Paldimori Gods Rising Box Set

by T. L. Callahan

  My breath whooshed out in relief. Thank you, Great Mother! “What about what happened last night. That can’t be normal, right? I mean, I believe in Mother Earth and talk to flowers, but I’ve never had plants try to turn me into a pin cushion. Not that—”

  Molly held up her hands in a time out gesture. “I’ll tell you what I know. Then you have to stop talking. Seriously, I thought only my cousin talked this much.” She huffed, then turned on her heel and started walking away. “Keep up. I don’t want to listen to Jaxon bitch if anything else happens to you. Consider us attached at the hip until further notice.”

  We walked toward the stream that ran through the middle of the meadow, and Molly stooped to pull a sack from a hollowed-out stump. “The Paldimori are descendants of six gods and goddesses. Your history books would call them the primordial gods. Everything was going great, then the Chaonian War happened. The descendants fought against each other and a lot of our people died. Some got away and ended up here in Sotirìa. Some got lost in the human world.” Molly handed me an apple then glared at me when I took a bite. She grabbed another from the sack and put it in my other hand. Then grabbed my wrist and dragged me over to a gray-and-white Appaloosa. She shoved our hands at the horse. I giggled as it closed its mouth around the apple and our hands. Molly even cracked a tiny smile before getting back to business. “You’ve seen the cards. They’ve got some power in them to identify anyone with Paldimori blood. The problem is, they can’t judge how much power people like you have.”

  She patted the horse and wiped her hand off on her pants. “Each House has a primary set of powers. Not everyone gets all of the powers or the same strength.” She pinched her fingers together, then pulled them apart about three inches. “That’s the size of most of the House symbols you’ll see people marked with. The bigger the symbol, the more power someone has. Everyone I’ve ever seen come from the human world, their powers were repressed. The Games were designed to draw out the contestants’ powers. Or, at least, we thought that was all they were for.”

  Molly’s fingers drummed against her thigh as she squinted at the stream. “Jaxon and Lia have found some books in her father’s library. Seems like her mom and dad were collecting info on the Chosen. The Games may have been set up to draw them out. The guides aren’t the trusted advisors we once were. So, I’m only guessing here, but I think what happened last night was the Chosen version of having your powers awoken.”

  “Gaia called me ‘Chosen’ too. What does that mean?”

  “That’s another question.” Molly ran her hand over her face in irritation. “Fine, I’ll answer this last one. You went through a lot yesterday and aren’t crying about it. Not everyone will have their powers awoken when they come here. Those that don’t go back to the human world none the wiser. The last few years there have been fewer and fewer awakenings. Everyone is worried. Our communities are being attacked, you saw it when you were in Chaméni Elpída.”

  “Wait, what’s that? Cami ...?”

  “Kah-men-yay El-peeda,” she sounded out. “It’s the name of the village where you found your grandmother.

  “Our enemies don’t care who they kill. Their goal is to wipe us out. The attacks have been getting worse. But it isn’t just that.” Molly’s hands fisted, a look of bitter disappointment tightened her features. “More of our children are born with weaker powers. Fewer new people are added through the Games. We’re a dying race, Dia.”

  Silence stretched between us. These poor people. They were being persecuted for simply being who they were. My heart ached for them. I knew exactly how that felt.

  “Enough about that.” Molly picked out another apple. “C’mon its time you met Saam.”

  She stepped up onto the hollowed-out tree trunk and whistled. A reddish-brown horse on the other side of the stream lifted its head and whinnied. It walked through the stream and stopped in front of Molly.

  I finished the apple I was eating and walked over to join them. “Wow, he’s beautiful.”

  Molly snorted. “Don’t let him fool you. Saam is his nickname. His real name is Stubborn as a Mule.”

  “You want me to ride a horse you named ‘Stubborn as a Mule?’”

  “He’s the fastest,” Molly said, while keeping the apple away from the horse. “The triathlon is all about speed. Trust me you’ll want Saam. After the swim, you’re going to be tired. You’ll have some time to recharge for the race at the end.”

