“I wasn’t talking about you. Not exclusively, anyway.”
I glanced down at Faith. She was fast asleep. David took her from my arms and lay her down in her crib.
“So you think Frederick underestimates you?” David asked. “He’s tried his best to convince you you’re a leader. And have you forgotten it was Frederick who begged you to lead this rebellion?”
“I’m very aware. But I’m willing to bet,” I said, tucking Faith’s pink blanket under her precious little frame, “every single one of my warriors thinks I’m a square peg in a round hole. Frederick and his two disciples included.”
“That’s not true. They respect you; otherwise, they wouldn’t be out there right now, guarding you and Faith.”
“I don’t want to talk about this.”
“But this is a conversation we need to have.” He sat on the bed. “Explain to me why you feel your army is against you leading?”
“Like you don’t already know?” I asked. He waited for me to elaborate. “David, I’m the least qualified person to lead a revolution, much less take down armies of demons and gods. If those deities are here, it’s because they don’t want to die. They’re here to save themselves, not to save me.”
“I believe that’s untrue, and I think you’re self-doubt is making you paranoid.”
“I am not paranoid. The smirks on the warriors’ faces when they saw me in Sub Terra on the day Faith was born were enough for me to understand I’m a joke to them. Or did you not notice? I’m like the team mascot.”
“The upside is you don’t need a costume,” he teased.
“Watch it, bud.” I punched his chest, and he wrapped his arms around my waist.
“I thought it was my imagination that made me see mixed emotions on the warriors’ faces when they saw you for the first time in Sub Terra,” David confessed. “But they don’t know how strong and capable you are. I’ve seen you go against Turpis, Isis. Even without any sort of training, you sent those creatures to their graves. Do you know how amazed I was to see you do that?”
“You were?”
“And proud.” He nodded. “I think the most logical thing you can do is to prove them wrong.”
And I intended to, in a most unconventional way.
***
By sundown, Frederick returned to the house. Four deities accompanied him. As I walked into the den, they saluted me by dropping down on one knee and raising a fist over their heads. Warriors—like Chrosis and Zedin—who’d been invited to the house hadn’t done this before. It felt strange and uncomfortable, but I dove into my leadership role and nodded once as if it were an everyday, normal occurrence.
“At ease,” I said in a serene voice. I noted the soldiers’ eyes studying me. I was glad I’d changed out of my pink monkey pajama pants and gray sweatshirt. I wouldn’t have felt much like a leader in that ensemble. Though, with the outfit I’d thrown on, I felt I was dressed more like Catwoman than the head of a battalion. I was surprised I’d fit into the ensemble at all, having given birth a few days ago and all. I guess the part of me that wasn’t human, knew how to repair my body and quickly.
After seeing how David marveled at my skintight selection, I decided to go a step further and throw on a pair of heeled boots—a Christmas present from Galilea—which sent him into overdrive. I’d never seen him so frisky. I gave myself a mental high five as I thought back to the way he’d skimmed my now-wider hips. Oh, the look of hunger in his eyes…
I glanced at David, who stood by the door. He gave me a sly grin, and I wondered what was going through his mind. Focus, Isis. I turned my attention to Frederick and the four deities standing before me.
Among Frederick’s handpicked warriors was Cezario, the young, lanky deity who possessed the power to camouflage anything and anyone for miles. Today, Cezario sported a buzz cut, a drastic change from the curly mop top I’d grown used to seeing hanging over his deep-set black eyes. Before I had a chance to study the rest of the group, Frederick stepped in front of the four warriors, his back to me, his hands clasped at his back.
“Madam Isis would like you to carry out a very specific duty for her,” Frederick said. “She’d—”
“Thank you, Frederick,” I cut him off. I moved next to him, skimming the four deities before me, two females and two males. “In light of recent events, you should know I don’t trust a single one of you. But I’m willing to let you earn my trust. We had a security breach six days ago. We’ve learned our enemies can be anywhere and be anyone. So before dictating the reason you’ve been called here, you’ll have to pass a series of tests.”
