"I cannot think of anyone old enough to even remember the sinking beyond the original members," Zeus started.
"I can." Heph said quietly.
We both turned to him with questioning gazes. "Who?" I asked.
He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his waist. It was a very defensive and emotional gesture. Frankly, it was something that I didn't ever think I'd see from this giant of a man. "Give me a moment," he said.
I walked over to him and put my hands on his arms, forcing him to meet my gaze. "It's her, isn't it? I felt like something has been off, but I couldn't pinpoint it. I thought it was me and my crazy emotions lately. But it's her."
His nod of affirmation sent me into a panic spiral. "She's got Dylan. She was picking him up for training this morning. I'm supposed to meet him in an hour or two for dinner," I whispered. My throat wouldn't work. I couldn't breathe.
"What in the Hell is going on here," Zeus thundered. "Who are you talking about?"
"Athena," we both said in unison.
"Impossible." He said stubbornly.
I shook my head at him. "No, it's entirely probable. You created a daughter who isn't like everyone else. She cannot have children. She never experienced the joys and tragedies of childhood, Zachary." I was getting worked up and I was about to lay the smack down on this impetuous man for his mistakes. "You created the perfect woman in your mind, but you didn't take into account that she would forever be on the outskirts, set apart because of her differences. She's become bitter. If you looked outside of your own ideals for two fucking minutes, you'd see that she's been changing."
I was backhanded for my words. His blow split my lip and rocked my head back on my shoulders. I saw stars. You'd think that I would remember that this man had a volatile temper. I never did. Hephaestus stepped in between us and raised his hands.
"You both need to calm down." He said cautiously.
"No, I may have deserved that blow. But I'll tell you this – when you told me that you thought of me as your daughter, it filled my heart with love and pride. When was the last time you told your own daughter that you were proud of her? That you loved her?" I wiped a spatter of blood from my mouth and turned toward the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Zeus asked, his voice still vibrating with anger.
"To find out if she took my son. Then I have to find my mother. I can't take Athena in a fight the way I am right now."
"Wait," he called.
I turned back to him, my stance defensive. "What?"
"I'm sorry for striking you."
"No, you're not. You're sorry that I'm angry with you now because of it. I don't know how to get to Geb's cavern. I'll need you to take me there. I'll be back as quickly as I can."
With that, I let my feet fly. Corridors bled in colors as I sped through them to my son's suite of rooms. 'He’s probably sitting in his room now, reading or playing a video game,' I thought. This is all just a panic. He would be fine. He was fine. If he was there, I was never going to take my eyes off of him again. Never.
I ran into a slowly meandering Hunter and knocked her down as I flew down the hall. The cry of surprise and outrage didn't divert me from my purpose but I did call out, "Sorry!" as I continued barreling on.
Gripping the door jamb to his room, I swung myself in and came to an abrupt stop. The room was empty. Harsh bursts of breath left my lungs and I collapsed to my knees. This wasn't happening.
"Is he here?" He must not have been far behind me.
I shook my head and tried to calm the maelstrom inside of my body. My stomach tightened and the urge to throw up was strong. "Can you scan for him?"
"Yeah, give me a moment." The silence after was deafening. I needed him to say that Dylan was in the bubble field joking with the other boys about bubble farts, or something equally juvenile. I needed him to tell me that Dylan was strolling back from the Forge. I needed him to tell me anything other than what came out of his mouth next.
"He's not in Olympus."
I cannot begin to explain what a mother feels when her child is in danger. I know that something inside of me broke when I thought that Hope had killed Dylan. I took that rage and went with vengeance. That was actually the easy part. The fear that engulfed me after I heard those words was stronger than any emotion I'd ever felt in my life. The not knowing what was happening to him right now twisted my guts. He could be alive or dead. Safe or hurt. I just didn't know and all I could think of was getting him back home and safe.
I took huge gulps of air, trying to stay calm. I had to think. "I need to find my mother. I need to find her now."