  “Can’t I ride a bicycle like normal people do in those races? I know where the brakes are, and it won’t bite me.”

  “No. And Saam doesn’t bite.” Molly tossed me the apple. I held it out to the horse as he turned toward me. As if to disprove her, Saam chomped down especially hard on the apple. I checked my fingers to make sure they were all still there.

  “Let me get this straight. I have to swim, ride a horse, and then race on foot. All in one day?”

  “Yep.” Saam nudged Molly’s shoulder, and a sad little smile slipped across her face. She rubbed his neck, and he leaned into her touch like an affectionate child. “Oof. I’m rationing your apples. Don’t look at me like that. You’re going to be too fat to win. Do you want me to put Ninny in the competition instead?”

  He snorted as if to say, “Yeah, right.” The gray-and-white Appaloosa from earlier looked up when she heard her name. She wrinkled up her nose exposing big white teeth in the goofiest horse smile I’d ever seen. Saam tossed his head and stomped his foot.

  “Ok, ok. Point taken,” Molly surrendered with a smile that seemed less forced. “I’ll keep you in. No showing off. Just get to the front and stay there.”

  I’m pretty sure the horse would have saluted if he could have. Instead, he did a weird bowing thing before he trotted off after Ninny who was distracted with smelling all the flowers. Molly kneeled down at the stream to splash water on her face. A laugh burst out before I could stop it when Saam circled back to steal an apple from the bag sitting behind her.

  She stood and dried off her face with the hem of her red tank top. “He took an apple, didn’t he?”

  “Huh-hum,” I pretended to clear my throat to try to cover up my laugh. “So what else can you tell me about the competition?” No way was I going to make the horse who was supposed to carry me through part of this competition mad at me. I pulled a small box of Nerds out of the pocket of my yoga pants and enjoyed a snack.

  “How can you eat that crap? Saam, I see you. No more apples.” Molly dropped to the ground with a sigh. “I’m too tired to deal with mutiny. I’ll work it out of you both tomorrow.”

  I groaned. “My muscles are crying for mercy already.”

  “Should have thought of that before you sided with the horse.”

  “We’re bonding for the competition.”

  “Your ass. His back. That’s all the ‘bonding’ you need.” She glanced at me over her shoulder, a bitter note entering her voice. “You’re a Chosen, shouldn’t be that hard.”

  “Why do you hate me?” I asked. “I mean we don’t have to be besties, but you act like I kicked your cat. I would never kick a cat, by the way. I love cats. Horses are going to take some time, but I’m sure I’ll love them too.”

  “That’s a record.” Molly gave me a weak little grin. “Thought you’d keep going ’til time for the race.”

  My running monologue could last a while, especially when I was excited about something. It was like releasing the pressure from a corked bottle and letting out all of the randomness going on in my head. It was a relief for me, but not so much for everyone else. Surprisingly, my head was quieter than usual today. All of my life I had been looking for a way to drown out the constant chatter. Now that I had a little peace, it felt strange. Almost like a part of me was missing.

  “I don’t hate you,” Molly said quietly, her gaze direct and honest. “You have Jaxon all confused, which is reason enough to like you. You’re nice. Funny. Sweet, even, but not to the point of gagging me. We could have been friends before ...”

&
nbsp; “Before what?” She turned away, refusing to answer. “What about Lia? I thought you were close. She told me she wants—”

  “No!” Molly jumped to her feet, her hands clenching at her sides as she faced me. Tears filled her eyes, and she roughly swiped them away. “The last Chosen I got involved with cost me more than I can bear. Don’t talk to me about her. I’ll teach you and train you. That’s my job. But that’s all I can give you.”

  “I’m sorry for whatever happened to you,” I said softly, really wishing I could give her a hug.

  She nodded. “You asked about the competition. I’ll tell you what I can.” She settled back onto the ground and picked up a blade of grass to wrap around her finger. “Pétra Skiá Kástro —Stone Shadow Castle—is your end goal. It was the home of the House of Shadows when our ancestors lived here full-time.”

