by S Lawrence
"I will travel with you on the boat," Raven says as she follows the men, going to ready herself.
"Looks like it's up to you guys to scout ahead." I give them the coordinates of the island and Aislin puts them on her phone.
"Yes, we will go ahead, but we will wait for y'all to make a move. I don't want Emma hurt."
"We will try to obtain a count of people and then will circle back to you," Kai assures her before turning. They stride away, moving out the door. Moments later, a shadow falls over me. Looking up, I see the massive bronze dragon circle once before flying east.
The others return in moments, and we all climb in the SUV. I drive as fast as possible to the marina. Nestor is waiting for us, guiding us to a cigarette boat. Sean and Michael put four large black duffels in while Raven climbs in and moves to take a seat.
"I can come with you. I can help," Nestor offers.
"No, stay here and try to find out more. I don't believe this will be the only place he has set up to hold people. Someone has to know more." I start to turn but look back when his hand grasps my shoulder.
"You know who knows more or who can at least find out more."
"Not yet. I can't contact them yet. Hades doesn't care what happens to his 'children.' He certainly won't care about one human woman."
"What about Perséphone or the Fates? Those bitches claim to know everything." Anger leaks into his deep voice.
Scoffing, I reply, "Even if they know, they won't tell. You remember how they are... 'Don't want to change your destiny,' such utter fucking bullshit."
"God, I hate them, all of them. I will keep looking. Keep your phone on." My head nods once sharply before I jog to the boat. The others are impatiently yelling at me to hurry. We are pulling out of the harbor minutes later.
The coordinates programmed in the boat's navigation take us northeast, racing along at ninety miles per hour, bouncing over the calm sea. At this speed, we should reach the island within the hour. We are fifty miles out when the sun is suddenly blocked. The mighty dragon shimmers into view, and I slow the boat before stopping it altogether. Aislin slides down his wing and lands softly between the boys, each reaching to steady her. Kai shifts in the air, hitting the deck hard as he lands.
"We were able to count ten armed guards outside, and I guarantee there are more inside the structure. They also seemed on very high alert, watchful, stressed. Something has either warned them of our arrival, or something has happened there." Kai shares a look with me, one that says he's worried about what we might find. My stomach tightens.
"She has to be okay," she pleads. Her voice washes over me, and I feel her dread and despair.
"Kukla, she will be. I promised you we would find her, and we will." I pour my power in it to send her reassurance and watch as she calms. Kai nods slightly, mouthing ‘thank you.’ I push the throttle forward, shoving it as far as it will go. The others grab onto the boat sides to steady themselves.
As we draw near, they all tense in readiness. Raven pulls a sword from somewhere, while Sean and Michael check their weapons, passing a nine-millimeter to Aislin. As the island comes into sight, we slow and circle around to the side away from the dock, Kai guiding me in. As soon as the water was shallow, we drop the anchor and leap out. Trudging through the shallows, we make our way to shore, except Raven, who glided over the water on her golden ivory wings.
We all move to the rocks at the base of the house.
32
ARIAS
I finish my call and move to the bathroom. I return to her side. Her flinch aggravates me, having done nothing to earn her fear. I sink the needle into her skin, causing her to tense and gasp. It's a sedative. Again, I'm only trying to ease her pain. In moments her body relaxes, and I examine the damage she did to herself. Her ankle is swollen, the skin pulled tight. The bruising extends up her slim calf and is the dark purple of an eggplant.
I stand and move out to the kitchen area, leaving the door open so I can keep an eye on her. We are an hour from the island. She has been heading straight out to sea. I'm not sure where I should take her, so I consider my options . My anger flares to life thinking of the island when I see the guard’s hands on her, her arms around his neck. No, I can't take her back there, there are too many men there.
I could keep her here on my boat, just the two of us. She would learn to love me here, need me to care for her. I could make a doctor come here. My phone dings. It’s one of the council members, wanting an update.
