We continued shooting at them—I shot until running out of arrows—but it was no use. Like many of the creatures who had escaped these past few weeks, the centaurs weren’t interested in fighting back. They were trying to run away. And we didn’t have the speed to keep up with them.
The echoing of hooves faded, and I lowered my weapon in defeat. After that loss, more monsters were out in the human world. Every day that the portal remained opened, it was getting weaker, allowing stronger monsters to escape. This was the highest number of them that had gotten through yet.
“Maybe we should seal the portal now and get it over with,” Blake said, his eyes empty as he stared at the entrance to the cave.
“No.” I shook my head, standing my ground. “We still have a month until the solstice. We have time to figure out another way.”
“I agree with Nicole,” Danielle said, surprising me. “After all of this is over, we can go out into the world and hunt down the monsters that escaped. Right now we need as much time as possible to figure out another solution for closing the portal.”
“The Oracle’s already spoken,” Blake reminded us. “We know there’s not another way. Which is why our research is leading to nothing.”
“It’s true that the Oracle’s already spoken, so I don’t know what more we’ll be able to find,” Kate said, and my heart dropped at how melancholy she sounded. “But I agree with Nicole and Danielle. Blake—we won’t let you do this until we’ve run out of time and explored every possible option. Chris always told us that we’re a team, and he’s right. We have to do everything in our power to keep each other safe.”
And so, with a vote of three against one, Blake conceded, and Jason created another portal for us back to the library to continue our research.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
We were buried in the scrolls the next morning when a portal appeared in the front of the library. I glanced at my phone, but there was no text from Jason. What was going on? He always texted us when he created a portal for us to fight monsters that escaped Kerberos.
I didn’t have time to voice my question before someone stepped through the portal—the new Head Elder of Greece himself. He was Hypatia’s cousin, and his name was Kostas—we’d met him at her funeral, and later when we questioned the Head Elders to see what they knew about sealing the portal. Like the others, he knew nothing.
Eleven more people followed him, Jason included, until we were staring at the twelve most powerful Head Elders in the world. Finally, Darius stepped through the portal, a sorrowful look in his eyes as it closed behind him.
Dread pulsed through my body. I had no idea what was happening, but the look in Darius’s eyes warned me that we wouldn’t like it.
“What’s going on?” I stood up and walked over to join them in the atrium. Kate and Blake followed my lead. The sun shined down through the window in the center of the circular ceiling, and I soaked in its rays, taking strength in the light. “What are you all doing here?”
“We need to have a meeting with you.” Kostas sized us up, his voice booming through the library. “Where’s the water Elemental?”
“I’m right here.” Danielle appeared on the balcony, her eyes fierce with determination. I had no idea how she’d heard anything from the study rooms—they were soundproof—but she somehow knew to come out here. She walked down the steps, not faltering in the slightest, and joined us to face the Elders.
“Very well.” Kostas nodded. “I’m not sure how long this will take, so the four of you are free to sit down.”
“Thanks, but I prefer to stand,” Blake said, not budging from his spot. I followed his lead, as did Kate and Danielle. If the Head Elders wanted to meet with us, it would be as equals. They could only intimidate us if we let them.
And I refused to let them.
“As you wish,” Kostas said. “In that case, we’ll proceed.”
“You’re the one who came here unannounced and declared this meeting.” Blake motioned to Kostas, his gaze strong and unwavering. “The floor’s all yours.”
Kostas narrowed his eyes at Blake, his lips pressed into a firm line. “As you’re aware, dozens of centaurs escaped from Kerberos last night,” he began. “You were unable to stop them. And that’s on top of all of the other creatures that have managed to escape these past few weeks, while the four of you have been ceaselessly trying to discover an alterative way to seal the portal. However, after what happened last night, it’s time to face the hard truth. Both Nyx and the Oracle have confirmed that the only way to seal the portal is for either Blake or Danielle to bind it from the Kerberos side. The longer we wait, the more monsters will escape. You need to close the portal now, and seal off Kerberos from Earth forever. It’s the only way to keep our world safe. The other Head Elders and I met last night, and they agree with me, which is why we’re all here right now.”
I stood completely still, the blood draining from my face. Knowing that I would likely lose Blake made my heart hurt more than I could say. I’d been trying to prepare myself for the inevitable… but we were still supposed to have a few weeks together. Those few weeks would give us a chance to figure out another solution. I wasn’t ready for this now.
He couldn’t make us do this now.
Blake stepped forward, his gaze strong and steady. “I agree with you,” he told Kostas, and I sucked in a deep breath, my heart dropping at his words. “We’ll close the portal tonight. I’ll be the one to bind it from the Kerberos side.”
“No,” I said, my voice rising in panic. “We can’t. Not tonight. We’re not ready yet. We need more time…” I stared at him, my eyes begging for him to take it back.
But he refused to even look at me.
“Blake’s right.” Danielle stepped up to stand next to him, her head held high. “Except he’s not going to be the one to bind the portal from the Kerberos side.”
“Really?” Kostas raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?”
