Sacrifice

by Michel, Mayandree

  “Victor, WAKE UP! Don’t let him control you. HE’LL DESTROY YOU!”

  Victor seemed to rouse from the trance, for a split second, as he met my gaze, but turned away from me. Dear gods please help us, I prayed.

  Meanwhile, my disciples stood paralyzed as the flames nipped hungrily at their tuxedo tails and ball gown hems. Although they didn’t possess the strength to move, they tried repeatedly to break out of Hades’ spell. I still held the power to read their minds and they begged the gods for help. I hope that their prayers would be answered, although mine were not. If I didn’t do something to save them soon, their souls will be stolen.

  I sent a message to Victor, telepathically, as my cage slowly lowered into the burning coal. Hades flew in arcs. He circled Victor and me, chanting in ancient Greek, “TAKE HER. TAKE HER NOW!”

  Victor opened my cage and held out his hand. I backed up, slamming into the flames. My back became engulfed. I felt the heat as it burned its way through the layers of my dress. The pain was intense and I would kill for it to stop.

  “I’M BURNING, VICTOR!” I shrieked. “HELP ME. PLEASE!”

  I had to get out of the cage or I’d burn to death. Once I was out of the cage, I dropped to my knees, and lay on my back. I smashed my body into the coal and smothered the flames. It worked, although I was still smoldering.

  Hades zoomed around us one last time. Then he flew up into the canopy of flames and darted straight for Victor. He was going to smother him in the blaze!

  No, I was wrong.

  Hades entered Victor’s body and his muscular frame swelled, for a moment, as if his clothes were pumped with a huge burst of air. Suddenly, he was immersed in flames.

  “No!” I screamed, and sprang up from the coal-laden ground, instantly. I thought to put them out, but the flames began to be consumed by Victor.

  Hades took over Victor’s body and mind. Victor stepped up to me, still smoldering, with dancing flames in his eyes.

  Suddenly, out of the blue flames that climbed up and around a column to my right, a figure appeared. At first the figure was made up of the flames, but quickly transformed into its human form. I recognized the goddess, immediately. Persephone held a bouquet of white roses. Although her eyes held the same blue flames, she was elegant in a flowing, white gown. She floated toward me and handed me the bouquet. The roses bloomed over, and over again, from buds to full open blossoms.

  “I don’t want them. I won’t live out the same doom you are faced with for an eternity,” I said, apologetically, shaking my head.

  “You must or he will destroy them all. This is the only way you can save your empire from being devoured. This is what will happen. Look.” Persephone lifted her right arm.

  A mirage was displayed in the draped sleeve of her gown. I made out the image of the grand ballroom in the Plaza Hotel. The Apolluon vampires captured my disciples as they ran for the exits. They snatched their medallions violently, from their necks. By doing this, my disciples weren’t protected by silver and the Lykanos dragged them as they tried to shift. Devastatingly, they weren’t able to. The shock ran through my nerves like ice water as both my mother and father directed their enslaved werewolf packs to hold every member down and chain them up against the walls of the ballroom.

  Chains? What kind of chain could hold an Ischero?

  “That’s enough.” Victor’s mouth moved, although I knew Hades’ had spoken. His bone chilling voice ended the mirage and Persephone lowered her arm.

  The message was clear and the image of my disciples being slaughtered as directed by my parents – their former emperor and empress, both saddened and enraged me. No, they weren’t my parents anymore. My parents were dead, forever. The Mayor and his wife were servants of the god, no, beast who’s desire to possess my godly given gift could end my empire.

  I had only one objective – one purpose. I had to sacrifice myself.

  I snatched the bouquet from Persephone and gave her a severe look of disapproval, although I knew that Hades’ controlled her too. She was a pawn, and had no choice but to serve her abductor. I looked at into Victor’s eyes – Hades’ eyes, and tried to find Victor somewhere within them. All I could see was the purest evil, hatred, and anguish, surprisingly. Although I thought I understood what Hades’ intent was, I couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for him. Look what being tricked by his brother and discarded had done to him. He was once a respected god, a part of the Olympians, and was now loathed by all simply because of the lot he drew. His desire to destroy my empire stemmed from his consuming hatred for his brother. His plight was the same as Victor’s once was. He was cheated and wanted vengeance.

