by G. Bailey
That’s where the relief ends, though. I’m in the midst of a lovely dream about hiking in the mountains with Mads when my sleep is brought to a screeching halt; the sound of an explosion, nearly deafening in its volume, shatters the fog of dreams, sending my heart racing. At first my sleep-addled brain convinces me that, too, was part of the dream, and I roll over, snuggling deeper into Killian’s arms…but then the sounds of the guys stirring has me coming to my senses, and I realise with a jolt of dread that this is no dream. I bolt up into a sitting position, eyes wide as I wonder what the hell just happened, and that’s when a second, louder blast sounds, close enough to us that I can feel the vibrations of it rumbling through the floor.
“Guys,” I begin, but Storm is already sitting up, and Seth has swung his legs onto the floor. Killian is the last to wake up, and it takes some nudging for me to get him to open his eyes. “What’s going on?” I hiss, glancing frantically around at the others. Elsewhere in the house, I can hear the voices of the others as they get up; lights are coming on in the corridor as we all try to make sense of what happened.
“I have no idea,” Seth replies. “Maybe—”
But that’s when a third, final blast, this one even more intense than the others, explodes all around us, shaking the foundations of the house and nearly bowling me over with its sheer force. I jerk instinctively to the left, rolling over Seth and off the bed before I’m even aware that I’m scrambling to get away from…whatever it was. The world is upside-down for a moment, and part of me wonders if this is it, if the whole house is about to go up in flames at any time, but a cautious whiff of the air doesn’t alert me to fire, which is good. As for the rest of it, though…
A strong hand grips my upper arm, firm but gentle, and helps me to my feet. I turn to see Storm peering down at me. It’s still dark outside, and the light is limited to the moonlight streaming in through the slats of my window. “Are you all right?” Storm demands, his eyes searching mine in the darkness.
I nod, realise he probably can’t see me, and struggle to find my voice. “I’m fine,” I reply. “Are you okay? What about the others?”
“I’m good,” Seth replies, standing up with a low groan, “although you hit me pretty hard in the chest back there.”
“Sorry,” I murmur, still on edge. My body is flooded with adrenaline, and I’m expecting another explosion any second. “Killian…?”
“Good, fine,” the other justice god mumbles, his voice still sounding bleary with sleep. “Was having a nice dream, though.”
“You and me both,” I inform him grimly. “We need to get out of here. Where’s the rest of my family?”
As if on cue, the sound of mum’s voice echoes down the hallway faintly. “Karma? Hugo, Peyton?”
“I’m in here,” I yell out. My eyes are only just now adjusting to the darkness, and I fumble my way to the bedroom door, reaching a hand out behind me instinctively. A larger, warm hand takes it, and even though I can’t be sure whose it is, the sensation fills me with comfort. “We’re here, we’re okay!”
“What the hell was that?” I can hear Peyton’s voice coming from the other direction, along with the frantic sounds of Hugo and Damien stumbling down the hallway.
I manage to get the door open and step out into the corridor, which is only marginally better lit than my bedroom. I can see mum and dad in the doorway to their room, staring around with wide eyes, still dressed in their sleeping clothes. Hugo and Damien are working their way down the hall, and then I see the confused face of Peyton peering out from the room he and Mads have been sharing. He’s standing in front of her in a protective stance. “Is everyone okay?” I demand, aware that my voice is shaking.
“I think so,” Peyton replies as the group comes together in the middle of the hallway. “Unless—”
“Wait,” I say, my heart suddenly hammering in my chest, “where’s Ruby?”
Mum and dad exchange a terrified look before bolting in the direction of the guest room where the young girl is staying for the time being. In a panic, I wrench myself free of the guys and sprint after them, my head already filling with visions of her caught up in the blast. For a moment, none of us speaks, but then I catch the soft sound of whimpering. Before I’m even aware of it, I’m pushing between my parents and scrambling to her bed where she’s curled up and looking frantically around. Her eyes are glassy with tears, but her terror seems to diminish a little when she sees me. “Karma!” she cries out, stumbling out of bed and running into my arms.
I pull her close, murmuring soothingly to her as I stroke her hair. “It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m here, Ruby.”
“What happened?” she asks, her shoulders shaking.
“The house seems okay,” dad begins, but mum is already making a beeline for the window.
“It’s not the house,” she says, eyes narrowing as she peers out through the blinds. “It’s the barrier. Someone is attacking it.”
“You said it would hold against most gods,” protests Peyton as he and the others cluster in the doorway, each trying to get a glimpse of whatever is going on outside.
“Most gods,” mum replies, and my heart immediately sinks.
“He’s here, isn’t he?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “Neritous is here.”
Mum gives me a slow nod. “And he has others with him.”
I creep up to look over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of several shadowy figures in the dim light of the street lamps outside. The noise will have woken up other people on the street, but that only fills me with more dread: clearly, they aren’t planning on sticking around to get caught. I can make out the forms of Kjetli and Ivar, and before my eyes, there’s another violent flash of white light as they summon an orb of magic. The orb slams into the barrier at the front of the house, the invisible wall causing the energy to dissipate in a shower of sparks…but one look makes it clear to me that it’s weakening, the wards being pushed to their limit.
