Rifts

by Nicole Hamlett

  "I imagine that I'll come to grips eventually." I smiled ruefully at this man who had killed me and then shown me kindness. I'm not sure what flipped the switch on his personality but I was grateful for his guidance and his words.

  He felt the need to apologize and the apology was gladly accepted. But I didn’t think badly of him despite that. How odd that I could forgive Zeus and not my own father.

  "Thank you for this talk. I really mean it. Your friendship means a great deal to me." I rose from my seat and walked over to him so I could give him a hug. I wanted him to know how much his support meant.

  "Er," he stiffened uncomfortably. "It is my pleasure?"

  I sighed. "Just hug me back. You'll get used to it eventually."

  "I – I just put this shirt on and the last time we did this, I couldn't get the snot out of it. It was a favorite," he groused. But he hugged me anyway and I felt truly safe and loved in those few moments.

  Chapter 6

  So, what I wanted to do was mope. I'd been listening to a lot of The Cure and Fleetwood Mac lately. I was a cross between Emo and…well, I didn't know what listening to Fleetwood Mac made me. But I was a sad sack and unfortunately, my circumstances didn't allow for a lot of moping.

  "Oh my God! I can't believe you don't know how to create a box. Seven year olds learn how to make boxes." The Cherub was taunting me.

  "Listen pipsqueak, I can make a box. I've got things on my mind. Shut it or I'm going to bury you."

  "Pfft, like I'm afraid of you. You're a romance novelist, Grace. Romance writers aren't scary."

  There was a small rumble in the ground and suddenly Alton was buried up to his neck. He squeaked and I fought valiantly to hide my grin.

  "Scared now?"

  "Get me out!"

  "Ask your mommy. I'm sure she'll dig you out." I was interrupted by panting and wheezing.

  "Mom, can I have a drink of your water?"

  Dylan had run up behind me and the poor kid was drenched in sweat. He'd stopped complaining a week ago, but I knew that inside he was dying a little. Gone were the lazy days of videogames and chocolate milk.

  Part of his training was intensely physical and the baby fat cheeks that I'd loved so much were sharpening as he lost that last layer. The kid was becoming lanky. My heart hurt for that loss and it made me want to hold him close so I could stay the hands of time. Instead, I decided to mess with him. Listen. Messing with your child is a fundamental part of parenting. So, maybe he'd need a little time in the chair to get over it. Therapists need to send their kids to college, too. Who am I do deny someone else's kid a college education?

  "No way, you're the king of backwash."

  "Mooom. Seriously, I'm dying of thirst."

  "And get your spit in my water bottle? Gross."

  "We've got the same germs," he ground out. I watched his face pink up as his fists clenched.

  Man, he was too easy. "No way, you got cooties."

  "You're killing me. I'm going to pass out and die of thirst and it will be your fault."

  "Hi Dylan," the buried Cherub interjected.

  "Hey, Alton. How come you're buried?"

  "I piss-er-peeved your Mom off."

  "So she's just cruel to kids all over the world. Makes sense."

  "Yes, I am the destroyer of innocent children across the Universe. Making them suffer one drop of water at a time." To drive the point home, I took a long swig of water.

  He growled.

  I grinned and held out the bottle. "You're too easy kid. How goes the training?"

  "I'm pretty sure that Athena is trying to kill me."

  "Probably," I agreed.

  "How goes your training? Get that box shaped?" He snickered at me and for a brief second, I wondered how brown would look on him. There was a pocket just waiting for him – right next to Alton.

  "Training is going along fantastically, thanks. I prefer to stay outside the box and go with more distinct shapes." My hand swept toward the table in a grand gesture, showing off my misshapen lump of clay.

  "Mom," he said uncertainly. "That doesn't even resemble a box."

  "Yeah, let's just say that pottery isn't going to be my gift."

  "The point of making boxes is to learn to control and shape your powers, Grace." The deep voice sent shivers up the back of my spine and I had to tamp down the immediate anger against my physical reaction.

  "I'm aware of what the lesson is, Drew. Thank you."