“Because it’s going to be me.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
“What?” I blinked, unable to believe what she’d said. “You’re volunteering?”
“Where’s this coming from?” Kate asked.
“No.” Blake shook his head. “What are you thinking? You can’t do that to yourself.”
“She can’t do it to herself, but you’re allowed to do it to yourself?” I glared at him, but he just clenched his jaw, saying nothing more.
“I know you’re all probably confused.” Danielle held her hands up, silencing us. “So instead of bombarding me with questions, let me explain.”
“Go ahead.” Kostas nodded for her to continue.
Danielle turned around to face all of us, confident and resolved. “I’m sure it hasn’t gone unnoticed that for these past few weeks, I’ve been spending time… elsewhere,” she started, and I nodded, since of course we’d all noticed that she’d been distancing herself from the group. “I also hope that you all noticed that while I didn’t volunteer until now, I also never refused to be the one to bind the portal from the Kerberos side, either.”
I said nothing, since I hadn’t noticed that. Not volunteering meant she wasn’t volunteering. At least, that’s what I’d thought it meant.
“Yes,” Kate said, surprising me. “I noticed that.”
“Thank you,” Danielle said to her, appreciation shining in her eyes. “Before I tell you where I’ve been—and who I’ve been spending that time with—you should know that before coming to a decision, I thought out the practical reasons about who should bind the portal from Kerberos. One reason stood out the most—the fact that Blake can make weapons. He’s just starting to discover what he can create, since we’ve been too distracted with our missions for him to truly see what he can do, but I read the instruction book he received from Nyx in our first treasure hunt around town. It’s impressive. Soon he’ll be able to create powerful, magical weapons. You’re going to need those weapons to defeat the monsters that have escaped Kerberos these past few
weeks. And as much as I hate to admit it, that makes me more dispensable than him.”
“You’re not dispensable,” Blake insisted. “None of us are.”
“Thank you,” she said, and her eyes glimmered with tears. “But you’re needed here. And I also know that when I’m in Kerberos, I won’t be alone. I’ll be protected.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Who have you been spending all of that time with recently?” Blake narrowed his eyes at Danielle, and I knew him well enough to tell that he suspected what her answer would be.
“Erebus.” She glanced down at the floor, her cheeks flushing red. “I don’t know if you noticed that when we were in Kerberos, Erebus and I really… connected.”
“I noticed,” I told her. “It was impossible not to. But I didn’t think…” I paused, figuring out how to word this without being offensive. “He’s a primordial deity. You’re a mortal. I thought that once we left Kerberos, that would be it.”
“You thought he would forget about me.” Danielle said it as a fact, not a question.
“No,” I said, although that wasn’t completely true, so I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Well, he didn’t forget about me,” she said. “He tried to—but he couldn’t.”
“I guess you know this because he told you?” Kate asked.
“I didn’t see him again until right after Nicole and Blake got back from the Underworld,” she continued. “He visited me that night, and he told me that despite trying to forget about me, he couldn’t do it. He asked me where I wanted to go most in the world, and I told him Paris, so he took me to the top of the Eiffel Tower. We talked for a while… and then I told him I was thinking of making the sacrifice to Kerberos. Ever since then, he’s been taking me everywhere I want to go so that in case I do make the sacrifice, I’m able to see the world first.”
“Wow,” I said. “That explains why you’ve been gone so much. And how you always appear when we need you. Because Erebus knows when we need you, and he brings you back, doesn’t he?”
“Yes,” she said. “I know this is sudden to you all, but I love Erebus. And he loves me. He promised me that if I do end up in Kerberos, he’ll stay there with me. He’ll keep me protected. He’ll even work with me to try to find a way back to Earth. I also won’t age while in Kerberos, so we’ll be able to search for a long time.”
I stared at her, taking this all in. I couldn’t believe it. Danielle was actually volunteering.
Despite our differences, I didn’t like the idea of any of us being stuck in that hell dimension. But Erebus was a primordial deity. He would keep her safe. If there was a way back to Earth, surely he would be able to find it.
And as selfish as I felt for thinking it, I was relieved that Blake didn’t have to be the one to close the portal from Kerberos. I wouldn’t have to lose him. We would truly have a chance of a future together.
“Have you truly thought this through?” Blake asked Danielle. “You realize that this means you’ll never see your family again?”
“I have.” She nodded, her eyes sad. “As I’m sure you did, too. Leaving my family isn’t something I want to do. But if one of us doesn’t do this, our families won’t be alive for much longer anyway. So really, I’ll be saving them. I’ve already written them all letters explaining what I did, for them to read after I leave. They’re in my desk in my room.”
“I’ll make sure the letters get to them,” Kate said. “I promise.”
“That’s if Danielle does this and not me,” Blake said. “We both volunteered. We still haven’t decided which one of us is going.”
“Blake…” Danielle said his name softly, focusing only on him. “Even though we’re not together anymore, I still love you. I’m not in love with you like I am with Erebus, but you’re a huge part of my life, and I care about you. In Kerberos, I’ll have the protection of a primordial deity who loves me. I’ll survive there. You won’t. If you do this, it’ll be a death sentence. I won’t allow that to happen to you.”
