Hearken (Daughters of the Sea Series) (25 page)

“How is she?” I asked.

              “See for yourself.” Finn frowned and opened the door for me to enter Stasia’s tree house. “Don’t be alarmed. We’ve had to restrain her.”

             
“Restrain her?” Avery gasped. Her light blue eyes dripped with concern and she began to bite her fingernails.

“Why?” Carmen prompted with shock. Phoebe remained quiet, but I could tell by the chunk of skin she was biting off of her lip that she was worried. We all fell silent as our eyes found Stasia in the bedroom. She was lying on the bed and looked to be sleeping, while Amphitrite lounged on the bed next to her; reading. She looked up at our entrance.

              “Good morning, girls!” She smiled at us and carefully set the book down on the bedside table. I attempted to read the title, but it had been rubbed almost clean – along with the leather binding. She was apparently a fan of the classics - the
original
versions.

             
“What’s wrong with her?” Avery asked Amphitrite delicately.

             
“We aren’t sure,” Amphitrite sighed. “She’s still herself, just a little more…aggressive. She may be coming down with something.”

“I thought she couldn’t get sick?” Phoebe probed.

“She immortal, not immune.” Amphitrite grinned at her with understanding. “Which could also explain her bad mood.”

             
“
Bad mood
is an understatement,” Carmen muttered, but didn’t hide her irritation. “She got pissed off when we found her and made sure we knew she was ‘busy’.”

             
“That sounds about right.” Amphitrite grinned and looked over at Stasia lovingly. “We’ve put her under, but she keeps mumbling things in Greek. I wasn’t aware that she knew Greek.”

             
“She doesn’t,” Finn answered flatly from the doorway. “Which is what I need to talk to everyone about.” He motioned for us to follow him back into the living room. Avery, Carmen and Phoebe began to file out of the room, but I couldn’t stop myself from walking over to where Stasia was lying motionless on the bed. I brushed the hair back from her face and remembered the sight of Sebastian’s energy tossing her off the edge of the cliff. 

             
She’d hit us with her own dose of energy, knocking the wind out of me and bruising half of my body. But I’d seen what transpired between her and Sebastian. I’d seen the anger in her eyes. But that didn’t give Sebastian the right… I pushed all thoughts of him out of my mind. My feelings on him were so conflicted I was in danger of getting a hernia. I focused my attention back on the Goddess lying before me. She was so strong in every way, yet vulnerable at the same time. Without warning, I felt the utter helplessness I had experienced when she fell out of sight into the darkness of the crevice. 

             
“Stop beating yourself up, Olivia.” Amphitrite placed a caring hand on my shoulder and my head dropped forward in shame. “She is safe. Don’t dwell on what-could-have-beens.It’s not good for your essence’s charge.”

             
I peered up at her with surprise. Did she know what I was? I decided I didn’t care. She was exactly what I needed at that very moment. Her easy demeanor was like a cold glass of water on a hot summer’s day. With a single look, she could make you feel like the problems you’d been carrying around were just that - problems and nothing more.

             
“My essence’s charge?” I probed.

             
“Paladins have great ability,” she explained in a low voice. “But it must be channeled. You must control it. Only then will you be able to protect her. It will come in time.”

             
“I don’t have the luxury of time,” I groaned.  “And neither does she. What if she would have-”  Amphitrite chuckled lightly and took my hands in hers as she turned me around to face her.

             
“She is not nearly as fragile as you think she is.” She smiled widely at me. “She is immortal, dear.”

             
“I know; that’s the problem,” I whispered. I glanced up into her warm gaze and felt the truth pushing its way out. “How is it
my
responsibility to protect her when I’m so much weaker, and…horribly mortal? If I’m really connected to her, why have I not transformed completely?”

             
“Has your mother not explained to you how this works?”

             
“Of course she has,” I said. “Once the connection has been made, I will transform and my full Paladin power will be realized; making me Stasia’s protector for as long as she lives. When she dies, I’ll become mortal again and begin to age.”

             
“A connection requires
both
parties.” She focused on me and chose her words carefully. “You must tell her, Olivia.”

             
“How’d you know…?” I began. A cough wracked my body and I winced at a sharp pain creeping up my abdomen.

             
“I’ve been around a very long time.” She winked at me. “I’ve seen a few things. And I know your mother very well. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to wipe away Paladin tears.”