  I pushed Alton out of the ground and gave him a pointed look. He grabbed Dylan and ushered him toward the Bubble Field with the excuse that he wanted to see the how the bubbles would look if Dylan used his powers to freeze them. Smart kid.

  Turning around, I braced myself for the onslaught of feelings. Drew looked even more beautiful here in this magical place. His hair had grown a little and was curling around his ears. It was the same golden in reverse - as always - and it took all of the power in my soul to not reach out and smooth it behind his ear.

  If someone were to ask who would play Drew in a movie. I'd have to think long and hard. He was a mix. Chris Pine's eyes, Ryan Reynolds’s body (insert dreamy sigh here) and Jensen Ackle's hair and chin. Just thinking about it made me angry again.

  "What do you want?" Did I sound strong? Did I look okay?

  I shouldn't be thinking about what I looked like. But, I did. I know that I'd toned up considerably since I'd started training with Athena so the extra chub that I’d been carrying had left me. Since I was out of the public eye, I'd let my hair stay its indigo blue color but it was hanging past my shoulders in a riot of sweaty curls. I'm pretty sure that I didn't look okay.

  "To see how you were holding up." Okay, not strong enough.

  "Holding up fine, thanks. What part of 'I don't want to see you ever again' did you not understand?" The 'fight or flight' urge was so strong that I had to force my body to stand still. It was a compromise, but crossing my arms seemed to help. My legs were still ready to take off if necessary, though. The problem was that he'd probably catch me before I took three steps and wasting energy wasn't something I felt that strongly about.

  "I figured that you'd had enough time to get over your hissy fit and we could talk."

  Oh, so he was spoiling for a fight. "You can read my mind. What am I thinking?" Two could play and a strongly worded 'fuck you' was at the forefront of my thoughts. His social skills were in need of some serious improvement. Hissy fit, my ass.

  "Do you kiss your kid with that mouth?"

  "What, words never passed my lips. So you know where I stand. How about you push off and let me get back to my training?"

  "Obviously you don't have the right person training you if you can't get a box," he said, gesturing at my lumpy mess on the table.

  "Obviously you're an asshole who needs to leave before I ask my dog to bite your face off." Yes, it was childish but for some reason I could never keep up the witty sarcasm when he was around.

  "Real grown up, Grace."

  "Do you really think that pushing me when I'm still mad is a good idea? Are you looking for a fight? Because let's go. I'm all in."

  Scooter - who'd taken to following me around the training compound - growled and rubbed against my legs. His warning went unheeded.

  Drew's eyebrow quirked up and a slow smile spread across his lips. "Done," he said, shortly before his fist swished past my face.

  I'd moved at the last minute, reading his intent but not fast enough to avoid him grabbing a handful of my hair and yanking me forward.

  This I was ready for. Athena had spent weeks training me in response and attack. As Drew pulled me forward, I cleared my mind and my hand shot out, nailing him in the solar plexus. A pained grunt was my reward.

  "Nicely done."

  I didn't talk. I swept my leg around, catching him low and following him down with a jab to his perfect jaw. My fist met with a satisfying crunch.

  He was messing with me. I was certainly faster and stronger than I'd been a month ago but not as f
ast as he was. He grabbed my wrist and slammed me down hard on the packed earth. The breath whooshed from my body, stunning me.

  He amped it up a notch and pulled in a knife. Oh, so that's where we were going. Knives were just fine. I pulled in my dual kukris, jumped to my feet and nodded once.

  "It's on. Loser leaves me the hell alone."

  "What makes you think I'm going to lose?" He grinned as we circled each other.

  "Because I've spent a month in an intense boot camp with your sister, that’s what. She also taught me how to block you out of my mind. You're toast."

  "Did she tell you that no amount of mental block is going to make me forget the way your body moves? I do recall teaching you how to move. I can anticipate your moves, darling."

  The words, though innocent enough, created a physical response in an area I desperately wanted to ignore. I didn't want to think about him studying my body, my moves or my moods. It put too much weight on his emotions surrounding me and it was simply too late.

