From Origins (Descendant Prophecies Book 3) (18 page)

“Skylar, the pillar is sinking. Place your hand on her head.” Zara broke me out of my stare at Mason’s grin. “Direct the entity where you want us to go. Hurry before it sends us elsewhere. Are you taking it to Hephaestus or to Zeus? It’s your call.”

Ever since Hephaestus had taken my mom, there was no doubt what my goal was. The drive that kept me going was my mom, to bring her back home. Now it all seemed unclear. If I gave Medusa’s head to Hephaestus, he would surely take over the world. How selfish would that have be for me? I was torn. My heart was broken as images of my mom being scared out of her mind in the hands of the evil monster flashed through me.

Mason slipped his hand in mind, providing comfort. He knew the burden that was buried deep in me. He was letting me know that whatever I decided, he would support it. Actually at that point, I had no choice. It was the right thing to do.

Dad opened the bag just enough, allowing my hand to reach in. Feeling the cold hard stone, I willed it to our destination just before the pillar disappeared into the hill of coins. What happened next was not what I had anticipated. The ground started to shake and rumble.

“Not again,” Amanda groaned.

“Brace the fall, but do not fight it,” Zara directed.

I couldn’t fight it if I tried. There was nowhere to go and nothing to hold on to. We could do nothing as the pillar sunk even deeper to the unknown, along with the coins and jewels. I just hoped it took us to our destination and not to another challenge we would have to endure. I let it take me, following its will. My eyes were sunken, my body wary, my will spent. I’d had enough.

Nick stood up
, dusting off his pants. “I hope we never have to do that again.”

“That was…awesome. What a rush,” Noah said in exhilaration, glancing around. “Where are we?”

Without even examining the surroundings, I knew where we were. It was where I’d told it to send us. “Olympus,” I said, mesmerized by the beauty of the place.

“Wow.” Tim’s whisper floated with the butterflies that passed him by. “I know you’ve been here before, but this is our first time.”

“Hopefully not your last.” Nick ruffled Tim’s hair. “Don’t get left behind.”

As Zara led the way, I cautiously kept my eye on a particular tree nearby. That tree was the home of Cara, the third Oracle who wanted me dead, and the one who’d worked with Alena. The last time I had seen her she escaped, never to be found. We didn’t search hard for her. It was difficult to look for someone who could make herself disappear right before our eyes.

Being in Olympus, everything was vibrant. The colors of the flowers seemed richer, and the grass below was the prettiest green I’d ever seen. Spreading across the sky, the clouds were thick, yet looked soft as cotton, and allowed the sun to peek through. There was no spring, summer, fall, or winter. It was just perfect. What I loved the most was the butterflies dancing happily against the soft breeze, without a care in the world. That was how I felt in Mt. Olympus…until I saw the statues of the gods. Then every inch of my body became rigid.

“Unbelievable,” Noah sighed, passing one statue after another.

Everyone’s eyes were glued to the statues that were lined up in a row. They were quiet at first, taking it all in. Even the Grand brothers and Amanda, who had been there before, had their eyes focused on the statues.

“What a sight.” Dad raised his hand to touch Poseidon, but changed his mind.

“Home. I’m finally home.” Hades dropped to his knees in front of Zeus as his eyes glistened with tears.

At that moment, I knew Hades was being truthful all along. In a way, I felt sorry for him. There were always two sides of the story. What had happened a long time ago between the brothers would remain a mystery. But any doubt of Hades being on Hephaestus’s side vanished with the wind that started to pick up. The sudden change in the air startled me. The leaves on the ground shot like cannons, and the air about us shouted in anger. It became so strong that it was intolerable. Then one person came to mind.

“What’s going on?” Mason panicked, holding tightly to my hand.

“It’s my sister,” Zara said, frowning. “Cara! Show yourself. I know this is your doing.”

“Do something,” Hades ordered, holding onto the statue of Zeus as the wind continued to blow.

“Cara. We’ve come in peace. Show yourself.” Zara looked like a butterfly about to take flight from the cape blowing beside her.

“Who dares enter the house of gods? You have no permission to be here. Go back where you came from.”

“It’s me, Zara.”

“Zara? It can’t be.”

