by D. S. Murphy
“That’s great for you. I just can’t deal with seeing you with him right now. With them. You have two, and I only had one, and now he’s gone. Sitri was dying. Amaratha said she couldn’t save him, then you came back and he suddenly got up and was fine. You saved him, but you didn’t save Max. You let him die.”
My mouth dropped open at the accusation, but she didn’t give me a chance to respond. She just pushed past me and left me standing there, looking at my own stunned expression in the mirror.
***
“Chains? Really?” I asked, as Heph pulled a pair of shackles from a trunk in the back of the helicopter.
“It’s just for appearances,” Heph said, opening the cuffs and holding them out to Puriel. “He left here a convinct and a murderer. He can’t just walk around like nothing happened. People depend on Able for justice. He can’t be seen playing favorites. Besides, he is a leech now.”
“It’s fine,” Puriel said, holding out his hands. “I’m at Able’s mercy, and I deserve no less.”
“You deserve a bottle of wine and some good food,” Sitri said, “for saving our asses. I’ll make sure you get it, even if I have to bring it to your cell.”
I frowned and bit my lip. I hadn’t wanted Puriel to end up a prisoner again, but I could talk to Able about it once we were settled. I desperately needed a shower, and my dark hair was as ratty as a bird’s nest. I patted it down self-consciously as we headed towards the main building.
There was a crowd in front of the entrance. A mix of heirs and torches, several hundred of them. They started clapping when we approached. They parted as we passed through them, giving us looks of awe and admiration. Several of the torches reached out and clasped Puriel’s shoulder. A few even gripped the edge of his clothing, like he was some kind of savior. They looked at me with glowing eyes, like they couldn’t believe I was real.
“What the hell is going on?” I whispered to Heph.
“Able must have told them that Athena is dead. You’re heroes.”
This was not the welcome I was expecting. Did they even know that the Fates were dead? That we still didn’t have the shears, and that Zeus could attack at any minute? They should be preparing, not standing around ogling us.
Not everyone was smiling. I froze when I saw Kurt and Priya, standing with their arms crossed. I took a step forward but faltered.
Priya moved first, throwing herself at me. I almost held my hands up to defend myself, but she pulled me into a tight squeeze.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
I pulled away and scanned her face, but she seemed sincere.
“For what?” I asked cautiously.
“You got him. You brought him back. Now he can face justice, for what he did to Matt.”
Shit. Able must not have told anyone what really happened, which meant everyone still thought Puriel kidnapped me. She didn’t know that I was just as culpable in Matt’s death. And now she was thanking me. Lying to her was tearing me apart, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the truth. Not here. It was too crowded, too public. This wasn’t the time. I squeezed her shoulder and kept moving.
We left the crowd behind as we stepped into the mansion. Four torches flanked Puriel and led him downstairs. His eyes lingered on me as they took him away, and I vowed to go visit him in the evening.
Alice pulled me into a tight squeeze and joined us upstairs. We stopped at my room first—everything looked the same as when I left it. I felt a pang of guilt when I opened the drawer in the dresser and found a new collection of jewelry, even more opulent than the previous batch.
“We’ve set up two new rooms for Sarah and Jessie, just down the hall. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to share or not, but anyway, just in case.” Jessie’s jaw dropped when Alice opened the door to her room. I’d forgotten the impression that Able’s house made on me when I first arrived. It was like living in a castle or mansion—a fairytale come to life. Sarah’s room was decorated in pink and filled with toys and dolls. There was even a unicorn rocking horse.
“You’ve outdone yourself,” I told Alice. “This is amazing.”
“I just wanted your friends to feel welcome,” she said. “Now let’s fix your arm.”
It was still in the makeshift sling. Alice seemed to approve of the job the sisters had done setting it and wrapping it up.
“It would be easier if I could touch you, but for now this should stop the pain.” She held her palms up a few inches away from my arm and concentrated. I saw a glimmer of blue energy passing between us. There was a warm, throbbing pain for a few moments, but then it passed. Alice unwrapped the bandages and asked me to extend my arm and move my fingers. I was surprised I was able to.
