"I've never…" she began. She stopped herself. "I'll try. Do you have something of hers?"
I pulled out the macuto from my pocket and handed it to her. The moment I let go of it, I winced at the pain of my burns. Not fully healed yet. The macuto still had work to do.
Sabine flinched when she took the macuto, as if she'd gotten a static jolt.
"Wow," she murmured. "That'll do the trick."
She closed her eyes. Her face became eerily calm. Then her brow furrowed.
"74 Maple Terrace," she finally said, opening her eyes.
She gingerly gave me the macuto. Then she rubbed her hand against her thigh.
"That shouldn't have worked," she said. "But that thing was so connected to her. It was like an actual piece of her soul. It felt wrong to have something like that."
"It won't be wrong if it saves her life," I replied.
We headed over to the trees where Ares and Darren were hidden. I risked a look at Ares. His chest was hardly moving as he breathed. He was still alive, but barely.
"I think something's happened to Ana," I said.
"Ekhidna?" Darren guessed.
"Probably," I admitted. "I need you to stay here with Ares. Admit him to the hospital. Keep him safe, and keep him alive. Learn everything you can about emergency medicine. I'm counting on you."
I took Darren's hands in mine and looked deeply into his eyes. He had to know how serious I was, how important this was. It was the first time I'd ever seen Darren look so unsure, but it was also the first time I was certain that he'd do anything not to disappoint me.
"Jason, help Darren take Ares inside," I said. "You'll have to use your powers. Ares is heavy. But be gentle. You'll stay behind with Darren in case Ekhidna or her monsters come around to finish Ares off."
Jason nodded. He went to one side of Ares, Darren to the other. They each bent down and slung one of Ares' arms around their necks. But when they stood, Ares' lifted too easily.
They headed for the hospital. When the doors slid open and they disappeared inside, I was finally able to tear my eyes away. I forced myself to forget about what I couldn't change. At least not yet.
"Sabine, get your car," I said. "Carson, go with her. Don't let your guard down. Ekhidna's out there."
When they were gone, Demeter looked at me. "What's wrong?"
"This is a waste of time," I fumed. "Chasing after Ana. Waiting for Ares to heal. We still haven't found our last hero, and Ekhidna could already be in the Elemental Realms."
Silence.
"I feel like we've already lost," I murmured softly.
I would never have said it to anyone but her. Or Justin.
"Let me go," Demeter suggested.
"Go?" I demanded.
"To get our last Hero," she replied.
"I'm the only one who knows what she looks like," I reminded her. "You won't know who to look for. Besides, it's too dangerous. Something could happen to you. Look at Ares."
"We need to save time," Demeter insisted. "The only way to do that is by splitting up. You don't have to do this all by yourself. Trust me. I can do this. I wouldn't offer if I couldn't."
My voice broke slightly when I spoke. "I can't risk losing you."
"You won't," Demeter promised. "If anything happens, I'll run. I'll be careful. And I'll stay outside. You know no one can take me when I'm out here."
We stared at each other for the longest time. If I were angry, I would've won that contest of wills. But I wasn't angry. I was scared, and Demeter had an unearthly calm. She won more easily than I'd ever admit.
"Fine," I sighed. "But you're taking Sabine with you. You can watch each other's backs. You'll need her magick to find the hero anyway. Speaking of which, you'll need to make a pit-stop first."
"Where?" she asked.
"A graveyard," I answered. "The last time we were here, Sarah and Stella had a powerful spellbook, the one they used to guide us to the Oracle."
"And cast that protection spell," Demeter added. "I remember."
"Hecate doesn't allow things like that to just lie around," I said. "She must have had one of her priestesses recover it."
"Even with Ekhidna's spell cutting off the Heavens?" Demeter asked.
"Hecate has ways of intervening in the mortal world that the rest of us don't," I replied.
"Ghosts," Demeter guessed, shuddering.
