“It was hiding its head behind yours,” Justin explained. “Hermes needed my knife so he could get it to drop you and then have a clean shot. I would’ve tried to pull you into the Dreamlands, but I haven’t used my powers in the real world yet. Not on purpose anyway. His way seemed like a safer bet.”
“Give yourself time,” I replied. “You just got your powers. You’ll figure them out. Hopefully not when I’m having the life crushed out of me.”
Justin opened his mouth to say something, but Demeter and Hermes returned. There were no more pythons.
Only one room left.
So, steeling myself for what I knew I’d find, I stepped into the last bedroom.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The reek of death was everywhere. Blood splattered the floor, the ceiling, the walls. It was like someone had taken cans of red paint and tossed them all over the room. Gore on every surface--except one.
Stella lay, lifeless, near the pristine white closet. Deep red gashes covered her clothing. She’d nearly been ripped apart. I looked away. I’d seen mortals kill each other and die for countless centuries. But somehow this was different.
This wasn’t just a mortal. It was Stella. I knew her. We’d talked. She’d helped me. For that, she’d been murdered. I’d never had a connection like that with a mortal before.
I fought back my grief and headed to the closet, an eerie white island in a sea of red. I could feel the power resonating from the door. It was almost palpable.
“Beth!” I called. No answer. “Beth!” Still nothing.
There was no way that we could break down the door. This was the deepest and oldest magick I’d ever felt. Magicks like this should’ve been lost to mortals long ago.
“She must be in shock,” Justin guessed.
“We can’t just leave them in there!” Demeter said.
“The magick’s too powerful for us to break,” I countered.
“There’s another way,” Hermes said, eyeing Justin meaningfully.
“Him?” I asked incredulously.
“He took you to the Dreamlands before, didn’t he?” Hermes reminded me. “Not just your mind. Your actual body, too. Thanks to his necklace, he can jump to the Dreamlands and then pop out inside the closet.”
“Can you do it?” I asked Justin.
“I don’t know,” Justin admitted. “I’ve never tried.”
“Try. For Beth’s sake,” Demeter said.
Justin closed his eyes. His brow furrowed. I couldn’t help but watch the torque, hoping for a telltale flicker of energy.
But there was nothing. And after an awkward silence, even Justin realized he’d failed. He opened his eyes and gave me an apologetic look.
“Maybe the protection magic is blocking it?” Demeter suggested.
Hermes shook his head. “Beth was able to get to the Dreamlands from inside the closet. The way should be clear.”
“So then what went wrong?” Justin asked. “I thought I just had to be calm and believe.”
“That was in the Dreamlands,” I explained. “It’s easier to use your powers there. That’s where they come from.”
“But he’s used them in the mortal world before,” Demeter reminded me.
“So, what did you do the last time?” I asked.
Justin shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You’d just dropped your keys,” I reminded him.
“I know. I was upset,” Justin replied defensively.
“That’s it!” Hermes said. “It’s emotion. That’s the key to your powers.”
Justin looked dubious.
“It’s more than just having a feeling,” I said. “It’s passion. The strongest emotion you can have. Focus on something that gives you goosebumps or makes your heart beat faster. That’ll jumpstart your powers.”
“Try looking at the body,” Hermes suggested quietly.
Emotions flickered across Justin’s face as he stared at what was left of Stella. Revulsion. Grief. Regret. Anger. Sparks began to fly from the torque. Before long, it was glowing steadily. But then the glow turned into a fire. It spread over Justin’s body, flooding into his eyes. They blazed with crimson light. I shivered. This wasn’t Justin anymore. This was someone else, someone . . . more.
My world ignited in crimson light, and when the flames died away, I stood exactly where I’d stood the last time I’d seen Beth.
Except this time there was no Beth.
“I thought you were going to try to go into the closet,” I told him.
He shrugged.
“New plan,” Justin said.
His voice was strange. Empty. No passion, no warmth, no Justin. I studied him. He’d changed. Become more. But also less.
The torque. It had to be. That was what was changing him. It was making him less mortal and more a part of the Dreamlands. I didn’t want to think about what would happen if he lost all of his mortality, if he became a creature of the Dreamlands entirely. Unpredictable. Extreme. Dangerous.
Justin gestured, and in a burst of crimson fire, six-year-old Beth appeared. She stared at Justin, horrified.
“Beth!” I exclaimed. “We need your help again.”
But she couldn’t tear her eyes off of Justin. I couldn’t blame her. He looked different. His hair was darker. Or maybe his skin was paler. Maybe both.
“He’s scary,” Beth whispered.
“Don’t worry about him,” I said. “Can you help us?”
Beth scuffed her foot on the ground.
“Maybe,” she said.
“Great,” I replied. “I need you to say something for me. Can you do that?”
“That’s all?” Beth asked suspiciously.
“That’s all,” I promised. If my instincts were right, that was all it’d take.
“I can say lots of things,” Beth said proudly.
“I need you to say something very specific,” I said. “You need to say ‘I’m safe now.’ Can do it?”
“I’m safe now,” Beth said.