“It’s still weak, so before careful with it. Don’t move anything heavy, and no fighting for a few days. But it should hold long enough for you to take a shower. Able wants to see you before dinner.”
I nodded. The sudden influx of energy lifted my mood and left my mind sharp and focused. What I really wanted was to take a long bath and pass out, but I needed to talk to Able. I took a quick shower and changed into some clean clothes from the warddrobe. I was sick of wearing tight jeans so I picked out a simple long dress that fell to my ankles, and covered my arms and shoulders with a soft green cardigan. I pulled my hair back into a loose bun and headed to Able’s office.
Sitri was already there when I stepped inside through the open door. Able’s eyes lit up when he saw me, with genuine warmth. Stephanie was more reserved, standing in the corner with a glass of whiskey in her hand. The smell of polished leather and old books was comforting, but I was still wary. I hadn’t talked to Able since I’d run away.
“I’m so happy to see you again, Kaidance.” He said, gesturing towards the couch. His kindness made me feel awkward. Was he going to pretend everything was fine—that I didn’t free Puriel and get Matt killed?”
“I’m sorry,” I said finally. “For running. For letting Puriel out. It’s just… I found the kittens. That’s when I realized how hard you’ve been looking for me. I didn’t think you’d let me go.”
And you didn’t tell me my friends were in danger, I added silently. Part of me wanted to yell at him, I was still pissed about how controlling he was. But for better or worse, Able was my ally now. I needed his protection, and I didn’t want to start this conversation by fighting.
“You’re back safely, that’s all that matters,” Able said. “And if I had known. The sequence of events that led to Athena’s death—so many things I didn’t expect from you. More than I could have ever hoped for. I’ve been around a very, very long time. It’s not easy to surprise me.”
“I didn’t really do anything,” I said. “Puriel killed Athena.”
“But he fell, for you. He fought, for you. And to think a torch was capable of that—of consuming that much energy. It’s a loophole, something Zeus never saw coming. That much unclaimed magic, going into one leech at the same time, I don’t think it’s ever happened before. We have no idea how powerful he could be.”
Able’s eyes flooded with excitement, but I couldn’t share his enthusiasm. I reached for my necklace before I remembered it wasn’t there anymore. It had bought passage into the mirror world, where I’d found the Fates. And I’d opened the doorway, letting Zeus in.
“Matt died. Max died. Sitri was very nearly killed… the sisters were able to save him,” I lied. “And the Fates are dead. Zeus killed them, but I let him in. It’s all my fault, and we still don’t have the shears.”
Stephanie rolled her eyes at me, like I was being melodramatic.
“On his own, Max was nothing, hardly even magical,” she said. “Matt’s death was a tragic accident, but necessary to the events which led to our current victory. Both of them gave their life for something greater. There are worse ways to die.”
“He took pawns, and we took his queen,” Able agreed. “You and a torch, defeating Athena. I never would have believed it. Even without the shears! Don’t you see, we ar
e closer to winning this war than ever before. The future is uncertain, which is good news for us.”
“Is it?” Stephanie asked, frowning her pouty lips. I would have guessed she was my age if I didn’t know she was Able’s wife and queen of the underworld. “Zeus will be desperate. Unstable. Trickier than usual. We’ve had him backed into a corner before.”
“That’s why we need to think of everything. And we need to know exactly what happened between you two in the cave. Don’t leave anything out.”
I told them about how I’d found the passage through the well, and that Zeus had already gotten through, in Sarah’s body. And how she killed the Fates with her bare hands.
“She killed them, on her own?” Stephanie interrupted. “But she’s just a girl.”
“Most heirs aren’t able to actually wield their power until they’re older,” Sitri explained. “It might be set off by too much pressure or stress, but it’s unlikely to manifest otherwise.”
