Illusions: A Grace Murphy Novel

by Nicole Hamlett

  "We'll cross the barrier and contact Diana. If we've been gone for two Earth days, then she's going to be worried. Then, we'll get backup and search for Aliana’s body while we take out that barrier." I glanced at Drew, checking to see if he was on board. He gave me a subtle nod.

  "You aren't more interested in an escape?" she asked casually.

  "No. Rescuing Aliana is what we came here for. Obviously, we were too late for that. Nothing can be done on that front, but at least we can try to bring her home. First, we’ll see if we can’t find her remains, and then I'll rain death and destruction down upon Hecate." I paused a moment. "You know, I can't recall ever wanting to obliterate someone I didn't know before."

  "But haven't you? I hear that you've been trying the last few years to obliterate my mother. I don't recall that you've ever met."

  "Hey! She started it. And I'm not trying to obliterate Nyx. I know exactly where she is. If I'd wanted her dead, she would be dead."

  "Hmm well, that's not what I heard."

  "Well, you heard wrong." I could feel the anger growing. Who did this woman think she was? "As a matter of fact, if her children hadn't attacked my family first, I would have blissfully ignored her."

  "Grace," Drew said in warning. He knew me well enough to know that I was getting close to an eruption.

  "Hmm." Was her only response.

  "Anything else you want to know Colonel Curious?" I swung my pack down and grabbed the water bottle. I was parched and needed to do something with my hands that didn't involve punching her in the face.

  She chuckled at that. "Many things, actually. I understand that you spent most of your life as a human. Does it feel odd to suddenly have infinite power?"

  I raised a brow and waved my arms around. "Feels pretty human to me right about now."

  She smiled with a nod of agreement. "Aye, that it does. It's been a very long time since I've been so fragile."

  "It hasn't even been that long for me, and I'm already chafing." I snorted. "You know, I spent so much time wishing that I was normal. Now that I am, I think 'normal' can go eat a bag of dicks."

  Nemesis choked and bent over, trying to contain her hysterical giggles. "My goodness, you have quite a way with words. I'm never sure whether to be offended or impressed."

  "Do us both a favor and just decide to be amused. Otherwise, our already strained relationship is going to get even weirder."

  Drew snorted at this and picked up the pack holding our tablet. "We should probably get moving. If there are patrols out, we're not going to be hard to spot."

  "What is that anyway? I couldn't open the black box."

  "It's a laptop," I replied before trekking through an opening in the woods.

  "You brought a lap desk with you?" Nemesis sounded confused, and I had to remember that she hadn't been to Earth for hundreds of years.

  "It's a tablet," Drew interjected. "The case protects it from the electrical forces within the Rift."

  "Oh," she nodded. "Why would you call it a laptop then if it's a tablet?"

  "It's a human term," I supplied. "Tablets are new, before that, they were portable computers with built-in keyboards. We called them laptops."

  "That can't be right," she frowned. "We've had tablets for centuries. Why hadn't the humans discovered the technology sooner."

  "The dark ages-"

  "War-"

  Drew and I looked at each other and grinned. "Jinx, you owe me a coke," I said chuckling.

  "Good luck finding a coke here," he said with a smirk.

  Nemesis grunted. She sounded annoyed. Was it because she wasn't in on the joke or that she was in the dark regarding Earth culture? I didn't know, and frankly, I didn't really care. I didn't trust her, and I'd be happier if she left.

  The further away from the village, we got, the better I felt. But still, the hike was slow going.

  A canopy of leaves overhead kept the heat bearable, but my shirt was still sticking to my back as rivulets of sweat made their way south. I hadn’t thought it was possible to smell any worse than I had when we’d started. I was wrong. If I didn’t find a source of water to wash up in soon, I was going to die from olfactory overload.

  To try and distract myself from the smell, I started thinking about Nemesis, and what her presence here meant to the mission. How long had she been here? Was she actively working to release her mother?

  After a bit, Drew nudged me gently in the side. "I can see the smoke trailing from your head. Your brain is getting a workout."

