by Drako
Cassandra was intrigued that such creatures existed, but that left a question. “Why are you two unable to be together?”
“It would seem that it is by her choice. It is certainly not by mine.” Jarel gazed off. “In this endless existence, I have never found the slightest hint as to her location. I can only assume that she has chosen not to be with me, and perhaps has found another.”
Cassandra didn’t want to pity him, but the look in his eyes made it hard not to. Jarel smiled at her.
“You have a very kind heart, and you’re unlike other healers. You seek to heal all wounds, but mine is beyond anyone’s powers to heal. It touches me that you would wish to do so, but you have enough of your own issues to concentrate on.”
“Issues? There’s not much I can do about my issues. I can’t kill Kalos or a goddess.”
Jarel smirked. “You have more than that as an issue. I sense a great deal of confusion in you recently.”
“Well, I feel rather strange. After my talk with Artemis, I’ve gotten some rather strange dreams.”
Jarel raised a questioning eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.
“In these dreams, it’s like I’m someone else. I’m taller and powerful, like a goddess must feel. And Apollo is always there. It’s as if we’ve always known each other. It’s almost like memories, someone else’s memories.”
Jarel’s face was totally blank and unreadable, though there was knowledge in those swirling silver eyes. “These dreams or memories, what are they exactly?”
“Well, Apollo is being very sweet, like he’s courting me. It feels like he actually cares for me.”
His gaze remained unreadable. “Interesting. Perhaps you should speak to Apollo about it.”
“I would if I could,” Cassandra muttered.
Demun came walking into the room next, causing Jarel to break off the conversation. Cassandra was quite curious to find out just what Jarel had planned to say, but clearly the god wasn’t going to say it now.
“Well, Demun, you must be bored to come in here,” Jarel commented.
“I am getting a little bored,” Demun responded.
“Why don’t you take Odele on a tour?” Jarel suggested.
Demun shrugged. “Might as well. Anywhere in particular?”
“Somewhere she can feel moderately safe here. The vampire settlements will make her uncomfortable.”
Demun extended his arm to Cassandra. “You ready to go?”
Cassandra smiled. “Lead the way.”
Jarel watched them walk off as Vic flew in. Jarel looked at him and shook his head.
“You could at least try not to frown all the time.”
“This is my normal face around this time,” Vic replied.
“It’s almost time for you, isn’t it?”
Vic nodded. “I’m can feel the difference, that’s for sure. But I have to see this through with Andreas until the end.”
“That’s not the only reason you’re putting it off,” Jarel said knowingly.
Vic said nothing.
“Anyway, get a little rest while you’re here,” Jarel continued. “You’ll have enough to do here shortly.”
Brandon sat in his room on Solaris, his mind wandering. Seeing Andreas reunited with Kazarian made his imagination go into overdrive. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever find his soul mate. Thinking about soul mates made him think of his parents, and he couldn't help but ponder if he'd turn out like his father, originally attracted to men only to find his soul mate in a woman. But then there was Adonis.
The thought made him smile. He couldn't deny he liked Adonis. He felt a strong urge to see him right then. He heard laughter ring out in his mind.
You know that's not all you want, Id taunted.
You don't go away, do you? Brandon asked.
Id laughed. Only when you truly accept who you are. Then we'll be one persona.
That would make me like Demun. Brandon's apprehension was clear. He loved his twin more than anyone, but he didn't want to turn out like him.
No, you and Demun are vastly different, personality-wise, but don't take my word for it. You'll see for yourself.
Brandon and Id's internal conversation was halted by a knock on the door. Brandon waved his hand and the door opened, revealing Adonis on the other side. Brandon froze as Adonis' eyes widened.
"It's hard to remember the things you can do sometimes," Adonis commented.
Brandon gestured him in and the two sat on the bed next to each other.
"How did you get here?" Brandon asked.
"Your grandfather brought me here," Adonis answered. "He said you'd show me around."
Brandon smiled. "I get the feeling Gramps has been reading my mind."
