Apollo's Protection

by Anna Edwards

  “Apollo!”

  The female voice has us all turning to look at the blonde woman who’s stalking toward us. Crossbow in her hands, she’s taking out the enemy with a deadly aim. The resemblance is so uncanny I know this must be Apollo’s twin, Diana.

  Apollo sighs. “What are you doing here?”

  “Father sent me,” she informs him, flicking some blonde hair insolently out of her face. “You managed to get yourself killed, and you fucked up. I’m here to clean up your mess.”

  “I did not fuck up,” he growls through clenched teeth.

  Diana rolls her blue eyes. “Sure you didn’t.”

  “Can you teleport?”

  She frowns at his question. “Of course, I can.”

  Apollo slices me a look. “Good we need you to ...”

  He never gets to finish his sentence. Immense power… it hits us both like a freight train, sending us across the beach, into the surf, and onto our asses. Gasping for breath, I feel it overwhelm me.

  Eva.

  It’s laced with her being, threaded through with desperation and sorrow.

  Warm sea water drenches my shorts and legs. Ignoring the discomfort, I focus on the fact my powers have returned. They course through my body, stronger than ever, and now they’re mixed with Eva’s essence. I can taste my little sea goddess on my tongue. Her smell invades my senses along with her fear. Hooking onto that essence of her, I know I can find her.

  “We need to go now,” I shout to Fontus.

  He’s already on his feet. From his expression, he’s just experienced the same thing I have. Clamping my hand down on his arm, I don’t realize someone else has also grabbed hold of me until I teleport.

  Materializing in a dimly lit corridor, I release my lover to turn angrily on my pain in the ass twin. “You should have stayed on the bloody beach.”

  “Oh, please.” Cradling her cross bow in the crook of her arm, Diana gives me a sardonic look. “Like I’m going to let you out of my sight, so you can die again.”

  Grinding my teeth, I swallow down my retort. Eva is more important than trading insults with my sister right now.

  A high pitched wail of someone in distress breaks the sudden silence.

  “Eva,” Fontus mutters.

  “Wait you idiots! It could be a trap,” Diana calls after us as we break into a run.

  The thought of losing our feisty female drives any thought of caution from my head. Bursting through a doorway, the sight that greets us is surreal. Ambrose is standing between Eva’s spread thighs. Her feet are strapped into stirrups. The huge swell of her pregnant stomach is unmistakable as she strains and arches in the rigors of childbirth.

  Eyes wide and glued to the ceiling, her face twists in pain, and she screams.

  A new sound joins in. The sharp cry of a newborn.

  Dumbstruck, all I can do is watch as Ambrose lifts the baby, its tiny feet kicking, and its mouth wide open as it yells. How is it possible? Bouncing a look at Fontus, he’s standing beside me with his mouth gaping.

  “Get out of the way.” A hand shoves me aside. The next thing I know, my sister is storming the room with her weapon ready.

  “Orcus,” she says as Pluto’s second in command jerks his head our way, and his eyes widen.

  A blur comes at us, and Diana is thrown sideways into the wall as the hulking monster of a god barrels into her. I’m in time to see Ambrose wrapping the newborn in a towel before handing it off to Pluto, who’s been hiding in the shadows.

  He gives me an evil smirk as he and Ambrose vanish.

  A fist ploughs into my face, scattering my thoughts. The second blow doesn’t reach me as Fontus deflects it. Bringing my arm around, I punch Orcus in the nose and hearing it crack brings me some satisfaction.

  “Get out of the way!” Diana shouts.

  Pushing Fontus sideways, we narrowly miss the arrow as it streaks through the air to embed in Orcus’ shoulder.

  “Help me!”

  Eva’s distressed sob has me darting to her side. “It’s ok. We’ll get the baby back.”

  Pressing a kiss to her cheek, I wipe her damp forehead.

  “Orcus has vanished,” Fontus tells me as he joins us.

