, I’ll know what you’re doing.” I heard his voice again, making me flush with warmth.
“Shut up,” Mason hollered. “I’m keeping Sky warm. Turn the other way.” Mason turned back to me. “I didn’t lie. I’m going to keep you warm, any way you like.” The way he spoke made me shiver. It was way too hot for me to handle.
Mason didn’t light up the way he did before. He was learning to control his excitement, especially when we were intimate. I was the one that couldn’t hold it together. Soft moans escaped my mouth when I felt Mason’s lips on mine again, then again when his hands grabbed my hips. I didn’t realize we were still on our knees until he lifted me up and anchored my legs around his waist. He placed me down gingerly, lost in our little hideout, and pressed his body into mine.
“Light up for me, Sky. No one can see you now.”
Oh my God! I knew nothing would happen tonight, but my imagination ran wild from the things he could do to me with his tongue and his light.
“Giving you a love shock, baby.” His words came out slow and hot, as he was nipping against my ear. “Glow for me, Echo.”
And so I did.
Short, tiny shocks woke me up.
“Mason?” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. I could hardly open them from being over tired. It was still dark, and I wondered what time it was. Knowing that my dad or Zara would wake us up, I dozed off, but was awakened again, hearing Mason grumbling in his sleep, calling my name. In his dream, it seemed as though he was searching for me. I could sense that it wasn’t a pleasant dream and more of a nightmare.
“Skylar.” I felt the same shock that woke me the first time, and saw a figure hovering over me. I was just about to scream, when a hand covered my mouth.
“It’s me, Nick,” he whispered, smiling mischievously.
I knew that smile. He was up to no good. After Nick told me who he was, he glowed just enough for me to see him clearly. “It’s time to go.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “I’ll wake up Mason.”
Nick went around the dip. “No. Let me.”
I should have listened to my gut. Mason sprung up fast, as if his ass was on fire. His body lit up so brightly that I had to close my eyes.
“What the hell, Nick?” Mason panted. “You’re so lucky I didn’t accidently shock you. I thought you were one of them.”
“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. I assumed Skylar made you glow a few hours ago. I wanted to see how much I could make you glow.” Nick chuckled. “What do you mean by ‘one of them’?”
Mason raked his hair back and looked at me with a short grin. “Never mind. It was just a dream.”
“Must have been some dream.” Nick looked sympathetic. “Anyway, everyone is ready. I told Victor that I would wake both of you up. It’s time to go. They’re waiting by the tree.”
Mason tilted his head in confusion. “There’s nothing but trees here. What tree?”
Nick slowly lifted his lips. “Just checking to see if you were listening.” He started walking. “That tree.”
Mason grabbed my hand to follow Nick. “What tree?”
We passed the campfire. It looked like spirits were floating out from the dead fire.
“The black one,” Nick said, pointing aimlessly about.
“They’re all brown, Nick.” Mason sounded agitated.
After a few yards, we came to a halt in front of our group. Smack in the middle, surrounded by brown trees, was a black one. “See? I told you.”
That shut Mason up.
“Now what?” I asked.
“We go through it,” Zara answered.
We’d passed through portals, but never a tree before. What in the world was she talking about? Before I could ask her, Zara placed her hand on the trunk of the tree. To my surprise, I could only see half of her, then she disappeared. Apparently it didn’t matter how many hands touched the tree. Most of our friends went through at the same time. Mason and I passed through it together, placing us right on a beach we’d never been to before.
As soon as we appeared on this beach, I wondered how we would get back. Thankfully far back, away from the water, I saw the same black tree surrounded by brown trees. At least it was refreshing to know we had a way to get back.
“Sky, throw the stone Hermes gave you,” Zara requested urgently. “It’s time. Dawn is about to break.”
Though it looked like an ordinary beach, it wasn’t. No tide rolled in, because there was no shore. I stepped forward and tossed the stone. The stone never dropped. A hand broke out of the water and caught it in midair. Knowing it was one of the sirens’ hands, my heart returned to to a steady beat,
but at the same time I was excited to see one…or two…or three. Two more hands appeared. They finally showed themselves, down to their waist. I didn’t know if it was my imagination, but a soft, peaceful melody rang in my ears.
“Cover your ears, men. Don’t let them sing to you. Harden your heart. You must feel nothing,” Hades alerted, covering his eyes with his arm.
