“That’s plan B,” I said. And if that happened, I wasn’t sure if I could live with myself. “And also a dick move.”
Liam sniffed. “And if both plans fail, we all die anyway.”
“Just me,” I said. “The rest of you get to suffer as slaves until you pass on. I’m not certain which is better.” I turned to the two pillars. The serpents glared at me as if I’d wronged them. “So, are we going in there?”
“You’re our half-blood,” Theo said. “You call the shots.”
I grimaced. If all my vassals died, I’d blame myself. It was a lot of responsibility that I didn’t want to carry. I nodded. We had to do this. The only other option was to give up, and my stubborn ass refused to sit around and let terrible things happen. “Okay,” I said. “Ready?”
Theo cracked his knuckles. With his sun-kissed skin and heroic looks, he looked like he was born ready.
Liam, however, didn’t reflect Theo’s level of enthusiasm. He stood there bored, giving the impression that he still hadn’t woken up this morning.
Ready or not, the time had come for us to confront this mystery. We had to do Moping Miley and Jeanine justice.
They followed my lead, and we entered the hell-like entrance.
“I’m getting kind of tired of dungeons,” I said as we entered. “Why do these entrances always have to lead to creepy, dark, torch-lit places? Why not some place cool, like a theme park? A mythical theme park, with brightlings manning the booths. That’d be fun.”
Alas, we’d stepped inside a dark, decrepit dungeon. My surroundings smelled like mold. “Wonder what we’re going to face this time,” I muttered to myself.
“If the tales are true,” Devon replied, “then the basilisk. Agness can tame it, and rumors say that the half-bloods chosen to transcend into goddess-hood often have to bypass the basilisk to drink from the lake of godhood.”
“The basilisk?” The name sounded familiar, but I failed to conjure a proper image in my mind. I hadn’t paid enough attention in literature to remember what it was. “And this leads to the chiasma lake?”
“I wasn’t sure,” Devon said. “But the pillars kind of gave it away. It’s pretty much just a giant snake with powers.”
I glanced at Fenrir. Why did all the monsters that came at us have to be giant? “Why can’t they all be small and cute, like you?”
Liam blew out a weary sigh. “I’d prefer it if he weren’t tiny at this moment. If he helped us fight the basilisk—”
Fenrir immediately took action. The wolf ran out front and shook its fur. Its ears twitched. After a swish of its tail, it began to swell, growing in size.
“Fenrir really loves you,” I said. “He listens.”
I watched as the wolf expanded. The chambers, despite their grandeur, suddenly seemed smaller due to the massive creature standing next to us. I gazed upon the huge, sharp-toothed monster. When I first saw Fenrir, I’d nearly shit myself, but now that it was on my team, I felt awfully good of about its size.
“We’re going to win this,” I said with a little too much confidence.
Devon shook his head. “The basilisk is an ancient creature said to be older than Athena herself. It can kill a man with one stare.”
My shoulders slumped. “Really? What’s with this dying-with-one-stare thing? Don’t people kill others the normal way anymore? Like kick them to death or something?” It sounded violent, but at least with that, we stood a better chance. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. “I have a plan. I can just magic the basilisk to love us.” I plucked my wand from my belt to swish it around, then gaped at it, eyes wide. “Who sat on my wand?”
“What?” Theo asked.
“There has to be a reason why it’s broken.” I flung the object about. It’d been snapped into two.
Hansel grimaced when he looked at my weapon.
We all turned to Theo.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.
Devon narrowed his eyes. “Because you’re the largest one around here, and it’s the most likely.”
I knew it was unfair to point fingers at Theo, but everybody needed someone to blame every once in a while. Theo straightened himself defensively, so we let the matter rest, since there wasn’t really a way to verify why exactly my wand broke.
“I can’t use it like this, right?” I asked, feeling distraught. I’d grown attached to my wand. Pointing it around had been so fun. It let me feel all wizardly and stuff. I continued to flick the wand back and forth, staring at the useless tip that hung limply from its broken end.
