Pandora (Book 3) (The Omega Group)

by Andrea Domanski

  Chapter 27

  Myrine slammed her phone down on the hospital tray table, causing Steve to jolt upright in his bed and then fall back with a groan.

  “I’m sorry, honey,” she said as she lowered herself into the chair at his bedside.

  “No news, I take it?” he asked.

  “No. She hasn’t contacted anyone. And Greco seems to be missing, too. Beck and Orano are at the hotel waiting for me to give them their orders, but I’m at a loss on what tell them.”

  Steve tried to push himself into a seated position, but quickly gave up with a grimace. “What about Julian?”

  “He’s tried to track their cell phones, but there’s no signal.” Myrine covered her eyes with the palms of her hands. “Where is she?”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll find her. At least she’s not alone. She has Greco.”

  Myrine wanted to believe that, but after Steve told her what Mirissa had planned, she didn’t feel optimistic. How could her daughter keep something that important a secret? She’d known for days the only way to close the box would be to sacrifice herself, but she hadn’t said a word. The thought of her baby girl carrying such an enormous weight all on her own made Myrine’s stomach churn.

  When her cell phone rang, she all but jumped on Steve to grab it from the table in front of him.

  “Yes?” she said, pressing the button to put the call on speakerphone.

  “I know where she went. At least, I think I do.” Julian’s voice sounded rushed.

  “Where?”

  “I hacked into her phone’s provider to get her recent GPS records. She was at the hotel this morning. The signal was lost for a second, then came back again at the same location Daedric disappeared from at the base of Mount Olympus. A few minutes later, it was gone, and it hasn’t returned since.”

  It took Myrine a moment to put the pieces together, but when she did, understanding washed over her. “Mirissa found a way into the god’s Mount Olympus,” she said flatly. “The box must be there.”

  The silence that followed stretched agonizingly, until a quiet beep broke the tension.

  Myrine looked at the small screen on her phone. “That’s Beck. Hang on, Julian, while I connect her.”

  “What have you got, Beck?” Myrine asked after pushing a few buttons.

  “I’m not sure. Still no word from Mirissa or Greco, but it looks like Flip’s missing, too. It might not be connected, but I thought you should know.”

  Myrine turned to her husband who had a blank look on his face. “Why would they take him?”

  ********

  Myrine settled herself onto the hospital bed next to Steve, in preparation for her trip to Tritonia. They’d exhausted every other source of information they could think of to find their daughter, and this was their last hope. She’d planned on stretching out on the small chair, but her husband insisted she share his bed.

  With his good arm around her shoulders, she leaned in for a lingering kiss. “I’ll be right back,” she said, as she closed her eyes and sent her consciousness to the Amazonian island.

  The air on Tritonia felt clean and fresh, in stark contrast to what she’d been breathing for the last couple of days at the hospital. The smell of antiseptic had become a constant companion, so the sudden lack of it was a shock.

  As was the silence.

  For the first time she could remember, Myrine was alone on the island. No warriors trained in the clearing, and her namesake—the ancient Queen Myrine—hadn’t greeted her upon arrival. Strange, she thought.

  Myrine made her way over to the statue of Artemis. Although she felt odd being there without accompaniment, having privacy while speaking to the goddess would be welcome.

  “Artemis?” she called out.

  When no response came, she placed her hand on the statue, hoping the contact would somehow connect her to the goddess. “Artemis? I need you,” she said.

  “I thought you might come, although I’m surprised you waited so long to do so.” The goddess’s voice boomed from the air.

  “Then you know what Mirissa’s planning to do.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Yes.”

  “Please, there must be another way to close the box.” Myrine was losing her tenuous grip on civility.

  “I’m sorry. This test was designed thousands of years ago. There is nothing I can do.”

  “No!” Myrine screamed. “There has to be. You’re a god! How can you let this happen?” Tears began flowing down her cheeks as she pleaded. “Let me take her place. I’ll use the key to close the box and end all of this madness.”