Before anything could happen I decided to speak, but just before I had a chance, one of the sirens sang. “Who granted you the stone that calls upon us? What is your business?”
“Lady of the ocean, I’ve come for your assistance.” I tried to sound brave. “Hermes has granted me the stone. I need your help.” They didn’t look harmful; in fact, they were beautiful, with their long, shining hair seductively covering their fronts. But the tales of their deceitfulness alerted me to be on guard. I didn’t know if their luring voices had the same effect on women.
“Speak, child. We are listening.”
“We need to travel to the deepest part of the ocean and bring back Medusa’s head.”
“Poseidon placed Medusa’s head there so that it would never be found. You do not have Poseidon’s permission. You will never get his permission. He’s gone.” The same siren sang. She seemed to be the leader of the three. Hearing her sing her words instead of speaking took some adjusting to.
The wind picked up. I was sure the siren had a hand in this. She didn’t trust me; this seemed to be a warning. I needed to convince her that I was no threat before it got worse.
“I wouldn’t need to retrieve Medusa’s head if Poseidon didn’t need my help. He’s not dead. They are being held captive in an iron cast in Mt. Olympus. You must believe me. It’s the only reason Hermes showed himself to me. It’s the one reason why I was given the stone.”
I didn’t realize what had smacked against the water until the sirens had done it a second time. It was surreal to see their tails, giving me a moment of awe. This was no fairytale from my younger days. It was freakin’ real…freakin’ cool.
“Prove to me that you are the chosen one. Then I will take you there.”
With a heavy sigh, I raised my hands to the sky and called upon the lightning, nearly striking them. Lowering my hand, I created a small tidal wave around them. Then finally, I blasted fire around the tidal wave. When I thought they had seen enough, I placed my hands down.
“Good. At least I know you have a chance down there.”
Great! What did she mean by that? I didn’t think it was going to be a walk in the park, but I didn’t want to go through what we had in the underworld.
“Come,” the siren said, gesturing with her hand. “Only those that can stay underwater may come. The rest of you have to stay behind.”
“We all need to go.” Zara’s tone was stern. “You must find a way to take us all.”
The siren slowly tilted her head toward Zara. The look in her eyes, the “how dare you speak to me in that tone,” sent chills through me. I had no idea of the powers they possessed, and I never wanted to find out, unless it was to our advantage. If they were strong enough to bring down a ship without ever placing a hand on it, well…that spoke volumes.
“I know a way,” Noah said, uncovering his ears. “We’ve done it before with Victor.”
My dad’s eyes grew wider, seemingly recalling what Noah was referring to. “Yes, yes, yes. We can do that.”
“Let’s not waste time. Do something about it,” Hades snapped.
“Wait.” Zara turned to Tara. “I will go with them; however, I need you to go to New Olympus and make sure everyone is safe. I’m getting strange vibes.”
“Me, too,” Tara agreed. With a nod, she touched the black tree to head home.
Noah grabbed my hand, making Mason’s face turn sour. “Tim, grab ahold of Skylar’s other hand.” Tim squeezed my hand and said, “Skylar, help me create a frozen bubble around us. Everyone, huddle together and get ready for the ride of your life.”
I wanted to yelp from jerking so hard as the bubble we created plunged into the water, but Amanda’s scream was loud enough for all of us. The sirens placed their hands on the bubble and guided us…down…down we sank. The ride was smooth but fast, making my stomach squeeze against my lungs. The deeper we went, the cooler and heavier the air inside became.
Various colors and sizes of fish swam around us, along with sea creatures I’d never seen before, which was the coolest sight to see. Seeing magical creatures indicated that we were getting close.
“There it is,” Everett pointed.
“Finally. I don’t know how long I could handle being down here. I feel like I’m suffocating.” Hades looked extremely uncomfortable.
When we reached our destination, it felt like we entered a portal. As soon as the bubble touched the entrance of the cave, it popped and we landed on sand. I could see the sirens on the other side of some invisible screen. Though it felt cold, I could breathe freely, with no threat of being drowned.
“Be careful,” the siren warned, fanning her tail. “Do not take anything back with you. Only the one with the purest heart can take Medusa’s head.”
“How do we get back?” I heard Nick ask.
“As soon as you touch Medusa’s head, it will take you back to where you were meant to go. Good luck.” With that, she swam away, along with the other two sirens.
