“She was stolen from,” Clotho said. “By your mother.”
“Aphrodite?” She was the cause of all this?
“And Ares.” Clotho sighed. As she did, a puff of misty smoke floated from her translucent lips. “To rule Haven and be together, Aphrodite and Ares tried to win the Vassal War by stealing a large portion of the chiasma’s energy for themselves. They hid that energy and went missing after, and relative peace fell over Haven once they were gone. We thought that chaos might end after their disappearance, but years later, the chiasma turned black and began demanding power back.”
“Nobody knows where they are?” I asked. I’d thought getting the answers would help solve everything, but it only raised more questions, and the truth seemed farther away than before. “So, they’re not dead?”
“They’ve been missing for centuries.”
There was one thing worse than having no parents—having shitty parents. And apparently, I had the shittiest ones, considering they’d triggered the end of the world and all. Devon must have sensed my confusion and unease. He wrapped an arm around my waist and drew me closer to his hard body.
Clotho released another breath of pretty smoke. “There is emptiness and rage coming from the chiasma. It wants the goddesses to abate its anger, although most of it is directed at Aphrodite. If we don’t give it the sacrifices it wants, the chiasma will destroy both worlds, Haven and Earth.”
Talk about a bad temper.
Clotho continued, “Initially, some goddesses selflessly sacrificed themselves to the chiasma. Goddesses are what the chiasma craves the most. But not all who drink from the lake turn into goddesses. In fact, very few do, and the lake has a limited number of people it will allow to drink from it every year.”
“Wait,” I said, “don’t the top ten percent of the Sanctuary turn into goddesses?”
Clotho shook her head. “That is how they increase the odds of finding a goddess. There are many at the top who are culled anyway.”
Everything was a lie, then.
I really was beginning to hate the council.
“They realized that there were too few goddesses to sacrifice to the chiasma indefinitely,” Clotho said, “so they began opting for the next best thing. Half-bloods. They, too, have essences of the chiasma, although in much smaller quantities. Sacrifice enough half-bloods, however, and the essence returned is sufficient enough to make the chiasma happy.”
“That’s horrible,” I said, growing cold.
“It’s what keeps us alive.” Clotho looked up at the ceiling. “Rest assured, the goddesses are doing their best to solve this. We have to find Aphrodite and your father. They are the answer to all this.”
“Is this why Agness hates me?” I asked. “Because of what my parents represent?” Death. Destruction. Rebellion.
Clotho pursed her lips. “She is afraid of what you can be or will become. So am I. Your fate is blurred to me, and your past is hard to see. That makes you problematic to us sisters of fate. Perhaps your heritage holds too much power.”
Devon’s grip around my waist tightened. I needed a drink. Maybe two. But the Sanctuary didn’t have alcohol, so I was fucked in that department.
“And Moping Miley?” I asked. “Jeanine? Why are they dying prematurely?”
Clotho paused. I saw thoughts running through her mind, as if she was wondering whether to divulge the next bit of information to me. “The chiasma is a living entity, and like all living entities, it has… tastes. Cravings.”
I lifted a brow, trying to follow.
Clotho delicately wrung her fingers together. “Some days you’d rather eat bread, I assume, and another day, you might crave fruits. Yes? The chiasma is the same way. We feed it as many souls as we can, but there are times when it longs for a particular one. We used to reject all its requests for goddesses. It needs the help of Hel, goddess of death, to harvest the souls effectively, and Hel refuses to use her powers on her sisters.”
“So she uses it on little girls instead.” Revulsion thrummed through me.
“The chiasma has given up on requesting goddesses, and so it turns to half-bloods. Miley and Jeanine were recently called for.”
“Is there another in line?” I asked. With this knowledge, I realized that each passing day in the Sanctuary was a significant risk to our lives.
Clotho nodded. She led us forward, toward the lake. I continued staring at the waters, wanting a taste of it to ascend. I saw the same hunger in the vassals’ eyes. They might have a narrower chance of ascending, but if Ares managed it, then why not them? Power was a tempting drug, and with it, maybe I could do more good.
