Decisions of the Heart

by Florence, Jessica

  I took deep breaths and held my sword close as I walked towards the next room. Immediately I was taken back by what I saw.

  I was in a room back in my home in Greece. I couldn’t be home, could I? I knew this cave was magical but I just couldn’t believe it.

  “I was wondering when you would get back.” I jumped when I heard that voice.

  “You! What! What am I doing here? What are you doing here?” I screamed. Orion was sitting on a beautiful bed, relaxed like he felt at home.

  “Baby, what are you talking about? Did you hit your head in practice today?” He sat up and his eyebrows pinched in concern. What was happening?

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I took some steps backwards trying to feel for the tunnel that I came through, but I felt nothing. My body turned so quickly only for me to confirm what I had felt. The tunnel was gone.

  Hard arms wrapped around me, bringing me flush to a hard back. I tried to push away, but his arms were strong as he was whispering for me to relax in my ear.

  “I missed you, both of you.” I was about to knock him back and start a fight when he placed a hand on my lower belly.

  “Both of you?” My words were barely above a whisper. He chuckled.

  “Yes my sweet, you and our child.” He pressed a kiss to my shoulder, like it was the natural thing to do. I pushed away from his body and turned to face him fully.

  “It’s not true. I’m with Anubis. Not you!” I was starting to panic, like a trapped wild animal.

  “Don’t you remember? I found you in the cave. I won you from him. After I defeated him, you were broken from his spell. We married right away and started trying to produce an heir to our empire.” I started shaking my head in disbelief.

  He took advantage of my panic and turned me towards him. His lips were locked onto mine in seconds. His lips were soft and warm. He kissed me like I was the reason he breathed. I didn’t know what to do. Was it real? My body started to shake. It couldn’t be. Anubis. My love. He couldn’t be dead. I would never marry Orion.

  “No!” I screamed, breaking our kiss.

  I would never give up on Anubis like that.

  “I would never leave him,” I said calmly. Assured resolve in my posture made him take a step back.

  “Thalia, you are with me now. You were fine with everything and now you carry my child within your womb. Anubis is dead. There is no going back now.” A grimace hit my face as he said Anubis was dead. But it couldn’t be true. I would have felt something if the other half of my soul perished. This was just another trial. My worst fears come to life. It finally hit me what that man on the journey had said to me. “To face fear with fear in your heart increases the fear. Accept what is and you will not fail”

  I went into these trials with the fear that I could fail. That Orion would win and Anubis would be lost to me, or I would lose myself, and then him in the process. This particular trial was feeding off my fear. The fear that I would fail and become what I never wanted to be. I looked at Orion in front of me. His eyes held mine, there was nothing but love and adoration in them. I knew he truly cared for me. But this wasn’t real. The real Orion was still in the cave. And I had to make sure he didn’t have the blade. With an understanding of what I needed to do. I sat down and closed my eyes.

  I worked with myself to accept my fears. No matter what the fates had thrown my way, I was still here. I was strong, I accepted the fact that I could fail, but I wouldn’t. I would not let the fear get to me. I repeated it over and over to myself until I finally opened my eyes to see I was sitting on the ground in the cave once again. I had truly accepted my fears.

  My body and mind felt drained from everything. My muscles ached as I stood and started towards the exit. I had a feeling that this was my last trial. Now I had to face Orion.

  He was waiting for me as I entered the last room. It was similar to the others, dark, with only torches lighting the ground. Before us was a beam of light. The blade was floating in the middle. The blade was arm’s length. It was oddly shaped. The blade was split and curved with another piece that curved over the hilt of the blade. It looked deadly. The godly part of me was giving me signals to stay away. This blade was the God killer.

  “I knew you would come.” Orion’s voice wasn’t cold. He was just stating a fact. He had his back to me, just staring at the blade. His leather armor was torn, and there was a small stream of blood running along his arm, dripping slowly down his fingers.

  “Of course.” It was easy to admit.

  “You know why I’m here, yes?” He asked as he finally turned around to face me. He looked very tired, and just as drained as I felt. I nodded.

  “You’ll see Thalia. Once it’s done, we will be happy. You were always supposed to be with me.” His eyes were sad; he knew what he was trying to do would hurt me. But in his mind he thought he could make it better.

  “I can’t let it happen Orion. I won’t let you kill him.” Resolve was clear in my voice. He nodded and walked towards the beam of light. He reached out with his clean hand to grab it and nothing happened. His hand just passed through the blade as if it wasn’t real.

  “There is an enchantment on this blade.”

  I nodded. Over my journey I thought about what my mother said about the blade. I had a theory that the blade would need a divine sacrifice. My blood was mixed with a Gods, but so was Orion’s and his bloody arm was so close. Just as I finished thinking it, he placed his bloody hand in the beam of light. The cave shook violently as the light turned red. He figured it out. I ran at him, taking his body to the ground just as the light disappeared and the blade clattered to the ground.

  Pushing myself off of him I tried to make a grab for the blade, but he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back. I threw my elbow back at whatever part of his body I could hit. It connected with his nose, making his grip tightened as he grunted in pain. I’d only managed to piss him off.

