Apollo's Protection

by Anna Edwards

  “I’m not sure—it’s why I skipped over it. It looks like a man with a club, but when you look at his proportions in relation to the mountains, he’d be too big.”

  “An ogre big or giant big?” Fontus is still lying on the floor, resting with his eyes shut, and his strong arms behind his head.

  “Is there are difference?” I ask. Both would scare me if I were to encounter them.

  “Ogres are known for being more stupid, but equally they are more likely to eat you.” Fontus’ reply makes me anxious.

  “Shut up. You’ll scare her,” Apollo scolds the other half of my men and wraps his arms tightly around me.

  “Are we going that way?” I worry at my lip. Being dinner for an ogre isn’t high on my list of priorities.

  “I think it could be the best option. You aren’t going to be able to go the mountain route unless we find a pair of leftover shoes somewhere. Besides, as you’ve already mentioned, it’s close to water, so hopefully we can call upon your magic to protect us.”

  I look back at the map and smile at the thought of the protection I can give us all.

  “How are you coping without your powers, Apollo?”

  “It’s strange. So many things I’m used to being able to do, and now I can’t.”

  “Doesn’t music provide the essence of your abilities?”

  “Yes, there’s nothing more special to me than listening to people expressing themselves through chords.” Apollo runs his hand through his blond hair.

  “We’ll have to find some music to see if it can restore your powers.” I press a kiss to his lips, and he holds me closer.

  “It won’t. I’ve already experienced music while being here. You, me, and Fontus together create a melody in my head, but my powers haven’t returned.” He looks forlorn.

  “Coventina said you still have them—you just haven’t realized it yet.” I wish I understood the meaning of the old lady’s words. At present, they confuse me.

  “I hope my powers show themselves soon then.” Apollo strokes down my face, and I feel the magic of the island drawing us together once again

  “Shush.” Fontus suddenly appears behind us. His eyes wide with panic. “There’s something outside.”

  The roar I heard earlier, the alien sound of neither human nor beast, comes from just outside the cave.

  “Apollo? What do we do?” Fontus pulls me behind him.

  “Can you two call on the water?” Apollo looks frantically around.

  “No. We’re too far away.” I raise my hand and will water to come to me but nothing happens.

  Apollo inhales deeply as the last embers of my torch burn down to nothing.

  “We must go farther into the cave then.”

  Using dirt from the ground, we hurriedly put out the fire. Whatever is outside could be attracted to the light if it hasn’t already caught our scent. Another inhuman sound breaks the silence of the night beyond the mouth of our shelter. Louder this time. Closer.

  A thin beam of light suddenly cuts through the darkness.

  “I have a flashlight,” Eva whispers. “Come on.”

  Apollo takes the lead, Eva in the middle while I follow behind them. Even though she has her powers, in this formation we can protect her if needed. We don’t know what we face ahead of us. I'm not sure being out in the wilderness of the island is better than the house. At least there we had food and a bed.

  Memories of what Ambrose did to me rise to the surface, and I battle down a bout of nausea. Maybe facing a beast would be better than seeing the principal again. He was pure evil.

  Fingers brushing over the rough rock wall, I follow the others with my ears straining for sounds behind us.

  No one speaks.

  We move as silently as possible.

  Eva flicks the flashlight slowly from side to side when the tunnel eventually widens. A soft luminous glow emanates from farther along, and the sound of rushing water increases as we move steadily closer.

  Eva makes a small sound of excitement.

  Smiling, I feel it too. It's part of us … it’s who we are. That will never change. Just the thought of sinking into its coolness has my skin tingling.

  Reaching a bend, Apollo moves ahead first.

  “Wow!” I hear him exclaim.

  Eva and I then turn the corner, and we both stop in our tracks.

  Phosphorescent moss illuminates a cavernous grotto in blue. An underground waterfall cascades forcefully into a large clear lake below.

  “It’s beautiful!” Eva utters, switching off the flashlight and stowing it in her pillowcase bag.

  “We still need to be careful,” I point out. Although my expression’s unable to hide my own delight.

