by M. R. Polish
“Alexis!” She held her arm close to her chest as she ran to Magnus’s tent.
Alexis came out just as she arrived. Her eyes widened as she took in Karis. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Brady. Something is horribly wrong with him. It hurts so bad. I don’t know what to do.” She whimpered as the blaze in her marking seared her skin and muscles. If only he were closer so she could hear his thoughts and know what happened.
“Come sit down before you fall down. I’m surprised you’re still standing as it is with no sleep. Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.” Alexis ushered her in the tent. “Let’s get you comfortable first.”
Magnus gave Alexis a worried glance before he pushed blankets and pillows around to make room for Karis.
“I don’t want to take up your room, I should be in my tent.” Karis wanted to be where Brady last slept with her. She turned to leave but another wave of pain rushed through her, sending hot streaks of intense burning up her neck. She dropped to the ground, crying out as she writhed in pain.
“Magnus, what do we do?” Alexis brushed Karis’s hair from her face and cooed in her ear calmly.
He picked Karis up and moved her to the makeshift bed. “I don’t know,” he whispered, not looking at his wife.
“It’s Brady. We have to help him.” Karis tried to sit back up but failed. Her breathing became quick and shallow.
“Karis, listen to me,” Magnus said, staring into her eyes, trying his best to stay composed. “You need to calm down. You won’t be any good to Brady if you’re dead.”
He was right. She nodded. “I don’t know what happened to Brady, but I know something is wrong,” she said, her voice nothing more than a squeak. She cried out again, the pain was growing into her chest and black spots clouded her vision, threatening to take away the world in a void of unconsciousness.
“Magnus, go get Evan.” Alexis grabbed a bottle of water and held it to Karis’s mouth. “Drink a little. I’ll be right here and help you.”
Most of it fell down her chin, but a few drops made it to her throat. The water did nothing to quench the fire inside of her though. She tried to focus on her breathing. The calmer she became, the more she worried about what happened to Brady. It was hard not to roll around on the ground to try and put out the flame that was now in her chest.
Evan and Magnus burst through the door. “What’s going on? What’s wrong with Brady?” Evan kneeled next to Karis.
“Ahhhh! It hurts!” Tears fell from her eyes but she was in so much pain she didn’t realize she cried.
“What can we do?” Alexis asked her husband, her hands folded together in her lap as she stared at Karis.
“We need to find a way to help them. Whatever happened, we know Brady is hurt.” Magnus looked at Evan. “We need to prepare for the worst. Don’t tell anyone because we don’t know what the situation is, but start preparing.”
Evan nodded. “Got it.” He swallowed hard.
Karis went silent and they all stared at her. Her chest rose slowly but consistently.
Evan let out a long breath. “At least if she’s passed out she won’t feel the pain.”
“We can’t wait for Poseidon. He might not make it that long,” Zeus said as he paced beside the bed Brady laid on.
Brady was in and out of consciousness the past day with the Center’s doctors looking at him.
Atty gulped back another sob. She wasn’t usually a crier in any circumstance, but having Azul captured and Brady injured, tore at her soul. How could she save them both?
“Are you even paying attention?” Zeus asked.
“What?” Atty heard his voice but not his words. Everything from the past hour—the past day—was buried under a heavy fog in her mind.
“I said that we need to take him to Earth now. We can’t wait. The doctors here don’t have the power to help him. The only one I know who does is Karis.” He stopped pacing to look at Brady’s still form. “Crazy. They need each other to survive. He has what she needs and vice versa.”
“Talk about soul mates, huh.” Even as she said the words, her heart lurched thinking of Azul. She couldn’t leave him behind. “I’m not going,” she whispered, as she gingerly touched a small figurine of a Syrenae and a woman holding hands on the shelf beside the bed where Brady lay.
“I figured as much.” Zeus gave her a half smile. “I was the one who taught you never to leave a man behind, but I assume this is more than that. Isn’t it?”
