Chosen

Daughters of the Sea 3

Kristen Day

Prologue

A crisp, biting wind swirled through the open window; lifting the thin sheet draped over his aching body. The night surrounding his isolated room was dark and still when the roar of the ocean’s waves was interrupted by an entrancing melody. The full moon shone into his tired eyes as they cracked open at the faint singing; its silver glow pulling at his conscious. He wrapped the tattered sheet around his body and slowly made his way to the window. The night sky above glittered with the dancing of stars, while the radiance of the moon highlighted the rolling waves below.

The bubbling surf raced up the beach until its energy was spent; tugging on the sand and rocks below as it retreated once again. The cool breeze swept through his white beard and he squinted his eyes at the beach below. With each fallen wave, the glow grew brighter. Hundreds of magnificent blue lights sparkled within the water, creating a magical blanket of effervescence along the water’s edge. He had only seen this phenomenon once before…many, many years ago. It was a type of plankton that glistened a beaming blue when it became stirred up; however, he knew that it was typically found farther out in the ocean. Its unexpected arrival on land had his suddenly guarded eyes scanning the beach. That’s when he saw her.

The sheer white fabric of her flowing dress drifted in the breeze as she glided in a wide circle, dancing and spinning with a power he could feel down in the core of his tired soul. She was spellbinding and beautiful - and deadly. The captivating symphony of her voice cascaded down the stone walls of his prison and whirled around the crescent-shaped beach below. Her wild, curly dark hair was accentuated by streaks of silver as it blew around her pale face. Eyes closed, her skin shimmered silver in the light of the moon above while she continued her trancelike dance. Loose silver ribbons lifted from her wrists, ankles, and hair where they were loosely secured. They created an illusion of fire; its sparkling flames shooting up into the air and around its writhing center. He shook his head and closed his eyes to snap himself out of her allure.

As the singing faded slightly, he looked on as she stopped twirling and raised her thin arms into the air with closed fists. She tilted her head back; her dark hair falling down her back, her body now fully embraced by the moonlight. She herself emanated an eerie glow. She wasn’t just dancing amongst the night, she was a part of the night. The moonlight that caressed her angelic face also shone from within. She stood perfectly still for what seemed like hours, while the ever-moving world around her continued its pace. Finally, she slowly dropped her arms and flashed open her palms.

What appeared to be small crystals scattered around her onto the sand. They shimmered and flickered as they brightened further.

She raised her arms again very slowly, making the circle of crystals hover in the air around her. As they started to spin, they took on the appearance of a solid ring of light. Her arms continued to lift, taking the ring of light higher and higher. A bright flash caught him by surprise and he stumbled backwards; shielding his face. After regaining his balance, he approached the window once more; only to see the ring of light had disappeared as well as the glowing plankton. All that remained was her.

She stood rigid and silent as the surf swept over her feet and rushed back toward the waves.

She swayed gently from side to side and he realized how innocent she looked. Her small stature was a reminder of who she used to be, but he knew better. He knew what she was capable of. In a flash, she twisted her head; locking him in her chilling glare. The startling silver of her eyes chilled him to the bone and had him slowly backing away from the window. Amongst the dark shadows of his room, he stared at the long ray of light cast across the floor by the moon. He knew what her witching hour display meant. He knew it with certainty. A creeping cold slithered up his spine and squeezed his heart. They were running out of time.

Chapter 1

Sleep. Too often our nightly slumber full of dreams and rejuvenation is taken for granted.

The mind and body deplete quickly if they’re denied that all important intermission. Unfortunately for my body, my weary mind refused to rest; refused to give in. Sleep was a luxury I couldn’t afford.

When the most important person in your life has had their soul ripped out and stolen by the evil princess of the Underworld, sleep drops to last place on your priority list. It had been five days since Finn’s eighteenth birthday. Five days since Nadia had taken his soul. My nights were spent jumping from reverie to reverie searching for him. My days were spent in class, trying to numb the pain that followed each unsuccessful night. Although Charon and the Sons were searching vigilantly as well, they had yet to find their new Prime. Nadia was clever. She was cunning. They could be anywhere, but I wouldn’t stop until he was found. Until then, nothing else mattered.

I reminded myself to breathe as I painstakingly opened my eyes. My hope was instantly squelched by the crushing disappointment that caused already pooling tears to trickle down my cheeks. Finn’s bedroom. Again. I sighed as I took in the large black and white rendering of a skull and crossbones hanging above his bed. Although the room was dark, the moon’s light fought its way through the closed curtains. I ran my fingers along the soft comforter and thought back to the night of our argument. My heart shattered all over again. His intended sacrifice had woven a net of powerful love around my heart that could never be unraveled, even if I tried. At the moment, that love was the only thing pushing me forward.

The silence of his abandoned bedroom was deafening. I missed his voice. I missed his eyes. I missed his arms and the warm darkness he carried with him. The very darkness I now carried within my own soul. I carefully sat down on his bed and closed my eyes. Why wasn’t this working? I had the ability to find Finn in my reveries long before I knew what they were or who he was. I had been able to find Nadia through a reverie a couple of weeks earlier. I should have been able to locate Finn easily, but I consistently found myself appearing in only the places we had been together.

I had a bad feeling that Nadia had something to do with my continued failure. She had the ability to manipulate my reveries, so it would only make sense that she’d be able to block them as well. It was becoming apparent that I had to find another way. I put my head in my hands and decided it was time to go back. I thought about the cool sheets of my bed, the familiarity of my own bedroom and tried to ignore the utter defeat that laid heavy on my heart.

A high-pitched, off-colored laugh woke me from the few hours of sleep I had allowed myself to indulge in. The sun was just beginning to make its way over the horizon and my empty stomach was already growling. I threw the tangle of blonde and aquamarine hair on my head in a bun and tugged on a sweatshirt before making my way out to the living room of our suite.

“Phoebe, get away from her! You’ll only make it worse!” Willow was gripping Phoebe’s thin arm; her wide blue eyes examining Carmen as her frown deepened. Another hysterical laugh gave Phoebe the strength to wiggle out of Willow’s grasp and lunge toward Carmen in a panic. Before she reached her, I wrapped my arms around her waist and was able to hold her back. Willow was beside me in a flash, and we wrestled her onto the couch where she slumped over; eyes remaining fixed on Carmen - a Carmen that, as of several days ago, had grown unrecognizable.

Something had changed within her during our time in the Underworld. Natasha and Liam had done everything they could to ease her mind but she was still unreachable. It was if it were being held hostage by some unknown, unseen terror. She was plagued by nightmares, voices that no one else could hear, and she rarely ate. After five tormented days, she was rapidly becoming more and more frail. Although Natasha had redirected her energy to locate Finn, Liam and Ricker were still vigilantly searching for answers. All we could do in the meantime was look after her and make sure she was fed and showered.

“What’s she doing?” I asked quietly, praying Carmen wouldn’t hear me. She was parked on the living room floor, surrounded by a wall of pillows stolen from the couch and her bed. The pillow currently within the vice grip of her hands had become the unlikely victim of a butter knife. Tufts of cotton lay in her hair, on her clothes, and scattered around her pillow fort.

“She’s making it snow,” Phoebe murmured and hung her head. As if on cue, Carmen fisted another pile of pillow stuffing and flung it into the air.

“It’s better than making it rain, I guess,” I shrugged, attempting to lighten the mood.

“Snow! Not rain.” Carmen tossed up another snow shower and glared at me. Against my better judgment a grin snuck its way across my lips. I didn’t know if it was from lack of sleep or the sight of Carmen huddled on the floor tearing pillows apart, but a bubble of laughter forced its way up and I was helpless to stop it from spilling out. Phoebe’s green eyes flitted up at me in surprise, but the corners of Willow’s mouth were drawing up into a smile. I stood, gathered the ‘snow’ around Carmen’s fort, and set to making a snowman.

No sooner had I gotten a good ball mashed together for the bottom layer, than a hand came crashing down on top of it; forcing me to jump back.

“No! I’m using that for snow cream!” Carmen eyed me with obvious disgust. Willow burst into a fit of giggles and Phoebe finally smiled.

“It’s not funny!” Carmen growled at Willow, who was failing miserably at stifling her laughter. “Get your own snow,” she spit back at me and began to scoop up the ‘snow’ I had been rolling. Phoebe finally allowed herself to join in the laughter; silently at first, then louder once Carmen began to stuff the ‘snow’ back into the pillow from whence it had been ripped out of. It felt so good to laugh, we couldn’t hold it in. After my stomach had begun to hurt and tears were rolling down Willow’s face, we heard a loud knock at the door. Before anyone could get up to answer it, our visitor let themselves in and stomped into the room.

Olivia came to an abrupt stop in front of us; crossing her arms and raising a skeptical dark eyebrow. Her slinky blood red nightgown made me wonder if she had a visitor of her own next door.

However, it was entirely possible she slept in skimpy lingerie every night. I couldn’t picture her in anything as mundane as cotton shorts and a tank top. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head and her eye makeup had smeared at the corners of her eyes, but somehow she still managed to look strikingly beautiful.

“Loud much?” she huffed. “What could possibly be so funny at 7:30 in the morning?”

“Your face,” Phoebe quipped.

“Sorry, Olivia. We were just having a little fun.” I tried to apologize cordially and shot a warning look at Phoebe. Carmen chose that moment to let out a squeal of delight and launched another handful of ‘snow’ into the air.

“Who let the psycho out of the crazy house?” Olivia peered down her nose at Carmen.

Phoebe was on her feet in a flash, but I got to Olivia a split second before she did.

“Don’t,” I threatened Olivia in a low voice, holding Phoebe back.

“Get her a straight jacket or something. I need my beauty sleep,” Olivia shrugged innocently and flashed Phoebe a toothy smile. Even though she had been crucial to the success of our first trip to the Fortunate Isle, she always had a way of reminding me why I didn’t completely trust her.

“You need to get out of our suite,” Phoebe snapped at her from behind me.

Olivia sighed dramatically and rolled her dark brown eyes at Phoebe’s scowl. “Don’t start foaming at the mouth or anything. I was just leaving.” She twisted on her heel and disappeared, slamming the door behind her.

“You’ll be forced to surrender to the unrelenting affliction,” Carmen declared in an unnatural, devilish voice accompanied by unblinking eyes. Once I dispelled the shivers that danced down my spine, I had trouble figuring out if she was talking to us or herself.

“What’d you say, Carm?” Phoebe whirled around while Willow and I exchanged bewildered looks. Instead of responding, she clapped her hands against her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Make them stop!” she howled in anguish, “Make them stop screaming!!”

Phoebe’s eyes grew wide and she fought to wrap her arms around the now writhing Carmen.

Willow and I ran to them in an attempt to ease Carmen’s panic, as well as Phoebe’s. A memory from Tartarus flashed in my mind. During our time in the Underworld, Carmen had been able to hear the screams of the damned souls that had somehow eluded me and Phoebe. They had been unbearable to her then, and were apparently still haunting her back in the land of the Living. Dread washed over me as another knock sounded on the door. My irritation flared as I flung the door open, expecting to see Olivia again. Instead, I met the soothing, blue eyes of Finn’s mom, Natasha. Her black hair was braided down her back, highlighting the black feathers dangling from her ears.

“Shall I?” she asked simply. I stepped out of her way and she glided over to where Carmen was crouching down in agony. She carefully peeled a now frantic Phoebe from Carmen’s body, and we observed while she pulled a small glass vial of smoky gray liquid from her bag. Natasha was somehow able to pour some of the liquid into Carmen’s mouth, as she lashed out again in the midst of her mental anguish.

“Carmen, dear,” Natasha cooed and somehow held onto her. “Listen to me.” She bent down and whispered in Carmen’s ear. Finally, her body relaxed and she surrendered to the safety of Natasha’s loving arms. Phoebe shifted toward them quietly but Natasha raised a hand in warning.

“She needs sleep.” She gingerly laid Carmen’s head down onto one of the unharmed pillows scattered around the floor, and Willow promptly covered her with a fleece blanket.

“Is she okay?” Phoebe chewed on her nails and paced back and forth anxiously; all the while watching the now unconscious Carmen.

“For now, yes,” Natasha declared wearily.

“How did you know…?” I asked her incredulously.

“It was purely happenstance,” she clarified. “I’ve come to deliver a message.”

“A message?” My mind automatically conjured every possible horrifying conclusion to Finn’s life. Her ominous tone was anything but comforting. “Is it Finn? Did they find him?”

“No, dear. I’m afraid not.” Her face fell at the mention of her son and I pushed back the adjacent disappointment that clutched my heart. “Come…sit down,” Natasha gestured toward the couch. I did as she instructed; followed by Willow. Phoebe knelt beside the sleeping Carmen and smoothed her hair. We all regarded Natasha expectantly.

“You’ve been summoned,” she instituted, as she slipped a light blue envelope out of her bag and handed it to me with a tight smile. I could tell Finn’s absence was taking its toll on her as well.

Dark circles hung below her eyes that had lost all of their usual fire.

“Summoned…” I repeated quietly. I flipped the envelope over in my hands, but its blank cover revealed nothing. I opened the flap as carefully as I could and unfolded the thick paper within.

A silver seal with several symbols that I couldn’t identify adorned the top of the paper. The message below had been handwritten and only consisted of three sentences: Anastasia, We request your presence on the island country of Cyprus. Your sisters await your arrival. Herete gia panta.

“Wow,” Willow breathed as she read the elegant script with me. I was too shocked to say anything at first. I glimpsed back and forth between Natasha and the letter several times before my voice returned.

“Herete gia panta?” I pronounced deliberately.

“It means ‘be happy forever’ in Greek,” Natasha translated for me.

“So…this is from…” I was having trouble making out the lettering on the page as my hands began to shake uncontrollably.

“The Nereids,” Natasha finished for me breezily. “They’d like to meet their future sister.”

Chapter 2

“Why?” I choked out, dumbfounded. Thankfully, Natasha grinned patiently and patted my hand. Unfortunately her sympathy did little to ease the earthquake in my stomach. It would be daunting just to meet one long lost sister, but fifty? That wasn’t just a little intimidating; it was anxiety suicide.

“They have just recently learned of your existence due to the courage you displayed at Finn’s fight. They had their suspicions, but that night cemented them. You have no idea what this means to them.”

“She has to meet all fifty Nereids?” Phoebe gawked while I commenced to squirming in my seat. My eyes darted around the room; convinced it had just shrunk several feet. I was sure the walls were inching inward, seconds away from crushing us to death. Or maybe it was just the pressure of my destiny, pulverizing my heart into a million shards of glass. It was kind of hard to tell.

“Forty-eight to be exact. Keto will not be in attendance, of course, but with the addition of Stasia, their numbers will once again equal fifty,” Natasha explained. A barrage of questions suddenly assaulted my mind; all wanting to be heard at the same time.

“When do I have to go? How do I get there? Do I have to go by myself?”

“You will leave as soon as you are able to pack. Your transportation has already been taken care of, as well as any absences from class you may accrue next week should our trip be extended. I will be your escort.”

“What about…Finn’s body?” I forced out; pain evident in my strained tone. After Nadia had stolen his soul, his body was hidden on the Fortunate Isle where Natasha had been assuring its safety.

When we located his soul, he would need his body to return to. Although Natasha had suggested many times, I had refused to go visit it. I couldn’t bear to be in the presence of his soul-less body; lying there motionless and barren.

She straightened ever so slightly. “He’s being taken care of,” she asserted with a quiet finality that told me not to push for more information.

I glanced around the suite at my roommates. Phoebe was listening intently and rubbing Carmen’s arm while Willow was three seconds away from exploding with excitement. I could only imagine how much it would mean to her if she could come along. I surveyed Carmen and a surge of renewed hope filled my heart.

“I’d like to bring my roommates.” I watched Natasha cautiously, anticipating her disagreement. “The Nereids may be able to help Carmen.” Phoebe perked up at my words in surprise, and Willow’s heart shaped face beamed with hope as we awaited her answer.

Surprisingly, she nodded solemnly, “I was going to suggest that, myself.” She met the glowing eyes of Phoebe and Willow. “Your purpose on this trip will be to look after Carmen and support Stasia. She will need you.” I didn’t like the sound of that. I swallowed thickly as she continued, “I’ll explain once we’re on the plane.”

“Plane?” Phoebe squeaked.

* * *

Two hours and one outburst from Carmen later, we settled into the plush leather seats of the Sons’ jet preparing for take-off. I wasn’t sure what to expect of a private jet but this was a far cry from the commercial flights packed with hundreds of strangers. With seating for fifteen, the Sons’ plane was a class of luxury I hadn’t known existed. It definitely belonged in the same family as their yacht, with its sleek black exterior and aura of prestige.

“Make yourselves at home, girls,” Natasha advised as the plane began to roll. “We have a long flight ahead of us.”

The cabin accommodated twelve seats in all, or more accurately twelve leather recliners, one leather couch and several tables sporadically placed. Our grouping of six seats was set up in a very intimate way. Phoebe, Natasha, and I faced Willow, Carmen, and an extra seat that was being used as storage with several fleece blankets and neck pillows piled on top. Behind us was another group of six recliners followed by the bathroom. To my stomach’s delight, a small kitchen was located just outside of the cockpit. After skipping breakfast, I had a feeling I’d be raiding the small refrigerator as soon as the seatbelt sign went off. I surveyed the Wilmington International Airport from my small round window and tried to coerce the army of butterflies that had taken my stomach hostage to retreat peacefully. I wasn’t afraid of flying, but I wasn’t sure I was kosher with throttling over the Atlantic Ocean in a black tube of death either. One peek at Phoebe’s worried expression told me I wasn’t alone in my trepidation.

“Just how long is this flight?” Phoebe moaned.

“About thirteen hours,” Willow replied softly, acknowledging her discomfort. Phoebe swallowed and gripped her armrests for dear life, clearly afraid. I felt the jet slow and take a sharp left curve as we approached the beginning of the runway. I had heard somewhere that the most dangerous part of flying was the takeoff and the landing. I determined that little golden nugget of information wouldn’t do much to calm Phoebe’s nerves, so I kept it to myself.

“I think I’m going to throw up,” Phoebe whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut. I held my breath as the engines revved up and we lurched forward. The G-forces flattened our bodies against our seats as we roared down the runway, and I heard Phoebe gasp.

“Don’t forget to breathe,” Willow reminded her with a giggle. I watched the ground disappear beneath us as we ascended higher and higher. Eventually it leveled out at the appropriate altitude and the seatbelt light faded dark.

“See?” Willow chirped happily as she flipped open a ‘People’ magazine. “That wasn’t so bad.”

