by J. N. Colon
Hartley
My fingers shook as I dialed Hermes’ number on the way out the castle. Several souls and demigods questioned what was happening, but I waved them off. How could I tell them when I couldn’t even find the words myself? My heart was crumbling inside my chest, aching and frantic for Hayden.
“Whoa,” Hermes said over the line. “What do I owe the pleasure of a call for? You usually text me SOS or 911 when you need a lift to the Underworld.”
“Just get here now Hermes.” My voice shook. “I’m in the Underworld.”
His laughter halted. “Wait, what? You’re already there. What do you need me for? Where’s Hayden?”
A strange noise escaped my mouth, sounding similar to a tortured sob. “I don’t know,” I whispered so quietly I wasn’t sure if he heard me.
“On my way.” The line ended.
We dashed through the doorway that led to the throne room on Mt. Olympus. I told Hermes I’d explain everything when we arrived. I wouldn’t be able to repeat it. I was already having trouble forming any thoughts on it.
Hayden was gone.
Ixion was the god of the Underworld.
Hayden was gone.
Each thought pierced a hole through my shivering heart. It was so cold without Hayden. I was so cold.
A few gods were present, but they blurred in my periphery. Hera loomed over the seer’s mirror, curling a copper strand of hair around her finger. She stood when she noticed our noisy entrance.
“Hartley.” A smile spread across her face, doing nothing to soften her hard, emerald eyes. “What a lovely…”
“Where’s Zeke?” I interrupted. Out of the two I trusted him more—slightly.
Her face fell and brow arched suspiciously. “Why do you need to see him?”
“It’s important,” I hissed, having no patience for the bitch that was my mother. “Where is he?”
Hera crossed her arms against her chest and smirked. “He’s busy. I’d be more than happy to pass along a message for you.”
My jaw flexed, my fear and panic melting into anger. I did not have time for Hera’s petty jealousy or her queenly attitude. “For the last time Hera…” My voice dripped with venom. “Where. Is. ZEUS!”
My sheer wrath forced Hera a step back, her eyes wide with surprise. The other gods in the room shifted awkwardly, a mixture of shock and apprehension staining the atmosphere. Zeke appeared through one of the hallways, hurrying toward me, his brow deeply furrowed and jaw clenched.
“Hartley.” He stopped a foot away, his dark blonde hair and tan skin gleaming under the golden lights of Olympus.
His appearance was the exact opposite of Hayden’s shades of black and silver. Simply picturing his image forced a lump in my throat and a tightness in my chest that made it hard to breathe. “H-Hayden…” I took a deep breath and blinked back the fury of tears my eyes wanted to unleash. I went for a different approach. “Ixion stole Hayden’s powers.”
A gasp echoed through the room. “That’s not possible,” Hera said. “He’s only a demigod.”
I shook my head. “It is possible. I’ve seen it.” The memory of his control over me was still fresh in my mind. “Hayden’s gone too.”
Hermes stepped forward and put a hand on my shoulder, his cherubic face void of its usual boyish humor. “What do you mean Hartley?”
My lips quivered. “Ixion did something with him and won’t tell me where he is.” I brought my attention back to Zeke. “That’s what’s been happening to his powers. It didn’t have anything to do with Hayden being away from the Underworld. It was Ixion slowly stealing them.”
Zeke took another step forward and reached out to touch my cheek, letting his drop back to his side at the last second. “I’m so sorry Hartley. I never thought Ixion was capable of something like this.”
“What does he want exactly?” Hermes slipped his hand off my shoulder, but remained close. “Why the Underworld?”
I shrugged, at a loss.
“I always assumed he’d come after us,” Hera mumbled more to herself than anyone. “I guess we got lucky.”
My head snapped in her direction, anger coiling in my chest. “Yeah, you did get lucky.” My gaze flickered to Zeke. “You two seem to always get lucky.”
Zeke’s brows met. “What do you mean?”
“You two get through everything unscathed.”
Hera tilted her head. “Now Hartley…”
“No,” I hissed. “It’s true. Ever since the gods have entered my life you two have been the cause of so much shit and you always walk away clean.”
