by Jessica Cage
"My voice, its gone." Asa lifted her hand to her throat.
"What?" He raised a brow. “What are you talking about? You’re speaking to me now.”
"There was an incident with Iris. She burned my throat, I could feel the fire throughout my entire body, like fibers being cut away from me.” The tears formed in her eyes. “Tethys healed the surface, but something is wrong, something deeper. It’s like she stole the song from within me. I’ve tried to sing. I can’t."
“How could Iris do something like this?” Carter examined Asa’s throat. “Since when does she have the power to hurt you?”
“Since we found out that she wasn’t just named after the goddess of rainbows.” Asa shook her head. “She is the goddess, reborn. I swear I still have trouble processing it.”
“Wait, Iris is a goddess?” Carter stepped back. “What the hell?”
“Yeah, our good old pal Lehela. It’s like the woman left a minefield behind her and we just keep stepping on the damn things and getting our limbs blown off.”
“I don’t even know where to begin with understanding all of that now. Is Iris okay? Is she someone we need to worry about?” Carter pulled his phone from his pocket. He was ready to report the incident, but Asa stopped him.
“No, she is fine, just learning how to control herself. That’s why this happened. I don’t believe she meant to hurt me. It’s just an unfortunate accident.” Asa took the phone from him and placed it on the counter.
"How long has it been like this?" Carter stood and rounded the counter to pull her into his arms. “Are you okay?”
"A few days." She sobbed. “No, I’m not okay. I fought so long to be able to be one with my siren after Lehela’s curse and now she’s been taken away from me again and I don’t know if I can get her back this time. I don’t know if there is a way to fix this Carter.”
"Have you tried removing your mask?" he rubbed her shoulders. “Is it just your voice or is Calypso gone entirely?”
“I haven’t tried.” Asa stepped back and looked up at him. “I’m afraid she isn’t there anymore.”
“You should try, Asa.”
“My entire life I’ve felt the existence of my true self. After I changed I thought I lost her, but she was always there, humming beneath the surface. I know that now, I am in tuned with that. But this time, there is nothing.” She ran her hands along the bare flesh on her arms. “I cannot feel the siren inside and if I should try to drop this veil and find out that she is gone forever, I don’t know what I would do. I don’t know who I am if I am not Calypso.”
“You are still the same woman,” he pulled her into him. “Nothing will ever change that. Inside of you is fire, light, spirit, tenacity, and bravery. Calypso is a name it is not who you are. It’s a form to hold the spirit that is you, in any name. Nothing can ever change that. Not that it matters at this moment, not that your vision of yourself should depend on my view of you, but I will love you now and forever, no matter the form.”
“Even if I am the Sphinx?” She smirked with tears in her eyes and sorrow in her voice.
“Yes,” he chuckled, “Even if you are a terrifying monstress who would likely prefer to eat me than make love to me.”
Asa laughed and as she did the sound changed from giggle to a soft melody that she wished were her siren but fell short of the promise. The mask she used to hide herself fell away. She sighed into his touch as Calypso took hold. Her song was still gone. She tried to sing to him, but nothing came from the attempt.
“See, she is still there, you are still here.” Carter kissed her forehead. “You’re still you.”
“Yes, I guess so. Thank you Carter.” It wasn’t necessary to tell him that her voice was still gone. She didn’t want to ruin the rest of their time together. Soon she would have to ask her favor and head back to the apartment full of titans and gorgons.
“Ready to put the mask back on?” He asked her. “I know how being in this skin can be uncomfortable for you.”
“No, not at all.” She smiled deviously and captured his lips with hers. “I think I’ll hang around in my own skin for a bit.”
“Casi will be well taken care of,” Asa returned to Iris’ apartment. Carter had traveled with her and taken the fragile woman home with him. He hadn’t been happy about the idea of Asa leaving him again, but he understood the need for it.
“That’s good.” Iris touched Asa on the shoulder. “Can we talk privately?”