  I squinted against the sunlight that somehow filled the cave where the training area was located and pulled a tress of my hair over my shoulder. My hands worked absently braiding my hair as Molly continued her story. Sotirìa was created as a sanctuary for the surviving Paldimori people when their society collapsed. The Houses were created as forms of government to help protect the six family lines. One person for each house would rule and assume the title of the original founder of the lines. Eventually, a decision was made by the rulers to spread the Houses around the world and create territories for each that they would rule over.

  “You’ve seen the powers we have. Hell, you and Lia are the most powerful among us. The Chosen.” Molly stood and walked to the water’s edge. She bent to pick up a rock and sent it skipping across the stream.

  “There’s a prophecy about the Chosen. Only a few of our people remember it. And no one knows who told it. When I was little, my birth mother would tell me stories about the Chosen. She was the Kafàli for my line. They get a bit more info than us normal guides.” Molly threw another rock. “I was supposed to follow in her footsteps. Instead, I was a disappointment.”

  She squeezed the rock in her hand so hard, it looked like it would crack. “And Grace said something about the Chosen saving us or dooming us. I’d never heard that last part. Damn it, now they’re both dead. Whatever they knew is gone.”

  Molly threw the rock so hard it sailed right over the creek and hit Ninny in the rump. The horse jumped and let out a whinny. Then turned narrowed eyes our way and bit at the air. “Fuck!” Molly slammed her fist against her thigh. “Sorry, girl. How about another apple?”

  A yellow apple floated out of the bag and over to the horse. She stared at us a few minutes before she accepted the peace offering and gobbled it up. Molly wrapped her arms around herself and hung her head.

  “It was an accident,” I assured her as I got to my feet. “Ninny’s ok.”

  “She’s fine now, but what about next time? What if that had been a kid?’ Molly said more to herself than me and tightened her grip until her knuckles creaked. “I’m so angry all the time. Guides can’t be unstable. We can’t lose control. I don’t know how to be anything but a guide. It’s the one thing I’m good at.”

  “Hey, no one’s going to make you give up your job.” I put my hand on her shoulder. She tensed but didn’t knock me on my butt. “You’re grieving, and you need time to deal with what happened. I’m sure your boss can understand that. I know what it’s like to be angry at the universe for taking people from you. You’ll find a way to handle it. Me, I started self-defense classes. They helped me to put the anger to good use.”

  I stepped back grateful she hadn’t punched me. “If you want to talk sometime, you know where to find me.”

  “You ...” Molly cleared her throat and turned to face me. Her smoky blue-gray eyes were large and haunted. “Why are you being nice to me? I’ve been a bitch to you since we met.”

  “I can’t stand to see people or animals hurting. Lia calls it my savior complex, but if I can help, why wouldn’t I?” I shrugged “Besides it takes too much energy to stay mad. But there may be a few exceptions to that rule.”

  “Jaxon,” we said together and laughed.

  “Thanks, Dia. I-I don’t think I’m ready to talk about it. But when I am, I’ll come find you.”

  “I hope you do. I think we could be friends. And, you know, Lia loves you.” I held up my hand when her face darkened. “She does, and she’s not giving up on your friendship either.”

  “Enough Kumbaya”—she made a gagging face—“It’s time to get to work. Sorry about this.”

  I frowned. “Sorry? About wh—”

  She waved her hand, and a bubble of water about the size of a beach ball lifted into the air. It flew straight into my chest, and I shrieked as icy cold water soaked me.

  Molly grinned. “Now you’re ready to ride.”

  16

  A soft breeze rustled through the leaves of the forest and tugged gently at my braid. I inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet scent of the purple flowers in the meadow mixed with the almost lemony tang of the grasses. I popped another almond in my mouth, relishing the cherry-vanilla hints. Molly had complained that I was a bottomless pit as she withdrew the bag of almonds from the miracle stump and tossed them to me when my belly wouldn’t stop rumbling. Usually I would have had a bag full of snacks, but I hadn’t exactly had time to raid the kitchen with everything going on.

