by Rae Else
El closed her eyes as the wind bit at her, washing up grit and dirt, obscuring her vision. Every now and then she thought she heard a cry or detected a crash beneath the storm’s belligerent roar. Her heart hammered as she realised that arete were being wrenched up into the tornado. Was Luke okay? Alex? There was nothing she could do but hold onto the limestone, her whole body hugging the tier where she lay, hoping that she wouldn’t be snatched up by the cyclone.
Slowly the storm died down. When El dared to look up, the centre of the arena was clear. Everything else around her, the tier to her left and right, was still dim and swirling with sand and grit. She made out the crouched figures of all three of the Triad ahead. Relief flooded through her. Talus was okay. But another shadowy figure was appearing beside the group of three. Was another graeae morphing into existence beside them?
No … it wasn’t a graeae. Rosa, the empousa, had metamorphosed from the air itself. The last of the wind disappeared as she solidified completely in the centre. El remembered what Medea had said: empousa could transform themselves into the element they governed. Rosa had transformed into air. Rosa was the storm.
As the dust and grit settled and the arena became ever clearer, the remains of those arete pulled up into the storm and spat back out became visible. As she took in the casualties, El realised they were almost all golden-clad Waseem. Some had their heads smashed open, others their limbs torn off: Rosa had decimated the entirety of the invading army.
Most of the flames had been suffocated in the storm but the first tiers to become clear again were filled with the remains of charred bodies: a grim audience, chosen from the ranks of the dead.
With the air still murky in the aftermath of the tempest, and her focus on Rosa, El didn’t realise the hostile arete behind her had drawn nearer. Yia Yia screamed. El searched the haze just in time to see an arete slitting Laius’ throat; another was stabbing at Yia Yia’s eyes, blinding her.
Then someone was behind El. ‘I heard you were in on the Council meeting.’ He shoved a blindfold over her eyes. ‘Presented as a successor – tut, tut.’
She recognised the vile voice: Jim. He was among the enemy: the Opposition. She struggled to shove him off but sharp restraints cut into her wrists. The Opposition had brought Rosa here and restored her to her full strength and power. Jim nudged her forwards down the stairs. She could hear Yia Yia, Luke and the others being led down too, all bound and blindfolded.
Janos’ voice bellowed as he walked into the arena. ‘How do you like the taste of freedom, Rosa?’
His steps were sure: no more shuffling. His eyes and power had been restored.
‘It is sweetened by revenge,’ Rosa said silkily.
El magnified her hearing and detected the empousa’s movements. Rosa turned to the three graeae who were still solid in the centre of the arena. El and the others were being drawn into the ring by their captors.
She honed in on the Triad: their bodies tensed, their blades still poised before them as Rosa approached. She remembered Helen’s phenomenal strength when she’d been restored. El’s heart hammered. What good would knives be against such an enemy? She concentrated on hearing, willing her ears to perceive what her eyes could not.
Rosa grabbed one of the graeae’s arms, twisting the blade from their hand. Liang screamed when the empousa drew her wrist to her mouth and bit into it.
‘A goblet, Janos.’
Janos brought a goblet to her before Rosa started to catch the blood from Liang’s wound. She repeated the process with Talus next, who tried to resist but screamed when Rosa tightened her grip, crushing his wrist. Ethan gave no resistance when she reached him.
Rosa stretched out the goblet to Janos. He frowned. El detected his deep bow, however, as he took the proffered cup.
‘I am ignorant of the honour you grant me, my goddess.’
‘This blood rite hasn’t happened for millennia.’ Rosa looked back at the bleeding graeae on their knees, then around at El and the other captives. ‘Once, it was customary for the new Triad to take in the blood of the old, so that power would always be carried into the present, and the Triad ever strengthened. They have not converged yet, but by imbibing their blood, and once they are dead, you will receive their sight.’
El’s palms grew clammy, her heart thundered in her ears. They were going to kill Talus and the other graeae. She had to think of a way to get this blindfold off.
Janos was surveying their group, turning around the circle of captives, taking his time, enjoying their rapt attention.