“Tell that to my stomach,” Phoebe muttered and then bent forward to make sure Carmen was comfortable. She hadn’t uttered one word since we’d boarded the plane, but she seemed to be examining our every move. An odd gleam in her eye gave me the eerie feeling that she wasn’t the only one in there watching us.

As solid land was quickly replaced by a wide expanse of ocean, we chose a movie to watch and devoured a lunch of packaged ham and cheese subs. With a full stomach and the hum of the jet engines surrounding me, I reclined my chair and leaned my head back.

The sound of hushed voices stirred me awake as the cold sand beneath me sent a chill through my body. A steady breeze played across my skin and through my hair, making me sit up with lightening speed. Where was I? What was happening? Several enormous, pale rocks were scattered around me, blocking my view of the rest of the beach. I scrambled to my knees and crept along the largest of the rocks; carefully peeking over its jagged edges in an effort to see the scene down the beach. The light of the full moon lit the backdrop with such luminescence, the white of the sand and rocks reflected back towards it; creating a glittering world enchanted by the sounds of the sea. The crashing of the waves several yards away muffled the voices enough so that I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but it didn’t stop me from finding out where they were coming from.

About fifty yards away a line of slumped over figures were shuffling towards the water, where three more figures stood at the water’s edge watching their reluctant approach. The moonlight glinted off the ankles and wrists of the moving forms, giving the appearance of shackles. To get a better view, I silently shifted behind another rock that rested closer to the water.

As I looked on, the captives were ordered into a semi-circle around the three additional figures. One of the three stepped forward and I got a glimpse of her as the moonlight shone down on her face. Unruly dark hair danced in the wind around a beautiful pale face as she stared down the captives. A long flowing dress blew around her as pieces of fabric around her wrists and ankles danced in the breeze. I was reminded of a silver fire, lighting up the night with its brilliance. She was magnetic, chilling, and I could physically feel her undeniable power. Who was she?

As she threw her head back and raised her arms, the captives all fell backward, landing limply on the beach in a heap of motionless bodies. Another of the three figures stepped forward and lifted her arms as well. A melodic singing filled the night and I instinctively threw up the walls around my mind in defense. But I soon realized it wasn’t a Siren’s song. This was different. She was simply…singing. I watched as something that hung from a necklace on her neck pulsed in rhythm to her song. It emitted an eerie pale light that lit up the even paler skin of her chest and face. It glowed even brighter, as all of the motionless bodies lifted off of the sand and hovered inches above, lifeless.

My eyes widened and my breath caught as the bodies collapsed once again, leaving lighter, transparent versions drifting above them. I placed a shaky hand over my mouth to hold back the panic at what I had seen. Their souls had been ripped from their bodies… just like Finn’s. That’s when I heard the muffled sounds of someone approaching.

I twisted around abruptly to catch an older man creeping along the same rock I had been hiding behind moments before. Although I was in plain sight, he didn’t appear to notice me. Even more disturbing, he was moving straight towards me. I tumbled backwards when I struggled to maneuver out of his way. Yet again, he refused to look in my direction. I scooted backwards as I kept my eyes locked on him. Why did he seem so familiar? Suddenly, the pale woman from the beach was standing before us, now glaring at the man with scorching rage. She too failed to see me; only feet away.

“You should know you cannot hide from me,” she hissed at him with a sickening smile. A suffocating freeze descended upon me at her presence. As her face began to glow once more, I squinted down at the source of light hanging from her neck. A clear glass ball hung from a necklace, but what caught my attention was what was inside the ball. What looked like a floating ball of light danced within, pulsing brighter as if connected to her heartbeat. Her silver eyes flashed as she wrapped her hand around the man’s neck and lifted him off his feet in less than an instant.

“NO!” Adrenaline shot through my veins and I lunged forward, only to land hard on top of the unsuspecting Willow.

“Hey! What…?” Willow made a valiant effort to catch me but after crashing down on top of her, I slid clumsily to the floor of the airplane; heart racing and gasping for breath.

“Stasia?” Natasha urged. “Are you alright? What happened?”

I looked up into her calm blue eyes and took a deep breath, “Just a bad dream…” my voice trailed off and I studied the carpet below me as I realized that had been no dream. That had really happened. My eyes snapped up to hers again as she helped me back into my seat. I endured the spike of my pulse as the scene came back to me. “It was a vision! She was hurting him! Oh! All of those poor people!”

Willow leaned forward in her seat, concern written all over her face. “What people? Who were they?”

“I…I don’t know.” I managed as my shoulders sagged under the weight of my foresight ability. It wasn’t much help when it gave me no clues, nothing to go on as to what was happening or where I was! “Okay, let me think,” I rubbed my temples in concentration, “I was on a beach and there were at least fifteen people. They looked like they were being held against their will. And then there were three others – singing, and-- and they got separated from their souls! She had him by the throat…but I don’t…I don’t know who she was.” My weak excuse for an explanation was met by blank stares and questioning faces.

After several seconds of confused silence, Natasha sent me a warm smile as she prepared something in what looked like a coffee maker, “It will come, dear. Sometimes visions are simply that-- visions. There is no way of knowing when they are or if they are something you should interfere with. As you become more experienced with them, you will be able to discern their meanings. But it cannot be forced. I remember when Finn started having them…” She diverted her eyes quickly as sadness washed over her features. I watched as her lower lip began to tremble. I stood and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“We’ll find him, Natasha,” I declared with intensity. She met my determined eyes as a tear ran down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away and cleared her throat.

“Let’s discuss Cyprus.”

Chapter 3

“Cyprus?” We all turned our heads tentatively as Carmen came to life. Although Willow had helped her dress and get ready, her dark hair was now matted against her head and the circles under her eyes had become more pronounced. The English muffin we attempted to feed her before we left had ended up all over Phoebe’s clothes. Apparently spitting out your food was now a literal concept to Carmen. With unwavering patience, Phoebe simply handed Carmen a napkin and disappeared into her room to change while I wiped up the floor. A bib might be in order if we made her eat on the jet. I wasn’t sure the Sons would appreciate a fresh layer of food on their stunning carpeted floor.

“That’s right!” Phoebe’s face instantly lit up at Carmen’s voice; however unearthly it may have sounded. “Stasia’s going to meet the Nereids! We might even get to meet who we’re descended from! Isn’t that awesome?”

“Awesome…” Carmen repeated thoughtfully, as if she were trying to figure out the meaning behind the word. Her entire body stiffened without cause, and she stubbornly glared out of the window before returning her attention to us. I caught a flash of her trace just below her ear and held back a surprised gasp. Instead of the usual black color, it was now a glistening, bright red hue.

Phoebe’s excitement faded as Carmen’s dark brown eyes shifted hard and became fixed on Natasha.

“You’ve regressed.” Carmen’s ghastly tone shadowed her normal voice, which made my skin crawl.

Natasha visibly piqued at her accusing tone, but hid it easily behind her relaxed demeanor.

She set down the IPad she had been working on and patiently clasped her hands in her lap. “Carmen -

you need your rest, dear.”

“I don’t need rest. I need answers.” Carmen’s timbre increased with creed as she stood up almost too stealthily. Her features appeared to age twenty years as her eyes became steely. I saw Phoebe shrink back into her seat as her fervor visibly rose. “She refuses to give us any. Will you refuse as well?”

“She?” Natasha stood guardedly as the rest of us held our breaths. Carmen’s trace was now pulsing a deep burgundy, and I had a hard time taking my eyes off of it. It reminded me of a vein that bulged and moved to the rhythm of a pounding heart. I had a horrible image of it bursting open and spraying everywhere, but I quickly wiped that thought from my mind before we all had to revisit what I ate for dinner last night.

“Why have you regressed?” she demanded of Natasha with a sneer. “Why have you chosen not to embrace your darkness, Natasha?”

“My...darkness?” Natasha’s brow furrowed as she grasped the fire agate pendant hanging from her necklace. Carmen took a menacing step forward before crumbling to her knees, ravaged once again by the perilous screams audible only to her.

“I can’t take it!” she screeched in her own voice again, eyes squeezed shut. “Make them stop!

Make them stop!!”

At the same time, Natasha and I embraced her and somehow managed to wrestle her safely back into her seat. I swept Carmen’s hair off her neck and watched Natasha’s concerned expression as she took in the throbbing red trace.

“What’s happening to her?” I whispered frantically. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she shook her head in dismay and reached into her pocket for the vial of gray liquid. Even with the constant squirming, I was able to hold down Carmen’s arms as Natasha tried to force the sleeping concoction into her mouth. Unfortunately, half of it came back up and she bent her head down instead; clamping down onto my arm with her teeth. I automatically let go and she pushed me away with immense strength. I landed upside down on the other side of the plane, underneath a table.

“Stop it!” Phoebe pleaded as she tried to pull Natasha away from Carmen. “What are you doing to her?!”

“Phoebe, don’t!” Willow snagged Phoebe’s arm and pulled her back, just as Natasha succeeded in opening Carmen’s mouth wide enough to pour the liquid down her throat. I rubbed my leg where I could feel a bruise forming and Willow helped me back to my seat. After ensuring Carmen was out cold, Natasha sat back down and sighed with exhaustion. She met Phoebe’s distraught eyes with an unrelenting calm.

“It’s a mixture of passionflower, valerian, and chamomile with a kick. It simply puts her to sleep. It is completely safe, I assure you.”

“Then what’s wrong with her? Why does she sound like she’s possessed?!” Phoebe shouted.

We were all frightened for Carmen and felt powerless to help her, but Phoebe was infinitely taking it the hardest.

“I’m not sure, dear. It could be a number of things, but I need a second opinion.”

“What if it gets worse? What if she hurts somebody? Or herself?” Phoebe countered, her panic lessening to frustration.

“That’s where I will need your help,” Natasha disclosed with intensity, “but you will have to trust me. Do you understand?” Phoebe paused as she considered whether or not she trusted her best friend’s well being in the hands of Natasha.

“Just promise me you’ll help her,” Phoebe conceded quietly, tugging on a strand of brown hair.

“I will do everything in my power,” Natasha promised. Willow reached out and took Phoebe’s hand to comfort her.

“Just let us know what you need us to do,” Willow told Natasha for Phoebe’s benefit.

“Of course.” Natasha pulled four mugs from a cabinet and filled them for us. “I see how much you love her. Sometimes that is all it takes.” I hoped that I was the only one who could hear the doubt in her voice.

“What is this?” Phoebe peered into her cup skeptically.

“Mint tea with a touch of skullcap. The mint soothes your senses while the skullcap relaxes your muscles and calms your nerves.” I tentatively took a sip of the steaming liquid and closed my eyes as the refreshing taste of mint exploded onto my taste buds.

“So you think the Nereids will be able to help her?” I questioned Natasha.

“Not the Nereids,” she explained. “Charon. Which leads me to what I need to discuss with you. Our reasons for travelling to Cyprus are twofold. You will indeed meet your future sisters, but we also plan to execute another attempt to find Finn. Charon has already arrived on Cyprus,” she held my gaze, “and I took Finn’s body, along with Ricker, over earlier this morning.”

“Wait. Finn and Ricker?” Willow raised a scrutinizing eyebrow. “How’s that even possible?

Is that how…” She pointed back and forth between me and Natasha, putting the pieces together of how I was able to get to Finn’s fight as fast as I did, considering it was on the other side of the world.

Natasha took another sip of tea before expounding on what I had already assumed, “I transported them using conveyance.” Phoebe’s mouth dropped open and Willow’s eyes lit up.

I had experienced her incredible ability of conveyance when she had used it to take us to the location of Finn’s fight. It was an unbelievably fun way to travel. And quite convenient, I might add.

“Natasha’s a Wiccan.” I smiled at Phoebe’s now confused face, “She’s a descendent of Hecate; a witch.”

“Hecate?” Phoebe’s emerald eyes widened as they peered down at her tea. “No wonder this is so good.”

“Making tea is one of my many abilities,” Natasha claimed with a straight face and a clever twinkle in her eye.

“That’s really an ability?” Phoebe clamored. Apparently Phoebe had missed the clever twinkle. Willow shook with laughter and Natasha’s deep blue eyes crinkled as she smiled.

“Yep, she even has a pink lemonade ability,” I poked fun at Phoebe’s naïve tendencies.

“Hey, it could happen!” Phoebe held up her cup in retaliation and frowned, “I mean this is some seriously good tea.”

“But you really took Ricker and Finn to Cyprus using conveyance?” Willow shifted forward, enthralled by her ability. “That’s amazing!”

“That’s right,” Natasha confirmed. “Ricker is looking after Finn’s body until we arrive, and his presence may prove beneficial once we begin to work to heal Carmen.”

“How does it work?” Phoebe inquired. “Why didn’t you just convey us over there, too?”

“I don’t believe I’m strong enough to convey three girls and their inordinate amount of luggage all the way around the world.” Natasha tilted her head in amusement.

“It’s pretty cool! When she took me to Finn’s fight, one minute we were standing on the Fortunate Isle. The next, we were standing on a beach in Greece,” I attested.

“I’d never travel any other way. That is so cool!” Phoebe gawked. “I wish I was a witch! No planes, no cars, and you’re there in two minutes flat.”

“It definitely beats a broomstick,” Natasha snickered and took a sip of tea.

“Can all Wiccans convey?” Phoebe asked curiously.

“Yes, but we aren’t the only Order to have that ability. There are…others.” Her eyes became unfocused and her mouth tightened into a straight line at what must have been an unpleasant memory.

“So Charon will be able to heal Carmen’s mind?” Willow asked in an effort to reinforce her thoughts. The crease between her eyebrows hinted at the wheels churning within her head.

“I hope so,” Phoebe muttered gravely as she shot a sideways glance at Carmen’s sleeping form.

“What about me? I can heal bodies - maybe I can heal her mind, too?” Willow inched to the edge of seat in case Natasha agreed.

“I’m afraid I may have used an incorrect term.” Natasha’s features deviated to apologetic.

“Her mind is not technically diseased or even injured. It has been…changed or manipulated. There’s even a chance it has been hijacked. But she cannot be healed in the terms you are alluding to.”

“Oh,” Willow sighed and collapsed back into her seat in a cloud of defeat. I took another long sip of mint tea and contemplated the possibility that Carmen’s mind had been hijacked. By who? Or what? Was it possible that one of the souls from Tartarus had caught a ride to this world?

Or worse, one of Nadia’s ghosts… It was getting difficult not to notice what was at the core of all my problems: Nadia.

“So what’s our new plan to find Finn?” I squelched the rising hope that the possibility of a new plan evoked. That precarious little thing called hope would inevitably threaten to piece my heart back together, which would only leave it vulnerable to further disappointment. I wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

“Charon hasn’t divulged all of the details to me, but he will brief us once we arrive. We’ll be flying into Paphos, which is one of the larger cities on the west coast of the island.”

“Isn’t there a descendent school in Paphos?” Willow thought out loud. “The House of Eventide?”

“Very good, Willow,” Natasha nodded. “We will actually be staying on campus for the duration of our visit.”

“Where exactly is Cyprus?” I asked, realizing I wasn’t completely sure I knew where it was located.

“Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is east of Greece and north of Egypt. There is much history that has taken place there, and the Nereids have been meeting there for millennia.”

“Aphrodite’s Rock!” Willow perked up with exuberance. “That’s in Cyprus isn’t it?”

“Aphrodite’s Rock, her sanctuary, and many other sites are located all over the island of Cyprus.”

“What’s Aphrodite’s Rock?” I asked. I was picturing a rock that resembled the goddess or that had been carved in her likeness.

“It’s the birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love!” Willow exclaimed with a dreamy look in her eye. I had no doubt her thoughts had drifted to her almost-boyfriend Liam. Unfortunately, Phoebe quickly transformed her dreamy look into something resembling revulsion with her next comment.

“Cronus cut off Uranus’s testicles and threw them in the sea! When the water got all foamy, Aphrodite was created.” She thought to herself for a moment and then shrugged, “It’s kind of gross when you really think about it.”

Just as I was about to ask if that was really possible, the seat belt lights blinked on and we buckled ourselves, as well as the still-sleeping Carmen, in safely to prepare for our descent into Paphos.

I peered out the window at the mysterious sea below. The nearly full moon above lit a watery runway of glitter as the far the eye could see. If only my own path were that clear.

Chapter 4

Finn

“I still don’t get why I had to come,” I complained, shuffling my feet as loudly as possible.

“Liam’s mom even said he could go surfing on the Isle, but now we’ll have to wait until next week.”

“The Queen of the Underworld doesn’t care about your surfing schedule,” Mom replied with a frown and walked ahead of me on the stone path. I’d been helping Dad out for years, but I’d never been required to go with Mom to her meetings. Usually they contained information I wasn’t allowed to hear. Plus, no twelve year guy wants to go to meetings with his mom. So, when she told me I had to go with her today, I wasn’t too happy about it. That feeling was amplified after Liam had called to go surfing.

“Maybe she’d be a better queen if she did,” I muttered under my breath.

“It’s not every day we’re summoned to see Persephone. I need you to behave. We won’t be here long. Just long enough-“ She stopped abruptly when she peered over her shoulder at me. I held my breath and suppressed a snicker. She put her hands on her hips and glared in my general vicinity.

“Finn Morrison, if you don’t uncloak yourself right now, I’m going to change you into a piece of lint and stick you in my pocket for all of eternity.”

The laugh I had been holding in fought its way out, sounding more like a snort. This time she crossed her arms, smirked, and lifted an eyebrow. “Suit yourself. But it’s going to be hard to surf next week without a surfboard.”

“Aw, Mom! Come on!” I uncloaked myself and pleaded one last time. “Persephone won’t know I’m there and I’ll still listen to whatever you guys talk about. The only difference is I won’t have to talk to her. Everybody wins.” I gave her my best puppy dog eyes.

“Except when she catches me talking to thin air and assumes I’ve lost my mind,” she countered.

“Everybody assumes that already,” I joked, and jumped out of the way as she swatted at me playfully. We walked the rest of the way down the path and soon approached the front entrance. The Queen wasn’t known for being very welcoming, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Mom gave me a weary look and knocked on the heavy wooden door. The house itself was covered on all sides with thick, golden vines. It was as if the forest floor was slowly devouring the entire structure.

After two more attempts, the door finally swung open and a stunning woman stepped out into the light. Or maybe she was the light. It was hard to tell since she looked like she was glowing. She reminded me of a roman candle me and my friends had lit last year at the Summer Solstice event on the Isle. Except she didn’t have sparks flying out of her head. That would have been much cooler.

