Forge of the Gods 3

by Simon Archer

  Sarah’s attention shifted back to me, with one more check to see that I would be alright. As hard as it was, I offered her a nod. Though my heart ached, I let her go.

  Sarah glanced at Hades. “May I go back now, my lord?”

  “I’m never opposed to keeping souls in my realm,” Hades replied with his own sly smirk, as though he knew this would happen. He opened his arm, gesturing away from us. He gestured for Sarah to walk forward, back towards the doorway that led to his home.

  With one last wave over her shoulder, my mentor walked forward and away from me. With each step, her figure faded until there was nothing where Sarah had once stood.

  “Well,” Hades said, calm and composed as ever. “I believe we have nothing more to discuss. Charon, if you could please take these mortals back the way they came? They have no place here.” The god waved his hand dismissively and began to walk away from us.

  I closed my eyes and took a few shallow breaths, doing my best to keep them even and slow. It was surreal to think that I had come all this way for what felt like nothing. My whole plan revolved around bringing Sarah back to the mortal realm. Never once did I think about what she might have wanted. It had been a dangerous and foolish journey. One that I’d dragged Hailey and Katlynn through as well.

  I opened my eyes and turned to my companions, who loyally stuck with me throughout this ridiculous plan. Hailey stood there, waiting for me to approach. Her face was blank, shielding me from her real emotions that stirred behind her eyes. I knew she wanted to run up and fold me into her arms, comfort me. But I wouldn’t allow it. Not with everyone watching. She could do that later, in the evening, when we were alone.

  Katlynn, my half-sister who had been destined to help me so she could get her own eternity of happiness. Even though she had helped me, I found that I hadn’t seemed to help her yet or at least she hadn’t achieved the thing she wanted most.

  Wave after wave of sadness crashed over me. No matter how many times I told myself that I hadn’t failed, I couldn’t help but feel like the whole journey had been for nothing.

  Until my eyes landed on Kari.

  It was as though one of Zeus’s lightning bolts crashed down from Mount Olympus and slammed into my head. I whirled around and raised my voice, intending to shout at the god of the dead.

  “Hades!” I said, my voice stronger than I felt at that moment. “We’re not finished here.”

  I watched the god freeze in his tracks. His whole body looked as still as a corpse as he took in my words. I gave them a moment to sink in, to gauge his reaction before I continued.

  Slowly, like ice melting, Hades turned to face me. His face was completely unreadable, the master of masking his emotions. He didn’t say a word to me. I knew he wanted me to explain myself, but I wouldn’t be the one to break the silence between us.

  “Cameron,” someone hissed from behind me, but I ignored them.

  My mind was set. I knew exactly what I was doing. There was no way that this journey was for nothing. I just hadn’t seen it before now, because as it turned out, I’d actually been right all along.

  30

  “Excuse me?” Hades said with one curved eyebrow raised.

  “I said, we’re not finished here,” I repeated, elongating my words to make sure he could hear every single syllable. “You still owe me a soul.”

  “I do?” Hades said with a scoff. “I seem to think that the soul you wanted to bring back just rejected your offer and refused to come with you. So we have nothing more to discuss.”

  “You promised me a soul,” I emphasized the specificity, highlighting its importance. “I didn’t specifically ask for Sarah’s when we made the bargain.”

  Hades’s lips pinched together. “And I agreed to that?”

  “You gave your word,” I reminded him.

  The Lord of the Underworld and I stood in tense silence. He seemed to look through me, as though he was running our previous conversation through his mind. He could look for loopholes all he wanted, but I knew what was said between the two of us. While my mind had been focused on Sarah when originally making the deal, it was never specified. That vagueness was going to be our saving grace at this moment.

  “He’s right, husband,” Persephone said with a mocking drawl. “One soul for one helm. That’s what you said. I said you were crazy, but did you listen to me? No, you did not. Now you owe him a soul.”