‘I am truly honoured,’ he said.
He raised the cup to his lips and drained its contents before dropping it to the floor. He smiled round at the group of prisoners.
‘Now I can tell you all what I have felt deep down for centuries. You sicken me. Too long have I endured your petty concerns. My position, at first an honour – to guard our sacred charges – has been a prison sentence.
‘You fight amongst yourselves, each line hoping to control the most wealth, territory and power, but all of you overlook greatness. None of you appreciated the divinity that laid within your reach.
‘Long have we known that the empousa are the embodiment of the ancient gods – indestructible and immortal. Instead of declaring their divinity to the world, you have let them languish in the shadows.
‘Your treasured accounts of the empousa are only proof of your lack of vision. Instead of seeing the possibilities in these tantalising snippets and restoring them to their former glory, you have kept them in their reduced state.’
El struggled to draw breath as her thoughts caught up with what was happening. Going to the Waseem Villa had never been about getting proof of corruption. It had been about freeing Rosa.
Yia Yia’s voice rang from El’s right. ‘Janos, you will never be able to govern the—’
‘They do not need governed! They are the rightful rulers!’ Janos’ voice ricocheted around the stadium, his ordinarily controlled manner decimated. ‘For too long, you lesser beings have been allowed to rule. Now, you have reached your end.
‘I have enjoyed pitting you against one another: Samir believing that I would support his claim with his immortal army. You, Zhu, gleefully deposing Samir to give your graeae a guaranteed seat on the Triad, which lasted for all of … five minutes. And Helena, so caught up in the glory days of your line that you missed the threat right before you. Oh,’ he added sardonically, ‘thank you for your invitation to Carras Island, I do believe I shall make the visit soon, but I will not require your company.’ He laughed ominously.
‘Now, through my brethren’s blood, I have taken the power of the Triad into myself. All facets of time will be mine to command. My power will ensure that none of you rise higher than you should ever again. Soon, as is right, the empousa shall have dominion over the world.’
El had to get this blindfold off. Medea’s words came back to her: they were wild things … that could never be tamed. Their bloodlust knew no bounds.
There were steps coming through the entranceway once again.
‘Ah … my faithful foot soldiers return,’ Janos said. ‘They are far more forward-thinking than any of you. What news of the Opposition in Beijing and New York: have they secured Seth and Attys?’
El recognised Robin Hood’s voice, ‘Yes, Janos.’
Zhu’s voice interrupted, ‘Impossible! Only I know where Seth is!’
Janos’ tone was mocking, ‘Your hubris is astounding. You have no concept of Rosa’s power. You think that she cannot find her brethren without you! But perhaps I’ll keep you heads of line around a little longer. It would amuse me to watch you fall further…’
Yia Yia’s voice sounded derisively, ‘You mean that you need us to enter our veiling and territories, Janos. That doesn’t sound so mighty.’
‘Don’t flatter yourself, Helena,’ Janos replied. ‘I freed Louisa Carras earlier and can always choose to take her to enter your island if you irk me too much.’
El’s he
art was thumping with the arrival of more of the Opposition members. Familiar ones. Did that mean…?
She heard a rush of footsteps and a familiar, deep voice. ‘Janos, you said that you’d keep El safe.’
El felt a rising sickness. Despite hearing Dan’s voice she wanted to deny it, wanted to will him away. But as a pang of regret filled her, she realised that she’d known he would be here.
Dan was willing to do whatever it took to destroy the Order. Even if it meant the deaths of hundreds of humans. In truth, he’d long been prejudiced. The hate he felt for his adoptive parents had set him on this path years ago. His suffering had been channelled into the fight against the Order and he was willing to do whatever it took to destroy it, believing that only with it gone could he have the true freedom he’d always dreamed of.
Janos’ voice was clipped. ‘El ingratiated herself with the enemy a little too well. She was named at the Council as Helena’s successor. What could have prompted you to name a successor, Helena?’
He was scrutinising Yia Yia, then his attention fell to El. He had empousa blood in his system, like Talus and the other graeae, so couldn’t look into the future. Not yet, but he clearly had his suspicions.