“I’m afraid not,” Theo replied, looking just as miffed as I felt.
“Guess I can’t do the whole love magic thing—” Fenrir threw its head back and began howling. The chilling sound crept down my spine. “Why is he doing that?” I asked.
Liam, since he’d already turned into Fenrir’s soul mate, interpreted the howl for us. “He’s warning us of the danger that’s coming.”
Who enters?
I jolted at the voice that had appeared in my head.
I darted my attention between the guys. “Did anybody else hear that?” I asked.
They all nodded.
Who dares come into my chambers?
Something heavy rubbed against rock. A grinding noise came from above. Then a large shadow blocked out the light coming from above and a large, slithery creature dropped from the ceiling. The circumference of its body was twice mine. The scaled, mottled texture of its skin gave me goosebumps. The basilisk had hair growing out from the sides of its neck. It was the very definition of ugly.
The very definition of ugly? the creature said.
Oops. Did I say that out loud? I shouldn’t have insulted the giant snake that wanted to eat us alive.
“I mean, uh…” What rhymed with ugly and wasn’t a terrible insult? “Chubby? Bubbly? Bubbly and chubby? You’re a happy, thick snake.” Mentally, I slapped myself for sounding so stupid. Fear had the effect of making people say the dumbest shit.
The creature moved back and forth. I wasn’t sure what exactly that was supposed to mean.
The basilisk ignored my comment and continued, You are not one of the goddesses. I care only to serve them.
Fenrir’s fur stood. The wolf bared its teeth at the snake and tensed its legs, looking ready to pounce.
The basilisk turned its head toward us. I was going to shut my eyes, remembering the comment about it being able to kill me with a stare, when I noticed that its eyes were closed, covered by two wrinkly eyelids.
A rumbling noise came from the basilisk’s throat. Answer me. Who are you? You are not completely a goddess, yet I sense something different from you.
Nervously, I scratched the back of my elbow. “A half-blood,” I said. I wondered whether I should have answered truthfully. Maybe I ought to play along and pretend to be one of the goddesses.
Hmmm. The basilisk paused. I awaited its next words with bated breath. That isn’t it. A hissing noise came from its chest. You aren’t exactly a half-blood. It lowered itself toward me, and the slithering noise grew in volume. The vassals protectively surrounded me, their hands on their weapons. Not fully a goddess, either. What is your name?
“Cara,” I replied. “Uh, full name Caramel Valencia.”
Caramel. Hmmm.
Another weighty pause fell between us and the basilisk. Hearing it made me want to beg the creature to just get on with it already. Why all the unnecessary tension?
I don’t know that name, the basilisk finally continued in a bored tone.
It opened its eyes.
I shrieked, preparing myself for death, but Devon threw himself in front of it, blocking me from the creature’s view. My heart leapt to my throat. My ears rang and the throbbing tension of my pulse refused to cease.
Devon!
Devon threw his head back and wailed in pain. The basilisk continued to assault Devon with its hard gaze. Killing its victim, apparently, wasn’t an instant thing.
The
need to save Devon rose in me, racing through my thoughts like an uncontrollable storm. I was still holding my wand, and I shook it at the basilisk. No use. The damn thing was broken.
My vision flared red with panic. I threw the wand aside. Screaming sounded around me. The other vassals had thrown themselves into action. Fenrir lunged at the basilisk, its loud growl ripping through the air. Chaos thrashed around my surroundings and everything moved in a blur.
How was I to save Devon?
Love?
Screw it all. It sounded cheesy as hell, but love was my power, and I allowed that emotion to fuel my next actions. I spread my arms, sending love out. Pain shot up the right side of my head, and something inside of me snapped. The red in my vision grew hotter as my powers ignited. My fingertips prickled and the temperature around me rose.
The chaos stopped, but tension grew heavy in the chambers.
I held my breath and waited. In my attempts to use my powers, I’d closed my eyes, and now I didn’t dare open them again. What was I going to see? Devon’s dead body?