  Still clutching her crossbow and scanning the room for threats, my sister moves to the foot of the bed. Her countenance pales when she looks toward Eva. “Oh crap!”

  At the same moment my sister speaks, Eva tenses, her whole frame twisting as a shriek works its way out of her throat. Alarmed, I grab her hand, which has been secured to the bed, and hold it tightly. “We’re going to get you out of here.”

  “We’ve got a bigger problem than that,” Diana growls, her gaze glued between my lover’s spread legs. “Do either of you know how to deliver a baby?”

  Fontus tilts his head in confusion. “What the hell are you talking about? Pluto just stole her baby.”

  “Well then who wants to explain to me why I can see a head trying to squeeze itself out of your girlfriend’s sex hole?” she snaps back.

  My overstretched and bruised body prepares to bear down again and push a second baby from it. I don’t need to see it to know that this child will be Fontus’. The first was greeted with great delight from Pluto and Ambrose. A powerful child born of a full god and a demigoddess. I didn’t even get to see my son before they took him away. He’s just what they need to grow their army.

  “You’re a woman. Help her,” Apollo orders his sister.

  “I may be a woman, but I’ve no experience in this kind of thing. I don’t know what to do,” Diana responds while backing away from me.

  The urge to push is overwhelming. I need to get this baby out of me.

  “Stop fucking arguing and do something,” I scream at all three of them.

  They look at me, shocked. Apollo’s and Fontus’ jaws drop open.

  A commotion comes from outside.

  “I’ll deal with that,” Diana says before any of the others can move, and she disappears out through the door.

  “It’s coming out farther.” Fontus looks down between my legs. “Apollo?”

  “Eva what the hell is going on? How are you giving birth?” Apollo asks.

  I lie my head back on the bed.

  “Ask me your questions after you get this thing out of me!” I shout through gritted teeth.

  “Ok.” Apollo seems to snap out of his shock. The healing side to his powers come to the forefront. He bends down in between my legs, and I feel him guiding the baby’s head out of me when I push again. Everything is burning, but Fontus comes to my side and holds my hand. I feel a wave of comfort wash over me, and it’s better than any drug that could be administered.

  I listen to Apollo as he guides me through the process of giving birth again. The baby, another boy, is delivered onto my chest. All three of us sit in silence as the newborn latches onto my exposed breast and takes his first nourishment from me.

  “Congratulations.” Apollo is the first to speak. He looks down at the ground, an expression of sadness on his face. It’s obvious from the dark hair that the baby is Fontus’. “I’ll finish tidying you up down below.”

  “Wait.” I reach out to him. “I have two children. This one’s father is Fontus, but the other baby is yours.”

  A tear falls down my cheek at the enormity of what has just happened. I’m a mother. The magic of the island is overwhelming. I want to sleep.

  “How is that possible?” Apollo looks confused. “I don’t understand.”

  “The island. It’s the only explanation.” My voice catches in my throat, and I let out a sob. “They took our son, Apollo.”

  The door to the room I’m in opens, and my father’s face appears in it. I’ve never been so happy to see him, but when he sees the position I’m in, his face turns white.

  “Somebody care to explain what’s going on?” He comes over to the bed. My arms are still bound to it. Fontus releases them and helps me to sit up. Apollo places a hand over my lower regions and heals them of the pain
of giving birth. He’s still not said anything about being a father.

  Fontus takes the baby from me and shows him to my father.

  “I’d like to introduce you to your grandson, my king.”

  My father’s eyes go wide.

  “How? You’ve only been missing a short time. It’s not possible.”

  “Magic, Father. It’s all part of Pluto’s breeding plan.” I reach down the bed and take Apollo’s hand. “This isn’t your only grandson. Pluto took the child Apollo and I have together.”

  “Together?” My father spits out.

  “Yes. We’re all together,” I inform him. He looks between the three of us and then bursts out laughing. “Only my daughter! Didn’t think there would ever be one man alone who could handle you.”

  The air crackles around us.