I realize they will begin to bother us if I keep her here. I glance over at her sleeping on my bed, her red hair like flames on my pillow. The island might work if I move her to my quarters. I glance at the clock when a small beam of sunlight shines on her, highlighting her freckles. I long to trace them like the constellations. I start to join her on the bed when my phones chimes again. Sighing, I move back to the table, picking it up. My eyes widen at what I read.
The island is under attack. The guards don't understand what is happening, but I do. Jason and Emma's friends found us.
"Fuck!" I glare at the phone as I pace. "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" God, how I hate him. The chosen one, the one which they kept. He is living my life. He stole my life from me. He stole my destiny. I can't take her back there now. I won't let him steal her from me also.
I climb the stairs to the cockpit and program the GPS to the dock near the house. I grin. They are busy at the island; let them kill everyone there. I don't care. I will take her to my home and hide her right beneath their noses. A calm feeling washes over me. No one goes to the house, and even if they did, they wouldn't find the underground rooms. I built them after I bought the house. The men that did the work don't remember ever being there. They are sound and scent proof. The air filtration cleans and pumps the exhaust air to the other side of the cliffs where the ocean breezes blow them away. Pushing the throttle forward, I head home. I hurry, knowing Jason and those he travels with will make short work of the guards on the island. I can only hope they spend most of the day searching for clues.
She is still unconscious when we reach the deck, which makes moving her easier. I am glad she won't feel the pain. I hate that she is hurt. I carry her off the boat and place her in the car I keep at this lot. We tear through the turns as I race to the house. I turn up the hidden driveway, the one that leads to the entrance to the underground rooms. The entrance is cut into the base of the hill the house sits on, hidden by strategically arranged chunks of the side of the cliff. I had them cut and placed to look like they had broken away from the rock face.
I pull inside, closing the steel door behind us. Glancing back, my eyes fall on Emma's still sleeping form. Getting out, I move to the back door and scoop her up, cradling her against my chest and carrying her to her room. It isn't as nice as the one at the island, but it will have to do until I win her over. I close and lock the door. I head to the office and enable the security and surveillance. Leaning back, I stare at the screen watching her sleep. Am I crazy to believe I can still make her love me? Probably. What if I can't make her love me? I'll still keep her. She is mine. I need to convince her that what I want, she wants, that it will save us all, her friend included. I need to prove to her how awful the gods really are. A smile creeps over my face. Going back to the vehicle, I grab my things from the passenger seat, put my phone in my pocket, and go upstairs.
When I open the secret panel, I know someone has been inside. I smell her. Pulling my gun from my waist, I move through the house. Whoever it was didn't leave a trace other than the faint feminine odor that few would be able to discern. After clearing every room, I walk out the French doors and stare across the water to the house of my enemy. I think about the shadowed figure I had seen before, trying to remember every detail. It could've been female. It had been interested in me and the house. I pull my phone out and dial, glaring at it, waiting for him to answer.
"Yes?"
"Hondo, I need you to bring the others. We are going to move up the timetable. Someone has been in t
he house, and Jason is assaulting the island as we speak. Bring everyone here. We will hide while watching them until we're ready."
"Is that wise? It isn't just Jason now. He also has the dragon and the Druids." Hondo's disdain could be heard mingled with his concern.
"Just do it. I'll expect you tonite. Tell Powaqu I need her skills as soon as possible; Emma is injured." I close and lock the door. I walk down the steps, collapsing on the sofa in the office so I can stare at the ceiling. A tiny tendril of worry forms in my mind. The others won't understand my need of Emma; they will only think of her as a means to our end. I must convince her before they all arrive. My eyes turn to the bowl of shells and sea water sitting on the bookshelf. Time to call her, the one who understands my need.
33
ARIAS
The water in the shells shimmers like dragonfly wings in the sun. I hold my breath. For a thousand years she 'helped' me, but I still must reign in my distrust and anger. Her blindingly beautiful face appears in the water. She is perfection, a gorgeous, deadly beauty. Look below the surface, and you find the ugly. So dark is her soul that it can't help but bleed through. Aphrodite, Goddess of love, what a joke. Love, something she doesn't even understand or recognize.