"Alright," he said quietly.
"You—you tell Drew. I can't talk to him right now. I'm going to get Zeus and have him take me to the Cavern. I think that I can follow the Rift she opened from there. "
"Wait," he stopped me as I rose.
"What? I don't have time to slow down. What?"
He pulled me into a tight hug against his chest and kissed the top of my head. "It's going to be okay. We'll get him back safe."
I couldn't do this. I couldn't accept his comfort because if I had a meltdown right now, it wouldn't stop. "Hephaestus, you are an amazing man and I am grateful for this, but I can't accept your comfort right now. If I don't stay angry, I'm going to fall apart. Dylan needs me to be strong. He needs me to be so strong." My voice broke on the last word.
"Right," he said gruffly. "Get your ass out of here and find your Mother. I'll tell Drew and get everything together that we'll need on this end."
"Thank you," I said with abject gratitude and then softly pressed my lips to his. "Really, thank you." I ‘ported out of the room before he could reply.
Chapter 28
The cavern where Geb had held my mother appeared to have been left untouched. Blood had dried black upon the floor and the desiccated remains of my father's limbs shriveled where they had fallen.
"Do you think this will work?" Zeus was standing a healthy distance away from me at the moment. He knew I was angry with him and if I were going to be harshly honest, I would have let him know that I thought he could fuck up a pumpkin pie. Pumpkin pie is hard to fuck up. It always tastes delicious.
"It has to work," I replied grimly. "I need her to fix me. I need her to fix me so I can fix this fucking mess that you made." I looked at him angrily. "Just because you have god-like powers doesn't mean that you have to use them."
He fidgeted and wouldn't meet my eyes. Good. He needed to understand what the consequences of his tampering were. "I just wanted a child of my own," he said softly.
"So you have sex with someone!" I yelled. "You don't go into your Lab and create the perfect being, because guess what? She's fucking flawed. She's broken. You didn't take into account emotions and outside conditions!"
"You don't need to lecture me, young lady," he fired back. "You've done a fine job of cocking up your own life, if I recall."
"Yeah, but me cocking up my life isn't going to destroy this world. Remember that when you're up there on your gold throne of fairy farts, Zachary. The shit you do impacts not just yourself but everyone surrounding you. Great Power, buddy," I finished. I stared him down for a few more moments and then looked away with exasperation.
I sighed and started twisting my hair into a knot. I wasn't sure what I'd find on the other side of the Rift. I hoped that my mother hadn't Rifted them into a stinking volcano, but I wanted to be prepared for the worst. When I was done with that, I called in my kukris and took a deep breath. “If I'm not back with her in twelve hours, you and Heph need to gather the Eight and get my son without me. God, the thought of leaving him with Athena for that long kills me. If I haven't found Diana in that time, I won't. "
"Grace?"
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before looking at him. "Yes?"
"For what it's worth, I am sorry."
"I know you are," I sighed. "Don't forget. Twelve hours and you go get my kid. Got it?"
"Got it," he replied, his voice regai
ning strength and purpose.
With grim determination, I sliced a line down my arm and let the blood pool in the palm of my hand. I moved to the spot where my mother had opened the Rift and 'felt' for the opening. It was faint but it was there, a small ripple in the normal space. The flavor was different than regular air. It tasted a little bittersweet - with a hint of pepper.
I took one last look at Zeus before I re-opened the portal. "Don't forget."
He shook his head. "I won't."
"Good," I replied and tore open the Rift, stepping through without further words.
Hot wind blasted my face as I stepped through to the other side. I crouched down, minimizing my body mass, and assessed the threat. The area surrounding the portal was filled with what looked like good old Colorado scrub brush. The earth was parched and cracked - with the exception of a lush patch of greenery about twenty yards ahead of me.
I reached down and touched the ground, calling up my power and hoping that it would respond to me. The response was stuttered but finally, it came to me, filling my senses with life and imprinted memories.