“That’s not exactly true.” Zeke was referring to him losing me to Hayden.
I ignored him and the hurt flashing in his blue eyes. “Everything falls all over me and Hayden. We are always the ones that fix your mistakes and take the brunt of consequences from whatever game you’re playing.” I gripped my chest. “Hayden and me. And once again we are in the path of the storm because of something you did.”
“Hartley, we will fix this. I promise.” Zeke reached toward me, but I slapped his hand away.
“This is all your fault!” I shouted and thrust my finger into his chest. “Hayden is gone because you were jealous and overreacted.”
Hera tried to mask her smirk with a concerned expression. “This wouldn’t be happening if you hadn’t tossed Ixion into Tartarus.”
“Oh shut up Hera. You’re as much to blame as Zeke is.”
Her mouth hung open, forming a little ‘O’ of surprise.
“Both of you did this!” I shoved Zeke away so that he knocked into Hera. “And now Hayden and I are suffering. Hayden is gone and I’m all alone because of you. I’m stuck with Ixion as ruler of the Underworld, my home, and neither of you can fix it!” My breath was ragged and I could feel the unshed tears burning my eyes. I gritted my teeth and pointed between them. “I’ll never forgive you if I can’t get Hayden back.” My voice cracked with emotion, shattering the dam to release the flood of tears free flowing down my face.
A thick, warm arm smelling faintly of gunpowder wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me back. “Take us to the Underworld Hermes.” Reese drew me into his body and surprisingly I let him. Anything to get away from the two people who continued to ruin my life. “I’ll try to talk some sense into my son.”
I glanced up, Reese’s face distorted by tears. “You think it’ll work?”
A ghost of a smile appeared. “If not I’ll beat some sense into him. I am the god of war and he’s only been the god of the Underworld a few hours.”
I clung to Reese with the hope he was right, that he could get Ixion to release Hayden. If not I feared my world would be swallowed up by the icy darkness within me.
The moment we crossed the threshold into the cavernous room where Ixion was perched in Hayden’s throne Reese released a battle cry and rushed him.
I should have known the god of war would skip the talking and get straight to business.
“Now, give this up,” Reese snarled, delivering a punch to Ixion’s jaw.
Ixion caught the brunt of the hit, but his head snapped back around so fast it surprised Reese. He sent his father flying into the chaise, shattering it with a loud clatter.
A memory of Hayden and me on that chaise from earlier burned through my mind, forcing agony into my heart.
Reese scrambled up, clotheslining his son him and bringing him to the marble with a resonated smack. He pressed a knee against Ixion’s chest, holding him down while he tried to pry Hayden’s onyx ring off his index finger.
Peals of manic laughter spilled from Ixion’s mouth. “You know it doesn’t work that way,” he said. “You can’t just pull it off my finger. You either weaken my powers or I give it to you.”
With a growl Reese released him and sat on his haunches. “Well, give it to me then.”
A sliver of panic sliced my heart, remembering Reese had wanted the Underworld for himself only a few months ago. What if he decided to take it?
Herm
es must have known where my mind was going because he squeezed my hand and shook his head. “He won’t.”
Ixion sat up, pushing dark curls from his face. “Now why would I do that dear ole dad?” He straightened his green shirt.
“Do it or I’ll beat the shit out of you.”
A knowing smile lit Ixion’s face as he shook his finger. “Tsk, tsk. You don’t want to be doing that.”
“Oh really?”
He nodded and snapped his fingers. A blaze of crimson appeared in the center of the room. Within that blaze stood a perplexed and disheveled Hayden.
A gasp escaped my mouth and I ran toward him until Ixion caught me and held me in place using Underworld power. “Hayden!” I yelled, tears raining down my cheeks. I was so close I could almost touch him. The urge to reach him was unbearable, my muscles straining unsuccessfully against Ixion’s power. It was pure and utter torture. So close and yet not close enough.
A snarl ripped from Hayden and he tried in vain to escape the flames to get to me, a storm of rage brewing in his gray eyes that would normally be blazing crimson at this point.