Hmmm.
The basilisk’s hum slithered through my mind. I took rein of my emotions and summoned courage. Carefully, I pried my eyes open, angling away from the basilisk and toward Devon.
Devon lay on the ground, worse for wear. One of his arms was flung outward, while the other lay over his stomach. He was still awake. With a groan, he palmed his forehead and pushed himself to a seating position. “Damn it. I really thought I was going to die.”
Devon had stepped in front of the basilisk for me. He’d sacrificed himself for me.
“The basilisk’s eyes are closed, Cara,” Hansel said. “I’m not sure what you did, but it worked.”
What is this… allegiance… I feel?
“Toward?” Liam asked warily. “I’ll be damned if it’s me again.”
The wolf.
I bit my tongue. I’d magicked the basilisk to fall in love with Fenrir. Great.
But the wolf doesn’t look at me like it does you, young man. Hmmm. This… this is pain.
The basilisk slithered toward Fenrir and moved back and forth, hoping to seduce the wolf. Fenrir wanted nothing to do with the basilisk. It turned and moved toward Liam, tail swishing behind him. A disgruntled noise sounded from the basilisk as it tried to get Fenrir’s attention.
A smile cracked Liam’s face. “Now you know how it feels like.”
This emotion… Is it love? I don’t want it…
I looked down at my hands, realizing that I didn’t need to use my wand anymore. Sending my love magic out like that felt more dangerous, however. The need to punch something swelled in me. I glanced at the wall next to me, and had no doubt that if I’d tried to punch a hole through it, I’d succeed.
When had I gotten this violent? This unexplained anger scared me.
It is fading.
Fading? I blinked out of my sudden rage, studying the bestial snake. My love power wouldn’t have worked long on Agness because she was a potent goddess. Perhaps the same rule applied to the basilisk. We had to hurry and get out of its sight.
“Where is the chiasma’s lake?” I asked, wasting no time.
Another hissing noise. I don’t share that information with strangers.
“You’d do it for Fenrir?”
Hmmm. I would.
“Liam, please,” I said. I knew that Fenrir would do anything for Liam. Love worked in the strangest ways.
Liam sighed. I watched the weirdest love-triangle interaction as Liam ordered Fenrir to ask the basilisk for a favor. I wasn’t sure how they communicated. It sounded to me like a lot of grunting and animalistic noises. The snake rumbled at the wolf’s request. The lake is behind me, past the gate there. Be careful with the sisters of fate.
“Who are they?” I asked.
The basilisk continued musing to itself. This sensation. It is agony. I hope it wears off soon.
The vassals and I shared concerned glances. Now that we had direction, we shouldn’t waste time. Briskly, we walked toward the gate the basilisk had directed us to. Fenrir followed us. The gate didn’t look big enough for him, so he shrank, returning to his state as a puppy.
Are you leaving me, dear wolf? the basilisk asked. I cannot walk through that gate with you.
Fenrir turned its nose up, ignoring the basilisk.
A low, agonizing sound, like a cry, shook from the serpent. It craned its neck back and looked upward forlornly.
Love is pain. Love is war. The basilisk hissed, then extended itself toward the ceiling. It crawled up the hole from which it came from, leaving me with a chilling, resonating thought. Where had I heard that before?
Chapter Fourteen
“Are you all right, Cara?” Theo asked with a look of concern on his face.
“I’m in a daze,” I said with a light smile. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”
I’d been slightly out of it ever since hearing those words from the basilisk. They sounded so familiar. Then again, it was a common enough saying, so it wasn’t that much of a stretch to think that I’d heard it before.
Then why was I so concerned about it?
It probably had something to do with my parents. According to legend, Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and Ares that of war. The answers lay in my mind. I just didn’t know which part and had to dig deeper.
But did I want to?
We walked through the gate the basilisk had pointed us to. The air around us grew chillier. Fog surrounded this enclosure. I swatted it from my face and attempted to adjust to the ashen scent that permeated this place.
