Goddess Choice

by A Lonergan

  Goddess Choice

  The Demi Chronicles

  A. Lonergan

  Contents

  One Month Ago

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Epilogue

  Dedication

  About the Author

  To my father. The original A. Lonergan.

  One Month Ago

  I was in and out of sleep for hours. When I was awake, if that’s what you would even call it, I felt like I was floating above the school bus that I would now call home for however long. I knew it would seem like an eternity.

  When my body finally let me heal completely, waking up felt like heaven and hell all at the same. Oh, how I wanted to rest for just a bit longer but I also felt refreshed enough. I pulled the scratchy blanket up tighter around me and peeked my eyes open. The bus was still dark so I imagined I hadn’t been out as long as I thought I had been.

  “She’s awake!” A little squeak came from the front of the bus. I squeezed my eyes closed hoping they would leave me be and the small girl had made a mistake. No such luck. “You can’t fool me. I’m magic.” The small girl grinned and little sharp teeth poked her bottom lip. I stared at them in horror, reminded of my prisoner. Her small round face went pink and she closed her lips. “Oops, sorry.” She took a step back but not before I saw the sadness on her face.

  “Darya, she probably doesn’t remember us. It was a long night. Give her some time.” Cent the centaur bowed low but I knew in my soul he still didn’t trust me.

  The small girl gave me a little smile and escaped to the back of the bus. I looked up to the front and my eyes met Cristoff’s, one of the other monsters I had helped rescue. He gave me a small nod and continued to look forward. Cora, the mermaid, was leaning against the window, sound asleep with a huge coat wrapped around her. Her small, scaled feet peeked out from the bottom of it. She puckered her lips in her sleep and then smiled. It was almost frightening.

  I was about to close my eyes again when blue lights flashed behind the large bus. My stomach dropped but Cristoff was calm as he pulled over and stood up. His eyes landed on Cora panicked before his palm went up to us. He waved his hand and I felt a large pulse of magic hit me square in the chest. I immediately felt groggy and couldn’t hold my head up.

  The police officer stepped onto the bus but my vision swam.

  “What’s the problem, Officer?” Cristoff’s voice was strong and agitated. I wished I could pick my head up so I could help him if I needed to.

  Why couldn’t I sit up? What was wrong with me? I felt like I was going to throw up. The bus spun around me as I tried to pick my head up again. It was no use. I was stuck here bent over my lap staring at the policeman that was watching the back of the bus, where I was sitting.

  I could hear Cristoff’s smooth tone washing over us. “I’m so sorry about that, Officer. My grandmother just gave me this old hunk of junk and I thought I could move it to my house before getting it insured and everything.” He chuckled like he had made a joke. “I want to turn it into a food truck, I think it has so much potential. Left the corporate world for this.” The bus was getting darker and darker as I tried to focus.

  I jerked forward in my seat, disoriented. I was tired of losing time. I needed to find out the game plan. I needed to know the next step. What were we going to do to Apollo’s Prison? I was sure there were more prisoners there and we needed to help them. I didn’t know why I would even want to go back and risk myself like that but there was no telling what they were going through, seeing as we had escaped. I rubbed my eyes and the grogginess there.

  I tried to swallow but my mouth was impossibly dry. My tongue felt swollen as I moved it around. I stood up on wobbly legs and walked to the front of the bus. I felt like a newborn calf. My knees shook with each step I took and my head continued to swim. I stumbled and the dizziness was worse. I felt like I was under water. I pushed myself to a window as best as I could and hung my head out of it.

  The bile was quick up my throat. It stung all the way out. A gentle hand soothed my back while the heaving made my throat raw. I fell backward and large hands caught me. Cent had a sympathetic smile on his face as he lifted me up and smoothed my hair away from my sweaty forehead.

  “Sorry about that, Jessa.” Cristoff called from the front of the bus. “I didn’t realize my spell was still up.”

  “You did this to me?” My voice ripped from my throat. My mouth felt even worse now. Tears were stinging my eyes as I tried not to heave again. Cent didn’t seem to mind as he rocked me gently from side to side.

  “She needs something to keep her hydrated. I need to get her some water. Can we stop somewhere?” A little squeak piped up behind Cent. The large centaur moved out of the way and let her by to go to Cristoff. Cristoff kicked a spacious ice chest out from under his seat. The small girl brushed her red hair from her shoulder right before it changed to light purple. She moved it again and it changed to pitch black. I blinked hard.

  I still didn’t understand what I was seeing. Apollo’s Prison had housed all the monsters I had read about as a kid and then some. I patted Cent’s bulging arm for him to let me down. He stepped back a few feet, made sure I was alright then retreated to the back of the bus.