“It takes an exceptional amount of power to kill a god,” Able said. “I understand what happened with Puriel. He’d consumed so much magic, from so many sources, that he was a match for Athena. But Sarah defeating the Fates, even with Zeus possessing her body—it shouldn’t have been possible. Unless they’d already stored their magic somewhere else.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Able’s eyes sparked with inner fire. It was like watching a conspiracy theorist grasping at straws; holding on to anything that kept their beliefs alive.
“Don’t you see, the shears must be real,” he said, pounding his fist on the table suddenly. “They stored their energy into a weapon, so that you could use them to kill Zeus. That’s why they were too weak to defend themselves against Sarah when she found them.”
“But why wouldn’t they just kill Zeus themselves?” I asked.
“Because they’re weak old women,” Stephanie said. “They wouldn’t help Zeus kill the other gods, but still refused to pick sides. They gave up the responsibility to someone else. They gave a human the ability to see the threads, and hid the shears somewhere. It’s basically their way to contribute without directly influencing events.”
I bit my lip. Lachemis had told me the shears were out there somewhere, but I didn’t volunteer that information. I didn’t want to give Able that much hope, not yet. I still had no idea where they are, or how to find them.
“What’s going to happen to Puriel?” I asked, changing the subject. “I saw Priya outside. She still thinks I was kidnapped, and that he’s a murderer. She’s going to want justice. Are you going to keep him locked up?”
“He’ll have a terrible craving, a thirst, from now on. Most leeches destroy themselves once they’ve tasted power. They become little more than animals. Puriel may seem in control of himself right now, but it won’t last. Now that he’s started down this path, there’s no saving him.”
“But he’s not like the others, he’s different. He didn’t fall because of weakness, he did it because of strength. For me, for us.”
“And we’re all grateful,” Stephanie said, “but that doesn’t mean we should be stupid. Leeches have never been allowed in Nevah, and know we know that we were right to refuse them. They can be far more dangerous than we ever imagined. What if he lost control and attacked one of us next?”
“He wouldn’t—” I stood up, suddenly angry, but Able raised a hand to silence me.
“Most leeches go mad because of the hunger. The longer they go without magic, the more of themselves they lose. It’s not the power that destroys, it’s the thirst. But don’t worry, now that he’s here, we’ll take good care of him. He’ll have a steady stream of magic to feed on—just enough to keep him strong, but not so much that he becomes dangerous.”
“You won’t kill him then?”
Able raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“No, we won’t kill him. When you left, you took away Nevah’s greatest weapon. But you’ve returned and brought two more with you.”
“Two?” I asked.
“Puriel may still be useful to us. I want to understand how he works, what he’s capable of. And then there’s Sarah…”
“Sarah is not a weapon,” I said slowly through clenched teeth.
“But she could be, when she gets a few years older. She’s a direct descendant of Zeus. The first that I know of in centuries. She could become more powerful than any one of us.”
“What about Priya?” I asked. If Able thought Sarah wouldn’t be able to access her powers for a few years, at least she’d be safe here in the meantime. I could handle that, for now.
“Matt was going to propose to her. I stole that from her, when I decided to free Puriel. I have to take responsibility. She deserves to know the truth. Should I tell her? Tell everyone?”
“I wouldn’t advise it,” Stephanie said. “We need to be unified right now. They think you’re our champion, the champion we’ve always needed. They’re willing to forgive Puriel because he killed Athena. He was scheduled to die, what choice did he have but to run? Telling everyone you helped him escape would just confuse things. And anyway, it really was an accident. You couldn’t have known—”
She stopped talking and looked away when she realized that of course I could have known. I did know. I’d seen the vision of Matt dying exactly as it played out. I’d been foolish enough to think we’d changed the future, when I stopped Puriel from killing Matt the first time.
A heavy pause filled the room, as we all avoided the unfathomable issue that had defined my entire life: if you saw the future, were you ultimately responsible for it, no matter how it came about?
Able broke the silence first.