  Hades shot his wife a searing, disapproving glare over his shoulder. The goddess, however, was completely unphased by his threatening eyes. She responded maturely by sticking her tongue out at him, clearly showing that she didn’t give two shits about his mean gaze.

  If the situation wasn’t so dire, one of literal life and death, I might have laughed at the exchange. My mind wandered to the origin story of these two, thinking that what we had been told in the myths might not have been the whole truth. There was definitely something more to the story than one would have thought.

  “It would seem,” Hades said slowly, drawing out the moment longer than necessary. “That I need to hold up my side of the bargain, yes.”

  My lips curved into an accomplished smile. “I want to take her soul.” Then I turned around and pointed directly at Kari.

  The daughter of Prometheus’s eyes popped open, wide and full of shock. “Me?” she checked as she put a hand to her chest.

  Hades seemed to share in Kari’s surprise because he released a bark of laughter. “Why, Cameron, son of Hephaestus, you are full of surprises, aren’t you?”

  “I thought this choice was rather obvious,” I said, trying to play off the fact that I hadn’t just thought of this idea minutes ago. “If anyone suffered a more unjust death, it was Kari.”

  “Have you forgotten that this demigod turned traitor against the Academy?” Hades said, his lips curling into a sneer. “That she stole from Aphrodite and infected the entire school? Or how about that she killed your mentor in cold blood?”

  I watched as his words hit Kari like bullets. She flinched at each of his accusations. The reminders of her actions affected me, too, especially at the mention of Sarah’s murder. I felt my heart race and a flush of anger crawl up the back of my neck. But I tempered it down as I recalled what Kari told us after she saved us in Tartarus.

  “None of that was her fault,” I defended. “She was under the control of a twisted goddess.”

  Hades’s eyebrows shot up at this piece of information. A rush of pleasure swelled in my chest at having caught the god off guard.

  “That’s quite the accusation, Cameron,” Hades growled. “I would warn you against such drastic claims.”

  “Drastic or no, she’s not responsible for all of that,” I said, taking a step towards Kari, showing my solidarity.

  “Cameron,” the daughter of Prometheus whispered from behind me. “But I am responsible. It was my choice to listen to Eris and go along with her.”

  “She tricked you,” I said with a sharp shake of my head. “Kari, you’re not at fault here.”

  “But they’re not going to see it that way,” she said, her voice trembling. “The Officials… if I go back, they’re still going to think I’m a traitor. I’m going to be wiped of my memories and thrown back into the mortal world.”

  “Now that’s interesting,” Hades said as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his weight back. “I didn’t expect that level of cruelty from you, Cameron.”

  “What?” I whirled around to face the god, shocked by his words. “I’m not being cruel. I’m trying to give her another chance, one that Eris robbed her of.”

  “I see what he is trying to do,” Hades said, suddenly shifting his gaze to Kari. It was clear that he was no longer speaking to me. “He’s going to bring you back but then let them punish you for your crimes. Cameron is out for revenge against your crimes.”

  “No, I’m not!” I said hurriedly, trying to get my words in edgewise. “I would never do that, Kari. I swear.”

  But I could see the flicker
of doubt in her eyes, the seed that Hades planted in her mind. It wasn’t strong or large, but its presence was a worry all the same. I knew I had to do something to convince Kari that I really was trying to do her a favor.

  “You have an opportunity here, Kari,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “Eris robbed you of your life. She played on your jealousies and anger and used it to her advantage. She made you do some terrible things, but I swear to you, we’ll convince the Officials that wasn’t you. It wasn’t your fault.”

  “The Stratego hates you,” Kari countered, the doubt growing into a shadow behind her eyes. “He’ll never listen to you.”

  “But the rest of the Officials might,” I argued. “He doesn’t have the final say over everything, and we’ll stay by your side the whole time, Kari. We won’t let you go through this alone.”

  “You’ve never done anything for me,” Kari snapped. “You saved me that one time, sure, but then I saved you from the Tunnel of Fear, so we’re even. Don’t think I’m going to let you trick me like Eris did.”

