Chapter Nineteen
‘We can retreat and retreat and let ourselves get backed into corners forever. Or we can go out and meet the enemy at the time and place we choose. Not them.’
Richelle Mead, ‘Blood Promise’
I almost screamed when his hand slammed into the door frame.
Xanthias fixed me with a horrid glare, lips pulled back to show sharp teeth. His hair rippled forward, tilting over his face and creating a mysterious glint to his eyes. I knew that he didn’t want me to go, but I had to. I couldn’t simply just leave what family I had to die at the hands of a God, risen from Tartarus. After all, the fight was between Poseidon, his brothers and Cronus. Really, my sister, family and I had no part in their quarrels, but were really collateral damage. Bait. Cronus knew that by capturing and harming Chris and Nevada, Lainie and I would come running with Poseidon and his brothers close behind.
I resisted his attempt of overpowering me, though, my feet firmly planted in place as I stood my ground. He tried to overpower me, looming over me but he appeared surprised when I failed to be effected. With a sigh, his arm dropped lower and he took my hands in his. He was warm, safe. There was nothing that could touch me as long as I remained here, hiding away. The expression he wore promised that I would be protected, that nothing would ever harm me ever again.
But it didn’t extend to Chris and Nevada.
I took my hands from his, shaking my head. I couldn’t do it. Much as the act of remaining safe seemed so appealing, I simply leave my family. Angry, he turned away and bowed his head. His hands were clenched into balls of fury and I almost - almost - stayed. Then, without another word, I stepped past him and across the threshold into the hall. He didn’t chase after me, like I had anticipated, and instead left me to walk up the hall to where Lainie was crashing through her bedroom door. Her eyes were wide, phone in hand as she thrust the screen into my face. It was a text message from Nevada’s phone.
Lainie, darling. Come home.
- C.
She was in hysterics, and I slapped her to calm her down. It was her coping mechanism, her hand flitting to her cheek quickly when the realisation finally became clear that I had hit her. She swallowed, pulling together her thoughts. Chelsea appeared at the next doorway, peering out.
‘I thought I heard voices,’ she said, hand poised as she held an ear bud in her hand. She looked between us, at the distress that was undoubtedly plastered across our faces. ‘What’s wrong guys?’ Lainie and I met gazes and took the stairs two at a time, leaving Chelsea running after us.
‘STAY!’ Lainie barked over her shoulder, watching as her power intermingled with Chelsea’s body and tripped the wires in her brain. Instantly Chelsea became cemented into place, arms flailing as she worked to stop herself from tumbling forward. Lainie and I didn’t stop though. Chelsea’s voice rang out through the house, starting a chorus of footfalls from all directions as they tried to stop us. Chrysabelle was adjacent to the doorway, barreling through the hall. My stomach coiled with unease as Lainie attempted another barked order, yelling for her to stay away from the door. She didn’t. Her jaw ticked with the effort, but she was able to will herself through the magic and the sudden cement in her legs.
With Lainie’s orders at full power, I added my own time manipulation with a wave of a hand. Instantly, time stopped. It wouldn’t last long, I knew that much, but it was enough to slow Chrysabelle long enough to bolt through the doorway. As soon as we’d crossed the threshold and took the steps two at a time, my power cut itself off and shrieks of anger and despair rang throughout the building. We didn’t look back, only pushing ourselves to run faster, further, as the sound of engines gunning rippled through the thick trees we were cutting through. I gritted my teeth as I got stitches in my stomach, muscles tearing with the effort to continue.
‘There’s a waterway ahead,’ Lainie puffed, a breath between the words. I was surprised she could speak. I was the half-sporty one, and I wasn’t able to speak at all. I put it down to her ability to manipulate her own muscles with her mind, jealousy running raw through me. When we pulled through the shrubbery, I gasped as Lainie stopped suddenly and stuck her arm out. It collided with my body as a car screeched past not even twenty centimeters from where I had come to a halt. When she moved again, she grasped my arm and shoved me quickly across the road, narrowly missing a truck before we stumbled carelessly into the ocean.
We entered the churning waters with a resounding slap that left my ears ringing. Lainie still had a tight hold on me, her fins slicing through her clothes with speed and grace. She pulled me along through the water, barely leaving me any time to make my own fins work. We maintained a quick speed, knowing that Xanthias was probably either tailing us or following us to the house on the mainland. Either way, we had to get there and fast.
At random intervals, I paused time and released it once more, allowing us more time to gain an advantage. Meanwhile, the water currents had been manipulated by Lainie’s power to propel us in the direction of the docks. It didn’t take long; I blinked three times and we were there. Light streaked across the sky as Zeus worked his power, searching for the threat that was more close to home than he realised - literally.