“Perfect!” I said. “Now, here’s the tricky part. I need you to say it outside of the Dreamlands. Can you do that?”
Beth looked away and shook her head fiercely.
“I don’t go outside the Dreamlands,” she said. “It’s dangerous outside.”
“You’re right,” I admitted. “It can be dangerous outside. But it’s not dangerous now. And I really need your help. It’ll help a lot of people.”
Beth shook her head. “I don’t want to go.”
She was on the verge of tears.
“I know,” I replied. “But you can go and come right back.”
“I can obliterate this place and force her back into her own mind,” Justin told me in a detached voice. “I can keep her from coming back here as long as I want.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”
“He’s angry,” Beth whispered.
She was wrong. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t anything. No emotion at all. I needed to get Justin back to the mortal world before there was no Justin left.
“I’m his boss. And I won’t let him hurt you,” I promised.
“You’re very important,” Beth said.
“I am,” I agreed. “But you’re important, too.”
“Because I can say that stuff?” Beth said.
“Yes,” I said.
“And if I say it, I can come right back?” she asked.
“Absolutely,” I said.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” she said. She lifted her chin bravely, and I caught a glimpse of the strong woman she was destined to become.
“Go now,” I said. “Run fast!”
I stood and watched her run out of the garden. When she reached the edge, she disappeared.
“Let’s go back,” I told Justin.
But he didn’t react. He heard me; he just didn’t care. There was no mistaking it. He'd transformed. His hair was jet black now. His skin was chalk white. His eyes were crimson fire.
I
stood there awkwardly. I didn’t know what to do. I had no powers here. I couldn’t command him. I was completely at his mercy.
Then, to my surprise and relief, the world around us burned away.
I blinked, taking a moment to adjust to the real world again.
“The door should be open now,” I said to Demeter and Hermes.
“Justin didn’t come back with you?” Demeter asked.
“What?” I replied.
“He’s not here,” Demeter said, gesturing around us for emphasis. “Did something happen?”
“We found Beth,” I said. “Well, the younger version of her. I convinced her to undo the spell.”
“That wasn’t the plan,” Hermes said.
“There was a new plan,” I replied.
“Justin’s idea,” Hermes guessed.
I didn’t say anything for a moment. “We didn’t exactly find Beth so much as Justin summoned her to us.”
“He summoned her?” Hermes echoed, eyes widening.
“Yes,” I said. “And then he offered to force Beth back into her body and prevent her from returning to the Dreamlands. Ever.”
“That’s . . . legitimately terrifying,” Hermes replied.
“There’s more,” I added reluctantly. I didn’t want to admit we had a new problem. But there was no denying it anymore. “It’s the way he acted. Even the way he looked. He wasn’t himself.”
“No mortal’s ever had the kinda power he just got dropped on him,” Hermes said. “It’s pushing him over the edge.”
“It doesn’t help that his powers are connecting him to the Dreamlands,” I said. “That world is the definition of crazy and unstable.”
“But the Oracle said he could handle it!” Demeter argued.
“Maybe he can,” Hermes said. “With time.”
“We can’t wait for that,” I fumed, running my fingers through my hair. “I should’ve seen it coming.”
“None of us did,” Demeter replied. “It’s easy to forget that Justin’s just a mortal. Or at least he was. We’ve been treating him like one of us. Like a god. We’ve been dumping the problems of the cosmos on him, our problems, and it’s not fair. That’s too much pressure for any mortal.”
I was stunned. She was right. Somehow, I’d let the line between god and mortal get so blurry. I didn’t even remember letting it happen.
“What matters is Justin’s gone, and we need to get him back,” Hermes insisted. “He’s our mortal eyes to find whoever’s behind all of this. Not to mention we could really use his powers.”
“His powers are the problem,” I reminded him. “We did this to him. If he hadn’t been with us, none of this would’ve happened!”
“Arguing like this is pointless,” Demeter said. “What’s done is done. Like you said, we don’t have time to waste. But Hermes is right about one thing. We need a mortal.”
“Maybe I can help,” a weary voice offered.
Sarah. She was standing, but barely. She leaned heavily on the doorpost of the closet. Her breathing was laboured, and her face was drawn, almost skeletal. She looked more than half dead.
“How . . .?” Demeter asked.
“Justin’s not the only one with powers,” she said. “I fought whoever did this to me. It took a while. But I won.”
Hermes looked from Sarah to Stella’s body and then quickly stood between them. I did the same.
“I know,” Sarah said, her voice thick. Her eyes stared through us to where Stella’s body lay. “I know she’s dead.”
We didn’t move. Knowing and seeing were two different things.
“I’m sorry we didn’t get here in time,” Hermes said.
“You’re here in time,” Sarah said, “for revenge.”
“Think carefully about what you’re saying,” I warned. “We’ve already lost Stella. Now Justin’s gone--”
“Justin’s gone?” Beth said. She appeared by Sarah’s side, eyes wild. She was still processing everything that had happened--in the room and in the Dreamlands.
“Yes,” I said. “And there’s no telling if he’s ever coming back. So the real question is . . . how serious are you about this? What are you ready to do?”
