Waking the Goddess

by Clara Hartley

  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 upon 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.

  She threw herself into Ares’s arms. He invited her eagerly and drew her lips against his. He tasted of blood and pain and victory.

  “You’re safe,” Aphrodite said, sensing tears prickling the sides of her eyes.

  Ares caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “We both are. Together. Let us leave this destruction.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  My eyes opened to red skies above. My body quaked. I latched on to consciousness, gasping through the racing of my heart. A sense of panic raced through me. Anxiety shook its way through my body.

  A firm hand wrapped itself around my arm. “Hey, you all right?” It slipped from my arm, then moved to warmly cup my forehead. I was panting and could hear my pulse throbbing through my ears.

  “Aphrodite,” I said. “Ares. They were…”

  I shifted, then realized I was lying against someone. A hand belonging to that person pulled my hair away from my face and tucked it behind my ear. I turned around to see who I was lying on. It was Devon.

  Hansel kneeled before me. “You saw them?”

  “In my vision. I think… I think I was seeing flashes of the Vassal War. Aphrodite was parted from Ares for some reason.”

  “Do you have a clue about where they might be?”

  “I don’t know.” My thoughts were a jumble, my emotions thrown into a chaotic mess. “They were mostly images. Not many hints going around. But at least I now know that Aphrodite was madly in love with Ares.”

  “Not a surprise.” Hansel shrugged. “She was the love goddess. And they are your parents…”

  “They’re still alive. Somewhere. They talked about leaving the war, so I’m guessing they’re in hiding.”

  Devon pulled me closer toward him and hummed softly, attempting to soothe me. It helped. But only a little. The environment around me looked angry. The red clouds weren’t helping the anxiety. The air here was hot and thick and made breathing a challenge. I noticed a stream of magma flowing a few dozen yards away. Vultures circled overhead. Even from this distance, I noticed their ribs sticking out from their frail bodies.

  I needed a chill pill. And maybe some of that banana lotion Theo had passed me earlier to soothe the aching of my limbs. Did he bring any of that with him?

  “Take deep breaths, Cara,” Devon said.

  Theo was sitting next to Hansel, peering at me with worry. Only Liam wasn’t by my side. He sat about twenty feet away from us with Fenrir snuggled up against his leg. He seemed distant, like his thoughts had travelled someplace else. He was probably thinking about something diabolical, so devious I didn’t want to imagine it. Eating babies, maybe.

  Ugh. Listening to those cries of death through Aphrodite’s memory were making my thoughts way too morbid.

  I sniffed. A smoky, ashen scent, similar to what I’d experienced in my vision, surrounded me. “Where are we?” I asked.

  “The Ashmeda,” Hansel said. “We’re at the base of it. This is where the Vassal War ended. The mountains used to be lush, green, filled with wildlife. They never recovered after the war.”

  I squinted at my surroundings. No wonder it looked familiar. The rubble and buildings were gone, but the same distinct atmosphere of death and bleakness covered the place. I focused on a particular spot. Years of change had made that area too different to be recognizable, but instinct told me that this was where Aphrodite had reunited with Ares. Why did I feel a connection to them? It was more than what a daughter should experience. It felt like the secrets of their past lay close. Too close. Within me, in fact. That, frankly, concerned me.

  “You gave me a scare there, slipping from the pegasus,” Hansel said.

  I heard a whinny beside me. I glanced to my left. The pegasi were next to us, some of them preening their feathers.

  “We caught you midair, but you were knocked out cold. Devon wanted to bring you to the springs, but you ordered us to head to the Ashmeda as soon as possible because of Danna.”

  “There was a huge quarrel about that,” Devon said.

  “You guys had a spat over my well-being?” I asked. Was it normal to be this touched? I’d never felt this level of concern from anyone. The people at the orphanage mostly focused on keeping me alive, and Lydia wasn’t exactly the most devoted mother. Devon’s embrace made me feel safe and welcomed. Like I belonged. I blew out a deep, calming sigh.

  “What else?” Hansel asked.

  I sucked in deep breaths to calm my racing emotions. They’d settled into a buzz. “We should get the quilt.”

  Devon helped me stand up. “Are you sure you don’t want to take a longer break?” My strength had returned, and I didn’t need his support. Still, he held me like he might help a sick patient. My feet were planted firmly on the ground, and once I got my bearings, he wrapped an arm around my waist.

  I raised a brow. “What time is it?”

  “About to hit twilight.”

  “Then we best hurry. I don’t know how long our expedition in the mountains will be, and we want to get the quilt to Danna before she falls asleep.” I placed my hand on my parched throat. “I don’t suppose anybody around here has water?”

  Devon scowled, then pinned Hansel with an accusatory look. “I told you we should have stopped at the springs.”

  “I’ll survive.” Not well, and perhaps my voice would turn scratchy from thirst, but I was recovering from my lightheadedness. Still, we were about to walk into a deathtrap. “I hope. So, where’s the entrance?” I placed my hands on my hips, happy to feel my energy returning to me. Images from the vision continued to flash through my thoughts, but they were fading into the back of my mind.

  Hansel pointed over my shoulder. I spun to look.

  Did I say that my energy was returning?

  The sight caused it to drain from me almost immediately. The mountains were jagged, pointy tips reaching toward the sky. Emaciated vultures circled it. Before the entrance were heaps of skeletons, stripped of flesh. Ghouls flitted around the entrance. They left behind smoky, ghostly trails. Vultures that dared cross their paths were torn apart immediately.

  “Liam!” Theo called. “Get your ass over here. We’re heading in.”

  I stifled a whimper.

  Liam looked too comfortable snuggled up to Fenrir like that. The magical bond they now shared would make even unicorns jealous. Liam lazily turned his head toward us.

  “Coming!” he shouted back, treating this expedition as if it were a hike through a casual mountain trail, instead of something life-threatening.

  “Hey, Hansel,” I said. “Can you take a look at my ass?”

  “What?” he asked.

  “Take a look at my ass.”

  “Why?”

  “Just want to make sure I didn’t shit my pants.”

  He squinted, not really getting where I was coming from, but obliged anyway. “It’s round
and perky and not stained from an accident, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  “The compliments were unnecessary,” I said. “But thank you.”

  I balled my hands into fists and faced the entrance of the Ashmeda mountains. I’d faced a giant wolf, way too many serpents, and gone through puberty.

  I could deal with this, too.

  “Clotho didn’t warn us about the ghouls,” I said, hiding from their line of sight. I watched them as they tore apart another unfortunate vulture. Blood spewed from the poor bird, but the ghouls swallowed the vulture’s essence immediately after, eagerly sucking it into their fog-like bodies. On closer inspection, I noticed that the ghouls had rows of razor-sharp teeth, built for the sole purpose of shredding and tearing flesh apart.

  I imagined myself ending up like one of those vultures.

  Turning gray and dying in my sleep sounded like a much better death in comparison.

  “Yeah,” Liam said, almost sounding bored. “Because we don’t have to worry about them.” I heard his shoes crunching the rock beneath. “Over here.”

  “Huh?” I asked.

  Liam had disappeared when I turned to look at him.

  I cocked my head. “Where’d he go?”

  “Into this convenient side entrance, apparently,” Hansel said, following Liam.

  “It can’t be that easy,” I said.

  “You’re complaining?” Theo asked with a chuckle. “It’s not often things turn out better than expected. Just appreciate it when things go your way.” His chuckle sounded too loud, so I made a shushing noise. What if one of the ghouls heard us? I thought I met one of their gazes, and my stomach dropped, but it flew away, not noticing me. My palms had turned clammy from that encounter.

  “All right,” I said. “Let’s head in before they spot us.”