  Could I blame him?

  Indeed. Right now, none of that sibling rivalry mattered one bit. Right now, I couldn’t let Hades’ issues allow me lose focus. I had to save my empire, which meant that there was only one thing left to do. The only choice available to me, and I didn’t want to risk having that offer taken off the table.

  Perhaps, someday, I could escape Hades’ realm. Someday I would outsmart him, but today I was his.

  Thirty-Four - Cordelia

  Sacrifice

  I prayed to the gods, who seemed to have completely abandoned us. We were in desperate need of their help. Would they really continue to ignore us?

  Victor was trapped in his own skin, which was also occupied by our tormentor. Hades’ wicked voice was all I heard and Victor’s gorgeous face was all I saw. I didn’t know if Victor heard me, but I had to try and figure out a way to connect with him.

  “VICTOR, CAN YOU HEAR ME? COME OUT,” I screamed.

  “You have something I need, and you will give it to me.” Hades bellowed, inching closer to me.

  All the while, the columns and walls surrounding us started to crumble. Various clumps of rock, mixed with ash, fell from the burning ceiling and off the walls. The ground broke apart in several areas, and fire shot upward from the craters. This time some of the flames were red and orange. These flames were the flames that engulfed Tartarus. The overall hue of the blaze in some spots was a hazy purple.

  “No!” I screamed when the ground opened a couple feet from the spot where Evan still stood – frozen. The flames twisted and turned like snakes in every direction.

  Oh no, my disciples!

  “Your brothers and sisters, of your forgotten empire, will be buried beneath my realm. Their souls will dwell in Tartarus with the Titans for eternity, unless you give me what I want.” Hades declared as he reached out to smooth my hair. I winced and stepped back.

  The rocks continued to crumple from the walls and bounce onto the smoldering coal, creating more gaping holes. I peered past Victor’s body. My disciples stood motionless as more and more flames reached out for them.

  “I’ll give you my lightning bolt,” I said, trembling all over.

  “I never had a doubt,” Hades confirmed.

  “Under one condition, you trade my disciples for it.”

  Through Victor’s eyes, Hades’ eyes focused in on me. The cobalt blue pools grew darker until they were black as onyx. Then the strangest thing happened. Hades’ face actually appeared through Victor’s face as if Victor had shifted into Hades.

  “Do you really wish to bargain with me when I can take your bolt and kill you and them as well?”

  I spun around and stepped dangerously close to one of the openings in the ground. The flames leapt out at me as if they needed to be saved.

  “I’ll jump in and my bolt will perish along with me,” I threatened. “You’ll only be left with my soul.”

  “You wouldn’t dare test me,” Hades said and Victor’s body lunged for me. Hades was now within an inch or two of me and I ran to the opposite end of the hole, nearly losing my balance for a second.

  “It’s my disciples or nothing. Do we have a deal?” I yelled, with one foot elevated. I was really prepared to jump and let the flames devour me.

  Hades wasn’t having any of it. Victor’s arm grew three times its size in le
ngth, and Hades seized me by the neck. His hold seared my neck and caused me to scream out. He held me high in the air as the pain coursed through my body. Suddenly, he let me go and I dropped to the ground. I landed on my back. The palms of my hands blistered, immediately, and the hem of my gown caught on fire. I beat the fabric with my fists and snuffed out the flames.

  I scrambled to my feet when I saw Victor’s body stretch out, uncontrollably, as if it were made of rubber. It was as if several people were trapped within him and having a brutal fistfight.

  “Victor? W–what’s happening to you?” I bawled.

  Now, Victor looked as if he was possessed by one to many souls. He was finally fighting back. He battled Hades for full possession of his body and power. I just wished that I could keep score or tell who was winning. At one point Victor’s body became engulfed in blue flames, again, and then the flames subsided as fast as they had emerged. Then Victor’s face shifted into Hades’ for a few seconds too long. I lost it completely then. I tried to ignite my bolt but couldn’t produce the necessary heat.

  Damn!