  “I’m not trying to trick you!” I insisted, my voice growing sharp. How was I ever going to prove to her that I was sincere? “I know you’re a hero, Kari, one of the best or Eris wouldn’t have sought you out.”

  I tried to reach out and touch her, but the attempt at comfort was in vain. My hand just fell straight through her ghostly form.

  “I killed your mentor,” Kari said in disgust. She jerked out of my reach and took a couple of steps back from me, almost threatening to topple into the river. “How can you say that none of this was my fault when I was the one who did that? Committed murder?”

  “That wasn’t you,” I said.

  “You don’t know me,” Kari spat, hurt coming through in her tight voice, and the tears springing to the corners of her eyes.

  “But I do,” Hailey said as she took a step forward. She and her friend locked eyes, and the energy pulsed between them. These two had history, not just as friends, but as soldiers who fought and trained side by side with one another. That wasn’t something that could be erased easily.

  I recognized what Hailey was doing and stepped aside, giving her the stage.

  “I never believed that it was you,” Hailey said, her voice firm and confident. “Even when I saw you across that whirlpool of mud, flinging monster after monster at us, I knew it wasn’t you. I didn’t say anything because everyone told me I was wrong, but I know you serve the Military. You may hate the Elemental Officials and disagree with their unfair methods, but you stand for truth and want to protect this world as much as any soldiers. You know the disadvantages facing the mortals and would never wish harm upon them. Do you know how I know this?”

  Kari broke Hailey’s eye contact with a sniffle. She wiped at her nose and looked at the ground, refusing to respond.

  “Because you told me so,” Hailey continued with a second step forward. “On the first day we met, remember?”

  Kari nodded, her face contorting as if that action was painful for her.

  “We were in the cafeteria,” Hailey said, bringing her back into the memory. “We were sitting at the same table when you looked up at the mural on the ceiling and said--”

  “I want to protect those stories,” Kari supplied, recalling her own words from all those years ago.

  “That desire has never left you,” Hailey said as she held out her arms to gesture up and down at Kari. “You might have gotten a little lost in going about it, but everything you have done has been to protect.”

  As I looked into my fellow soldier’s face, I saw true regret there. This was the same powerful soldier who I had met two years ago, stunned when I calmed Hailey down from her supernova state and impressed by my powers. While she might have been covered in gray with tear stains running down her face, I knew that fierce warrior was still there. She was strong. Her confession and desire to want to do better proved that.

  “I’m just so sorry,” Kari broke. “I thought I could make the Ultimate Weapon, and when they took that away from me, I was so angry. And then she was there and caught me in a moment of weakness.”

  “We all have them,” Hailey sympathized. “It’s how you come back from those mistakes and moments of weakness that matters.”

  “What am I supposed to do?” Kari choked out. She spread her arms wide and then slapped them against her legs in a defeated gesture. “I’ve gone too far. I mean, I’m dead and in Tartarus. There is no coming back from that.”

  “There is now,” I said, seizing the moment. “You can come back and continue to protect those stories like you always wanted. Like you were meant to do.”

  I reached out my hand and held it out for Kari. “Come with us.”

  Kari’s eyes shifted from me to my hand to Hades over my shoulder. I could feel the god and his wife behind me, watching my every move, but I kept my focus trained on Kari. I knew I couldn’t make this decision for her. All I could do was open the door, but she had to walk through.

  Suddenly, Kari’s eyes locked on mine. I could see the determination and the resolve burning from behind her eyes. Our mouths moved into smiles, mirroring one another.

  “I’ll go with you,” Kari said, giving her verbal agreement. Then, she reached out and put her hand in mine.

  Our palms connected, and I felt the pulse of life in her hand. It was solid and secure. From her hand, a ring of color rippled up her arm and spread across her whole body. The soul returned to life before my very eyes until every scrap of black, white, and gray dissolved off her skin. Kari had returned.