“Can you guys see anything?” I asked.
As soon as the question left my lips, the fog disappeared, revealing a crystalline lake. Above the lake, onyx gems, the same color as the chiasma, sparkled. They reflected off the shimmering surface of the lake.
My throat dried from thirst. I sensed a sudden desire to bend toward the water, scoop up a handful, and pour it down my throat. Drinking it, I’d become a goddess, and I wouldn’t be at risk of dying like those girls in the morgue.
“Welcome,” a woman said.
We all turned toward her. She’d appeared out of nowhere, misting into existence from nothing at all. The woman was translucent, with white eyelashes that fluttered prettily. Her hair was white and long, stretching and piling onto the ground. Hanging from her torso was the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen. It sparkled with a million colors, and was adorned with elaborate, intricate detail. Feathers fanned from the hips of the dress, protruding in all directions. Such beauty couldn’t be real, and yet I witnessed it standing before me with my own eyes.
Her appearance had stunned all five of us into silence.
The woman laughed, the sound floating toward us like a lighthearted lullaby. “Caramel, is it? And her vassals. You’re not supposed to be here. I’m sure the goddesses would be very mad if they knew of your intrusion.”
“Who are you?” Liam asked.
The ethereal lady smiled. She raised her dainty fingers, hooked them around a soft, glittery strand of hair, and tucked it behind her ear. “I am Clotho,” she replied. “The oldest of the sisters of fate, and life is weaved from my hands. You, my dears, are my children. So are the goddesses. So are the beings in Haven and all of mankind.”
Yikes. So she was just, like, really powerful.
“If you’re that awesome,” I said, scrunching my nose up, “why are you hiding here in this dingy cave?”
Clotho blinked, stunned by my insolence. She lowered her slender hand and placed it over the other. “Nobody has ever asked me that before.”
“You need to meet more people, then,” I said. “Either that, or more honest people. I’m sure they’ve thought about it.”
“I don’t spend all my time here,” Clotho replied. “Merely to check on the chiasma every so often. It’s not doing well, and requires more of my care should I wish my creations to continue thriving. But finding out how I spend my time is not why you are here.” She pin
ned her gaze on me, and in that moment, I felt like glass she could see through.
I bit my inner cheek, attempting to calm the coiling of my stomach. “No.”
“You want the answers to the murders.”
“Can you, like, um, see everything?”
“My sisters and I see through all possibilities, all future, all pasts.”
“Good memory,” I said.
“We have tools to aid in our seeing.” Clotho smiled warmly at me. Despite my rudeness, she treated me with the patience of a good teacher. “I will give you some answers.”
“Just some?” I asked. “Can’t you spill everything? Teach me how to fix this?”
“There is no need for me to give you all the solutions, for there are greater forces at play. The rest, you have to find out on your own. The travel through your own destiny is unenjoyable if you know exactly what happens.”
“Gods.” I clicked my teeth. “They just want to make life hard.”
Clotho chuckled. “Complexities are a joy to create. So, where shall I start?”
Immediately, questions shot through my mind, and it was tempting to throw every one I could think of at her. Still, it was important to focus, so I asked the most pressing one. “The deaths. Why are they happening?”
Clotho glanced at the lake. “She is angry.”
“Who?”
“The chiasma.”
“The chiasma’s a female?” I asked. I couldn’t wrap my head around that thought. It looked like a giant-ass ball to me.
“We call her the mother,” Clotho said. “She came before all things. Before the old gods. Before us. Before Helena. Do you notice the color of the chiasma?”
“Uh, it’s black.” Not the most inviting color, even though there was a shine to it. “I’m not blind.”
Clotho nodded. “Yes. But she was not like that before. The chiasma used to glow with an effervescent green. The color of life. But now, she wants death, and the goddesses are doing everything they can to appease her and stop her from ruining all life forms.”
“What made her change?” I asked, still getting used to referring to the giant thing as a she.
Goddess Academy: The Complete Reverse Harem Collection Page 26