I experienced something like a red hot whip slam into my heart as her golden eyes met mine. I jumped in front of mom; immediately on the defensive. I could feel the darkness that everyone from down there had, but the sense of powerful rage simmering below her surface was overwhelming. If Mom felt it, she gave nothing away.

“It’s alright, Finn,” she reassured me and touched my arm gently. Not taking my glare off of Persephone, I backed away only slightly.

“And you must be Finn.” Persephone’s blazing golden eyes dissected me in mere seconds as her mouth curled up into a smirk. My entire body tensed as I sensed the full force of her hidden anger when she spoke. I narrowed my eyes at her in an effort to let her know that whatever dealings she had with my mom, she would have to get through me first. I felt my own darkness flare and spread as Persephone chuckled.

“I mean no harm to your mother, son.” I bristled at her use of the word ‘son’ and then realized she had known what I was thinking. Could she read minds?

“Then what do you want?” I growled at her, moving in front of Mom once again.

“Finn, honey, Persephone only wants to discuss certain…administrative issues. You have no reason to fear for my safety.” I could tell she was trying to be reassuring but she still wasn’t convincing me. No one with that kind of resentment and anger could do anything out of the goodness of her heart. My father once told me that hate binds the heart. People like her always had hidden agendas.

Persephone ushered us into a large foyer and then up a flight of stairs into a solarium. It was filled to the brim with flowering plants and bushes. Lush fruit hung from trees, and vines clung to the glass walls. The entire ceiling was also glass, which created a tropical forest feel.

Mom took a seat near one of the many waterfalls, but I remained standing. There was no way I was letting my guard down. As Persephone strolled past and sat down across from Mom, I heard the sound of feet running. Two seconds later, the owner of those feet pranced into the solarium and scowled at Persephone.

“Mother!”she barked and then rested her hands on her hips. “You were supposed to tell me when they arrived!”

“Nadia, dear. Won’t you make our guest feel welcome?” Persephone swept an arm in my direction and then addressed me with regal undertones. “I believe you know my daughter, Nadia.”

I cringed as Nadia’s pout lifted into a cunning grin, and she swept into the room like Cinderella on ‘Dancing with the Stars’. I got the feeling the world was supposed to stop spinning in acknowledgement of her entrance. I was waiting for a hidden orchestra to begin blaring Beethoven’s Symphony #5. I let out a snicker, which was quickly muted by a look from Mom. Nadia ignored my outburst and continued to move in my direction.

The last time I had seen her would have been at least four years ago. By the spoiled smirk she was wearing, it appeared humility and kindness were still foreign concepts to her. I had to admit, she was stunning. Her golden hair tumbled over her neck and shoulders, accentuating the golden color of her skin, and the black sundress she was wearing didn’t leave much to the imagination. Every guy I knew would jump at the chance just to be near her. I begged to differ. She couldn’t hold a candle to her . No one did. No one ever would.

“Hey there,” she purred and wrapped a snake-like arm around my waist. I abruptly stepped out of her greedy embrace. The golden eyes she had inherited from her mother boasted a different type of hardness behind them. She was used to getting her way, and the lingering path her eyes created as they slid down my body told me she had expected nothing less from me. She was about to get a very rude awakening.

“Come with me,” she demanded. Last I checked, I wasn’t a pet Chihuahua who would follow her around begging for her affection, so I stood my ground and raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

“Finn, give us a few minutes to talk. Why don’t you let Nadia show you around?” Mom smiled and nodded her head, insinuating it was safe to leave her alone with Persephone. I refused to budge.

“Finn,” Mom urged again with apologetic eyes. I shot one last threatening glare at Persephone as a warning and ignoring every instinct I possessed, painstakingly forced my feet to follow Nadia. Instead of showing me around their home, Nadia made a beeline for the back door. I continued to follow her as we walked down a dirt path, while she rambled on about a girl at school whom she didn’t like. I stopped listening after less than a minute, and tried to figure out when the next ideal time to go surfing would be. The tide would be up by the time we got back, but a storm was blowing in tomorrow, so it might be better to wait until then. I could ride my short board instead-“Were you even listening to me?” I ran right into a fuming Nadia, whose carnal eyes were now boring a hole into mine.

“No,” I shrugged my shoulders and let out an exaggerated sigh of boredom. Surprise flitted across her features before they darkened considerably. She pointed a bony finger in my face.

“When I talk, you listen. Got it?”

I tapped my chin as if thinking. “What am I supposed to say? Oh that’s it - Yes, your highness.” I bowed to her and then flipped her off with a gallant smile. Light swirls of gray smoke lifted from her skin, reminding me of a smoking fog rolling off the ocean. I didn’t need the vapor pouring out of her skin to tell me that she was evil. I could sense it a mile away. She stiffened but remained silent, as she attempted to reign in her wrath. The vapor disappeared and her eyes returned to their normal honey color.

“We’re almost there.” She twirled around in a show of indifference and continued to walk until we reached a tall stone staircase that led underground.

“And just where is ‘ there’ ?” I questioned her with heavy skepticism.

“You’ll see. I made it myself.” She skipped down several more stairs and pivoted to glare up at me. “Well?” Wanting to get this little journey over with, I rolled my eyes and followed her down the stairs. We continued to walk through a dark, dank tunnel for what seemed like hours, until we reached a dead end. I could hear water rushing above us which was slightly unnerving, but I ignored my urge to leave.

“Congratulations. You made a dead end.” I raised an eyebrow but she simply reached out and touched my shoulder. I swatted her arm away, but we had already been conveyed to what I assumed was the other side of the dead end. She was lucky I was used to my mom using conveyance to travel.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t inherited that particular ability. But I had some other cool ones that more than made up for it.

I inspected my new surroundings and couldn’t help being awestruck. Somehow she had created a completely enclosed square room underground. But that wasn’t the cool part. It was the ceiling - or the lack there of. Instead of solid stone, above our heads were clear rocks that displayed the full fury of the rushing river above.

“I enchanted the rocks above this part of the river to be transparent so I could see through them,” she bragged with a smug smile. “It’s my hiding place. Only one way in and only one way out.” She wiggled her eyebrows for effect, “ Me.”

“Of course. It’s your world. We’re just living in it.” I responded with cynicism. My eyes ran along the pristine stone walls once again. I had a feeling I could bust out of there if I had to. If she was trying to intimidate me, she’d have to do a lot better than that.

“So…” She sauntered over to me slyly and ran a finger down my chest. “What do you want to do?” Punch that smug look off your face.

“Leave,” I growled and moved away from her. She was beginning to push her luck. “Now.”

The angry vapor rose from her skin again as she approached, armed with a cocky grin and an arrogant swagger. “You better get used to this now because we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”

“I doubt that,” I threw back at her and laughed. She smirked and moved to stand within inches of me, rage flashing in her eyes.

“My mother has spoken. You’re mine.”

Chapter 5

Finn You know that glorious sliver of time between the moment you wake up and the moment where reality hits? Unfortunately for me, it slipped through my fingers so quick, I nearly missed it.

Not to mention my dream hadn’t been too different from my current reality. That day six years ago, I had no idea how true her selfish words were. I was young and clueless. Even when Mom explained it to me with devastated tears in her eyes, I didn’t give it another thought. It was no big deal. I’d find a way around it by the time I was eighteen. When you’re twelve, eighteen is a lifetime away. I told myself it didn’t matter. And I was right, it didn’t. Until she came back. Until I looked into those unsettling blue eyes and glimpsed her soul. The day on the beach when she became real, was the day that everything changed.

The roar of the water rushing above me soothed my anxiety, while my inner clock fought to calculate what day of the week it was. If my math was right, I’d been down here for five days. I’d spent almost a week in the bowels of the Underworld, as the world above continued to move forward as if I’d never existed. At the onset of each darkness, I would willingly slip away into catatonic episodes of extreme isolation and pain. My mind would do its best to convince me that no one would be searching for me. I told myself everyone had given up, moved on with their lives, and my body had been disposed of in the vast meadows of the sea floor. Or maybe they would bury it on the Isle with a nice headstone that read: Here lies Finn Morrison. The worst Prime who ever lived. My mother would weep with shame, and Stasia would turn her back; unable to bear the evidence of my obvious failure. She had risked everything for me, only to be repaid with utter defeat.

I had been a fool to think I would protect her by keeping her in the dark; sacrificing my own destiny. The only thing I had sacrificed was my relationship with the one person that ever mattered to me; my reason for breathing. I should have known it was never me who was meant to be the hero.

The sand and the sea bowed to her glory; reveling in her presence and soaking up her beauty. She was destined to surpass all who came before her and touch all those who came after. I could only hope to stand by and watch as she changed the world. I would never again underestimate her again. I would spend the rest of my life proving my love to her. She was my anything. She was my everything. And I’d almost thrown it all away.

When the soft light of each new morning once again filtered through the raging river and down into my cave, my head would clear and I was able to think rationally again. But the constant back and forth was driving me mad. I knew my father would not give up until I was found. The Sons Order would comb the edges of the Earth to find me. Unfortunately, only a select few could search the Underworld; and even fewer still would know where to look. Nadia’s handmade cavern wasn’t represented on any maps, and there were no doors or windows to announce its presence. I was a dull needle in an underground haystack.

A sharp pain ran down my arm and I looked down at the gashes in my skin. Wrapping around my wrists and ankles, I could do nothing against the power of the white vines that were standing in as my chains. My body wasn’t healing at its normal rapid pace, which meant Nadia had somehow created a vacuum where none of my abilities worked. I was nothing more than a sitting duck waiting for someone to find me. Fury shot through my veins and I fought against the vines; twisting and yelling out. I was angry at myself for getting into this situation. I was angry at myself for letting Stasia down. I was angry at the suffocating hollow feeling that my helplessness elicited.

With my insufficient reserve of energy depleted, I collapsed back onto the floor in exhaustion. I lay there wallowing in my own despair, and allowed the new and re-opened cuts on my arms and legs to bleed out. Pain had become a welcome companion. It was the only thing that reminded me I was still alive. It was simply an extension of the overwhelming agony I harbored within -- an agony I deserved to feel again and again.

The dampness of the underground room chilled me to the bone, but Nadia had ensured there were no comforts of home inside her ‘hiding place’. That only left me with the vines, the river, and a curious wooden trunk on the other side of the room. I was considering whether or not the vines that bound me were edible when I heard the sound of footsteps on the other side of the wall.

“Rise and shine, Love!” Nadia appeared before me and my blood instantly bubbled with overwhelming hatred. “We have much to do!”

“I’m not playing your bullshit games, Nadia,” I growled.

“Games?” She snorted, cracking a dry smile and coming to a stop in front of me. Her features hardened and her golden eyes flashed, “This is no game, Love. But believe me - I’ll be enjoying every minute.” She noticed the small puddle of blood collecting below my right knee and smirked.

“Why Finn, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you look so dreadful. It’s a shame your essence and abilities have no effect down here. That looks horrific.”

“You’re playing with fire, Nadia,” I accused her in a low voice. She should know the consequences of her actions.

“I happen to like fire. It’s powerful and tantalizing. Just like me.” She twisted on her heel, kicked off her shoes and made her way to the trunk. She visibly shivered in her thin tank top and jeans. With a snap of her fingers, the room warmed to a comfortable temperature.

“I don’t know how you stand it down here! It’s absolutely frigid!” She chuckled to herself when I cursed her through gritted teeth. She whistled happily as she opened the trunk and began rifling through it; searching for something in particular.

“Now where did I put it…Aha! Found it!” she squealed with delight. Then she snapped her head around and grinned at me like she was two personalities away from a straight jacket and a padded room. “Enjoying the view?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Oh come on Finn,” she purred. “You know you want this.” She spun around in a circle and raised a golden, sly eyebrow at me. “But unfortunately for you, I don’t screw pieces of shit.”

“I’m crushed.”

She looked me up and down, tapped her chin, and smiled, “Not yet.” With a flick of her finger the white vines pinned me against the wall; slicing new wounds on my arms and legs. “I’ll save that for later. Right now, we have other things to take care of. And I must say, I’m so glad you came to your senses and chose me. I was beginning to lose hope,” she joked. She twitched over to where I was shackled to the wall and let out what sounded like something close to a cackle.

“Yea, I’ve really been looking forward to having my soul wrenched out of my body and starving to death in this god forsaken hole in the ground,” I spit at her with venom.

“I might not be as transparent as that little tramp of yours, Stasia, but-“

“Leave her out of this! You don’t even deserve to speak her name,” I growled. The familiar rush of power and adrenaline that usually accompanied my anger didn’t come, and I started to realize the gravity of the situation I was in. Not that I was going to let Princess Psycho know that.

“Oh, please…she’s nothing but an Achilles heel.” She collapsed into a fit of giggles, “Get it - cause her brother was Achilles..?” I ignored her failed attempt at irony.

“She possesses every quality required of a leader in our world and more. Qualities you have never, and will never, possess - purity, strength, grace and most importantly, humility.”

“Humility, weakness - same thing.” She dismissed my words with a flip of her hand.

“The prophecy speaks for itself. Even you can’t argue with that,” I retorted. “She is my destiny. And I, hers.”

“All I hear is blah, blah, blah-I want to have sex with her-blah, blah, blah. Lust turns the strongest of men into invalids and I simply couldn’t let that happen. Your essence is far too important for what is ahead of me.”

“Essence becomes useless without love. Love turns the strongest of men into warriors. When a man has someone to fight for, he’s capable of moving mountains.”

Her grin dropped and she stomped over to me with vapor rolling off of her skin. She stood in front of me, silent for a moment, then grinned wickedly and unrolled the leather case she had been clutching in her hand. She slid something silver out and held it up so I could see it. A syringe.

“I think I’m in the mood to play nurse.” Her eyes sparkled as she moved towards me. I tried to fight the vines, but the excruciating pain that shot through me sucked what little energy I did have completely dry. “Now don’t tire yourself out, Love. I need to get a good strong sample.”

At her words, another pair of vines shot out from the stone wall and slithered around my left arm; securing it tightly. My trace had become dull in the last few days under whatever vacuum she had placed on my prison.

She slowly ran a finger down my cheek and smiled sympathetically. “Your sacrifices will not be in vain. I can promise you that.” She dropped her hand and her golden eyes hardened, “But the slow, painful deterioration of your soul will be. I’ve decided you owe me that. It’s the least you can do.”

“So, are you looking forward to spending eternity on Tartarus, or will an exception be made to send you straight to the pits of fire?” I asked in the same tone I’d use to ask about the weather.

“You really think my own mother would sentence me to an eternity of hell?” she chuckled.

“Please tell me you aren’t that simpleminded.”

“You know as well as I do that a certain level of evil is not tolerated. Your mother’s decision will be overridden by the-“

“Shut up!” she yelled and slapped me across the face. It stung, but I hid it beneath a purposefully smug smile -- which only made her vexation spill over. “Enough of this! You are no more than a means to an end. You will never be Prime. You will never see your tramp or your family again. You are nothing.” With that, she uncapped the syringe and drove it into my forearm; right through the eye of the skull. My thoughts turned to Stasia as my world filled with pain and faded into darkness.

The next time I awoke, it was to hushed voices and the clicking of heels on the stone floor. It was much darker, but I could still make out two figures standing on the other side of the cavern.

Reaching out with what essence I had left, I knew that one of the figures was Nadia. The refreshing smell of sea oats told me she was of the sea, but the cold, slimy fingers of her essence proved that it had been tainted by corruption long ago.

“We only have a matter of days,” the unknown woman said. “The moon must be at its highest when the transfer takes place. We have no room for mistakes.”

“I’ll hold up my end of the bargain, but how do I know you’ll do the same?” countered Nadia’s self-righteous voice.

“Whether you hold up your end of the bargain has yet to be seen,” the other woman countered. The velvety tone of her voice was hauntingly familiar. “Although you repeatedly fail to remember what’s at stake, I do realize you have your own agenda, of which I can respect. However, the binding agreement you stepped into will be complete on my word. No sooner and no later.”

I slowly attempted to pull myself up into more of a sitting position. Unfortunately the slight movement reverberated off of the cavern walls, and both women spun in my direction. I saw Nadia cross her arms as a hint of a smug smile lit up her face. The other woman walked towards me and the stifling chill that surrounded her hit me with immense force. She wore a long dress that trailed behind her and shifted as she moved. Her face was cast into shadow by the waning light above the river. As she came closer, I was just able to make out long black hair amidst more strands of green. The glittering scales that framed her face sharpened in my line of sight as she kneeled down. Her feline emerald eyes sparkled; reflecting the darkness within. I gave her my best smirk.

“We meet again, Keto.”

Chapter 6

“I really feel like we’re trespassing,” Phoebe wiped at the foggy window with her hand and peered outside. “Everything’s so dark and quiet.” The city of Paphos lay completely silent on either side of the road as we cruised down one of the main thoroughfares on our way to Eventide. The numerous shops and restaurants that lined the street had long been closed, and the cloak of night had successfully draped its influence across the landscape.

“I guess three AM isn’t exactly rush hour,” I yawned. After safely landing at Paphos International Airport, we had climbed into the back of a black Escalade driven by a tall, nameless, and seemingly mute young man. He didn’t so much as utter a word as he loaded our luggage, but offered the slightest of smiles to each of us. He let out a surprised gasp when Carmen wrapped a hand around his arm without provocation, but appeared to collect himself rather easily. She sent him a tilted smile lined with madness and thankfully let go voluntarily. Phoebe had apologized while Willow yanked Carmen inside the Escalade; both receiving menacing looks from her.

“The House of Eventide is about the same size as Lorelei, but we will be staying in the visitor’s quarters. I’d like for you girls,” I noticed she focused her intense gaze mostly on me, “to get as much rest as time will allow. Breakfast will be at 9:00am.”

If I actually slept for the duration of those six hours, I’d be more successful than I had been all week. Somehow I didn’t think that being on the other side of the Earth would help ease my anxiety about Finn, or my impending meeting with the Nereids. A painful twist in the bottom of my stomach churned up an urgency that was getting harder to ignore. I had the disturbing feeling that we were running out of time.

The Escalade shifted as we all leaned to the left in an effort to see the passing marina bulging with sailboats, fishing charters, and personal craft. Other than its impressive size, it looked very similar to Bald Head Island’s marina with its wooden boardwalks, jetties and pylons.

“Oh. My. God. Is that a castle?!” Willow climbed over Phoebe to get a better view, “Please tell me that’s a real life castle!”

“Yes, dear that’s a ‘real life’ castle.” Natasha chuckled at Willow’s excitement, “It’s the Castle of Paphos, built in the twelfth century.”

“Uh, Willow?” Phoebe’s voice came out strained, “My ribs, built in 1995, are breaking.”

