“Come with me to the Otherside.”
“The Otherside. Is that what the realm is called?”
“Exactly. As the key, you have to follow me to unlock it.” Deimos stood and neared me. I stood my ground, even though every muscle of my body was screaming at me to flee from him. He offered a hand, spreading his slender fingers, which had pointed, sharp nails.
I stared at his hand. “I have more questions.”
Deimos kept his hand up. “Ask them.”
“My visions. The memories of Aphrodite and Ares. Where do they come from?”
“You were created from their essences, so essentially, you contain parts of them, memories included.”
“I see. And must I follow you right away?” He kept his hand hovering, pressuring me to accept it. I really needed some space, so I could have some time to myself and try to understand my birth. I still couldn’t believe Deimos’s words, and maybe I shouldn’t. I’d just met him, and he could say anything he wanted to convince me to do what he wished.
“That would be ideal. But is there anything stopping you?”
“Devon. We still haven’t saved him.”
“I can assist you.” Deimos stretched his hand out farther. “Accept my plea, and I will help you achieve your goals. We are family, after all.”
“A very strange family.”
“But one nevertheless. Who is this Devon you speak of?”
“He’s one of my vassals. I pierced him with Ares’s blade.”
“Then he should be dead.”
Shaking my head, I replied, “Agness has his death temporarily delayed with her potions, but he doesn’t have much time left. We need to get the life elixir to him before nightfall.”
Deimos’s shoulders slumped. “The centaurs would not mind exchanging the blade for the elixir. That should solve your problem easily.”
I winced. “Yeah, about that. We almost had that exchange, but then…”
Deimos lifted a brow.
“… I ate their fig.”
“Ah. That is problematic. They value that fruit very much.”
“Yep.”
“I have something to solve that. Give me a moment.” Deimos turned away and walked to the rune where I’d found him. He bent toward it, then vanished in a puff of smoke.
I looked at my vassals, who all wore the same looks of confusion. “Did he abandon us?”
Deimos reappeared almost right after I uttered that question. He strode up to me and held up a talisman. “This will be a fair exchange.”
“What is it?” I asked, accepting the artifact and ignoring the feelings of fear that Deimos gave me. Despite his assurance of peace, being around him still brought out my cowardly side, making me want to crawl into a hole and hide. I inspected the new object in my hand. It was simple, with a metal pendant shaped like a bear claw and a silver chain. It looked like something I might be able to get at the dollar store.
“The Talisman of the Nakada,” Deimos said.
Liam bristled. “The centaurs have been looking for it for centuries.”
“Since the war, yes.”
“I’m not sure if you should return that to the centaurs.”
“What’s so special about it?” I asked. The metal looked rusted, and if I’d found it in my home, I would have thrown it into a trash can.
“With it, the centaurs can control the forest. They can subdue the animals under their will and continue to rule what they currently own. I created it myself.”
“We shouldn’t give it to them,” Liam said.
“And why not?”
“The necklace rules through feelings of fear and dread. You can send those emotions out if you put it on. It’s a weapon of war, and the centaurs are warring creatures. They’ll only use its power to cause harm.”
“They will give us the elixir for it, though.” I folded my fingers over the necklace.
“Yes, but at what cost?”
Deimos, strangely, began laughing. “There is no need to worry. The necklace is tied to me, for I am its source of energy. I can sense when somebody wants to use its power, and I can control how much of it is used. I promise I won’t let them use it to its full abilities.”
Liam looked unconvinced. “Are you sure about that?”
“The centaurs will not be able to do much harm with it, but they will give you the elixir.” Deimos clasped his hands together. “You can save this Devon easily now. Meet me back here when you’re done. Our parents have been waiting a long time. I’m sure an extra day will not cause much trouble, but they are eager to be free of their realm.”
“What will they do when they leave, then?” I wasn’t sure if I should be unleashing them upon Haven again, considering their presence the last time resulted in a tumultuous war that nobody could stop talking about.
