One of the platforms floated less than three feet away and, as a group, they jumped onto it. Instead of the hard landing she’d expected, Mirissa’s feet sunk in momentarily as the surface acted like a memory foam mattress. She crouched low to get a better look, and immediately wished she hadn’t.
They weren’t standing on a platform after all. Instead, a collage of blackened bodies were twisted together in impossible contortions, writhing against one another. They were the source of the moaning that had become the unofficial soundtrack for Hell in Mirissa’s mind.
“Keep moving, Mirissa,” Greco said. “There’s nothing we can do for these poor souls.”
Knowing he was right didn’t make it any easier. Walking on these people felt symbolic of everything she hated in the world. The less fortunate being downtrodden by the more fortunate. With every step, the bile in her throat threatened to expel itself, yet she pressed on. If she didn’t close the box, there was no telling how many more platforms would be created by the mass exodus of human lives.
The closer they got to the halfway point, the smaller the platforms became, until they were forced to continue in single file. Greco took the lead, with Mirissa, then Flip following closely behind. They paused while Mirissa once again checked her key.
“We’re still on track,” she said.
Greco nodded and turned to make his next jump. His left foot stretched forward, but before his right lifted off, he was pulled down into the mass of bodies. It all happened so quickly, Mirissa didn’t have time to react before he’d been completely consumed.
“Greco!” she screamed.
She whirled around to check on Flip, but he’d disappeared. Mirissa swung her head left and right, searching for anything to help her make sense of what happened. When she glanced down, she understood.
These people that she’d felt so sorry for, that she’d hated herself for stepping on, had turned their faces upward. She saw the gleeful look in their eyes, and the perverse smiles on their faces, the instant before she was sucked into their midst.
********
Mirissa awoke to agonizing screams. Her eyes opened and took in her surroundings. She sat in a cell, complete with three walls of solid rock and one of iron bars. She bolted upright but found she could do little else. With her wrists trapped in shackles and attached to the wall by a chain measuring no more than five feet in length, she could barely move.
A groan from the floor sent a shiver through her, as she remembered the body platform that had pulled her in. But this time, the source of the groan made her smile. Greco lay curled up in a ball at her feet. He appeared to be just waking up, so she knelt down and brushed a lock of damp hair out of his eyes.
“Morning, sunshine,” he said.
“Not morning, check your watch,” Mirissa replied. “It’s evening. We lost almost eight hours.”
Greco pushed himself up, tugging at the shackles that bound him to the wall. “Where’s Flip?”
“No idea. It looks like it’s just you and me now.”
“He left? Unbelievable.” Greco looked around the cell. “Okay, you teleport to the other side of those bars and see if you can figure out where we are. But first, break these damn shackles,” Greco said.
Mirissa focused on the iron around his wrists, but nothing happened. She tried again with the same results. When she failed to teleport, the stark reality of their situation became clear.
“I can’t do it. Something’s blocking my powers.” Mirissa paused, her fear escalating. “I can’t even call on my ring.”
Greco looked at his own ring and shook his head. “Me, neither.”
“What the hell do we do now? We’re running out of time.” Without her powers she was useless, and being held captive in Tartarus with no way of escape didn’t bode well for their future.
Mirissa yanked on her chains, straining her muscles with every tug, until the futility of her efforts set in. Whatever these shackles were designed to hold must have been a lot stronger than her, because the only damage she’d caused was to her own wrists.
“You needn’t bother struggling,” the deep voice reverberated through her chest, setting her teeth on edge. “You will remain here until I decide upon a permanent punishment.”
A column of black smoke swirled just out of reach in front of them, materializing into human form. Draped in a gray tunic, the man’s black hair hung in waves to his shoulders. It framed a face that looked almost feminine in its perfection, with piercing gray eyes, a slender nose, and full lips. He was beautiful, but in a menacing sort of way.
“And you are?” Mirissa felt grateful for this god’s presence. It gave her a target other than herself at which to lash out.