“Oh! I’m sorry!” Willow jumped off of her, still giggly with joy, “Good thing I’ve got these for backup.” She waved her fingers in the air, referring to her healing ability.

“I think we’re here…” I informed them as we entered a rustic looking gate with two large, majestic columns adorning either side. Letters had been carved in each that read in elaborate script: House of Eventide. I felt as if I were entering an ancient temple or mausoleum, and was reminded of images I had seen of ancient Greece.

No sooner had the thought crossed my mind, than we passed what appeared to be stone ruins on our left; sending everyone to that side of the car, consequently crushing Natasha. Carmen looked on with obvious boredom and contempt.

“Wow! What’s that?” Willow pointed out into the darkness at another pile of ruins.

“That’s the ancient Spiti of Theseus,” Natasha managed after we peeled ourselves off of her.

“Ew.” Phoebe shot her an odd look. “The Spit of Theseus?”

“Spiti.” Willow pronounced for Natasha, proud of herself for knowing a Greek word. “Spiti is another word for house.”

“Ohh! There’s something else!” Phoebe squealed, “It’s like we’re in Greece…except…not.”

“Take your seats girls; we’re almost to our destination.” The Escalade rounded a sharp corner and began to travel north. The dark, vast Mediterranean Sea spread out to our left, while sovereign white limestone buildings lay across every inch of real estate to our right. The old world Tuscan architecture produced arched windows, intricate cornices, and elegant terraces. By the shape and size, I assumed most were lecture halls, while the taller buildings were more than likely dorms.

We continued down the same road until taking another right and coming to a stop in front of a row of otherwise modern looking villas. My heart stuttered as I remembered that Finn’s body was currently lying inside, still and soulless. As the closemouthed driver unloaded our luggage, the constant howl of the sea breeze ruffled our clothes and hair. I watched the festive palm trees that lined the street succumb to the wind’s power, and felt a familiar humidity in the air that was almost tangible. November weather in Cyprus was more like late September weather back in North Carolina.

The night sky showed no signs of clouds as I regarded the moon and hesitated, as a foreboding awareness settled over me. A hazy sheen glowed around its edges, creating a haunting circle of light that whispered into the depths of my soul.

“A single ring around the moon warns of rough seas ahead.” I suffered a mini heart attack as Charon materialized next to me. His physical presence was quickly followed by the warmth of his strong, yet gentle darkness. He set down Natasha’s bags as he spoke. “It’s a pleasure to be in your company once again, Anastasia.”

“It’s nice to see you again as well, Charon.” I nodded my head in respect which was met by an approving smile. His salt and pepper hair and beard were accentuated by his entirely black outfit, which blended in with the night. He had a timeless look about him that oozed grace and valor.

“Shall we?” He swept an arm out for me. We strolled towards the villa in silence and I wondered what goes through the mind of an Underworld God.

“Oh you know, things like what to eat for dinner, how many souls will need ferrying this week, and world domination.” His undeniable charm was accompanied by a heartwarming smile.

I stopped mid-step and gawked at him in total disbelief. A gentle laugh danced within his blue eyes as I searched for words. “You…can read minds?” I asked incredulously. I hoped my eyes wouldn’t pop out of their sockets as I tried to remember how to blink.

“Among other things. I also enjoy an occasional novel.” He shrugged his shoulders with an amused wink and continued walking, glancing over his shoulder at my still shocked expression. He could read minds. I had no idea that was actually possible. But apparently anything’s possible when you’re a god. Mental note: no fantasizing about Finn with Charon in the room. Or the same country for that matter. I had no idea what his range was. Better safe than sorry.

“Wow, this place is awesome!” I heard Phoebe exclaim from the doorway. I shook myself out of the clutches of disbelief and followed the others into the villa. I met the increasingly deranged eyes of Carmen, who shot me a wicked smile. I quickly averted my gaze to Charon who was making sure Natasha didn’t need anything. Suddenly, I got an idea. Unsure as to how the whole mind-reading thing worked, I thought as loudly as possible.

Charon, can you read Carmen’s mind? He angled toward me and shook his head solemnly, then met me where I stood in the doorway.

“The being that has inhabited her mind has blocked her thoughts,” he contemplated something for a moment, “or erased them altogether.”

“Being?” I whispered in horror.

“Come, let’s get settled. You’ve had a long day.” He gently patted me on the shoulder and retreated back into the kitchen with Natasha. The villa itself was comprised of two stories with an open floor plan. Downstairs, the living room and kitchen took up one half, while two bedrooms and a bathroom occupied the other. Upstairs, three more bedrooms awaited occupants, while an outside terrace softened with lush foliage provided a view of the sea. Light colors and clean lines gave the entire villa an aura of energy and balance; creating a peaceful ambience that helped me breathe deeper.

“It’s about time!” Ricker bounded down the stairs to greet us. “Finn isn’t really the best of company these days.” His gaze lingered on Carmen for several seconds as we attempted to laugh at his joke. I held my breath as he approached her and made an effort to wrap her up in a hug.

“Don’t touch me!” Carmen lashed out at him and narrowed her dark eyes. “Pleasures of the flesh have no place here.” The crushing disappointment that washed over his features clenched my heart, but as always he recovered with ninja-like speed. Carmen was not in her right mind, but I knew that didn’t ease the pain he braved at her rejection. I had gained a great deal of respect for him over the last week; taking care of Carmen as well as protecting Finn. His normally charismatic light blue eyes had dulled; shadowed by the dark circles hanging underneath. His black hair that stuck out at odd angles hinted at restless nights.

“Phoebe, please assist Ricker with making Carmen feel at home,” Natasha nodded towards one of the downstairs bedrooms as she stepped out of the kitchen with Charon on her heels. “Stasia, Willow let’s get settled upstairs.” I clutched my bags and inspected the staircase. Sleep pulled at my eyelids as I concentrated on not tripping. My sluggish legs burned in revolt, and I couldn’t wait to lie down in a soft bed after riding in an airplane for thirteen hours.

Willow vanished into one bedroom while Natasha peeked into another before regarding me.

“Finn’s in here. Why don’t you sleep next door,” she suggested. “Charon and I will be right across the hall if you should need us.”

“Okay,” I agreed. Armed with the knowledge that Finn’s body was so near, the absence of his warm darkness was unsettling and threatened to destroy what was left of my splintered heart. I met Natasha’s eyes as she moved closer and kissed me lightly on the forehead.

“Sleep well, dear. Tomorrow will be a long day.” The warmth and empathy in her eyes was unmistakable, and appreciation for her consistent strength and support warmed in my chest.

“Thanks Natasha,” I exhaled and smiled sleepily. After closing the bedroom door behind me, I flipped on the lights and set down my bags. A long canvas painting hung above the bed with blue lines that resembled rolling waves. Light yellow walls offset the white furniture, and a prestigious palm tree stood watch in the corner. Not bothering to change out of my jeans, I dissolved into the bed. The cushioned pillow top felt absolutely amazing to my tired body, and the feather pillows provided a pool of softness to dive my head into. The smooth sheets created a cocoon around me and miraculously I drifted off to sleep without pause.

Vertigo slammed into me when I gazed down upon the dark, crashing waves far below. My feet were firmly on the ground, however the ground dropped off abruptly only inches away; leaving a massive drop down to the life-ending rocks and boiling water below. On either side of me, the cliff stretched for miles; its stone face watching over the rolling sea. It was an amazing and captivating scene that was hard to look away from. I breathed in the smell of sea salt as I plopped down with my feet hanging over the edge. Despite being in the relative safety of a reverie, my pulse quickened at the height.

Come to think of it, this was the first unprompted reverie I’d had in a while and something about it was incredibly peaceful and serene. I felt as much a part of the cliff as the agave rosettes dotting the landscape behind me. I leaned back on my arms and faced the moon above; closing my eyes and allowing my senses to disperse and wander effortlessly. The pale moonlight on my skin seemed to seep into my pores and revive my tired soul. I grinned up at it as I sensed a pull from below. I opened my eyes and peered down into the water. The longer I hesitated, the more powerful the pull became.

Somehow I knew I was still in Cyprus, just farther up the coast. My inner compass had sharpened since completing my essence. It was an odd, but very freeing feeling. Scientists marveled at the ability of sea turtles to find their way back to the beaches where they were born in order to give birth themselves, but I completely understood it now. Not that I could explain it, but I understood it.

I peered down at the water once again and smiled as the pull tugged at me again. I took a breath, stilled my nerves and pushed myself off the cliff. Being lighter than air, I floated down slowly toward the waves below and awaited the all consuming feeling of the ocean as it opened its arms to me.

I swam for what could have been hours. The silky water gliding over my skin was therapeutic and energizing. The fish I passed appeared to awaken at my presence and happily follow me around, darting back and forth. Schools of rainbow fish, parrot fish, and goby kept me company as I swam. I felt so alive, so complete. A couple of minutes later, a familiar presence halted my forward motion and I looked around with anticipation.

She appeared to fly up from the depths as she approached me silently. Her age and wisdom surrounded me with peace and I smiled as I held out my hand. She nudged it with her head and I lovingly rubbed my hand over her shell as one of her fins brushed my side. Dwarfing my slight frame with her size, the sea turtle gazed up at me with large, steady eyes. I froze as images flashed across my vision: sunning on a flat rock as the ocean sprayed over her warm shell, nibbling on sea grass with the rays of the sun filtering through the water. Image after image was shared with me until she broke my gaze and circled me. I reached out and curled my fingers around the edge of her shell, hoping to go for a brief ride.

Reading my mind, she propelled us towards the shore. We glided effortlessly along the rocky bottom of the shallow coastline. I patted her head gently when I let go and she swam away; fading into the black of night. That’s when I felt the unmistakable warmth of darkness.

Chapter 7

My eyes scanned the inky water carefully, anticipating that someone or something would emerge from the endless space surrounding me. When no one materialized, I concentrated instead on where the darkness was coming from. I made my way past a bed of rocks, drawn to a depression in the sand just past it. It seemed innocent enough, but the intensifying darkness that swirled around it intrigued me. What was a random spot of darkness doing off the shore of Cyprus?

I circled the indention of sand to make sure that it was the source of what I was sensing. As the moonlight danced through the water, the sand took on a metallic sheen and appeared to shimmer beneath me. I inched closer to get a better look. It reminded me of the bronze and gold tones of the Underworld. I tentatively reached out a hand and ran my fingers along the fine grains of sand. They glittered even brighter and I smiled at their beauty and the warmth that ran up my arm. It touched a part within me that was still young, still new. The part of my soul that had absorbed the darkness from the pomegranate rejoiced and I had to stop myself from rolling around in it like a dog in the grass. As I reached out to touch the sand again, I was surprised when it reached back.

Climbing up my wrist and around my forearm, I froze with fascination, which quickly changed to horror when the sand collapsed in on itself. The sand around my arm refused to release its hold and I shook my arm as it began to pull me down into the sandy abyss. If this was anything like quicksand, I wanted nothing to do with it. Suffocating in a sandy grave was not my idea of a good time.

The darkness within me was calling out to me, urging me to stop resisting. But the rational side of me took over and I fought with all of my strength to wrench myself free. The movement only created another sudden collapse and soon the sand was up to my shoulder. As I lost my balance and the sand pulled me the rest of the way under I held my breath and squeezed my eyes shut. The sand surrounded my body and shifted back and forth against my skin. I knew I was dropping quickly, but to where was a mystery. Drowning in sand would not have been my first guess as to how I would die, but then everything just….stopped. Until I fell several feet and landed hard on my stomach.

As I listened to the sound of water rushing nearby, I took a quick inventory. Breathing..check.

Ability to move…check. Lying on the ground…check. Clothes now completely dry…check. Terror inching up my spine…check. I took a deep breath and peeked out of one eye while I tried to figure out how I could be completely dry when only seconds before I had been underwater. Did the sand dry me off? Those thoughts were erased as my open eye soaked up my surroundings. Silver grass. Bronze dirt. A shiny rock near my left arm. Was I…in the Underworld?

I tried to roll over and shrieked in surprise when I helplessly made another unexpected rotation and hit water. Panic shot through me and my muscles automatically took action; pushing me back to the surface with lightning speed. Spotting a bank in front of me, I pulled myself back up. So much for being dry. I recognized the marsh before me without pause. It was Charon’s marsh. I was definitely in the Underworld! How a patch of quicksand took me here I had no idea, but those thoughts leapt out of my mind as another, more urgent thought broke through -- Finn.

Hushed voices sent a shot of adrenaline through my veins and I scampered into a thicket of bushes nearby. I watched between two branches as three women dressed in odd looking robes leisurely strolled by, smiling and laughing as they passed. I held my breath until I was sure they were out of ear shot. I had to move fast.

All this time I had tried to find him solely in the Living realm. Not once did I consider the possibility of continuing a reverie into the Underworld. But, then again I wouldn’t have known how to get there if I’d tried. I would have to rely on my reverie ability to find him as it had so many times before. I relaxed my muscles, took a deep breath and allowed my mind to pull up his handsome face, the feel of his strong arms, and the startling blue of his eyes. I remembered his crooked smile and how it lit up my world. I thought of the way he gently kissed me and held me close. His smell, his darkness, the sound of his voice. Finally, I began to feel movement. I let go completely and allowed my ability to take me.

The temperature suddenly decreased and everything stopped abruptly. I opened my eyes at the deafening sound of rushing water right above my head. I looked up toward the sound and gasped in surprise. I was…beneath a river? How was that possible? And why could I see the water rushing over the rocks and boulders above? The silver moon high in the sky sent just enough light through the water to allow sight. It was awe-inspiring. As I spun in a slow circle, I realized I was in some kind of underground cavern. The walls were smooth and continuous, with no entrance or exit visible.

A low moan to my left put me on the defensive and I crouched down instinctively. As a familiar darkness, tinged with power and innocence flowed over and around me, I let out a desperate cry and ran to the slumped over form that was still moaning. I carefully dropped to my knees and reached out to touch his leg. That same leg jerked and he stiffened.

“Finn!” I moved closer and placed my hands on either side of his face in an attempt to wake him up. “Finn! Wake up!” A pair of unfocused blue eyes slowly met mine, widened slightly and then closed again. In my panic, I shook him a little harder than I intended. The last thing he needed was a concussion.

“Finn, it’s me! Can you hear me?” My relief in finding him was overshadowed by the dilapidated shape he was in. What had she done to him? His wrists were bound by something I’d hoped I’d never see again after my last run-in with Nadia. The iron clad white vines were coming out of the wall and holding him captive. Dried blood caked his wrists and arms. His face was bruised and sunken in with malnourishment. He was immortal now; he was supposed to be strong! Why wasn’t his body healing itself like it should?

I searched the cavern for some kind of clue. I assumed the river rushing above was Nadia’s river, but I had no idea how far upstream we were or how it was possible to physically get in here. I ran my hands along the walls for any sign of a lever, a rock to push; anything. I rolled my eyes at myself when I found nothing. I mean, this wasn’t an Indiana Jones movie…there were no heart-stealing nine year olds down here. Unless you counted Nadia, and I definitely wouldn’t put it past her.

I found a very suspicious-looking trunk that sat against one wall, but it was locked with something more than your normal combination lock. Besides that, the cavern was completely empty. I sighed in frustration and heard another low moan escape from Finn. I sat down next to him and attempted to wake him once more.

“Finn! Open your eyes! We need to get out of here!” I called to him over and over. An unsteady breath rattled from his lungs and his confused eyes cracked open. His entire body stiffened at my presence and he fought against the vines to move away from me.

“What kind of sick joke is this?” His voice was a gruff whisper, barely audible.

“Finn, it’s me - Stasia!” I pulled him back towards me, which was alarmingly easy to do.

“Stasia?” he stared at me for several seconds, as an inner war waged inside of him on whether or not I was real or an illusion. As something seemed to click, his eyes softened and then widened in panic.

“You have to leave!” he managed through a painful sounding cough. “You can’t be here!”

“I’m not going anywhere until I get you out of here,” I scolded him with conviction.

“She’ll drain you, too,” he pleaded with me. “You have to leave.”

“Drain me?” Had she morphed into a vampire? That would be my luck.

“Our abilities…” he coughed and moaned again, “…don’t work...down here.”

His eyelids fluttered and fell closed as his body relaxed and succumbed to unconsciousness once again. My heart sank into my stomach.

“Finn!” I begged him, tears beginning to burn behind my eyes.

“Well look who came to join the party!” Her piercing voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

Scorching anger flamed in my heart and I whirled around right as Nadia materialized before me.

“What have you done to him?” I demanded and moved towards her, my rage inflamed with adrenaline.

“I’ll do whatever I want with him. He’s mine ,” she growled, as the gray smoke lifted from her skin. A blood chilling smile spread across her lips, “And now - so are you.”

A pair of white vines erupted from the ceiling, wrapped around my body and slammed me into the wall of the cave with a sickening thump. Almost without thinking, I closed my eyes and imagined my bed, the sheets, the darkness, the feather pillows beneath my head….and waited. It wasn’t working.

“Aw,” Nadia pouted cynically, “didn’t Prince Charming tell you? Your pathetic abilities don’t work down here.” She smirked, knelt down, and her golden eyes bored into mine as she continued, “You’re welcome.”

The vines squeezed tighter, making it incredibly hard to breathe. For good measure, she slapped me across the face with a smug grin. As I felt blood trickle from my nose, I smiled right back at her.

“You hit like a girl,” I laughed, trying to buy some time while I racked my brain for a way to escape.

“I could rip your pathetic soul in half with the flick of my finger. Don’t test me!” she fumed; her features darkening into a cross between malevolence and hysteria.

“Where is your soul, Nadia?” I asked, genuinely curious. “How did you become so cruel?” I was getting very good at hiding my fear. Or maybe my growing confidence in my own strength diminished it. Either way, hatred swirled around in my veins and collected in my tone.

She walked over silently and kicked me in the stomach with as much force as a runaway freight train. The wind swiftly left me and I slumped over onto the floor in excruciating pain. I closed my eyes, fought to catch my breath, and attempted to return to my body once more to no avail.

“How’s that working out for you?” She cackled. “I told you not to test me. It’s not my fault you don’t listen.”

I wrenched my eyes open to glare up at her, but was met instead by sliver of moonlight shining through the river above. I watched as individual rays of light splintered and fractured; shooting into my eyes and spreading throughout my body. My muscles stiffened with renewed strength and my vision instantly focused. Taking advantage of this sudden and unexpected turn of events, I once again imagined the smooth sheets beneath me, the warm comforter on top of me. Chagrin, marked by surprise flashed in Nadia’s eyes as she helplessly watched me fade away.