  “Oh, shit,” Apollo finally speaks. “Care to explain that to my father.”

  A lightning bolt shoots through the sky, and Jupiter appears in the room, his feet making scorch marks on the floor.

  “Explain what to me?” Jupiter questions.

  I’m terrified of the look on his face. He’s livid. I sit up straighter. Fontus waves a hand over me, and I’m wearing my summer dress again.

  Neptune laughs.

  “Hi, Grandad,” my father teases his powerful counterpart and best friend.

  “Grandad? Venus has had her baby?” Jupiter looks confused. My second born, nestled in Fontus’ arms, chooses that moment to cry.

  “Whose baby is this?” Jupiter asks.

  “Mine, sir,” Fontus replies. “And Eva’s.”

  “Then why am I a grandad?” Jupiter rubs his hand over his head.

  “Because she had one with Apollo at the same time.” My father claps his hand on Jupiter’s back. “We share a grandchild.”

  “We what? How?”

  “Magic, Father,” Apollo admits. I can still feel the anger and sadness radiating off him.

  “Where is it?” Jupiter asks, looking around the room for the other child.

  “Pluto has him,” I admit.

  “What?” Jupiter spits at me. “Apollo?”

  “He’s taken him for his army.”

  The room starts to crackle again. Anger rolls off Jupiter in waves, and the baby I have with Fontus cries louder.

  “Enough,” Jupiter roars. He grabs Apollo by the arm, and they both disappear before we have a chance to stop them.

  I can’t imagine what is going through Apollo’s mind as I look down at my son in my arms. It’s a shock, but one I couldn’t be happier about. I see Eva mixed with myself in the baby nestling down as I sway him gently back to sleep.

  Eva’s scream of anguish when Apollo disappears jolts my boy awake again. He cries for his mother, so I hand him over. Neptune strokes at his new grandson’s head.

  “Find Coventina,” Eva orders me. “Think of her, and you’ll be taken to her.”

  “Why?” I’m slightly worried why Eva wants the old lady.

  “Because we’re going to need her to look after the baby while we go get Apollo and our other son.”

  “No,” Neptune and I both say at the same time.

  Eva jumps off the bed with the baby tucked in her arms. He’s quietened down now and is finally sleeping. My beautiful water goddess doesn’t look like a woman who gave birth moments ago.

  “I’m warning you both. Don’t try telling me no. Jupiter has taken one of the men I love down to Hell where Pluto already has one of my babies. I’m going after them, and you’re going to give me some of your powers in case I need them. Eva hands the baby to her father and places her hand on my shoulder. I feel a portion of the new magic within me swell and flow from me back to her. She tests it out by sending a small wave of power at me. It knocks me flat on my ass again.

  “Damn, I love you in this mood.” I chuckle and get back up to my feet.

  “I’ll go get Coventina.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” my king questions.

  “I’ll let you argue with Eva while I fetch her friend,” I tell him before thinking of the helpful old lady and disappearing from the room. I instantly miss my son when I do.

  When I come back to my senses after the teleportation, I find myself on the edge of a volcano. Coventina is lying on the ground. She’s strapped down and the bubbling lava is flowing toward her.

  “Shit.” Moving quickly, I burn away the rope holding her down, and scooping her up into my arms, I teleport us farther down the mountain.

  “What happened?” I question, checking her for injuries

  “Pluto. He knows the island is compromised. He’s moved all the remaining children off it. He started the volcano erupting to destroy the evidence of what he’s been doing.” She looks to see the progression of the lava. It’s now flowing directly over the place where she’d been lying moments earlier. “That was to be my punishment for helping you.”

  “How long do we have?”

  The earth suddenly shakes underneath us, and a stream of lava erupts from the volcano.

  “We need to leave now,” she tells me.

  The injured children and Nalos are still at the house. We have to save them. I take Coventina’s hand and teleport with her back to Eva.

  When we arrive, Eva looks at me wide eyed.

  “What’s going on, Fontus? We felt an earthquake,” she asks.