“Madam,” the older female with black bobbed hair stepped forward. “Permission to speak?”
“Go ahead,” I said.
Frederick leaned into my ear and whispered, “Ideally, your response should be ‘granted’.”
“Ideally,” I whispered back, “shut up, Frederick. I’m doing this my way, okay?” He nodded, and I turned to the woman. “What’s your name?”
“Vasilika, at your orders, Madam Isis.”
“And what’s your question, Vasilika?”
“Are we being tested for strength, madam or…?” Vasilika’s hazel eyes disengaged from mine. Her head bent, and I noted the tense discomfort in her and the other three deities’ shoulders.
Normally, I’d be bothered or concerned, but not today. I knew why their demeanor had changed. It was with purpose I’d altered my eyes to look as wicked as my demon enemies’. From the other side of the room, David’s disproving stare met mine. I ignored him.
“You’ll have your answers soon enough—provided you pass the test,” I said to Vasilika.
“Thank you, madam.” She stepped back into formation.
“Any other questions?” I asked the group. “No? Let’s begin.”
Frederick cleared his throat. “Uh, Madam Isis, may I speak to you—in private?”
“Maybe later,” I said. I pivoted, turning my back to the group. I looked up to the ceiling, choosing the chandelier as my focal point for the words I was about to say. “Warriors, your test is as follows—on my signal, you must attack First Commander Frederick. Go at him with all your might. And warriors,” I paused, “aim to kill.”
“What?” Frederick shrieked.
“Now!” I commanded.
CHAPTER 35
Trampling feet on the wooden floorboards created vibrations that made the crystal chandelier dangling from the ceiling dance around. I twisted my neck to view the scene. The young, curvy girl was swinging like a crazed monkey on Frederick’s back. Her soft, golden curls bounced as Frederick tried to shove her off with one hand and fight the rest of his opponents with the other. Cezario threw a punch, impacting Frederick’s face. In turn, Frederick kicked him in the stomach, leaving Cezario puffing on his knees. The bald guy took a swing at Frederick, but hit the curvy girl’s shoulder instead. And, to my surprise, curvy girl didn’t even blink. From somewhere in her camouflaged pants, Vasilika pulled out a knife.
“Isis…” David motioned to her hand. “Weapon!”
“Stop!” I ordered. They didn’t hear me. “I said stop!”
The fighting ceased.
“Are you,” Frederick panted, “crazy?” His tone was bold, brows knit tight. “Why did you give those orders?”
The four deities turned to view me. Their faces paled as they met my gaze. A scream hitched in Vasilika’s throat. The curvy girl, losing her grip, fell off Frederick’s back and landed on her rear with a broadened stare. Cezario and the bald young male who stood next to him were motionless by a bookcase, agape. I took one step in their direction, and they took two steps away, hitting the bookcase with their backs and knocking a handful of hardcovers off the shelves. Thanks to my newfound self-control, I’d transformed easily into the beast I’d once hated. Strange how, in a matter of hours, I’d grown fond of my inner monster. She was coming in handy after all. And though it was but half my face that suffered the change each time I morphed, it was more than
enough to scare the pants off anyone.
“Congratulations,” I said, glancing around the room at their perturbed faces. “You’ve passed the first test. Now comes the second.” I summoned the bald guy with my index finger. “You first.”
“Me?” He gulped.
“Isis…” I shifted my sight to David. He’d been standing by the door observing the entire time. “You should…” He raised his hand to his face. “He seems tense.”
“Does my appearance make you uneasy?” I asked the bald guy. He nodded. “Good. Step forward, please.”
The bald guy glanced at Frederick, who gave him a curt nod. With hesitant steps, baldy approached me.
“What’s your name?” I asked him.
“P-Pluto.”
“Like the yellow dog?”
I heard a snicker behind me, which made realize how dumb I’d sounded. I was running on a few hours of sleep, and my brain was hazy.
“My name is Pluto like the god of the underworld, madam. What yellow dog are you referring to?”
“Never mind. Are you the god of the underworld?”