“What do we do?” asks Peyton.
“Where’s Kit?” asks Killian. “Maybe he can teleport us out of here.”
“He was downstairs, last time I saw him,” mum replies. “We could—”
But we’re interrupted by the sound of another blast, this one bright purple. The other twin’s magic, no doubt. I’m still not sure what kind of gods they are, but seeing them in action tells me that, whatever they are, they’re powerful. And if they’re working against us, that’s a problem.
Storm is already backing out of the room. I grab him by the arm. “Where are you—”
“We can’t bank on them not getting in,” he replies, sounding urgent. “We’re going to have to fight them.”
“There are more of us…,” acknowledges Hugo, his voice trailing off.
“But they’re more powerful,” Seth protests. “We need to get out. This is exactly what I was afraid of.”
I take Ruby’s hand and lead her as we make our way out of the room and down the hallway. Golden sparks are already crackling between the justice twins’ fingers as they warm up their own magic, and even Mads looks ready to fight. Rolling my shoulders, I reach for my power, the now familiar green lightning glowing against my skin. I know I could try to use my new abilities, but there’s no way in hell I’m touching those again. Not after seeing what they did to the last city.
“Maybe we can reinforce the barricade,” mum suggests as we flock into the living room. “I’ve got a few extra warding charms around here somewhere…”
But a third and final explosion sounds from outside the front door, lighting up the night sky in a show of purple, red, and white. They’ve combined their powers, and that’s more than enough to take down the barrier, which seems to fragment and shatter right in front of us like glass. The sound is deafening, and I feel Killian pull me closer as we watch in horror, shielding my body with his own. The power of the blast, now unhindered by the barrier, causes the front windows to explode, showering us with bits of broken glass as the light momentarily
blinds us. Storm steps in front of me, ready to charge outside, but he doesn’t even make it to the door before the doorknob flies off, nearly hitting Damien in the process. “What the hell?” he yells, but there’s no need to answer his question.
Neritous, Kjetli, and Ivar walk up the front steps. I feel paralysed with fear as I watch Neritous reach out nonchalantly and push open the door, as if he were walking into a convenience store and not forcibly breaking into someone’s home. The others follow him, turning to look at us with vaguely amused expressions on their faces. Like this is all some big joke to them. It’s enough to make me clench my hands into fists, staring them down with seething rage on my face.
“Ah, Karma,” Neritous says, pausing in the foyer and putting his hands behind his back. “So good to see you again.”
“Wish I could say the same thing to you,” I spit back. “Actually, wait. No, I don’t.”
He gives a condescending chuckle. “You really are a spitfire, aren’t you, Karma? I guess I should have expected as much, considering you’re my daughter.”
“Don’t you dare call me that,” I hiss. “You’re no father of mine.”
Neritous lets out a long sigh, shrugging. “If you say so, Karma. But the sooner you can learn to embrace it, the easier this will be for all of us.”
“Oh, sure,” Killian snaps, taking a step forward. “Just like you forced her to ‘embrace’ her powers back in the States? Just like when you turned your own children against the rest of the gods?”
Neritous rounds on Killian, his eyes flashing. “That’s awfully bold coming from someone who abandoned their station in favour of following a pretty face around the world,” he says coldly. Killian bristles at that, and I start forward, but Seth’s hand flies out to stop me. I know Neritous is just trying to get a rise out of me, but I can’t help it. He knows exactly which buttons to press, exactly what to say to go right for the jugular. “What, don’t you agree?” he asks, crossing his arms and taking a step forward. I wish I could say I didn’t flinch away, but I do, and I hate myself for it. “You two were some of the most feared justice gods in the entire world,” he continues, taking another step closer. “You had the supernatural community in the palms of your hands. All that power, wasted, and for what? A little girl who doesn’t even understand her own birthright?” He shakes his head like he’s disappointed.
“Don’t listen to him,” hisses Mads, and out of the corner of my eye I can see blue sparks beginning to flicker around her hair like a halo. I’m not sure she’s even aware it’s happening, but the extent of her power is clear, and so is the extent of her anger. “He’s trying to make you turn on us.”
“Believe me,” Seth replies grimly, dropping his hand, but not before giving mine a gentle squeeze, “we’re not going anywhere.”
“That’s a shame,” Neritous replies. “Well, no matter, I suppose. There will be others along to replace you sooner or later. That’s the way of things.”
“The way of things?” I demand, my face twisted with anger.
“Karma,” dad says, clearly worried that I’m about to make the situation worse—and honestly, who can blame him?—but I don’t listen.
“You think this is right?” I ask, sweeping an arm around at the destruction that’s already taken place. “You think this is the way things should be? Innocent gods being thrown in prison without a fair trial? Making decisions that kill countless humans, all for the sake of your precious new world order?”
“Last I checked,” Neritous replies, his voice still sounding aggravatingly level headed, “you were the one who levelled that city. Not me.”
“You made me,” I protest, practically yelling now. I know I should be making a plan, trying to find a way out of this, especially since the twins are still staring at us with their hawk-like eyes, but I can’t help it. My anger and fear are combining into a hurricane of emotions, none of them useful in the moment. “Just like you made the rest of your kids help you.”