  “There’s a volcano erupting. It’s going to cover the island in a matter of minutes. We need to get everyone off.

  “I’ll get my men off. But we can’t take everyone into the sea. They won’t be able to breathe underwater or swim that far,” Neptune says.

  “We need to teleport them.”

  Diana suddenly appears back in the room.

  “We’ve a problem?”

  “Volcano?” I inquire.

  “How did you know?” She looks at Neptune, who still has the baby in his arms. “Is that the baby?”

  “Yes.” Eva takes him from her father and hands our son to Coventina.

  “The other one?” The old lady asks.

  “How do you know?” Eva’s stunned.

  “Magic.”

  We all shake our heads. The island trembles again.

  “Diana, take Coventina and the baby to your father’s house. I know where it is, so Fontus and I will bring the others there as soon as we can.”

  “I don’t think my father’s going to like that. Apollo, tell her?” Diana looks around the room. “Er, where’s my brother?”

  “See, this is what happens when you chicken out on watching someone giving birth. You miss the moment your father takes your brother to Hell with him,” Eva responds.

  “Crap.”

  The building shakes, and the walls around us start to crumble.”

  “Go,” Eva shouts, and we all disappear to our respective duties.

  I land with my lover at the house where Nalos is sitting outside with the children. He’s telling them a story, but I can tell from the ashen color of their faces they are terrified of what is happening on the island.

  “Do you think we can take them all at the same time? You brought them here with full power. We only have half now,” I ask Eva.

  I’m worried we won’t have the strength to achieve this in one go, and I’m not sure we’ll get another chance to come back.

  A loud bang sounds, and I turn around to see a stream of volcanic rocks heading for us.

  “Don’t know, but we’re about to find out. Everyone hold hands,” Eva shouts. We all obey immediately and teleport out of there seconds before the rocks land exactly where we were sitting.

  When I open my eyes, we’re in Jupiter’s opulent mansion. I’ve been here once before for a party, but at the moment, it looks more like a refugee camp. Juno, the wife of the King of the Gods, starts running around checking the children. A man and heavily pregnant woman assist her. I recognize the man as Mars, the God of War.

  Eva instantly goes to our son and checks on him. I follow her, feeling weary but also worrying
about Apollo. My instincts tell me he’s suffering with the fear of losing our other child—his biological son. I hope there isn’t any other reason for his anguish.

  “Where’s my brother?” Mars comes up to us.

  “You’re father teleported them to go after our other baby,” Eva replies. She looks exhausted. It must be so hard for her, not being able to care for her other son the way she is for this one.

  Eva kisses the top of our baby’s head and stands up.

  “You ready?” she asks.

  “You need to rest.” I don’t like the idea forming in her head.

  “Not until I have Apollo and our other child with me.”

  Venus comes over, her hand resting on her stomach and whispers to Mars, “She reminds me of me.”

  “A pain in the ass.” Mars raises an eyebrow at her.

  “No, stubborn and determined. Go with them. Be careful.” Venus kisses her husband and turns back to tend the children.

  “Well.” Eva puts her hands on her hips. Her lips pout together, daring me to deny her the right to come and join the fight with us.

  “Ok.” We all join hands. At the last minute, Diana puts her hand in as well.

  “Think of Apollo,” I say, and we all disappear down to the gates of Hell.

  My ears still ring with Eva’s cry as I vanish with my father. The sight of the baby feeding from her breast remains vivid in my mind. A son. I have a child, and Pluto has his hands on him. The fear at what the God of the Underworld might do to him almost cripples me. We need to get him back. I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to him, and I wouldn’t expect Eva to either. I know Fontus will keep both her and his own son safe.

  We materialize in an opulent hall with thick, black pillars in obsidian, stretching the length of the spacious room. Armed soldiers line the walls, spears at the ready to attack us.

  Jupiter, my father, King of the Gods, straightens to his full height beside me, his silver threaded eyebrows dipping in a fearsome scowl.