Dark Goddess (21 page)

A ray of hope pierced the darkness in my broken soul.  “How?”

Zeke stood at the end of the bed and held me in his sky blue gaze.  “You can become—
goddess
of the Underworld.”

I blinked rapidly, scrutinizing each of their faces while wondering if I heard right.  “T-That’s ridiculous,” I finally said into the silent room.  “That’s not even possible.”

“Why not?”

My brows met as I stared incredulously at Zeke.  “You’re joking, right?”

Hera strode over and sat on the edge of the bed, fluffing her long azure dress until it trailed around her legs perfectly.  “He’s not joking.  You’re
my
daughter.”  Her lips slowly curled in an arrogant, haughty smile.  “If anyone can do it, you can.”

I rolled my eyes.  “Thanks for the confidence.”  I turned back to Zeke who seemed to be the leader of this insane army.  “I can’t steal Hayden’s powers from Ixion.  He’s too powerful and I’m sure he’d realize what I was up to.”

Zeke shook his head.  “You don’t need to steal them from Ixion.  The Underworld is already willing to give you its power too.  All you need to do is simply
become
the goddess.”

My powers were nothing compared to the god of the Underworld.  I could shoot fire, but I couldn’t mend the world and I sure as hell couldn’t pass through Tartarus to retrieve Hayden.  “I can’t.  I’m only a demigod.  I don’t have that kind of power.”

Lightning flashed in Zeke’s eyes and he leaned forward gripping my shoulders.  “I was wrong Hartley.” 

The king of gods admitted he was wrong?

“Wrong about what?” I asked, suspicion sinking through my insides.  Zeke would never admit his faults if it didn’t benefit him.

“The prophecy about you and I was broken a long time ago.  As much as I hate saying this, your place is in the Underworld by Hayden’s side, but not as a demigod.  As his equal.”  He interrupted when I started to shake my head.  “It’s true.  No one cares more about this place besides my brother than you.  It’s why the Underworld is so willing to deliver you its true power.”

“I can’t do what Hayden can.”

Zeke snarled and lifted me—not gently—and towed me toward the window.

“Don’t break her Zeus,” Hera growled.

“Seriously dude.”  Hermes looked worried from his spot near the fireplace, his cheeks red from the heat.

Zeke forced me to look out the window and pointed toward the darkening sky over Asphodel Meadows.  “You can fix this Hartley.”  He shook me.  “You can heal this world and bring Hades back.”

Hot tears watered in my eyes while a fist sized lump lodged in my throat.  I glanced between Zeke and the Underworld that was slowly falling into darkness.  I was barely holding it at bay.  How could I fix it without Hayden?

Isaak strolled into the room, followed Davis and Charon, his dark cloak soundlessly gliding over the ground.

Davis was the first to step forward, his blonde curls tinted red by the fire.  “Hartley.  We need you to do this for us.  You
can
do this.  We need Hades.  We can see past our fear and we know now without him we would be living in hell.  We need you to bring him back.  You’re the only one who can save us and this world from Ixion.”

His words and trust in me had my throat closing up even more, emotion thickening my tongue.

I didn’t expect him to speak—he was a man of a few words—but Charon finally stepped forward, his face hidden in shadows beneath his cloak.  Unexpectedly he removed his hood, revealing a gaunt face, dark sunken eyes, and thin lips.  His skin was so thin it was nearly translucent, illuminating the sharp bone below.

“I’ve known Hades for eons.”  His voice was like rocks on cement, echoing through the stunned, deafeningly silent room.  We were all frozen, hanging onto the ferryman’s every word.  “He was probably my only true friend—until you came along.  I know I’m a frightening, unsightly creature, but you didn’t even blink.  You simply smiled at me.”

The tears I’d been holding back slipped free, burning hot trails down my cheeks before I swiped at them.

“I’ve watched you these past weeks work hard to maintain some semblance of normalcy in our dimming world.  You kept the souls in line more than once—something I nor the tribunal was capable of.  You already rule this place more than that current thief Ixion.”

Several murmurs of agreement resonated through the room. 