I think back to when she first came to me after I punished Sisyphus. I didn't recognize her for what she was then. She convinced me of her love, but her love is ugly and twisted. She uses your love up and then throws you away. She couldn't throw me away though. She craves the pain of those I plan to punish. She hates them almost as much as I do. She is my dirty secret; the others aren't aware of my unholy alliance with her.
"Darling. I was waiting for your call. Please tell me the time has arrived." Her voice tinkles, and another would be moved by it, but I had a thousand years to build my resistance to her powers.
Forcing a smile, I look at her angelic face, "Not quiet, pet. I do need your aid to get to the next phase."
"Do tell? Must be something special to force you to call me after fifty years. Fifty years since you last paid tribute to my love." Her eyes go soft, and her lids fall halfway closed as she remembers the pain of that day.
"Yes, it's been that long, as you well know. Jason is back."
Her eyes snap open and glee fills them, "Tell me, is he still pouting?"
"He is here to save a girl. The friend of someone he loves dearly. She is my way in." My heart pounds at her expression. She will help me. "I happen to have the girl here with me." She claps her hands childishly.
"What do you need me for?" Her eyes narrow.
"I want to turn her to my side. It will destroy her best friend and, in turn, hurt Jason. You remember how he is. He will willingly help me, sacrificing himself for her. I need you to show her how truly horrible the gods are."
"Gladly." Her image disappears, and I jump when she appears beside me. I must work on the wards to prevent that from happening after I am through with her. "Might I ask why you don't use your own talent on her?"
"I tried, but it doesn't work at all. If it had, I certainly wouldn't need to call you. You need to be finished before the others return. Also, I don't want them sensing you." I move out of the office and down the hall, knowing she will follow. I stop in front of the door and look inside. Emma is awake, tears pooled in her eyes as she stares at the ceiling.
"She is in here and she is injured. I want you to scare her so she will understand why I need my revenge. Don't hurt her terribly. I plan to keep her for a while." I give her a leering smile, knowing she will infer the wrong reason I wish to keep Emma. After all, she wouldn't understand our love. Her hands lay against my chest, nails curling in, cutting.
"Don't worry, darling, I know exactly what you mean. I remember well how you like to play with your toys." I grit my teeth as images of us with her victims play through my mind. She grins at my shiver, misunderstanding. "Leave it to me, love. Now go. Soon she will run into your arms, looking for you to save her." Her face is gleeful as she turns to the door. A moment of doubt enters my mind before I turn and walk away.
* * *
"Hello." The voice is as beautiful as the woman who is speaking. My eyes are riveted to her face. Instantly, I understand she is other. A tiny flame of hope flares to life.
"Please. You must help me." I reach for her. The look of disgust on her face causes my hand to drop. That tiny flame sputters before burning out.
"Why would I help you? We never worried for you lesser beings. You are beneath me. You're kind worshipped me since I stepped foot on this pitiful, disgusting planet." She sits on the edge of my bed, and I flinch as the mattress dips with her weight. She notices. Her slim, delicate fingers slide down my leg, tightening on my broken ankle. My scream fills the room, and I don't recognize my own voice.
"You are a means to an end, my darling girl. My Arias says he needs you to understand how awful we gods can be. I volunteered to show you. Normally, I would take my time and relish your pain but," her perfectly pink bottom lip pokes out for a moment, "Arias says I must hurry. Your friends will return soon and at this distance, they would sense me here."
"My friends? They're close?" I grit out through the pain.
"Oh, yes, across the way. Why, you can see Jason's house from here. That’s the reason Arias bought this dump." She stands, smoothing her coral silk shirt that showed off her flawless tan skin. Her eyes glow as she leans toward me. I try to scoot back but cry out again. "Arias says his power doesn't work on you, but I bet mine does. Oh, I just realized I didn't introduce myself. Forgive me." She smooths her hair and smiles before whispering, "I'm Aphrodite."