“Yeah, sure.” Asa followed Iris back to her bedroom.
"Are you okay?" Iris closed the door behind them to allow for privacy.
"No, I’m not." Asa answered honestly.
"What's going on?" Iris sat on the bed. “I know I hurt you and I’m so sorry for that. I’m trying to understand what’s going on with me but it’s all brand new. I never meant to cause you or anyone else any harm.”
“I know you didn’t mean to hurt me.” Asa sat next to her.
“Okay, so what is it? I understand if you can’t forgive me now. If you need space, I can give you that.” Iris leaned away from Asa.
“It’s not that.” Asa touched her throat. "It’s my song. My siren. It's gone."
"What?" Iris’ eyes bulged and she covered her mouth with her hand. “What do you mean it’s gone?”
"I can no longer sing my siren song." Asa restated. “I’ve tried but it’s just not there. Tethys tried to heal my wounds, but I don’t think that she was able to repair all the damage the was done.”
"Oh," Iris sobbed "I’m so sorry. I hurt you! I didn’t mean for this to happen."
"What's going on?" Delilah stepped into the room with them. "Why are you crying?"
"I hurt her, when I touched her… her song, she can’t," Iris was full on hyperventilating.
"What?" Delilah frowned. “What are you trying to say?”
"I can no longer sing my siren song.” Asa clarified for Delilah then touched Iris on the shoulder. “It’s okay, Iris. I don't blame you for what happened. You had no idea what you were doing or that this would be the outcome.”
"This entire time I've been looking at you like you were a monster and it’s me who is the monster." Iris couldn’t stop the tears that fell from her eyes. She wiped them away with her hand, but they continued to flood.
"You what?" Asa leaned back from Iris.
"When you told me about how you gained your power, I judged you. I am so sorry." Iris sniffled.
"I see," Asa chewed her lip.
"I'm sorry Asa," Iris repeated her sentiment.
"It’s fine, nothing to be done about it now. We have much more important things to worry about. My voice is down, but my Sphinx is still there, I can feel it.” Asa stood from the bed. “I'm not completely out of the game. That’s all that matters now."
"Good, because we need you out there." Delilah offered and the door opened again.
"Do we have a plan? Rhea stuck her head out, "The gorgon sisters are getting a bit on edge."
"I think I might," Asa responded as she left the bedroom with Delilah and Iris following her. "I had some time to think about things on the way back from Carter’s. I think that we can use the old portal to Oikos."
"What? Oikos is gone." Iris cleaned her face.
"Yes, but the magic that was used by Ares may still be there. It hasn't been that long. If we can find it and use it, we may be able to open it and just redirect the target." Asa pointed to Delilah. “Your magic is the same that was used to build that place. We just have to tap into that connection, and it should take us right to your home.”
"You really want to open another dimension in downtown Chicago, again?" Iris shook her head.
"I don't see why not. The cat’s already out of the bag, Iris. There is no stuffing her back in there now." Iris was prepared to debate her, but Asa didn’t give her a chance. "Look, we need a quick route to this place, right? We also need something strong enough to take us all that won't end up with us on our asses for three days like Casi. Sorry but I’m not si
gning up for riding a lightning bolt."
"Do you think you can do it?" Rhea looked to Delilah, "You will have to direct this portal. None of us know how to get there."
“Yeah, I think so.” She paused and looked around the room at the women. “We need to prepare ourselves for this. Eight of us will travel there, but that doesn't mean we will all return. We need to be ready for that outcome."
"Not return?" Phoebe stood from the chair she was in. “What do you mean we won’t return?”
"The realm is weak. I can't say that we will be able to cross back over." Delilah focused her gaze on Asa, "If you prefer not to come, I understand."
"Hell, I'm not one to back down from a fight." Asa boasted. “Song or not, I told you I had your back in this and I meant it.”
"Are you sure?” Delilah turned her focus away from Asa again to the other women. “I need everyone here to be sure of this. I know that it is a lot to ask of you."