Ixion stood and dusted off his clothes. “I already told you Hartley not to try this crap with me.”
“Why!” I shouted, my voice thick with emotion. “Why do you want the Underworld? Hayden didn’t do this to you.”
He shrugged. “Hera needs a king to love. She needs a man with power and authority, not some lowly demigod. It was easier to take the Underworld than Mt. Olympus.” He admired the onyx ring. “Plus, who knows? Once I have Hera, maybe we’ll both overthrow Zeus.”
Fuming, I pulled on my own Underworld power to shatter Ixion’s hold, every muscle in my body taut and burning until my head felt close to exploding from pressure.
“Hartley! I’ll get back to you! I will,” Hayden called, noticing my futile attempts.
My body slumped from exhaustion, my heart cracking into a million pieces.
Ixion’s dark eyes met all of ours. “If anyone opposes me I will kill Hades.”
A rush of fear and anxiety hemorrhaged into my bloodstream, forcing tremors through my entire system.
“You piece of shit,” Hermes muttered while Reese glared, helpless.
Ixion rocked happily on his feet. “Well, now that all this is settled…”
“Ixion!” Hayden growled. “If you fucking touch Hartley I will rip you limb from limb. Nothing you’ve experienced in Tartarus will compare to what I will do to you!” His nostrils flared like a wild animal on the verge of a vicious attack, his eyes pure anger within the chilling shade of silvery gray.
Even without the Underworld powers or throne Hayden could still be terrifying. Only Ixion didn’t seem fazed by it. He smiled joyfully as if winning a game and snapped his fingers, Hayden disappearing along with the fire that held him captive.
A strangled cry left my mouth at his departure. Ixion finally released me and I would have fallen if not for Reese’s arms unexpectedly encircling me.
He waved us on. “All right. You can all get out of my castle now.”
“Hartley lives here too.” Hermes’ face was uncharacteristically flushed with anger as he made his way toward us.
Ixion’s dark eyes surveyed me. “Fine. You can stay Hartley, but only because Hera’s your mother.”
Never did I think I would be thankful to be her daughter.
I stood straight and tried to pull away from Reese, but my knees trembled, threatening to buckle so I held on. “Stay out of mine and Hayden’s bedroom.” My voice was less threatening than I hoped.
The corners of his lips twitched. “You’re so cute, like a little kitten.”
I scowled.
“As you wish princess.” Ixion bowed dramatically. He winked and then tapped his chin in thought. “You know, you do look like Hera.”
My skin crawled at his underlying meaning while foreboding flowed through my veins. Not only had I lost Hayden, but I now had to live with the manic god who ripped him from me.
Chapter 15
I listlessly pushed salad around on my plate, not bothering to even feign eating. Everything was tasteless anyways. The fluorescent bulbs in the cafeteria were bright, washing the room in harsh, stark light. Conversations were unfolding around me, their words only low buzzing to my ears.
Hayden’s been gone a week. A whole week. And everything we tried has been in vain. Si’s visit to the oracle was useless. She had no prophecies about this. Reese and I went to three seers and they all saw the same thing—Hayden lost in darkness and Ixion ruling the Underworld. I even begged Zeke to pull rank, but he was afraid Ixion would kill Hayden in retaliation.
Of course he was right. Didn’t make it any less painful. The one person I hadn’t asked for help was Hera. She wouldn’t anyways. She probably didn’t want to piss Ixion off in case he decided to exact revenge on her instead of wanting her love.
That bitch wasn’t capable of love.
“Hartley, did you hear me?”
I glanced up to see Laurie sitting across the table from me, blinking her green eyes expectantly.
“No.” I couldn’t even pretend. The ice inside me was diamond hard and just as sharp without Hayden. I wasn’t capable of donning that happy, queen bee persona anymore. I felt lost and cold, the absence of part of my soul so present it hurt.
It was with Hayden, wherever he was.
My dreams were filled with the last memories of him, us making love and falling asleep in his arms. The heat he brought then was a distant memory, a mere shadow.