“No, I’m simply named after him.”
“Oh.” Disappointing. I could’ve used Hades’ famous helmet of invisibility, assuming it existed. I took a whiff of his flesh, but I found nothing abnormal in his scent. “Congratulations, Pluto, you pass.” I eyed the young girl. “Goldilocks, you’re up.”
The curvy girl with golden curls didn’t hesitate. She walked across the room briskly and positioned herself in front of me. She smelled good. Palatable, if it weren’t for the excessive perfume.
“Your name?” I asked.
“Persia. Like the empire?”
“Yeah. I knew that one. But thanks for the clarification.” Her perfume tickled my nose. “You pass, Persia.”
“Woo!” She fist pumped. “I mean, thank you, Madam Isis.”
Vasilika and Cezario, I knew were no threat. I’d caught a trace of their scent as I walked into the room: sweat, earth, and a blend of aromatic oils embedded in their skin, which I now knew was typical of god and goddess flesh. However, to put my doubt at ease once and for all, I stepped in their direction, pausing for a moment in front of them. Little did they know I could discern odors. That was how I knew they weren’t rotten egg-and-ammonia-stinking demons. But in order to be sure I wasn’t dealing with first-order Turpis who I’d learned were hard for me to sniff out, I’d had to get their skin to expel their natural odors. The way to do it was to get their sweat glands working. In the process, I managed to kill two birds with one stone, which was why Frederick had to take a beating. I felt guilty for it, but it was necessary.
“Warriors, in demonstrating your degree of loyalty to me by turning against your first commander, you’ve gained my trust,” I said. “In addition, I’m relieved to say none of you are covert Turpis. Now comes the final test. Each of you must give a demonstration of your skills. Cezario,” I called out to him. He tensed. “You can sit this one out. I already know what you can do.” I sat on the sofa and made myself comfortable. David took a place next to me, while Frederick stood by the window with an annoyed frown.
“You can lose the face now. I think they got the idea,” I heard Galilea’s voice in my ear. So that was who was giggling behind me. I should’ve known.
“I thought I told you to take a nap,” I said.
“I did.” She materialized, sitting on the floor next to my leg. Then she reminded me, “The face?”
The skin on my face tightened as my appearance reverted to its human form. The group stared at me in awe. In the same instant, I noticed how the heaviness in the room’s atmosphere seemed to lift and vanish. Was I so bloodcurdling to look at?
“Volunteers?” I asked.
“Improper command,” Frederick mumbled from the window. I pretended not to hear.
Vasilika and Pluto stepped forward at the same time, but Pluto stepped back and gestured her to go on. Vasilika stood in the center of the room.
“On your command, madam,” she said.
“Proceed,” I told her.
Vasilika raised both arms over her black, bobbed hair. As she brought them down, she transformed into a white cloud of smoke and floated up, higher and higher, until she hit the ceiling. The cloud swirled above us, turning a deep shade of gray. The low rumble of thunder filled the room, and then, without warning, lightning hit the table on David’s side with an electrifying boom. Everyone jumped.
Three seconds later, the rest of the Chioses were in the den asking about the commotion. David explained we were conducting assessments of each warrior, which caught the interest of the twins and Alezzander, encouraging them to stay for the viewing. However, Nyx, who was trying to console my weepy daughter, opted to leave, but not before scolding the entire room for being too loud.
Next up was Pluto. Unlike Vasilika, he didn’t become part of the moisture in the atmosphere and turn into storm clouds, as Vasilika had explained her power. Pluto’s skill was duplication. He produced four replicas in the likes of me, each Isis clone carrying out a different activity: reading on a chair, kissing David on the cheek, standing next to Frederick, sitting next to me. By far the strangest thing I experienced was staring into my own eyes. The most interesting part of the copies was their form. I thought they’d be three-dimensional hologram, but instead, I found myself touching my clone’s very solid hand. So creepy, yet so incredible.
Persia was the last to show us her skillset. She said she required a glass of water for her demonstration, and Eryx fetched her one. Persia took a sip from the glass, then dumped the remainder of the water over her neck and chest. I waited. Waited some more.