“You said Zeus is planning to attack us. Now that the Fates are gone, he thinks we are defenseless; that the war will be over quickly. I’m counting on you, Kaidance, and your friends, to prove him wrong.”
15
Dion, Tori and Mist were missing at dinner. I wondered whether it was because the company was becoming too mundane, too human, for them. Dinners were supposed to be family only. I remembered Mist being pissed off that I was allowed to join. Now Sarah and Jessie had joined as well, digging into the delicacies of Nevah like they’d never tasted food before.
I saw Sam smile at Sarah and she smiled back shyly. I realized suddenly that they were siblings. Sarah was fathered by Zeus, just like Mist, Stephanie, Dion, Tori, Sam and Heph. She belonged at this table, more than I did.
After the plates had been cleared, Able tapped on his glass and his rich voice cut through the formal dining room.
“I’ve been thinking of throwing a ball. To celebrate our recent victory,” he said.
“Are serious?” Jessie said, crossing her arms and pushing her chair away from the table. “What we need is a funeral. Max isn’t even in the ground yet.”
“We just had one,” Alice said quietly, “for Matt.”
“We have had more defeats than we can count,” Able continued, and funerals have become so commonplace that most of the residents at Nevah have long since learned to save their tears. But the death of Athena, that is an event that should be marked. Celebrated. If nothing else, at least with a toast.” He stood, the lines of his crisp dinner jacket folding smoothly as he reached into an antique cabinet in the corner.
“I’ve been saving this particular bottle of champagne for well over a century. I think it should be just right.”
“I’ll drink your booze,” Jessie said sullenly, furrowing her eyebrows. “But I won’t join in your celebration.”
“Not even a celebration of the brave and daring Max, who gave his life to gift us this great victory? Who died a noble and heroic death?”
There was a sparkle in Able’s eye, and I couldn’t tell if he was teasing. Jessie couldn’t either, but she pursed her lips and raised her glass anyway.
“How much does everyone know?” I asked. “I mean about the Fates. Athena is dead, but so are they. And we still don’t have the shears. It’s not exactly a victory.
”
“We will tell them in time,” Stephanie said, reaching out and squeezing Able’s shoulder as he filled tall-stemmed crystal glasses with bubbling gold liquid.
“But Able is right, it’s been a long time since we’ve had anything to celebrate, and the losses have been far more common than the wins. Let them have this. I imagine the camp will be full of reverly tonight.”
“But Zeus—”
“Don’t worry,” Able said. “We’ve taken precautions. The torches will all be on guard and we’ve upped security. Also, you may not have noticed, but our ranks are growing swiftly. As news of Athena’s death spreads, many magical beings are being forced to choose sides in the war that may be coming. And of course there is really only one side to choose—Zeus gives no quarter. Tomorrow we will begin making plans and talking about our agenda. But tonight, please, relax, make yourself at home, get some rest, and try to keep in mind all that you have accomplished. It is truly a tremendous achievement.”
I still felt anxious, but I raised my glass with the others and sipped the sweet champagne. It fizzed against my tongue. Sarah cast an envious look at Sam’s glass, until one of the servers brought out a magniciently dark piece of chocolate cake and tiny silver forks. Even Jessie looked momentarily placated. Her eyes closed as she took a bit, savoring the frosted delicacy.
Sitri was waiting for me outside my room after dinner. Jessie rolled her eyes and grabbed Sarah’s hand. “Come on, let’s check out all the stuff in your room. I think I saw an iPad in there, maybe we can watch a movie.”
“I brought you something,” Sitri said when we were alone. He grabbed a long parcel that had been leaning against the wall by the window. I pulled the paper off to see gleaming metal. My face paled when I realized what it was.
“You kept it?” I asked.
“The spear of Athena is a legendary weapon,” he said. “It’s normally too heavy for a human to lift, but I got Heph to install a vial of pure magic inside, kind of like a battery. It should make it lighter.” He tapped a button on the side and it lit up with blue fire, like the hunter’s swords, crackling with energy.