Clotho must have read my mind. As she walked us forward, she said, “Don’t even think about it, Caramel. I will not allow it. I have formed a pact with the goddesses to block those who haven’t proven themselves from the lake, and should you decide to act against my will, I will whisk you away before you receive all your answers.”
I sighed. Of course it wouldn’t be that simple.
She led us to a small corner of the lake. Across us, a small waterfall gushed. I saw tiny fishes with finlike wings jumping at the base of it.
“You might not want to look at this image,” Clotho said. “I’m reconsidering revealing this matter to you. But your need to protect has impressed me, and perhaps you deserve a warning of what is to come. Displayed in the lake’s reflection is the image of the next victim.”
“The next victim?” I asked, tensing. “Is it me?”
“No,” Clotho responded. Stepping away, she allowed me to look into the lake. “This girl will not survive the morn. Hel will take her life tonight.”
My stomach twisted as I took a careful step forward. I almost didn’t want to look, but curiosity got the better of me. I was merely a half-blood. How could I fight against the orb that ruled both worlds? Still, I had to look.
I peered over the edge of the lake and saw the victim’s face.
My breath caught in my throat.
My lungs tightened.
Sweat turned my palms clammy, and my ears rang. I didn’t want to accept it. Clotho was right. I shouldn’t have looked, and ignoring the horrid truth of one’s fate was better than having to live life knowing what I had to confront eventually.
The image of the girl in the lake blinked back at me. She smiled in her typical cheery fashion.
It was Danna.
Panic burned through my mind. Danna? But Danna couldn’t die. She was amazing. Top of the class. She had dreams, aspirations, more cheering to do.
“Are there ever any mistakes from the lake?” I asked, taking a step back.
Clotho dipped her head solemnly. “The lake only speaks the truth. Great beings like the chiasma are careful with their decisions.”
“Tell me how to save her.” I fisted my hands at my sides, red bleeding into the corners of my eyes.
“There is no saving Danna.”
“Of course there is.” I refused to accept that I was going to lose my best friend. “There’s always a way. That’s how the universe works.” Rage shot through me, coupled with the need to protect. My teeth grounded together. Love. I loved Danna, and I wasn’t going to let those I cared about die.
“Cara,” Hansel said, “it’s all right. You don’t have to—”
“Tell me how to save her!” My demand roared from my mouth. I’d never heard myself like that before. I’d always laughed through life, joking about the craziest of things. It was easier to be careless about my thoughts. If I didn’t care, it was more difficult to be hurt.
“There is no way—”
“Tell me!”
I leapt at Clotho like a crazed animal, hooking my legs around her.
And then I slapped her face.
“Cara!”
I didn’t care about who was calling for me. The noises around me blurred.
I slapped Clotho repeatedly until my palms hurt and kept myself latched to her with my legs. Clotho struggled to pry me away from her. “Stop, stop
!” she screamed. But my resolve was hard as steel, fueled by this unexplained strength I always knew I had in me. “All right, all right, Caramel!”
“Danna cannot die,” I said, seething. “She cannot.”
Clotho finally managed to rip me off her torso. With wispy magic, she pushed me away from her. When I looked up at the goddess again, she bore no more of the calm elegance she’d exuded moments ago. Her beautiful dress was ripped, some of the feathers torn out. I’d scratched her face, although the shallow wound I’d inflicted on her had already begun to heal.
“You…” she said. “You are not supposed to be able to touch me. How?”
My legs tensed as I prepared to jump at her again. “Touch? I’ll bitch-slap you harder than I just did if you don’t tell me how to save Danna right this instant.” My own voice was unrecognizable. Foreign inflections coated it with musical sounds I’d never used before. Emotions clouded reason, and already I grieved the loss of my friend.
Clotho smoothed her hand over her head, then her dress. In a few simple movements, she’d tidied herself. Her frazzled state disappeared, and she was back to being the composed, ethereal individual I’d first met. “Your passion is a fearful thing.”
