Fated (19 page)

The heat swallowed me up, consuming my breath as I fell, but it didn’t burn me. Oranges and reds swirled together as the flames rushed past. Time seemed to stand still as I moved in slow motion and I was suddenly no longer plunging toward agony. A gush of cool air swirled around me and lifted me from the pit, throwing me up and backward. I landed in a sprawled heap on the ground, safely out of harm’s way.

Looking up in amazement, I saw a Phoenix, magnificent and beautiful, rising from the ground. Every flame contained in the pit was now swirling into the massive bird as it flew upward with wings of fire. Its eyes were a brilliant and vivid blue and they were trained on me as it shrieked a deafening roar.

I clapped my hands over my ears as it flew into the sky, circling above us as it lit up the night with its glory. I was astounded. This island didn’t permit magic. Yet the Phoenix appeared to be unconstrained by anything at all.

And it had taken every lick of the fire with it. The pit was empty now and harmless. The Fates could no longer use innocent lives as leverage. Their threats were now empty. The nymphs realized it at the same moment that I did. They released my parents and Cadmus, while several others leaped into the trees to lower the captive gods.

Cadmus rushed to me, scooping me into his strong arms. His gentle kiss was the last thing I felt before the fog of the island overtook me.

I opened my eyes and found Cadmus staring into mine.

I startled and leaned up on my elbows, looking frantically around me. But there was no reason to panic. I was in bed, safe and sound.

I was in Zeus’ palace and daylight was streaming through the open balcony doors. Sheer curtains fluttered in the wind, bringing with it the pungently floral scent of the Olympic breeze.

I inhaled deeply, tasting the flowers on my tongue, as I tried to gain my bearings. I turned to Cadmus.

"How did we get here?"

He drew me into his arms, pulling me close, and I melted into his embrace. How could I help it? There was nowhere else I would rather be, no matter how we managed to get here. I inhaled his masculine scent, clinging to his strength like a drowning person to a life raft.

After a few moments, he ended the kiss, although he didn’t loosen his hold on me.

"If you ever do that to me again," he began with a stern look on his face, "I will beat you.

Don’t look at me like that. I will hang you in the dungeons of this palace myself and I will beat you within an inch of your life."

I stared at him dubiously, still stroking his arm.

"Don’t doubt it," he added. "You almost gave me a heart attack. If you would’ve
...
if you.."

His jaw clenched as his voice trailed off and I stroked his face with trembling fingers.

"I know," I murmured softly. "I love you, too."

He nodded.

"Where is everyone?" I asked. "How did we get here?"

"Hecate," he answered. "Remember, she said we would need her three times. The third time was rescuing us from the island. She apparently sensed when the time was right and willed us back here."

"And my mother? My mortal mother?" I clarified.

He hesitated. "She’s on the island with Calypso."

"What?" I jerked my head up. "Why would Hecate leave her there? We’ve got to go back and
...
"

Cadmus smoothly interrupted. "She left her there because she wasn’t sure what to do with her. It’s not safe for a mortal to linger in the Spiritlands for long and Hecate couldn’t send her to Pasadena, because your mother would wonder at your absence. Calypso’s island is safe for her. We are going to be busy for awhile. We have a sword to find."

I had forgotten about the sword in all of the excitement of almost burning alive. I nodded slowly in understanding.

I pictured my mother wandering through the paradise of Ogygia, and I sighed. There were worse places to keep her. I’d have to think more on this one.

"And Aphrodite?" I asked anxiously.

I’d barely gotten the words out of my mouth though, when Aphrodite herself barged into the bedchambers. She looked beautiful, as fresh as if she’d just come from a spa day. Her silvery eyes though, were crackling like lightning.

"Harmonia!" she snapped as she dropped onto the bed at my side. "If you ever, and by ever, I mean at any time throughout the rest of eternity, decide to do something so foolish, I will personally
...
"

I cut her off by grabbing her in a big hug. She stopped talking as she hugged me back and I felt the wetness of her tears against my neck. As she pulled away, she wiped at them.

"I love you, too," I told her quietly. She smiled.