  I stood and stretched. My butt and legs protested every move. Molly hadn’t been kidding about Saam’s speed. She’d started us off at a walk around the meadow, but Saam didn’t have much patience for that. He’d taken off like a bullet, and I’d barely been able to hang on. The ride had been made even more difficult by my wet clothes. Soggy spandex, the bare back of a horse, and breakneck speeds wasn’t a combination I would recommend. But my initial terror had calmed after a bit, and I’d been able to feel a connection to Saam. We’d worked well together as a team after that, and I’d found a new love for horseback riding.

  I tipped my head back to soak in the artificial sunlight of the cave. This is what life should be like. My head was calm. My blood was pumping after practicing with Saam. My senses were tingling with a newfound sensation as though I was connected to everything around me. I plucked another almond from the drawstring bag and tossed it in my mouth. A rough shove from behind caused me to stumble and the almond lodged in my throat. I bent over coughing. Tears streamed down my face as I wheezed and struggled to dislodge the nut.

  A kick landed to the back of my knee sending me to the ground.

  I rolled with the fall and back onto my feet like I’d been taught. I wheezed around the almond and shakily took a fighter stance as my teary eyes scanned the area for my attacker. All I saw was a shadow disappearing into the woods. No one else was around. I dropped my hands and tried coughing out the almond. My throat worked convulsively to trying to dislodge it, but it wasn’t working. I stuck my fingers in my mouth hoping I could reach it.

  Then the weirdest thing happened. My fingertips tingled, and there was a tugging sensation along my back. My eyes widened in horror as something slithered down my throat. I yanked my fingers out and gasped a full breath. Waving from the tip of my finger was a small green sprout. Its two leaves opened to show me the almond that I had been choking on.

  Lia and Bennett appeared a few feet in front of me. Literally appeared out of thin air. My best friend had some explaining to do. She was clearly more in the know about this place than she had let on. I wasn’t as dumb as most people thought. I understood that Lia must have been Paldimori too since she had gotten into the Games the same way I had. Why hadn’t she told me what it meant when I activated the card? Anger and hurt sat like a boulder on my chest.

  “I’ve been so worried about you,” I stood stiffly in her arms as Lia hugged me. “Dumbass Jaxon scooped you up before I could get to you last night. Then the caveman behind me refused to let me near the training area until you took a break.” She pulled back and cocked her head as she noticed my finger. “Why is there a plant growing out of your finger?”

  I
wanted to shout at her and demand to know everything she had been withholding. But the other contestants were gathering for the start of the race. We would be talking later though, whether she wanted to or not. I took a deep breath and pushed it all away to deal with later.

  I filled her in on what happened. Lia stomped around cussing and threatening anatomically impossible acts on whoever had attacked me. Bennett stood back smiling as she threatened him and Jaxon as well. My focus never wavered from the sprout. I ran a finger along the line where my skin merged with the green base. The shoot dropped the almond in my palm and slowly sank back into my skin.

  How amazing would it be if I could grow anything with a single thought? I imagined an orange tiger lily. A small perfect flower grew out of my forearm. I bounced up and down, throwing my hands out to see if I could get more flowers to grow.

  Squeee, new way to decorate my clothes!

  I’d heard about people who knew exactly where to plant the best crops and whose flowers bloomed all year round. But nothing like this. On her good days, Mom had been clear-headed enough to tell me about the things people in her tribe could do. She’d said that we were blessed by the Great Mother to share a connection with all of nature that let us be able to work together. I’d loved those stories but had written them off as something she made up as part of her sickness.

  I wished she were here to see me now.

  Tiger lilies started popping up around my feet. Bennett was giving me a knowing look.

  The same look Lia gave me as she plucked a flower from the ground. I knew what they were thinking, but they were wrong. I didn’t make tiger lilies because I was thinking of Jaxon. Nope. He hadn’t even crossed my mind. Except when I woke up in his shirt this morning. Maybe when Molly and I were talking his name came up. Dang it, ok, so maybe I can’t stop thinking about him. It’s his fault for being all supermodel-y perfection that makes my girl parts sweat.

  “You have so much more control than I do already,” Lia said in awe, breaking into my Jaxon-filled thoughts.