Tara

by Jennifer Bene

  “Yes, my daughter. I am here, although I tried to be with you sooner… I was unable.” A soft frown passed over the goddess’ face, and Tara reached towards her, realizing her own bands were showing. Eltera met her and their hands clasped.

  “It’s you…” Her voice broke then, tears rushing down her cheeks, and she didn’t hold back the sobs as Eltera gripped her hand tighter, warmth and golden light spreading through her until she felt peace push back the years of guilt and shame. “Whe- where are we?” She sniffled and looked around, her eyes unable to breach the thick haze around them.

  “Ah, this place has so many names.” The chill in the air seemed to sink into Tara’s bones, and she couldn’t tell if they were moving, or if it was the fog that swirled past them, visible in the light, before fading into the black again. “Its name is unimportant though, what is important is why you are here.”

  “Am I -”

  “Dead?” Eltera shook her head, soft brown waves rolling off her shoulders. “No, my daughter. You are not dead, but there is a gift I have for you here.”

  As if her words had summoned it, a shore became visible, rocky and unwelcoming as the boat slid against it and stopped. “A gift? Here?”

  “Yes, here. We must wait.” Eltera released her hand and sat back, staring off into the darkness as if she were expecting something to appear there, and so Tara stayed silent. Her goddess was there, she had come for her, and the warmth of her hand was still a humming tingle on her palm. It was unbelievable.

  Had she heard her prayers? Had she heard her through the haze of the Torment?

  Just as Tara was going to ask her, there was a bright light and the smell of summer wafted out of the fog. Warm earth, and damp salt air. She flinched against it as the light grew stronger, and then it settled into the buttery glow of sunshine – and Tara opened her eyes. An incredibly handsome, very pale, and ridiculously tall man was standing beside the boat on the rocky shore. He wore a himation in the way of the Greeks, but the dark fabric was incredibly fine and seemed to shimmer like starlight.

  “Aspádzomai, Eltera.” Welcome, Eltera. The words buzzed inside Tara’s head, crackling until they formed words that resembled the Greek she had known long ago.

  “Thank you, Hades.” Eltera answered in the same language, but Tara’s heart stopped.

  “Hades?” She choked, standing up in the wobbling boat as panic slipped under the warm peace Eltera had left behind. “I am dead. They killed me?”

  “No, you are not. I would know.” Hades smiled at her, a chilling look even though his face was impossibly beautiful.

  “Then, why am I here? Eltera, please, tell me?” Tara turned back to her goddess who stood gracefully, smiling.

  “I already told you, I have a gift for you.”

  “Ah, yes. Of course.” Hades turned and gestured into the light that seemed to pour from a place further in from the shore, and the light shifted until she thought she could see rolling fields dotted with dark trees, covered by a sky as blue as ones in dreams. Tara’s eyes watered as she tried to focus on it, and she blinked, but when her eyes opened again there was a shadow framed by light – and it was moving closer. “Remember, young one, you must stay in the boat or -”

  His words meant nothing as Leonidas took shape in front of her on the shore, dark curls, bronzed skin, and then he smiled at her. Tara threw herself out of the boat, her feet scraping across the rough stone until she found herself in his arms. A gasp tore out of her as she met the warm, hard flesh of his chest.

  Real. Please let this be real.

  “Did she just -? Eltera!” Hades snapped behind them, but Leonidas already has his arms around her, his soft voice speaking against her hair.

  “It’s you, Tara, it’s really you. All these years…” The sweet sound of his voice sent her into a fresh round of sobs, her arms clinging to him harder.

  “My daughters can be a little difficult to control.” There was laughter in Eltera’s comment, and Hades sighed deeply. “She is not mortal, your realm will not hurt her.”

  “Only because she is being allowed to stand here,” Hades grumbled, but neither of the gods sought to tear them apart.

  “Leonidas, I’m so sorry, I’m so very sorry.” Her tears were soaking the tunic he wore, and his hand landed on the back of her head to hold her to him.