“We need you Hartley,” he continued.  “Hades needs you.  You can do this.”  Charon stepped forward and gripped my shoulder with a thin, boney hand.  “We will help.  You can become the goddess of the Underworld and bring our god back home.”

Feeling their supportive eyes on me I wiped the remaining tears away and held my chin high.  Resolve and determination was settling in my chest, branching out toward my veins like my very own pulse.  “I’ll do it.  I’ll be your goddess.”

Hayden

I followed the stench to the eastern most border of Tartarus where I found a massive man with bulky muscles roped around his thick body.  Tribal tattoos crawled across his bald head, stretching down his neck and the rest of his visible skin.  A bar pierced the center of his nose and gages stretched his earlobes.  Dark malevolence rolled off him in waves while his eyes were bottomless pits of nothingness.  No life resided in those metaphorical windows.  He was a soul yet he was a soulless creature.

When he sensed my presence he turned and let loose a vicious snarl, his lips curling back to reveal jagged, rotten teeth.  If I wasn’t a god—or more precisely Hades—goose bumps would have prickled my flesh from fear. 

I stood my ground, crossing my arms against my chest and appearing somewhat bored.  “Are you finished?” My voice was riddled with sarcasm.  “I assume you can guess who I am so we’ll skip the introductions.  I also assume you know what I want.”

His face showed absolutely no interest and nothing flickered in those impenetrable eyes.  “I won’t tell you who had me help the one on the wheel.”  His voice was deep yet flat, no inflection or emotion present. 

“Oh I think you will.”  I was tired of searching.  I was tired of being away from Hartley.  Worry for her consumed me as did the need to simply touch her.  If I stayed here much longer I’d go crazy like any other tortured soul.

“I don’t care about any of this.  I was only promised my treasures would remain safe and my legacy would continue.”

Why did I get the feeling he was a serial killer and his treasures used to be attached to human bodies?

“If I break my word then that doesn’t happen.”

“What do you want then?”  I had no time to play coy.  “You want out of here?”  There was no chance in hell I was letting him out.

His dark eyes roamed the burning plains, taking in the souls in the distance crawling on the ground as they were tormented in their own mind.  “No.  I like it here.”

A grimace crossed my face.  Of course he did.  He was definitely a sociopathic serial killer.  Maybe he’d think Elysium was purgatory.

He turned back to me, the tiniest hint of annoyance lining his face.  “Only because I know you won’t leave me alone I will tell you to check the place the wheel used to stand.  There’s something there.” 

Hartley

The first step I had to take toward becoming a full goddess was to gain control over my powers.  With Ixion constantly in the castle I had to trek deep into Asphodel Meadows for cover.  We couldn’t risk him finding out what I was up to otherwise I’d be joining Hayden in Tartarus too soon. 

I was already good at pulling flames into my hand, but I needed to learn to manipulate them and how to harness my telekinetic powers. 

I rubbed my throat thinking of the time Ixion gripped me with invisible hands and held me to a spot in the throne room.  I never wanted to experience that again.  And I wanted to make him feel as vulnerable I had in that moment.

“Come on Hartley.  You can do it.”  Davis was sitting on the ground a few feet away, his arm draped over his girlfriend’s dainty shoulders. 

My eyes lingered on the ground beneath us.  The green grass had turned brown and sparse while the tall, vivid wild flowers had shriveled up and disappeared completely.  A pang resonated through my chest at the destruction the Underworld was undergoing because of Ixion. 

I let all of those things fuel my anger, pushing me to focus on the task at hand and eventually bringing me one step closer to getting Hayden.  I took a deep breath and concentrated on Isaak, attempting to lift him with my powers.  I strained so hard blood pounded through my head and spots clouded my vision.

When nothing happened Isaak cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly.  “Um, any day now Hartley.”

I tossed my hands in the air and groaned.  “I’m trying!”

“Try harder.”

My crimson gaze narrowed on him.

“Hey, give her a break Isaak,” Davis said, a scowl contorting his angel face and scrunching up the smattering of freckles across his nose.  “She’s doing great.”

“Okay, okay.  Enough.”  Reese sauntered over, his thick black hair bouncing around his face.  “Try it out on me.”

