Descending (The Rising Series) (36 page)

“I think you’ve caused this soldier enough pain,” Thane said. “Tell me what he…” Thane stopped
speaking, and silence descended.

“The Dagonians are here
,” he hissed.

“Oh gods, Thane, you have to stop them. You can’t let them hurt me.”

“I care nothing for you or the Dagonians. My only concern is for my daughter.”

“But how will your daughter feel if you let her mother die?”

“Fine,” he snapped. “Just stay behind me.”

“I know you’re there, Dagonian. Come out
now, and you might survive.”

“Who are you?”

“My name is Thane, son of Thanatos.”

“We have no quarrel with you. We’ve come for Aella. Her death has been ordered by Poseidon.”

“And what of my daughter? What business do you have with her?”

“Your daughter?”

“Gretchen.”

Kyros could almost feel Xanthus’s horror and confusion. He was confused himself as to why Aella brought Gretchen’s father here, knowing she was trying to kill the very daughter he might want to save.

“I was not aware she was your daughter. We still have no quarrel with you. Gretchen is safe with us, but her mother seeks to kill her.”

Thane whipped around and grabbed Aella by the throat. “Is this true?”

“No,” her voice rasped. “He lies. You have to believe me.”

“I don’t have to believe anything.” He threw Aella to the floor and turned toward Xanthus as he stepped into the room.

“You will give me my daughter, or I will destroy each and every one of you.”

“I have a solemn duty to protect her. I will not give her to someone I know nothing about.”

“I am her father.”

“So Aella says, but you do not seem the fatherly type. Gretchen has been through enough pain in her life. I will not turn her over to you until you prove worthy of her.”

“Give me my daughter, Dagonian, or you will die.”

“Gretchen stays with us.”

“Then die.” Thane pulled a long, black sword from his cloak and sliced toward Xanthus’s head. Xanthus blocked the strike with his own sword, and sparks lit up the room. Xanthus sliced at Thane’s stomach, and he parried and struck back.

“
We do not need to fight,” Xanthus said as he blocked the blade. “I am not your enemy.”

“When you come between me and my daughter, you become my enemy.”

“Just because you are her father, doesn’t mean she is safe with you. Her own mother seeks her life.”

“Lies! How could a mother want the death of her own child?”

“Aella has killed many of her own children.”

“And your lies continue to grow.”

“She has an intense fear of being alone, but she also fears discovery. She continues bearing children only to kill them. Gretchen told me this herself.” He spoke as they met blow after blow. Kyros could see neither Thane nor Xanthus was putting his heart into the battle. It was more like they were battling as an afterthought to the debate. “Aella has tried to have Gretchen shot, she attempted to compel Kyros, the Dagonian who loves her, to slice her open and spill her guts. She tried to force Gretchen to turn herself in by compelling others to kill themselves.”

“And you expect me to believe that this mermaid is capable of that level of evil?”

“I expect you to believe the truth. You know Aella. You know she lies. Who should you believe? Someone who has proven an honorable warrior willing to risk his life to protect an innocent mermaid? Willing to risk his life to protect your daughter? Or a being who has lied, deceived, and killed at every turn?”

Th
e blows stopped. Both warriors dropped their weapons. “I seek the answer from my own daughter’s lips. I promise you, I will not take her against her will.”

A thunderous pop beat into Kyros’s ears. Thane
’s mouth dropped open in surprise as blood seeped from his chest through his robe. He collapsed on the ground, groaning in pain.

“All I asked for was a little help.” Aella stepped over to Thane—rifle in hand. “I asked you to protect me, to believe me. But no, you believed this murderer over me.”

“You were going to kill me either way, weren’t you?” Thane coughed.

Aella gave a dainty shrug and
pointed the gun in Xanthus’s direction.

Xanthus scowled at her.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to take care of him myself.” She raised the gun to Xanthus’s head.

Kyros knew he was about to see his friend die—the friend that had been by his side for the better part of eighty years. He had to do something to stop her. He pushed himself up
and staggered to his feet. His body screamed at the effort. “You’re a coward, Aella.”

Aella turned to him and snarled. “What did you say?”

“I said you’re a coward. Oh, and you’re a pathetic, needy, sorry excuse for a daughter of Triton. I can see why he hasn’t helped you in all these years. He was ashamed of you.”

“Kyros, what are you doing?” Xanthus asked.

“I’m telling her the truth.” He turned back to Aella. “You’re plenty brave when you think you have the upper hand. But when you’re cornered, you cry for help. Just like a child.”

“Shut up! I’ll kill you,” she screeched.

“Go ahead,” Kyros said, “kill her.”

“What?” She turned around just in time to see Xanthus’s hand fly toward her chest. H
e thrust so powerfully that his fist pounded a hole into her. Aella looked down in horror at Xanthus’s hand buried in her chest. She watched him yank his hand out. Her heart was beating in his fingers.

Kyros stepped up behind her and grabbed her shoulders. “Give Hades my best.” She glanced back at him, in confusion.
Her eyes rolled back as she collapsed. Kyros caught her and lowered her slowly to the ground.

“I don’t know what I ever saw in that mermaid,” Thane said, his face pale as the moon.