“Stop dancing around the answer.”
She narrowed her eyes. “If you love your friend so much, then I assume you won’t mind going through heaps of obstacles and difficulties to save her?”
I nodded. “Without a doubt.”
“Even though it might be at the risk of your own life?”
“Of course.”
“I have an inkling that you might rescind on your conviction soon. Very well. There is one way you can save Danna. But to do so, you’ll have to brave the Peaks of Ashmeda. The mountains with the hottest flames in all of Haven.”
I watched my vassals’ reactions as Clotho mentioned the name. Every one of them looked concerned, which worried me.
“Where is that?” I asked.
“The pegasi will lead you there, and I will show you to them.” For the first time, I saw annoyance flicker over Clotho’s face. “If only to get you off my back.”
She raised a hand. At once, the wall of the cavern opened up and bright sunlight streamed into the enclosed space. As she moved and we followed, she misted by in an incorporeal form. She mentioned that I wasn’t supposed to touch her, right?
I looked down at my hands. What was happening to me? Were these abilities an effect of my half-blood nature? Or something else? Was it because Aphrodite’s blood ran through my veins?
Clotho could not be more eager to send us away when she waved us goodbye from the exit of the cavern. She pushed me away from the lake of godhood, into the sunlight, and said, “The pegasi are down that river. Tell them that Clotho sent you. You bear my mark now, if only temporarily.” Clotho looked to my arm. There, a symbol of a feather glowed. “I wish you all the best, Caramel. You will need luck on your side if you wish to survive. Now, let me tend to the chiasma in peace. I should have you tortured for attacking me like that, but perhaps death in the peaks might prove more painful.”
Was that her reason for sending me there? She wanted me to die a horrible death? I’d risk my own life for Danna, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t scared.
“What will we find there?”
“The golden quilt. If you succeed in your conquest to obtain it, wrap it around Danna. It will protect her from Hel’s powers. If Hel cannot find Danna with her magic, she will give up eventually, and so will the chiasma. It will move on to its next victim.”
Another victim. A different girl would have to die in place of Danna. That wasn’t the best way to save someone. I didn’t any unnecessary deaths. “Is there really no way to stop the killings?”
“If you find us Aphrodite, then perhaps there may be. That renegade has been missing for centuries. I don’t see why you’d be able to accomplish what so many goddesses failed to do. Goodbye.”
“Do you have an idea of where to—”
“Goodbye,” Clotho said. “I have revealed too much for the day. Be on your way and leave me be.”
I opened my mouth to press harder, but Clotho had had enough of me. She re-entered the cavern and, with another wave of her hand, shut the exit.
Chapter Fifteen
I sat on a horse with wings.
I’d seen many things after coming to the Sanctuary, but this experience had to be the most surreal. The other mythical beasts I’d come across were terrible, terrifying creatures. No offense to Fenrir, but he was drooling, and despite his unassuming, adorable image now, it remained clear in my mind that he was a hideous beast when I first met him.
I hugged my arms around Hansel, who shared this pegasus with me. Despite my new bracelet, the others didn’t trust me to not fall off the creature if I rode it on my own. It wasn’t difficult to enlist their services. Once they saw Clotho’s mark, the magical horses were keen to be of aid. They offered their backs to us, allowing us to hop on with no trouble at all.
Devon ordered them to go to Ashmeda, and we were on our way soon after.
“I don’t feel so good,” I said, once the surreal feeling had faded. I’d been giddy ever since leaving the chiasma. My stomach churned from a nauseating sensation. I wondered if the pegasus would mind if I threw up off its back. Would that be considered rude? The magical horse neighed, as if sensing my thoughts.
“We’re almost at Ashmeda,” Hansel said.
“Are you sure you four want to follow me?” I asked. “You guys were apprehensive when Clotho mentioned it.”
“We’re sworn to protect you.” There were no reins on the pegasus, but the horse had a full, luxurious mane of hair. Hansel leaned forward and grabbed it to keep steady. Likewise, I wrapped my arms around his abdomen, using him for support. “Do you want to rest somewhere before we head to the mountains? The Springs of Vigor are nearby, and I’ve heard that their waters are wonderful for refreshing and rejuvenating your senses.”