  I scowled and shook my head at him. I didn't want to discuss my feelings toward her within earshot.

  "You need to trust her for now at least, Grace. We'll never find the boundary without her."

  I stopped and gave him an astonished look. If we traveled East, we'd hit it. He was acting weird again, almost like he couldn't think for himself. "I do believe that the air on this planet disagrees with you."

  "Why do you say that?"

  "No reason." I pushed past him and continued down the narrow wildlife trail.

  Porkchop had followed along behind us with a stream of chatter. The good news is that I could understand about every fifth word he was saying. I would repeat what I thought he was saying and wait for a response. Figuring out the yes's and no's was easy. Drilling down into when he was sarcastic with me was harder, but oddly enjoyable.

  "So you're saying that these pants make my ass look fat?" I let out a mock, outraged gasp and exclaimed, "Why I never!"

  Nemesis surprised me with a chuckle. "He said that you need to wear tighter pants. Those are too loose for this environment. Some bugs will use you as a host."

  I'd quickly changed after stopping for a bathroom break into the only other pants I'd brought. They were loosely fitted linen, held up by a drawstring waist. I'd expected to purchase local clothing to blend in once we'd gotten to the city. Best laid intentions and all that.

  "Use me as a host how? I mean, am I going to get mind controlled by bugs?" A shudder ran through me at the thought of bugs crawling all over me. I was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack at the image when Nemesis snorted.

  "As stubborn as you are? Unlikely. I have some leggings that will fit you. If you'd like to stop for a rest, I can dig them out of my bag."

  That was rather kind, and I said so. Her behavior toward me was an unexpected surprise. She'd been, well, nice. She made sure I took a rest every hour or so and offered to replenish my water when it started running low. I'd declined. I said she was being nice; I didn't say that I trusted her.

  "I also brought food. I'll eat it first if it makes you feel better," Nemesis ended with a smirk.

  Again, I thanked her and dropped my pack under a nearby tree. Unlike the others in the area, the bark was smooth and large enough to lean against. I slouched against the trunk and shut my eyes. Gods I was exhausted. "How long until the sun sets?"

  "A few hours, I think," she replied.

  "Drew, how are you feeling?"

  A soft snore was my answer.

  "Well, that settles that. I guess we're resting here for a while. How is it that we've been gone for 48 hours? It didn't feel that long."

  "Well from what I gather, you were unconscious for most of it. Adonis doesn't seem to be himself. I don't know if he'd realize how long he was traveling."

  I sat up and opened my eyes. "You've noticed that too?" I gave him a quick look to see if he was still asleep. He was. He wouldn't appreciate us talking about him, and I didn't want to ruffle his feathers unnecessarily.

  "He seems different from the Adonis that I knew." She gave me a very Gallic shrug and piled kindling into the circle of stones she'd set up.

  "Well, you haven't seen him in, what hundreds of years? People change."

  "People don't change that much," her smile was knowing.

  "He's usually a very bossy bitch," I chuckled. "I can't decide if I like this new acquiescent Drew or if I want the old, take charge guy back."

  "Perhaps he'll snap out of it onc
e we reach the barrier and you'll have your bossy, er… bitch back."

  Gods, I hoped so.

  "Rest your eyes, Grace. Your monster and I will watch for intruders while you rest."

  When I opened them again, the sun had dipped over the horizon, and the sky was a riot of violets, purples, oranges, and reds. "Crap, how long was I asleep?"

  Nemesis fed sticks into the fire then shifted to look at me. "Not long. You needed the rest, though. It's only been about an hour or so. The sun goes down fast here. How are you feeling."

  "Like I got run over by a dump truck, but still kicking."

  I pulled my last bottle of water from my bag and twisted the top. We'd need to find fresh water soon. With any luck, whatever Diana had dosed us with, would kill off any microbes that would give me the runs. On top of everything else, I could not handle diarrhea right now.

  "That's good. Are you hungry? I've got some food, and this as good a place as any to eat. I don't think we should stay here though past dark."

