by S Lawrence
* * *
She circles for a while but realizes whoever it is in the house wouldn't be coming out, and she can feel the magic surrounding it. She moves away, finding a place to hide, one that lets her see both houses. She is restless, wanting to see the two she followed here.
15
JASON
I look at the thrashing man. Sean is caught in the web of his nightmare, sweat coating his body. Michael is tossing and turning in his bed in the next room. The recent events brought their memories to the surface, and some of my work has come undone. I move closer to my friend and begin to whisper, sending my power out. My head falls forward as the images crash into my brain, blood and death rush in. I see it all in slow motion, the explosion, the bodies of their brothers in arms. The screams as they fight to keep the enemy away and save those that still live. Blood blurs Sean's vision, running down from the wounds in his hair. Michael screams at him, dragging himself closer, his leg useless because of the shrapnel. On and on it goes, their promises to those that die in front of them. Michael is fading and Sean pulls him close, laying over him, making one last effort to protect his brother when help finally arrives. Tears clog my throat as I see them holding tight to each other's hand across the helicopter. Michael is passed out, and Sean is fading as he screams at them to save his friend.
I do what I can and then move to Michael's room. As I come out, I look up and see Kai standing in the darkness. "I hear them almost every night now. They are getting worse," he speaks low, not wanting to wake the others.
"Yes, they are."
"How long have you been using your power on them?" he asks quietly. There is an honest curiosity in his voice, and I sigh. I don't want to have this conversation. I wave my hand for him to follow and I see him look to his room. Not hearing anything, he moves to my side, and I walk to the garden and look up at the stars. If I tell him, he will realize about Aislin. "Jason, you are trying to help them. There is no wrong in that."
"You say that now but you don't know the whole story." I can't deny the sadness in my voice.
"So, tell me. We all have terrible stories. Things we have done or that were done to us. Aislin cries for you. She sees how alone you are, how you separate yourself. I don't like her hurting. So, tell me." He lays his hand on my shoulder. I move to the chairs, and we sit.
Rubbing my palms on my pants, I consider what I should tell him. I look up to find him watching me, waiting. Clearing my throat, deciding I should stick with the Druids, for now anyway. "When I met the Druids, Sean and Michael had already been to war. They were gone when I met Patrick and Chris, but they talked about them often. Chris, in particular, was very worried about them. They never told me the story, but something happened to them in the orphanage as children that bonded them all together. If I had to guess, it happened to Chris and they all fought to protect him. After the ship and his death, I caught glimpses."
"Wait, glimpses?" Kai leans forward eyes locked on mine.
"Yes. I should explain, I suppose," he nods his head at my answer. "When I use my power, I 'see' the memories. I'm immersed in them, like they are my own." My voice is steadier than I feel. I wait for his condemnation, but it doesn't come. Drawing a breath, I continue, "So, they returned home, and there was horror in their voices, the lies that they were fine, and the despair hidden in their laughter. I waited outside their windows one night after they had a particularly hard day and heard their screams as they slept, saw their friends try to help them. I knew I had to try. I don't like to use my power. I won't speak of why it is my burden to bear. That first night was the first time in forty-five years that I had let my power out. I sent it out to them and calmed them. I use it only a little. They are smart and would know something was wrong if their memories dimmed too much. I only take the edge off. I am almost positive that Chris knew I did something. I often caught him studying me, especially when they started sleeping a bit better."
Kai looks at me with sad eyes, "So you don't tell them you help because you think they will be upset you see their memories."
Looking at him with a bit of anger, I grumble, "Wouldn't you be angry if I saw all of yours?"
"Probably." He looks at the fountain, and I can tell he is thinking of the one thing I didn't want him to. Slowly, his head turns and amber dragon eyes are narrowed. "Aislin."
That one word makes me cringe, here comes the hate and disgust. I sit up straight, ready to take his hatred. "Yes. Since she ran into my arms on the Vanishing Isle." He surges to his feet and buries his fingers in his hair as he paces away. "I told you." For the millionth time, I curse my 'gift' and those that cursed me with it.
16
KAI
He's right, I want to kill him. He saw all of her shame, witnessed her abuse and torture, saw things that she can't even share with me, and I hate him for it. Whipping around, I look at his face, and I am frozen by the self-disgust I see in his eyes. I see him bracing for my wrath, waiting for my fury. I realize he has been through this before. This reaction is why he keeps himself from forming bonds. Drawing a deep breath, I will myself to calm down and feel the dragon slip away.
"I won't ask you to tell me. It would betray her and that I won't do. But can you tell me why you decided to?" I ask quietly, even I can hear the strain in my voice.
Sighing, he leans back, closing his eyes. "When she yelled my name that moment, I heard her despair, the need to return to her mother. I had heard you sing to her, I told you that night you called to her. I wanted to give her a chance at the happiness she deserved. She spoke of her mother that night in the pub, the wound was fresh like it had just happened. I looked into her and saw, other than her love and happiness with Emma, she had been heartbroken since the day she lost her mother. This gift is no gift, it had only lead to destruction before the Druids. That is also why I only do small amounts. I can only use it minimally before it turns destructive. I only take the edge off for them. For our girl, I simply eased them enough that she could look beyond them to the possibility of your love." He is looking in the direction of the room where she sleeps. She calls out for Emma even now as we speak.