I didn't answer. "Drive past whatever cemeteries this town has. You should be able to feel Hecate's power right away when you're at the right one. Follow that feeling, and you'll find the spellbook. That'll give Sabine everything she needs to find our last Hero. Oh, and you'll need this too."
I handed her the last amulet, just as Sabine pulled up in her car.
Before Demeter got in, she swept me up in a fierce embrace.
"Good luck, sister," she whispered fiercely.
"You too," I murmured back.
We were both going to need it.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Carson knocked again.
"Still no answer," Carson said. "What'd you want to do?"
"Break in," I said.
"What? Really? How?" Carson asked.
"Turn your arm to stone and smash in the door," I replied.
"You want me to change myself?" Carson asked, horrified.
"Not your whole body," I explained. "Just your arm. It's actually pretty easy. You just have to make sure you keep it from spreading too far."
"No kidding," Carson said.
"You have to learn some time," I replied evenly. "It could save your life one day. Stone's a lot tougher than flesh."
Carson sighed. "I'll try."
"Take out a mirror from your purse," I instructed. "Look into your eyes. But only picture your arm. Hold that picture, and the stone will stay."
Carson shook her head as she pulled out a compact. She winced as she flipped it open. She took a deep breath. And I looked away.
I heard the familiar crackle. When I turned back, one of her arms was grey.
"It's … heavy," she said through gritted teeth.
"Then make it quick," I suggested.
Carson swung her arm at the door.
Nothing happened.
"Harder. Put your weight into it," I said.
She tried again. And again. And again.
Chips of wood flew from the door. Several deep dents scarred its surface. But that was it.
"This … isn't … working…" she complained breathlessly.
"You're right," I agreed. "You can let your arm go."
With a sigh of relief, Carson blinked. The grey stone rippled and vanished from her arm, replaced by her normal skin. She flexed her hand and then rubbed her shoulder.
"I guess I'm not strong enough," she sighed.
"New plan," I said. "But it's not going to be as easy. You can transform things into anything, not just stone. So, focus on the door, and transform it into something we can get through."
"Like what?" Carson asked.
"Like anything," I replied. "Feathers. Water. Air. It's just like the potion. You have to do all the work reaching out, and you have to keep your mind fixed on what you want it to change into. If you don't, it'll just turn to stone."
"Alright," Carson said. "I'll give it a whirl."
She turned to the door and stared at it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the indigo flash. The door was starting to turn grey. But then the grey melted into something slightly different. Still grey. But … fluffier.
I reached out and smiled. Then I walked through the wall of smoke. Carson came through after me, careful to turn her head so she never lost sight of the door. Once she was inside, she blew. The smoke billowed. She shut her eyes. Planks of wood dropped to the ground from where her breath had scattered the clouds.
"You owe Ana a new door," I said.
Carson shrugged. "In case we need to get out quickly."
We looked around. No sign of anyone. But no sign of a struggle either.
I closed my eyes. We c
ouldn't afford any surprises.
"Stay behind me," I warned, letting my inner vision guide me. "And if something jumps out, turn it to stone."
"No problem," Carson assured me fervently.
I headed into the room on my left.
It was a library, walls lined with shelves. But instead of books were jars, carvings, and countless records and cds. On the floor sat a large sound system. But what caught my eye was the series of circles and spirals sketched onto the floor with coloured chalk. I'd seen a pattern like this before.
"Santeria," I murmured.
"Huh?" Carson asked.
"Erinle," I said. "This is his kind of power."
"Erinle was here?" Carson asked.
"No, I don't think so," I said. "We need Sabine. She knows about this sort of thing."
Carson pulled out her phone and started tapping. "We exchanged numbers at the hospital."
"Hello?" Sabine' s voice came through the speaker phone.
"Hey, it's Carson. We're at Ana's. We need to ask you something."
"Go ahead," Sabine replied.
"There's no sign of Ana, but there's the same sort of ... design on the ground here that we found when we met Erinle," I explained.