“I am Hades,” he said flatly. “I’m sure you’ve heard of me.” One manicured eyebrow rose, daring her to deny it. “And, who might you be?”
Mirissa copied his expression as best she could. “Mirissa Colson. I’m sure you’ve heard of me.”
One corner of his mouth twisted up in a smirk. “I can’t say that I have, but I will most definitely enjoy making you tell me all about yourself.”
His mesmerizing gaze held hers until she couldn’t help but look away. So much for the tough act. She’d crumbled under nothing more than a mean look. When he casually strode toward her, she had to fight the urge to cower. Greco stepped between them, but was thrown to the side with a flick of Hades’s hand.
“It’s such a rare occurrence to have humans here, living ones anyway. I’m going to enjoy my time with you.” Hades ran his finger down her cheek, scraping his nail against her skin. “Oh yes, your screams will fill these halls.”
His fingernail continued its path downward, drawing blood from her neck. Never breaking eye contact, he opened his hand and slammed her in the chest, bouncing her off the rock wall behind her.
“Aah!” Surprisingly, the scream came from Hades. He grabbed his hand and stared at the wound on his palm. “What is that?”
Mirissa grabbed her key and held it out for the god to see. “It’s my key,” she said, trying to hide the grin that sprouted when he’d been burned.
Hades’s eyes widened. “You’re the key-holder,” he said. “Why are you here?”
Greco stood beside her. “We’re looking for the box, and you aren’t allowed to interfere, if I’m not mistaken.”
Hades turned slowly, giving Greco the same look he’d given her earlier. “You are not mistaken. Zeus has decreed that I cannot interfere with her. You, on the other hand, have no such protection.”
Mirissa stepped in front of Hades, blocking Greco from his view. “It seems to me you’ve already broken that rule by imprisoning us. Why don’t we make a deal? You release both of us, and I won’t tell anyone you interfered in the first place.”
Hades squinted his eyes as he returned his attention to Mirissa. “I won’t be making any deals with you, my dear.”
Mirissa shrugged her shoulders. “Okay, I hear Zeus is the forgiving kind, anyway.”
Hades stared at her for a moment longer, then rolled his eyes as he flicked his wrist. Their shackles fell to the floor and Mirissa felt her powers once again fill her.
“Thank you,” she said.
“I do have one question for you. Why would you be looking for the box here? It’s on Earth, is it not?”
“Nope.” A familiar voice joined the conversation from the other side of the bars. Flip had come back, and he wasn’t alone.
The woman standing to Flip’s side most definitely didn’t belong in that place. She was stunning in her bright white tunic, with kind eyes and an easy smile. She had the amazing hair every girl dreamed of—big blonde curls cascading down her back.
“Persephone? You shouldn’t be here, my love.” Hades waved his hand, and the bars separating them disappeared. “Your mother will be furious.”
“She will understand.” Persephone placed a gentle kiss on Hades’s waiting lips. “Flip came to me, asking for my help to free his friends. When I realized one of them
was the key-holder, I had to come.”
“It’s all right, my love. You needn’t worry.” He pulled Persephone into a loving embrace. “The key-holder and I have worked out an arrangement. Zeus will never know about any of this.”
Mirissa let out a giggle, before slapping her hand over her mouth and mumbling through her fingers, “I’m sorry. I just …”
Persephone smiled. “I understand. It is a bit of a shock to see the real Hades, especially after enduring his King of Tartarus persona.”
Hades turned toward Mirissa with a cheeky grin on his face. “My reputation is important to me. That is why I will ask you to keep this episode confidential.”
“Of course,” Mirissa said, still amazed at the change in his demeanor. “I don’t mean to be rude, but we don’t have a lot of time left. Can we go?”
Hades nodded. “You are free, but before you leave, please tell me why you believe the box is in Tartarus.”
Mirissa gave the shortest version of events she could. “Daedric stole the box for his father, and Ares hid it here. Flip brought us to Tartarus so we at least had a chance.”
