Hera, Queen of Mortals (Goddess Unbound)

by Thomas, T. D.

  "Intestinal adenocarcinoma," Darren repeated. "You have to go back and tell them to check for that specifically. Insist, Mom. Yes? Yes! Thank you! Thank you! Yes. Good night. I love you too."

  Darren turned off his phone and slipped it back in his pocket. He wouldn't meet my eyes.

  "So you believe me," I said.

  "I don't know," he said quietly. "I ... you seem to know things...but you could be lying..."

  I shut my eyes. "Red convertible. Blonde in the front next to a redhead."

  A second later, the car drove up, exactly as I described. The redhead spotted Darren and began to wave frantically.

  "Darren! Darren!" she called. "You going to Halcyon? Darren!"

  But the car drove off before he could say anything.

  "You... you can see the future?" he asked, eyes wide.

  "Unfortunately mortal bodies can only hold so much power," I said, "so each god can only bring one power to your world. It's the same for Heroes. One power each. Any more, and your bodies would disintegrate."

  "Heroes?" Darren echoed, shaking his head.

  "People like you," I told him. "Special people. I can give you your powers... if you agree to help me."

  "Help you what?" he said. He didn't sound like he believed me. But he didn't sound like he didn't believe me either. He was caught in limbo.

  "There are gods," I explained, "like me. But there are other things. Creatures of chaos. Dangerous. Evil."

  "What? Like, monsters?" Darren asked incredulously.

  I opened my mouth to answer. But then I felt it. A pull. A shiver. A moment of dizziness.

  I grabbed Darren and pulled him against me. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw them. They were looking right at us.

  If they came into the alley, before Darren had powers, it would be over before it began. Ekhidna would take the mortal world, and I would lose everything. So I did the one thing that no one, not monsters, not gods, would ever have guessed that I'd do.

  I kissed Darren. I grabbed his neck and pressed him against me. My fingers grabbed his hair. I even moaned a little. I had to sell it.

  I felt sick, but the nausea was guilt, nothing more. The monsters were gone. I pushed Darren away and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

  "What..." he started.

  "Keep your voice down," I hissed.

  "You kissed me!" he accused.

  "I didn't have a choice," I snapped. "Trust me."

  "You kissed me, but it wasn't your choice?" he replied.

  "The guys who just passed here," I answered tightly. "They weren't human."

  "You mean, they were like you?" Darren asked.

  "No, not like me," I said. "Monsters."

  "No way!" Darren exclaimed. "Really?"

  To my surprise, he actually smiled a little. He headed to the front of the alley. I caught his arm, but he shook me off.

  "They look normal from the back," he observed, leaning out to study them.

  I pulled him back into the alley.

  "You idiot!" I hissed. "They could have seen you, and then we'd both be dead."

  "Are you sure they're monsters?" Darren asked, narrowing his eyes.

  "Of course I'm sure!" I snapped. "We can sense each other."

  My eyes widened. "They must've picked up our trail somehow. They're heading to the Halcyon. They're going after Demeter! We have to hurry!"

  Darren turned back to the mouth of the alley, but I caught him.

  "No," I told him. "You have to get your powers first."

  "Bring 'em on," Darren said.

  Limbo was over. Maybe it was my genuine desperation. Maybe he just wanted to believe. But somehow, Darren had made his decision. Thankfully, it was the right one.

  I pulled out the second amulet from my pocket.

  He had no idea what he was getting into, that it would change his life forever. But there was no other way, and with Demeter's life at stake, I didn't risk scaring him off.

  "Repeat after me," I said.

  "Why?" he asked.

  "Just do it!" I snapped.

  Anger flashed in his eyes, but he controlled himself.

  "I swear by the River Styx to serve the gods always," I instructed.

  He recited it obediently, and the weight of the vow slammed into him so hard and so suddenly that he stumbled. But as he straightened, he met my eyes steadily. He had an iron will, buried deep under the rest of the macho crap. Whatever else he might be, Darren was a Hero.