  At first, when Artemis didn’t answer, Myrine thought maybe her request would be granted. That hope was dashed when the goddess once again spoke.

  “You don’t have the ability to close it. This is the reason Mirissa was given powers beyond those of other Amazons. She must use them—all of them—to succeed, just as it says on her key.”

  Myrine’s retort froze on her lips as the meaning of that last sentence sunk in. “But that’s not what it said. Flip translated it for us …” Her voice trailed off as she tried to remember his exact translation.

  “Flip has joined you?” Artemis asked.

  “What? Oh, sorry. Yes.” Myrine forced herself to gather her thoughts and explain Flip’s role in their investigation. “He was part of the archeology crew that found the box. He translated the writing on the key for us, but it didn’t say anything about Mirissa having to die.”

  “Can you tell me what this Flip looks like?” Artemis asked.

  Myrine was pretty sure the goddess had missed the most important aspect of the conversation but gave her a quick description anyway.

  “I see,” Artemis sounded odd, as though she was trying to make sense of something.

  “You see what?” Myrine had the distinct impression Artemis knew more than she was saying. “What’s going on?”

  “Flip is not an archeologist, Myrine. He is a lower god. One that has frequently worked for Ares. I wasn’t aware of his involvement.”

  “He’s a what?” Myrine felt her heart clench in her chest. “He can’t be. He’s so … so …”

  “Strange?” Artemis finished her thought. “Yes, Flip is definitely odd. As a lower god, he is less powerful than most, but Flip is different from us in other ways, too. His existence has been an unfortunate one, to say the least.”

  “If he works for Ares, Mirissa is in even more danger than I thought. He’s lured her to Mount Olympus.” Myrine’s heart rate almost doubled at the thought.

  “Flip brought her through the portal? She’s in my realm?” Even Artemis sounded worried now.

  “We think so, yes.”

  “Myrine, I must go now. I’ll find out what I can and contact you.”

  “But what about Mirissa? I can’t let her sacrifice herself,” Myrine said.

  “Neither you nor I can change her destiny,” Artemis’s tone was filled with sympathy. “We can only hope that she achieves it.”

  Chapter 28

  “You had something more important to attend to?” Zeus glared at Artemis as she returned to her seat.

  “I’m sorry, Zeus, but it was unavoidable. Now, where were we?” Artemis glued a smile to her face as she scanned the crowd. The somber expressions on the higher gods’ faces did not bode well.

  She already knew the reason for the meeting. Zeus would tell everyone Eris had been released and remind them of his rule against their interference. A rule she felt sure had already been broken. Her Amazons had told her of Daedric’s involvement, which meant Ares must have orchestrated the entire thing. Whether or not Zeus knew of his betrayal was yet to be seen.

  “I was explaining to everyone what the punishment for disobeying me is.” Zeus rose from his throne and puffed out his already impressive chest in an obvious attempt to intimidate the group. “As I’m sure you’re all aware, Eris has been released. It is time for the humans to earn their place on Earth. Either that, or perish.”

  The rumbl
ings among the gods in attendance showed an even split of reactions. Many were clearly hoping the humans would prevail, but just as many were eager for them to fail. Artemis committed the members of the former group to memory. There may come a time when she would need their support.

  Zeus waved his staff in the air to silence his audience. “It has come to my attention that some of you may want to interfere, so I want to remind all of you that you must do nothing to help either Eris or the humans. This contest must be won without our assistance. Is that understood?”

  “What was that you said, Ares?” Artemis spoke as every god in the room nodded their agreement.

  When Zeus shot her a look that would make a cactus wilt, she put on her best contrite attitude. “I’m sorry, Zeus. I thought I heard my brother say something. My mistake.”

  The ruler of the gods held her gaze for an uncomfortably long time before turning his attention to Ares. “Was there something you needed to say?”

  As her brother stood, he, too, glared at Artemis. “Actually, there is. It has come to my attention,” he said, borrowing Zeus’s earlier words, “that Eris may have somehow acquired the scythe.”