“Hartley, I was talking about a massive after graduation party…” Laurie’s voice trailed off, her face squishing in worry. “Are you crying?” Her gaze traveled to Callie and Jake who were beside me and then to Will who was beside her.
I reached up and felt a single tear running down my cold cheek. Sometimes I wasn’t sure I was capable of crying anymore and then suddenly tears would spring up without warning.
Callie’s hand found mine. “Hartley, what’s wrong? You can’t be this upset over Hayden going out of town. He’s in Australia, visiting his parents. He’ll be back.”
“Um… I know,” I whispered. I couldn’t bear to look at her so I focused on Laurie, but she was chewing so relentlessly on her bottom lip it made me anxious. I found myself looking at Will whose baby blues were eyeing me with a mixture of concern and suspicion. “I’m just…” Damn. I didn’t even have the strength to come up with a good lie, a lie at all and Will could read it all over my face.
A hand found my knee on the other side and squeezed. “Let’s get out of here Hartley.” Reese’s warm breath blew against my ear. He’d been stuck to my side for the last few days. I would have complained, but that would have meant I had feeling in my body. That normally only occurred in the Underworld and then it was mostly sadness and anger.
I broke eye contact with Will and stood. “I’ll see you guys later.”
Callie latched onto my wrist with her tiny fingers, her blue eyes pleading. “Hartley, talk to us.”
“I’m fine,” I said flatly. I’d repeated that phrase more this past week than in my entire life. Her lips started to tremble and even though I could hardly feel it, I hated myself for making Callie upset.
I sighed. “I’ll be fine.” That’s all I could give her.
She nodded and slipped her fingers off.
Reese grabbed my uneaten salad and tossed it on his tray. He gripped my hand and pulled me away as if my feet wouldn’t work if he didn’t. Maybe they wouldn’t.
He dumped his tray.
“Where are we going?” I asked. It was odd putting my trust in someone who once tried to kill me—and yet Reese wasn’t the same manic god who wanted to steal the Underworld. Right now he was one of the only people I could stand to be around.
Reese wrapped his thick arm around me, pulling me into his body. “Outside.” He rubbed my shoulder. “You’re freezing.”
“I know.” I pressed my face into his chest as he led me out, his warmth not even
enough to penetrate the ice inside me.
I stalked into the kitchen to get a soda while Reese dumped my books on the vanilla colored breakfast bar. I would have forgotten them if he hadn’t grabbed them out my last class.
Footsteps resonated from the basement and the door swung open to reveal my dad, his smile quickly fading as he took in my appearance. I was wearing ratty jeans and an old hoodie with a sports team on the front. I thought it was Will’s from middle school or maybe Jake’s. Honestly, it didn’t matter. I found it in a drawer this morning and tossed it on over my t-shirt. It was almost summer in the south, but I couldn’t have been colder.
My dad’s amber eyes flitted over to Reese. I ignored the worried glances between them and popped the tab on my soda, taking a tasteless sip.
My dad awkwardly cleared his throat and walked into the kitchen, jamming his hands into his jean pockets. “Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?”
I shook my head.
A frown creased his face. “Hartley, you have to eat. You can’t starve yourself.”
I rolled my eyes. I’d be annoyed if I wasn’t so numb from the cold. “I’m not hungry.”
“Hayden wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself…” His words trailed off as Reese sucked his teeth.
“Not a good tactic,” he mumbled under his breath.
My gaze narrowed on them. “Why don’t the two of you see if you can find any more information on Ixion or Hayden’s whereabouts?”
“I don’t think you should be alone.” My dad crossed his arms against his chest, a stern expression deepening the lines on his face.
“I’ll be fine.” I grabbed my soda and headed for the stairs.
“What if the Underworld yanks on your chain?” Reese asked.
I slipped my phone from my pocket and wiggled it. “I got you and Hermes on speed dial. I’ll be fine.”
In my room I plopped on my bed, laying back to stare at the white matte ceiling.
We’d had it too good over the past few months. It was bound to come crashing down. I just didn’t think it would be in the form of a psycho demigod stealing Hayden’s powers and imprisoning him.