"She must be a santera," Sabine answered. "A priestess."
"Then why'd she send us to Maria to heal Darren?" I demanded.
"There are ranks in Santeria," Sabine said. "She sent you to someone higher, more powerful. Or maybe her orisha – her spirit guide - isn't a strong healer. Different orishas do different things. They're connected to different Elements."
"Is there any way to figure out who Ana's orisha is?" I asked.
"Look around," Sabine suggested. "Tell me exactly what you see."
"Jars. The pattern on the ground," I said. "Cds. Stereo."
"Do any colours or shapes stick out?" Sabine asked.
"There's an altar near the window," I said. I felt a shiver as I approached it. It had the memory of power. "It's red and white. There's some dried fruit. And... bees, I think. Dead bees."
"Oko," Sabine replied. "Oko is Ana's orisha."
"Tell me about him," I said, as I tried to open my senses to the altar.
"He's a fertility orisha," Sabine explained. "He deals with prosperity. Crops. Harvest. The fruits of the earth. That sort of thing."
"Do you think Ana's dead?" Demeter interrupted.
Silence.
"No," I finally said. "There's no sign of the body. There's no sign of any struggle. Ekhidna wouldn't bother to clean up after herself."
"But then where is she?" Carson protested.
"Taken," Demeter murmured.
"The question is why," I said.
"And how," Sabine offered. "From the macuto you gave me, I could feel Ana's power. It wouldn't have been easy to take her against her will."
"Can you use your powers to see what happened?" Carson suggested.
"I see the future, not the past," I reminded her.
"We're not far. We're going to head over and meet you," Sabine advised. "I think there's something we can try."
Carson pressed a button on her phone. "Should we look around some more?"
I shrugged. "Go ahead. I'm going to stay here though. See if something clicks."
Carson nodded and left.
As I looked around, I tried to imagine Ana's final moments. Was she here when they took her? What was she doing? Nothing seemed out of place. She would have fought, wouldn't she?
I don't know how long I was in there, staring at the walls, trying to force them to tell me something, when I heard Demeter's voice.
"What happened to the door?" she called.
They got here fast. Too fast. Magick.
"I'm in here!" I called.
The door to the room creaked open. But when I turned, it wasn't Demeter. It was Sabine. She shut the door behind her.
"I want to try something," she told me. "But we need to do it in private."
"Go on," I said, crossing my arms.
"You remember when we talked about me boosting your powers?" she asked.
I nodded.
"I think we should try it," Sabine continued. "If it works, you might be able to get the answers we need."
I narrowed my eyes. "But?"
"There are some risks," she admitted. "You know why your powers are limited?"
"Because I'm in a mortal body," I answered. My eyes widened. "So, if we increase my powers, it could be too much for this body to handle."
Sabine nodded, her face grave.
"There's no way to know how far I can safely push?" I asked.
She shook her head.
The body wasn't mine. It belonged to a mortal, one I didn't even really know. One life was nothing next to billions. I knew that. But I didn't feel that.
There was another risk too. If this body was destroyed, I could die along with it. It had happened to Athena. If something happened to me, the other gods would be no match for Ekhidna and Typhon. They needed me. They needed my power. The world needed my power.
But that power was no good if I was too afraid to use it. I couldn't expect others to take risks when I wasn't willing to take them myself. Besides, even with my help, there was no guarantee the Heavens could triumph over Ekhidna and Typhon. Our best hope was to stop Ekhidna before she could free Typhon. That was a risk worth taking, for this mortal and for me.
"I'll do it," I decided.
"I'll get some things from the kitchen," Sabine replied. "But with the book Demeter gave me, the magick won't be the hard part. It's all up to you."
"Perfect," I muttered.
Sabine left. Nothing for me to do but wait.
I hated waiting. All gods did. We were power incarnate. We acted. We didn't need to wait.
I looked out the window in the library. I stared out over the town. My town. Every town was my town. It was so much to protect. But I'd do whatever it took to protect it.