She nodded. “I think so, but I’m not sure. I don’t know.” She stopped touching the small sculpture and met Zeus’s gaze. “I just know I can’t go back to Earth without him.”
Zeus chuckled. “I think you do know. You just might not be ready to admit it.”
“We’re ready,” a man said, poking his head through the door opening.
Atty gave Zeus a curious stare. “Who is that? And what did they mean they’re ready?”
Zeus gave the man at the door, dismissing him before turning to Atty. “That’s Lad. He’s my first in command for The Center.”
“Your first in command?” Atty asked.
Zeus cleared his throat. “Yes. They’ve found me to be more efficient than their last leader. I’m now in charge.”
Atty nodded. “Well, they couldn’t have chosen more wisely. Who was their last leader?”
Footsteps pounded in the hall. Zeus glanced at the door. “You remember that guard Brady took down back at the palace? The one who you said placed him in a headlock? Well, I guess he was working both sides.”
The door opened and four men came in, Lad included. One of them pulled a collapsible gurney from a bag. The men quickly went to work making it ready for Brady’s transport. On the count of three, they lifted him to the stretcher.
“I don’t know if he’ll make it through the portal,” Lad said as the men strapped Brady to the cot.
“I’m aware of his situation, but trust me, the only one who can save him is on Earth, but she needs him to save her first.” He waved Lad off. “It’s a crazy story.”
Lad nodded and gestured to the men that he was ready. “Alright, we’ll meet you at the portal.”
Zeus straightened his back and squared his shoulders, giving the man a curt nod. “I’ll be there. We can’t wait too long as our time to arrive back on Earth is dwindling. With Brady unable to fight, we need to be there before the sun rises.”
The men left, carrying Brady out of the room. Atty’s heart raced as he left her sight. Another friend she couldn’t help. Another friend she wasn’t sure she’d see again.
Zeus placed a hand on both of her shoulders. “Daughter, I’m proud of you and your decision to stay. If I didn’t have a need to return and gather all of us who were sent to Earth for our worlds, for this very reason, then I’d stay too. But, it’s time to call the immortals home.”
She sucked in a deep breath, raising her head to hold it high. Zeus, the Father of Greek Gods, the one who ruled all the Olympians, including herself, was proud of her. The fact that he still called her daughter made her heart sing. She wasn’t about to let him down by turning into a blubbering mess and acting all wimpy. No. She was a fighter. And fight is exactly what she was going to do.
Zeus smiled before leaving the room. The sun’s rays were just beginning to hit the side of the building where the Center hid. Atty darted to the window and let the warmth heat her face. It was a new day and one she wasn’t about to let slip through her fingers. Racing to her room, she grabbed her coat and left to scout out what she could find about Azul.
Chapter Thirteen
The portal by the sea radiated a steady green glow in the early morning light. The last time they were there they sent Poseidon off to Perditus. Even with no word, Zeus knew he was okay because their link reassured him.
He rubbed his wrist as he thought about all the men and women he was linked to, and how he hurt when he lost one.
The men set Brady next to him in the middle of the portal. He was still unconsci
ous, but breathing. That was good. Just keep breathing. Karis would kill him if something happened to him. That’s if she was still alive to do it.
Lad shook his head from the entrance. “I don’t have a way to make it work. With all the other portals in the city closed, everyone who’s not royal or has a link can’t make it work. I’m sorry.”
Damn it. Zeus hung his head, trying to think of another way to make the portal work. A commotion with his men made his head snap up. “You,” he seethed when he saw Diana held by one of the men. He marched over to her and backhanded her. “You betrayed me, betrayed your family, your friends…and your world.”
Diana’s face glistened as tears poured from her eyes. “I’m sorry. But I’m here to help now. Please let me.”
His face tightened into a deep scowl. “Why should we trust a whore like you? I’ve never been ashamed of anyone in our family like I am right now with you. Each person I took in under my wing, I called my own. This is worse than anything even Ares has even done. And trust me, he’s done a lot to shame our family.”