             
“I’ll be sure to remind her of that the next time I talk to her.” I laughed through the film of tears that threatened to appear.

             
“You need to take some time for yourself. You deserve it,” she instructed. “Finn and I will care for Stasia. She’s in good hands.”

             
“I don’t need a break,” I argued valiantly. “
She
doesn’t get one. Neither should I.”

             
“Unfortunately you don’t have a say in the matter.” She raised her eyebrows. “You are to stay away from here for twenty-four hours. I’ll have a guard set up at the door to make sure you stay away if necessary. You are no good to Stasia unless you take care of yourself first. There will be no exception.”

             
“Sometime this century…!” Carmen called from the living room. I glanced back at Stasia one more time before joining the others. They looked up at us curiously, but had the courtesy to not ask any questions. Amphitrite whispered something to Avery, who immediately plopped down beside me with a warm smile. Before I could protest, I felt the tingle of her healing hands on mine as her energy soothed the bruises and the pain in my stomach. I sighed and leaned back to rest as she let go and met Finn’s gaze to let him know she was done. He began to pace back and forth across the living room.

             
“Did you guys see anyone with Stasia last night?”

             
“She told us she was going to bed,” Phoebe answered, and glanced at Avery for back up if necessary. “We even watched her go into her house.”

             
“We didn’t know anything was wrong until we heard Olivia.” Avery continued for her. Finn looked at me expectantly. I motioned toward Carmen and explained.

             
“We were working on pre-selections for the Games in some underground library with Sebastian.” I suddenly realized I would have to come clean. “That’s when my hand started itching.” They all stared at me for a moment until Carmen spoke.

             
“And glowing.” She raised her eyebrows at me to continue. I sighed.

             
“And glowing,” I repeated blandly. Sensing their hope of seeing the evidence, I opened my palm and held it up for everyone to see. “Stasia’s my Elysian.”

             
“Your…what?” Phoebe squinted at my hand from across the room. 

             
“Elysian,” I confirmed. “My trace itches and burns when she’s in trouble. It’s how I find her.” I was painfully aware of how much I sounded like a bad Scooby Doo cartoon, but it was too late now. The Scooby snacks were out of the bag…as it were. 

             
“I thought you were a descendant of Calypso?” Avery scratched her head in thought.

             
“I am,” I explained and then glanced at Amphitrite, but she was no help. She just smiled at me encouragingly. The last thing I wanted to do right now was spell out who I was for them, because it would only be a matter of time before they connected the dots and realized I was an embarrassment to my ancestors. I sighed, but before I could continue my less-than-forthcoming explanation, Avery must have remembered something.

             
“You’re a Paladin!?” Avery gasped with wide eyes. “That’s so awesome!”

             
“‘Awesome’ wouldn’t be the way I’d describe it…” I mumbled.

             
“That’s
exactly
what it is! Which is why you were chosen as her Warrior!” She bounced in her chair excitedly and then tapped her chin. “This makes so much more sense now.”

             
“What’s
that
supposed to mean?”

             
“I knew there had to be some other reason! I mean, she certainly didn’t pick you for your cheery personality.” Avery shrugged innocently. I heard Carmen snort and my face broke into a smile without me remembering to tell it to. Something about Avery’s total fascination with everything was endearing.

             
“What
ever
do you mean? I’m a regular freakin’ bowl of sunshine sprinkled with rainbows and unicorns.” That comment even made Amphitrite and Finn crack a smile, and I felt my heart thaw.

             
“So anyway,” Avery continued for me with enthusiasm. “Her Elysian, which is the God or Goddess she’s assigned to protect, is appointed to her when she’s born. She doesn’t get to choose that, and neither does the God or Goddess she protects!”

             
“You should really show a little more excitement every once in a while.” Phoebe giggled at her.

             
“Wait!  I’m not done!” She stood and took my hand in hers; inspecting my trace. “This is so cool.  Her all-seeing eye trace is like a beacon and an alarm all in one! It tells her when Stasia’s in trouble and then lets her know where she is!”

             
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Carmen crossed her arms. “Exactly
when
were you going to let us all in on your little secret?”

             
“It’s not like I planned this,” I defended myself. “I didn’t ask for this-”

             
“She must discuss this with Stasia first,” Amphitrite stepped in gracefully. “Until then, the connection is not complete and she cannot transform wholly.”