"I know." She paused to look at me. "Your father is very agitated with you, you know."

"Really?" I studied her doubtfully. It seemed more in his nature to be proud of my cunning and courage. And I could see on her face that I was right, but I didn’t point it out. I simply let her nod.

"Yes, Harmonia. He is fit to be tied. You should probably give him a while to cool down before you talk to him."

Hmm. That meant I should probably give him awhile so that his proud accolades didn’t completely trash her story. In my good mood though, I felt generous. I’d go along with her story.

"Alright. I’ll give him an hour or so before I seek him out," I agreed. She nodded, satisfied that her fibs were safe. I had to shake my head. In every life, she had been exactly the same.

Colorful and excitable.

She rose from the bed, raising one perfectly sculpted eyebrow at Cadmus and me.

"I was just going to sit on the veranda and have breakfast. Would you like to join me or will you, er, be awhile?"

I felt my cheeks explode into flame.

"No, we’ll be happy to join you," I replied quickly. "Just give us a few minutes." At her grin, I quickly corrected myself. "A minute.
One
."

She laughed, a sound that echoed through the room like a peal of clear bells and I smiled.

Just a little while ago, I thought my life was over. And now, here I was, joking and smiling with those that I loved. Life was truly amazing.

"I’ll see you outside," she grinned. "Don’t take too long."

And she was gone, ducking out the door and leaving us alone. I turned to Cadmus.

"You have one minute," I told him with a smile as I ducked back under the covers.

"Challenge accepted," he chuckled as he followed me, throwing the coverlet back over our heads.

My soul mate does so love a challenge.

* * *

When we met Aphrodite on the veranda a short while later, she was seated facing the city, across from the Keres. I studied them as we crossed the courtyard. They were still just as frightening as they were on Ogygia. Haggard, stooped and ancient. We did not make a sound as we walked, yet they turned in perfect unison to face us with nearly sightless eyes.

"Harmonia," the one nearest to me creaked. "We’ve not been properly introduced." She held out her gnarled, wrinkled hand. "I am Moros."

I knelt at her feet, grasping her hand. "I’m pleased to meet you."

"Thank you for acting with bravery," she said with a nod. "We were right about you all along. I knew that you would act with honor. There were those," she rolled her eyes at her sisters, "that doubted. But I did not."

I hesitated. "I don’t understand, Moros. Were you never with the Moirae? What part did Annen play? And where is he?"

"No. We were never with the Moirae, we simply tricked them into believing that we were.

They should not hold the throne and they have been wrong for a long time. But we had to bide our time and wait for the prophecy to come to pass. Annen is out and about, safe and sound.

He is running an errand for us right now. There are so many things to do now, as I’m sure you can imagine."

"His tongue
...
you didn’t
...
" I looked nervously at the sisters.

"No, child. That was the Moirae. They tried to test his loyalty and torture him into revealing our secrets. He did not fold, much like his brother Ahmose."

My head snapped up. "They were brothers?"

She nodded her ancient head in unison with her two sisters. "Yes. And he is very disturbed over his brother’s death."

I could understand that.

"Where are the Fates?" I asked my mother. "What shall be done with them?"

"They are being held on Ogygia in the empty pit that was filled with fire. No one is mistreating them. We will hold them there until Zeus is restored and he can deal with them as he would like."

"And Alexi?"

"He is there with them, as well as Eris." I felt a stab of intense satisfaction at that. That girl deserved the pit more than anyone.

"It seems that the loose ends have been tied up," I observed. "How long was I sleeping?"

"Only overnight, sweetling," she replied. "You deserved the rest. You looked quite peaked when we returned."

"Yes," I mumbled. "Facing a fiery death will do that to a person." She rolled her silver eyes.

"Harmonia, you’re always so dramatic."

She smiled and I knew that she was relieved and happy to be back to our normal sarcastic banter. We were so comfortable together.

Patting my arm, she continued.

"I was thinking that we would host a dinner tonight. We’ll invite everyone that we brought back from the island and as well as the witches. The near future will be challenging as we seek the sword and find the other Olympic gods. One lavish party would do wonders for everyone’s spirit. What say you?"