  He locked a leg with mine and rolled us back, so he was on top of me. Blood pouring from his nose.

  “This will be Thalia. You were always meant to be mine!” He growled out ferociously. I knocked his leg over and got mine loose. Pushing up with my hips, I brought our hands over my head and threw him above me. I got a few feet away before he grabbed me by the ankles and dragged me back. Tears stung my eyes as I felt the bite of the ground scratching my skin. I fought him with all of the little energy I had left. We were both starting to slow. The effect from the trials were taking effect. He tossed me back like I was a sack of flour. My back crashed against the wall making me cry out in pain.

  “It’s for your own good, Thalia.” He looked at me with regret and walked back towards the blade. Reaching deep within, I pulled the last bit of life I had left in me and got back up towards him. My breaths were staggered as I limped my way over to him. He lost his balance once and fell to the ground. Slowly he got back up on his feet and continued. I watched with wide eyes as his bloodied hand griped the hilt of the blade. He stood with triumph in his eyes. He won.

  Chapter 10

  I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but I knew I had to do something. Using my powers over the emotions, I reached out to him with my mind willing him to be in love with me, willing him to do anything I pleased. His eyes started to glaze over as he looked at me. I could feel the arousal and love coming from him. It was working.

  “Come to me, Orion. I need you.” I pushed more of my power into him. His feet started to move towards me. His face was filled with desire. Gone was the need for the blade. It dangle in his grip as he moved. Once he reached me, he wrapped his arms around me so quickly I barely had time to register it. His arousal was apparent, and his desire was still burning quickly turning into a bright fire. I tried to pull back my power, but it was free flowing into him like a river. I couldn’t turn it off. I should have never messed with something I did not know how to control. His grip around me tightened further. My ribs were being squeezed so hard it was difficult to breath.

&
nbsp; “Orion, you’re hurting me,” I gasped. I looked up into his eyes to see them dark. His emotions were all over the place. Anger, passionate anger. My powers had pushed him over the good feelings of love to the dark places. Possessiveness.

  “You are mine,” He growled.

  “You will never leave me. I will make you mine right here. He will never touch you again,” he growled as he let one arm go from me, but only so he could start to undress me. I screamed and cried out for him to stop. But it was no use. He was beyond my help. I pushed him too far. I punched, and kicked trying to get loose from him as his lips crashed into mine with a punishing force. Through his kiss I felt everything he was feeling. Tears fell from me. I heard the rip of fabric. He bit my lip drawing blood. When the metallic taste of blood touched my tongue I thrashed with all I had. His hand left my clothing and tried to wrap it back around me. I arched my back trying to get away when I felt it.

  An excruciating pain in my side. My arms fell to their side. My body was starting to lose strength very fast. I stared at Orion, not willing to accept what I felt.

  His eyes cleared, breaking from my power. He looked down at me in confusion and took a step back. My bottom lip started to quiver as my fingers felt cold.

  “Oh, Thalia. I didn’t. I’m…” His eyes moved to my waist. My whole body joined in to quiver as I looked down. There was blood coming from my side. I had been cut by the God killing blade.

  My blood felt cold, and my limbs gave out. I crashed to the ground with no pain. A wet cough came from my lips. I knew it was blood before I tasted it. I was dying.

  “No, Thalia. That was never supposed to happen. I just. I just…” His hands were gripping his blonde hair. I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. Every part of me was becoming numb. My lungs were beginning to harden making breathing difficult.

  “Thalia!” I had no control over the tears that flooded my eyes at his voice.

  Anubis was here. He was here with me in the end.

  I tried to speak as his heart broken face came into view, but it was no use. I’d lost control over everything. I felt myself slowly slipping away.

  “NO love! Don’t you do this. Forever yours love, remember?” He pleaded and begged for me to not die. But even he knew I had no other choice.

  He was so handsome with his features filled with sorrow. I knew what we had was special. It was a love of the ages that would never disappear. I was glad to have felt everything with him.

  “It’s gone. The blade disintegrated.” Orion’s sad voice filled the cave. I had destroyed it. The last part of the puzzle.

  This blade will raze with a promise of peaceful death.

  My death would be peaceful, and with it the blade was gone. Anubis was safe.

  With my final thoughts I filled the last bit of my soul with my Anubis. My final wish for him to feel my love.

  His beautiful grey eyes filled with tears as he felt everything I wanted him to.

  He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine softly.

  “I love you, Thalia. I’ll wait for you. I promise,” he whispered and the cold finally took me.

  Anubis

  The light fled from her eyes while her gaze stayed on mine. She was gone.

  “Anubis I didn’t mean to,” Orion whispered in the dark.

  “Get out. Leave us,” I bit out. I would have killed him, but I had nothing left. My Thalia was gone. Wrapping my arms around her, I cradled her lifeless body against mine. My heart ached like a thousand knives were lodged in it, twisting and gutting me. I couldn’t breathe without her. I cried, and I did not care. My world had left me.

