by Mary Ting
My dad fidgeted on the sofa. He would lift his hand, then placed it down. He looked like he wanted to touch me or hold me, but stopped himself. I knew the reason why. I had pushed him away every time he tried to show me a kind gesture or affection.
“Dad,” I whispered, and threw myself into his arms. Tears streamed down my face and I closed my eyes. “I’m so sorry…so sorry…so sorry.” The words repeated through my cries as I held him so tightly.
Feeling my dad’s hands caress my back and feeling his love through his hold not only made me cry harder, but a serene feeling flooded through me. It was a closure I’d needed from the unanswered questions. All those missing years were finally resolving, coming together…peeling away the misunderstandings…the grief…the anger…and finally, there would be peace.
The peace in my heart was overflowing. Now my tears were from joy and not from sadness. Holding my dad was a confirmation that he was there, and that he truly loved me. He didn’t try to kill me. He didn’t run out on us. Hephaestus had caused all the bad things and not my dad.
“Don’t be sorry, Sky.” He inhaled a deep breath. “It’s not your fault. I understood your reservations toward me. I really did. I hoped one day we would find the truth, and it brings me such joy to have all of the questions answered. My wish has come true. I love you, Sky. You and your mom are the reasons for my happiness. Even if you hated me, my love for you would have never changed. You’re everything to me.”
Dad’s words made me cry even more, and I knew he was shedding tears from the trembling of his voice.
I released my dad to wipe my eyes and sat at an angle to face him. “I can’t believe Hephaestus could do all those evil things.”
“You can’t understand because that is not how your mind works. Hephaestus is beyond crazy, beyond reparable. He has one thing on his mind, and that is to be the king of our world. As much as I want you to give Hephaestus Medusa’s head to save your mom, you have to know the consequences of that action. What will become of our world?”
“What about Mom?” I held in my anger and frustration. I didn’t mean to sound selfish. It was purely from being utterly angry with the situation.
Dad looked away, trying to mask his true feelings from me. I knew he was hurting that Mom was in the hands of the evil monster that had controlled our lives since the day he found me. “We have to have faith that everything will work out in the end.”
“I’ve been holding onto faith, Dad. It’s the only thing that helped me through all those years, with the help of Mason and his family. But we can’t lose Mom, especially when we’ve found you. We have to have our chance to be a family again.”
Dad gently lay his hand on my mine. “We’ll save your mom, Sky. Tell me…do you honestly think Hephaestus will let your mom go free if you give him Medusa’s head? Will he truly stick to his word?”
Feeling frustrated, I heaved a deep sigh and plopped back against the sofa, as if somehow I could disappear from reality, because Dad’s words gave me a lot to think over.
“Life was so much easier when you were a child, wasn’t it?” Dad continued.
“Yes,” I nodded to agree. “I worried about my grades and the social aspects of being a teenager, and also wondered where you were…a lot.”
I didn’t mean to make my dad feel bad about a situation he had no control over, but it was the truth. Telling him how I felt was one way to start healing from all the time lost.
Dad caged my hands in his, as if he was holding something precious, and looked into my eyes tenderly. “I wished I could have been there for you. Though it pained me greatly not to talk to you or hold you, I was there as much as I could be, from afar. You have to believe me, Sky. Your mom would have called the police had I shown up. I understood. She was trying to protect you. It was one of those situations that had no fix until answers were given. Now…we are free.”
“Yes, Dad. We are free. But Mom is….” I was desperately trying not to be pessimistic. We had come this far. There was still hope. After I quashed my doubts and worries, I raised my head with determination. Sulking to Dad wasn’t going to get my mom back. “It’s time. We need to get going.”
Dad seemed to be happy with my words. His lips curled into a smile, and his eyes sparkled with pride. “I’m coming with you.”
There were two sides of the Night Forest, just as Hermes had explained. One path led to Mt. Hem, and the other led to the deepest part of the ocean. Before we could get to the ocean, we had to survive our journey through the forest. I was dreading this part; however, in comparison, it was like day and night.