  I pressed the amulet against his chest. I quickly stepped back.

  Darren yelled as the amulet seared itself into his body. He fell to his knees. He looked at me, eyes full of fear. I tried to reassure him, but I couldn't interrupt the process.

  Finally, it was over. The fire died away, and I broke the scab on my finger where Demeter had cut me when we performed the ritual on Jason. I rubbed a drop of my blood on the amulet. I spoke the sacred words. The ritual was complete.

  Darren dropped to the ground like a rock. He'd passed out from the pain.

  I knelt beside him. I couldn't let him rest, not even for a second. It could already be too late. But I couldn't think about that.

  I shook Darren. His eyes fluttered open. He coughed as I helped him sit up.

  "What... what did you do to me?" he sputtered.

  "What I had to," I told him. "Can you stand?"

  He nodded. I helped him up. As soon as he could, he pulled away from me. But he began to fall again. When I tried to support him, he shook me off and caught himself on the wall of the alley instead.

  "You have a power now," I told him, "but there's no way to know what it is. When you're ready, just focus on the amulet. Your power will answer your call."

  Darren closed his eyes. The amulet on his chest pulsed orange. Fiery energy flowed from the gem and into his eyes. Then, it vanished.

  I waited. He waited. We waited.

  "How long..." Darren started.

  "It's been long enough," I interrupted. "I'm sorry. We can't wait any longer."

  I headed for the Halcyon.

  "So, I... I didn't get a power?" he ventured, as he followed me.

  "You got one," I assured him. "It's just something subtle. We'll figure it out later when we have time."

  "So, what now?" Darren asked.

  "Now we save my sister," I replied shortly, stopping in front of the door to the club. "We don't know what your powers are, but you can still help me. You're just going to have to be careful. I don't know what kind of monsters these are, but they're going to be strong and tough, no matter how they might look."

  Darren flexed his enormous hands and nodded. "I can fight."

  "Good," I replied. "Because you're going to. Just stay close and do what I say - no questions - and we both might survive."

  Darren nodded, and I took a deep breath.

  Then I reached for the door.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  "It's locked!" I fumed.

  Darren tried the door himself. No luck.

  "Follow me," he said.

  He led me to an alley on the other side of the Halcyon. I was so lost in thought, trying to figure out how to save my sister, that I didn't even see that he'd stopped. I walked directly into him.

  "What is it?" I demanded.

  Darren didn't answer. He was staring at something across the street. I followed his gaze to an electronics store. The display window was full of big screen T.V.s. Some martial arts movie was playing.

  "You'll get enough fighting inside," I said. "Real fighting."

  But he didn't answer.

  I pushed past him. If there was a back entrance down this alley, I'd find it myself.

  I spotted a metal door in the side of the Halcyon, but when I got to it, I saw there was no handle. It only opened from the inside.

  Darren ran toward me. He didn't say anything. He just felt along the top of the door. Then, he slid his hand down a couple inches and banged three times. The door popped open an inch, just enough for Darren to sli
p his fingers in and pull it open.

  "After you," Darren said.

  I found myself in some kind of kitchen. It was pitch black. Something was wrong. I could feel it.

  I jumped as the door shut behind me.

  "Quiet!" I hissed.

  I crept forward slowly. Monsters had superhuman senses. I couldn't risk one spotting us. We had the advantage of surprise, and I intended to keep it that way.

  After what felt like an eternity, I reached the swinging doors that led out of the kitchen. I pushed against them with excruciating slowness, willing them not to squeak, but after a couple of inches, they creaked loudly. To me, it was the loudest screech I'd ever heard.

  I tried to scramble back, but it was too late. I heard footsteps coming down the hall. I wouldn't have time to make it to the back of the kitchen.

  I pressed myself against the wall next to the doors.

  The doors opened. I didn't risk meeting the monster's eyes. I didn't want it to feel me watching it.

  My heart was racing. My face flushed. I felt unbearably hot.

  Darren caught my gaze. I could just make out his eyes in the light coming through the door.