Hades turned an admiring eye toward Flip. “Well done. I’m glad you’ve found a reason to stand against Ares, although you must understand that breaking Zeus’s rule will incur a steep punishment.”
“I do,” Flip said, cringing at the thought. “But this is worth it.”
Persephone gave Hades another hug and said, “I’ll see you soon, love.”
“I’ll be counting the days until winter,” Hades whispered in her ear.
Persephone stepped forward and grasped Mirissa’s hand. “We wish you the best of luck in your quest, Mirissa. Artemis has told me much about you. If anyone has the strength to lock Eris away for good, it’s you.”
“But remember,” Hades added, “I will not be able to protect you in any way from the horrors of my realm. You must be exceedingly careful.”
Mirissa nodded, grabbed her key, and closed her eyes. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 30
Eris lounged under a large oak tree, running her finger along the edge of the scythe, imagining how it would feel to kill Zeus. She’d spent five thousand years locked away, dreaming of her revenge. And it would be glorious. No god could stand against her, not while she possessed the one weapon capable of killing them. And they call Athena the great strategist, she thought.
Daedric, restless as always, paced back and forth in front of her. “Shouldn’t we be doing something other than hanging out in the wilderness?” he asked.
“We are, nephew.” Eris looked up at him and smiled. “We’re basking in the glory of our success.”
“But we’ve done nothing but pop from one middle-of-nowhere place to the next, hiding, while all of the other gods plot against us.” Daedric’s furrowed brow expressed his frustration at not being on the offensive.
“You really must learn patience,” she said. When Daedric’s expression didn’t change, she decided to stop toying with him. “Fine. We’re not simply hiding out here, although these remote corners of the realm do offer safety. No, nephew. We’re waiting for our guest to arrive.”
Daedric uncrossed his arms from his chest and actually smiled at the prospect. “You’re going to kill Zeus? Here?”
Eris let out an exasperated sigh, then snapped her fingers, sealing Daedric’s lips together. “You really can be annoying sometimes, do you know that? Perhaps now you’ll shut up long enough for me to actually teach you something.”
Her nephew stomped through the grass like a child, throwing petulant looks her way, until his intellect finally won out over his ego. She waited patiently for him to compose himself before speaking again.
“Better. Now, listen,” she said, as though he had any choice in the matter. “What if the power of this scythe has waned over the millennia? What if I use it to disembowel Zeus, and he doesn’t die? What then, nephew?”
She watched as Daedric attempted to answer her rhetorical questions before slumping his shoulders in defeat when his lips wouldn’t separate. It occurred to her that he might be a bit of a slow learner. She’d have to keep that in mind when deciding his future.
“The weapon must be tested first. Hence the invited guest.” Eris raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner. When he nodded in return, she unsealed his lips.
“Thank you,” Daedric said. “May I please ask a question?”
Eris smiled at his sudden change in attitude. Maybe not such a slow learner after all. “Go ahead.”
“Won’t whoever you invited here just tell the other gods where we are? This could be an ambush.”
“See? I knew you could think like a tactician if given the proper motivation.” Eris smiled as warmly as she was able. “This is where Zeus’s personality flaws will help us. His pride won’t allow him to announce his mistake. He would rather watch his pantheon slaughtered than admit to everyone that I stole the scythe. The gathering Ares mentioned earlier will have included only his most trusted confidants, and his arrogance will make him believe those few will be enough to stop me.”
“So, who’s coming?” No sooner had he asked, than a flash of light announced her arrival.
“Harmonia!” Eris bellowed, the scythe disappearing from her hand. “So good of you to come.”
“Hello, Eris. I must admit, I was surprised to hear from you.” The goddess of harmony and concord had a voice that never failed to make Eris’s skin crawl. It dripped with such a disgusting sweetness.
“I know we didn’t part on the best of terms, but I’m here to change all of that. I’ve had five thousand years to ruminate over my mistakes, and I plan to make up for every one of them.”
Harmonia cocked her head to the side. “Really?”