She scoffed, still fighting the hands locked around her upper arms. “Family? We aren’t family. Maybe once a long time ago we all came together like that out of our need to be accepted and loved, but it was messed up and you know it. Hell, the history books say you slept with your sisters for crying out loud. My family is somewhere in some world that may or may not be eradicated!”
Zeus glared harder at her. His anger building with each breath he took. “Well, there was so damn many of us that we had to have positions, it’s not my fault I liked the ones who decided to become sisters to me.” He inhaled a long steady breath, trying to calm his nerves so he wouldn’t kill one of his daughters. He didn’t care what she said. After thousands of years, that was something his heart wouldn’t change. Blood or no blood, his family was his family. But her actions made him pluck her from the family tree. Only his heart remained faithful to him being her father. He needed to remember how he disowned her and not let emotions get in the way. He glanced over his shoulder at Brady then back to her. “Besides, none of them traded their worlds or their real families for the sake of a roll in bed with the one person who took everything away from them!”
Her nostrils flared as she cried out against the hold on her. Struggling against the man, she made no improvement in her situation and the man’s hands tightened even more. She stopped and blew a puff of air up to move her hair off her face. “I came here to help. Do you really think I’d be stupid enough to come face you if I didn’t want that?”
Zeus sneered at her. “You were there in the room where Azul was taken and Brady was hurt. So forgive me if your presence causes me concern.”
She snickered. “Fine, I’ll prove it. Marin had Grazier on him. I think that’s what he used on Brady.”
“Grazier? Then he has next to no chance to making it back to Karis.” Zeus looked back at Brady. “You said you came to help. How?”
“I have a vial of Marin’s essence. It can create the portal and get you back to Earth.” She followed Zeus’s gaze to Brady. “I didn’t want anyone hurt, please know that.”
“A little late for an apology.” He looked at the man holding her. “Let her go.”
“But, sir?” Lad questioned.
“I said let her go. I need her to help us. And, in return, we will let her go.” Zeus turned his back to Diana, walking to the middle of the portal once again. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Keep the Center running until my return.”
Lad nodded.
Diana raised her hand with a small vial of blue essence over the panel. The door closed and the steady hum of the portal zinged through the air.
The bright light of the portal faded into black nothingness as they traveled. It wasn’t long before Zeus saw stars above him clearly, while the world around him still swirled in horrible drunkenness.
The weightless feeling vanished and a heavy gravitational pull tugged at his body. In seconds he hit the rigid ground—hard. He groaned as he stood up, looking around for Brady. Thankfully, he landed only a few feet behind him.
“It’s about time! It’s almost midnight. Where have you been? And where is everyone else?” Arika lashed out at him from behind one of the tall pillars of Stonehenge.
At least they made it back in time, that’s all he needed to know. “Oh woman, would you shut up. It’s been a long couple of days for us and right now I need to get Brady to Karis.”
Arika stepped over and saw Brady on the ground. “Oh my gosh! What happened? Let’s get him to the guard’s room before the other guards see him. They’ll be back around soon.”
Zeus nodded and picked up Brady with ease. “Lead the way.”
He set him down in a chair once they were inside the small room. Zeus turned up his nose at the scent of canvas and nature.
“Let me look at him.” Arika pushed her way past Zeus. She hovered her hands over Brady’s head and hummed. She pulled back and frowned. “He’s not doing so well. There’s no way he’ll make it back to the states. Besides, it’s not like TSA will let him fly unconscious. He can stay with me and I’ll watch him while you go get Karis.”
“You’ll watch him?” Zeus asked, a little more than surprised.
Arika sat dutifully beside Brady and combed her fingers through his hair. “Yes. But I’ll need you to bring him to my place. It’s not far from here, just a small house. I can’t leave him here or the other guards will see him.”
Inside, Zeus knew this was going to do nothing but cause him grief, but he didn’t have time to argue. If he didn’t get to Karis soon, the war would be over before they got to fight, and Brady would be dead.