  Apollo intently sweeps the scene with his eyes. “Look, there's a path cut into the rock. We can follow it down to the bank.”

  “What about the creature from the cave painting?” Eva asks.

  “Those paintings looked pretty old,” I tell her, curving my arm around her waist and giving her a squeeze. “The water’s clear, and there’s no sign of anything. It probably died a long time ago.”

  Apollo hums in his throat. “Let’s stay alert, just in case.”

  Using the wall for support, we scramble down the crude steps that have been chiseled into the rock face. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to put them there. Such a perfect source of water must have been important to the natives of the island. I wonder where they are now? Slaughtered by Pluto and his minions? Or used for his insidious plans?

  “Ouch.” Eva gasps, suddenly jerking up her foot. “The rocks are sharp on my bare feet.”

  Crouching down, I check her sole and find blood seeping from a nasty cut. “I’ll need to wrap it in some material when we get to the bottom of the steps to protect it until it’s healed.”

  Apollo turns and scoops her up into his muscular arms.

  “Fontus, take the lead. I’ll carry her.”

  Eva pouts with annoyance but doesn't complain. Giving her an amused look, I move to the front. We both agreed to follow the blond god’s leadership, but I know she doesn’t like being treated like a helpless female.

  On reaching the bottom of the steps, the ground is sandy. There’s no sign of danger. Nothing stirs, and a strange sense of peace washes over me.

  “All clear,” I call as Apollo negotiates the final steps with the beautiful sea goddess still held tightly in his arms.

  Gently lowering her to the sand, he lifts up her foot to inspect it. Crimson oozes from the clean slice in the flesh close to her big toe. I’m actually surprised she's lasted this long without injury, considering the terrain we’ve been traveling over.

  “Ouch!” she complains and gives him a glare. He grabs the pillowcase she's been using to carry her things, and with a knife, he cuts a long strip from the top of it.

  “The water will help heal her quicker,” I tell him, and taking the material from him, I walk over to the lake. Kneeling at the edge, I immerse the cloth. Cool liquid washes over my fingers. It brings with it an echo of my powers from deep inside my soul. I want nothing more than to sink into the depths but know that’s not possible until we’ve helped Eva.

  An odd clicking noise from above has the blood turning icy in my veins. My head darts up in time to see a creature poised at the top of the carved steps. Pincers open and close around its gaping fanged mouth, and bulging black eyes are stationed on either side of its bulbous head. The rest of it is revealed as it squeezes itself down our only exit. A lion-like body is attached to the mismatched head. It has large paws and golden fur that end at its midsection. The bottom half is that of a bear.

  “What the hell is that?” I question, racing back to Eva.

  Apollo’s expression is a picture of shock. “It looks like someone has made their own version of a chimera.”

  A guttural cry comes from the creature’s throat, and with a speed that shouldn’t be possible for something so large, it charges down the steps toward us.

  Eva ra
ises her hands. I sense her powers humming to the surface, but before she can call the water to protect us, the creature lands on Apollo tearing at him with its pincers and unsheathed claws.

  Pain screams though my chest. Grappling the beast’s throat, I prevent it from savaging my face.

  It’s a monstrosity and surprisingly strong. A jumble of creatures that are not meant to be melded. Through magic or some other nefarious source, someone has perverted nature.

  Fontus gives a cry and running over to Eva, he grabs her under the arms, and hauls her clear. I can see her hand outstretched ready to help me yet hesitant, fearing she might hurt me with her powers in the struggle.

  Saliva drips from the monster’s jaws, and my arms tremor with the effort of keeping it at bay. My strength is usually enough to toss such foes away, but this thing seems to have been built with the force to bring down gods.

  “Apollo.” Eva’s shout is desperate.

  “Do it,” I holler, a burning sensation spreading from the wounds I’ve already suffered.

  An explosion of water hits from the side. The blow is enough to dislodge the beast, sending it flying into the cavern wall. Drenched with cold water, I’m left gasping. Rolling up onto my feet, I ignore the blood running from the slashes on my chest. I need to stay focused. This thing needs to be destroyed before I worry about my injuries.