I hummed softly, reveling in his warmth. “There’s no need,” I said. “We don’t have much time left to save Danna. I want you guys to go on a straight course toward the mountains. We need to get to the Ashmeda by tonight or she’s going to die. Your company is enough to—”
Pain sliced through my body. I arched my back and cried out.
My eyes clouded. My muscles tensed. The pain continued to grow and pulse and ebb throughout me. As my whole body shook from the sudden sensations, I latched on to Hansel. He called for me, but a harsh noise hummed through my eardrums and drowned him out.
My limbs lost all sensation, and I slipped from his waist. I felt my hips leaving the back of the pegasus, and I plunged toward the ground.
“Cara!”
Hansel’s cry was all I heard before my mind lost its touch on reality. I found myself lost in a vision.
War.
Embers swallowed the buildings around Aphrodite. The scratchy, desperate calls of Death’s victims assaulted my ears. They cried for mercy. For Hel’s powers to leave them alone and give them a second chance. But Death knew no compassion. She took all mortals into her cruel embrace and remained undiscerning in her judgment. The heat that came from the aftermath of fighting grazed Aphrodite’s skin. Even from this distance, the flames from Hestia were unbearable. Aphrodite hugged her arm around her chest, wondering where her husband was. This had to end.
This was not what Aphrodite wanted.
She had merely sought love, but the consequences of it had caused too much suffering.
Where had Ares gone? Had he abandoned her? The soles of her feet ached from walking through the remnants of bloodshed and destruction. Hestia’s flames had heated the ground beneath, turning normal dirt to brimstone. She’d tried to stop Ares from his violence, but her presence only gave him motivation to harm. She’d tried separating herself from him, but parting became unbearable for her, and her attraction to the war god always brought her back.
Thus, together, Aphrodite and Ares continued to wreak suffering up
on all of Haven and Earth.
As her vassal, Ares had been peaceful and eager to serve. He had no qualms about remaining subservient and keeping his place. When a servant, he was allowed to be with Aphrodite. But the goddesses had grown fearful of his power once he ascended into godhood. Those women cloaked themselves with the mask of power and pretended they were untouchable, but as one of them, Aphrodite knew better. Just like mortals, the goddesses knew fear. Perhaps more so, since they had so much to lose.
The goddesses had forced her husband into desperation, changing him from a peace-loving man to one who craved power. It was understandable why he’d done so. Ares wanted nothing more than to stay with her.
The goddesses blamed the pair for the Vassal War, but it was they who started it by backing Aphrodite and Ares into a corner.
Thunder boomed through the air. The clouds in the sky darkened, and after two strikes of lighting, rain poured and bathed the fires beneath. Aphrodite’s hair was dampened by the downpour. It soaked her clothes, causing the fabric to stick against her skin. Rain? It had not rained for weeks. The fires had burned away crops, and most of Haven was famished from lack of food.
Aphrodite craned her neck, angling her mouth toward the sky. She opened it and tasted the sweet water. As a goddess, she required no sustenance. Still, she enjoyed the refreshing taste of rain on her tongue. She blinked away the raindrops that tried to get into her eyes. Was it Ares who’d caused this downpour? He had left her for the chiasma yesterday, promising he’d end the war with one final plan. When he left her, her heart ached. It’d almost broken from pain as she imagined never seeing Ares ever again.
Up ahead, the rain put out fires that were engulfing a charcoaled shack. The dying of the flames revealed the form of a man who belonged not in the rubble, but amongst lush fields and sights of grandeur. Her body clenched with passion, desire, love. Aphrodite kicked her feet into a run, closing the distance between her and Ares as quickly as her legs could take her. Sharp protrusions from the ground scraped the soles of her feet. The emotion swelling in her chest allowed her to ignore the pain beneath her.
Goddess Academy: The Complete Reverse Harem Collection Page 27