“At least it isn’t spooky like the last time.” Amanda shrugged, looking a bit relieved.
She was right. The branches slithered away with ease, making it less threatening when we entered. Our bodies were covered with warmth from the sun and the freezing wind had settled the second we set foot in the forest. Though the trees’ roots were tightly packed just like the other Night Forest, the soft brown color and the form of the branches made the forest seem less harmful. And the friendly creatures that scurried about, squirrels and rabbits, confirmed that it was definitely different from the Night Forest on the other side.
“This doesn’t seem like the Night Forest at all.” Nick glanced around as his eyes followed the birds that were flying from tree to tree. “It should be called Day Forest…get it?” He snorted.
Colin placed his sword in front, always on the guard. “No…not really. Stay alert. This could be a trap. It makes you think you’re safe, then swallows you up when least expected.”
“Well….” Nick stiffened. “That was one second of peace. It’s no wonder you walk like you have your sword up your ass.”
A bright light flashed, making me jump with alert. At first I thought lightning had struck, but when I realized it didn’t fall from the sky, I knew who had done it. Mason’s light wrapped around the sword Colin had swung and stopped it in midair, about half way. “I know you’re not going to hurt Nick, but nobody threatens my brother with a sword.”
The force of Colin pulling his sword away and Mason letting go of his light caused Colin to bang his head lightly against a tree. Rubbing his head, Collin cursed under his breath.
“Now that was funny,” Nick chuckled.
“Enough.” Zara stood her ground, glaring at us in a scolding way. “The forest may be friendly, but darkness is upon us. We must find shelter. I don’t know what creatures roam about here.”
Tara tapped her sister’s shoulder. “Zara, I don’t sense any danger here.”
Hearing Hades grumble under his breath, I knew he wanted to speak his mind, but surprisingly, he said nothing. I could tell he was still upset with the Oracles for helping Zeus and Poseidon trick him into the underworld. I didn’t blame him for his anger, but at the same time, he deserved it for being greedy. I wondered when his anger would explode. Well…his silence didn’t last long.
“You don’t sense a lot of things.” Fire blazed in Hades’s eyes and if he could, he would have breathed out fire through his mouth, judging by his tone. His voice rumbled the earth and pierced painfully through my ears. I could tell it had the same effect on the others when I saw their hands cover their ears. He scared the crap out of me when he did that. “You call yourself Oracle and yet you did not foresee the evil that has spilled upon our world. You should have taken Hephaestus to the underworld instead of me. He is the evil one…not me.”
“Hades, you’re right.” Zara dipped her head low, showing submission. Tara did the same beside her. “Tara and I will never be able to fix what has been done in the past, but we can work on the present and the future. That is all I can offer. I know it’s not enough, but know that I regret the suggestion that we gave to your brothers. I’ve said it before; we are not perfect. We merely guide and protect.”
Hades turned away from Zara and Tara without a word. He might not have forgiven them, but I could tell from his gestures that he had accepted their apologies.
After
our tired feet trudged on the path for miles, we came to a halt when darkness took over the land. I could have sworn the branches moved, swaying inwardly, creating what seemed like a protective barrier. Was it my imagination? I couldn’t tell, but knew that there should have been wind when the branches moved the way they did, and there was only stillness.
“What are you searching for?” Mason asked, sliding his hand into mine. “Do you see something unfriendly?”
Not wanting to sound crazy, I ignored my observation. Too enthralled with the trees, it was then that I’d realized I had walked away from the group. “Just looking at all the stars. Look how beautiful they are. They’re so bright. There’re so many of them.”
Mason nodded to agree. “Come closer to the fire. You can keep warm there; unless you prefer that I keep you warm instead.”