  I crouched down and cradled my head in my hands. My titanium shields had gone up as soon as she'd admitted that she could read minds. They were reinforced now. I didn't want to telegraph my thoughts, now more than ever. I had to focus on one thing at a time, or I'd go mad with the weight of it.

  I looked to where Drew had been resting, but he was gone. I scrambled to my feet and looked around. "Where's Drew?"

  "He went to take care of necessary business." She waved a hand toward the forest and shrugged.

  I stared at her blankly before I realized what she was trying to tell me. "Oh. OH!" I blushed and disguised it with a stretch.

  A tiny spark of doubt flared to life in the back of my head. Was Drew doing his business or had she killed and buried him? She couldn't kill me until the Rift was open. The tracking device my mom had implanted would send out a different signal if I were dead. She'd be much more cautious opening a Rift here in that case. No, Nemesis would wait for me to open the Rift and then kill me if that was her plan. She could teleport out of Olympus as soon as she stepped through and we'd never find her.

  I shook my head. One thing at a time! I couldn’t let my brain start whirling now, or we’d never make it. I needed to know more about Hecate, and the person with the best information was standing in front of me. But the question remained, how far could I trust her to tell me the truth. My internal debate raged on for several more minutes. Finally, I came to the obvious conclusion that I wasn't leaving the planet without destroying that barrier. I could deal with the Nyx situation later.

  Unfortunately, I'd worked myself up into a full-blown panic attack when I heard the bushes behind me rustle. I whirled around and called in one of my kukri. I don't know who was more surprised, Drew or myself when I thrust the blade up under his chin.

  "Oh hello," he said in a strangled voice.

  "Shit. Sorry." I lowered the blade and then looked at it. "Oh, thank God."

  "How did you? I still haven't been able to call mine."

  I shook my head. I didn't want to tell him that I'd been in the midst of an epic mental breakdown. "I have no idea. Strong emotion? I was afraid you were one of Hecate's henchmen."

  "That will do it," Nemesis said in a wry voice. "I'm glad you're back. We need to eat and then leave. We don't want to be here at sundown."

  "Why?" Drew asked.

  "Well there are monsters out here that even I don't want to tangle with," she said ominously.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  We packed up what little we'd taken out and Drew handled putting out the fire. Nemesis handed us all some sort of meat on a stick, and I didn't ask what it was. I was too hungry to be curious. The three of us struck out into the forest, but it was a challenge to keep moving. My body was battling the zing of having its power restored and the drain of energy from my healing. Trying to ignore the pain, I sidled up to Nemesis with the idea of interrogating her.

  "Okay, tell me about Hecate. What's the deal there?"

  "Got yourself sorted, did you?"

  "I weighed the options and decided that the people of this world are more important than my panic. You should know, though, as much as I believe in doing the right thing here, I want my world safe. If you mean to free your mother, I will stop you; this world be damned."

  She smirked. "Right. Warning noted. Let's talk about Hecate then. What do you want to know?"

  I bristled at the mocking tone, but let it go. "Why is she doing all of this?"

  "Same reason most people turn to evil, I suppose. Power. She wants it. She assumes that if she's the most supreme power on the planet, she'll be able to take over. I can't say that she's wrong. People tend to worship the one with the most, right?"

  I nodded. "People worship Hecate on Earth." I struggled to retain the study I did after settling in Olympus of the pantheons. I frowned. "Wasn't she supposed to be Apollo's aunt?"

  "Please, if she's his Aunt then it's incest all around. Those two have been shagging like rabbits for eons. That's what this is all about you know."

  "Well, I didn't think she was the virgin goddess, but she's got a reputation of sunshiny love back home."

  Nemesis shot me a look that plainly said she figured I was a moron. "Do you always take people at face value?"

  I nodded. "Generally, yes."

  "I don't know how you've survived this long. Hecate may have started off as a goddess of prosperity and peace, but she's a jealous woman and Apollo - well." She shrugged.

  Yeah, what could you say about Apollo? Everything I've heard of him had been skeezy and meeting the man had left me feeling dirty. I got her meaning, so I gestured for her to continue.