“They will live in peace, of course,” Deimos said. “The goddesses will not have to know of their return, and they will scurry away to a private corner to live their lives.”
A strange inkling made me unsure of Deimos’s words. It might have been due to his weighty presence. The dread he projected made me doubt everything that came out of his mouth.
“Wait,” I said. “One more question before we part.”
“Anything,” Deimos replied.
“Why here?” I asked. “Why show up now?”
“We knew you’d turn up here, far from the Sanctuary, as prophesied by the goddess of destiny many year ago. We never knew when, however, so our parents sent me here to wait. Of course, I couldn’t just sit around bored, so I pulled my consciousness, locked it away, and placed the rune there to call to your essence. I knew that if you touched it, it’d alert me to your presence.”
“Oh,” I said.
“Does that aid in abating your curiosity?”
I nodded.
“Then meet me here after you’ve finished with the centaurs. I shall be waiting.” He gave me a gentle smile, which he maybe thought might make me feel better, but it did nothing of the sort.
Deimos flipped up his robe. He poofed away from existence again, taking the chilly temperature with him. I blinked at the empty spot he’d left behind, then reached to my side to grab the hand of the first vassal I could touch. It was Theo.
Theo brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
“At least we now know where Aphrodite and Ares are,” Theo said.
“Could we get them to solve the murders?” I asked. “Fix the problems with the chiasma?”
“I’m not sure.” Liam took the talisman from me and inspected it. He rubbed his thumb across the pendant. “Let’s focus on saving Devon first.”
Dread pooled inside my stomach. Despite Deimos giving us the answers we needed, I couldn’t trust him, and the uncertainty of the future made all my usual badassery drain from me.
Why couldn’t I have a normal family? My childhood, with Lydia as my foster mother, seemed a lot more ideal than this current situation. At least back then, the story of my existence wasn’t tied to the fate of the world.
Chapter 9
“We’re already in centaur territory,” Liam said.
“Are you sure?” I asked. “How do you know the way?” I recalled Benjie joking about how Liam could never find his way around this area.
“It looks familiar, though I can’t pinpoint the exact location of the territory.”
The leaves of the forest crunched beneath my boots. Birds sang around us, playing a monotonous tune that sounded hollow. Most of the branches in this part of the forest were bare, their tips forming jagged points that mimicked swords.
“We’re going the right way,” Hansel said. “We scouted of the area earlier, and I’ve got a mental map of this place. I knew we couldn’t trust Liam for directions.”
Liam snorted. “Watch out. The centaurs love ambushes. The woods are their domain, and they prefer to take their enemies by surprise.”
“Good to know,” Hansel said.
As we walked through the disconcer
ting pathway, my vassals stayed close to me, circling me in a protective stance that helped me feel safe. Even Liam was treating me much better now, and I somehow knew I’d won all their hearts. It was only a matter of time before Liam came around to my awesomeness.
That was what I told myself.
Some part of me thought I didn’t deserve the love of all my vassals. After all, who was I but an orphan who wanted to play music?
Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed Liam’s arm.
“Are you really doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Grabbing me like that.”
“Do you not want me to?”
Liam turned away, ignoring my question, but I saw the light smile on his lips that told me he enjoyed me touching him. A giddy feeling took over my mind, and I got the sudden urge to plant my mouth against his. We still hadn’t finished what we’d started before Deimos showed up, and remembering him drawing my body so close spiked desire through me.
Hansel, sensing my affection for Liam, said, “Since when did you two get so close?”
“Are we close?” Liam said. His smile didn’t leave his face, and he didn’t stop me from grabbing his arm.
“Cara has her paws all over you.”
“You almost sound jealous.”
“Maybe.”
I let go of Liam and took Hansel’s hand instead. Liam’s expression turned mildly sour, though he didn’t comment.
Theo chuckled, then slapped my ass. I jolted at the sudden sensation, stifling a yelp. “What was that?”