Sarah staggered, and I thought she might fall. Beth moved to help her, but Sarah waved her off. With excruciating slowness, she pulled herself up, inch by inch, to her full height, her eyes never leaving mine. And then she pushed herself away from the doorpost, standing on her own. When she looked at me, so fearless, I saw myself in her eyes, and I also saw her faith that I could be her instrument. I could be her vengeance.
“I will do whatever it takes,” she swore to me.
I smiled slightly. “Right answer.”
“What are you talking about? What’s going on?” Beth demanded. But she was too confused, too drained, to sound angry. She just sounded exhausted.
“Beth, you’ve done enough,” I told her. “Go home. Rest. If we need you, we’ll call you.”
Beth looked at me. For a second, I thought she might argue. But she had no fight left. She’d already given everything she had.
“Close your eyes,” Demeter said. “I’ll take you to the door and wait for a taxi with you.”
Beth was too tired to ask any questions. She just obeyed. But Demeter was wise. Beth had already seen what had happened to Stella once. She didn’t need to see it again.
Demeter led her from the room silently.
“I’ve made a decision,” I said once Demeter returned. “Sarah, it’s time for us to make our move against our enemies. A mortal--one with magick--and a god. More powerful and more organized than we ever realized. We’ll need all the help we can get. But you’ve helped us already, and this isn’t your fight. You can walk away, like Beth. But if you want revenge, if you truly want to make them pay for what they did to Stella, the only way is to give you power. More power than you’ve ever had.”
“Hera--” Hermes began.
I silenced him with a raised hand.
”But there’s a price,” I continued. “Mortal bodies were never meant to contain divine power. The strain is too much. Without a god taking over your body and regulating that power for you, your body will slowly break down, and eventually, you’ll die.”
Sarah didn’t say anything for a long time. “When?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “A week. A few days.”
Hermes opened his mouth to interrupt again, but I cut him off.
“This is her decision,” I said.
“For Stella,” Sarah whispered. “I’ll do it. I’ll do anything. Without her, my life is over anyway.”
“Then there’s no time to lose,” I said.
“What are you going to do?” Sarah asked.
But it was Hermes, not I, who answered. “We’re going to make you a god.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
“You haven’t lost your flair for drama,” I said to Hermes. I turned back to Sarah. “We’re going to make you a demigod, not a god. But you’ll have powers far beyond the ones you have now.”
“But you won’t be able to do magick,” Demeter warned.
“We have to hurry,” Hermes interjected. “The other pythons are going to come looking for the one we killed.”
“There . . . are . . . more?” Sarah asked. Every word was a battle. I worried she might not even last long enough for the ritual.
“When it comes to pythons, there’s always more,” Hermes muttered.
“Then you’ll need help,” Sarah murmured.
She walked to Stella’s body, her face carefully neutral, but I could see her throat working and the tears in her eyes. She knelt down and dipped her hand in a pool of Stella’s blood. Her other hand swept a tear from her cheek. She let the tear fall into the blood, and as we watched, she painted sigils on the ground. Then, with exquisite gentleness, she blew softly on them.
The sigils began to glow--faintly at first, and then brighter and brighter. A sparkling mist rose from the symbols, spiraling in shimmering ci
rcles. The mist froze, hanging in the air like thousands of snowflakes.
“Go!” Sarah commanded.
The sparkles of light streamed toward the door--and then, at the last second, dove underneath and poured out of the room.
“What--” Demeter began.
“Just wait,” Sarah assured her. She swayed dangerously.
“I’ll get you some water,” Hermes offered. He disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a glass.
Sarah drank it slowly at first, but then she gulped it down. When she was finished, we left the carnage of the bedroom and relocated to the living room. No one, least of all Sarah, needed a constant reminder of the horror that bedroom had witnessed.
There was a knock at the apartment door. I readied myself for anything. Justin. Pythons. Our enemies. There was no way to know.
The door opened.
“My queen,” Artemis said, as she and Apollo entered. “We came as quickly as we could.”
“I’m not sure how we made it back this fast,” Apollo admitted.
“I think we can thank Sarah for that,” I said. “Where have you been?”
“The nymphs in the garden sensed our enemy working magick against the witches,” Artemis replied, “so we came here as fast as we could. But we were too late. Stella was already dead.”
“When we arrived, there were two pythons. One was trying to break into the closet,” Apollo added. “But we knew that was impossible.”
“So we followed the other python back to its nest,” Artemis said. “It was going to report back to Ekhidna.”
“So Ekhidna’s here,” Demeter murmured.
“I should’ve guessed the Mother of All Monsters would be involved somehow,” I said. “But this is big, even for her. She’s never tried something like this before, not in all the millennia we’ve been fighting.”
“She’s building an army of pythons,” Apollo said. “We counted at least six dozen eggs at the mouth of her nest, and there must be dozens more inside.”
“Which is why we need another soldier of our own,” I said.
“What do you mean?” Apollo asked.
“We’re going to make Sarah a demigod,” Demeter replied.
Artemis and Apollo exchanged a look.
Hera, Queen of Gods (Goddess Unbound) Page 19