“Is something supposed to happen?” I asked Persia.
She turned slightly and lifted the hair on the left side of her head, making her neck visible. Behind her ear and at the joint of her jawline, was a curved line. I was about to ask what it was when the curve opened up like a—a flap of skin. I was a tad disgusted. So much for my poker face.
“What am I looking at?” I asked.
“Gills,” Persia said. “I can breathe underwater. Live underwater, too.” I suspect she saw the question in my eyes because the next thing she said was, “Oh, I’m not a mermaid. I’m a sea nymph.” She pointed to her legs. “See? No fish tail. And I smell much nicer.”
“Your perfume is intoxicating,” Galen said from a corner.
“Awe, thank you!”
I couldn’t tell if Persia was aware Galen’s comment wasn’t a compliment, or if she was as much a smartass as he was.
“So a sea nymph, huh?” I glanced at Frederick, and then back at Persia. “Is that all you can do?”
Persia looked indignant I’d posed the question at all. Maybe it’d been the sound of disappointment in my tone that upset her. I hadn’t meant to sound rude.
“Pretty much,” she said, looking at the floor. “I’m sorry I didn’t meet your expectations, madam.”
“She forgot to mention one thing,” Frederick said. “Persia, tell Madam Isis about how you can have underwater guests.”
“Oh, I can do better. I can show her,” Persia said. “Madam, would you like to come see where I’ve set up camp in your lake? We won’t take long. It’s right across the front yard.”
“In the lake?” I rubbed my chin. “Uh… Thanks, but maybe some other time. Can you elaborate about how you can have underwater guests?”
“If I invite people underwater, they don’t drown. Because I breathe for them—with my gills. It’s like a mystical connection. Oh, and their skin doesn’t get all gross and wrinkly, either. I’m very cool like that.”
Persia’s verbiage was more modern than the rest of the deities’ in the room. I wondered how old she was.
“What’s the longest you can sustain it—having guests underwater?” I asked.
“Humans or gods?”
“Does it matter?” I asked, and she nodded. “Humans, to begin with.”
“I’d have to experiment with someone huma
n to know what my limit is,” she said. “And as for gods, they require a lot less energy on my part since we’re the same species. I can keep a deity underwater for up to three days with no problem.”
“I see.” I thought for a moment. “Frederick, explain how—with the exception of Cezario who’s helped us before and Pluto whose cloning abilities I already see promise for—the ladies in the team you’ve assembled would serve the purpose I need?”
“It’s obvious,” Frederick said. “Vasilika’s and Persia’s skills both use an element Turpis won’t go near.”
“Which is what?”
“Water,” Frederick said. “You know this.”
“I didn’t get the memo,” I said. “And I believe you’re wrong. Turpis chased me through the lake nine months ago. I remember it clearly.”
“But did you see them in the water?” David asked me.
“I was running from them. I assumed they were.”
“I’m willing to bet,” Frederick said, “the demons attacked on dry ground.”
I thought back to the day I’d gone looking for David to tell him I was pregnant, then crashed my mom’s car, and had my first solo run in with Turpis.
“Now that I remember,” I said. “The demons didn’t touch me as I ran down the shallow side of the lake. But as soon as I set foot on land…” Hopeful, I looked across the room at Frederick. “Does water kill them?”
“Wishful thinking,” Galen answered. “It slows them down. It’s like when you open the water hose on a dog. Same effect. They hate it.”
“It doesn’t mean they won’t go into water if it’s necessary,” Alezzander said. I’d forgotten he was in the room. “It depends how badly they want their target.”
None of the gods Frederick had brought in could offer me the same level of protection for my daughter I felt from Galilea’s invisible block. Or maybe I wasn’t allowing myself to place my trust in them. But Frederick had picked them out for a reason, and him, I trusted.
“Have you made up your mind, madam?” Frederick asked.
I studied the deities’ expectant faces, and then turned to David. He had as much of a right as me to choose who protected our daughter.