             
“You haven’t told her yet?” Phoebe squeaked.

             
“You have to understand. Olivia is one of the youngest Paladins, due to who her Elysian is. She is an unprecedented case.” Amphitrite looked at me proudly. “These things cannot be rushed.”

             
“And your mother?” Finn finally spoke. Until then he had only been watching me carefully. “She was Thetis’s Paladin, and therefore the Warrior on her council.”

             
I nodded and took a deep breath. Although sharing and being all sappy was something these girls did on a regular basis, I was used to wearing as many masks as possible to hide who I really was. Unraveling the steel wires that held me together for so many people left me feeling like an open wound – raw and vulnerable. I clasped my hands together to keep them from shaking.

             
“Paladins are quite rare in our day and time,” Amphitrite explained. “Olivia and her mother have had very special purposes. They are to be celebrated for their ancestry and bravery.”

             
“Are you immortal, too?” Phoebe asked.

             
“After I tell her and the connection is made, I’ll go through the transformation. Then I’ll be immortal…until she dies.”

             
“Then what happens?” Avery questioned carefully.

             
“I become mortal again and start to age.”

             
“Wow.” Carmen exhaled and scratched her head. “I guess you learn something new every day.”

             
“So now everybody knows,” I announced, and then turned to Finn with pleading eyes. “How about we move on to something else?”

             
Finn finally sat down and smiled at me. For the first time since I’d known him, I felt as if he saw me in a different light. With more respect. Then his face fell as he became serious once more.

             
“I need all of you to keep your eyes open. We believe the person who stole the Book of Souls and Key to Tribeca may have a reason to return here to Atlantis.”

             
“Who is it?” Avery leaned forward in anticipation.

             
“I don’t want to speculate when we don’t have the cold, hard facts, but I’ll be doing a little searching around while we’re here,” he answered vaguely. “If you see anything out of the ordinary, find me right away.”

             
“
Ordinary
might be a very subjective term around here,” I joked. “Normal was thrown out the window a long time ago.”

Chapter 25

Olivia

             
“Fengári tou aímatos af̱xánetai,” Stasia murmured to me with blank eyes. She had woken up minutes before, but would only speak in Greek.  It was almost as if she was talking in her sleep. I leaned down and inspected her emotionless face once more. Her skin was pale, but for all intents and purposes she appeared perfectly healthy. She stared at me, but I was pretty certain she didn’t actually see me.

             
“What’s that, girl?” I whispered and grinned in spite of myself. “Timmy fell in the well again?” 

             
“Fengári tou aímatos af̱xánetai,” she insisted once more with a less-than-amused frown.

             
“What’s she saying?” Carmen walked up behind me curiously. Stasia’s blank turquoise eyes slid to Carmen with painstaking slowness and then back to mine once more. 

             
“Blood moon rising,” I translated for Carmen; my gaze remaining on Stasia. At my words she closed her eyes, her breathing became heavier, and she slipped back into a deep sleep.

             
“What’s a blood moon?” Phoebe asked from the bedroom doorway. She leaned against the door frame with pink-glossed lips tightened with worry. When her eyes landed on a sleeping Stasia, she crossed her arms and frowned.

             
“When the moon turns blood red,” I explained simply. 

             
“I gathered that much.” Phoebe looked at me pointedly. “Why does it happen?”

             
“It’s a lunar eclipse,” Avery inserted. She floated into the bedroom the same way Willow used to walk. All of Laneira’s descendants seemed to have that same angelic demeanor and grace about them.  It was slightly disconcerting for those of us who were anything but graceful. “When the earth is between the sun and the moon, the earth’s shadow is cast onto the moon. The shadow appears red.”

             
“In some cultures, the blood moon is an indicator of evil. Or a warning.” Finn followed Avery inside the bedroom and immediately strode to Stasia’s side. I moved out of his way and leaned against the wall; shifting my weight several times. The room was getting way too cramped.

             
“So Stasia’s trying to warn us about something?” Phoebe deducted with uncertainty.

             
“I don’t know what a blood moon has to do with Atlantis or Stasia,” I claimed with renewed determination. “But I bet I know where we can find out.”

             
“The library of horrors?” Carmen guessed with a sly grin.

             
“The what?” Avery gasped.

