“You’re not going to find anything, Adronis. I’ve scoured this temple and every other temple on the acropolis. They were built for me,” she said to him.
“You might have missed something,” he snapped.
“I didn’t miss anything.”
He ignored her and continued looking.
“Adronis, please calm yourself. We’ve looked through all the temples. There isn’t anything here to help. The only one who can is Cara.”
“You don’t know that!” Adronis wheeled around his eyes wide, and a bit crazy.
“What is wrong with you?” Adrian asked.
“We can’t let some girl be the one who determines the fate of all mankind,” he spat at me.
“Whoa, hey now, listen I don’t know what your problem is, but I didn’t ask for this. I liked being just a teenager. I liked being on vacation with my parents exploring a new country. I want to go back home. I want to go to school,” I yelled at him.
“Your parents. What a joke.” Adronis laughed.
“What’s wrong with my parents?”
Adrian punched Adronis in the gut and walked to my side. Adronis gasped, grabbing his stomach, regained himself, and stalked away in the opposite direction.
“What was that all about?”
“It’s nothing. I was the one born with respect and the charming personality. He got whatever was left. Don’t pay attention to him,” Adrian said.
“Don’t be so hard on him,” Athena said, walking toward the outside of the temple.
“Why not? He’s a jerk.”
“He’s stressed out, Adrian. This is a lot for him to handle.”
“Him? What about me? Or Cara?”
“It’s hard on everyone,” she corrected.
“Where are the rest of the gods?” I asked suddenly.
“What?” Athena asked.
“There are twelve Olympians right?”
“Yes.”
“Where are they?”
“Mt. Olympus trying to prepare for the pending battle. They don’t believe that you can help. They don’t even know you are here.”
“Oh, I see.”
I was disappointed. It’s not easy hearing that someone, even if they are the Greek gods, didn’t believe in you.
“It’s nothing against you. They’re just very set in their ways.”
“Right.” I sulked around the temple looking from person to person.
“Well, now what?”
“Now we…” Athena’s voice trailed off when the same black dog from earlier came bounding into the temple.
Chapter Fourteen
Panting, the dog looked at us with frustration and anger in his green eyes. I thought it was odd for a dog to have green eyes, but I was more curious that he always showed up wherever we were.
“What is with that dog?” I asked.
“He is Ares’ companion. Something is wrong,” Athena said.
“I’ve been followed all over the acropolis by a spy?”
“In a sense yes. Come on, we have to follow him.”
“Is it time already?” Adronis asked.
“I think so,” Athena replied as she gracefully ran across the temple.
“Time? Time for what?” I asked, panicking.
“The war,” Adrian whispered into my ear.
“Now? I just found out about all of this. I’m not ready. I don’t even know how to fight!” I shouted after them and the black dog.
“You’ll learn,” Adronis said, bumping into my shoulder roughly, trying to catch the pair ahead of us.
“I’ll learn? In what five minutes? There is no way I can do this now! Give me a few years.”
“We don’t have a few years!” Adronis yelled, wheeling on his heels to face me. “If you don’t fight now, we all die. If you do fight, hell, we might still die. You’re the supposed savior of the world. So save us.”
“Enough Adronis,” Adrian said through clenched teeth.
Athena had stopped and turned to look at me. “Cara, you were born with an inherent knowledge of what’s right and wrong, with immense wisdom and how to fight. Do not worry about knowing and just do. You’ll be fine. But Adronis is right; if you don’t fight we’re all doomed.”
“If you’re sure, alright.” I shut my mouth and followed them.
Once outside the temple we saw why the dog was agitated. Athens was under attack. I stared in horror at the flames rising from the beautiful city. My eyes were the size of saucers. My mind refused to believe what happened. The faint screams of people could be heard over the crashing waves of the black abyss that lay below us. It was a complete transformation and not a good one. I couldn’t believe what I witnessed. I grabbed Adrian’s hand when I realized my parents, the people who raised me, were still over there.
What will happen to them?
The man who’d been in my visions appeared at the boat dock across from us. That evil smile was on his face. I didn’t know what to do. My body went numb, my mind went numb. I was frozen, standing there staring at him. It felt as though he could see into my soul. Adrian tried to pull me away from the destruction. He felt like nothing more than a gnat buzzing around my ear.
“Let’s go!” he shouted at me, but his voice was so distant. So far away.
He yanked me to the opposite side of the acropolis where a small path behind the theater led downward. It was narrow and rocky but it was a means of escape.
“Where can we go?”
“Mt. Olympus. We cannot fight them here. Down the path quickly please.” Athena’s voice had a hint of panic in it.
We descended the hilltop too quickly. I slipped on the loose pebbles and fell to my knees. I winced as the blood mixed with the dirt. The red liquid turned the soft brown dirt into mud. The tears flowed down my cheeks. Not from the pain in my knees, but the pain that began to grip my heart and soul. It was too late, everybody was dead.
“Come on, Cara. We have to go.” Adrian gently helped me stand.
“Why? What’s the point? They’re all dead. It’s too late.” The tears made trails through the dirt on my face.