"The Goddess of Love?"
Anger causes her eyes to narrow, "Yes, stupid girl. Love the cruelest of all human emotions. Love is the one thing that can destroy you completely. Let me show you."
One of the first memories I have of my mother holding me and singing flitters into my mind's eye. I gasp as it morphs, the love draining from her. My tiny toddler heartbreaking because, even then, I can tell she doesn't love me. Next, comes a good day with my daddy, sitting in the Audubon park watching performers under the Spanish moss draped oaks. He lets go of my hand and turns to me with hatred in his eyes, his words of disgust break my preteen heart. Aislin is next. I'm at the Saint Charles house, and she is telling Conall how she hates having me there all the time. She never wanted to be my friend. On and on, it goes. Soon I don't remember having any love.
Until him. He loves me. He will do anything for me. He believes in me, my Arias. Tears are running down my cheeks as I look at her. "Where is he? Where is the one person in my whole life who loved me? Will you help me find him?"
“Of course, my dear. I was waiting with you until he came back with help. Would you prefer I bring him to wait with you?"
"Oh, yes, I need him." I smile at this woman, not sure of who she is. "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"
She grins, patting my leg, "Aphrodite."
"Oh, nice, like the goddess. They are horrible beings. Vile creatures that need to be wiped out." Venom and hatred fill my voice.
"Yes, just like the goddess." She turns and walks through the door, glancing back over her shoulder. There's something in her face, but then it's gone.
* * *
She saunters in , her hips rolling. She isn't trying to be sexy, she just is. I grimace as I remember the first time I saw her saunter towards me. The beginning of some crazy years. Fun, painful, and glorious, but ultimately crazy. Then I couldn't tell she was using me. Then I was as fooled by her love as anyone, starving for it, addicted to it. Now, not so much.
"Well?"
"She loves you and only you. Yours is the only love she's ever felt. Your wants are her wants." She reclines back on the sofa, a long sigh easing from her chest. My heart pounds at the thought. "Oh, and she's asking for you."
Turning on my heel, I'm halfway down the hall when I glance back , "You should go now. You're no longer needed." Her full lips purse before she disappears.
I'll deal with her later.
My heart pounds in my ears as I stop in front of the closed down. She waits on the other side. She will finally be mine. I push open door, standing frozen until I hear, "Arias," whispered with longing and love. My gaze flies to her face, and there is love. Way down deep, I know it isn't real, but for now, it is enough. Soon it will be. I cross to her and sit down, careful not to jostle her, drawing her into my arms. Her hands clutch at me. "They hurt me, those monsters, and Aislin helped them." I smile into her hair. Aphrodite thought of everything.
"Help is coming, my love, and I won't ever let them hurt you again. As soon as I capture Jason, this will all be over." My hands rub over her back, over and over. Her fingers tunnel through my hand and pull gently, my eyes meet hers. She pauses a minute before pulling my lips to hers. The kiss is tentative at first but deepens as she licks at the seam of my lips. A sigh escapes her when I sink my tongue into her hot mouth. Losing myself, I pull her closer. Her gasp of pain forces us apart.
"You. Only you have ever loved me. No matter what I did, it was never enough. I was never enough. Until you." Tears choke her.
Pulling her even closer, I whisper, "No one can or does love you like I do. We have forever, and I won't let anyone come between us. They will try, but I will kill them all."
She grips me tighter, and I revel in the thought of forever with her. I imagine the pain it will cause Aislin and smile. Through her pain, I will hurt Jason when they realize they lost her… To me. My phone alerts me that the outer doors are opening. The others arrive. I squeeze her hands before standing.
"Help is here. Stay here while I go let them in." She nods her head.
"I love you." Her voice and words caress over me. I walk out the door and I'm elated. The car is parking as I enter the main room. The others climb out. All halflings like me, those thrown away, those I've found over the years from across the world. It isn't only the clan here in Greece that threw us away. I found only those halflings in Scotland and Ireland are beloved children; the rest of us are disposable garbage.