I sat up quickly and immediately regretted it. Pain shot through my stomach, along with painful coughs. Undeterred, I flung the covers aside, and ran next door to Finn’s room, wiping the blood from my nose as I went. As I ran to his bedside, I realized someone else was already there.

“Stasia?” Natasha stood with alarm.

“Natasha!” I ran around the bed and threw my arms around her. “I found him! I found him!”

“Calm down, dear” she gripped my shoulders as I clutched my stomach in agony. She did her best to hold me upright; allowing me to catch my breath. “Tell me what happened.”

Chapter 8

The sun was just starting to make its way over the Mediterranean sea as we gathered around the kitchen table of the villa to discuss my newest reverie. After relaying the details several more times my nerves were shot, and all I could think about was getting back to the Underworld to get Finn away from Nadia. I knew he would receive the punishment for my premature departure, and I couldn’t let that happen; especially now that I knew a way into the Underworld.

“So how exactly did I get to the Underworld through a random patch of sand at the bottom of the sea?”

“There are portals everywhere…for those who can feel them,” Natasha explained as she smoothed down her dark hair and winked at me. “They can be large or small and located just about anywhere - you just happened to find one underwater - which are usually the type Finn prefers.”

Maybe I had been searching for Finn in my reverie after all.

“Which ones do you prefer?” I pressed.

“I used to frequent a particular portal near our house on the Isle, but I haven’t been in quite some time.” She observed her hands and inspected a silver ring on her thumb. Before I could ask more, Charon interrupted our conversation.

“She knows we will be coming for him,” he thought out loud and approached the table, his bushy gray eyebrows pulling together in concentration. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Natasha send him a smile marked with relief. “We’ll need to move fast.”

His bright blue eyes searched mine for a long moment. The corner of his mouth lifted as he seemingly found what he was looking for. As unsettling as his mind reading ability was, I couldn’t help but think how close Finn’s mannerisms were to his.

“Well done, Anastasia,” he encouraged me with a twinkle in his eye. “Here I had an extravagant search party planned and you find him like that.” He snapped his fingers and shook his head in amazement. “It’s no wonder he’s so smitten with you.”

Feeling the blood rush to my cheeks, I studied my plate like it was the most fascinating thing I’d ever laid eyes on. The delicious smelling bougatsa pastry that Charon had brought us for breakfast was making my mouth water, but the pain in my abdomen was making it difficult to breathe, nonetheless eat. I slowly took a bite of the cream filled pastry and prayed I could keep it down. I was going to need as much energy as possible if I wanted to face Nadia again.

“But won’t she just move him somewhere else?” Willow looked up from her empty plate, wiping her mouth. “Now that Stasia knows her hiding place?”

“Maybe, maybe not.” Natasha considered. “With the vacuum she has created in the cavern, she will need to keep him there as long as possible. The moment he leaves, his body will begin to heal at a very rapid pace. I’m sure that small detail has not eluded her.”

“Why is she doing this?” Phoebe set down her fork in frustration. I watched as a slow fury lit up her green eyes.

“I don’t know dear, but I promise you we will find out.” Natasha’s always supportive tone seemed to calm her. She crossed her arms over her Kings of Leon t-shirt, but remained quiet.

“She’ll pay for this, don’t worry.” Ricker winked at her through a mouthful of the baked oatmeal that he had requested separately, claiming it was his favorite.

“She will pay. She will pay. She will pay…” Carmen’s eerie voice began to chant his words from the bedroom. Willow shot me a worried look and Phoebe hopped down from her chair to attend to her. After second thought, she also snatched up an extra pastry to take to her in the hopes that she would eat it.

“How was she last night?” I asked Ricker hesitantly. His face fell along with his shoulders and he shook his head in defeat.

“Not so great,” he muttered. “She just rambles on and on like she’s gone off the deep end.

And she won’t let me touch her or even barely get near her.”

“I will be discussing her situation with one of the Nereids later today,” Charon stated. “I believe she will be able to help.” I was about to ask which Nereid he was referring to when a knock came at the door. Charon paused as if listening for something, and then nodded to Natasha. She disappeared into the living room.

“I still can’t believe you figured out how to get into the Underworld!” Willow propped up her elbow on the table. “What was it like?”

“Quicksand.” I shrugged, “I had no idea what it was until I landed on the bank of the marsh.”

“Quicksand?” she asked in surprise, before becoming momentarily distracted by an incoming text message on her phone. “Liam says our new Maven will start Monday.”

“Let’s just hope she doesn’t have psychotic tendencies,” I smirked. “That would be a nice change.”

“Stasia, dear?” Natasha stuck her head into the kitchen, “Will you please join us in the living room?”

I abandoned my half eaten bougatsa and strolled into the next room, followed by a very curious Willow still in her pajamas.

Our visitors stood and stared at me wide-eyed until I wondered if I’d forgotten to put on a bra or brush my hair. Natasha cleared her throat.

“Stasia, Willow, this is Christina and Dorien. They are fellow Tydes and current students at Eventide,” she introduced us cordially.“They’ve come to assist you.”

“Nice to meet you,” I greeted them, grateful they were no longer staring holes into my head.

Willow and I took a seat on the couch and I did my own staring. Christina oozed of Greek descent, with her shiny black hair that fell past her shoulders and flawless dark skin. Most impressive were her exotic crystal green eyes, which only enhanced her beauty. Skinny jeans that stopped just above high heeled sandals and a bright pink tank top showed off her thin figure and long legs.

Dorien, on the other hand was the picture of an ideal Greek man. He reminded me of a bodyguard - at almost seven feet tall, his biceps had to be the size of my head. His features were just as dark as Christina’s, but with large, chocolate brown eyes. Despite his size, his movements were surprisingly fluid. He had on dark jeans, flip flops, and a plain blue v-neck shirt that emphasized his muscular build. He nodded respectfully at me and then Willow as they both sat back down on the couch. Christina’s green eyes became fixed on me again.

“You look so…normal,” she sputtered out nervously. Phoebe giggled from the other room and Willow stifled a laugh beside me. I couldn’t tell if she sounded disappointed or surprised, but if she was expecting a toga and crown of leaves she’d been watching too many movies.

“That’s because she hasn’t put on her spandex super-goddess suit yet,” Ricker scoffed. “She looks exactly like that Blue Man group - you should stick around for it. It’s really something to see.”

Christina dipped her head in an attempt to hide her now-flushed face. I shot Ricker a punishing stare, but he just smiled with renewed audacity and disappeared into Carmen’s room.

“That’s Ricker. We don’t let him out in public very often, Christina,” I came back loudly enough for Ricker to hear. Christina grinned, but Dorien’s face became distorted with suspicion and animosity. I noticed that his dark eyes veered towards hostility as he glared at the door of Carmen’s room for several seconds.

“Please call me Tina – and yes, we had the pleasure of meeting him yesterday.” Tina attempted sarcasm that was slightly muted by her shy smile. I was having trouble understanding why I made her so nervous. I was just…me. And I could attest to the fact that I was nothing worth being anxious about.

Dorien finally came to life next to her. “We’ll be escorting you to the Gathering of the Nereids this morning, which will begin at 10:00am. You’re expected to arrive thirty minutes early to get ready,” he announced in a robotic voice that made me wonder if it was possible for him to fully come to life. Then my heart plummeted to my feet as I realized the implications of his words.

“I can’t go anywhere this morning!” I defaulted to Natasha for backup. Her mouth was set in a hard line. “We have to bring Finn back! I need to go to the Underworld!”

“You must entrust Charon and I to find him and bring him back, dear. You must attend the gathering,” she instructed diplomatically.

“I’m tired of people telling me what to do!” I stood and walked into the center of the room, my irritation rising. “You know she’s torturing him! I can’t go to the gathering while she’s ripping his soul apart!” Tina shrank back in her seat in response to my outrage, but Dorien shot to his feet and moved in my direction with distrust masking his features. Charon appeared behind me and his aggression was quickly replaced by fear. He sat back down and resorted to gritting his teeth.

“Anastasia.”

“Charon, I have to go with you!” I whirled around and pleaded with him, “He needs me!”

“Of course he does,” Charon agreed calmly and placed his large hands on my shoulders. “But you’ve made our rescue attempt possible, Stasia! Without you we wouldn’t have known where to find him, but you must remember - leadership often involves trusting those around you.”

“I do, but-“

“But you love him. As do Natasha and I. I promise you we will bring him back. I am stronger than Nadia. I will let nothing stop me.” The tenor of his voice lowered and sent my skin crawling with fear. The ferocity and conviction in his eyes was terrifying. If anyone could save Finn, it was surely Charon. I heeded Natasha, who smiled with encouragement.

I held Charon’s gaze with an equally intense one of my own. “The cavern is below her river.

She has him secured with some type of white vine, and he’s lost a lot of blood. He mentioned that she had been ‘draining’ him.” Charon nodded his head in acknowledgement.

“You are an amazing young woman, Anastasia. You will be a great leader.” He looked lovingly at Natasha. “And every great woman needs an unworthy, less than great man at her side. I promise to deliver yours back to you with haste.” He bowed to me with a crooked grin and I embraced him in a hug.

“Thank you,” I whispered urgently. I took a deep breath to collect myself, and then inclined my attention to Tina. “So, what does a girl wear to these gatherings?”

Tina vaulted off the couch like a gymnast on crack, and brought over something that was hanging up in a garment bag. How I hadn’t noticed it before was beyond me.

“Your attire has already been provided,” she announced and held it up. “And I must say; it’s quite stunning.” Tina jumped when a loud thud echoed from the next room.

“Liar!” Carmen shouted from her bedroom. I was a close second to Natasha as we rushed to Carmen’s bedside. Unfortunately, her bed was empty. She was holding Ricker up against the wall by the throat with a pair of scissors to his abdomen. The force of his head hitting the wall had created a large indention, and his face was growing redder by the minute as he gasped for oxygen.

“Carmen, let him go!” I called out to her, but she simply twisted her head and smiled at me calmly. “Hey Stasia.” Her deadpan voice chilled me to the bone, but the unnatural way that her head had spun around threatened to bring up what little breakfast I had eaten. I shook myself and contemplated how I could pull Carmen off of Ricker before she was able to stab him.

Natasha mumbled several words in a different language and Carmen was suddenly flung from Ricker by an invisible force. Her legs clipped the edge of the bed, which sent her onto the floor in a tangled heap. Ricker slumped down against the wall and began to cough violently. Natasha instinctively put an arm up to stop me from running to Carmen’s side.

“Let me get the scissors away from her before anyone else gets hurt,” she insisted and held out her hand. The scissors magically left Carmen’s vice grip, skidded across the floor, and landed in the corner of the room. Phoebe pushed us aside and hurried to Carmen’s side; the three of us then lifted Carmen back onto the bed. Natasha re-administered the sleeping concoction, and Carmen drifted off to sleep. I hoped they could help her soon - drugging her each time she had an outburst didn’t seem like an especially healthy solution.

Willow worked to heal Ricker’s red, swollen neck while Natasha and I rejoined Dorien and Tina in the living room. I got the feeling that Tina was about two seconds away from bolting out the door. Her eyes were as big as saucers, but she remained where she was. I collapsed onto the couch and closed my eyes in mental exhaustion.

Natasha plopped down next to me and patted me on the knee. “Next time, let me know when you’re going to use your abilities.”

“What do you mean?” My eyes snapped back open, perplexed.

“Removing Carmen from Ricker using wind? I was in the middle of a chant to confuse her in an effort to get closer.” She smiled at me like I was missing the punch line to a joke I’d told. “But your efforts were much more effective.”

“I…I did that?” I asked incredulously. Well that was news to me! It had been one of the possibilities that had flown through my mind in the split second before, but I didn’t remember deciding to actually do anything.

“From now on, be very cautious. Your essence will continue to grow stronger - meaning that your abilities may have a habit of getting away from you. You’ll need to work on increased restraint and control once we return to Lorelei.”

“Wow,” was my brilliant answer.

“So…” Tina piped up from the other side of the room after glancing at her watch, “is there a room I can help you get changed in?”

“I think I can dress myself,” I snickered at her. She raised an eyebrow and bit her lip.

“You haven’t seen this dress,” she replied in all seriousness.

Chapter 9

“Please tell me this thing comes with instructions.” Phoebe scratched her head at Tina as she gestured for me to put my arms up. So far, the supposed ‘dress’ resembled more of a jigsaw puzzle, with its mountain of lacey layers placed in four different piles on the bed. From what I could gather, the dress was a montage of sheer white lace, a little bit of ruching, beading and more layers of sheer white fabric. They slipped the main bodice over my head and secured it in place. Actually, tugged and yanked was more like it - at some point during the mayhem my left arm had gotten stuck at an odd angle, resulting in a three minute discussion before five more minutes of tugging and yanking. The material was anything but forgiving, and I was beginning to worry that I’d be permanently wearing this dress for the rest of my life. The possibility of third degree fabric burns was also a likely conclusion.

“Is it see-through?” I questioned Tina after the first layer was attached; allowing a full frontal of my not-so-subtle bright pink underwear. To my horror, she just laughed and got back to tugging and yanking.

“It would be if it was only a single layer, but with the multiple layers it’s not. This is the traditional Nereid dress. It’s worn for gatherings, important meetings of your counsel, or a casual meal.” Tina had transformed from shy, awkward girl to focused seamstress in a millisecond.

“Somebody should rethink their definition of casual,” I muttered under my breath as several more layers of lace were attached to my waist.

“You have to remember that the Nereids have been around a very long time. They stand by tradition, and believe that it shows respect to yourself and to others when you follow it as well.”

“Is the color white significant?” Willow asked as she handed Tina another layer of lace.

“It stands for purity and grace, both of which the Nereids pride themselves on.” Tina wrapped yet another layer of fabric around my waist, and then attached it farther down my lower back so that it flowed behind me. With a satisfied smile, she wiped her brow and stepped back to take a look at her work. “Last piece…”

She produced a shimmering aquamarine piece of sheer fabric that looked to be about six inches wide by ten feet long. She carefully gripped an aquamarine, diamond, and pearl encrusted clip in the middle and attached it to my left shoulder strap. The fabric hung down on either side of my body, and added an elegant touch to an already majestic dress.

“This represents you specifically,” she clarified and readjusted the fabric until it met her approval. “It was your mother’s.”

“It’s gorgeous.” I ran my fingers along the edge of the fabric and smiled at my memory of our time in the Underworld. A bubble of pride threatened to explode inside of me.

“Okay, take a look!” Tina closed the door, revealing a full length mirror attached to the back.

I gasped when I saw my reflection. It was the most amazing dress I’d ever seen. I couldn’t stop twisting back and forth; marveling at the masterpiece of art Tina had constructed around my body.

The back of the dress was something fairytales were made of. It was a mass of woven, beaded lace intricately positioned to create an awe-inspiring pattern. “Are those…?”

“Diamonds,” Tina answered my unfinished question with a smile. There had to be more than a hundred sparkling jewels that accented the lace drawn across my back. The many layers of the dress shifted and moved against each other, creating a magical, prolific effect. It was breathtaking. I peeked back at the suddenly silent Willow and Phoebe who were standing behind Tina.

“What do you guys think?” I twirled around dramatically and faced them expectantly.

“You look….” Phoebe tried to say before her face crumpled and she rushed to the bathroom.

“Well, I know I need some makeup…and my hair could use some help…I didn’t think I looked that bad though…” I trailed off, only half joking.

“We’re just so proud of you,” Willow explained, as she smiled and quickly wiped a runaway tear from her cheek. “You look absolutely ravishing.”

Phoebe sheepishly tiptoed back into the room with a fistful of tissues and I gave her a quick hug. “No reason to be proud of me yet. All I’ve done so far is put on a dress, and I didn’t even really do that…” I observed Tina appreciatively. “I’m afraid to ask about the shoes?”

“You’ll be barefoot,” Tina answered. “Which brings us…to these.” She slid open a small silver box and lifted a pair of sparkling items that resembled bracelets from within.

“Ooh, what are those?” Phoebe whispered in awe.

“They’re called barefoot sandals and they go on like this…” Tina slipped the ankle part over my foot and secured the loop over my second toe; then repeated the process with the other foot. I held my feet out for inspection as she continued, “These are made up of diamonds too.”

“This is all so unbelievable!” I shook my head in amazement.

“I have a feeling you will be a soaring success at the gathering.” Tina’s emerald eyes lit up, but my stomach dropped to the floor. Only if I could avoid puking on one of the Nereid’s feet during the gathering, could I be called a success. Until then, the jury was definitely still out.

* * *

“We’re heading to the ancient city of Kourion, which was demolished by a series of earthquakes in the fourth century. The ruins still hint at what used to be, though. It’s on the top of Mount Kourion and overlooks the sea. The sunrise is really pretty there! And it’s near Aphrodite’s Rock…!”

As we rode southeast along the coast of Cyprus, I listened to Tina’s long-winded history lesson and tried to remember as much as I could; but it was difficult with so many other thoughts sprinting around in my head. I constantly pictured Finn’s sunken cheeks, unfocused eyes, and the dried blood that covered his bruised arms and legs. The thought of Nadia torturing him kept the silent rage in my heart churning. It was a miracle that I was able to keep it at bay long enough to function normally. I trusted Natasha and Charon, but having to remain completely in the dark as to what was happening was heart wrenching.

All I knew was that they were leaving for the Underworld soon after my departure, but I wouldn’t know anything until I returned from the Gathering. A couple of hours. I could make it through a couple of hours. Once I was back in Paphos, I would see Finn again. Or seek out Nadia and deliver her a slow, painful death. Whichever came first.

“So you really didn’t know who you were until this year?” Tina asked quietly from the driver’s seat of our tiny car.

“Nope.” I really didn’t have the energy to give Tina and Dorien my life story, so I tried to keep it short. “Not until I got to the House of Lorelei. And even then, I was the last to find out. My whole life has changed.”

“I can only imagine! It’s like a real life Cinderella story!” She grinned and I could see her wheels turning, more than likely picturing me scrubbing the floors of a basement with my wicked stepsisters tormenting me relentlessly. I guess when I really thought about it, she wasn’t too far off from the truth. Laura Beth would definitely fall into the ‘wicked’ category.

“Which Nereids are ya’ll descended from?” I asked. Tina surprised me by erupting into a fit of giggles. She cleared her throat in embarrassment and timidly contemplated my confused face.

“I’m sorry, but your American accent is just so cute!” She chuckled again before continuing, “I’m descended from Panopeia, which means ‘panorama’.”

“Panorama?” I confirmed, “As in panoramic picture?”

“That’s right,” she smiled. “I have a connection to the weather, plus I can see in a 180 degree radius.”