"Thank you." His eyes flick to mine, and in them, I see surprise and shock. "You have given me my destiny. How can I hate you for that? It seems that this power is a terrible burden. One you should share with someone." I begin moving to the hall. Pausing, I look back, "You know, she thinks Emma is the one you should share it with. You believe you must find her for Aislin. What if you need to find her for you as well?"
I leave him to his thoughts and return to my love. Crawling in behind her, I pull her close, breathing in her scent. Her head turns to look at me, "Are they okay?"
"Who?" I whisper, as I kiss her ear.
"You know who - all my boys,” she responds quietly, tears in her eyes and her voice tight.
"Och, Sparrow. Don’t cry. Ye break my heart. Yes, they are okay."
Nodding, she studies me, "Even Jason?"
"Yes, even Jason. He has secrets and heartache, but he also has you." I smile at her before closing in and taking her lips. A sigh escapes her, as I pull her over me. Long hours later, I hold her close. She is deep asleep, and I find myself thankful for his power.
17
JASON
I look the way he had gone, long after he joined Aislin in their bed. It was not the reaction I had expected. For a moment, I wonder if the others would feel the same, but I doubt it. Even I don't feel the same way as he does. I hate my power. It has stolen so much from me. I don't jump when she appears - Perséphone. She is the closest thing I have to a mother, but I don't want to deal with her now, or ever, really. It is too late for anything like a happy family with her and my 'father’.
"How did you know I was here?" bitterness coats my words.
"Damia called me. It was I who sent her family to you originally. Over the years, mother to daughter, they passed the job of watcher down. You ran from me, blamed me, so I had no choice. I worried for you, missed you, needed to know you w
ere safe."
"Safe! Yes, I was safe, but what of those around me?" anger thickens my voice. So many had been hurt.
She reaches out, and I jerk away, not wanting her comfort. "I understand your anger..."
Shaking my head, I growl, "You understand? ‘You know how I feel?’ Is that what you are about to tell me? All of you play with your experiments, making your playthings, and then you set us free and watch us destroy everything around us. You don't consider the lives that will be devastated because we, your creations, and the humans mean nothing to you." I am panting, my rage building.
"Not all of us feel that way. You are so much more to me. I loved you since the moment you were created. I defied your father for you," she tries to justify.
"Ha! Father, you mean donor. He did nothing but build his designer dog, someone to guard his creations. You all go out having babies with the humans and then leave them to deal with whatever powers you passed to them. You don't give a fuck about them or the things done to them when those powers mark them as demon, devil, or witch. Their own people hunt and kill, or worse, enslave them, and you all stand back and do nothing." My fists are clenched, and my body vibrates with fury. Three thousand years, I have been among the humans, trying to save the Halflings of my clan. It isn't why I was created, but it is what I chose to do. Hunt and kill, that was what I was bred for. Find the 'failed' experiments and terminate them. DNA spliced to make the perfect tracking machine. I had many names. Jason, I chose. Hades, daddy dearest, had given me the name Cerberus. I haven't changed in front others in centuries. A giant hellhound tends to put people off.
18
AISLIN
The nightmare had woken me, Chris's screams still echoing through my mind. Sliding from the bed, I whisper to Kai that I was just going to sit in the garden, and he squeezes my hand. I know he wants to be able to help. There's nothing he can do other than love me, which he does, so he gives me space when I need it. His love pours into my mind and I smile at him over my shoulder as I close the door behind me. I had only gone a few steps when Jason's tormented voice breaks the silence, anger tangled in anguish. My anger flares. Momma bear won't stand for him to be hurt. Picking up speed, I rush into the garden and stop, frozen in place by her beauty. White blonde hair flows down her back, and her golden skin is flawless. She turns looking at me, and I realize I am meeting my third goddess, having already met Morrigan and Danu. Violet eyes stare at me, assessing me, judging me. It is the judgment that gets me moving, and I stalk forward. I had many ideas when it comes to Jason's clan. He and Morrigan hinted at their disinterest in those they created.
"Aislin. Is everything alright?" I don't miss that he moves in between us.
"I'm fine, just a dream. Are you okay, Bubba?" I reach out and grab his hand, glaring at the goddess over his shoulder.
"Yes, Kukla, I'm fine. Let me introduce you to the one who raised me. This is Perséphone." Turning, he keeps a hold of my hand and leads me to her. I don't think it will ever not be crazy. I will never react like it is nothing. Currently, my mouth is hanging open.
"Charmed to meet you," I manage to mumble, when I realize she is watching me gape. Manners, girl, manners.
"So, you are the one who brought my Son home," her voice is light and airy.
"Umm, son? Yes, well, Jason is helping me find my best friend, Emma." I'm about to start rambling when Jason growls at my side.
"Son is a little much, don't you think?" I hear the anger in his voice again, and my own anger rises with it. I step toward her ready to fight, which in my brain I realize is ridiculous. I see her look at him and his arm curls around my shoulders as he takes deep breaths, so I start to relax.