  “There is no need, no need at all for that. I have prayed for this, prayed that you were well. The worst part of my death has been knowing that you still suffered, that I did not free you before -” He leaned her back from him, his blue eyes meeting hers with a stunning clarity. “You must know that I have never blamed you, not for a single moment.”

  “But -”

  “No, not for a single moment, philos.” His old term for her made her heart break and heal in the same moment. He didn’t blame her, he didn’t hate her for her mistakes, for getting him killed. Swallowing her next sob, she kissed him and his lips were warm against hers. Softer than she remembered, but the quiet sound that escaped him was all Leonidas. Her gentle giant.

  It was like being wrapped in light, filled with sunshine, and then her skin felt hot and the heat focused to a single point on her arm until she pulled back from Leonidas to stare at it. Above the band on her right arm was a glowing, golden handprint, and its twin lay on Leonidas’ left arm. She was confused until he pulled her against him and she followed his gaze, her heartbeat accelerating.

  “You are not welcome here, Apollo.” Hades was speaking, but he sounded more exasperated than angry. The glowing god standing before them looked young, perhaps sixteen or seventeen, but like all the gods he was perfect. A simple skirt of fabric circled his hips, leaving the strength of his chest bared, and a lot of toned, tan skin visible.

  “Calm yourself, uncle, it is these two that brought me here.” Apollo grinned, crossing his arms over his chest as he appraised them. “Well, now, look at my déno̱ zév̱gos. It took you two quite a while to reunite, but… Hades, are you letting the living traipse about your realms now?”

  “No. I am not, and as I said you do not have an invitation either.” Wind howled at his words, echoing through the dense fog – or, wait, had that been a dog?

  Apollo rolled his eyes and stepped closer to them, his hands reaching for their arms. “Look, uncle, this is my mark. These two were mine long before they entered the underworld.”

  “Tara was mine long before you laid a hand on her,” Eltera’s voice was soft, but the words shook with her power.

  “Stop the pissing contest, Apollo. I am doing a favor for Eltera, it is none of your concern.”

  “Someone has been paying attention to the mortals… pissing contest, uncle?” Apollo laughed and stepped back, his humming touch leaving as he released Tara’s arm.

  “I watch just as you and yours do.” Hades rubbed at a spot between his brows, and then he waved him away like a fly. “Now, leave.”

  “Wait, I only see these bindings, and I do not sense Eltera in them.”

  “My mark has always been on her. Between her shoulder blades. Check if you wish, it will show down here as they all do.”

  “What?” Tara twisted, unable to see, but Leonidas brushed her hair out of the way and she felt his fingers run reverently in a circle.

  “It is here, great Apollo.” Leonidas bowed his head and Apollo stepped close and then huffed.

  “As the mortals say, whatever. I had no plans to do anything with them anyway, but their reunion called out to me.” He shrugged, looking more like an irritated teenager than an ancient god. “Why is she here? I remember Leonidas’ death. That strategos learned just how poor a decision it was to kill one of mine.”

  “You killed him?” Tara spoke before she thought, and the way the god’s eyes swung back to meet hers made her jump.

  “I did.” Apollo tilted his head, dark curls sliding across his forehead. “Claimed by three gods, dear Tara, you are interesting.”

  Hades chuckled. “You never were observant when you were distracted by
beautiful things. Any god would have felt the power of Eltera and Gormahn on her at first touch.”

  “I was more distracted by Leonidas, uncle.” Apollo grinned and Tara turned to see Leonidas blushing.

  “Leave them be, Apollo. Return to your sister and entertain yourself,” Hades snapped, and this time the unmistakable growl of a large beast rebounded off the walls around them, echoing on top of itself.

  Fuck. It was never a good idea to be around gods, and it was an even worse idea to be around gods who were angry.

  “Alright, uncle. I’ll see what else I can find to entertain myself.” With a sly grin, Apollo disappeared in a burst of sunlight, hot and blinding.

  Hades muttered under his breath and then stood up straight. “Excuse me, I will return in a moment. I have an errant nephew I need to attempt to murder.” In a blink he was gone too. No flashy exit, no rumble of power, just gone – and the fog rushed to fill the place he’d vacated.