Adonis raised a questioning eyebrow. "Did you want me here?"
"Of course I did. I’m still getting used to the idea of us, but I find that I want you around me an awful lot.”
Adonis flashed a dazzling smile. “I’ve wanted to really be around you for so long. It’s almost like I’m dreaming.”
“You’re definitely not dreaming, otherwise I’m sure we’d be doing a whole lot more than talking.”
Adonis blushed, actually turning red. Id laughed in Brandon’s head and Brandon couldn’t hide his own smile. Still, no need for him to overwhelm Adonis.
“Come on, I’ll show you around.”
Brandon led him out of the room and through the palace to the entrance, where they met Demun and Cassandra. Cassandra gave a warm smile to Adonis.
"Hello, Adonis," she greeted him. "You've recovered nicely from that attack. Any lingering issues?"
Adonis flashed his dazzling smile. "I'm fine. I feel better than before."
Demun glanced at his brother and chose to speak silently. You look happy, bro. And look at that smile.
Brandon sent over the impression of amusement. His smile has always been great, and eyes forward, bro. That's all mine.
Demun rolled his eyes. Yeah, like I'd want him. He's too pretty. Besides, he knows the difference between us and clearly wants you.
The four headed out of the large doors to the outside. The twins led the way from the palace, going across a clearing heading for the closest village.
"Where are we going?" Adonis asked.
"This is Entrenank, a human settlement," Brandon replied.
"On our past visits, this is where we normally come to," Demun added.
Cassandra strangely felt a sense of deja vu, but she shook it off, knowing she'd only been to Solaris once before. "Why here?"
"The other villages aren't always the nicest places to be, unless we're in the mood to fight," Brandon answered her. "Weres are generally competitive creatures with volatile tempers and they don't really like demons."
"So you get attacked in the other villages?" Adonis asked.
"It happens occasionally and the idea for us is to stay out of trouble." Demun shrugged. "If you really want to, we can go into the next village and kick around some wolves."
"The wolves just get bored easily and like to test anyone that comes into their territory," Brandon added.
"Yeah and everyone else is just irritable when they see a potential threat." Demun rolled his eyes. "Werewolves really hate anyone with demon blood, and are really wary of dragons. So we're pretty much their worst nightmare."
"Being that you're Jarel's grandchildren, wouldn't they avoid harming you?" Cassandra asked.
Brandon shook his head. "The descendants of the Black Dragon God are not given any special protection. We should be able to handle ourselves. Besides that, we aren't above his laws. He doesn't show us favoritism to make sure that point is understood. And besides, it’s a decent way to train us on the beings we could have to hunt."
"We're not here very often either," Demun added. "We're not of age yet to choose to live here."
"So you have the same rules as his human followers?" Adonis asked.
"Because we're part human, yes," Brandon answered. "We're consider
ed to be in his service to the extent that we have to follow all laws, but we're not given missions and we reside in the mortal world until we are of age."
“Well, we weren’t given missions before, anyway,” Demun muttered. “Totally different now that we’re with Andreas.”
By this point, they had reached the village and were walking through the streets. It was similar to any mortal city, but there were no cars. People here were walking everywhere, somewhat like New York City without all the noise.
Cassandra looked down at their formal chitons. "I feel a little out of place now. Everyone else is dressed normally, like we do in the mortal world."
"Gramps requires formal wear in the palace, but elsewhere we can wear what we want," Demun explained. "Humans tend to want to dress modernly. The other species vary."
"Good thing we came here," Brandon commented. "I can't fight comfortably in this."
"I hope you carried your weapons anyway," Demun muttered.
"Of course I did." Brandon came to a stop in front of a restaurant. "Why don't we stop here and eat?"
Well, let's make this interesting, Demun said silently.
How so? Brandon asked.
Me and Cassandra will sit at the bar. You and Adonis can sit in a booth. You know, get some alone time together, have a little date.