I cursed loudly when I saw Macy’s boat lit up, like a Christmas tree as it floated on the tides. As we surfaced, I could see Macy with a phone pressed to her ear. She was gazing out toward the seas, her free hand pressed to her forehead in stress. I knew who was on the other end even without listening - Xanthias. Chrysabelle didn’t really care. Now that we’d escaped, she would consider us nothing. She wouldn’t be guilty if we turned up dead, and I preferred it that way. Less people for us to feel guilty about when we died eventually to save our family meant that our deaths wouldn’t be felt as harshly.
Ice-cold fear pulsed through me as Lainie and I checked that the coast was clear before we shoved forward through the water and grabbed some towels that were hanging over the side of a boat a little way farther up from Macy’s. We dropped them onto the docks, keeping them from getting soaked and we clambered onto the decking. Almost instantly, our fins retracted, leaving pale, bare legs in their place. Lainie shrieked, wrapping her towel self-consciously around her and I followed suit. She and I stood in unison, eyes cast in the general direction of home. Lights were on, illuminating nothing that could suggest anything was wrong.
‘Come on,’ I demanded, stepping toward the main pathway. Lainie grabbed my arm once more, pulling me to a halt. My arm throbbed from the bruise that must have been forming under the skin, already turning purple and bluish shades. She looked serious, her gaze no longer reflecting a selfish girl, but a strong warrior. She swallowed, looking into my eyes as my amulet pulsed with a warning.
‘I am proud to call you my sister,’ she whispered, her tone grave. ‘No matter what happens, I’ll always love you.’ I bowed my head in response, offering her a small and teary smile. Then it faded and we both nodded in unison; it was time. No more waiting otherwise we would pull out of it altogether. If we were going to save Chris and Nevada, it had to be now. Xanthias couldn’t be far away.
We took off at a quick sprint, muscles working without pain. If we survived tonight - not very likely, but still a possibility - we would be aching terribly. I kept my shoulders back as we ran across the street, thundering up the front steps. The door opened of its own accord, swallowing us both whole. Inside, nothing had changed. It was the same homey place we’d grown up with, the same family photos lining the walls. The same furniture in the same places, untouched and gathering dust. I couldn’t believe that everything was the same, never touched at all. It only made this nightmare all the more terrifying.
Lainie’s bravery began to fade as we descended further into the house, turning into the living area and the adjoining kitchen-dining. Soft breaths could be heard along with the sound of a male’s voice groaning in pain. Lainie followed behind me, as though my physical form in front of her could stop the danger from touching her. As though I could
protect her the way I had believed Xanthias could protect me. As we rounded the room, Chris and Nevada came into view. My breath seized in the back of my throat and tears sprung to my eyes.
Both were seated in chairs that were pressed back to back. Chris looked the most battered, his arms laden with bruises and blood trailing from his slack jaw down his shirt. Nevada’s shirt was stained with blood, too, but it was dried and she was silent. Only the slight rise and fall of her chest indicated that she was even alive still. When we got closer, it became apparent that Chris was still conscious, his breathing ragged and full of pain. Lainie tried to run past me but I froze her muscles and she became stuck into place. She slapped my arm painfully and demanded me to release her, but I refused.
‘This is a trap, remember?’ I pointed out. ‘Meaning, I would like at least a chance to remain alive by the time this is over.’ I fixed her with a sharp glare which she met with one of her own. That, too, froze on her face as she leaned forward.
‘Iris,’ she whispered, nodding in the direction of her gaze. ‘What is that?’ I followed her line of sight and found a humongous dog lying on the floor by Nevada’s feet. One glance in the opposite direction revealed an identical creature lying by Chris, teeth bared as it snarled at us. Its eyes were black, hellish and devoid of light. Blood and matted fur were left behind on the floor when it rose, circling around us. Lainie and I stood still, shaking slightly in fear but otherwise immobile.
‘Brilliant, aren’t they?’ said a voice from behind us. It boomed through the room, shaking the walls with its power. Lainie turned to catch a glimpse of him but froze when she was met with the snapping of jowls. ‘In human English terms, they are called hell hounds. Made from the very depths of Tartarus and ever faithful to their master.’ He rounded the corner and came into sight, smirk just itching to be slapped. If I wasn’t fearful for our lives, I might have just done that.