  I pulled Kari forward and wrapped her into the biggest hug. She returned it gleefully, squeezing me tight. There was nothing to say. We only needed to hold one another to know that all was forgiven, and that it was going to be alright.

  There was a loud cough from over my shoulder. I broke away to glance over at the Lord of the Dead who shot me an impatient look.

  “Well, you have your soul now,” Hades said with a look of displeasure on his face. “And there are far too many living beings down here for my taste. I suggest you be on your way.”

  I couldn’t agree with him more. Now that we had Kari back, it felt as though the journey to the Underworld, twice, and the adventure to Italy had been worth it. There was no reason to stay down here any longer.

  “Hey, Charon,” I said to the ferryman. “Can we borrow your boat to get back to the mortal world?”

  “Absolutely not,” Charon said sharply as he crossed his arms definitely.

  “Oh, for the love of the gods,” Persephone said with a dramatic eye roll. “Hades, just zap them back up there so we can get on with our day. This has taken up enough of our time as it is.”

  “If you say so, my love,” Hades said with a snide grin. “I look forward to seeing you all soon.”

  “Not too soon,” I countered with my own cheeky smile.

  The god of the Underworld raised his hand and snapped his fingers with a flourish.

  The pain was instantaneous. It shot out through all of my limbs and burned my organs from the inside out. I opened my mouth to release a scream, but no sound came out. My body boiled alive, cells popping one by one.

  At first, I thought Hades tricked me. He hadn’t let us go at all and decided to kill us for his own gain, getting a helm and three souls. But when I gasped in a breath of air and sat up straight, there was an incessant beeping sound as the monitors next to me went off.

  The pain disappeared, but the shock of it wore me out. My heart raced, and my lung pumped to try to get in some clear air. I was refreshed by the filtered med bay air. I recognized that I was back in the hospital room, with Hailey at my side, still hooked up to the IV and the heart monitors.

  “Cameron!” Jade’s voice broke through my panicked thoughts. She threw her arms over me and wrapped me into a large hug.

  “Get off, Jade,” Daniella said, gently pushing Jade away. “He’s still injured from the explosion, and I need to check his… holy shit.”

  “What?�
�� I asked, my IV hand going up to my face. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, I mean, yes, but not really,” Daniella stuttered, a look of complete astonishment on her face. “You’re healed. All your wounds, they’re gone.”

  “I guess being dead did you some good, huh?” Beth joked from the end of the bed.

  Just then, Hailey released her own breath of air and opened her eyes. She blinked furiously, and her chest heaved as though she just finished running a marathon.

  “Fuck,” she grumbled. “I never want to do that again.”

  “Me neither,” I agreed as I put my free hand on hers and squeezed. Hailey squeezed back but didn’t look at me as she continued to concentrate on her breathing.

  “So, what happened?” Bella asked eagerly. “Did you do it? Did you bring Sarah back?”

  “I thought she would be with you,” Jade added as she looked around the room. Then a look of horror struck her face like a slap. “Oh, my gods. She didn’t, like, return to her body, did she? Do we have to go dig her up?”

  “No, we don’t,” I assured my friend quickly. “We didn’t bring Sarah back.”

  “Hades didn’t honor the deal?” Daniella asked, her eyebrows pinching together worriedly.

  “He did,” I clarified. “We just didn’t bring back Sarah.”

  “Then who...?” Beth began but was soon interrupted by another desperate gasp for air. This time it came from the chair on the far side of the room. Seeming to appear out of nowhere, Kari sat with her own pained expression after having been zapped through death and back to life again.

  The reactions throughout my friends varied. Daniella’s body stiffened from her place on the other side of the bed, near the door. Jade put a hand over her mouth, her own eyes rounding out like saucers. Bella took a step backwards in defence. Beth was the most aggressive of the group, taking two long strides to approach Kari and getting in her face.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” she growled at her.

  Kari, to her credit, didn’t back down. “Ask them. They brought me back.”