Brandon didn't respond. Instead, he led Adonis to a booth and Demun led Cassandra to the bar.
"So how do we pay for anything here?" Adonis asked.
Brandon smiled. "Gramps isn't always old fashioned. We use modern American currency here."
Adonis picked up the menu and began looking it over. "It's so strange that this place is so modern. As ancient as Jarel is I thought he'd do everything in an old fashioned way in his home realm."
"Some gods are old fashioned, but not Gramps. Modern life fascinates him. So here there are banks, phones, credit cards, and just about anything else you could want."
The two fell silent as they looked over the menu. When a waitress came over, they placed their order and Adonis stared intently at Brandon for several seconds.
If he keeps looking at us like that, I'm going to jump him, Id growled.
Brandon chose not to respond to Id, instead keeping his attention on Adonis. "What is it?"
"I guess it's still just surprising that I'm here," Adonis replied. "I had thought about this for so long but didn't really see it happening. But to not only be with you, but in Solaris too, it's still a little unreal."
Brandon smiled. "Our situation has been pretty unique. It would scare most guys off."
"For anyone else, you're right. For you, it's worth it."
Brandon hoped he wasn't blushing. "That's a pretty bold statement."
Adonis shrugged. "You hate bullshit. I figured I should say how I feel."
"You know a lot more about me than I thought."
Then came that smile again that made Brandon's heart pump a little faster. "I paid a lot of attention to you even when I was trying not to."
Brandon didn't get a chance to respond. A scream rang out and people began running for the door. There was a bright white flash and a loud crash, followed by another scream. Brandon shot up out of the booth, chakram in hand, to find a very familiar black haired woman holding Cassandra by the throat. The woman turned her pitch black eyes on Brandon and a sinister grin came across her face. Brandon let the chakram fly but the woman vanished, along with Cassandra. The chakram embedded itself in the wall behind the bar.
"Shit!" Brandon spat.
Demun, who had gone crashing into a booth prior to this, got to his feet irritably. Brandon was at his side instantly.
"We've got a problem."
Demun scowled. "Yeah, Cassandra just got snatched right out from under us."
"She wasn't snatched by just anyone. That was a goddess."
Demun's eyes locked on his twin. "Which goddess? You're the one that keeps up with that crap."
"It was Eris, goddess of discord and anarchy, and Gramps is going to be pissed."
Twenty Eight
Andreas and Kazarian were awakened by a bright, blinding light. When the light faded, Jarel stood before them with their clothes in hand, which he tossed at them.
"Get dressed," he ordered. "You've got serious problems to deal with."
Andreas was the first to begin getting dressed. "What happened?"
"Eris snatched Odele out of Solaris. You have to find her." Jarel looked at Kazarian. "And you're going to help."
"Whoa, Father. He hasn't even hunted vampires or weres before, let alone a goddess," Andreas argued.
Jarel narrowed his gaze on his son, causing Andreas to actually shrink back. "He is a trained Spartan warrior with enhanced abilities and fighting at your side. He is capable of handling this and frankly, both of your lives depend on your success. Odele's death will mean the death of all life as you know it."
Andreas frowned. "Clearly I'm missing something here."
"Odele is far more than she appears. She is in fact a goddess, formerly a direct and favored servant of Hera. For whatever reason, she seems to have fallen out of favor with the queen of the gods and was stripped of her immortality. She was cast down into the human world and has been reincarnated repeatedly for as long you have been alive. Thus, she has no recollection of who she is, but clearly sticks to her nature as a healer."
"So she is a descendant of Cronus?" Andreas asked.
Jarel snorted. "No, she's his sister. Cassandra, or more accurately, the goddess Odele, is a daughter of Gaea gifted to Hera upon her marriage to Zeus. Historically, she was not noted as a gift to Hera, but then again, history has forgotten many of us and the gifts we gave Hera and Zeus. And because she is subservient to Hera, only Hera can grant her memories and full goddess form and powers. Her blood still holds her power, and can still be used to resurrect Cronus. You must find Eris before she kills Cassandra."