I heard Sabine behind me.
I turned, and she handed me a cup. My head spun from the smell. I couldn't name all the spices and herbs that wafted up. Together, the scent was thick, almost choking.
"Drink," she urged. "Then we can start."
Closing my eyes, I tipped back the cup. Thick and spicy. But I was a bit disappointed when nothing happened.
"I'm going to lower you to the ground," Sabine said. "And this is going to be ... unpleasant. Try not to panic."
Now you tell me, I tried to respond. But no sound came out. My mouth didn't open. I couldn't move.
My heart began to beat wildly. I was trapped. Trapped inside this mortal body. A fate worse than death.
Sabine's gentle touch brought me back to my senses.
I wasn't used to being afraid. As a god, I virtually never was. I was certain. I was sure. I was powerful. But as a mortal, fear was programmed into my DNA. I was always worried or afraid or unsettled or anxious about something. I was genetically incapable of peace.
I was looking up at the ceiling and at Sabine smiling down on me. Her eyes were concerned. She wanted to calm me, but she didn't know how. I was unlike anyone she'd ever met.
"Try to breathe as deeply as you can," she suggested. "I won't let anything happen to you. I've done this before, just not with anyone this strong."
She gave me a moment for everything she told me to sink in. She didn't want to rush, even though I desperately wanted to get this all over with. She knew rushing was dangerous.
"You know better than anyone that this body is nothing," she continued, her hand never leaving my shoulder as she spoke. It was embarrassing how comforting it was. "The potion I gave you is going to ... stretch the ability of your spirit to leave your body. Once you're outside of this body, you'll also be outside of its physical limitations. Your powers can expand. Just keep breathing. When you've relaxed enough, your body will let go and your spirit will be free."
Relax. The one thing I could never quite seem to do. Not as a god, and definitely not as a mortal. But I had to try, tho
ugh trying to relax seemed hopeless.
I focused on my breathing. Thoughts came. I pushed them away. But they just came rushing back. Finally, instead of pushing, I just let them come. I let them drift in and drift back out again. They just passed through me.
I found myself getting sleepy. My eyelids drooped. If I could have yawned, I probably would have. I felt myself starting to drift.
And then the feeling changed. I suddenly felt wide awake, completely aware. I looked around. I saw myself lying on the ground. But Sabine wasn't leaning over me. She was standing. She was looking right at me.
"It worked!" she said.
"You sound surprised," I replied dryly.
"Hera, the longer you stay like this, the harder it will be for your body when you re-enter," she warned. "So we have to hurry."
"How much time..." I started.
"I don't know," Sabine interrupted. She looked away. She shielded her eyes with her hands. "Not long by the look of things. You're reverting to your god form. Use your powers! Now!"
I concentrated. It was so easy. Images flickered. But they flickered too fast. I couldn't catch anything. It was a meaningless barrage of colour and sound and movement.
"Hurry!" Sabine cried.
I tried again. But I couldn't call on my powers like I did when I was locked in a mortal body. My powers were buried deep there. I had to reach down and pull them out. But here, closer to my true form, my powers already surrounded me. They were me.
So I had to do the opposite. I had to contain them, let out only a trickle of what I needed.
It was impossible at first. The power came too easily. With every second, far too easily.
I was re-ascending.
I could feel the inexorable call of the Heavens, a joyous song tearing me upwards and outwards.
I fought. I fought with all the strength and ferocity of will that had made me a terror in the Heavens since time immemorial.
And I won.
The power was contained. But not for long.
I let the faintest trace of power escape. A breath. A whisper. Almost nothing.
Images were all around me. But at least they were slower. Steadier. I had some control.
I watched a shade of Ana flicker through the room. Then another. And another. The room was full of Anas. Day after day, minute after minute, second after second, Anas for every moment, each doing something different.
Hera, Queen of Mortals (Goddess Unbound) Page 17