“It’s never too late,” he said, yanking me to my feet.
I was surprised when we reached the bottom; there was a golden chariot led by horses in flames; not on fire, but created from it.. I boarded the chariot behind Athena and watched as Adrian and Adronis turned to go back up the mountain.
“Adrian? Adrian, no, you can’t go. Please!”
“Cara, it is fine. They know what they’re doing.”
“They’ll die, Athena!”
“It’s a fate they already accepted.”
“Not me, I won’t accept it!” I shouted, jumping off the back of the chariot and chasing after Adrian.
“Cara! Cara, please get back on the chariot!” Athena yelled.
“No, I’m not leaving them alone. You can go to Olympus, I’m staying here.”
“You are so stubborn,” she said through clenched teeth.
“Deal with it. If you want me to save your ass you do what I want,” I yelled, scrambling up the rocky embankment.
“Where can we get weapons?” I called to Adronis.
“You shouldn't be here! This is not your fate, Cara. Get to Olympus. You’re not good to anyone dead.”
“Shut up, and just say thanks for helping.”
“A few of the statues have swords.”
“The statues?” I asked.
“Yes, we put them there years ago just in case we’d need them.”
“You defiled my temple?” Athena asked, clearly shocked.
“It’s not defiling if it’s to protect it,” Adrian said.
Athena narrowed her eyes at him, but turned to find one of the swords. The rest of us ran to the swords and pulled them out of their hands. We stood on the steps of the temple, ready to fight. As we raised our swords over our heads the enormous black dog that had been following us all day stepped out of the shadows. He began nudging us backward.
“What is it do
ing?” Adronis asked, confused.
“Ares doesn’t want us to fight yet,” Athena said, lowering her sword and walking to the back of the temple.
“What? Why?” Adrian shouted with his sword still raised.
“It’s not time just yet. We must get to Olympus and meet with the other gods. Lower your weapons, and let’s go,” Athena said, glowering at the rest of us.
I lowered mine, and followed her. Both boys reluctantly obeyed. We could hear Cronus laughing. It sent chills down my spine.
“I will get you, little one. You will die,” he shouted at my back.
Chapter Fifteen
I turned and burst through Adrian and Adronis. “If you kill me will you let everyone else go?”
I’d never thought about my death, or how I would go, but this would be okay. Dying for civilization would be one hell of a way to make an exit.
“You think sacrificing yourself will end their fate? Will save those pathetic humans? Once I kill you, they all die.”
“Then we’ll fight. You’ll pay for all of this. You killed my parents!”
“You’re parents?” He looked at me confused for a moment then smiled. “You’re in for a big surprise.”
Adrian grabbed my arm and dragged me through the temple. The hill going down didn’t seem as steep this time. We all boarded on the chariot as Cronus appeared at the edge of the temple. The chariot lurched forward, and was in the air.
Adrian wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me tight. “Don’t do that again.”
All I could do was cry. Athens was in ruins. Bodies lay strewn about the streets. I couldn't believe what I saw.
“Will this be reversed?”
“Will what be reversed?” Athena asked as she drove the chariot north toward Mt. Olympus.
“All of the destruction and death,” I whispered.
“I don’t know. That is up to Zeus. He usually let’s things be as they are.”
“He can’t leave the world like this. He can’t let the entire world lay in ruin.”
“It’s not up to us.”
“I won’t help if he doesn’t. What need would there be for us if there are no people?”
I couldn’t believe it. Was it possible that everyone would remain dead? The world would lay in ruin? I tried to push the thought out of my head.
We were approaching a smaller town. The few people left alive roamed about the streets in a sort of daze but all the buildings were reduced to crumpled heaps of rubble. I turned my attention to the mountain ahead of us. Mt. Olympus. The horses sped up and were running up the side of the mountain but it couldn’t be the Olympus I had read about in all those books. The marble buildings that were surrounding the edges of the mountain were in shambles. A few scattered lanterns and torches remained lit casting eerie shadows along the remains of the buildings. The stairs leading up to the peak were missing enormous chunks. The massive temple at the top of the long staircase was reduced to two standing walls. I looked around in disbelief. The home of the gods was destroyed. Then it hit me. The gods were nowhere to be seen.
“Where are they?” Adronis whispered.
“I don’t know,” Athena said, trying to hold back the tears.
“What was that?” I asked, turning my head toward a noise emanating from beneath the waste..
I saw a large column roll to the side. A man lay partially buried under all the debris. Athena gasped and ran to his side. Dropping to her knees, she let a sob disgrace her godly throat. Tears streaked her dirty face. She pulled the man’s head into her lap and stroked his black hair. He looked so familiar. I took a few steps closer and couldn’t believe it. I knelt down on the other side of him using the hem of my dress to wipe the dirt, blood, and marble dust off his face. It was Clarence Rhodes. My eyes grew wide and I scrambled backward. I scurried to my feet and stared in disbelief.
“Cara, I want you to meet…”
I cut her off, “Mr. Clarence Rhodes?”
“No, Cara. This is Ares.”
“You’ve been watching me?” I gasped.