‘I don’t understand how you got empousa blood back into the Triad?’ El asked, voicing her thoughts aloud, trying to buy some time to think of a way she could get this stupid blindfold off.
Janos smiled. ‘It wasn’t just at the top that we infiltrated. We used the ranks of lesser arete too – the nymphs providing your food, your wine – all the wine you drank last night contained a high percentage of empousa blood. As did the wine the heads gave the Triad moments ago during the blood oath.’
Janos continued, ‘Many arete … both within the lower and upper stratosphere, share our vision: a world where we do not live in hiding, a world where all arete have access to immortal blood and in which the empousa rule.’
He was talking about unleashing a monster on humanity. Rosa had slaughtered the Waseem army within minutes and he wanted to release all of the empousa. She imagined the devastation that their bloodlust would have on the world.
‘It’s time to go,’ Janos said.
Rosa grabbed the throats of two of the graeae. Her teeth sank into another one’s neck. Her vice-like grip crushed their throats, cutting off their cries. She dropped the two dead graeae on the floor, spitting out the clump of flesh from the other that she’d ripped out. The third graeae dropped to the floor, their life’s blood gushing out from the wound as they clutched at it.
‘Tal!’ Theon screamed.
Tears rushed to El’s eyes. She didn’t know which of the crumpled bodies was Talus’, but as the last heart palpitated and fell silent, she knew he was gone. A pool of blood seeped over the floor, linking all three bodies. Theon’s cries sounded half-strangled and El thought he was being choked. But his sobs were raw with anguish and the knowledge that Talus was dead.
El shook. She hadn’t done anything. Bile rose in her throat.
‘Keep the heads of line. You can dispose of the rest of them, Rosa,’ Janos said.
‘Wait,’ Dan shouted, drawing in front of El. ‘We couldn’t have done any of this without El. She got us to Helena—’
‘The Waseem helped us get in here too,’ Rosa’s voice crept dangerously. ‘Should I have let my captors live?’
Janos’ voice cut over them. ‘Sometimes the old must make way for the new completely. We cannot afford to keep those who are not one hundred percent sure of our vision—’
Dan’s voice rose. ‘I have done everything you’ve asked but I insist that El—’
‘Wait,’ Rosa said, coming to stand before the next captive, blindfolded and bound. ‘This one’s human. Oh … that scent … better than ambrosia—’
‘Get away from him!’ El shouted.
‘You dare tell me what to do!’ Rosa snarled and lunged at El, striking her across the cheek.
El fell forwards onto the cold stone floor, her cheek pounding.
‘Hey…’ Dan said gently. ‘There are many more … many other humans you can have.’
His voice was placating but El could hear the fear buried beneath the calm-sounding logic. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Dan hadn’t known Alex was here: he’d missed him in the circle of prisoners, likely because he was dressed like an Order guard.
El felt nauseous as she sensed Rosa’s fingertips, as strong as iron, running through Alex’s hair. Alex grimaced, his heartbeat picking up as Rosa’s touch incited panic. Be calm, El willed: still your body. But Alex’s heartbeat soared, drumming in his chest as the empousa licked her lips.
‘It’s time for you, Dan,’ Janos said, ‘to rid yourself of the shackles that have held you back. The humans have held you back all your life, condemned you to weakness … and you’ve allowed it. It’s time to break free.’
El sensed Dan step past her to Alex, standing between Rosa and him.
‘Alex is like a father to me. No one touches him.’
Rosa smirked and then, in a flash, shoved Dan back across the floor of the arena. He landed a few metres away, his head hitting the stone floor hard. He didn’t move.
El screamed as Rosa’s fangs grew. Eirene, kneeling near Alex, made to grab at him but Rosa shoved her away. Rosa’s head was lowered over Alex as if about to kiss him, but it was the pulsing artery in his neck that called to her. Her teeth punctured his flesh, her mouth latching onto the vein below.
Alex’s heart fought furiously as the blood was pulled away from it.
‘Alex!’ El cried out.