“It is I, sister. Come out and see for yourself.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Come out, Cara.”

“Prove yourself. Tell me something only my sister would know,” she demanded as the wind softened.

“There are three of us. Tara is the second sister. We were happy once. Then something bad happened, and you sided with the wrong side. You lost your way, but you can find your way back home. We all make mistakes. We are not perfect. But it’s what you do to better yourself that counts. The gods are merciful. You will be forgiven…you only need to ask. I miss my sister. It’s been too long.”

“I thought you were dead,” she whimpered. Then there was silence in the air.

“Tara is well, too. She misses you. We need to be a family again. Help me.”

“There is no peace for you or me.” Her tone changed to somber. “We are doomed. Hephaestus has created an army of vultures. We will be out numbered. There is no hope for us or humanity.”

“You’re wrong. Hades is here. And the one who will release the gods is here. All three gods will unite. We have hope again. We will have order. We will restore our home.”

A shadow appeared from behind a tree, changing shape into a figure. Zara’s gasp sounded loud, especially since the winds had calmed. Cara looked older and more wretched then the last time I’d seen her. She had aged, with more wrinkles on her face, and by her appearance—looking thin and frail—she seemed weaker.

“Zara, is that really you?” Cara cried. Her body lightly shook as her eyes pooled with tears. Her hands covered her face when she dropped to the ground after turning to Hades. “Hades.” Her words were hardily audible, but they were filled with remorse.

Her sobs made me feel sorry for, and my anger toward her subsided somewhat. I didn’t know her. I didn’t know what she had endured to become what she was now, and for that reason I didn’t want to judge her. The truth was, Hephaestus was our real enemy, the one that would not change his ways. But Cara, on the other hand, was just a pawn, driven by her greed, flawed by the fact that none of us were perfect. Just like Hades, she now had the opportunity to be forgiven, to change her ways, and become the great Oracle she once was.

I’d thought that Zara would be angry at her sister and have her locked up, so I was surprised to see that I’d been wrong about her intentions. Being an only child, I didn’t know what it was like to have that kind of connection, but I could assume it would be something like how I felt for Kayla. No matter how mad I was with her, no matter how many times we might argue, our love was strong enough to forgive and forget. Thinking of Kayla, I couldn’t help wondering how she was doing.

Zara stood beside Cara and placed her hand on her head. “Stand up, Cara. Rise and help me help Skylar free Zeus and Poseidon. We do not have much time.”

Cara stood slowly, using her cane to help her up. Then she looked at me, but not in the disgusted way she had done before. She retreated several steps, looking confused. “You have brought the ‘keeper of death.’ She will destroy us, not help us.”

From the corner of my eye I could see Mason’s hand shooting small sparks, getting ready to protect me just in case Cara decided to make a move on me.

“No. You were misinformed. Skylar is the ‘keeper of life.’ She will awaken Zeus and Poseidon. She has already freed her father and many others. Let’s not waste time. You’ll have to trust me, and I’ll explain the details later.” Zara turned to me. “Quickly. Do the exact same thing you did for your dad. Cara and I will help you. We’ll project our powers at the same time. This way, you won’t have to use too much of your energy. Waking up a god will drain you. It’s different than how it was with your dad.”

Zara turned to the others. “Step back. I don’t know what will happen.”

Taking a deep breath, I placed my hand on Zeus’s chest and let go. Having Cara and Zara’s hands on mine gave me courage and strength, and the will that I could do this. I had done it before, but could I awaken the gods as Zara proclaimed I could? We were about to find out.

Water flowed out of my fingertips…spreading, covering every inch of Zeus’s body. Fire came next, slowly melting the iron. Then light sizzled from my fingertips, expanding in the way water did. Even with the Oracles’ energy, it didn’t seem enough.

“We need more power, Skylar,” Zara said weakly. “I don’t have any more to spare.”

There was only one thing I could think of to do, but it would require more strength than I could possible endure. I had no choice. I had to command it.

Lightning struck from the sky through my body to Zeus. As did the water and fire, it projected to Poseidon. Their bodies were more than halfway revealed, but I could feel myself weakening. I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on. Just when I thought I was spent, the iron cast was melted and I was thrown back a few feet. Lucky for me, Mason was fast enough to catch my fall.