“Protecting you and making sure you were safe,” he corrected.
“If I’m some great warrior or whatever, why do I need protection?” I shouted.
“There are forces out there other than us,” Ares said, trying to sit up right.
“What?”
“The Titans have some of our demi-gods and nymphs under their control. Not everyone likes the Olympians,” he said, rubbing his head. “Not even our own children.”
“How is that possible?” Adrian asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Where are the other gods?” Adronis asked, panicked.
“Cronus and the other Titans locked them in Tartarus. I fought Hyperion when the pillar fell on top of me and knocked me unconscious.”
“They’re alive though?” Athena asked, brushing the hair out his face.
“Yes. Apollo was injured but I’m sure he’s fine now,” Ares said, looking at Adrian and Adronis.
I saw their jaws clench. Their behavior baffled me.
“How do we save them?” I asked meekly.
“Save them? There is no way to get them out of there,” Ares said, getting to his feet.
“Obviously there is a way otherwise they wouldn’t be in the underworld right now. So either tell me how to get them out or get out of my way, and I’ll figure out something.”
Ares and Athena looked at each other then at me. The longer they took to think about telling me whatever they obviously needed to, the more time they wasted. My body burned and anger festered and bubbled in my stomach. I couldn’t take it anymore. The deafening silence drove me insane. The heat coming from my body hurt. I threw my hands in the air screaming. As I did reddish light erupted from my body. I collapsed to my knees breathing heavy.
“What the hell was that?” I asked, freaking out.
“Part of your powers. There are more. They’re beginning to emerge,” Athena said calmly. Too calmly.
“Powers? My body felt as though it were ripped apart from the inside,” I yelled at her.
“Yes, the first time is always the worst, don’t worry it won’t hurt the next time you have to use them. At least it shouldn’t.”
“Shouldn’t hurt? I’m not doing that again.” I hunched over grabbing my stomach.
“There is one way,” Ares said.
“How?” I asked eagerly.
“Helios’ flame.”
“No!” Adrian shouted.
“Why no? What’s Helios’ flame?” I asked, more confused than ever.
“If you step into the flame, there will be a way the Titans can be destroyed.”
“She’ll die.”
“Her mortal shell will die, yes," Athena said, looking at me. "If you had to, would you be willing to sacrifice yourself, Cara?”
“Sacri…you mean can I kill myself?” I stood there thinking for a minute. “Will the world go back to normal?”
“I don’t know,” Athena said.
“That is the only way I’ll do it. Everything has to be normal again.”
“Are you insane, Cara? You’ll die! Do you understand that? Die, as in dead. No longer here.”
“I understand, Adrian.”
“Cara, I’m not sure you do,” Adronis said, stepping up next to me.
“Adronis, Adrian, I know what it means. I’ll be fine.”
“No, you won’t be fine.” Adrian grabbed onto my shoulders and shook me a bit, “You’ll be dead!”
“What better way to die than to save this? Everyone I know and care about will be saved."
Adrian turned and stormed away. I felt horrible.
“I’ll go talk to Helios,” Ares said as he stumbled to the chariot.
“Wait a minute, isn’t Helios a Titan?” I asked.
“He’s one of few who sided with us, along with the Titanesses.”
“Oh right. I read something about that in a book.”
“I’ll be back.”
I watched as Ares took off in the chariot. The streaming ball of fire disappeared quickly. We stood there, waiting. I had no idea what to expect.
“This isn’t one of your books, Cara. This is real life. You’re really going to die if you go through with this,” Adronis told me.
I just looked at him.
Why does he care all of a sudden? What does the flame of Helios even look like?
I didn’t have long to wait. A stream of blue light fell from the sky, surprising everyone. I stood there, staring.
“What the hell is that?”
“Are you ready?” Athena asked.
“That’s it?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“What am I supposed to do?” I stared into the hypnotizing, blue light.
“Step into it.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“I walk into the blue light, the Titans die, and everything goes back to normal?”
“Hopefully.”
“Okay. Here goes,” I took a deep breath, and stepped forward.
“You can’t go! Cara, you’ll die.”
“I know, Adrian. It’s what I have to do. It’s the only way things will be safe.”
“There has to be another way. I don’t want to lose you.”
“There isn’t. Athena said the only…”
“I don’t care what Athena says. You’re a mortal. You step into Helios’ flame, you will die.”
“Adrian, you have to let her go,” Adronis grabbed his arm, but he wrenched it free.
“This is what I was born to do. This is why I am here. Everything happened so that I would be in Greece when the Titans tried to overthrow the Olympians.”
“Who cares about them?”
“Adrian, look around us! Earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes ravage the earth. If I don’t stop them now, everybody will die. Our families and friends. Everybody. One life in exchange for millions; I’d say that is pretty fair.”
“She is right. She must sacrifice her mortal shell so the world may live on for as long as it has left.”
“Shut up, Athena.” Adrian turned on the goddess. Rage filled his eyes. “It’s your fault we’re even in this mess. If you and the other gods were able to hold your shit together the Titans wouldn’t have escaped from the underworld.”
Goddess of War Page 7