“Since you’re going around grabbing them, I thought I’d have some of you,” Theo said.
“No need to fight,” I said. “There’s enough of this to go around.” I gestured to my body.
“Enough of what?” Liam asked, amused.
“This.” I grabbed my boobs and pushed them together. Guys loved boobs, right? Though I wasn’t sure if my size was adequate.
Theo cleared his throat. “Don’t do that.”
“And why not?” I was proud of my boobs. They were perky and squeezable. Lick-able, too, as the guys would know.
“Makes me want to fuck you here in the middle of the forest floor.” The intensity in Theo’s eyes sent sparks of heat through my body. My heart raced as thoughts of lovemaking appeared in my mind.
“Let’s get the elixir,” I said, distracting myself from my lust. “Devon’s waiting—”
An arrow zipped through the air and landed right next to my foot. I squealed. I’d almost tripped over in typical Cara fashion despite my bracelet, but Theo held me steady with his strong arms.
Another arrow came toward us from the left. Theo pulled me down to avoid it, and the projectile flew over my head. We landed on hard dirt.
Hooves beat against the forest floor, creating a cascading sound. The centaurs’ shadows intermingled with those of the trees. They showed up as they did the first time, but when Benjie greeted us, he no longer had the friendly attitude from when we first met him.
I took the Talisman of Nakada from my pocket. “We have payment for the fig—”
Before I could finish, the centaurs attacked, charging forward in a stampede. Theo lifted me to my feet and drew his dagger. A centaur ran past him. He swept his arm up, and the leaves on the forest ground lifted and darted toward the centaur, blinding him. Hansel leapt at the centaur from behind and sank a dagger into its shoulder blade.
“Benjie!” Liam shouted as he fended for his own life. An arrow zipped past him, but he caught it and snapped it into two. “There’s no need to attack!”
Should I summon my wings? Would they be useful in the heat of battle? I played with the idea, then decided against it. I didn’t know how to control them, so they’d mostly get in the way.
“Give us Cara!” Benjie yelled, drawing his bow and loosing another arrow at Liam. Liam jumped to his left, dodging the projectile.
“We need to talk!”
Hansel called to the winds. He lifted himself into the air and hopped on the back of a centaur. From that vantage point, he attacked its companions, using his dagger to slice their skin. The centaurs were as sturdy as they looked, however, and they dealt with injuries well. Despite the sharp gashes on its back, the centaur that Hansel rode continued fighting, reaching around to grab Hansel.
A centaur charged at me, expression lit up with the fervor of battle. The guys were all busy trying to get the other centaurs away from me, so I blasted my love magic at this one. The centaur halted in its tracks and blinked at me. Should I use my magic on the rest of the centaurs? That would end the battle pretty quickly.
The one I’d attacked blinked at me. He sheathed his weapon and opened his arms. “My love.” He charged at me, eager to sweep me up into an embrace I was absolutely terrified of. When he neared me, I avoided him by jumping to my left. I frowned, surprised I hadn’t tripped and fallen, most likely due to the Medusa bracelet. The centaur spun and lurched toward me, trying to hug me again. I grabbed a handful of its hair and leapt onto its back.
“Keep me safe,” I said, using the lust it felt for me to get the beast to do my bidding. I considered making another centaur succumb to my powers of love, but that might cause it to want to smother me, so I decided against it. I grabbed the love-stricken centaur by its shoulders to steady myself.
“Anything for you, my paramour,” the centaur said. “Keep touching me like that, and I will make love to you under the starriest of skies, paired with the sweetest of music. We’ll be one together all night long, and I will kiss every inch of your body, burn the memory of your skin’s sensation into my mind.” As he spoke, he swung his axe, mauling one of his companions.
I winced as soon as the image of me having intercourse with the centaur came to mind. It was utterly grotesque. Horrible. The creature had a horse’s body, for fuck’s sake. How was that supposed to work out? I didn’t even like his face.