His flirty tone got my attention. I was sure I gave him a dorky grin from seeing his sexy smirk. The way his lips curled in that perfect angle, the way his eyes glowed with heated expressions, and that tilt he did with his head had me spellbound and totally swooning. Oh Mason! He made my heart thunder louder than Hades’s rage.
“Hades finally got the fire started?” I let out a small laugh. After the branches were gathered, Hades had insisted he would be the one to start the fire. He almost lost it when Aaron tried to step in and help. Nobody was going to argue with him after that. Thank goodness, it wasn’t that cold. At first, just like before, only smoke puffed out of his hand. I wished I could have seen the expression on his face when that happened.
Mason led the way to the camp with my hand in his. “He’s made some progress. His stubbornness is paying off in a good way. I hope he’s back to himself soon. His poutiness about not having his powers is driving us all crazy.”
I placed my head on Mason’s shoulder and let a soft laugh. I knew what he meant. The bon fire brightened up the surroundings, giving enough light. It was a pleasant sight to see everyone eating and talking in harmony. If only this was a happy occasion.
“Here.” Dad waved his hand. “I made two plates.” Dad scooted over to allow enough room for Mason and me to squeeze in. Though there was plenty of room, I purposely sat next to my dad to make him happy.
“Thank you, Victor.” Mason sat next to me and placed his paper plate on his lap.
Being served beans and bread reminded me of the first time I had camped with Mason and his family. We had eaten the same things. I would never complain about what we had to eat; we were lucky enough to feed our hunger. We hardly had time to eat anyway. We had been on the go for so long. I could use a good bath too.
“That’s a lucky coincidence,” Hades said, taking small bites of the bread. “What were you doing there?”
I had walked into the middle of a conversation, but I quickly knew what they were talking about when Noah spoke.
“To make a long story short, Tim and I grew up together. We lived in a small town in Maui. In our town, everyone knew each other by first names. The first time we knew we had powers was in biology class. We were working with test tubes, combining harmless chemicals together. At that time, I had no idea who Alena was. I also didn’t know she was testing me.”
“Alena was the girl that tried to kill Skylar,” Tim informed.
I nodded to agree and Noah continued. I had forgotten that half the people with us had no idea who she was. “Later, I found out she had brought her own chemicals and put them in our test tube. It started to boil, and bubbles formed out from it. I found out it was dangerous when Alena touched it and yelped from the pain. I tried to stop it, but it was growing fast, burning through the table. My panic set off whatever was hibernating inside me and somehow, I froze it. Everyone else thought Alena had used the fire extinguisher she held in her hand. I thought I was seeing things, was going crazy, until Alena confessed and showed me she could move fast.”
“I had no idea what had happened. We were busy with our own experiment,” Tim broke in, smiling. “Not until we went surfing that weekend. Our lives were changed forever.”
“Tim and I were pros on the surf boards. It was a thrill to surf during the night, especially since we felt like we owned the ocean. There was something about the water that gave us peace, like we belonged there. Late one Saturday night, when the night was still, we jumped into the ocean. The waves were perfect.” Noah’s eyes grew with excitement as he explained. I could tell how much he loved the water from his tone and his body gestures…the way he moved his hands, mimicking the waves, as if he was there.
“I thought Noah was going crazy when he started to panic, shouting at me to get out, right in the middle of the most perfect ride we’d had in a long time. Tell them what you saw.” Tim shivered.
Everyone was still as we waited for Noah to speak. Only a crackle from the woods could be heard.
“The waves formed into the shape of a hand. Tim couldn’t see it, but I did. The fingers curled, the palm pushed us forward, then finally…Bam!” Noah smacked his hand so hard, everyone jerked. I felt my heart leave my chest.
“Noah!” Amanda slapped his arm, and then rubbed it. “Sorry. You scared the shit out of everyone. Then what?”
“We were knocked out. Tim thought I had lost my balance and pushed him in with me. We struggled to land on the shore as we were tumbling through the waves, but after we got out, I realized it was trying to drown us. Tim still had no idea what was going on until he saw what I saw. When I pulled Tim up to get the hell out of there, long, slithering seaweed wrapped around our legs, dragging us back into the water.”