“Made?” Neritous asks, spreading his arms out and looking to the twins for backup. “Since when do these fine young men not want to be here?”
“He’s right,” Ivar affirms, his expression grim. “We’re here because we want to be. Father has a vision, Karma. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner things can go back to the way they’re meant to be.”
“Things were never meant to be this way,” Storm growls. “My mother is dead because of you.”
“And now her power runs through Karma’s veins,” agrees Neritous. “Fitting, isn’t it? But enough stalling.” He rounds on me, a calculating look in his eyes that I don’t like one bit. “This brings us to the job at hand,” he says, nodding in my direction. “Karma, if you would be so kind as to pass those powers on to the rest of us, we would greatly appreciate it.”
“And if I say no?” I ask, the corner of my mouth twitching up.
“You won’t,” Neritous replies. “Not if you know what’s good for you.”
“You son of a bitch,” Peyton shouts, lurching forward. I can see the anger on his face, the sympathy for what Mads has been through and the frustration at how sickeningly cavalier it all is. “Who gave you the right to play god?”
Neritous bursts out laughing at that. The sound is like nails on a chalkboard. “Have you forgotten, you dense boy?” he demands. “We are gods.” As if to demonstrate, he extends his hand lazily, and a bolt of red lightning erupts across the room. It strikes Peyton squarely in the chest, sending him flying back, and he hits the far wall with a thud.
“Peyton!” Mads yells, bolting in his direction. I don’t dare look, afraid of what I’ll see, but I’m relieved when I see he’s still breathing. Just unconscious.
“I think I’ve made my point, don’t you?” Neritous continues. “You give us your powers, Karma. Otherwise, things will become…unpleasant.”
I glance over my shoulder at my parents, who are watching the exchange with tense looks on their faces, and then back at the guys, who seem torn. My stomach drops when I realise this is shaping up to be violent, and with Mads untrained and Peyton out of commission, I’m liking our odds less and less by the second. “What will you do?” I ask Neritous finally, taking a tentative step forward. Storm looks like he wants to stop me, but I touch his arm and shake my head. “What will you do with these powers if I give them to you?”
“That’s hardly any of your concern.”
“Will you leave me and my family alone?” I persist. “Will you let Dominic and Ruby go, and let us have our lives back?”
Neritous shakes his head slowly, looking almost disappointed. “You’re mistaken if you think you’ll ever be able to go back to your lives after this,” he informs me. “Any of you.”
“Then go to hell,” I reply without a second thought.
Neritous eyes me for a long moment before wordlessly turning and extending his hand once more. A second, thicker bolt of red lightning bursts forward, except this one doesn’t strike Peyton; it veers to the left, where my other brothers are standing, and before any of us can react, Hugo is on the floor. The smell of burned flesh is acrid and nauseating, and as soon as I look at him, I’m wishing I didn’t; there’s a smoking hole in his chest, and his eyes are wide and staring.
Hugo is dead.
Mum lets out a keening wail and runs to his body, dad on her heels, and I watch as they collapse by Hugo’s body, the grief washing over me in a wave. Tears are already streaming down my face as I turn back to Neritous. “How could you?” I demand.
“As I said,” he replies, “the sooner you cooperate, the easier this will be for all of you. I’m done playing games.” He extends his hand to me, and I can feel myself moving to join him, in spite of the voice in my head screaming at me not to. “If you would be so kind…,” he says, and there’s no need to finish the sentence.
My breath shaky, tears tracing hot paths down my cheeks, I close my eyes and reach for the unfamiliar life magic that now runs through me. It’s hot, overwhelming in its power, a
nd I know all I have to do to access it is open up and let it out. So I do, channelling my grief and shock into a burst of green energy that emerges from my hands and forms into a sphere, much like the one Neritous made me touch. The others watch, eyes wide, as it levitates higher and higher off the ground, pulsating with an incomprehensible amount of power…and then, in an instant, it dissipates, a bolt of power striking Neritous and each twin in the chest.
The transformation is powerful and instantaneous. I watch as the magic lifts them off their feet, vine tattoos snaking up their arms as their bodies glow with the green light of life magic. So this is it, I think grimly. This is how he finally wins. But there’s nothing for it; the sounds of mum’s heartbroken sobs are enough to make me sure of that.
After what feels like ages of watching their power build, the intruders finally drop to the ground, their new tattoos a horrible reminder of the magic we now share. Neritous gets to his feet slowly, staring down at his hands. “Yes,” he breathes, his face lighting up. “Finally.”
The twins get to their feet, exchanging a wondering look as they process what’s happened. The rest of us are left to watch them turn and wordlessly head out the door, as casually as if they were wrapping up a normal family visit. Neritous follows them, pausing briefly in the doorway to meet my gaze and smile. “Thank you,” he says, and the words are like a knife to the heart. “I won’t be requiring any more of your services at this time.”
Like it’s my fecking job.
With that, he walks out the door, leaving us in the midst of the fruits of his destruction. I watch him go for a long moment, trembling.
And then, finally, I give myself permission to cry.