"We go where you go niece,” Stheno smiled. “Hell, I haven’t had an adventure like this in a long time. There is no way I’m going back to the jungle without seeing this through.”
"Yeah, if it weren't for you we wouldn't be here now.” Rhea grabbed the hands of her sisters who stood by her side. “We'd still be trapped inside that hell. We're by your side."
"You know I go with you," Iris grabbed Delilah’s hand in her own.
"Right.” Asa guffawed when Delilah looked to her again. “Like I'm going to be the only one here who chickens out! My big girl panties are in the bag. Let’s hitchhike a ride to Fidi!"
"You think this will work?" Iris asked as the eight women stood at the site of the event that revealed magic to the world. Pedestrians passed by them with weary eyes. The Bean that sat in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago had been closed to visitors since the event that revealed the supernatural world.
"Yea, there is still magic here in the air, the connection that took us to Oikos. You can feel it.” Asa looked up at the sky where she’d caught the last glimpses of the other realm that no longer existed. “We should be able to tap into that power to jumpstart a portal strong enough to carry us all to Delilah’s world."
"What if it doesn't work?" Tethys asked as she too took in the sight of the city which was trying to rebuild.
"Then we fall into oblivion never to be heard from again." Asa shrugged.
"Great, that's reassuring." Stheno laughed. “Oblivion sounds like a great vacation.”
"Only one way to find out if this will work." Delilah held her hand out and the staff appeared. She looked at each of the women who nodded before forming a tight circle around her.
Hands locked, they focused their energy and pushed their unique magic into the center. Delilah slammed the base of the staff against the ground and caused a fissure that spread out to the base of the city's landmark that reflected the world around them in a warped fashion. They lost sight of the installation as the disruption lifted from the ground and shot up into the air. As screams rang out around them, the green light ripped a seam into the space above their heads. The vein slowly spread apart until it reached the ground.
On the other side was a darkened world. It was nothing like the place Delilah left behind. The cries of harpies gave them confirmation that the attempt worked. In the distance, they could see the winged beast flying above the city.
"Well, here goes nothing." Asa started to bounce in a boxers prance as she hyped herself up for the next part of their journey. "You ladies ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." Tethys stepped forward.
"Let's do this." Euryale grinned as she took off running with Stheno by her side. Both women let their battle cry belt as they jumped into the opening. Not far behind them were the titan sisters.
"Guess there is no turning back now." Iris grabbed Delilah's hand and then turned to Asa. "We're in this together."
Asa grabbed hold of her hand and together the three women ran forward and jumped across the threshold. They fell onto the other side of the rip in space and as they looked back they saw the final flashes of cell phone cameras capturing the otherworldly place. Everyone made it through safely.
Delilah's home was much like the realm of Oikos. The only two of them to ever see the land of gold were Iris and Asa who from the moment they took in the sight of Fidi, shared a look of whimsy and regret. Natural beauty was there though scorched by darkness and disrepair. The world was barely holding together, the magic that kept it intact was weakening. Delilah walked away from the group and surveyed the land. Her home was suffering, and she was to blame. Had she not left, Fidi would have never been at risk.
"Are you okay?" Iris joined Delilah at the edge of the hill.
"I didn't expect to care," Delilah kept her eyes forward.
"What do you mean?"
"This was my home. It is my home. I was so focused on escape and revenge, that it didn't matter what happened here." She scanned the horizon. "It matters now. Now that I'm back and I see what I've done. I care."
"Do you think you can handle this?" Iris watched Delilah as closely as she watched the horizon.
"Yes, absolutely.” She laughed a hollow sound. "I have to. I brought you all here, how could I be the one to back down now?"
"Good, because we need to get going. Athena must be close to getting Themis out of that vessel." Tethys interjected as she watched the skyline. The wind brought a smell of decay that made her frown.
"We won't be able to keep the fates away from her if she does." Phoebe still held on to the chest. "They will be drawn to Themis without vessels."