The verdant area ahead encased a body. That would explain the foliage. The flesh, water and blood were feeding the grass. Nothing like good old remains to fertilize the earth. I sent up a brief prayer. To whom, I don't know. But I prayed for my son's sake that the body was not my mother's. I closed my eyes and focused on the remains. The central body mass was intact but when I realized that the limbs were missing, I breathed my first sigh of relief all day.
That was Geb in the ground. She'd somehow managed to kill the bastard. Now, I just needed her to be alive and safe. And, if I was going to throw in wishes, close enough by that I could find her and get back home to save my kid.
I took a moment to see if there were any threats nearby. Power flowed down into the ground and a miniature 3D map rose from the earth, showing me the lay of the land. There weren't any two legged predators, but that didn't mean anything. My mother could shift into whatever animal she wanted. I focused on the roving bands of creatures for a moment, and then released the power.
Okay, it was time to go find Mom. The slice in my arm was nearly completely healed, but I sent a small burst of power into the wound, keeping it slightly open. I wanted her to scent me. I didn't know what shape she'd be in and scaring her away was not at the top of my to-do list.
I could see a patch of trees over a small rise and decided to head there first. It gave good shelter, or cover if she was trying to stay hidden. It was difficult to not break into a flat out run but I wanted to conserve my energy. I had a small supply of energy bars stuffed into my cargo pants and Heph had filled a Camel backpack with more of his souped up water. I could fight and use my powers if I needed to, but I didn't want to blow my 'load' before I needed to.
Even at a lope, my speed had improved and the forest was in front of me before too long. I paused at the edge and took another look around before kneeling back into the dirt. There had to be a better way to do this. Eventually I'd get someone to train me in my earth powers so I didn't have to make a big production of it every single time I wanted to get a scan of the area.
There was a cluster of animals ahead of me and to the left. I'd check there first. Still no humanoid population to speak of. Had she Rifted out after killing Geb? Why wouldn't she have come back home? There were no other foreign remains in the area.
Something darted past the corner of my vision and I jerked my head up to see what it was. A golden dart leapt over the brush and shot quickly into the wood, her lines gracefully clearing dead wood and rocks. "Mom?" I called out.
"Mother!" I shouted more loudly. There was no response. I scrambled to my feet and gave chase, crashing into the forest - trying to capture the sight of her again. Branches whipped across my cheeks, leaving small trails of blood flying behind me as I ran. Why wasn't she responding?
She dodged around a tree and I had to leap to avoid a fallen log. Damn, she was fast and she knew this area better than I did. "I need better radar," I called out to the earth with exasperation. My senses became fine-tuned. The obstacles became clearer and easier to avoid as I ran.
I stopped suddenly, breathing heavily, and leaned on my other senses. She was silent as a ghost. My ears strained to catch a hint of her whereabouts. I growled and tilted my head back with eyes closed, trying to get a feel of movement. Something rustled to the left and I was off again, running full tilt trying to catch up to her.
My heavy footfalls flushed wildlife out of the trees and bushes. None of them were easily recognizable and I realized that I was truly off world. I also wasn't being very cautious. If this wasn't my mother, I could be falling into a trap.
But let's face it, I was Grace. I didn't heed warning signs. I barreled through life doing what I thought was right, consequences be damned. My single minded purpose led me up a rise and into a small clearing.
A flash of gold blurred across my vision as I caught sight of her again. "Diana!" I called and bolted off after her, but tripped over a thick tree root and went sprawling. My body hit the ground hard and I ended up having to spit out a mouthful of dirt. "Shit," I exclaimed. Hoping that I hadn't missed her, I looked around.
"We have to stop meeting like this," she replied with a laugh.
A sigh of relief escaped my lips. "Thank God, you’re alive."
"I don't know what your God has to do with it." Those words made me glance at her curiously.
She looked like she had when I'd woken up in her illusionary house. Her hair fell in fiery waves down her back and over her shoulder. I would have been more comfortable if she'd been clothed, but now wasn't the time for prudish behavior. "Mother? Diana? Do you know who I am?" I looked into her sea-foam green eyes, hoping for some recognition.