  Fontus edges to the left of me, the knife in his hand, ready to fight. Hissing, the creature rights itself and swings around to confront us. It’s pincered maw works faster … we’ve pissed it off. This time, it springs at my companion. Fontus is quicker, and leaping clear, he slices the chimera’s side with the knife, leaving a jagged slash. It screams in a mix of pain and rage.

  Instead of retreating as I expect, it turns its attention on Eva. In a blur of unnatural movement, it swipes a mighty paw, missing her by inches. With a fierce look, the little sea goddess lashes out with her powers. Water rises in a wave from the lake and slams into the monster.

  Concentrating, I try to call on my own abilities, but once again, something I don’t understand blocks them. I lack the celestial music that my inner energy is drawn from.

  “It’s not stopping,” Fontus points out as the creature once more finds its feet. “It’s like its wired to keep on going, no matter what.”

  “Maybe it is. The whole island is designed to keep us breeding and only in certain locations. Perhaps this is some sort of watch dog, placed here to stop prisoners crossing the boundary from one area to the next,” I suggest.

  Eva brushes some loose hair out of her eyes, watching it cautiously. “Why didn’t you see it before, when you came looking?”

  “I wasn’t out here at night, and I didn’t travel this far,” I remind her.

  Shaking its insect like-head from side to side, the creature bares its fangs aggressively. Whatever drives it is strong, and it’s not stupid—I can see calculation gleaming in its black eyes.

  A bout of dizziness has me swaying on my feet. Raising a shaking hand, I gingerly touch my bloodied chest. I’m still losing blood. From the fire raging through my nerve endings, I know its pincers must be poisonous. Being a god, it shouldn’t be fatal. Yet here on this island, nothing is for certain. Finding my resolve, I ignore the pain. Fontus and Eva come first. Even if I lose my own life, I will not allow them to lose theirs.

  “Don’t let it scratch you,” I advise as it begins to stalk around us.

  Eva tosses me a worried look but doesn’t reply. I don’t need them worrying over me now and putting their own lives at risk.

  One second, it’s prowling, and the next, it’s airborne, bearing down on me. I hit the sandy ground hard as it slams into me, its weight stealing my breath. Shielding my face with my forearm, its fangs penetrate the flesh. There’s no holding in the scream as agony radiates through my arm.

  “No.” Fontus appears beside me.

  Thrusting the knife deep into its neck, he withdraws the blade only to stab it again, over and over. The power behind the jaws clamped to my limb doesn’t lessen, though, if anything it tightens.

  “Run,” I shout my voice high and shrill. “Fontus get her the hell out of here. Get in the water.”

  Eva’s sudden scream is mingled with a thunderous roar. Turning my head, I discover the source. Another creature has found us. Coiled up out of the water, the leviathan’s body is long, shimmering with blue scales. Gills are spread from either side of its neck, quivering aggressively. It’s snout-like mouth opens to reveal bone-white teeth that gleam in the blue glow, surrounding us.

  “Fontus,” I yell.

  Abandoning his place beside me, knife still in his hand, Fontus dashes to grab Eva.

  The Chimera shakes its head, my arm still locked in its jaws. I feel the tendons stretching to breaking point, and my shriek mirrors my torment. Ramming my fist into its left eye, I keep hitting it, hoping for some relief.

  I can’t do more than stare open mouthed as the leviathan appears out of the water, his razor sharp teeth trapping me in a frozen stance. During my time in the sea, I’ve seen many mystical creatures of the deep but never anything like this. I’m terrified. I can vaguely hear Apollo’s shouts of pain coming from behind me. I’m powerless to help him, though, as the creature lowers its head toward me, and its long snakelike tongue darts out of its mouth and licks its scaled lips.

  “Eva.” Fontus slams into me, and wrapping a strong arm around my waist, he pulls me out of the way, just in time, as the creature dives at the exact spot I’d been standing. We tumble onto the ground and roll against the wall. Jagged edges of the rock face scrape at my skin. The leviathan announces its anger at not catching me for its dinner with a loud roar that echoes throughout the cave.