"Let's move then." Rhea pointed to Delilah. "Show us the way grandchild."
"She's at the temple. I can feel the magic pooling there." Delilah pointed off into the distance. "We should stop for weapons first. We don't know what is waiting for us there."
"You have weapons here?" Stheno asked with clear excitement.
"Yes, magical weapons. The witches were always worried that the gods would find this place and want to claim it as their own. There is an entire armory stockpiled with things we can use to our advantage."
"Why haven't they used any of that stuff?" Euryale stepped forward. “There’s a god here now. If they have the means to defend their home, why haven’t they?”
"Because it’s buried beneath my home," Delilah said with guilt. "When I left, the power it took to transport me to Earth caused it to collapse."
"Well, that's good for us. Do you think we can get to it?" Iris tried to ease Delilah's conscious.
"Yeah, it should be simple enough. We'll have to take a scenic route there. The direct path will lead us right through the hotspot."
"How long will that take?"
"A few hours maybe?" Delilah shrugged. "On foot, so let's go."
"Okay, yeah no. I'm not doing the walking thing anymore." Euryale shook her head. "We're magical women. Let's act like it." She removed the charm from around her neck and handed it to Iris. Stheno did the same. Their magically gifted jean covered legs fused together and their slithering bodies stretched out behind them.
"They’re right." Rhea smiled as she dug her heels into the surface of the ground. "I may not be able to slither but I can run like hell."
"Won't that draw attention to us?" Iris shied away from their proposal. "Not all of us can do this without standing out."
"It definitely will," Asa rolled her shoulders. "Not that I'm not ready to get this over with, but something tells me the harpies will notice the Sphinx in the sky."
"There's another way," a small voice spoke from behind them and the eight women turned to find a girl, in dirt stained clothing, standing on the hill.
"Who are you?" Stheno bristled.
"I'm a friend." The wide eyes of the girl looked around the women who should have cast fear in her heart to find the familiar face.
"Ella," Delilah pushed passed the women and pulled the girl into a hug. "You're okay."
"Yeah, I managed to get out before things got bad." She smiled through
her sorrow. "You look good Delilah, stronger than when you were here."
"Thanks, I just wish it wasn't the reason all this is happening." She released the girl. "Can you help us get what we need?"
"Yes, actually, there is another way into the armory. I was headed there but I got scared. I was alone and I didn't think that I could do anything by myself. There are horrible things out there. Things that I've only ever read about in books."
"It's okay Ella," Delilah brushed the wild hair of the younger girl away from her face. "We're here now, and we're going to take care of this. I'm sorry that you ever had to go through any of this."
“I’m glad you’ve returned. Hopefully you can really get those things out of Fidi. I’ll show you the way.” Ella led the women on a short hike through the hills into a tunnel that ran underneath Fidi.
"Why did I never know about this place?" Delilah asked as they entered the tunnel that was hidden behind a line of trees.
"Honestly, I think everyone was a little worried about you going off the rails and hurting everyone. I hate to say it but for a long time my mother, and well everyone else was worried that the threat wasn't from the gods." Ella continued walking. “They tried to get here but it was too late. The harpies came out of nowhere. Most of our people were captured within hours.”
"They feared me?" Delilah looked over her shoulder to the women who followed them. “I never thought anyone feared me here.”
"I'm sorry." Ella smiled. "If it means anything, I never thought you would hurt us. I always liked you."
"Thanks, Ella." Delilah put her arm around the young girl's shoulders as they walked.
“I like these clothes too,” Ella smiled and glanced down at her feet. “Do you think you could get me some? Those shoes look much more comfortable.”
“Absolutely, I’ll get you whatever you want, as soon as this is done.” Delilah promised the girl.
"We aren't far now." Ella called out.
"Good, because I'm over all of this walking!" Euryale complained. “My feet hurt.”
"How are you doing?" Iris asked Asa after laughing at the gorgon.