My question was laced with concern. If she remembered me, she shouldn't have run away. Something was wrong.
"Diana. That's what I had been trying to remember." Her voice filled with humor, laced with a tinge of regret.
"Yes, but do you know who I am?" I asked again, hoping that she would.
She sighed at me and rolled her eyes. "Of course I know who you are, Grace. I'm fucking with you."
"Are you kidding me?" My tone was not amused.
"Well, I didn’t know who you were until you tripped over that branch. Then it was obvious that it couldn't be anyone but you."
"This is the first time my utter gracelessness has come in handy," I muttered.
"You're not the first person to come through the Rift. I thought I saw my daughter Hope, but she's been dead for hundreds of years. So I've stayed hidden here."
Oooh yeah. I wasn't going to fill her in on that yet. Right now, I needed to get her back through the Rift and into the Lab so she could fix me. "Why haven't you come home?" That seemed like an important question to ask, especially considering the circumstances. I guess I just needed to know if I was going to have to conk her out to get her out of here.
Her eyes bored into me and she replied with grim steel, "I needed to make sure he was really dead."
I wanted to argue that point. He was buried in the ground, worm food even. But taking that for granted just seemed like a bad idea. "Have you decided that he is?" I asked.
She looked uncertain. "I think so. I just couldn't bear it if not making sure came back to haunt us."
"Are you all right? You were so injured when you pulled him through." I got to my feet and walked slowly toward her, wary of frightening her off. She seemed a little jumpy.
She nodded. "As soon as I shifted, I began to heal the worst of the wounds. The rest came through some rest and downtime. This is a peaceful place."
"I need you to come home with me now, Mom." I took another step and reached out, hoping that she would take my hand.
Her face softened and eyes began to water. Oh God, I'd upset her. "What? I'm so sorry. What did I say?"
"This is the first time you've ever called me ‘Mom.’ I thought I'd never be able to hear you say that to me." She s
trode forward and wrapped her arms around me.
Suddenly we were both tearful. I'm sure it was for entirely different reasons, but the moment meant the world to me. I stayed wrapped in her arms and cried out all of the hurt and pain and fear that had encompassed my life for the last six months. She held me close and cried with me.
After a while she pulled away and wiped the tears from my face. "Let's go home," she said simply.
I nodded and sniffed. "There's some things that I need to tell you but it can wait until we get back."
Her brows knit together in concern and confusion but she nodded and opened a Rift. I gripped her hand and pulled her through with me into the safety of Zeus' lab.
Chapter 29
Zeus and Heph were huddled around a bank of screens when we appeared on the other side of the Rift. They turned and the look on Zeus' face as he saw my mother will stay with me for the rest of my life. There was relief mixed with a love so profound, I had to turn away; feeling like I didn't deserve to see that.
"You came back," he whispered. I blinked and they were wrapped around each other in an embrace that seemed so intimate that I felt unworthy and quite uncomfortable to be in the same room.
"That looks like a nasty gash you have there, Grace," Heph said loudly. I could have kissed him.
"Yes," I replied, equally as loud. "Would you help me clean it up?"
"I would love to," he grabbed my arm and led me from the room. When we'd gotten far enough away, we stopped and he looked at me with wide eyes. "Wow that was uncomfortable."
"Seriously, right?"
"Where did you find her? Why hadn't she come back on her own?"
It was a reasonable question, so I told him the story as he gently cleaned my cuts and scrapes. I smiled down at him as he was close to the end of the cleaning process and said "You know those will heal on their own. You don't need to bother."
"Actually, I do." He said.
Our gazes locked and my mouth opened so I could pull in more air. His stare knocked the very breath from my body in its intensity. I couldn't speak or form words. I knew that logically I should push him away. I was broken. Not ready for what he wanted or needed. The words wouldn't leave my lips.
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