  "I remember when she was young. She had so much potential. Hecate is quite a powerful magic user and always has been."

  "So, she's Atlancean like us?"

  Nemesis shook her head. "No, she and Medusa were there on Earth before we arrived along with a few others. I gather you've met Medusa?"

  I stopped, stunned. "There were powerful deities there before the Atlanceans arrived?"

  "Oh yes. Quite a few. At first, there were skirmishes and battles - that's how Medusa became cursed, you know."

  "Wow, I'm not sure whether to be pissed or relieved that nobody forced the history on me."

  "Be pissed," she replied. "It's in your best interest to know what the hell is going on and why people are acting like they do."

  I nodded. "Fair enough."

  "So, even as young as she was, Hecate was already a powerful goddess in command of the skies and the seas. The people loved her, and Zeus especially spent a lot of time wooing her and making sure that she understood we weren't there to take over."

  "Wow, doesn't sound like someone who would work to enslave an entire planet. What happened?"

  "Apollo."

  "Really? He was responsible for all of this?"

  She stopped and contemplated that for a moment. "I believe that we are inherently responsible for our own decisions and actions in this life. It is our choice to act or not. However, the cause of this effect was Apollo. You've met him. He thinks with his cock. He has his moments, though, and Hecate was blinded by his beauty and outward charm.

  Soon she fell in love, and he took on the name Hekatos. It was all quite romantic until he reverted to his old habits. See, Apollo likes the chase. He doesn't like the work it takes to make a relationship successful."

  I'd heard this about him before. "Why didn't she just dump his ass and find someone else?"

  Nemesis gave me a rueful smile. "That was the second problem. Hecate was and is constant. Once she gave her heart, she couldn't take it back. It drove her insane watching his conquests. Every so often, he'd go back to her and pretend that he was sorry for the treatment, but then after a few years, he'd go at it again. Each time brought her a little closer to madness."

  "Asshole," I breathed.

  "She's absolutely bonkers now. She orders sacrifices in her name to cover up her murder of Apollo's lovers."

  "Serena.
"

  Nemesis pointed at me and winked. "You've got it."

  "Do you think that Aliana was also a mistress?"

  "Honestly, I'm afraid so. It didn't matter who Apollo took an interest in, or who we warned. Once he turns on the charm, it's impossible to resist him."

  I got the feeling that she spoke from experience, and I was too curious not to ask. "You?"

  She made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a groan. "I was also young and untried. It ruined a relationship that I held very dear. I doubt that I will ever love someone again as I loved that man."

  "Apollo?" I asked aghast.

  "No, you twit. The other. I was told that I killed him in a rage; my mind clouded with Hecate's spell. Take heed, Grace. When Hecate targets you, there is no escape. If not for my mother, I don't think I would have survived."

  "I wonder what made Apollo such a—" I waved my hand with a moue of distaste. I couldn't think of an appropriate word for the bounder.

  "He thinks he's a fertility deity. But that's the problem, isn't it? All of these Atlanceans seem to think that they are deities. They have power; they can affect the course of human life, and they've set themselves up as gods. It's the ultimate conceit."

  "And you don't think you're a goddess?" I queried.

  "Do you?"

  I laughed. "God no. I'm lucky if I can manage matching socks on any given day."

  She smiled at that. "But you have incredible power."

  "Well to quote Stan Lee, "With great power comes great responsibility."

  "I don't think your Stan Lee was the first to say that," she admonished.

  "Well, he was the most famous."

  "Regardless, you don't think you're a deity, and you're right. You're not. Neither am I. Neither is my forsaken mother. None of them are. They've got genetic abnormalities that just make them more powerful."

  I nodded in agreement. "Right. I think that being more powerful means that you have a responsibility to protect those weaker than you."

  "Arhidi! Naive and a romanticist."

  I didn't know what arheedee meant, but she wasn't wrong. "Maybe so, but don't you want a world where people are at least civil towards each other? Aren't you tired of warring and killing? I know I am."