She tried to get up from the floor but someone kicked her in the side and she twisted in pain. She couldn’t lose another person she loved. She wouldn’t. She thought of her mum’s life, obliterated so suddenly, of her grandma’s energy ebbing as Louisa choked her.
Her heart thundered and her thoughts tried to catch up, trying to grasp at something to save him. Her eyelids fluttered uselessly against the material blinding her. No … not again. Her thoughts spiralled out of control.
Then something cut through it. She roved the space: her ear detecting the crackling fire still burning nearby. She moved her face against the ground, hoping that no one would notice her movement: they were all watching Rosa draining Alex. The beat of his heart, audible to her, was slowing.
El shifted her weight and angled her neck back, trying to catch a glimpse of the fire, trying to see what her ears could detect. Her heart hammered, just as Alex’s continued to slow to a deadly rhythm. He had lost so much blood.
El’s blindfold had been minutely displaced. If she could get a glimpse of the light: the heat. She looked down through the tiny crevice of vision, catching sight of the crackling fire. Sensing it, she grit her teeth together, preparing herself.
She drew the flames to her, saturating the blindfold and braced against the pain as she encouraged the fire to grow along the fabric. The cloth was engulfed, biting her skin in the process. White-hot pain erupted over her face. Finally, she narrowed her eyes, feeling the heat singeing away her lashes…
She squeezed her eyes to tiny slits, willing the flames to eat through the material. At the same time, she desperately hoped her vision wouldn’t be damaged. The bandage came away. She couldn’t hold in the pain anymore and a scream was wrenched from her.
Forcing her eyes wide open, she extinguished the flames across her face and the few that had already woven their way into her hair. Her eyes were tearing up with pain. The air seemed cold as it bit at her damaged face.
Blinking her tears away, she was grateful as her vision cleared: her sight was unimpaired. Her gaze shot to Rosa, who had dropped Alex from her clutches. El’s scream had disturbed the empousa from her meal.
Rosa’s amber eyes were menacing as they lit upon El and she started towards her. El didn’t take her eyes off her. Her eyes bored into Rosa’s, plumbing their depths. A flash of energy seared through her as if she’d conjured flame, but instead of fire manifesting, Rosa’s ey
es widened. Her black pupils erupted, flooding the rest of her eyes. The whites were obliterated, the orbs becoming an inky darkness.
The empousa pitched forwards and landed prostrate on the dusty floor.
- Chapter Thirty-One -
In the Blink of an Eye
Darkness devoured El. There was nothing. This was oblivion. A stark silence rang, drowning out all sound.
Then warmth swam through her, obliterating everything else. She realised that the all-consuming blackness was Rosa’s eyes. She was staring into them. Rosa’s head was angled towards her where she’d fallen forwards, her dead eyes staring at her like slick pools of tar. El had gone into a trance. The same as her grandma when she’d killed Maria.
Disoriented, she wondered how long she’d been mesmerised for.
Janos’ voice broke the silence. ‘What have you done?’
El became aware of her surroundings. Luke was beside her. He’d managed to free himself of his bonds and blindfold. Janos was staring at her, horrorstruck. The Opposition members were transfixed by the empousa’s dead body. When she turned to look at them, they bolted. Robin Hood and Jim sprinted forwards and picked up Dan.
‘You killed a goddess!’ Janos shouted. He reached for his blade.
Robin shouted, ‘She has the full power! Protect Janos!’
Grey-clad Opposition members hurried Janos towards the exit of the arena.
He struggled against them, ‘Seize her! Seize her!’
The arena emptied of the Opposition members in a flash. Reeling, El watched the last figure run. They were afraid of her.
Luke gripped her arm and pulled her up from the stone floor.
‘Free the others,’ she said.
He immediately darted to Zhu next to them, removing his blindfold and restraints.
El wondered if she could have used the full power again if she’d needed to. She felt the warmth in her dissipating. Her stomach was whirling at the thought of what she’d done. Like the beginning of seasickness, an unsettled feeling started to take hold. She hadn’t wanted to use the power but … Alex…
