The Broken Curse

by Taylor Lavati

  "We're not running." Lisa's firm in her words. She looks around for the first time, stopping to see the destruction, and I see the change in her. "How can we leave?"

  "We just have to run for the portal. Hades can't get to Earth."

  "I'll try to get as many people as I can." Lisa sprints in one direction, and I see Professor La and Elytis in a battle. I look around, but can't find Professor Orntean anywhere.

  Lex and Linus are together, and I run to them. As I sprint past a group of demons, someone catches me in the side, and I fly, completely off guard. I hit a wall and fall to the ground, my back aching with each labored breath.

  "Stupid bitch." The demon kicks me in the side, and I cough out a scream. I curl up into a ball, covering my head with my hands, and my stomach with my knees. But, he doesn't hit me again.

  I peek up and see the demon who kicked me on fire on the ground. Martin is about five feet away, both of his hands up in front of him as he burns the demon alive. But, I know that it won't kill him.

  I crawl forward and grab onto the back of the demon's head, twisting it fast to kill him before he can hurt me anymore. I nod at Martin and just as he smiles at me, I see Hades.

  Within a second, Hades is behind Martin, and his hands are around his neck.

  "No!" I scream as I watch Hades rip the life from Martin. His neck breaks, it cracks, and it falls limply to the side, the rest of his body following.

  I crawl to my knees, and then struggle to stand.

  "I warned you. I told you this would happen if you threatened me and my people. Now you, Eurydice, will pay the price for the remainder of your worthless life."

  "You're wrong. I don't care if I die. I did the one thing I sought out to do. I tricked you. I played you. You're stuck down here in this barren wasteland. And now, I'll make sure you suffer."

  "Pathetic," Hades snickers, his deep voice booming. A rock almost hits me in the head as it falls from the wall. "I was going to keep you around just to make you relive all your friends' deaths, but now I just want to kill you."

  He lunges for me and I don't have enough time to react. I stumble backwards and land hard on my butt, a rock jutting into the side of my hip. I flip over and scramble to my feet.

  I sprint towards him, wanting him dead. I catch him right in the gut, and we both tumble forward to the ground. I reach for him as he reaches for me, and it's a match to see who can get on top of the other.

  He kicks me with an errant flick of his foot, and it hits me right where I hit the wall not too long ago. Shooting, fire-like pain spikes all along my spine. This gives him enough of an edge to knock me to the side and get the upper hand.

  "You can't beat me. I'm an Original." He laughs, spit hitting my face, and I turn to the side. All I see are bodies piled on bodies. Mostly demons, but my eyes clash with Alexius'.

  She's almost buried, four demon bodies laid atop of her. But, her dark hair fans out to the side, and her dark eyes remain open, staring into space, lifeless. Her beauty is drained from her body. She's just gone.

  "Don't tell me you're sad." Hades pokes out his bottom lip in a frown, mocking me. "You did that. You brought these innocent people down here. Their death is all on you, dear Eurydice."

  I turn my head, accepting defeat. I know I am going to die. Hades is going to kill me, and then what? So much of my life has been confusion, and now that I have clarity, I will die again. I guess it makes sense. I've found both guys that I thought were my soul mate, and I'm eighteen. I'm dying just like I always have.

  A single tear falls from my eye. I'll never have a life with Ari. I'll never get to explore our relationship and know what it really means to have a soul mate. Hades is stripping me of all these things.

  As a last ditch effort, I use all of my strength and push against his body. I flail my arms that he has locked with his hands, hoping to break free. I kick my legs, which are pinned by his knees. But I don't even budge him.

  "I hate you!" I scream and kick and shake.

  "Good." He slaps me across the face, my neck cracking with his force.

  "I dare you to touch my daughter again."

  Before I know it, Athena pulls Hades off of my body and throws him into a circle of people. I don't recognize any of them, but they fill the room with energy.

  "Mom?" I look through my tear filled eyes and see her clearly. She bends down and pulls me into her arms, cradling me like a baby. I cling to her. I look her up and down, and she looks like she hasn't been injured at all. A deep scream pulls my attention from my mother.