Isaak crossed his arms against his chest, holding his place in front of me.  “What makes you think she’ll be able to handle you any better?  You’re a full god.  You have more natural defenses to overcome.”

A cocky smirk split Reese’s lips.  “Trust me.  I know what buttons to push.”

My brow lifted questioningly.  “What are you up to Reese?”

He lifted his shoulder minutely, a gesture Ixion was master of. 

Isaak slipped out of the way, motioning with a hand.  “Be my guest.”

Reese stood in front of me, opening his legs and tilting his head like Ixion. 

Did they just share mannerisms or was he doing this on purpose to goad me?

“Do you really think you can do this Hartley?  You weren’t born a full god.  It’s rare for a lowly demigod as yourself to become a full god.”  He winked one of those dark, inky eyes.  “My son Ixion might be more than you can handle.”

“Hey…”  Davis started to stand until Isaak put a hand on his slender shoulder, stilling him.

Anger slid through my bloodstream, stinging and hot.  “Ixion is nothing more than a psychotic thief,” I growled, the flames in my eyes burning brighter. 

Reese clucked his tongue and tapped his dark stubble coated chin.  “And yet he was able to overpower Hayden and you.  Of course you.  That was easy though.  All he had to do was exert barely a fraction of his power to entomb you in his unseen grasp.”  He stepped forward, his smile mirroring Ixion’s.  “How does it feel to know you’re powerless against him?  How did it feel with his metaphorical hands around your throat?”

My breathing was becoming erratic listening to Reese go on about his evil son.  My nostrils flared like a wild beast and I could sense the ground beneath my feet moving with power.

His soot eyes pierced me, darkening while gunpowder filled the air.  “How does it make you feel to know Hayden is suffering right now while you fail at becoming the goddess he needs?”

A dam snapped inside me, a river of rage spilling forth.  And just as that rage was about to flood me it shifted.  I felt the power of the Underworld beneath me, around me, inside me.  It was like touching darkness in the form of warm, comforting black velvet.  It soothed me and called to me, opening up for me to embrace.

And I did.

It flowed through my body, bit by bit, cell by cell until it was as much a part of me as I was of it.  I gathered some, pulled it tight within my core then released it with a
whoosh
! 

Invisible hands slammed into Reese’s chest, sending him sailing up and across the dead meadow.  I caught him moments before he hit the ground, yanking him forward.  His eyes were wide as saucers as he careened back to me.  I held him in the air, his face inches from mine, his body floating horizontally.

My breathing was ragged and body hot while my hair blew in the warm breeze from my powers—just like Hayden’s did.  I could see the crimson flames of my eyes reflecting in Reese’s dark, glimmering pools.

A slow smile broke across his lips.  “That was wicked cool—or I guess I should say hot considering.”  His eyebrows wiggled at the double meaning.

I shook my head, fighting a smile.  “After all that crap you said to piss me off how did you know I wasn’t going to flip my lid and rip you to pieces or set you on fire?”

Reese shrugged.  “I figured it was a fifty-fifty chance.  I guess if it went the other way I would have been a martyr for the cause.”

Cheers and applause broke out from Davis, his girlfriend Daisy, Isaak, and a few other souls gathered around.  I dropped Reese to his feet, purposefully helping him stumble.  He smirked and dusted his pants off.

Davis hugged me, giving a toothy grin.  “That was so awesome.  You should have seen it.  You were bad ass.”

“Hey.  Language kid.”  Isaak ruffled his blonde curls, earning a scowl from Davis.

The warm dark power continued to flow around me and would never fall away or disintegrate.  It was a permanent change and it was mine.  I wasn’t the goddess yet, but I sure as hell had the power to become her.

Isaak’s amber eyes sparkled, turning his face more angelic than it should ever be.  “That was definitely something.”  He squeezed my shoulder and pulled me in for a hug, his white t-shirt smelling of clean soap and flowers—probably lotus flowers. 

A memory of our first meeting rolled through my mind when I thought he’d been messing with me about getting burned by the Underworld fire.  A smile laced my lips.  “Who said I was finished?”