"Any idea where to look?"
"Not yet, but get ready. And the boys are going with you."
Andreas scowled. "This is too dangerous."
"For you as well as them. Together, you stand a fighting chance. Alone, Eris will kill you along with Cassandra and I don't feel like dealing with the Titans and Cronus." Jarel turned and waved his hand, bringing the boys back home. "All of you wait here and prepare. I will return shortly." He vanished.
Zeus looked up as Jarel appeared before his throne, with Apollo right behind him.
"Well this is a surprise," the king of the gods commented.
“Where is Eris?!” Jarel asked, his tone of voice failing to conceal his anger.
Zeus closed his eyes, searching. "She should be in Ares' temple right now. Why..."
Jarel and Apollo vanished again. Zeus sighed and teleported himself to Ares' temple. Once there, Eris was gone and Jarel was far from pleased as he towered over Ares.
"Where did that wretched excuse for a goddess run off to?!” Jarel demanded.
"I've got no clue," Ares told him, clearly on guard due to Jarel's mood. "She ran off right before you got here."
"What is going on with you?" Zeus asked Jarel.
Jarel rounded on him. "The resurrection of Cronus is imminent because that bitch has Odele, which is now a pain in my ass because your wife refuses to restore her godhood."
Zeus frowned. "Hera can be very stubborn, which I can't do anything about."
"Then do what you can, Father. Strip Eris of her godhood,” Apollo suggested.
Zeus looked at Ares. "She's subservient to you. You'd better find a replacement because I am indeed stripping her of her godhood and Jarel and Apollo are free to do as they please with her."
The undeniable power of the king of the gods flowed outward as his word became truth. Zeus looked at Jarel.
"You can easily find her now. I would like for Odele to be brought before us when this is resolved. Perhaps by then, I can persuade Hera to restore her godhood."
"Very well. You tell Hades to get some spots in Tartarus ready. He's about t
o get some new inmates." Jarel vanished.
Apollo looked at his father. “I’m tired of obeying Hera’s order to stay away from Odele. This wouldn’t have happened if I’d been allowed near her.”
Zeus sighed. “I am well aware of that, but Odele is her servant, and you knew this when you began courting her.”
Apollo scowled. “I’m not obeying her any longer. She’s her servant, but she’s my woman.” He vanished.
Ares laughed. “Well this is getting interesting, isn’t it, Father?”
Zeus narrowed his gaze on Ares. “You don’t have to deal with your mother in a temper over the situation, now do you?”
Ares grinned. “Hell no and have fun with that.”
Zeus rolled his eyes and vanished.
The twins were dressed more comfortably now in all black, from shirt to pants to shoes. Weapons were strapped to their waists and Brandon wore a long black leather trench coat as well, while Demun wore a short leather jacket. Andreas and Kazarian also wore all black, and each had a sword strapped to their waist.
"So we all look borderline Goth now," Demun commented. "We're just missing the eyeliner."
"Black makes it easier to conceal ourselves when necessary," Andreas told him.
"It would be nice to know where we're going," Brandon muttered.
The cry of the phoenix sounded and Vic walked in shortly after. "Luckily, I've got all the information you need and assignments."
"Isn't that obvious?" Andreas rolled his eyes. "Kill whatever moves."
"Specific assignments per your father's orders, you jackass," Vic shot back.
"Up yours, birdbrain," Andreas said as he flipped him off.
Vic ignored him. "Anyway, Jarel knows the extent of the forces we're in against. Deidre and Fenrir will be joining us to handle the grunt work and each of you has specific targets. Andreas, your primary goal is to take out Kalos. No toying with him, no torture, just kill him."
"Sure, take all the fun out of it," Andreas mumbled.
Vic looked at Kazarian. "Since idiot boy can certainly handle Kalos, you have to find and rescue Cassandra. Engage as few enemies as possible. Dying again would suck way more than you think, so don't risk it."