  “Speak quickly, Tara. I cannot keep you here much longer.” Eltera sat down in the boat, and looked off into the distance away from them.

  “Philos…” Leonidas whispered and they faced each other again, grasping each other’s arms as if it could somehow erase the past.

  “I wish I could bring you back with me.” She swallowed the emotion that threatened to choke her. “You didn’t even get to live, you died so young.”

  “Oh, Tara, I’m happy.” He looked over his shoulder at the bright light that still splintered the darkness with a blurry view of some oasis just beyond the horizon of it. “I am in Elysium. Me, a slave. I never would have imagined such a thing to be possible.”

  “You were a hero, Leonidas. To me you were always a hero.” She smiled as he brushed his hand across her cheek and leaned his forehead against hers.

  “You should never worry about me, philos. I have been worried for you, worried you would never find peace, or happiness… or love.” He traced his thumb over her lips when she tried to speak, shaking his head a little. “We have so little time, philos, please do not argue.”

  “But I love you, Leonidas, I always have.” Tara’s heart felt torn, ripped asunder as she stared into the eyes of the first man she’d ever loved, the one who had given his life for her. Alaric’s smile flickered in her mind, his brave words, his determination to protect her – and guilt sacked her.

  “I know that you love me. I know.” He kissed her softly, but it had no passion, and she realized their first kiss in this place had been fraught with emotion, but not the kind of all-encompassing fervor that she felt with Alaric. Confusion swirled with her guilt, and she bit down on her lip as he leaned back. “I will always love you, philos, just as you will always love me – but there is room in your heart for more than one love in your long life.”

  “Leonidas…”

  “Listen to me, all that has been missing in my afterlife is the knowledge that you are safe. That you are loved and cared for. It is the only thing I still find myself praying for, and I am sure that Pluto, Hades, is sick of hearing me.” He smiled a little. “You have found someone, have you not?”

  She searched his eyes, the color of a perfect blue sky. The kind of blue sky that called from the other world beyond him, and she found that he only had love inside him. No jealousy. No regret. No anger at her role in his death. With great effort, Tara nodded. “Yes. His name is Alaric.”

  “Strange name,” Leonidas said, but he smiled. “Does he care for you?”

  “Too much.”

  “Then I approve. I want you to be happy, Tara. If you want me to be at peace, if you want me to be able to enjoy Elysium the way my gods have meant for it to be enjoyed, then please… be happy. Do whatever you must to be happy.”

  “I may have to kill people, Leonidas.” She winced as she met his eyes again, remembering the peaceful way he had lived his life, no matter what had been done to him.

  Instead of judgment, a sly grin spread across his lips. “Then I pity them, philos, for you have always been a fierce warrior.”

  “I love you, Leonidas. I always will, I swear it. I swear it on Eltera, on Gormahn’s curse, and on Apollo’s hand.” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight, memorizing the feel of him against her.

  “I love you as well, philos. Tara.” He held her for a moment, and then the soft clearing of a throat beside them made them separate.

  “I believe it is time for you both to return from whence you came.” Hades was standing near them again, looking just as he had minutes before.

  “I want to say so much, I want to tell you everything.” Tara felt tears in her eyes again, but Leonidas leaned down and brushed them away.

  “I know. I already know.” He smiled, his quiet, strong countenance exactly as she had remembered it. “Just remember what I told you.”

  “I will.” Nodding, she dropped her hands from him and stepped back. Hades shocked her by laying a hand on her shoulder, cool on the surface, but warming as he touched her.

  “He knows, young one. They all know once they are gone from the world.” His words sprung fresh tears in her eyes, and he took her hand to help her into the boat. “Careful, do not step into the Acheron, you have enough woe inside you.”

  She made it into the boat without incident, and Eltera stood with her as they watched Leonidas walk back into the sunlight streaming out of Elysium. For a moment he was an incandescent outline, and then he was gone – but this time her heart didn’t feel like breaking.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Tara took a deep breath and turned to Eltera. “Thank you, my goddess, this was a gift I cannot even measure.”