"I say that you will use any excuse to throw a party. But it’s a good idea. The mood around Olympus is so somber. It needs lightened. Where is everyone else, by the way?" I glanced around us and the palace did seem empty, except for us.

"Why, they have returned to their homes, of course, to rebuild. Most of them have been held on Calypso’s Island for so long that their homes have fallen to rubble. Ares has gone out to survey the damages. And Ortrera and her Amazons have taken the little girl back to the island for us. They will return later. Your father has commanded it, even though they would much prefer to return to their home."

She looked dismayed at their unhappiness and to be honest, I agreed. If they wanted to return to their home in the wilds of the Spiritlands, they should be allowed to do so. They’d been instrumental in the rescue. I made a mental note to discuss it with Ares.

I straightened from my crouch and nodded to the Keres.

"It was very nice to formerly meet you. I cannot thank you enough for forcing me to remember the Phoenix. Without that, all would have been lost."

"The pleasure was ours," Moros said with a ghastly smile. I tried not to shudder as I returned it.

I turned to Cadmus.

"I’d like to walk through the city, if you don’t mind."

He held out his arm. "Your wish is my command, my lady," he bowed. Aphrodite smiled gently as she watched us.

"I will see you this evening," I told her. "Stay out of trouble until then."

I took Cadmus’ arm and we strolled from the courtyard.

Passing through a cavernous room of the palace, we came across Hephaestus as he lugged large pieces of rubble through the white stone rooms, piling them outdoors. It appeared that he was already at work to create new luxurious furnishings. He nodded at us as we walked past.

Other servants called in from around the Spiritlands were milling around like worker bees as they put the palace back in order. I felt a sense of satisfaction that everything was falling back into place.

As we strolled over the gray cobble-stone walks, I turned to Cadmus.

"What should we do about my mother? I can’t just leave her on the island, but I can’t send her home without me, either. It’s a quandary."

I stared absently past him as I watched Alathea putting her crumbling home to rights across the bustling street. She looked up from the window that she was repairing to wave at me with a smile.

"Harmonia! So glad to see you are well," she called. "You fulfilled your promise and came for me. I thank you." She dipped her head and I smiled.

"You’re welcome, of course. Thank you for risking so much to bring me the Map of Souls,"

I replied. "Hecate has it safely tucked into her libraries."

"I know," she answered. "I spoke with her this morning." She smiled again and hummed as she went about her work. I was so happy to see her so safe and sound. The last two times I had seen her had not been so pleasant.

"Going back to your question," Cadmus said, "I don’t see the problem with leaving her safely on Ogygia. She will be out of harm’s way and will be none the wiser regarding what is going on. She’ll be in paradise and she’ll keep Calypso company. She’ll enjoy her time there and then we’ll retrieve her."

"And then?" I asked. "What then?"

"You mean, what should we do at that time—should we remain here?" He raised an eyebrow. "We can make that decision when we come to it. We’ve got a few bridges to cross before then."

"I know that’s right," I muttered. But as we walked, the day was so beautiful that I just wanted to put it all out of my mind. We had stared death in the face and come back from it.

We definitely deserved a day off.

So, we spent the day enjoying each other’s company. We laughed and picked fresh lotus blossoms and fed them to each other next to the stream. We laid in the grass and talked for a couple of hours about nothing and then finally, I fell asleep on his hard chest and we napped in the shade. My last conscious thought was how comfortable it was with his strong arms wrapped around me.

It was nightfall before he finally woke me up.

I raised my head and stared at the twinkling stars and the swirling dark sky of the Spiritlands. "Maybe we should just stay here and not go to Aphrodite’s dinner," I suggested.

"Hmm. I see a couple of problems with that," Cadmus replied with a grin. "First, Aphrodite will kill us both. Second, the Chimeras will be out soon. And honestly, I don’t know who I would rather face. An angry Aphrodite or a hungry Chimera."

"I’d take the Chimera any day," I laughed as I sat up and pulled him to his feet. He flattened me to his chest as he stood and kissed me long and sound.

"It feels good to be here with you," he admitted. "I think we should consider staying."