  "You can't blame me, can you?" Hades actually whimpers on the ground. Two of the people surrounding him, both male, lift him by the arms. Their hands hold him so hard that, from the elbow down, Hades arm turns purple.

  "It's expected, we give you that," one of the men says.

  "But, it's pathetic." My mother puts me down, and stands me up on my own two feet. I can barely hold myself, but Cristos appears beside me and holds me around the waist. My mom nods at him. "You're going to let these children go."

  "No!" Hades wriggles in the hands of the men, but can't free himself.

  "You are." My mother steps up to him and back hands him, her knuckles landing right at his jawline. He spits blood onto the ground and smiles, his teeth blood colored. "You want a fight? You have one. Let's go." My mother eggs him on, waving her hands.

  "I'm not fighting my brothers and sisters."

  "Oh, stop with the act, you coward." The woman who speaks has long tendrils of snake like hair. Her eyes are a shocking green: electric, yet subdued. Hades looks past her, his eyes roaming the battle zone. His demons have started to back off, but they remain on the outskirts of the courtyard.

  "Attack!" Hades screams the word, his voice probably echoing to Earth, it is so loud. I flinch and cower into Cristos' body as rocks tumble from the walls. My mother look back at us and nods, her violet eyes stern and unrelenting. Cristos transports us to the entrance to the black castle.

  "Where's Ari?" I look behind us, but don't see traces of anyone. Now all I can see in every direction is demons and more demons. There's another thousand of them embarking on the group of Originals in the center of the courtyard.

  "I told Ari that I'd get you back to the school safe." Cristos doesn't sound happy, but at the same time, he seems relieved. "We'll wait for him there."

  "We have to help." I glare at Cristos because there's no way he could agree to get us out of here. There are still so many of our friends still in danger. Suddenly, both of us are hit hard, and we fall against the castle wall.

  My mother runs in front of us and leaps through the air, looking almost like she's flying. She soars over the hundreds of demons in the middle of the canyon and lands in front of me in a crouched position.

  Three demons attack her all at once, but with the flick of her wrist, she shoves them back. It's like she's created a barrier in front of her that only she can see.

  A white light shines like lightning and shoots through the air. I look and see Zeus throwing these dagger like beams of light. I follow one of the beams and watch as it cuts through a body like a javelin. He sprints to us and jabs them towards the attacking demons.

  Each demon gets speared right in the head, the lightning going in the forehead and out the back of their heads. They fall to the ground, and blood squirts from them.

  I'm grabbed around the waist. I don't react at first, thinking that it's Cristos trying to get me out of here. But it's not. It's Hades. He has me wrapped in his arms, and he tugs me through the crowd of demons that reach for me like I am a parcel of food.

  "You think you can win this? You're wrong. You've ruined everything." Hades jostles me around, and my head whips against his chest. He's carrying me like I'm a prized possession.

  "Mom!" I catch her gaze behind me, and her eyes widen with disgust. She taps on Zeus's shoulder, and they both jump over the bodies in front of them. Zeus hurls a bolt towards us, and it gets Hades right in the shoulder.

  Had
es swears under his breath and moves me onto his other arm. He turns and snarls at the two Originals that pursue him. I look behind us and notice that we're on top of the hill now.

  I don't see a single one of my friends in the valley below. But the Originals are changing the fate of the war. More demons are now lying on the ground, dead, than before.

  The Originals move faster than us Nephilim. They sprint through the air, leap over bodies, and use their immense strength to plow through Hades's worthless army.

  Hades throws me to the ground, and my vision clouds with darkness. I flip over on my stomach and try to push up, but it's like my arms don't work correctly. I'm paralyzed, just lying here like a dead fish.

  "You think I'm just like these worthless demons. I could break you in a second." With a flick of his fingers, I flip over in the air and land on my back. He didn't even have to touch me to move me.

  "You'll never win this." I smile at him as I take what I think are my last breaths. "Look around. This is a losing battle, and your demons are going to die."