Zeus hung his head. “Alright. But I’d like to go on the record that this is a bad idea.”
“All great endings start with a bad idea,” Arika said, still cooing next to Brady.
He chuckled. “Yes, but you haven’t met Karis. I’ve only met her through others as when I first saw her she was bringing my brother back to life, but I know without a doubt that telling her about Brady I’m able to be hurt.”
She shrugged. “Even so, I can think of a lot of other things that would be worse. Just remember, at least he’s still alive.”
He looked down at his motionless friend. “Yeah. At least.”
Chapter Fourteen
In her tent, Karis barely held her head up. Between her weakened state and the bond with Brady, she was surprised she was still alive. Over the last day the pain from Brady ebbed, but it was still prominent. Hope filled her bosom that it meant he was okay and healing. But, fear made her question if it meant he was dying. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, and their baby. She needed to relax and give the baby whatever strength she had left.
“Zeus!”
Her skin tingled as shouts surrounded her tent. Zeus was back. Raising her eyes to the door, she waited for Brady to enter. His smile was all she needed to know everything would be okay. Please. “Please,” she whimpered.
Even if she had the energy to move, she couldn’t. She pressed her lips and her eyes shut, praying he’d enter soon.
The door flung open, and so did her eyes, but she looked everywhere but at Zeus. Why was he there and not Brady? Where was he?
“Brady?” Karis asked, her voice nothing more than a whisper that cracked as she spoke.
Zeus hung his head and briefly glanced away.
No! She refused to believe that Brady, her Brady, could be gone. She still felt him. Shaking her head, all she could think of was how this wasn’t happening. “No, please no.”
A small flutter in her stomach reminded her of how precious life was and that she needed to stay calm.
Zeus squatted down next to her, touching her arm. “No, he’s not dead. But he’s not good either. I’ve come to take you to him. Marin poisoned him and you’re the only one who I think can heal him.”
A flood of relief washed over her body, lightening her grief. From her head down to her toes, a tingle of gratefulness da
nced through each limb. With each exhale she regained her focus. “I’m ready.”
He chuckled. “As much as you’d like to think so, we both know that isn’t true. You can barely hold yourself up. But, I have this.” He pulled out her necklace from the front pocket of his jeans. Handing it over to her, he smiled. “Brady wasn’t giving up until you had it. He’s the one who found it.”
A familiar hum vibrated against her palm as she tightened her grasp on it. Tears warmed her cheeks as she clung to the piece of jewelry she thought she’d never see again. Memories of her dad swept through her mind, and then thoughts of Brady, and when Tarine started speaking to her through the pendant.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Zeus stood up and walked to the door. “I’ll let you be alone for moment. I need to go find Magnus.”
She hardly heard what he said as he left. The world around her drowned out behind the white noise in her head. Heat started up her fingers, in the hand that held the necklace. It traveled up her arm and across her chest. Soon, there wasn’t a place on or in her body that wasn’t affected by the warmth. It pushed out the pain from Brady’s bond to just the marking on her arm, leaving her body heavy.
She fell to the makeshift bed of sleeping bags and pillows in a heap of exhaustion. The sky could fall and she wouldn’t be able to move to find shelter. Her entire being weighted down like with cement. Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest. What was happening?
The pendant began to hum and the heat dissipated in her hand. Thousands of tiny pinpricks traveled up her arm, like her body was awakening after being asleep for days. Her fingers were the first to move—pain free.
Aside from the tattoo on her forearm, all the way to her stomach was alleviated from all hurting. Wiggling her toes made the tingles race faster through her legs, but the faster they went, the quicker the stinging fled. She sat up and touched everywhere to test just how pain free she really was. Nothing ached. No throbbing, or tenderness.
She stood up and was elated that most of her normal energy returned. She might not be up to running a marathon, or creating any portals immediately, but she could at least stand up, and walk… walk, oh how she missed walking. The last few days Magnus carried her from tent to tent as she couldn’t even do that smallest task any more.