“I’ve got you. You okay, Sky?” Mason stroked my cheeks. My shoe had touched ground, and the upper part of my body was in his hold.

“I’m just tired,” I grumbled. “Are they out?

“Yes. You did it. I’m so proud of you.” Mason kissed my forehead and helped me to stand.

Poseidon and Zeus were on the ground. A light blanket that Zara brought with her covered their bodies to keep them warm. Everyone stared in awe, waiting. How long would it take for them to recover? Zara had told me that the gods would bounce back quickly, but she didn’t know the time frame. As I held my breath, I watched their bodies tremble under the blanket and recalled my dad doing the same thing. I prayed they would be on their feet soon. I didn’t mean to be insensitive, but time wasn’t on our side.

After what seemed like an eternity, Zeus dropped his blanket. Although I had drenched him, his clothes were perfectly dry. Looking dazed and confused, he used his staff to help him stand up, and glanced around at each and every one of us. The silence said it all. We were god struck. With his muscular, broad shoulders and godly build, his presence demanded attention. A head taller than Mason, with perfect porcelain skin and a good-looking face, he was a majestic sight. Silly of me, but I had imagined Zeus with long white hair and a white beard, but that wasn’t the case. His dark brown hair looked silky…it actually looked softer than mine.

“Zara?” he asked, as his dull blue eyes started to become brighter.

“Zeus.” Zara lowered her head.

Zeus raked his fingers through his thick, dark hair. “What happened?”

Before Zara had a chance to explain, Zeus turned and noticed Hades and Cara helping Poseidon to stand. His eyes grew wider, his body stiffened, and the tightness in his chiseled jaw told me he was not happy.

“What’s going on? Who released Hades? I demand to know.” Zeus’s words boomed loudly. His tone alone commanded authority.

After Poseidon was on his feet, Zara introduced us to Zeus and explained all that had happened. Hades and Cara had dropped to the ground in front of Zeus and Poseidon. The two gods standing side-by-side were overwhelming. Poseidon’s physique and stance were just as stunning and powerful-looking as Zeus’s. Each had on a long, white cloth decorated with gold trimmings, which clung to their chests. I could see the ripples of their muscular arms under their cloaks, which flowed like Superman’s cape.

“My brothers,” Hades sighed. “We have a chance to mend our hurt, to forgive, and to start over again. I beg you to accept my apologies. I know what I have done wrong, and I have learned a new way. I am not the same god that I was before. Let’s take back what is ours, renew our home, and let the world know the gods are back. Together we are strong. Together we will bring back our people. And together we will bring Hephaestus down.”

“I’ve always known there was good in you,” Poseidon said, peering down to Hades with a look of compassion. “You were too stubborn to see what was tearing us apart, your greed and selfishness. I do believe you are regretful; I can see it in your eyes.”

With a gentle smile, Hades peered up to Zeus. “Can you forgive me as Poseidon has?”

Zeus’s lack of words was killing my patience. Hades would be back in the underworld if Zeus would not forgive his brother. As much as I didn’t like Hades before, I’d grown to trust and respect him. And I, for one, did not wish for him to return to that hellhole he had been stuck in for centuries.

“I will release you. You will be pardoned; however, if there is ever any doubt, you will be sent back. I do wish, my brother, that we can be a family again. I will not lie. I have missed you. I was sorrowful from your absence, but you have to know, I did it for the good of our people. Do not make me regret this decision. Now…rise.”

If I wasn’t mistaken, I was pretty sure I had witnessed Hades drop a few tears. Standing up with a warm, genuine smile on his face, he received hugs from his brothers. It was a heartfelt, touching moment. Afterward, Zeus turned to me.

“Skylar, I want to thank you for releasing Poseidon and me. That was honorable and brave of you. For that reason, I will not charge you with treason against the gods for releasing Hades without my permission.”

I could have explained my reasons, or even told him off for his insensitive comment. But I had to keep in mind that Zara had already explained the situation, and no matter what I said, being a god, he would only look at it from one angle…the angle he wanted to see it from. He was still locked up in his olden ways. The laws were straightforward. And I could now understand what Hades meant when he said Zeus was too stubborn.