With a confidence I was used to in my human life now molding to my god side, I kneeled down and laid my hands on the ground.  My eyes fluttered closed as my Underworld power lit my insides, seeping into the dirt.  Warmth and crimson light filled me, wrapping me in a cloak of velvet.

The ache of missing Hayden swarmed me, making me fight the choking sadness threatening to overwhelm me and focus on the hope I would see him soon.

A chorus of gaps resonated and I knew what I’d see before my eyelids lifted.  The vivid green grass had returned along with an array of dazzling wildflowers blowing gently in the warm breeze.  Davis and the other souls trekked through the newly replenished field, dazzling at the scene I recreated.

Hayden had truly created it.  I was only copying his remarkable work.

Isaak and Reese pulled me up, hugging me simultaneously. 

A laugh tumbled out my mouth and I pushed them away.  “Okay, okay.  I haven’t saved the world or Hayden yet.”

“Yeah, but you will,” Isaak said.

With a happiness I could only get from accomplishing another step toward saving this world and Hayden, I finally blinked the crimson flames from my eyes.  “Yes.  I will.”

On the walk back to the iron gates souls thanked me for restoring the meadow.  I promised to fill the River of Lethe and push back the darkening sky before everything turned to night—once I learned how.  More importantly I had to also figure out a way to shove the fires of Tartarus back.  I couldn’t afford to let them encompass more of the Underworld than they already had.

When I made it through the gates, as if he knew what I’d accomplished, Cerberus surrounded me, his three heads trapping me in a circle.

“Hey,” I laughed, petting each giant crown.

They playfully nudged me back and forth between each other as if I was a ball, hot breath blowing my hair and slobber sticking to my clothes. 

“Cut it out.”  I giggled regardless of the mess they were making of me.  I was definitely going to need a shower.  But I didn’t mind.  This was the first time Cerberus hadn’t laid around like a sad lump since Hayden was taken.

Several souls in the courtyard began laughing at my precarious predicament.  Even the judges’ spirits seemed lifted.

“Ah, boy,” Caius said, reaching forward to detangle me from their game of back and forth.  “You’re going to smother her.  He petted each head before they allowed me passage from their wet noses.

“Thanks Caius.”

Before he could respond a cold shiver tickled down my spine and I looked around to find the source of it.  Ixion was lithely gliding toward us, his dark eyes suspicious and mouth thinned. 

“What’s going on over here?” he asked, halting directly in front of me.

Cerberus’s three heads let out matching growls.

I rubbed the closest one, soothing his anger. 

“Nothing.” It was impossible to hide the irritation in my voice.  I wanted so badly to use my newfound powers to toss his ass across the Acheron and out of the Underworld.  Unfortunately I wasn’t powerful enough to overthrow him.  Yet.  I had to pretend to be just as weak as I had days ago before walking this path to goddesshood.  “Just playing with the dog.”

His dark eyes settled on Cerberus, his lips curling in contempt.  “Not my idea of a dog,” he muttered under his breath.  His gaze shifted to Reese who had moved protectively beside me.  “Why are you here all the time?”

Reese shrugged dismissively.  “Just keeping her company.  We’re friends.”

Ixion scoffed.  “Friends.  Right.”  The hot look he gave me and his obvious insinuation made my skin crawl.

Isaak suddenly cleared his throat, goading Ixion in his direction.

“And you.”  Ixion motioned his chin toward Isaak.  “Why are you living in my palace?”

I clenched my jaw to keep my anger from lashing out and eyes from flaming.  It wasn’t
his
palace.

Isaak’s smirk didn’t miss a beat.  “I’ve been here for a long time.  I rather like this world as opposed to the other.”  He motioned his head toward the sky.  “I’d prefer to stay out of Zeus’s territory.  He’s not my biggest fan.”

My brow arched curiously.  Was Isaak simply saying that or was there some bad blood between the two?

Ixion nodded, seemingly satisfied by his answer.  He ran a hand through his dark curls as his line of vision shifted to the Asphodel Meadows in the distance.  His head tilted and lips pursed in thought.