“You don’t know that,” he said, his eyes dark and fiery.
“You already died there once,” I reminded him, my throat tightening at the memory. “You weren’t in Kerberos for long—you don’t really know what it’s like. We can’t use our powers there. You would be a human in a world full of gods and monsters. Yes—you’re strong and you’re brave—but you’re not more powerful than the gods. None of us are.”
“And all of those gods and monsters will want to kill you for closing the portal and barring them from Earth forever,” Kate added. “It’ll be impossible for you to survive that.”
“Exactly,” Danielle said. “But as a primordial deity, Erebus is stronger than all of those gods and monsters in Kerberos. I’ll be safe with him by my side. He was trying hard not to interfere when he was guiding us through the realms there, but Nicole—you saw how he obliterated that dragon. You know he’s more than capable of protecting me.”
“He is,” I said, since everything she was saying made sense. Blake had to see it. I looked over at him to see if he agreed, but he was studying Danielle, as if he was trying to get a read on her. He was staring at her like he didn’t know her anymore.
“I don’t like the idea of you going in there any more than you like the idea of me going in there,” he told her. “And I do trust that Erebus will be able to protect you. But once you’re in Kerberos, there’s no coming back. So you need to be absolutely sure about this. If you have even a sliver of doubt, it’s okay. I’ll do it. I’ve been preparing myself for this since the night we spoke with Nyx. I’m ready.”
I reached for his hand and squeezed it, aware that despite his brave words, we all knew that Danielle’s reasoning made sense. Still, I admired that he was giving her the chance to change her mind. Knowing that he was the type of person to do that cemented my love and respect for him even more.
“There’s no changing my mind—I’m going to bind the portal from Kerberos.” Danielle looked each of us in the eye, confident and determined, and then turned to face the Head Elders. “And I’m ready to do it right now.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
The Head Elders wanted to join us for the ceremony, but we insisted they didn’t, since it would be an intense and emotional experience for all of us. After a lot of bickering, they eventually gave in and returned to their homes with the expectation that we would tell them once the portal was sealed, so they could go there and verify that it had been done.
After they left, Jason created a portal to the cave, and Danielle, Kate, Blake, Darius, and I all stepped through. We hadn’t actually been inside of the cave in weeks, and I was surprised to find that the portal to Kerberos looked different. It was clear enough that we could see through to the other side. When we first saw it months ago, and even up to the time of the equinox, it was dark and muddy. Since then it had been thinning, and it showed in the way it looked, too.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Darius asked Danielle.
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” she said, although she stared at the portal with fear in her eyes. “The Head Elders were clear—we need to close the portal now to keep more monsters from escaping. And even though this isn’t easy for me, I agree with them.”
“Okay,” I said. “As long as it’s what you want to do.”
“It is.” She nodded. “Erebus is there on the other end. He wants to make sure I bind the portal on my own free will, so he’s waiting to join me until it’s complete. Once it is, he’ll stay by my side. Forever.”
“From the way he looked at you when we were in Kerberos, I know he will.”
Then I did something that I never imagined I would do in a million years—I stepped up to Danielle and hugged her.
She was surprised at first, but she returned the hug.
“Thank you for doing this,” I said, pulling away. “Because of you, the world will be safe from the Titans. None of us will forget about your sacrifice here today.”
>
“Wow,” Danielle said, managing a small smirk. “From the way you’re acting, I might even think that you’ll miss me.”
“I will,” I told her. “Because crazily enough, after all this time we were forced to spend together, I think we actually became friends.”
“I never would have thought it possible when you first moved here, but I guess we did become friends, didn’t we?”
We shared a smile, and then I nodded and stepped aside so the others could say their goodbyes.
Kate gave her a hug next. “We’ve lived in the same town for all our lives, and while I never thought we had anything in common, I was wrong,” she said to Danielle. “I’m glad we were forced to work together so we could get to know each other. Throughout everything, you’ve held our group together through your strength and determination. You’re one of the smartest people I know, and if there’s a way back to Earth from Kerberos once the portal is sealed, you and Erebus will find it.”
“Coming from a descendant of Athena, that means a lot,” Danielle said.
“It’s true,” Kate said. “And Nicole’s right. None of us will forget your sacrifice today. And when you and Erebus make it back—no matter if it takes one year or one thousand years—I’ll be here waiting for you.”
“Thank you,” she said, and then she turned to Blake, her eyes brimming with sadness. “I guess this is it, isn’t it?” she asked with a shrug.
“If you’ve changed your mind and want me to do this, it’s okay,” he told her. “I still will.”
“No.” She shook her head. “Thank you for the offer, but I think we all know that I’m the one who has to do this. I’m glad to do it, so I can keep all of you—and the rest of the world—safe. As strange as it sounds, doing this feels right. I think it’s always been my destiny.”
He nodded and moved to join me, reaching for my hand and giving it a small squeeze.
Elementals 5: The Hands of Time Page 15