  I shook my head slightly. I didn't want him to try anything stupid. But there was so much Zeus in him. The same strength; the same stubbornness; and the same thirst for battle.

  I was so focused on trying to will Darren into not rushing the monster that I didn't even realize I was supporting myself on a food cart. The cart, which had been ever so slowly shifting under my weight, finally rushed out from beside me with a loud scraping noise. I fell backward onto the kitchen floor.

  The monster was on me in a heartbeat. In the dark, its eyes glowed red. I recognized that glow. An oni.

  In their real form, they were hideous giants with horns and claws, incredibly strong with virtually impenetrable skin. But apart from its eyes, this oni looked mortal.

  It must have changed into mortal form to infiltrate the club. Monsters could take the form of mortals when they wanted, a clever trick to go unnoticed. But the transformation weakened them, sapped their powers. They inherited mortal weaknesses, along with mortal appearance.

  But this oni didn't need its powers to kill me.

  It wrapped its hands around my throat. I tried to pry its fingers loose. But even weakened, the oni was far too strong. It was all I could do to keep it from crushing my throat.

  I'd felt this way before. When Justin, his sanity shattered, had tried to choke the life out of me. I'd barely escaped then. Only the remnants of his love for me had saved me. I had no hope now.

  And then, suddenly, I could breathe again.

  I wheezed and coughed as I struggled to sit up.

  I saw movement in the shadows. Darren. The oni. Fighting. They moved so fast, so furiously, my eyes could barely follow them. Darren struck and dodged, fluid and graceful. Punches. Kicks. There was beauty in his brutality, in how he hit eyes and temples and joints, and every time the oni opened its mouth to call for help, Darren punched it solidly in the throat.

  I'd never seen anything like it.

  And then I realized I had: in the electronics store window.

  The oni fought back ferociously, but it was clearly outmatched. It wasn't used to fighting without its powers, and Darren was taking full advantage of that.

  But the oni had advantages of its own. I knew what to look for - Darren didn't - so I saw it before Darren did. The oni's skin was changing. It was turning back to its real form. When the transformation was complete, the oni would be invincible.

  "It's changing!" I hissed at Darren, trying to keep my voice low. "You have to kill it. Now!"

  But it was too late. The oni had transformed even faster than I'd thought. Its skin was bright scarlet, and now it was growing bigger and bigger. Soon, it would dwarf Darren and crush him like a bug. Already Darren's blows were glancing off it with little effect.

  Darren moved in for a killing strike, but after a series of rapid punches, he pulled back, exhausted.

  The oni smiled. With a swipe of its massive arm, it smashed Darren into the ground.

  I closed my eyes. My power wasn't much when it came to fighting, but it was all I had.

  When I opened them, the oni was already bending over me, reaching for my throat.

  But I'd seen that coming. I pushed off the wall behind me and slid right between its legs. Before it could swing around to face me, I kicked the back of its knee as hard as I could.

  The oni's leg buckled, and it toppled to the ground.

  The other monsters had to have heard the crash. I grabbed Darren and dragged him to the exit. We slipped outside before the oni was back on its feet and long before its reinforcements arrived.

  Darren was starting to recover, which was no small miracle. Oni were brutes, the strongest of all monsters. Darren had to be tougher than he looked. That was good, because this wasn't over. It wouldn't be over until I got my sister back, and every monster in that club was dead.

  CHAPTER NINE

  "We've got to go back," I said. "My sister is still alive. I saw her with my powers."

  "Even if we get back in, what's going to stop them from beating the crap out of us again?" Darren countered, rubbing the back of his neck. "And by us, I mean, me."

  "They're weak in human form," I answered. "Vulnerable."

  "So why become human then?" Darren asked.

  "Rules," I answered. I was still preoccupied, running scenario after scenario through my head. So far, none of them were ending well.

  "Rules?" he echoed.

  "Rules," I said. "We gods call it the Necessity. It's a force, like gravity. No one knows why or how it exists. It just does. And it states that supernatural beings, like gods and monsters, can't reveal their existence to humanity. One or two mortals maybe, but even that's a risk, and if you break the Rules, you get erased."