Looking over at him, I see his self-loathing, and I put my arm around his waist hugging him tightly. "No worries, Jason. We are all angry sometimes."
He breaks away and strides from the room, mumbling as he reaches the hall. "Not everyone has this curse though." I turn, looking back at Perséphone, and petty happiness rushes through me at the sadness and regret I see in her eyes.
"You care for him," she states.
My breath whistles through my lips in disgust, "Care? No, I don't care for him. I love him. He's as close to a brother as I will ever have, and I don't care for you hurting him. I don't know what all was done, but just being here in this country hurts him, and I hate that I'm the cause of it. It's for me that he came back here and for Emma."
I didn't expect her smile. "Do you know who I am?" she asks before sitting and waving me over. I want to ignore her but I can't. Grandda always said my curiosity would get me in trouble and boy hasn't it lately. I move to the chair across from her and sit stiffly down, crossing my arms over my chest.
"I know what I learned in Ancient Mythology class, and as of late, I realized I should have paid more attention. You're married to Hades, but your mother bargained for you to live with her half the year, which caused the seasons." I feel pretty proud of the fact I remember that.
"Well, that is partially true. I am married to Hades, but I wasn't trapped or tricked as you might have read. No, I married him and agreed to rule the Underworld with him to protect my son." She let the bomb drop, and I felt my eyes widen.
"For Jason?" I realized it could only be the truth when I see the tears in her eyes. Sighing, she looks around the garden and then back at me.
"Can we go somewhere more private? Some of this, even my son doesn't know," her voice is hopeful, and I nod my agreement. In the blink of an eye, we are somewhere else. Having spent time on the Vanishing Isle, I knew this was some other realm. "Welcome to the Elysian Fields," she grins at my wonder. Turning in a slow circle, I take in the beauty of the place. We are standing in a field of crimson poppies, a gentle breeze blowing them, and their heady scent fills my nose.
Kai's frantic voice fills my head. 'I'm okay.’ I send along our connection. ‘Apparently, Jason's mom is Perséphone. She wanted to talk privately, I just didn't realize it would be at the Elysian Fields. Stay connected, my love, it will make us both feel better.' She is studying me, and I smile, "He worries when I disappear. The last time something very bad happened."
"I'm sorry if I caused him distress. I only wish to not cause Jason anymore," guilt tinged her voice.
Shaking my head, I grin. "Don't worry, he is in my mind, and his dragon can follow me here if it is needed. Please continue with whatever you want to tell me, and rest assured, I want Jason hurt probably less than you." I couldn't help the bitchy tone. I hold grudges, and it's going to take a lot for me to let go of how Jason has been treated.
"What did Jason tell you?"
Sighing, I look at her face. I could be mean or I could just be honest. "Only that he is like a designer dog, an experiment. That his clan didn't love their experiments, like Kai's clan loves their children." Looking at her face, I guess that was a little bit of both, meanly honest. Oh well, like they say, truth hurts. She proceeds to tell me about how she became Jason's 'mother.'
* * *
Perséphone
When the clans came here to Earth, ours settled here. I was a small child. All of the adults that had come here had been young scientists on our world, including my parents. They had wanted to create something other than weapons for war. There were those that came with us from other clans - some from Danu's, others from Odin's, and so on. Hades was one of those. We moved among the humans at the beginning like most of the clans did, but the difference is we quickly chose to remove ourselves. We let them worship us as Gods and loved that they did. Then they began the experiments. I was a young woman then, and when I saw that first being created and then thrown away, it broke my heart. I created this place. I created the Elysian Fields for them. I'm sure you heard of some of them, like the minotaur or Medusa.
There were a few among us who seemed to grow crueler and crueler in their creations. These beings were created and then thrown into the human world, left to fend for themselves. They were tormented and killed or enslaved. I hated it and would try to find
them and bring them here. Then one day, centuries ago, my friend Orpheus told me Hades was creating something different, something special. He had asked for DNA from not only Orpheus, but also Hermes and Hecate. He was including his own DNA in his creation, so this new being would be very powerful. Gifts of travel, voice, and war all came from his 'parents.' I traveled to the Underworld just as Jason was born. He had been carried by a great hound, one black as night.
There was this tiny baby, screaming as he lay on the cold ground. I couldn't stop myself as I ran forward, scooping him up. Red eyes looked back at me, and when he started crying, I began also. I couldn't stop, and I realized one of his gifts. Hades moved to take him from me, but I held on. Long had he looked at me with lust and longing, and for a while, I thought of him in the same way. Things had changed as he became crueler. That day, that moment looking into Jason's eyes, I made a mistake. I told him I would do anything to save the baby, to keep him. So he demanded what he knew I would never agree to otherwise. We married, and I agreed to rule the Underworld with him. Don't feel bad for me, I grew to love him and understand him. I hope that I influenced him at least a small amount. He no longer experiments; not after Jason. He says it is because Jason was his masterpiece. I want to believe that he loves him at least a little. I know he loves me. He can be a good man when he chooses, but the problem is he rarely chooses. I have been lucky that he does when it comes to me.