  “I was never meant to love. But I took it anyways. You were the greatest part of my existence. This is not the end for us love. I will see you again, I whispered into her hair. I would see her again.

  The cave started to vibrate. My head flew up and my grip around her tightened. I felt immense power flood the cave before we were whisked away.

  “What do you all want?” I kept my eyes plastered to her sweet face, and lightly closed her eyelids. Sealing my view to her brown eyes.

  “We have decided her fate.” I looked up at everyone in the room. Both Greek and Egyptian Gods were together in the same glorious hall. Each sitting on their own throne.

  “You caused this. She is dead because you wouldn’t let us be,” I spat at them.

  “You chose something that wasn’t yours to have,” Osiris said as a fact.

  “Whatever the past may be. We have chosen her future,” Zeus spoke firmly. Osiris looked at him and smile reluctantly. It was hard being in a room with everyone mixed together. This decision was important.

  “What is her fate?” My fingers brushed the hair off her face softly.

  “She died a Greek and will be reborn as one. We owe her as much for destroying the blade, keeping it from ever harming one of us. She will be reincarnated as she was in grace and beauty. She will not remember this life, or who she is.”

  Not remember? I looked at him expectantly for the rest of his decree.

  “She will have no contact with our worlds until she reaches her twenty fifth birthday. Her memories will then come to her over a slow period of time. To rush her memories could destroy her mind. No one will be allowed to disclose information, to do so would bring out memories, hurting her. She and she alone will choose her destiny once she has reached transition.” He looked at me. His words were clear. Stay away from her until her twenty fifth birthday, and let her come into her own. That I could do.

  “Now, for your punishment,” Osiris spoke up. I knew I would be to blame for this, and I would take it. I was willing to destroy the world for her. Something like that would not go unpaid for.

  “You should not have fallen for her at all. All of this started when you chose her over everything. Your punishment will be time. You will have to wait for your love. Over two millennia to see her again.” My heart fell, over two thousand years until I saw her face. Just as it fell, my heart blossomed. I would see her again. I promised her I would wait. I would wait forever if I had to.

  “We can be together then?” I looked down at her then moved my gaze back up to them. They all nodded.

  “I accept.”

  “You are also being stripped of your title as God of the Underworld. You will assist me in the weighing of the heart and funerals. Do you accept your punishment?” Osiris looked pained to punish me so harshly as a father, but as a God he had to do this.

  “I accept,” I said with resolve. I looked down at my love one last time.

  “I will see you soon. Forever yours, love.”

  Present Day

  Tristan

  “Tell me what I want to know.” I sat in front of the man who had kidnapped Thalia from me just four days ago. Every lead we had gone after was a bust. We were no closer to finding her than when we started, until now.

  “Go to hell!” He cursed, his lip bloodied from Leander taking a little extra hit in for kidnapping his best friend. The man said the wrong thing. I touched the tips of his left hand, fingers that were tied to the old wooden chair, and took life from them. His screams of pain were music to my ears as I watched his little fingers turn to ash. I vowed I was done playing nice, and I meant it. I was not losing Thalia again. No one was going to stop me from getting her.

  “Alight! Stop!” He screamed and I stopped the progression of ash at his knuckles.

  “Tell me where she is,” I growled. I was getting impatient with this fuckhead.

  “He’s got her in his home in Greece.” He took a moment to catch his breath.

  “He knows you can’t go there.”

  I pondered that information, I had a feeling he had taken her there. Greece was still some place I was not allowed to go. But following the rules was not something I was good at.

  “When was the last time you saw her?” I said cautiously, unsure of what he was going to tell me.

  “Athena forced her memories, she was lying in his bed unconscious.” Those we
re his final words. The anger that erupted from me was too strong to control. I watched as the man that took my Thalia crumbled into ash on the wooden chair. I seethed as I thought back on the pain that came from her soul after she was taken. It was from her memories flooding her mind.

  “FUCK!” I stood up and started pacing. My fingers ran through my hair frantically.

  “We need to figure this out, soon. She may not have much time. Zeus had warned everyone what forcing her memories would do to her,” Leander said as he walked in from the door that he closed to escape my anger.

  We did need to find her, but I couldn’t fucking go where I had to. Suddenly the idea hit me like lightening.

  “Aphrodite!” I called for her loudly. She might not like me yelling for her but she would come. Over our time waiting for Thalia to come back to us, we had established a friendship of sorts. She was all for love triumphing over all, and she truly loved her daughter, more so than many others.

  “I wondered when you would call for me.” I turned to see her standing in the corner furthest of me. Leander and I were holed up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Perfect so no one could hear the screams.

  “I need your help. You can get me into Greece. Divine intervention.”

  “I can,” she nodded in agreement, as if she had been waiting for this exact moment. I looked at Leander, he was tired, but still going strong. He nodded, giving me the thumbs up to put this plan into motion. My gaze turned back to Aphrodite, she held a small vial in her hand.

  “This is my blood. Drink it, and it will give you enough of my power and Godliness to get you into Greece. But you won’t have long. Your body will burn up my blood in an hour. That’s how long you will have to save her.” She walked closer and ran her soft hand across my jaw.