  I felt completely helpless, standing there as the blue flames continued to lick at my gown. I threw my head back and tried like hell to conjure up some heat, but I couldn’t raise my temperature. I tried to pull energy from the flames but failed at that too. How had Victor been able to?

  Oh yes, the attack of the Lykanos.

  I tore my eyes away from Victor’s body as it was being pull in all directions to where Evan stood – should have been standing.

  I gasped. My head snapped in every direction as I searched for him. It was then that I noticed Evangelia appear beside me completely engulfed in reddish-orange flames.

  “Empress, take my hand. I won’t burn you,” Evangelia said and held out her blazing hand.

  I grabbed her hand and she yanked me past the huge opening, which lead us away from Hades’ realm, so fast that I never felt the heat. I stood beside my disciples who had all regained their powers, but couldn’t cross back. They waited for my plan of execution.

  I immediately felt my body surge with a stifling heat as I regained control of my power. I held my arms out at my sides and ignited my bolt. I knew what needed to be done. I looked forward and watched the fight that continued within Victor’s body.

  “Let me guess, Evan’s in there too, isn’t he?” I asked.

  “He is. Evangelia channeled the flames that make up Tartarus, freed herself from Hades’ spell, and dissolved my brother’s icy exterior,” Bethany said, smiling at Evangelia. My heart soared.

  “She’s a pretty smart kid,” Nikolas chuckled.

  “Evan jumped into my brother’s body, sacrificing himself… in hopes to rescue him,” Evangelia said, and tears filled her eyes.

  “Now they both are having a rough bout at trying to save their souls.” Bethany said.

  I choked up when I considered what Evan had thought to do. He risked his own life to save Victor, his former nemesis, in order to save me so that I wouldn’t have to surrender to Hades. The sacrifice wouldn’t be overlooked. At that very moment Victor’s body was flooded and as transparent as water. I guessed that Evan had the upper hand. Unfortunately, it only lasted for a moment as the blue flames encased Victor’s head and torso again.

  “We all have our powers,” Bertrand said. His body glowed bright red from within and he spewed arcs of fire from his mouth and eyes. I was in awe of his range.

  “Good, because I think I just figured out how we’re going to get out of this hell hole,” I said.

  “How?” Julius asked.

  “Julius, you, Bethany, and Nikolas will guard that entrance. It’s our way out.” I said, pointing to the archway on the right. “You two,” I said pointing to Evangelia and Bertrand. “Will channel as much fire from Tartarus as you can, and form a ring of flames around me. Get it as high as you can make it. We’ll drag Victor’s body, along with Evan’s, back here while still keeping them within the ring.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Bertrand said.

  “Let’s do it!” Evangelia exclaimed.

  I prayed to the gods that my plan would work.

  Thirty-Five – Cordelia

  Monsters

  Betrand and Evangelia tore through the blue flames at an accelerated speed, blending with it for a second – creating a beautiful shade of violet. Once on the other side they channeled the red flames from the holes, which made them stronger for some strange and unexplainable reason. Then they chased each other in a circular pattern, becoming one red fiery blur. Their flames twisted and mingled, forming a towering ring-like gate of fire.

  “Do it! Do It!” I chanted.

  I rose above them and hovered over their wall. My heat was at the hottest temperature that I could raise it, without combusting into flames, and I ignited my lightning bolt. The blinding, white rays cracked and grew in long branch-like stems. I shot many currents and formed a magnetic cell around Victor. I had to get him – them to the other side of the circle of flames. There, Victor and Evan would have their strengths restored and have a fighting chance.

  I began pulling his body, but there was resistance since Hades seemed to have no plans on vacating Victor’s body and kept Evan trapped within it. A combination of Hades’ shear, black vapors, and flames wrapped around Victor’s torso like a cobra and squeezed. I knew that I was losing them. Although I increased the heat within me and pushed all of my power through the lightning bolts, I feared that the lack of my anointment played a very important factor here.