“Really?” My eyebrows raised in disbelief. I took the challenge and moved my hand behind her head, holding up three fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Three,” she answered coolly.

“That’s pretty awesome,” I admitted.

“I’m descended from Ploto,” Dorien announced proudly from the backseat. It was infinitely ridiculous that the tallest person in the car was sitting in the shoebox-sized backseat, but despite my protests, they had both insisted I occupy the front seat.

“He’s an excellent sailor - comes in first in Greece’s sailing race every year,” she bragged for him.

“I just have a knack for reading the wind, that’s all.” He minimized his ability with casual indifference, but I had a feeling that it was more than just a ‘knack for the wind’. He pointed toward a scraggly-looking mountain up ahead. “Right up there is Ancient Kourion.”

We spiraled up the mountain for several more miles before turning right off the main street onto a dirt road. We stopped in front of what looked to be only half of an ancient structure. Several columns remained standing along with a couple of unsteady-looking walls, but the rest had crumbled around its foundation, leaving only a pile of ruins. The piercing sunlight glinted off of the milky white limestone, producing an unearthly feel. The cool sensation of dignity that pulsed from it added to the majestic aura.

“Here we are!” Tina shifted the car into park and faced me. My eyes darted between her and Dorien like they were a few peas short of a casserole.

“Here?”

“We were told to bring you here and wait in the car until you were finished.” Her excitement only succeeded in making me more nervous.

“What am I supposed to do?” I looked out the window again. Besides us, there didn’t appear to be anyone else around. I was all dressed up with nowhere to go.

“We weren’t given that information,” Dorien stated simply. A lot of help he was. I took a deep breath and climbed out of the car.

“Here goes nothing…” I mumbled to myself. The balmy ocean breeze ruffled the layers of my dress as I winded around massive chunks of crumbling limestone. The sunlit stone created a shining oasis of history and nostalgia in every direction. Several feet away, I spotted what looked to be stone steps that led up to what used to be a room or platform. Several fallen pillars lay around its exterior; their former glory erased by the hands of time. As I continued towards the steps, I felt it.

And once I felt it, I could concentrate on nothing else.

It introduced itself as a sizzling energy that danced across my skin; soon penetrating my body and melting me from the inside out. I carefully made my way up the eight stone steps. After several near disasters, I gathered the folds of my dress in both hands. I didn’t think the Nereids would be too impressed with their new sister if I made my grand entrance in a tattered dress shrouded in dust; scrapes and bruises covering my body. Not really the first impression I was going for.

As I scaled the last step, I looked around once more for any sign of life but could see no one.

I gazed over the ruins, and inevitably my eyes drifted to the sparkling water of the Mediterranean. I understood immediately why the ancient people of Cyprus had built a city here; it was magnificent, and the safety provided by the towering mountain was apparent. I proceeded onto a faded mezzanine of what used to be a very large room, when a forceful gust wind blew past me and I was thrown backwards. As gravity took over, my heel missed the top step behind me and I felt myself tumbling backwards. Before I could even cry out or catch myself or pass out (whichever came first), a very large, strong hand gripped my arm.

Chapter 10

“Watch your step,” Dorien warned. Something in his tone unnerved me. “We can’t have you getting hurt.” The fact that I hadn’t noticed his closeness until now enhanced his creepiness factor, but I brushed it off. Creepy or not, he had just saved me from certain tragedy.

“Thank you,” I sighed and rolled my eyes at myself. “Disaster averted.”

“I’ll be right here in case you need my assistance again,” he vowed formally, carefully replacing a piece of stone I had dislodged.

“Okay…” I nodded and twisted back around. My heart skipped at least ten beats, and then it took several more beats for my brain to catch up with what my eyes were seeing. “Are you seeing this?” I asked Dorien slowly.

“Do you mean the ruins?” he asked as his eyes swept across what used to be the dusty mezzanine floor.

“No, the-“ I stopped when his serious face took on a more skeptical tone. “Uh, nevermind,” I stuttered. I’m sure he would be pumped about his future leader being not only a klutz, but also someone suffering from hallucinations. I whirled back around and sucked in a deep breath as I took it all in. I was now standing at the entrance of a massive stone building - complete with walls, arched doorways, and stone pillars supporting the stone roof.

As my stomach performed somersaults in revolt, I braced myself and stepped through a doorway into the most beautiful room I had ever seen. The ceiling and interior pillars were intricately carved and chiseled into masterpieces of Greek architecture, representing every animal and creature known to man. The most impressive features were the colorful tile mosaics that covered the floor and walls; beautiful paintings of women bathing, bloody battles, ships and serene underwater views. Not one piece of the structure had been left neglected.

One scene in particular stole my attention and then drew me in completely, as I walked over to get a closer look. It was a stunning portrayal of a woman cradling an infant. Long blonde hair framed her startling blue eyes as she gazed down at the small child with love. The next scene displayed the same woman kneeling on the banks of a wide river; her arms stretched out. The baby dangled over the edge, dangerously close to the water. My world stopped as it dawned on me what I was looking at. The woman was in the process of dipping his body into the river, ensuring his safety by holding onto to one part of his body. His heel. Two words had been etched above the scene in Greek, but the scrawled letters were not difficult to decipher. I knew both names all too well: Thetis and Achilles.

My hand flew up to my mouth in disbelief while I continued to study scene after magnificent scene, artfully splashed across the stone wall. Countless bloody battles illustrated the mighty Achilles dressed in full body armor, carrying a majestic shield and riding a prestigious, armored horse. Several more characterized Thetis reaching out to him from the background, unable to gain his attention as fear masked her breathtaking features. More battles followed before the final scene; set in a garden where he lay amongst the flowers with an arrow through his heel. The women bending over him wore long robed dresses; weeping and crying out to the heavens in distress. My legs grew weary and tears, swarming with every emotion, burned my eyes. I closed my eyes and shakily reached out to steady myself against the wall. As I did, vivid images on the wall came alive; assaulting my mind with the sounds of men yelling and fighting, the spraying of blood as man after man lost his life to the sword of another, and an unbearable feeling of despair as a woman began to wail. I retracted my hand from the stone and jumped back in horror.

“Finding one’s true family history can be quite startling at first.”

I spun around at her thick Italian accent, and squinted in pain as a ray of sunlight pierced through a thin crack in the wall; hitting me square in the face. As I shifted out of its blinding path, my visitor came into view and the true force of her presence struck me. When I continued to stare speechlessly at her, she smiled wholeheartedly and stepped towards me. Now I knew how Tina had felt.

“I am Nemertes.” A distinguished lift of her chin followed her formal introduction. “Nereid and goddess of wisdom.” A memory clicked into place, and I was taken back to an antiquity experience I had seemingly ages ago.

‘What have you named her?’

‘ Anastasia Nemertes Theophanides.’

“My middle name…” I whispered in awe. My words were met with a tender smile that lit up the room.

“Yes,” she confirmed tenderly. “Your mother and I were very close. I am one of only two sisters who knew of your entrance into this world. Our silence was very important to Thetis, for reasons known only to her.” She tilted her head in thought, “The resemblance is astounding.” Another memory from an antiquity flashed across my mind’s eye: the face of a striking blonde woman with pale streaks throughout her hair and sparkling blue eyes. She must be the second sister who knew about my birth, since I had never seen the woman standing before me. Long, straight chestnut brown hair framed pale green eyes, surrounded by olive skin. She wore a white dress exactly like mine, with the exception of a light green strip of fabric draped over her left shoulder, held in place by green and white jewels. I was taken by the serene wisdom that I sensed emanating from her. I instinctively trusted her.

“Where are we?” I forced myself to speak, unable to take my eyes off of her.

“This is the spiti of Achilles; your brother.”

“My brother…” I tried to the words on my tongue. “But, it was ruins…a couple of minutes ago…”

“Only those deemed worthy will see,” she explained cryptically with a knowing smile.

“Oh,” I breathed. It only made sense; the same had been true for the Fortunate Isle, as well as for my mother’s house.

“Come. Allow me to show you something.” I followed her to the other side of the spiti to a second wall decorated with mosaics, as she continued her explanation. “Many make the mistake of thinking that solid objects and structures do not possess an essence. It is true that they do not possess essence at their time of construction; however, the living beings therein provoke the energy that will reside there. The energy, or essence, of every building remains even after its physical shell has fallen away. So what we are seeing is this spiti’s essence. A building’s essence also has the ability to grow and shift as changes occur. As you can see, there have been recent additions to this particular spiti.”

She backed away gracefully and swept her hand out; allowing me a full view of the paintings.

There was another picture of a blonde woman smiling down at a baby girl, a scene of the same woman and a man setting a basket down and weeping, a little girl with blonde hair hiding in a closet, and then that same little girl clutching a gun with resolve flashing in her eyes. My mouth dropped further when I came to a mosaic of my likeness swimming with a dark haired boy, collecting baby sea turtles during a storm, arguing with Keto, and finally holding a pomegranate with Persephone and Nadia peering over my shoulder. And I thought that Facebook was a weird phenomenon…

“I…this is…”

“Your history has imprinted itself upon your brother’s spiti, being that yours is not ready yet.”

“Yet?”

“All will be revealed…in time,” she responded wisely. She was good at this whole cryptic-thing.

“Time and I sometimes don’t agree,” I grinned sheepishly. “Patience isn’t an ability of mine.”

“Another trait you inherited from your mother,” she chuckled, as she reached out and grazed my aquamarine necklace with her fingertips. “You have much ahead of you, young goddess.”

“I feel completely lost right now,” I admitted shyly, somehow wanting to bare my soul to this woman.

“Of course you do,” she said softly as she took my hand. “But that is when our instincts are at their sharpest. The path of a goddess is never easy, which is why you were Chosen, Anastasia. You are at your best when your back is against the wall, when you have no other options, and when you feel you are at your weakest. Your parents were no different.”

“So you knew my father? Do you know where he is now?” My voice leapt an octave as anxiety about my father’s whereabouts surfaced.

“Your father was a loyal and distinguished man with a true heart of gold. I can recall the night he was killed in detail. Your mother took it quite hard.”

“But, I saw my mother in the Underworld…” I started to explain. She raised an eyebrow in surprise. “She told me he was still alive.”

She furrowed her brow in deep thought. “I suppose it could be possible, if…”

“If what?” I asked eagerly. Unfortunately, she simply smiled and took my hand; squeezing it supportively.

“We will have ample time to step back in time and discuss your history,” she urged, and then led me out the back entrance of the spiti. “But at the present moment, it is time to take a step towards your future.”

We were instantly drenched in sunshine as we strolled out into the open air. After descending another set of stone steps that put forth their best effort to trip me, we found ourselves in an extravagant courtyard; abundant with lush flowering bushes and trees. Nemertes escorted me to the center of the courtyard and abruptly oscillated to face me; a resolute calmness shadowing her pale green eyes.

“How much have you learned about your Epiphany Ceremony?” she questioned me.

“My ‘Epiphany Ceremony’?” I repeated; utterly clueless.

“Every Tyde who has been Chosen must take part in an Epiphany Ceremony on their eighteenth birthday. During that time their essence is fulfilled to its absolute entirety, and that is when they truly become immortal. You have been Chosen specifically to be the Leader of the Tydes, however you were not Chosen to be a Nereid because your mother could only choose you for one specific calling. All that means is that your future sisters must each Choose you separately in order for you to be welcomed into our sisterhood. Are you aware of what happens when a descendent is Chosen?”

“The god or goddess who Chooses them, must give them part of their own essence, right?”

“That is correct. So you see, in the few months you have been reacquainted with our world, you have exceeded our expectations and have easily proved your strength and loyalty to the Tyde Order. We wanted to invite you here today to allow some of your sisters to Choose you.”

“Wow…” I responded wide-eyed. “Do they all have to…Choose me?”

She nodded in confirmation. “Not all believe you are ready; however, I have a feeling they will be convinced one way or another before your Epiphany Ceremony on your birthday, which is January 1st.” She winked at me and then said, “Now, place your hand on top of mine, palm up.”

I did as she instructed. A peacefulness fell over her face and she closed her eyes. A slight tingling sensation stirred in the middle of my palm; gradually spreading throughout my entire hand. I watched with utter fascination as drops of sparkling clear liquid began to seep up from my skin, forming a small puddle in the middle of my palm. When Nemertes opened her eyes, the sparkling puddle detached itself from my palm, formed a small droplet that hovered precariously in the air for several seconds, then burst and disappeared.

When I jumped in surprise at the mini explosion, Nemertes snickered softly and kissed my forehead. She paused for several seconds as she met my eyes once more. In a soft but firm voice she spoke in Greek.

“Echete Epilexei.”

Before I could ask her what that meant in English, or how glittering water had percolated in my perfectly dry palm, she strode gracefully to the edge of the courtyard and chose a spot to stand.

Not knowing what else to do, I inspected my hand; finding only the same skin and nails that were there ten seconds ago. I didn’t feel any different, but maybe I wouldn’t until all of the Nereids Chose me? I’d also like to ask Nemertes if Keto was included in the ‘all Nereids’ comment. I had a feeling the only thing she’d want to ‘Choose’ me for was a punching bag.

A new storm of nerves erupted in my stomach as a striking woman dressed in the same traditional dress, but donning a bronze swath of fabric floated into the courtyard. Her sandy brown hair and sparkling caramel eyes were almost muted by the energy that her smile radiated. She breezed to a stop in front of me and clasped her hands together. I noticed her bronzed skin had tiny freckles that cascaded down her arms and dusted her nose.

“I am Psamanthe,” she announced with a simple dignity. “Nereid and goddess of sand.”

Phoebe was her descendent! She definitely shared Psamanthe’s unique energy and innocence, which had a way of ridding the world of its harshness. She smiled once more and held out her hand without another word. I placed mine in hers, palm up, and she followed the same steps that Nemertes had a couple minutes earlier. Another small drop of sparkling liquid pooled in my palm. A light breeze blew up around Psamanthe and lifted my hair, bringing the wholesome aroma of sea oats with it. Just as before, the droplet of liquid hovered briefly and then burst.

“Echete Epilexei” she proclaimed, tilting her head towards me respectfully. “Please tell Phoebe I am extremely proud of the young woman she has become.”

“She will be overjoyed to hear that,” I answered in an effort to sound as equally dignified and poised. I’m pretty sure I failed miserably, being that I was neither dignified nor poised. I inspected her warm, caramel eyes and found more of the same contagious energy swirling from within.

Apparently she was doing the same.

“You have a strong connection to the sand as well,” she stated with a child-like grin.

“I do,” I confirmed.

“I can sense its presence within you,” she said as she tilted her head in fascination. She stepped forward; her eyes darting back and forth and then whispered, “Try talking to the ghost crabs and see what happens.”

“Ghost crabs…?” I began to say, but she was already walking away with an impish grin.

As she took her place next to Nemertes, a third woman materialized inches away from me. I let out a light yelp and my hand went to my heart in surprise. I heard a light tinkle of laughter from Nemertes and Psamanthe. So much for the strong front I was trying to keep up. The newcomer wore a lavender swathe secured with dark purple jewels. As I met her enchanting violet eyes, a twisting wind whipped up around us. Her hair, with every tone of purple represented, swirled around her heart-shaped face. The loose sand and dust that surrounded the courtyard was swept up into a mini tornado that I now found myself enclosed in.

“I am Plexaure,” she announced in a velvety voice. “Nereid and goddess of the twisting breeze.” No wonder I was standing in a tornado! She presented me with her dainty hand, which was decorated with an array of silver rings that accented the row of silver bangles around her wrist. I placed my hand on top of hers and watched the liquid collect once again. After the sparkling droplet of liquid had disappeared, her tornado dissipated as well; sending spirals of dancing dust and sand across the courtyard.

“Echete Epilexei,” Plexaure stated before vanishing into thin air; reappearing next to Psamanthe at the edge of the courtyard. Without skipping a beat, a fourth woman, wearing a pale blue swathe and who had sparkling, crystal blue eyes drifted into the courtyard. Her unruly, thick hair extended almost to the ground and was as white as her dress, with only a handful of pale blue strands to add a touch of color. A serene peacefulness settled over me as her eyes met mine.

“I am Laneira, Nereid and goddess of Healing,” she stated quietly. All of my anxiety mysteriously disappeared, confirming what I already knew - Willow was descended from Laneira. I placed my hand on top of hers and warmth spread rapidly throughout my body; energizing and uplifting me. “Willow has found a true friend and leader in you, Anastasia.”

After going through the same steps as her sisters, she whispered “Echete Epilexei,” and then took her spot at the edge of the courtyard. One after another, the Nereids introduced themselves and

‘Chose’ me. Their names ran together no matter how hard I tried to remember them; Actaea, Halia, Glauke, Clymene and many, many more. Several stuck out in my mind by their eclectic show of abilities. One in particular left my mind reeling from her kaleidoscope eyes.

Her dizzying fragrance wrapped around me before she had even made her way into the courtyard. A vast meadow of flowers wouldn’t have smelled as rich as the wave of aroma that overtook my senses in that moment. Once she stepped into view, I understood. She wore the same traditional dress with a coral colored swathe over her shoulder; however I failed to notice those all-too-mundane details due to the fact that I was so captivated by her other, more riveting features. Her long blonde hair was highlighted by flowing strands of flower blossoms in every color and size. Her eyes were a swirling mirage of blues, pinks, yellows, and purple hues. Beautiful designs of vines and blossoms wove around her arms and neck; taking your eyes captive and sending them on a journey.

As she stepped in front of me, the rich smell of flowers became intoxicating. When she smiled, I was reminded of a blossoming rose. It lit up her face and warmed the world right along with it.

“I am Thalia,” she crooned, and I could have sworn that the sunlight brightened in response.

“Nereid, and goddess of the blooming sea.” Her hand was as soft as a flower petal, and instead of tingling, my hand glowed a warm yellow. The sparkling liquid that collected in my palm resembled a ray of sunshine and smelled of a summer’s day.

The entire experience was both exhilarating and humbling, all at once. As they each took their spot around the courtyard, I felt a part of something much larger than anything I’d ever experienced before. I was also completely caught up in the amount of power, wisdom, and love that I felt from them all. My heart was filled with so much joy and acceptance, I thought it might burst.

Once the last Nereid had entered the courtyard, I counted a total of thirty-seven. Thirty-seven beautiful and unique women surrounding me as a whole entity, representing every facet of the sea.

They closed the circle, held their arms in the air and began to chant:

“Echete epilexei, me ta podia to monopati.

Echete epilexei, me ta podia to monopati.”