             
“You’ll see,” I answered as vaguely as possible. “We just need to figure out how to get back there.”

             
Amphitrite suddenly appeared beside Phoebe in the doorway; her cool blue eyes settling on me with disapproval. “Well, you girls will have to do so without Olivia. She has other affairs she needs to attend to.”

             
“But-” I tried unsuccessfully. She walked farther into the room and interrupted me with unflinching authority.

             
“With Stasia momentarily out of commission, it is my duty to assume the leadership role in her place. I have arranged for our guide to show you around Atlantis, as well as to escort you to one of the natural spas centered around healing and strength.” She nodded her head towards me. “He has graciously agreed and will be here within the hour.”

             
“You
really
didn’t have to do that,” I reciprocated proudly. “I can show myself around.”

             
“Nonsense.” She dispelled my suggestion with a flip of her wrist. “There are no cars or buses here. You will need his help to get to the city.”

             
“I’d rather drag a razorblade across my eyeball,” I muttered.

             
“Also,” she ignored me and pointed at Avery, “you will now be assisting Carmen with the remaining pre-selections.”

             
“So she gets to go to the spa while the rest of us research blood moons and do her unfinished work?” Carmen raised a defiant eyebrow at Amphitrite.

             
“Exactly,” Amphitrite chirped and promptly left the room. Nothing like a little special treatment to build a cloud of resentment over the already precarious group dynamics.

             
Thirty minutes and three sharp-edged glares from Carmen later, I was pacing my tree house with rancid images of a smug Sebastian leading me all over Atlantis; holding his knowledge over my head like a dagger. I couldn’t think of a worse way to spend an entire day. I was an adult. I could make my own decisions. I’d already decided I didn’t trust the other girls to do adequate research on the blood moon rising, and I knew I had to find out why Stasia was repeating those words in Greek and why she was acting like this. I also had a sneaking feeling that Finn was hiding something from us.

             
“Screw this,” I grumbled and slipped quietly out my tree house door. With a glance up at Stasia’s house, I quickly camouflaged my appearance and with a growing feeling of freedom biting at my heels, sprinted towards the dense, shadowed forest behind the lake. The last time I’d been to the library it had been dark, but it couldn’t be that hard to find. 

             
“Famous last words,” I snickered at my own thoughts. My lungs greedily inhaled the air washing over me as I ran through prickly undergrowth and around trees of all sizes and species. The sky above was clear and blue with a bright sun peeking through the canopy of swaying branches above. The forest before me reached an almost magical level with countless streams of sunlight shifting and fading; creating a vibrant ambiance that would speak to anyone’s soul. The plant life and trees continued to blow in a non-existent breeze, and I sensed that everything here was more alive, more potent, and more…aware. It was as if the trees were following my every step and whispering to each other. Then another, more troubling thought entered my mind - maybe they were.

             
When I finally heard the exhilarating resonance of rushing water, I broke into a sprint. I fully expected to come across the same shallow field and steep canyon as we had the night before. Even if I wasn’t near the root bridge, I’d hopefully be able to see it from the trench’s edge. Unfortunately no field appeared, and the louder the water got, the more obvious it was that this river was much too close to be the same one.

             
A high pitched squeal echoed through the trees and my feet came to an abrupt stop to listen. When another squeal followed, I crept closer to the sound with my defenses on high alert. As the crashing of water on rocks became louder, several more shrieks reverberated throughout the forest and I saw movement off to my left. A flash of red disappeared amidst the trees, and I followed stealthily on light feet.

             
Still camouflaged, I continued on my hunt and saw what, or more exactly
who
, was making the shrill noise. Tucked into the recesses of the thick forest was a stream running over boulders and rocks alike, heading downhill; presumably on the way to the canyon river I had crossed the night before. A loud splash interrupted the cadence of the water, and I had to stop myself from laughing out loud.

             
I crouched down on the forgiving bank of the stream and observed the scene before me with amusement. Two little girls around the ages of four or five were playing a mean game of tag. They both had striking red hair that cascaded in effortless waves down their backs. A showering of freckles highlighted their pale noses and cheeks as the sun glinted off their bare arms and shoulders. They had both been gifted with big, arresting eyes the color of emeralds that shone with pure joy. As they splashed around in the stream, I tried to figure out what they had wrapped around their heads.