  It took every ounce of my strength, but I drew Victor’s body several yards and was near the edge of the gaping hole. We were almost there, I thought. Suddenly, Hades sprung out of Victor’s body. He struggled against my barbed wire cage of lightning. Initially, the lightning burned him, but he fought against the currents and broke through the enclosure. Both Victor and Evan fell onto the burning coal, appearing lifeless as the skeletons grabbed them, frantically. They were both in their human forms and seemed unresponsive, as they lay parallel to each other. My heart sank, but I could not lose focus.

  Hades glared up at me. My body trembled, uncontrollably.

  If the eyes are truly the path to a god’s soul, then Hades’ didn’t possess one, he possessed them all. Looking into the deep, pitch-black pools of his eyes was like watching millions of souls smothered by the Apolluon. He stood facing the fiery wall. Bertrand and Evangelia continued to chase each other. Even though the human eye could not see them, Hades did. A deafening ripple of laughter rose above me. The menacing sound shook the walls of the Underworld, sending more rock and rubble tumbling down onto the coals, and dangerously close to where Victor and Evan lay. Hades seized both Bert and Evangelia and flung them into the direction of the pit.

  “No!” I yelled as they flipped in the air with no control.

  Julius’ deafening screeched shocked me as he flapped his wings furiously, and flew over the pit of fire. Bertrand landed hard on Julius’ scaly back, but Evangelia bumped into one of his wings, and slip off his side.

  “Oh Gods!’ Bethany screamed as Evangelia descended quickly, whipping about in the air as she tried to gain control. Julius glided side-ways in an arc.

  “I see you have friends in high places,’ Hades roared and raised his arms as the flames rose several feet higher. Evangelia writhed about and screamed something inaudible just inches from Hades’ ferocious flames when Bertrand grabbed her by her wrist. Julius completed the arc around the hole and landed on the coals. Evangelia and Bertrand leapt off Julius and patted his back with gratitude before joining Bethany and Nikolas.

  Sequentially, Evan and Victor rose to their feet and ran as fast as they could to the edge of the circle of flames. Bethany stayed as a body of water and stretched her body over the flames while still maintaining her footing on the safe side of the pit. She grabbed hold of Evan, lending him her aquatic power. He shifted into water, and regained his powers. Evangelia followed Bethany’s example, and stretched her fire-engulfed body over
the towering blaze. She wrapped herself around her brother like a warm blanket and Victor was empowered. They both remained on Hades’ side of the lair while Evangelia and Bethany stretched back over to the opposite border.

  Hades levitated and his vapors clawed the air as he whipped around. He was coming toward me. I sprang into action and conjured up more heat to ignite my bolt again. I descended onto the coals as he began to grow in size. He stood as tall as the columns and opened his mouth, stretching it so that it was large enough to swallow me. I jerked my body back when hundreds of unidentifiable, locust-like, flying beasts, with tails as long as lizards, swarmed out of his mouth. They fluttered erratically and aimed for my face. I raised my arm above my head and spun my wrist as if there was a magic wand attached to it. My lightning bolt swirled around me like a whirlpool, barring the hideous little creatures from reaching me. They exploded in bunches; emitting a mossy green mist, which rained everywhere when they were exposed to the crackling, sparks of lightning.

  This only worked for a brief moment, to my frustration, because once the little monsters started growing, I had to change my strategy. I sprayed currents in every direction, torching each one as they approached me. Suddenly, a shadow crept across the walls. I had seen this creature before. It was massive, with reptilian skin, a thick tail that thrashed violently, and webbed wings that spread out over a dozen feet wide on either side. The dragon was no less than twenty feet tall and it shot up breaking through the blue-flamed ceiling. It sucked all the flames from the ceiling through its nostrils and belched them out as it descended in an accelerated speed, aiming straight for Hades. Victor slammed Hades through the coal and descended into the flames after him.

  “No!” I screamed as Evangelia bolted over the flaming pit and landed next to Evan at the edge of the pit.

  In the form of water, he was a sharp contrast to her blazing figure. He took Evangelia’s hand, looked into her eyes, and seemed to make her a promise. He stepped away from her, and sent me a message, telepathically. I looked at him and nodded. Evan transformed into a large body of water matching the size of a small lake. The lake poured into the pit, dousing the blue flames. The boiling body of water rose to the surface from the heat of Tartarus’ flames. We waited, and waited, and waited.