“Ugh. I hate it when they talk in riddles.” Nick frowned. “Where you were meant to go, my ass,” he grumbled under his breath. “What the hell did she mean by that? It better not take us to Mt. Hem.”
Mason lightly nudged Nick to snap out of it, heading forward with his hand in mine. “Stop whining like a baby. Let’s go.”
Hearing Nick’s words told me he was getting tired. A grumpy side I’d never seen before was replacing his friendly, humorous personality.
“Whatever.” Nick matched Mason’s steps, walking beside us. “I better not see any three headed dogs.”
“Puppies,” Mason said. “You said they were puppies.”
Dewy mist flooded the walls of the cave, making the air humid. I could feel wetness on my face, while my sweater felt slightly damp to touch. We trudged on the sandy ground, making our steps soft and quiet.
I had expected it to be pitch dark, especially since we were in the deepest part of the ocean, but every few feet, a lit torch brightened the path. We cautiously walked as a close group to the unknown, allowing the path to lead us, and breathing in the cool, crisp air. Oddly, it was refreshing.
“This is too easy.” Nick looked from left to right. “Something is about to happen. It’s never this easy. Poseidon wouldn’t make it that accessible.”
“Shhh….” Amanda gave him the evil eye. “I hear something.”
“You hear water hitting the bottom, against the rocks,” Nick answered.
“No, it’s something else. Amanda is right.” Noah put out his hand. Tiny water bubbles floated around it, forming into knife sized icicles.
“Stay alert,” my dad warned.
Then it began. Air brushed against my skin first, growing stronger with each step. It shouted danger, lifting the sand and small pebbles.
“Hold on.” Mason held on tightly to my hand.
The sand in the air started to twirl like a mini hurricane, becoming larger with every second that passed. It expanded so quickly that we didn’t have a chance to get away. The wind flew in every direction, slapping my body. We were now at the center of it, and were unexpectedly lifted off the ground. Luckily, we were ascending instead of tumbling in the air.
“This is how Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz must have felt,” Nick joked, covering his face to keep from getting blasted by the sand. “Skylar, tap your feet three times, maybe you can take us out of here.”
“Nick!” Amanda scolded. “Shut up. Stop cracking jokes. Look up.”
“Holy crap! What do we do?” Noah panicked, looking at Zara for direction.
A gigantic hand that was formed from the sand was heading down for us. It looked like a fly
swatter, and we were the flies.
“I don’t want to be squashed,” Amanda whimpered, covering her eyes.
“How do we get down?” Everett shouted, spitting sand out of his mouth. “Crap. It flew into my mouth.”
Mason and Nick flashed their lights, but it only went through it. Even fire from Colin did no good. It flared up, but then more sand took its place. It was a no win situation. The only thing that we could do was dodge it and try to find a way out, but when it grabbed a hold of Zara and swallowed her up, we freaked out even more. We dodged more hands that formed while we tried to save her, but we had to be careful not to hurt her…that was the tricky part. We stopped when the closed hand started to shake.
The hand vibrated so fast that the sand around it was peeling away, darting out like bullets. Then light appeared, growing like the sunrise.
“Everyone cover yourselves!” My dad warned.
Like a bomb, the hand blew up, and out came Zara, unharmed. The impact knocked us off balance, making us tumble, flip, and somersault, until we could settle ourselves again, but we were still in midair. Mason’s hand in mine broke the force of the pull.
Zara might have gotten rid of that hand, but that was just the beginning of our problems. The hands changed into faces...not any face, but Poseidon’s face.
“Who dares to enter?” All mouths of the six heads spoke. It was so loud that just the sound of their voices was ear piercingly painful.
“We do,” Zara spoke. “I’m Zara, one of the Oracles. The descendants of the gods need your help. We need the head of Medusa to save the gods.”
“Liar!” The heads were mad. Their anger was projected through the sand that sputtered out at us. “There is one among you that does not belong here.” The six heads spoke in union, making their voices loud. “One of you is not a descendant.”
We were quiet at first until Hades spoke up. “It is I, Hades, the god of the underworld.”
“Hades is locked away. Do not test my patience.”
“I’ve been set free. You know it’s me. You just said one of us is not a descendant.”
“Prove it. Show me your flame. Hade’s flame would be darker and more powerful than the descendants.”