  "I've got new moves." I feinted with one hand and slashed with the other.

  Steel rang in a Spanish staccato as we danced around each other slashing and stabbing. Trickles of blood were running down each of our bodies where one or the other had scored a small hit. Hurt and pain fueled my attacks. It seemed perfectly logical that he should hurt the way I'd been hurting.

  Drew had become my best friend. I'd cried in the shower over my feelings for him, for the love of God. The thought disgusted me. How could I have been so weak? He'd played me like an out of tune guitar, tweaking and tuning as he went until I was singing like a pro.

  That’s what made me the angriest. I felt like a fool.

  "Getting tired?" he asked.

  "Are you getting wrinkles?" I retorted. "I know a girl who does Botox for those lines above your brows. Don't wanna lose the one asset you can count on."

  It was ugly. I know it was ugly. I'd make amends later. Now I had to concentrate because that had pissed him off and he was coming at me faster and harder now. My kukri blocked a slash of his scimitar, but the dagger sliced up my arm leaving a nasty gash.

  "Get those things sharpened would ya?" And I stabbed, piercing his right side. I'd purposefully missed anything vital, although the desire to lop off one organ in particular was strong.

  "At least they're sharper than your tongue. You're losing your waspish touch Grace."

  "Mmm, yes." Stab, swing, dodge. "Or perhaps I don't care enough to bring out my very best insults. What’s that saying? They deserve the very best? You don't. You're getting the generic wit."

  I ducked just as his sword would have lopped off my head. It sliced cleanly through the top half of my hair and I spared a moment to be annoyed. The last thing I needed was a mullet.

  Neither of us noticed the audience that had loosely gathered around us. The intensity of the fight was all encompassing. Well, until a voice thundered, "What in the Sam Hell is going on here?"

  Both of us froze. I scowled at him, but turned around and bowed. "Sir, it's a pleasure as always to see you. But the phrase is 'Sam Hill.' What in the 'Sam Hill' is going on here?"

  Someone behind me choked out a snicker and I hoped for their sake that he hadn't heard it.

  "I heard that Cherub. Give me fifty laps."

  "Awww, maaan." Was the whine I heard and I bit my lip to keep the smile off of my face.

  "Good evening, Father." If we could bottle his voice, it would sell like crack. I hated his stupid voice.

  "Adonis. I see that you're well," was the wary response.

  "As well as can be sir. I'm just here checking on my charge's progress."

  "Looked to me like you were trying to chop off her head." Zeus leaned back against a table and crossed his arms. His eyebrows were raised in mock question.

  "Just making sure my sister is training her properly."

  "Lie." Athena's voice rang strong across the courtyard.

  Drew scowled in her direction and continued. "It looks as though she's made great progress."

  "And he speaks some truth." She responded.

  "Shut up," he ground out.

  "Make me." Her voice was smooth as silk and I wanted to cheer her and hug her and be her bestest friend in the world for the rest of my days.

  Hey, if you're going to have a champion, Athena isn't a poor choice.

  "Brat."

  "Hmm, also truth. Come along Grace. Let's get those cuts cleaned up. It's time for our session."

  "I need to speak to her." Drew's voice was frustrated and a small thrill shot from my head to my feet.

  "You had an hour to talk to her. You chose to fight. It's my turn to bask in her attention. So, piss off, baby brother."

  He growled and grabbed my wrist. "We need to talk."

  I twisted out of his grasp and mouthed, "Go fuck yourself" before walking off.

  If there was one thing I was really good at, it was holding a grudge. If he thought that he was walking away from this as friends, he was in for serious disappointment.

  Chapter 7

  "Well that was entertaining to watch." Athena smirked at me and pulled herself up onto the balance beam in her studio.

  "Yeah, who says that physical therapy is over-rated?"

  Had it really been an hour that we'd been fighting? It had felt like only minutes.

  "I was glad to see you incorporating new moves. You kept up with him well. He's one of our best fighters. I should know, I taught him myself." She smiled before balancing herself on her hands.

  "Sometimes I forget that you're brother and sister."