  "Erased," Darren repeated.

  "From existence," I finished. "From all memory. Like you never were. Now, help me find a way into the club. You know the Halcyon. You hang out here all the time. Think, Darren!"

  Darren said nothing. He opened his mouth, but then he shut it again.

  "What?" I asked.

  "There's a window at the top," he recalled. "I saw it once when I was helping the manager put away some old holiday junk. They don't keep it locked, because it's so high up. But there's no way we can get up there. It's three storeys up."

  "We'll see about that," I replied.

  We headed back to the Halcyon from the alley where we were hiding. To my surprise, there was no sign of any oni out looking for us. They weren't even standing guard outside. Strange.

  I spotted the window Darren had described.

  "The fire escape," I said, pointing. "We can use that to get up to the window."

  "The fire escape's still two storeys up," Darren replied. "We can't reach it."

  "So climb," I said.

  "I don't think..." he started.

  "Wrong," I interrupted. "From now on, you do think. Darren, I know what your power is. It's hypersophia. You can learn anything, and I mean, anything, incredibly fast. All you have to do is see something once, and you can do it."

  "So, you want me to watch you climb?" Darren guessed.

  "No," I sighed. "I want you to take out your smartphone and look it up. Freehand climbing, parkour, or whatever you mortals do to climb up things. And for Heavens' sake, hurry!"

  Darren slipped out his phone and started tapping away. Then he looked at it intently for a minute or two. Those minutes felt like forever. So I shut my eyes to make use of the time.

  Images flew across my mind. Then stopped. Then new images flickered.

  I grabbed Darren's arm. "We're out of time. The oni have finished searching the ground floor. They're heading up the stairs. That's where Demeter and Jason are hiding!"

  "Jason?" Darren replied.

  "I'll explain later," I told him. "Just climb!"

  Darren went to the wall and studied it for a mo
ment. I was just about to yell at him to hurry when he leapt against it. He clung like a spider. His fingers and feet found nooks and crannies that I couldn't even see.

  He started to scale the wall, slowly at first, and then faster and faster as his confidence grew. In no time at all, he reached the fire escape and hauled himself up. He quickly lowered it down for me.

  I climbed up the ladder, slipping several times. Darren gave me his hand. I ignored it. It's what the old me would have done, the me before I was sad and frightened all the time. The new me wanted to take Darren's hand. The new me needed to take it, because the new me was mortal and sad and weak. Well, the new me could suck it. I made it up on my own. Eventually.

  I pushed past Darren and headed up the stairs of the fire escape to the third floor window. Instead of bothering to open it, I tapped three times.

  Demeter's astonished face appeared on the other side. She lifted up the window and helped me in.

  "They're coming," I warned.

  Demeter went pale.

  "They've taken everyone in the club hostage," she said quickly. "Hera, they'll kill them all if we don't do something."

  They would too. Oni were savage. It was a miracle they hadn't slaughtered everyone already.

  Unless someone had ordered them not to.

  Ekhidna.

  "You found a Hero!" Demeter gasped.

  But as Darren clambered through the window, Demeter's eyes narrowed dangerously. She saw the resemblance, and she didn't like it any more than I did. But where I had mixed feelings for Zeus, Demeter was single-minded. Zeus had hurt me worse than anyone. He'd broken my heart, and he'd done it over and over again. Demeter remembered that, and Demeter did not forgive.

  "This is Darren," I said. "He's hypersophic."

  "You're kidding," Demeter replied, eying him up and down. She cocked her head. "He doesn't look very smart."

  "He's not," Jason assured her.

  "What's the drama queen doing here?" Darren demanded, curling his lip at Jason.

  "Enough!" I snapped. "We're all on the same side. Jason is a Hero, just like you, and a powerful one."

  "Oh, yeah? What's his power?" Darren challenged.

  "This," Jason replied.

  He gestured, and Darren slammed backward into the window, cracking it.