He was far from a Greek God I had ever seen. Poseidon certainly got the good end of the straw. Cronus’ teeth were pulled into what appeared to be a painful grimace, rotting and black. His hair was matted and white, eyes matching the hounds at either end of our parents. He lifted his hand, silencing the growling of his mutt and sending it tail-tucked back to its original position. Chris shifted uneasily, arm drooping as the main lengths of bone protruded from the skin of his elbow. Cronus stepped toward him, slapping him on the shoulder like they were old friends.
‘So hospitable, these pair,’ Cronus commented. ‘Poseidon’s wife certainly chose a good pairing. Too bad they never knew what was coming for them, or what a bad omen their adopted twins really were.’ He grinned sickeningly, shoving away from Chris. His strangled cry of half-conscious pain chilled me to the bone, and I had to force myself to remain in place.
‘What do you want?’ I ground out, my teeth barely separating from each other through the words. He cocked his head to the side, like a curious child or animal would. I preferred to think of him as the latter.
‘Why, to see my children, of course,’ he replied casually, spreading his arms wide. His grin never faded, even as his arms dropped. ‘They took something from me, and now you’re my bargaining chips. Unless I can score a deal with you.’
‘What deal?’ Lainie spat out, leaning forward with a vicious snarl. ‘What could you possibly have to offer us?’ Cronus grinned still, turning his gaze on my sister. I stepped closer to her protectively, earning a warning growl from the hell hounds.
‘I want to give you immortality, beauty, power.’ He winked, sickeningly so. ‘Whatever and whoever your heart desires can be delivered to you if you simply accept to help me gain vengeance.’
‘LIKE HELL!’ I replied instantly, watching as Lainie’s face began to grow pale.
‘That can be arranged,’ he said simply. ‘Although, I wish you had at least considered it. Such a waste, your talents. I could have used them so well.’ His expression told me he’d been expecting the declination and that he was going to enjoy killing us. Thunder erupted outside, lightning streaking across the sky above the house and the front door battered open. Poseidon charged inside, positioning himself behind me. The hell hounds gave him a long, low warning growl and rose from where they sat. Wind lashed through the house as the doors behind Cronus smashed open, sending glass shards flying. I sheltered my eyes with my hands, revealing Hades and Zeus in the doorway when I pulled them away.
Zeus was tall, powerful and so similar to Poseidon that I could have easily mistaken them for twins. He stood with Hades, taking the bulk of his weight as he stumbled inside. His hair whipped around his face, skin so pale I could almost imagine him as a walking corpse.
‘Father, enough!’ Poseidon demanded. ‘You’ve hurt us already. Please.’ Cronus shook his head and tsked, walking away from the chairs and to the hell hound closest to Nevada.
‘No, Poseidon,’ Cronus said quietly, my amulet pulsing to the point of burning into my skin. ‘Enough is never enough.’
With a wink, Cronus whistled loudly and stepped back as the hell hounds pounced forward, their muscles pulsing with strength and determination. They didn’t go towards Chris and Nevada, though, instead focusing on my sister and me. I screamed in unison with her as we stumbled back, leaving Poseidon to charge forward with his brothers. Hades went for the hounds, Poseidon and Zeus focusing on their father as they tried to end him. They didn’t get to him on time though, his ancient-looking battle armour trailing a bright red cape in his wake.
Sweat running, pulse fast, I scrambled backwards trying to use my power to stop the hounds. It didn’t. They were too strong, too powerful and loyal. They didn’t notice that Cronus had fled, leaving them to die at the hands of the three brothers. One tried to leap towards Lainie, stopped only by her quick thinking to leap over the lounge and land on the floor on the other side. She turned and ran, screaming as she left me to fend off the two hounds. Both focused their sights on me, my sister forgotten now that she was out of the scene.
‘Be gone, stupid mutt,’ Hades demanded as he snatched Poseidon’s triton and stabbed it into one of the hound’s sides. It howled in pain but I couldn’t focus on it when the remaining one was following me. I didn’t look behind me, a stupid move when my ankles caught on the staircase and the hound leapt at me.
‘IRIS!’
The voice echoed through the house, reverberating with a new kind of power that overwhelmed whatever effect Cronus had had. I looked up, only to find Xanthias colliding with the hound and landing on the floor. The hell hound was on top of him, tearing his shoulders with its claws and snapping at his face with death in its gaze. I tried to move forward, to stop the creature from killing him, but Lainie snatched my shoulders and shoved me up the stairs. Hades cried out as he flung the triton, listening to the metal as it soared through the air with a whistle and became lodged in the hound’s side. With a pained whimper, it collapsed and vanished into millions of musty dust particles. Everything fell silent.
The threat was gone, but Xanthias lay on the floor in a pool of blood.