I nodded solemnly. "I know. I was thinking the same thing. We belong here. But as you said, we can cross that bridge later."

We made our way quickly back to the palace and I stood in utter shock when we reached it.

It had been almost completely transformed to its former glory in just one day. Light poured from its every window, door and balcony, making it a truly beautiful beacon in the night. It looked every bit as magical as I knew that it was.

When we reached the grand staircase, we parted ways. I kissed Cadmus quickly and promised to be back down stairs within a few minutes, then kissed him one more lingering time.

"I just need to freshen up," I said breathlessly as he pulled away the second time. "I’ll be right back."

"I’ll be waiting," he promised, his beautiful dark eyes gleaming.

Bounding up the stairs, I hurried for my room to change clothes and straighten my hair. I quickly changed into a long white sheath and stared into the mirror to pile my dark hair onto my head. I felt a little plain, so I conjured up a matching set of jade combs and they appeared in my hand. I tucked them into my hair and examined myself. I would do.

Turning to rush back out the door, I stopped in place.

My balcony doors were open and one of the Keres stood facing me as she leaned against the railing. Her dark cloak fluttered as the wind blew around her. At the expression on her face, my heart immediately froze.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to remain calm.

"Come here, Harmonia," she instructed.

Obligingly, I walked numbly to where she stood as she turned and faced the courtyard.

"Look below us, Harmonia. Isn’t it beautiful?"

I gazed below us and it truly was beautiful. Lanterns hung from every surrounding tree, creating a soft, delicate glow. Guests mingled and laughed as they drank nectar and enjoyed our newly found carefree feeling. A pall felt as though it had been lifted and I could see that lightness of being reflected on every face in attendance. Even Ortrera and her warriors seemed a bit more relaxed than usual as they lingered on the edge of the festivities. Aphrodite and Ares, of course, were in the middle of everything, laughing and dancing to music that no one else could hear.

"Look at Cadmus," the old hag breathed into my ear. "Your husband is a handsome man, Harmonia. You are quite fortunate."

Cadmus stood next to Ortrera as he calmly watched everyone celebrating around him. The angles of his bronzed face caught the flickers of candlelight perfectly and his beauty did take my breath away. He was patient as he waited for me, confident that I would arrive at his side at any moment.

And each moment, I doubted that fact more and more.

I turned to Moros. "Why are you here?"

"Because the sword must be found, Harmonia."

I shook my head in annoyance. "I realize that. We will begin the search tomorrow. We’ll find it."

"But how committed are you? To what lengths will you go?"

"Great lengths. Olympus must be restored. I understand the importance."

Moros studied me for a long moment. "I believe you. But not for the reason that you think.

You know, you were never told the rest of the prophecy."

I felt my heart thudding against my chest as I returned her stare as calmly as I could.

"There is more? What is the rest?"

"It has been said that the Chosen One will fight for the crown only after a great loss."

"A great loss?" I repeated in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"We think that you will need to experience the loss of someone close to you in order to spur you to action."

I shook my head slowly from side to side as I grasped what she was saying. What she was threatening.

"No. Moros, that’s not necessary. I will find the sword. I am fully committed. I need to lose no one. I have only just gotten everyone back."

"You know the power of the sword, Harmonia. Not only is it the only existing thing that can kill an immortal, but the holder of the sword has the ability to also
restore
life." She grinned a twisted smile. "Perhaps you need incentive to find it quickly. Look at your lover again, Harmonia."

Breathlessly, I did as she requested.

Cadmus was now standing with Moros’ sister. He was talking with her in earnest, although he did not seem bothered or upset. That much was a relief. Annen stood at his elbow, his dark eyes locked with mine. I struggled to breathe.

"My sister
...
you never formally met her," Moros pointed out.

"You’re right, I did not," I agreed. "I shall have to make a point of doing so."

"You shall," Moros agreed. "Her name is Thanatos."

"Thanatos," I whispered and her name froze on my lips as a chill spread from my head to my toes.

It meant death.

My gaze flew back to Cadmus. He was gone. My scream split the night and then I saw nothing.

THE END