  “You probably don’t remember me, but I’m Darya. Last night was a really long one and there’s so much Cristoff probably needs to explain but we will get around to it, don’t worry.” She smiled and I instantly remembered. She was the one with the pointed teeth. Her blue eyes danced as she opened a water bottle and handed it to me.

  “I remember you but it’s hazy.” I croaked out.

  She hummed a soft tune before her eyes got large and she clamped her lips closed. “I’m sorry, we can do it around people like us but I always forget.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. Her melody hadn’t caused me any discomfort. “That must be cool though.”

  She gave me a funny look. “No, I’m not normal and I’m not natural. I shouldn’t be in this world.” She sounded like a recording, like she had been brain washed to think that way.

  “Apollo’s minions trick them into believing that so that they will kill themselves and Apollo won’t have their blood on his hands. Though, he has tons of blood on his hands, I don’t think it matters much.” Cent stood tall and proud behind me. Darya’s eyes were far away and I didn’t want to know just where her mind had taken her. “She’s one of the last ones. At least that’s what she’s been told. She doesn’t have much hope left. She wouldn’t have lasted another day in there.”

  His words took my breath away. We had all suffered so much by the hands of the god of light but I couldn’t imagine knowing I was the only one left, especially if I was like her. I couldn’t imagine just how alone she felt. Sure, I had always felt alone when it had come to my mother but she was always there. Then there had been a string of other people rooting me on and protecting me. Darya had no one but thi
s small group of people sitting around her.

  I pushed myself off of the nasty, tacky bus floor and made my way to Cristoff.

  “What now?” His strange gaze trapped mine in the rear-view mirror.

  “What do you mean?” Where his voice had been animated all the other times, it now sounded bored.

  “Where are we going?”

  He narrowed his eyes at me. “Why do you need to know?”

  “Because I have my own life I need to get back to!” My voice sounded shrill. I couldn’t believe I actually had to explain myself to this man or to anyone for that matter, I had just saved them.

  “I have to get Cora back to her people. They’re probably worried about her. She’s very important.” His voice held reverence whenever he spoke of her.

  “I understand but I have important things too. I need to find Artemis, I need to get in contact with her some how.”

  He narrowed his eyes at me again. “I have no business with the gods. You will just have to wait and so will they.”

  “What if I can’t?” I crossed my arms over my chest, I wasn’t going to ease up on this.

  He waved his hand over his head and muttered something under his breath. I immediately sunk to my knees and bowed my head to him. No matter how much I tried to pick myself up, I couldn’t.

  “Cora is the most important one on this bus and you will remember that. You will not question my authority or hers.” I gritted my teeth because it was the only thing I could control. When I could feel my legs again, I jerked myself off of the floor and scowled at him.

  I didn’t like power plays. I could feel a burning in my fingers but didn’t know how to control the magic I knew was collecting there. I wanted to show him just how powerful Artemis had made me. He had no idea what he had just done. He had no idea what he had just unleashed. When I locked gazes with him in the mirror, my eyes were molten gold. It was my turn to smile but it wasn’t friendly at all.

  We had passed several state lines but I still had no idea where we were heading or rather, where we were. Cora had kept an eye on me the past three days and I didn’t know if it was because she had loyalty to Cristoff or she was looking out for me, either way it didn’t matter.

  I had hardly slept and I knew the only thing keeping me going was the god’s blood in my veins. I was in survival mode again and I couldn’t believe that I had let myself get in this tough spot. I scrubbed my hands down my face.

  Ugh!

  Cora gave me a curious glance. I ignored her. This was, after all, her fault.

  And yours. My mind whispered back at me.

  I frowned hard. My stomach growled, I wrapped my arms around my middle trying to muffle the sound. I wasn’t a priority now that I had stood up to the Alpha and I had lost. I had earned my spot at the bottom of the pack and I didn’t mind, he didn’t know what kind of monster I could be. I was biding my time, pretending.

  Cora shared her dinner with me but we didn’t speak. I didn’t know where I stood with her and I didn’t want to push it. Darya was staring at me front the front of the bus; I gave her a slight wave. Her eyes went blank and she slunked back down on the bench.

  Well, so much for making friends.

  I missed social interaction. I was tired of just being on the bus unless I had to pee or we had to stop for gas. I was guessing that Cristoff had used some type of magic to conceal the look of the bus because we didn’t have any more problems.

  The bus hit a huge bump and knocked me out of my thoughts. It took two seconds for the front doors to be ripped off.

  Chaos erupted around me. Cent shoved me down and Darya went running at the intruder on our vehicle.

  “You think I wouldn’t be able to find you?” A familiar voice blasted through the air around me. “Oh Jessa, I marked you good. I’ll always be able to find you.”

  His words did something to me.

  Terror.

  Terror was all I felt as I recognized the voice of my captor. My blood ran cold and I knew sweat was pouring down my face but no one noticed; they were too focused on going after him. Cent stood over me with a menacing look in his eye and his teeth gritted.