  Chaos erupted as every god shot to their feet, shouting at each other. Artemis joined in the turmoil, gripped in a fear she’d never before felt, until an idea spawned. The scythe, although capable of destroying her, could also be the answer she’d been searching for.

  Zeus slammed the end of his staff into the floor. Marble dust plumed from the crater produced by the impact. “Silence!” he bellowed. When all of the gods acquiesced, he continued. “How exactly did you come by this information, Ares?”

  When the god of war stood, Artemis expected to see fear in his eyes. Instead she saw nothing but his usual arrogance. “A short time ago, I became suspicious of the lower god, Flip. He’d been acting strangely.” When a few attendees snorted, Ares amended his statement. “Well, more strangely than usual. Anyway, I decided to investigate. What I found shocked me.”

  He paused as though waiting for applause. When he didn’t get any, he went on with his story. “It appears the horse companion has been working toward releasing Eris for quite some time, against your very clear instructions.” He raised his eyebrows at Zeus to show his sincerity. “He has even coerced Daedric into helping him.

  “Today, my worst fears were realized when he and Eris, along with my son, admitted to their treachery. They have the scythe and they intend to use it. Of course, I came here immediately to tell you.”

  Had it been possible for a goddess to be ill, Artemis would have vomited the contents of her stomach at her brother’s feet. An obvious lie, his self-serving statement hung in the air, waiting for Zeus to cut it to pieces.

  “Thank you, Ares, for your continued loyalty,” Zeus said, his hubris blinding him to the truth. “Is there anyone here who knows the whereabouts of Flip or Eris?” When no one answered, he called upon the one god who could find them. “Hecate!”

  The goddess of magic appeared in front of Zeus before her name died on his lips. “What can I do for you, Zeus?” she asked in her sickly sweet voice.

  “I need you to find Flip.”

  Although her face stayed hidden by the ridiculously large hood of her flowing robe, Artemis imagined a smile forming at Zeus’s request. It had been centuries since he’d last called upon her. Hecate’s need to feel relevant had turned to obsession, and she’d allowed her desperation to warp her personality. She’d become almost as odd as Flip, and equally unpopular.

  There’d been a time when magic was accepted by the humans as a natural part of their lives, and Hecate had been well respected and revered. But that was long ago. As magic faded from Earth, so did her importance, until she became a distant memory. Now, most humans had never even heard of her. Even some of the gods needed to be reminded of her existence.

  “As you wish,” Hecate said.

  She reached inside her robe and pulled out a small pouch, pouring a small amount of shimmering powder into her hand. Holding her cupped palm in front of her face, she blew the powder into the air. A shimmering oval surface appeared in front of her as she chanted so quietly, Artemis couldn’t make out her words.

  “I have begun the search, though it will take time to locate him. Our realm, as you know, is almost infinite in its space,” Hecate said.

  Zeus returned to his throne and made himself comfortable. “Thank you. We will wait here.”

  The groans from the other gods echoed Artemis’s feelings. There were many other things she needed to attend to, and waiting for Hecate’s spell to work would be a waste of her time.

  Ares, it appeared, was even more frustrated at the prospect of waiting. He remained seated for mere moments, tapping his foot and sighing in exasperation. When he stood, he clenched his fists and spoke. “Perhaps I can speed things up a bit, Hecate. I believe you are searching in the wrong realm. Flip is on Earth with the humans, at least that’s what my investigation suggests. I would think your time would be better spent searching there.”

  Artemis stared at her brother, confused at his lie. She knew from Myrine that Flip brought Mirissa through the portal. If Ares had given that order, he would’ve known it, too. Why, then, would he slow the search by focusing it in the wrong realm? There didn’t seem to be any benefit to him, or anyone else, to have the scythe in the open for any longer than necessary.

  Unless he doesn’t know Flip is here, she thought. Maybe the odd little god had finally found the strength to turn his back on Ares. Perhaps he’d been working against him the whole time and helping Mirissa achieve her destiny. If that was the case, he didn’t have the scythe at all. Eris did.