  "Yeah, sometimes I do, too. But then, I feel the unholy need to whip his ass and I'm quickly reminded that I can because I'm older." Her feet kicked in a scissoring motion and she twisted herself around before vaulting to her feet.

  "Part of me really wants to talk to him," I sat on the mats and stretched out sore limbs. I couldn’t look her in the eyes when I said it. Shame clouded my emotions. It wasn't something I was comfortable admitting.

  "That is completely understandable. You two have an undeniable bond that you shouldn't ignore just because you feel angry and betrayed. I know Adonis. I truly believe it wasn't malice that caused him to keep you in the dark. Your world had already been thrown into chaos and he didn't want to upset it any further."

  I nodded and laid back onto the mats before twisting my body into a bridge. Bringing my legs up, I kicked one over the other and completed a graceful finish. Athena had been teaching me to fight, yes - but more so she was teaching me how to control each of the muscles in my body so that I'd be in tune with every aspect of my movement.

  "Good, that was nicely controlled. Now I want you to walk with your hands across the mat. Make a complete turn every fourth step."

  "Got it. What do you think I should do here?"

  "I think you should stand on your hands and do a complete turn every fourth step."

  "You know what I mean. What should I do about Drew?"

  She sighed. "I think that you should stand on your—"

  I interrupted her. "On my hands…blah blah blah. Got it."

  "You won't be doing yourself any favors when you go up against Hope again if you're thinking about him and this situation. I've received reports of her sniffing around here - more at your house. She's not sure where you are, but she won't stop - not until she finds you and acts out whatever bizarre fantasy she has planned."

  "I'm not going to lie…ooomph!" The breath exploded from my body as I twisted wrong and landed hard on my back. "Guh…I haven't been thinking about Hope much since I've been up here with Dylan. I know I should, but it's hard to feel threatened when I'm perfectly safe."

  "Get back up and continue." She watched as I executed a perfect handstand and started back across the mat. "You should be thinking about Hope and you should be very afraid, Grace. She's got a hard on for you that won't stop until she's finished. Plus, she can get into Olympus. The only reason you're safer here than at home is that you have people watchin
g you every minute of the day."

  "Oh." The word was filled with all of the trepidation and dread that I could muster. Instead of curling up in a ball though, I continued across the mat – focusing on the weight bearing down on my hands.

  "What is…uhn…the purpose of this exercise anyway?"

  "Your legs aren't straight. Straighten them out. There was no purpose. It just amuses me to see you walking around on your hands."

  The smile was evident in her voice, although I couldn't see her. Sighing, I lowered my legs and stood up. The blood rushing out of my head made me a little dizzy, but I had enough presence to turn around and scowl at her.

  "Very funny."

  "I thought so."

  "So you think I should talk to him?"

  "Yes, but first I want you to try out this new contraption I've built."

  "Of course you do," I sighed and followed.

  She walked across the studio to a metal exoskeleton and ran her hand down a pole lovingly. "Well, Heph built it for me. It should provide complete body resistance as you are going through your sword exercises. Come closer and stand with your back to it."

  I hesitated and really looked at the skeletal structure. Athena had a wicked sense of humor and the thought of putting myself at her mercy left a small amount of doubt.

  "C'mon don't be a chicken. It won't hurt you. We want to see if we can build your strength."

  "Okay, but if I get stabbed, bent at unnatural angles or broken in any way, I'm telling on you to Zeus." Was that petulant? Maybe, but her brief scowl made my reluctance a bit more valid.

  "Just get into the suit, you big baby."

  Standing with my back to the skeleton, I stretched out my arms and legs to fit against the poles. "What is this made of?"

  "I'm not sure. I just told Heph that I needed something that would provide resistance to the entire body and he modeled it after those Bow-thingies but with more flexible materials."

  "Cool. Okay I'm ready, strap me in."

  She ran her fingertips over the back rod. Metal cuffs circled my limbs evenly to disperse the tension and weight. To my credit, I didn't panic.

  "Okay, now I want you to walk across the room while it adjusts to your balance and weight."