  "Maybe so. But I have more. They only have one of you." He smiles, and suddenly my body is filled with sharp, excruciating pain. I scream out and writhe on the hard ground as it feels like my limbs are being ripped from my core.

  "What a shame." He tilts his head to the side, and I cry in pain as the magnitude of my discomfort skyrockets. "You were just starting to grow on me, too." He starts to bring his fist towards my face when it suddenly freezes mid-air.

  "Don't make us kill you." An Original with hair like Ariel from The Little Mermaid holds her hand up, palm out as she protects me. Hades pounds against the invisible forcefield, and I watch his face drop in defeat.

  My mother finds me and lifts me into her arms. She places me on the ground behind her. She looks from side to side as the other woman holds the barrier in front of us.

  Cristos appears beside me and takes me in his arms.

  "Get her out of here. Get as many of the children as you can." Cristos nods, and the last image I see is my mother's beautiful violet eyes locking on me. But they're knit together. I watch her fall, as she's attacked from behind by a group of at least five demons.

  "Wait!" I yell, but within a blink we're back where we started. Cristos and I pause at the exit from the courtyard. Lights flash, strange noises, like banging and a grinding sound.

  Everyone moves so fast and with such strength that the room vibrates with energy and power. The walls start to crumble, the canyon falling in on itself. My eyes search the battlefield for Ari and Kara, but Cristos grabs my wrist and starts tugging me into the castle.

  "We can't leave them," I cry.

  "I don't have a choice. We have to get out of here, Eury." Cristos lifts me again, and I don't have the strength to fight him. Before I know it, we're at the edge of the swamp.

  The portal shines, the barrier just barely visible. It waits for us, and I fight against Cristos's hard grip to get free. I just want to save my friends. I can't leave.

  I whimper. "We need Ari." But Cristos steps into the portal, with my dead weight in his arms.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  return

  By the time we're dropped on the other side of the portal, heavy tears stream down my face in rapid succession. Cristos holds on to me, his arms firmly around my waist. I let him comfort me, hold me as we get back to earth.

  The first face I see is Atee's. He's sweating profusely, his eyes drawn together and pinched. I don't know how hard it is to open and hold a portal, but from his appearance, he's beginning to struggle.

  "Ryder." My dad runs to me and replaces Cristos as my holder. I look over my shoulder and see Cristos walk towards the bleachers. He's holding his head in his hands, and then he sits down, folding into himself.

  "I knew you'd make it." He kisses my forehead and ushers me towards the benches on the opposite side of the gym. When Junior notices us walking close, he jumps up from his seat and wraps me up.

  "He's been worried sick," he whispers in my ear.

  "How have you been?" I ask back, looking him up and down as if I haven't seen him in weeks.

  "I just can't wait to see her." He smiles at me, no doubt in his voice, and my stomach lurches. I just pray that she makes it back here. Guilt rises in the back of my throat, acidic and unwelcome. I should've stayed and waited for everyone. If anything happens to her, I'll die with grief.

  "Are you hurt? Professor Onassis left us with medical supplies."

  "I don't think so." I stop and feel my body, bending and stretching it out. "I'm just sore everywhere. Maybe a broken rib, but you can't repair that. I'm good." I pause and look around the quiet gym.

  The group from Louisiana jumps out of the portal. They huddle together around Nikias, who's lying on top of one of the bleachers. Nobody is crying or asking for help, so I just look away.

  Atee is still in the center of the room, holding his hands up for the portal. Cristos sits on the opposite side of the room, still looking at the ground. And then there's my dad, Junior, and me.

  "Where's Professor Onassis?" I ask my dad, but after a moment of him not answering, I look to Junior. Both frown at me, afraid to tell me what's going on. "Where is she?" I yell out at the two of them.

  "Sweetie—"

  "Just tell me where she is!"

  "They think she had a heart attack. She's at the nurse's office."

  I don't listen to the rest of what he says. I ignore the yells behind me and sprint to the Administration Building. The doors are locked when I get there, but I slam my fist against the window and jump through the small rectangular opening.