  “My daughter, I would give you everything if I could.” She lifted her head and nodded to Hades. “I thank you for allowing us into your realm, and allowing access to one of your souls.”

  “Leonidas has never caused me trouble, and, as my troublesome nephew said, they were bound by one in my pantheon.” He shrugged elegantly. “I only hope this resolves your concerns.”

  Eltera nodded, a rare smile moving across her face. “It does. We shall leave your realm now as we arrived.”

  “íthi khaírōn.” Good journey. Hades raised a hand and Eltera leaned forward to touch Tara’s shoulder, but then a bright flash of warm light exploded next to her.

  “Did you really think I was going to let one of my déno̱ zév̱gos go without a farewell gift?” Apollo grinned like a wild boy, and then overlaid his hand on the bright, golden handprint he’d left centuries before. Heat rushed through her, and on the heels of it came something bigger, bolder. When he released her it stayed, and she felt her heart pounding against the inside of her chest. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

  “Apollo!” Hades growled, but Eltera just laughed. A tinkling, bright sound – and then the world cut out.

  Tara woke up on the concrete floor, her wrists still bound by cuffs, but there were no more injuries beneath the bloody crust left behind. With a shout she pulled and the cuffs snapped apart like a toy, metal chain and random parts clattering to the floor as she stood.

  Power.

  Raw power thrummed through her veins like a drug, and she stared at the door as a growl rumbled low in her chest. When she moved forward she was aware that she was glowing, the golden light of the gods pouring off her skin, and it made her smile as she ripped the door open and stepped into a long hall. The fluorescent lights flickered overhead, and she looked left and right to see nothing but more doors. With the itching power running under her skin, she followed her instinct and went left.

  Another door opened down the hall, and a man with thin, light brown hair stepped out holding a gun in front of him. “Stop, and go back in the room.”

  “I don’t think so.” She moved forward and he fired, but the bullet hit the wall to her left. When he fired again, it slammed into the floor in front of her, sending up shards of concrete that did nothing but scratch her – and the tiny lines instantly healed. “Where is Alaric, mortal?”

  “What the fuck?�
� The man shouted in a panic, firing again and again, but no bullet came within a foot of her.

  “WHERE IS ALARIC?” Tara screamed and the lights flickered. From behind her she heard a door bang open, and two men in suits rushed out, firing the moment they appeared, but she was protected.

  Finally.

  With a wild grin she rushed one of them, grabbing his gun arm to aim it towards the ceiling, before she brought it down over her shoulder, snapping the bone in an instant. His scream was music to her ears, and she turned and slammed her elbow into his stomach as she yanked the gun from his hands. For a moment she thought about using it, but in his agony his suit jacket had flipped open, and she’d seen the knife at his waistband.

  No quick death for you.

  Tossing the gun down the hallway she grabbed the knife, flipped it open, and buried it deep in his stomach. As she raised her eyes she realized she had moved so fast that the other man was only just reacting to her presence. Yanking the knife free she kicked the first man back, bringing the blade across the other man’s throat in a graceful arc that had him collapsing to his knees, clutching at the blood pouring between his fingers. His gun tumbled to the floor and she nudged it out of his reach while she watched him choke, the man on her other side groaning and cursing her.

  The world seemed to shudder, and she heard someone calling her name. “Tara? Tara! Over here.” She turned towards the other end of the hall and saw a man with dark hair holding a gun to Alaric’s head as he knelt in front of him, barely upright. “Put down the knife, or I kill him.”

  “Kill him, and I’ll gut you. Slowly.” She growled, the blood making her right hand slick, so she switched the blade to her off-hand.

  Alaric didn’t look good, his face was swollen and bruised, but she could tell he was looking at her, even from so far away. The man above him jerked his head back by his hair, holding it up as he pressed the barrel of the gun in harder and she didn’t miss Alaric’s hiss of pain. “I don’t think you’ll risk his life. Now, be a good girl and put the knife down.”