  “You will have to kill me, first. You will not get to her.” His voice held so much power that it forced a chill through my body. I knew he had suffered from the same hands but he wasn’t worried about himself, he was willing to put it all on the table for someone he barely knew. “You saved me from there, now it is my turn to save you.”

  I was at a loss for words. I didn’t understand loyalty like that because I had never experienced it before. I pushed Cent away, though. I was more than capable to fight for myself. I didn’t need to cower and let someone else fight my fight. Cent raised his eyebrows at me and charged forward at the men surging onto the bus around us.

  There was an umbrella on the seat next to me, I picked it up and swung it around, knocking the nearest goon across the neck. He was quick to get back up and tried to kick my legs out from under me. He stuck his tongue out in thought and I was taken off guard. It was forked. He smiled as he punched my jaw. I gritted my teeth against the impact of it and tried not to fall to the ground. I swayed a good bit on my feet but it wasn’t enough to take me out. Shaskia had always dealt me a swifter hand. She hadn’t been merciful in her trainings, she had been ruthless.

  It was my turn to grin back. He would have to be quicker than that. I watched his movements as he circled me and went in for a kick. He had a limp.

  Mistake.

  He should have guarded it better. I swung my foot out and literally swept him off of his feet. He went down hard and his head smacked the ground. I cracked the umbrella over his head and his eyes shut.

  I was about to help Cent with two of his attackers when a haunting melody wrapped its way around my head. I swayed on my feet listening to the beautiful tune. My feet dragged me to Darya against my will. I couldn’t stop but I needed to be next to her. I didn’t know why but she was important. There was something important I had to do. I tried to clear my foggy mind but I couldn’t. Something was keeping me from remembering something.

  Think. Think.

  I shook my head and tried so hard but no matter how hard I tried, nothing changed. Nothing was helping me. I was helpless and useless. I knelt down in front of Darya and bowed my head low. I watched in slow motion as the intruders knelt down beside me and she ripped their throats out with her bare hands. Her teeth had elongated and her nails looked like talons. Where her eyes had once been blue, they were now pitch black.

  “Kill my sister! Take no survivors but the goddess!!” Jericho barked out from somewhere nearby. I cringed as the spell was broken. Darya looked at me terrified. She gave me a panicked look before she started to sing again. She was going to buy me time while she slaughtered people around us. I couldn’t move but I watched as she moved fearlessly. Jericho stepped onto the bus and my blood ran cold again.

  I wanted to cry. I never thought I would see his face again but instead of cowering, I stood as tall as Darya’s song would allow me. Darya continued to kill the men around us as she sang her haunted tune.

  The sound of the gun going off was deafening. I flinched waiting for the pain but remembering his words:

  Kill my sister.

  Rage. All I could taste, hear and see was rage. My body was consumed in it. I had always wanted a sister growing up, I had always been so alone and the bastard killed his own. Then I saw the twinkle in his eye and I knew.

  He wanted to see the monster inside of me. The monster that Artemis had bred but Apollo had released. I didn’t think I had ever run so fast in my life.

  I got my hands around his neck before he laughed. “I waited days to see this. I tore apart your body and watched it re-stitch it’s self back together, I poked and prodded and all it took for you to lose control was for my little dear sister to die.” His large hands gripped the back of my hair and yanked me from him. I let my grip go slack. Apollo was winning. I was sure this was just another one of his games and
I was losing. I was too human, I cared too much about others over myself.

  “You are the monster.” I spit.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure. I see the molten gold in your eyes, I’ve seen you fight. You are more valuable than you think. Artemis thought she created good but she didn’t. She created a monster and that monster will rule by Apollo’s side. There’s a reason he wants to know how much god you have in you. ” His pupils dilated before a portal opened and he was sucked through.

  Cristoff stood with his hands raised and a strange look on his face. The portal snapped closed and I rubbed the back of my tender head. I didn’t feel the hair he had pulled out but it hurt bad enough that I wouldn’t have been surprised. Cristoff stepped over to me and looked my body over for serious wounds before going to Darya on the ground.

  “No!” He beat on the ground with his closed fists. Her eyes stared vacantly at the white ceiling of the bus. I bit my lip until I could feel the pain because it was better than feeling numb. That’s what this life would do to me, turn me numb.

  Cristoff’s bright eyes landed on me. “You.” He jabbed his finger at me. “This is your fault! He only wanted you!”

  “Crissstoff, you know that issssn’t true. They will kill usss for esssscaping. They will ssstill come, whether or not the goddesss isss here.” Cora touched the back of my head where a small chunk of hair was missing and soothed it with her cold touch.

  “You’re right. You’re very right.” Cristoff’s voice sounded bright but his eyes held hatred as they gazed upon me. I knew this wasn’t over.