  A woman yells at me as I run through the hall, but I ignore her too. I walk into the one room with yellow light and see her. Cece lies in the bed, hooked up to a monitor that beeps consistently.

  "Cece?" I step towards the bed, but the sight of her makes my chest ache.

  "Eury, is that you, dear?"

  "It's me."

  "Miss, you can't be in here." The nurse barges into the room and tries to stop me from seeing Cece. She grabs onto my bicep and tugs me backwards, away from Cece.

  "She's okay, Ingrid. Let her stay." I look back, and the nurse nods, releasing my hand from her grip. She shuts the door and leaves us be. "Well, come sit." Cece lifts her hand just a bit and pats the bed. The oxygen plugged into her nose makes her voice nasally. It's weak and shaky. She doesn't look good; her eyes can barely stay open for more than a second.

  "What happened?"

  "They said it was a heart attack. I'm on the machines, but it won't be long now." A sob breaks from my lips. I cover my mouth with one hand and take her hand in mine with the other. "We knew this was going to happen."

  "I didn't know it would happen so fast."

  "Tell me about the war." She turns her head, and it flops on the pillow. Her violet eyes have lost their sparkle. Her chest rises and falls at strange increments, and I'm scared I only have minutes before she leaves me.

  "A lot of people died…" My voice trails as the reality of the day hits me. I cover my mouth again and lean on the bed, trying to contain my outburst. "Nobody else is back yet. I don't know what has happened."

  "Who is your soul mate?" Cece smiles, just two dimples popping up, and her strength gives me courage to stop crying.

  "It's Ari."

  "Oh, how wonderful. How did Orpheus take the news?"

  "He killed his father."

  "Don't cut him out of your life. I'm sure it's hard on him to learn that all these years he's been lied to. You love him, too. Make it right."

  "I'll try, but I think he hates me. I didn't even recognize him in the Underworld."

  "He'll get better if you let him." I nod. "And Linus?"

  "He was wonderful. You would be so proud of him." Cece lifts a hand and coughs into a piece of cloth. She tries to hide it from me, but I notice the red splotches as she tucks it into the bedside.

  "I'm fine. Tell me more. Tell me a story." Her voice is so soft, it's hard to hear he
r. She sounds childlike. My heart hurts. I squeeze my lips shut and bite on my lower lip to stop myself from crying.

  "Thank you." If this is the last time I get to talk to her, she needs to know how much I love her and how thankful I am for her. "You saved us all. You've been there for me the entire time. I can't even thank you enough. You're more than a mentor to me. I love you."

  "Any second…" Her eyes flutter shut and her head lolls to the side. I reach for her wrist and feel a very faint pulse, caressing. She can't die yet. I didn't say enough!

  "Nurse!" I jump from the bed and call down the hall again. Nobody answers. The only noise is the echo from my yells. "Nurse!" I sprint up and down until I find the woman in the break room.

  She looks up from her magazine. "What is it?"

  "She's fading. We have to do something. Come!" I grab the woman's hand and pull her down the hall with me. The monitor isn't steady anymore. The beats are far apart and then rapid.

  "Cece, it's me. Don't leave me yet. Okay. You're fine. You'll get better. Come on." I cry as I clutch Cece's hand on the cot. I search her wrist for a pulse, but I don't find it this time. I reach for her neck that is covered in sweat, and her pulse completely gone.

  "Help her!" I scream at the nurse.

  "She's gone, sweetie. There's nothing I can do."

  "She can't be gone! She's the strongest person I know." I drop my head on her frail leg and cry into her blankets, clutching them. I hear the nurse page someone from the phone on the white wall. I don't want to believe that this could happen.

  She's a god. She can't just die from a heart attack. She's stronger than that. This can't be happening. We have to do something. Kara can fix this. I know she can. We can just bring her back.

  "Ryder." My dad comes over to me, his chest rising and falling fast like he just ran a marathon. He picks me up into his arms, my body limp. I sink down into my dad's arms, and we fall to the ground, leaning against the cot.

  I bring my knees into my chest as my dad holds me around my shoulders. A heavy sob explodes from my chest; and then after that, I can't control what's happening to me.