  “Zeus,” Artemis said. “Hecate seems to have this well in hand. Would you mind if I stepped out to take care of a few things while we wait?”

  That request opened the floor to every other attendee’s appeal to do the same, causing Zeus to acquiesce out of sheer annoyance.

  “Thank you,” she said. “And might I suggest that Hecate also search for Eris. You never know who is in possession of the scythe.”

  As soon as Artemis returned to her palace, she contacted Myrine with the news that Flip might actually be helping her daughter. When the conversation was complete, she readied herself for the next.

  This one would be much more difficult.

  Chapter 29

  Since entering the underworld, Mirissa’s key had come to life. It warmed against her chest, indicating they were at least in the same realm as the box. Finally making some headway would have felt great, if she hadn’t been walking through the scariest place imaginable. Although the unrelenting heat caused her to break out in a sweat, a chill had entered her bones the moment they’d materialized. The conflicting sensations were unnerving.

  They’d been walking through a dark tunnel carved out of some strange black rock, for the last twenty minutes. Mirissa made sure to stay as close to the middle of the walkway as possible to ensure she didn’t once again brush up against the wall. The first time that happened, tiny black tentacles had sprouted where her shoulder touched, attaching themselves to her clothing with what looked like sucking mouths. She’d never considered herself to be skittish, but it had taken every bit of self-control she could muster to not scream like a little girl at the first slimy contact.

  Flip stopped short in front of her, gesturing for her and Greco to do the same.

  “We’re going to have to cross,” Flip said.

  “Cross what?” Greco asked as he crept forward to get a look. “Oh, come on! Are you serious?”

  Mirissa really didn’t want to know what had caused that reaction in Greco, but leaned forward anyway. What she saw made her wonder how he’d forgone the use of every curse word known to man.

  The tunnel opened into a vast cavern carved in the same creepy rock as the tunnel, with stalactites of all shapes and sizes descending from the ceiling. A gelatinous ooze defied gravity by creeping up and around each protrusion before sliding down to begin its journey a
gain. The floor, if it could be called that, was a series of misshapen platforms floating on a bubbling mass of yellow liquid. The light emanating from below the surface reflected off of the stalactites’ viscous coating, creating a grotesque glow blanketing the cavern.

  Mirissa wanted to just close her eyes, like a toddler playing hide-and-seek, believing that if she couldn’t see her opponents, they couldn’t see her either. Except, in her case, it would have made very little difference. The visuals weren’t the only terrifying aspect of the place. The sounds and smells were almost as bad.

  She’d noticed the low hum in the tunnel, at first thinking of it as ambient noise, then realizing its pitch and tone changed at random intervals. As she entered the cavern, the sound became clear. Moans, echoed off the walls and ceiling in such a way as to make their origin impossible to determine. Add to that a stench of decay so powerful it made her eyes water, and the scene was complete.

  Why were the gods so damn dramatic? Mount Olympus was beautiful perfection on a level Mirissa had never dreamed of. In contrast, Tartarus assailed all of her senses with fear and misery. Even the rock walls looked tortured by their very existence in the Hell realm.

  “Quick question,” Greco said. “Why don’t you just teleport us across?”

  Flip raised his eyebrows and answered, “Sure. Easy as cake. Except, we don’t know where to teleport to. Remember? We’re following the key.” He shook his head as though tired of explaining the obvious.

  Mirissa tugged on Greco’s arm to keep him from assaulting the little guy. I really need to stop thinking of this god as “the little guy.”

  “It’s all right. We’ve come this far without any real problems. Let’s just find the box,” she said.

  She took a tentative step forward, half expecting a monster to jump out at them from the shadows. When none did, she let out the breath she’d been holding and continued toward the yellow lake. When they reached its edge, Mirissa grabbed the key and closed her eyes.

  “That way,” she said, pointing forward and a little to her left.