The world around me completely faded away, and the only thing visible were these magnificent little lights above me. Or were they bubbles? It was the liquid! Each droplet danced to its own tune, eventually finding the others to create a large puddle above my head.

“Echete epilexei, me ta podia to monopati.

Echete epilexei, me ta podia to monopati.”

The Nereids seemed to be spinning around me somehow, a whirl of color and voices as they chanted the same words over and over. As they said it one last time, the puddle above my head came crashing down on me, the world pitched violently to the side and everything went black.

Chapter 11

The throbbing pain in my side was nothing compared to the blood-soaked gash running down my right leg. As I ran, the humid air stung the ragged flesh and caused the blood to pour down into my shoe and saturate my sock even quicker. The numbness I held onto when it happened had faded, replaced with a burning sensation that was quickly crawling up my leg and making my whole body hurt. I wouldn’t be able to run much farther. I had a find a place to sit down.

As I rounded the seventh block from our house, I spotted the neighborhood playground and made a beeline for the jungle gym. I climbed the wooden ladder, crossed the chain bridge and climbed into a plastic tunnel. The world turned watery and numb as I allowed myself to cry. For several minutes the pain in my leg was trumped by the pain inside my heart. That type of pain was worse than any physical pain. Physical pain healed eventually; it closed up and stopped bleeding. But the emotional pain could bleed for years. No amount of band-aids could stop the hemorrhaging of a little girl’s heart.

I almost got away from him. I almost slipped away unharmed. But I wasn’t quite fast enough. I pulled my leg back one second too late and the knife had dragged across my calf before I was able to make it out the back door and into the neighbor’s yard. That’s when I started running. I couldn’t go back there right away. Not until he passed out. I’d give it an hour or so, and then I could sneak back in and crawl in bed. Having a plan helped me feel a little bit safer. It wasn’t much, but if all I had was a tiny thread to hold onto, I’d hold on as tight as I could. I wiped my nose on my sleeve and decided to take a good look at my wound.

The knife hadn’t gone in too far except where it had started; the rest was just one long slit. I didn’t think I needed stitches, but it sure needed something. In a mountain of agony, I climbed out of the tunnel and scooted down the slide. I limped over to the communal water fountain and did my best to throw my leg on top of it and under the water pouring out, failing miserably and scraping the underside of my leg in the process. I turned on the water again and used my hand to collect and pour it over the gash. I gritted my teeth as the burning intensified from mildly hot to erupting volcano.

“You’ll need to stop the bleeding,” an endearing voice instructed. I looked up into the eyes of a stunning woman with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes that were lined with unmistakable kindness. As my eyes flitted back down, I remembered thinking how familiar those eyes seemed, but I dismissed the thought just as quickly as it had come.

“Thanks,” I muttered and did my best to limp away as fast as possible. I didn’t get far.

“What kind of knife was it?” she asked conversationally. I spun around and inspected her further with guarded eyes. She wore a simple light yellow sundress and a beautiful yellow stone pendant around her neck. She waited for me to size her up and decide if I wanted to trust her. “The sharp ones are usually not as bad, they cut clean through. It’s those butter knives you have to watch out for.” She grinned and raised an eyebrow. Her casual confidence blew over me like a fresh breeze, and the mischief in her eyes reeled me in. She still gave me an odd feeling of déjà vu, although I couldn’t figure out why that would be. I had no reason to run into grown-ups as put together as she was.

“I think it was a steak knife,” I admitted quietly. “It had ridges on it. It really hurt.”

“I happen to have something we can wrap it up with, if you’d like?” she asked, holding up something white in her hand while still keeping her distance. She held out her hand and waited. I shifted to my working leg and considered my options. I could either let her help me or bleed to death.

I figured bleeding to death wouldn’t be a very good way to go, so I took her hand.

“Okay,” I agreed timidly. She allowed me to lean on her until we got to a wooden bench a couple yards away. I watched and tried not to cry out as she slowly wrapped my leg in a piece of fabric. She secured it with a pin and smiled warmly up at me.

“There - all better.” Somehow her words made me feel safer. Or maybe it was the new experience of having someone take care of me. “What’s your name?”

“Hannah,” I told her.

“I’m Charlotte,” she said, and peered up at the sky thoughtfully. “Have you ever seen a live oak tree, Hannah?”

“The ones with the crazy branches?”

“Yes, those are the ones,” she chuckled. “When a live oak tree grows near the shore, the constant battering of the sand, wind, and water start to take its toll. However, instead of the branches breaking, they adapt. They twist and turn, eventually growing into a completely unique and beautiful tree. Once full grown, those twisted and mangled branches give that same tree the strength and courage to weather any storm.”

“That’s kind of cool.”

“So when things get bad and you start feeling all twisted inside, just remember that’s what will give you the strength and courage to weather any storm.”

“But, what if I do break?” I asked quietly.

“That won’t happen,” she said confidently.

“How do you know?”

“I have a very special talent for seeing who you truly are,” she winked at me and smiled widely. “And you, my dear, are plenty twisted. No storm could ever break you.”

For the first time in a long time, I laughed and forgot about my pain - not only the pain in my leg, but the pain in my heart as well.

* * *

As I found my way back to the glaring reality of consciousness, the haze around my mind was almost as comforting as the strong arms around me. My entire body was wrapped in a world of soft sheets and feathery pillows, while a light breeze on my cheek tickled my skin. Wait. Breeze? Strong arms? My mind instantly focused, and all of my senses sharpened as I underwent a quick inspection of my surroundings. Where was I, and most importantly - who the hell was lying behind me?

I realized with a start that the breeze I felt was the mystery person’s light breathing. I lifted the sheets ever so slightly to peek under and look at the arm that was wrapped securely around me. I blinked. Then I blinked again. It couldn’t be! But after another blink I realized it was really there. A black skull and crossbones covered the forearm.

“Good morning Pasha,” a magical voice whispered in my ear.

“Finn?!” I twisted around so fast I almost fell off the bed. My heart jumped into overtime as I took in his handsome face and the strands of dark hair that skirted his piercing blue eyes. “It’s you!”

“Were you expecting someone else?” Those deep blue eyes danced with mischief as his mouth curled into a crooked grin, and I almost fell apart right there beside him. That’s when I noticed his warm darkness wrapped around us. A feeling I had missed so much it made me ache inside.

“How did you..? When did I…? You’re okay!” There were so many frantic thoughts going through my mind I couldn’t seem to choose just one. I smothered him in a hug; breathing him in and touching the smooth skin of his arms, chest, back, and face just to make sure he was real. To my surprise, he was also completely healed. It was such a contrast from the last time I had seen him, the time in the cavern could have been a dream.

“I missed you so much,” he whispered and brushed a renegade piece of aquamarine hair away from my face; tucking it behind my ear. The sensation of his soft touch felt so good it hurt.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there - I wanted to come, I wanted to save you -“ He held a finger up to my lips.

“You saved me a long time ago,” he declared in a low voice, as his eyes fell to my lips and he leaned in. I closed my eyes and melted into the soft caresses of his lips on mine, the warmth of his mouth, and the way he pulled me close as if he were afraid that I might disappear. As the warmth of his darkness swirled around me and infused my senses with fire, his hand slid around to the nape of my neck. His kisses endured deeper and he pulled me impossibly closer. The heat of his body and the passion of his kisses healed the gaping hole that had been created by his absence. Unexpected tears sprang to my eyes as I became overwhelmed with relief and happiness.

“Don’t cry, Pasha,” he breathed as he kissed away a tear. “If my breath stinks that bad I can brush my teeth again.” He feigned embarrassment and covered his mouth, eyes wide with fear. I laughed through my tears and pulled him close once again; drinking up his nearness.

“It’s okay, I’ll just hold my breath so I don’t have to smell it,” I joked back. His words reminded me of how horrendous I must look. Morning breath and bed head hair was not how I had envisioned our reunion. I smoothed down my hair and wiped at my eyes to rid my face of any smeared makeup, as a litany of thoughts surfaced in my mind.

“So, when did you get back? Are your parents okay? Where’s Nadia?” I surveyed my tank top and cotton shorts. “And how did I get back?” He simply smiled at the deluge of questions, and propped himself up on his elbow as he continued to watch me with amusement. He laced his fingers through mine and gazed at me with an intensity that sent the thoughts into a tailspin.

“Nadia ran like hell when she saw Dad, so my parents are more than okay. I remember mom and dad returning with me yesterday afternoon and waking up in my body, but mom made sure that I went right to sleep. I must have been out cold too, because I have no recollection of your arrival in my bed. When I woke up to see you beside me, I thought I was dreaming.”

I looked around and realized I was, in fact, in the bed his soul-less body had been lying in.

And the bed his now half-dressed and very much alive body was lying in. Dorien and Tina must have driven me back from Kourion. The fact that Tina had been able to get that dress off of me while I was unconscious said a lot about her level of patience. I was in trouble if I had to get back in that thing without her. That’s when his previous words sunk in.

“Nadia…ran?” A sliver of dread blanketed my heart. “It’s all fun and games until Nadia doesn’t get what she wants. I bet she’s still in the midst of a temper tantrum. Or plotting her revenge.” Indignation coursed through my veins as I thought about her. I envisioned her pouting in a diabolical lair, complete with shrunken heads and jarred body parts; adding world domination to her to-do list right below torturing Finn and suffocating kittens.

“I have a bad feeling you aren’t far from the truth,” he snickered.

“Why was she so hell bent on having you as her husband if all she was going to do was torture you?!”

“She was more worried about obtaining my essence, rather than me,” he explained. “Which explains why she wanted to be bound in the first place. It also explains the vacuum she created. She wasn’t torturing me, Pasha, she was stealing my essence.”

“Being Princess of the Underworld not enough for her?” I replied cynically.

“Unfortunately not. But stealing essence is one thing…infusing it into your own is something else entirely. She wouldn’t be able to do that by herself. This is more complicated than just a spoiled princess wanting to be stronger. Others must have been involved.”

“Excellent,” I sighed.

“Speaking of growing stronger,” he asked with raised eyebrows. “I hear you got to meet your future sisters yesterday?” I couldn’t stop the wide grin that took hold of my mouth as the memory of the day before rushed into my mind.

“Oh my god, I was terrified, but it was incredible!” I relived the events of the Gathering with Finn while he grinned at me with pride. I described the multi-faceted dress, the ruins that were anything but, and the awe-inspiring Nereids. Even thinking about it again made my heart warm with a sense of belonging. Once I finished my story, he leaned back to look into my eyes; his features suddenly serious.

“I’m going to take you somewhere today,” he informed me in a tone that implied there would be no arguing.

“Find Nadia and make her pay for what she did to you? ‘Cause that’s now at the top of my Christmas list,” I told him in all seriousness. He laughed and shook his head.

“I’m sure you’ll get your chance to unleash the wrath of Stasia, but today we’re just going for a little adventure.”

“Do I have to put on another dress?”

“I would suggest a bathing suit,” he grinned wickedly and shrugged a shoulder. “Or nothing.

Whichever.” His face dripped with feigned innocence and I pushed him playfully. “What? Wearing nothing gets my vote.”

“You don’t get a vote.”

“I should definitely get a vote.”

“Nooo!!” A wretched scream reverberated throughout the house and raised the hair on my arms. “Leave me alone!!” As her agony filled our ears, Finn’s eyes hardened and he appeared to sense something. I felt his body stiffen next to mine.

“Carmen,” I explained; my voice thick with grief.

We flew out of bed, leaving only a split second for my breath to catch in my throat when I saw Finn’s shirtless chest and low hanging jeans. We scrambled downstairs and I stopped abruptly at the last step, causing Finn to run into me. Phoebe was sobbing onto the shoulder of Natasha, and Charon was talking in a low voice on the phone. It was not the scene I had expected, and I had a sinking feeling that it had everything to do with the ear-splitting screams that were still coming from Carmen’s room.

Chapter 12

“Something’s not right,” Finn muttered and slipped past me, disappearing into Carmen’s room. I ran after him, followed closely by Natasha and a very distraught Phoebe.

“Who the hell are you?” I heard Finn growl before I made it inside, darkness dripping from his voice. All seven feet of Dorien’s body had been thrown to the floor, where Finn had him by the neck. He slammed his head against the floor when Dorien didn’t answer.

“Finn, stop!” I started to move towards them, but Natasha’s arm stopped me.

“Stasia…wait,” she warned in a hushed voice while her eyes stayed fixed on the now-fuming Finn.

“Talk.” Finn’s hand tightened around Dorien’s neck. Something squeaked out of Dorien’s mouth, but I couldn’t hear what it was. The muscle in Finn’s jaw tightened and he pulled Dorien up to his feet in seconds. Dorien started to cough and gasp for breath before Finn pushed him up against the wall and pointed at Carmen, rage burning in his eyes. “What do you want from her?”

“Nothing…I…” Finn punched him in the stomach and then pushed him back up against the wall again.

“Don’t lie to me,” Finn growled. “What do you want from her?”

“I heard that she’s been to the Underworld,” Dorien gasped and his voice lowered, “and brought something back. I won’t allow her to unleash some god forsaken demon on our sacred island!”

“And just what did you think you were going to do about it?”

“She must be sacrificed!” Dorien yelled at Finn, “She’ll take that demon back to hell with her!”

“You will not touch her,” Finn threatened. Dorien made the mistake of lunging at Carmen, who was lying on the bed silently watching the encounter with a half-cocked grin on her face. Finn caught his arm and twisted it behind Dorien’s back. I heard a sickening crack, and then Dorien cried out in pain. Charon entered the room, and he and Finn easily carried Dorien out the front door and launched him onto the street; leaving the rest of us standing around speechless and trying to pick our jaws up off of the floor.

“How did he know…?”Phoebe asked where she stood beside me with wide eyes.

“I have no idea,” I whispered. Guilt flooded my soul. I should have known! I should have protected her!

“He is the Prime.” Suddenly Natasha was behind us. “It is in his nature to sense intent to harm.” I could tell by the smile on her face that she was immensely proud of her son. Feeling us talking about him, Finn looked up and met my eyes. His darkness reached out and enveloped me in warmth just as his crooked smile sent my heart racing. He released me from his grip as Charon pulled him aside. I turned to Phoebe.

“Where’s Ricker? And Willow?”

“They went to get coffee for everyone. Tina went with them.” Her eyes got wide. “Do you think she was in on it?”

“I have a good feeling we’ll find out when she returns.” Talking about Tina reminded me of yesterday’s Gathering, mainly afterwards. “How did I get home and undressed last night?”

“Tina and Dorien brought you back, and then Tina helped me and Willow get you undressed and in bed. We figured you wouldn’t mind waking up next to Finn.” Phoebe grinned widely at me, happy with herself.

“You were definitely right about that,” I attested as Charon and Finn came back inside the house.

“I need everyone in the kitchen,” Charon announced firmly.

“Go put on some clothes,” Natasha directed Finn, who caught me staring at him. A smirk formed on his lips and he winked at me. He knew all too well the effect he had on me. My face instantly heated, and I fought to stop the blushing before Natasha turned her scrutiny on me as well.

No such luck.

“Your face is a little red, dear,” Natasha informed me with a knowing smile; which only made it that much worse. She patted me on the shoulder and followed Charon into the kitchen. I looked around for the nearest rock to crawl under, or at the very least a sharp object to stab my eyes out with.

“Where is he?! He has answers! Bring him! Bring him!” We all stopped dead in our tracks as Carmen began to screech again. I had no idea what ‘him’ she was referring too, but I could definitely tell that her voice wavered and obtained that same unearthly undertone. It didn’t sound as if she were the one actually speaking. Natasha entered her room, followed by more yelling and then finally deafening silence. I wasn’t sure which was worse. Natasha emerged, frowning as she tucked the sleeping remedy into her back pocket.

“Finn senses the beings within Carmen and I believe he may be correct in his assessment,” Charon paced as we listened. “With that being said, Oreithya will be here very soon to visit with Carmen. I believe a purification ritual is in order first…” He nodded his head at Natasha. Oreithya.

It took a moment for the reason why I knew that name to click in place. She was the Nereid that Carmen is descended from; raging waves. I didn’t remember meeting her at the gathering. A shot of insecurity hit me out of nowhere. She must be one the Nereids who was not completely convinced that I belonged with them. She must have a reason for questioning my worthiness. I tried to shake those self-deprecating thoughts from my head and forced my attention on Natasha.

“Elina will be arriving momentarily,” she informed Charon, and then addressed everyone else. “I will need another Wiccan to assist in the ritual. I’ve known Elina for a very long time.”

“Is there anything we need to get for you?” Finn bounded back down the stairs with a shirt on and wrapped an arm around his mom’s shoulders nonchalantly. The outward display of the love and devotion he had for his mother tugged at my heart.

“I believe Elina is bringing everything we should need.” She grinned up at him appreciatively.

“I thought I was bringing everything we needed?” Ricker had appeared, holding a tray of steaming coffee cups. An annoyed Willow and Tina shuffled around him to set the rest of the coffees down on the counter. “I would’ve been back quicker if it weren’t for these two betties slowing me down,” he complained in a hushed voice and yanked his thumb at Willow and Tina with a snicker.

“Somehow I doubt that,” Finn sneered.

“Well it’s about time Sleeping Beauty woke up!” Ricker gave Finn the one-arm-fist-to-the-back guy hug, followed by a real one from Willow. “I’m just glad Stasia showed up so I didn’t have to wake you up with a kiss!”

“Where’s Dorien?” Tina asked, glancing around.

“He wore out his welcome,” Finn retorted darkly. I could tell by his inaction that he didn’t see Tina as a threat to Carmen’s life, which was a relief. I was really becoming fond of her.

I recognized a fangirl moment building in Tina’s eyes as she caught sight of an awake and alert Finn Morrison, Prime of the Sons, for the first time. Thankfully she collected herself, but I suspected she had only suppressed it momentarily. “What did he do?”

“I believe your friend was under the impression that Carmen is possessed by a demon. He was misguided in his thinking,” Charon answered sternly, sending Finn a look to let it drop at that. “I was just briefing everyone on our plan to help her.”

“How do you know it’s not a demon?” Tina asked, clearly upset that Dorien had been expelled from the house.

“Demons are innately evil. Those of us connected to the Underworld can sense evil from a great distance. I can assure you that what has taken residence in Carmen’s mind is not evil.” Charon began to pace again.

“You kicked him out because he was wrong?” she pressed.

“No, we kicked him out because he wanted to kill Carmen,” Finn answered plainly.

“He…wanted to kill her?” Tina gasped, her eyes wide with shock. Charon shot Finn another look to silence him.