Tim shuffled closer to the fire, as if to tell a secret. His eyes glistened against the light with excitement. “The strangest thing happened next. We couldn’t fathom what had caused it, but there was no doubt we had done it. First, I felt warmth flashing through my body, then it suddenly became cold. I was thinking ‘if only we had something to slice through the seaweed’. Unfathomably, something flew out the tips of my fingers. I couldn’t believe it. I was scared beyond description.”
“I’ll describe it for you,” Nick urged. “I understand. You wanted to shit your pants.”
Everyone started laughing, then stopped when Amanda spoke. “Okay, enough. I want to hear what happened. What flew out of your fingertips?”
“Icicles shaped like spears, of course.” Noah extended his hands to show the length of it. “They were small, but deadly. They sliced across the seaweed like razors. We thought that was the end of it, but it wasn’t. The water formed into a translucent human shape. It even spoke to us. It said that Poseidon’s descendants must die. We were lucky that night. Zara was nearby. I assumed it sensed her presence so it escaped into the water.”
“And that is the truth,” Zara added, tossing small branches into the fire. “Actually, I was right behind them with the invisible cloak around me. They had been through enough and needed to digest what was happening to them. They weren’t ready for me to appear before them.”
Noah raked his dirty blond hair back, looking slightly flustered. “I’m glad you didn’t. It would have been more than we could have handled. After that, Tim and I searched for others like us. About a month later, we were a group of ten. A year later, we were a group of fifty. Then a couple of years later, we found other descendants and Victor.”
Dad wrinkled his nose. “Noah and Tim saved me.”
“Victor was at the same beach where we were attacked,” Noah said.
“The same beach that attacked Sky when she was eight,” my dad added.
“What’s the name of the beach? I’m never swimming there if I ever visit Maui,” Amanda cringed.
Zara stood up. “It doesn’t matter where you are. The monsters Hades and Medusa created will find you. We only have a few hours to rest. We need to be there before the break of dawn. Rest up. Tara, Hades, and I will be on the lookout. Everyone grab a flashlight and stay alert.”
Mason stood up and gave me his hand to help me up. “Come with me. I found a perfect spot for us.”
I did
n’t know why, but I looked at my dad. Out of respect, I was seeking his approval, though if he’d told me not to go, I still would have. Since Dad smiled at us, I was able to go freely without any reservation.
Mason led me away from the group and took me to a tree. The ginormous roots were sprouted out, intertwining with each other, and dipping low in the center. In a shape of a bird’s nest, it was a perfect place to rest, hidden away from everyone. Mason helped me step into it and held me in his arms when we lay down. His body glowed just enough to give us light. Though the ground was hard and uncomfortable, being with Mason was all that mattered.
“Do you hear it?” I asked, snuggling closer to his chest and placing my head between his neck and shoulder.
“It’s the sound of the night…so peaceful. Makes you believe everything is fine with the world.” Mason took the words out of my mouth.
“There it goes again…the owls.” I tried to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. If it were nearby, I would have searched for it. But now it was impossible when multiple hooting noises came from all around us, as if they were communicating.
“Pretty cool, isn’t it? The way they talk to one another.”
“I wonder when they hear us talk, if it sounds like gibberish to them?”
Mason’s body shook against mine when he laughed. “Maybe. Want to see something spectacular? Look up.”
So I did and…wow! The way the tall trees enclosed us created a tunnel vision. All I could see were countless stars, like diamonds in the sky. There were so many that I felt overwhelmed, yet mesmerized by them, unable to look away. I reached out my hand as if I could touch them. Then something slid down my finger.
“Skylar Grand, will you marry me?”
I flashed my eyes to Mason, who was kneeling before me. Standing up, I glanced from Mason to my hand in shock.