The centaur laughed, and I thought the sound chilling. “You will be mine and mine only. I’ll spoil you with the riches of what I can gather, treat you well, like a woman of your caliber should be pampered. You’ll want for nothing as long as you give me your all, and—”
A rock hit the centaur’s head, knocking him sideways. I lost my grip on him and fell backward. My heart dipped as I prepared to smash against the floor, but strong arms caught me. I peered up, and there, holding me, was Theo with annoyance painted all over his face.
Theo huffed, then threw another rock at the centaur. The centaur stirred, wanting to get up, but Theo kicked his skull to knock him unconscious.
“He was on our side,” I said, catching my breath. I didn’t know that fighting centaurs would be this much exercise. Maybe I should have put more effort into gym class.
Theo screwed up his nose. “I was sick and tired of hearing him talk. You belong to us, Cara.”
“I never doubted that,” I replied. “I wasn’t flattered by anything that centaur said.”
“Doesn’t mean that he didn’t annoy the shit out of me.” Theo turned around, then thrust himself back into battle to protect me.
In the distance, Liam had neared Benjie after cutting through a bunch of centaurs. Benjie pointed an axe at Liam, but Liam skidded underneath his old friend’s legs. He got up and aimed his dagger at Benjie’s neck. “Stop this,” Liam said. The rest of the centaurs, seeing that their leader had been subdued, halted. They watched the situation with tense anticipation as they waited for cues on what to do next.
Benjie tensed. He dropped his axe to the ground, then raised both his hands. “Not until we have Cara.”
“We’re here to make peace. There’s an artifact we have in exchange for the fig.”
Benjie looked unimpressed. “The fig is our most treasured prize. I doubt that you have something of the same value.”
“Cara,” Liam said, turning toward me. “Show him.”
“That was what I meant to do earlier,” I said, sighing. I eyed the centaur Theo had knocked out. I really didn’t ne
ed to hear those exclamations of love from him. The horrible images they conjured would give me nightmares.
I took the talisman out of my pocket again and showed it to Benjie. As soon as his eyes fell upon the object, they lit up. “Where did you find this?”
He lifted it in front of his face, looking so power-hungry that, for a second, I doubted my decision to pass the talisman to him. Still, Devon was too important for me to lose, and so I had to risk it. There was nothing more I wanted than to save him.
“Will that be enough to pay my debt?” I asked.
“This… this is far more valuable than the fig. It will pay your debt and more.” Benjie grinned. “What do you want for it? Axies will be very pleased to have the necklace.”
“The same thing I wanted before. The life elixir.”
“That would be no problem at all.” Benjie sheathed his axe, keeping it behind his back. I surveyed the aftermath of our fighting. Knocked-out and bleeding centaurs were everywhere, but the vassals had managed to protect us without any casualties. I hadn’t realized how strong my guys were until looking at the carnage they’d wrought. “I’ll get the elixir from Axies for you. Follow me.”
Benjie pocketed the talisman, and we trailed after him, entering the dark woods.
I had to ensure that I didn’t go around eating strange fruits this time.
Chapter 10
I clutched the life elixir in my hands.
As Benjie had promised, the centaurs eagerly accepted the trade, and King Axies caved to our demands, giving us a small drop of the elixir to save Devon. He had to convince the sage—the protector of the elixir—to give us a few drops. It was amusing watching Axies get scolded by the two-hundred-year-old centaur, but the sage had to give in to the king’s request eventually.
The bottle was tinier than my thumb. It had an opalescent sheen to it, and inside, the liquid was a bloody crimson. Besides its striking color, nothing about it stood out. I questioned whether this really could save Devon.
What if it didn’t work?
The journey back to the Sanctuary was taking too long. Agness had sent us to the forest through her portal, but she didn’t give us a way back, so we spent half the day riding on some river steeds we’d found close to the Amethyst lake. The steeds were the first of their kind I’d come across. These horses had scales. Their tails, instead of being made of hair, were scaly appendages that stuck out from their behinds.
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