  “We have to stop it.” Fontus is breathless as he gingerly gets up to his feet and holds his stomach.

  “How?” I stumble up to mine, my left ankle hurting where I hit it against the wall.

  “Remember that game we used to play as kids.” Fontus smirks and starts to roll his hands together.

  “Which one?” I wrack my brains, trying to work out what he means, but I can’t think of anything. When he summons a long strand of water out of the underground lake, I catch on to his meaning. “Capture Daddy!” I smirk, knowing exactly what he plans.

  The creature lunges for us again, and we both scatter to either side of the water. I call forth the water, turning it into a rope. Commanding the twisted stream of liquid, Fontus and I both start to wind it around the sea creature. It doesn’t realize what we are doing at first and continues to make lunges toward us, hoping to enjoy us for a snack. On land, we are quicker than it, though. Eventually, the rope’s wrapped around its entire body, and the creature's eyes widen, wondering what’s happening. It thrashes hard in the water, desperately trying to escape, but we have it bound tightly. It tries to make a dive for us again, its sharp teeth and strong jaw snapping wildly. When it realizes it can’t get to us, it tries to dive into the water but can’t escape us when we control the clear liquid surrounding it.

  “You know, I once asked Neptune what would happen if we pulled the water too tight.” Fontus shouts at me from the other side of the lake.

  “Yes. He said it would tear him apart,” I reply, my eyes never leaving the deadly mouth of the creature. I can still hear Apollo’s painful cries to my left, but I can’t do anything to help him at the moment. I need to keep my focus on the water creature. Whatever Pluto has done to this island, he’s created a trap to keep us all breeding for his army. To come this way may have been a mistake, but I’m not going to give up. I’m not the weak woman everyone makes me out to be. Currently I’m the strongest in the room, and I have a man … no, two men to save.

  “Do it,” I shout adamantly at Fontus, tightening my fingers into a ball, willing the water to constrict the creature tighter and tighter. It begins to cut off its breathing. However, there’s something else about the properties of water when it’s formed into a rope. It’s sharp, and the creature starts to cry
out in agony as the bindings around it start to cut into its scaly flesh. Green blood flows from the wounds as Fontus and I will the water to squeeze tighter and tighter. The leviathan cries for mercy, but we know that if we show any we’ll be eaten. On this island, it’s one against one—no clemency can be given once an individual’s true colors are shown.

  In a last ditch attempt, the leviathan shoots sharp spikes from its gill as illustrated in the pictures on the cave walls above us. I’m thrown backward as one hits me, and I momentarily loose concentration on the water. I don’t feel any pain, and taking a quick look over my body, I see the spike has gone through the knot in the sheet I wear across my shoulder. I’m left hanging on the wall with my feet dangling, but I’m not hurt. The sea creature cries out, and I quickly refocus on the water and start to squeeze it again. On the other side of the lake, Fontus is kneeling down on one leg. A spike sticks out of his other one, but otherwise he looks uninjured.

  “Tighter,” he shouts, and I curl the water over the Leviathan’s gills so it can’t do the same again.

  My hands are squeezed so tightly now I can feel my nails digging into the flesh of my palm. “Come on, come on,” I whisper to myself. The creature thrashes around in so much pain now. The ropes of water have met bone. It’s dying but is still strong enough to kill us if we let it go.

  “One last push,” Fontus shouts, and I allow the water to completely take over my body in a way I’ve never done before.

  The spike holding me falls out of the wet wall behind me. I’m at one with the water now—a goddess controlling it without thought. I raise myself high in the cave, the water launching me on a platform akin to a crystal clear throne. My father spoke of the power and sovereignty in the sea, and for the first time ever, I realize what he means.

  I’m in front of the sea creature now. It snarls and tries to spit at me, but I click my fingers, and the ropes surrounding it cut straight through, leaving the creature in little pieces on the floor. Green blood splatters on my dress and face, but I twist my hand around, and the liquid remnants of the creature wash away, leaving my sheet dress glowing white. My water platform lowers me down to Fontus, and he helps me step off it. With another click of my fingers, the remainder of the sea creature disappears into the water, leaving the cave clean.