Eris forced a jovial laugh. “Of course. You can’t imagine how long I’ve waited for this moment, my dear.”
Harmonia’s face lit up with an enormous smile. “Oh, Eris. I’m so pleased to hear that. I always knew you’d find your way.” She glanced over to Daedric and asked, “Who is this? I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“Believe it or not, Harmonia, this is my nephew. Daedric, come and introduce yourself to the kindest goddess you will ever meet.”
While Harmonia focused on the introduction, Eris casually moved to a spot behind her, manifesting the scythe.
“It is wonderful to meet you, Daedric. Family is such an important part of a peaceful existence. I’m sure your presence here will bring much joy to Eris.”
Daedric raised his eyebrow. “I believe it will, Harmonia. But perhaps not the kind of joy you were thinking of.”
The confused look on her face as she turned to look at Eris was immediately replaced by one of horror as the scythe drove through her back. “How …?”
A beam of blinding light shot out of the wound as soon as Eris withdrew the scythe. She moved to face the dying goddess, making sure Harmonia saw the blade and understood her fate.
“The mistake I needed to rectify was not killing you millennia ago.” The sneer on Eris’s face matched that of Daedric’s. “You can take solace in the knowledge that you are not the only one. You are simply the first.”
Eris clasped her nephew’s arm and pulled him to what she hoped was a safe distance. She’d never seen a god murdered before and had no idea what kind of theatrics might ensue.
And she wasn’t disappointed.
Harmonia crumpled to her knees as the streak of light exploded from her chest. Her look of disbelief was wiped away when more light shot from her eyes and mouth. Her hands hit the ground as she tumbled forward. But, instead of bracing her against the fall, her arms shattered into millions of glowing shards, floating momentarily until blinking out of existence.
The rest of her body followed suit, causing a plume of flickering fragments to mushroom toward the sky. Mesmerized by the dazzling display, Eris grasped Daedric’s hand, unwilling to spoil the moment with words.
As the last of the shards blinked away to wherever a god goes after
death, she let out a deep breath. “It worked.”
Daedric pulled his hand out of her grasp and waved his fists in the air. “It worked? Is that all you have to say? Holy shit! That was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen!”
Eris let out a low laugh. Although she would never have admitted it, she’d been worried about the scythe’s capabilities. It wouldn’t have been the first time that Zeus exaggerated the facts in order to spin a tale that measured up to his perception of himself. This time, it would seem, he’d told the truth.
“It was fulfilling,” she said. “And I think the time has come for me to”—Daedric raised an eyebrow at her choice of words, so she immediately corrected herself—“for us to make our presence known.”
Chapter 31
Myrine pressed the end button on her cell phone and placed it on the table.
“It’s done,” she said.
“Then you need to go,” Steve replied, grasping her hand.
After speaking with Artemis that morning and finding out Flip was a god, worry for her daughter overcame Myrine. The thought of her fighting gods on their turf, with no one but Greco to help, terrified her. Learning that Flip might actually be one of the good guys, only slightly lessened her fear.
Myrine’s first plan of action had fallen apart pretty quickly. She hadn’t been able to find any way to travel to Mount Olympus, even with Julian scouring every inch of the Internet for clues. She’d tried several times to contact Artemis again but was apparently being ignored by the deity.
With any hope of saving her daughter quickly fading away, Myrine came up with an idea. Cell phones weren’t the only way to reach out to an Amazon, the rings they wore bonded them to each other as well. Although not necessarily for the purpose of chatting, she felt sure at least some connection could be made. Even if it only allowed Mirissa to feel her presence, it might be enough to strengthen her in battle, or provide comfort should she need it.
Her attempt to establish the link at the hospital had failed. But she wouldn’t give up that easily. She needed more power, which meant getting some help. So, Julian and his team were once again put to work. They’d spent the rest of the day and into the night getting in contact with every Amazon warrior in Myrine’s tribe, telling them to meet her on Tritonia. She didn’t know how many would come, but she hoped it would be enough.
Pandora (Book 3) (The Omega Group) Page 15