Kyros’s strength left him, and he dropped to his knees. Xanthus was at his side immediately. “Hades, Kyros. You look like death.”

“He looks nothing like my father
.” Thane coughed out a laugh.

Xanthus shook his head. “Are you going to be okay?”
he asked Thane.

“I’ll survive,”
he answered. “It takes a lot to kill a demigod—especially the son of death. A shot to the chest isn’t enough to do it. But still, it hurts like Hades.”

“Don’t worry about me, Xanthus,” Kyros said. “I’ve only been beaten to an inch of my life.”

“I’m not worried about you. You’re too stubborn to die.”

“I wish
I
were dead.” Drakōn spoke from across the room.

Kyros looked around and smiled. “We are a sorry lot. Xanthus, it looks like you’re the only one that came out of this unscathed.”

“Not for long if we don’t get out of this house. I ordered Straton to burn it down if I didn’t return.”

“You did what?” Thane growled.

“We couldn’t let the mermaid escape. Even at the cost of our own lives. She’s killed far too many innocents.”

“Well, you three can get out through the front door. I have
my own way out.”

“What about Gretchen?
” Kyros said. “I know she’ll want to meet you.”

“We
will
meet. But I have a few things to straighten out before I’m fit to step in as her father. Until then, take care of her.”

“I swear it,” Kyros answered.

He wouldn’t wait another minute. As much as Gretchen pleaded, Straton was determined to follow Xanthus’s order.

“It has to be done,
” Straton said. “I’ve already given them five extra minutes.”

“Fine, you do what you need to do, and I’ll do what I need to do.”

She sprinted off towards the house as Straton called, “Gretchen, I’ll give you five more minutes, then I’m setting the fire.

She crept up behind a bush at the back door. The wooden steps up to the door were old and broken. Aella probably ha
d someone watching it, or some kind of trap set. Gretchen skirted the house, peering into windows. And that was when she saw heard it—a baby crying. She looked up to see an open window on the second floor. To the side of the window was a rickety lattice with an old, dead rosebush laced through it.

She glanced at her watch
, noting she only had three minutes left. She needed to climb in, grab the baby, find Kyros, and get them out.

It
would take a miracle.

She grabbed a hold of the thin
lattice and took her first step up. The wood cracked and splintered, her foot dropping down.
How in the world am I going to make it all the way to the top?
She took a deep breath and tried a different spot. That time the wood creaked, but held. Another step.
Crack, break.
Darn it. “It’s okay, Gretchen, just try another,” she whispered.

She took another
step, and it held. The thorns from the rosebush were prickly and sharp as needles. She did her best to avoid them, but still got more scratches with every handhold. Her injured hand had healed incredibly fast, but with the pressure she was putting on it, she could feel the new, tender skin split apart and blood trailed down her hand.

When she was about halfway up, she felt as if she’d reached a milestone. She twisted her arm around and looked at her watch—one minute left. It had taken her two minutes to get th
is high. At that rate, Straton would set the fire while she was on the dry, dead-leafed lattice. She’d never seen anything that looked more flammable.

The baby increased his volume as if he could sense her doubt. Scowling, Gretchen made her way up
, cracking slats and scraping skin along the way. Finally, the windowsill was within reach. She pulled herself up and breathed a sigh of relief just before the face of an old woman appeared in the window.

The woman thrust Gretchen backwards. Gretchen tried to keep hold of the sill, but her fingers slipped as she fell. She clawed at the
branches, attempting to stop her freefall. She caught a branch and grabbed it like a lifeline, squeezing so hard thorns pierced her hands. Ignoring the blood dripping down her wrists, she pulled herself back up.

The old woman was there again, with murder in her eyes.

Gretchen opened her mouth to sing. Her voice was weak, and her throat dry. The lady looked confused as she pushed Gretchen back and tried to peel her hands off the windowsill. Darn. Her throat felt as if she’d swallowed dry sand.

The
grey-haired woman pushed Gretchen’s forehead and back she went again, this time catching herself on the lattice. And the baby continued to cry. How could she possibly get in with the woman trying to push her out?

Another slat
broke, and she scrambled to get on another. “Please, let me in.” Gretchen knew reasoning with the woman was pointless, but still she tried. “That’s my brother. I need to save my brother.”

Doubt crossed the woman’s face before she screamed and collapsed to the floor. Gretchen didn’t waste a moment as she flung herself through the window.

“No,” the grandmotherly woman snarled as she threw herself at Gretchen. For a little old woman, that lady sure could body slam. Gretchen was sandwiched against the wall. She pushed, and the old woman fell back.

“Lady, I don’t want to hurt you. I just want my brother.”

“You can’t have him. I can’t allow it.”

“
Yes, you can.”

The woman picked up a picture off the dresser and swung it at Gretchen’s head.

Gretchen jerked back; the heavy, wooden frame grazed her cheek.

“I won’t let you have him. He’s my grandson. I won’t let him go.”

“You’ll let him go when Aella tells you to.”

The old lady stopped fighting and opened her mouth to speak. Once
again, she shrieked.

“Aella will never let you keep him forever
,” Gretchen said. “Do you know what she does to her babies?”

The woman’s tear-streaked face looked up at her. “What do you mean?”