“He believed the demon would harm the island,” Charon expounded patiently. “He wanted to rid this world of the demon by killing Carmen. Unbeknownst to Dorien, if it were a demon, getting rid of it would pose a greater challenge than simply disposing of Carmen.” The way he said ‘disposing of Carmen’ made my skin crawl.

“I’m so sorry,” She shrank back in disgust, obviously ashamed of Dorien. Her distaste of his intentions made me like her even more. “I had no idea.” Charon gave her a sympathetic nod to let her know she wasn’t on the chopping block, and then confronted the rest of the room.

“When Elina arrives, she and Natasha will need to prepare Carmen’s room. Only a select few will be allowed in during the ritual. Any more than that would surely enrage them further. I expect everyone else to remain in here, but be available if needed. Understood?”

We all nodded in agreement and then Natasha handed out cups of coffee. The cups were about half the size of normal coffee cups in America, and I peeked in mine with curiosity. It had a layer of foam on top and appeared to be a lot thicker than American coffee.

“Greek coffee looks like sewer sludge, but it does the trick,” Ricker explained with a shrug; leaving the kitchen to check on Carmen.

“Does it taste like sewer sludge?” Phoebe scrunched her nose at Finn as she tried to swirl the thick liquid around in her cup. Ricker walked back into the kitchen with a petrified expression that froze his blue eyes.

“Carmen,” he managed. “She’s gone.”

Chapter 13

“Gone? She’s not in the bed?” Natasha looked up in alarm. Ricker’s eyes shifted back into the room before answering; his eyes stalling on something.

“…and the window’s open.” As understanding dawned on all of us, we abandoned our coffee and ran outside like a herd of wild horses. After searching the exterior of the house and up and down the street, there were still no signs of Carmen to be found.

“Where would she go? She doesn’t even know her way around!” Ricker gestured frantically.

Natasha’s motherly instincts kicked in as she rubbed his arm in an attempt to calm him down.

“Willow, Phoebe, Ricker; take the car and start driving around campus,” she instructed.

“Stasia, Tina-“

“Hold on.” Finn stopped mid-step and tilted his head as if listening to something. His head swiveled sideways and then up toward Charon, who was standing on the front step of our villa.

Charon nodded at him in agreement with whatever he was thinking. “The beach.”

“You can hear her?” Tina gawked in disbelief.

“I can sense what’s inside her. They’re in control. Not Carmen,” Finn informed us darkly.

“And they’re growing stronger. We need to hurry.” The beach was a mere block away, so we decided that Tina and Charon would stay back in case she returned. Everyone else took off toward the beach as fast as our legs would allow. Not surprisingly, Finn and I were the first to cross the main road. We hurdled over several scraggly-looking shrubs that lined the beach and made it onto the thicker, white sand at the same time. Undisturbed sand stretched out on either side of us, void of any people.

“I can tell she’s near,” Finn murmured, perplexed. Ricker ran up beside me and scanned the beach as well, followed closely by Natasha, Willow, and Phoebe. We all rounded on Finn questioningly, until an eerie voice spoke up behind us. We whirled around in surprise to see Carmen standing a couple of feet away.

“It’s about time you showed up,” Carmen glared at Ricker with rage burning in her eyes.

Ricker stepped forward like he was going to approach her, but stopped mid-step when she actually hissed at him. “We’ve been looking for you.” The threatening edge to her voice (along with the crooked smile that didn’t reach her eyes) sent chills down my spine. A vision of the possessed girl from that movie The Exorcist popped into my head. If she started speaking in tongues, I was taking her straight to the nearest priest. Not that I didn’t think Natasha couldn’t handle it - I didn’t know ifI could handle it.

“Carmen,” Ricker cautiously inched towards her. “Let’s go back to the house and talk.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at him in a silent challenge.

“Carmen-“ Ricker pleaded again.

“I said NO!” she shouted and walked away in defiance, but Ricker wasn’t one to give up easily. He followed her several yards until she spun around and charged at him; shoving him down onto the sand.

“What is your part in this?” she fumed at him. Ricker pushed himself up into a sitting position, exhaustion settling over him.

“Carmen, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he sighed.

“Liar!” she scowled down at him accusingly. “The litany of emotions you evoke tells me different. Liars can be punished just as easily.”

“If you’ll tell me what you need,” he surrendered willingly, “I’ll do anything…” Without another word Carmen growled and lunged for him, but thankfully Finn was faster. He subdued her by holding her arms behind her back and pulling her away from Ricker. As she glared at Ricker with an icy hatred, an idea formed in my head. I grounded my feet without thinking about it and drew a line in the sand with my eyes. A wall of sand shot skyward, blocking her view of him.

“We must hurry,” Natasha’s brows furrowed as she continued to watch Finn restrain Carmen.

“I hear you are in need of help?” A melodic voice drifted up the beach, as a tiny woman with long silver hair made her way over to us. She greatly resembled what I would categorize as a gypsy.

She wore a long, black dress with an equally black shawl draped over her shoulders. Her eyes were a reflective gray, swirling with all the colors of a summer storm. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings boasted an impressive array of vibrant stones.

“Elina!” Natasha rejoiced and embraced her lovingly. “Come. There is much to be done.”

They walked up to Carmen, who was continuing to struggle against Finn’s grip. To my surprise Elina walked right up to her nonchalantly, tapped a finger to Carmen’s forehead and mumbled something under her breath. Carmen’s body suddenly fell limp, throwing Finn off balance and making them tumble backwards. Carmen landed on top of him, awake but very lethargic. Her dark eyes were unfocused and her movements were sluggish. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was drunk.

“Now, where shall we begin?” Elina regarded Natasha with a bright smile. Finn untangled himself from Carmen and left his mother and Elina to prepare for the purification ritual. I had no idea what a ritual like that entailed, but I was intrigued to find out. I allowed the sand wall to dissipate, since Carmen was too out of it to notice Ricker now. He was still sitting in the same position, hanging his head in defeat.

“Walk with me to the store up the road?” Willow asked him. I knew she just wanted to get him away from Carmen. He could use some time to clear his head a little bit.

“I think that’s a good idea,” he murmured. He slowly raised himself from his sitting position and eyed Carmen, before he stuffed his hands in his pockets and followed Willow back up the beach.

My heart broke for him. Watching Finn be tortured for just ten minutes ripped me apart - so I couldn’t imagine witnessing the slow destruction of his psyche for an entire five days.

“I don’t know how much more he can handle,” Phoebe commented, mirroring my own thoughts.

“You’d be surprised,” Finn inserted. He threaded his fingers through mine and gave me a warm smile. “Love brings out the fight in all of us.”

“You should write Hallmark cards,” I teased him gently. He wrapped his other arm around my shoulder and pulled me close.

“I don’t think the world’s ready for the romantic muse I keep hidden beneath this strong, virile, manly exterior,” he joked back, puffing his chest out.

“We may need that manly exterior of yours to assist in subduing Carmen once the ritual begins,” Natasha interrupted Finn, shooting him a stop-joking-around mom look. “We can’t be sure what effect it will have on them.”

“Them?” Phoebe asked hesitantly, looking at Finn.

“I sensed multiple beings in her, all with the same agenda.”

“Who...are they? Charon said they weren’t evil, so what do they want?” she pressed.

“I’m afraid Carmen has been sentenced to be judged.”

“For what?”

“I’m not sure.” He ran a hand through his hair, “In the Underworld, Persephone decides the fate of the souls - in other words, which part of the Underworld they belong. However, Persephone is not perfect and she sometimes needs assistance. Certain souls are sentenced to be judged for crimes they may or may not have committed. It is the job of the three Erinyes to figure out if they are guilty or not.

“The Erinyes?” I asked.

“Also known as ‘The Furies’,” Finn continued. “The word ‘Erinyes’ means “the Avengers” in Greek. They reside in the Underworld and once the soul’s fate is in their hands, they have the choice to pardon or damn it for all of eternity.”

“But Carmen’s alive! She shouldn’t be judged yet!” Phoebe cried out.

“Unfortunately, if given the instruction they will judge any soul. I’m afraid someone had to give them the instruction to judge Carmen.”

“Nadia,” I spit out without thinking.

“That was actually my hypothesis. The Erinyes serve Persephone, which means they will also listen to the demands of Hades as well as Nadia.”

“The next time I see her…” Anger flared in my heart as I contemplated how to subject the same amount of pain Nadia had inflicted onto her.

“It would appear that Nadia must know something about Carmen that we do not. She would have had to instruct the Erinyes to judge her once she entered the Underworld. They can’t travel to this realm unless they are within a soul. I’m afraid that is who has taken her mind hostage.”

“But Nadia doesn’t even know her!” Phoebe shouted. She stomped a foot, sending waves of sand rippling outward. “How does she know what Carmen has or hasn’t done?”

“I wish I knew. Unfortunately, having Persephone as your mother gives you the opportunity to obtain information others cannot.”

“This is bullshit!” Phoebe shouted. The sand beneath us quivered and I suddenly wondered how mad she would have to be to incite an earthquake. “Why are they torturing her!? If they’re supposed to judge her, why don’t they just get it over with and stop doing this to her?”

“She must be resisting,” Finn sighed. “She’s not giving them the answers they require.

They’ll do anything they deem appropriate to get their answers; injury, disease…madness. That’s their only intention: to find the truth.”

“What do you think the purification ritual will do?” I asked, curiously watching Natasha and Elina unload small glass jars from a small burlap sack that Elina must have brought with her.

“Hopefully dispel them from her body.” He contemplated, “But whether or not that will send them back to the Underworld and release her from judgment, we have no way of knowing.”

“All three of them are in there?” Phoebe’s eyes widened. “No wonder she’s been screaming like a lunatic.”

We continued to look on, as Natasha and Elina began their ritual by running their hands above Carmen’s body. Something dripped down from their hands onto her skin as they chanted in hushed voices with their eyes closed. Carmen was watching them with amusement, and a feeling of foreboding fell upon me.

“Foolish witches,” Carmen hissed. “We have decided that the time for redemption has passed. She will come with us.”

“No she won’t!” Phoebe howled. She lunged toward them, but Finn stopped her.

“You cannot take her. Her body lives,” Natasha retorted calmly, eyes still closed.

“We are the Erinyes!” Carmen bellowed with renewed conviction. “How dare you presume to know what we can and cannot do!” She sat up abruptly, somehow throwing Natasha and Elina several yards down the beach.

As she grinned in satisfaction at Natasha and Elina, who were slowly being helped to their feet by Finn, I crept silently toward her. She snapped her head around at me when I was only inches away. I froze while she stared at me blankly, seemingly trying to decide if I was a threat.

“Carmen!” I whispered loudly to her. “Carmen! I know you can hear me! You have to fight them! Don’t let them take you!”

“It would be to your advantage if you’d leave her be, and allow us to do our will. This does not involve you,” she/they commanded; the voice layered and forced.

“Carmen-“ I started, and quickly stopped when her eyes met mine. A wall of judgment slammed into me, crippling my resolve and taking my breath away. I discerned a snaking fire of molten lava surround my body and press at my mind. I quickly pushed it away and mentally blew it back outward. I glared back at her, or more specifically whatever was inside of her.

“You will not penetrate my mind or my body,” I growled at them. A fire raced through my body and I felt the sand beneath me stir with my energy.

“Watch me,” she countered with an evil grin. The fire squeezed around me again but instead of pushing it away, I concentrated on my own energy. It stretched outward from my body, creating something of a force field, repelling her advances. Feeling exhilarated and stronger than I ever had before, I met her eyes with confidence. Right before my world exploded.

Images exploded across my mind; blinding me with a mirage of colors, places, and most predominately, people suffering. I attempted to push them away, but somehow the onslaught worsened. I actually felt the agony and pain of the judged souls; hear their pleading and failed attempts at persuasion. Finally, I was able to concentrate long enough to realize that I needed to pull my energy back, not the other way around.

“Get out! Get out! Get out!” Carmen began to shriek over and over, this time in her own voice.

I concentrated on bringing anything and everything ‘me’ back to my body. My energy rushed back into me with unmistakable force and the world spun. I collapsed in the sand beside Carmen and clutched her hand. Maybe, I could get through to her while she was still in control.

“Carmen, please!” I squeezed her hand, “You have to fight them!”

“I can’t,” she whimpered, her voice now weak with exhaustion.

“You have to!” She screamed out in agony again; scratching at her skin as if attempting to pull the beings, or herself, from her body. I wrestled her arms away from her skin before she clawed herself to death when suddenly her body went limp and pale. Her blank eyes met mine slowly as the real Carmen started to shrink back inside herself.

“They’re too strong,” she cried. “I deserve my fate.”

Chapter 14

“Stasia,” Natasha and Elina were now standing beside us, trying to pull me away from her.

“No!” I yelled, pushing them away.

“If she gives in, we must allow her to do so. It is her choice,” Elina stated calmly.

“No! I won’t let her! You hear me Carmen!?” As my hysteria and desperation rose, the sand beneath us began to dance and shift again. Getting an idea, I slid my hands under her arms and began to drag her body towards the water’s edge.

“Stasia, what are you doing?” Phoebe called to me.

“Help me!” I instructed her. Whether it was my fierce tone or the determined look in my eye, she didn’t argue or ask questions. Once the gentle waves lapped at our feet, I sat down in the water and pulled Carmen’s body to me, so that her back was propped up against me.

“Come on Carmen, you’re in the water. Pull from it. It’ll strengthen you. Concentrate on the way it makes you feel.” She continued to stare up at me blankly as Phoebe gently splashed water onto her face and shoulders. “It’ll help you fight them.”

Another minute went by filled with blank stares before we saw any reaction or sign that she could hear us.

“Stasia, look!” Phoebe exclaimed. I peeled my eyes from Carmen’s absent stare and I found what Phoebe was referring to. The water had started to vibrate around Carmen’s body ever so slightly. It slowly organized; sending small waves rolling outward. Excitement shone in Phoebe’s eyes as she watched.

“You’re doing it, Carm!” she rejoiced. “Keep it up!”

With no sounds or movements from Carmen, it was difficult to know what she was thinking or if she was even able to think. I was waiting for the moment when the three beings would come to the surface and decide to retaliate; potentially hurting me or Phoebe. I held her close in anticipation.

Phoebe, however, was in full celebration mode. Tears of joy were running down her face, and she rotated from one side of Carmen’s body to the other several times. Just as I had feared, her joy turned out to be premature. Unfortunately the waves halted, and Carmen’s warm brown eyes darkened to a pitch black.

“No! Carmen!” Phoebe yelled at her and shook her shoulders in panic. “Come back!”

“She just isn’t strong enough,” I whispered, tears springing to my eyes. It was then that I noticed the picturesque woman walking towards us from the waves.

“Allow me.”

As she approached, I knew that she had to be a Nereid. Her dark skin was only a couple of tones lighter than her long, straight hair, which was a rich mahogany with chunks of black strands raining down throughout. Her dark, smoky eyes gave her an air of mystery and strength. She wore a dark blue dress that flowed behind her in the water. As she walked the waves become stronger and larger, clearly as affected by her presence as we were. It could only be Oreithya.

Rendered speechless, I allowed her to take Carmen from me and into her arms. I pulled Phoebe back toward the beach and onto the sand with Finn. We watched on as Oreithya cradled Carmen in her arms and closed her eyes. A bright light flashed, and a massive wave echoed outward from where they were standing. Oreithya opened her eyes and smiled down at Carmen, who still appeared to be limp in her arms. She carried her to the beach and laid her gently on the sand.

“Carmen?” Phoebe asked quietly. Her hands shook with fear as she reached down and touched her arm. Thudding footsteps behind us undoubtedly put me on the defensive, but I didn’t have time to protect us before Ricker had appeared.

“What happened?!” Ricker fell onto the sand beside us, almost pushing us out of the way. I moved back and stood beside Finn as Ricker and Phoebe hovered over her. Her eyes were closed, but color had returned to her cheeks.

“She is free of their grasp, but not of their judgment,” Oreithya told Finn with a respectful nod. I heard Willow’s sharp intake of breath when she realized who the newest arrival was.

“And judgment shall be served,” an ominous voice added with malice. We all angled toward the voice and gasped. Three women now stood before us, watching us with impatience. Manifested in human form, I could feel the darkness they held within - they most certainly belonged to the Underworld. Their similarities were glaringly obvious. Their long black cloaks of velvet pooled at their feet, while large red amulets hung from silver necklaces; pulsing a deep, macabre red. Their hair touted every shade of red and orange; reminding me of a dancing flame.

“Who are you?” Phoebe stood angrily and glared at them. “Is Nadia behind this?” I was taken aback by her sudden show of courage.

“We are Tisiphone, Megaira, and Alekto,” one of the women announced with an old world accent. “We do not reveal who sent us.” Her golden eyes flickered bright yellow as she spoke.

“Ricker? Phoebe?” Carmen’s weak voice was barely audible above the crashing of the waves, but most importantly it was her own. Phoebe returned to her side along with Ricker, who smoothed her hair back from her face. “Ricker…they know.”

Ricker’s face paled as some form of recognition washed over him. Just as quickly, those pale features hardened with determination. The three women moved toward Carmen, but Ricker was already on his feet; blocking their path.

“I am to blame,” he declared, lifting his chin with conviction. “I convinced her to do it.”

“Ricker don’t…” Carmen attempted feebly.

“Stupid boy!” Another of the women snapped. “The act cannot be disputed. It is the intent we seek. She will not disclose her own intentions.” She took a menacing step towards Ricker. “However, your own shame and ire are also telltale byproducts of guilt.”

“No!” Carmen cried out, rolling onto her side to meet the eyes of the Erinyes. “He wanted it!

He told me we could do it. He said it would be okay. But I…I talked him out of it. I convinced him that we were too young. I thought I could make it up to him after…” she cringed.

“After you aborted your unborn child.” The third woman stated accusingly. I heard a collective gasp out of the onlookers as well as from my own mouth. Carmen had…an abortion? I couldn’t imagine how difficult that must have been for her, and how heavy of a burden that would be now. I had to admit her love/hate relationship with Ricker made more sense than ever now. She managed to sit up with Phoebe’s help. Her tired features contorted with undeniable fury.

“I loved my unborn child! But the baby would have suffered!” Carmen spit at them. “We were only fifteen! We couldn’t provide for it! We weren’t equipped to give it all of the things it deserved, and we didn’t have a clue what to do!” She met Ricker’s eyes, full of despair. “I did it…out of love. I thought it would be for the best.”

“Love,” The Erinyes repeated.

“What do you know of love?” One of the Erinyes scoffed; her yellow eyes flashing.

“I know what love is!” Carmen yelled at her.

“Your choices since then do not support that claim,” she raised an eyebrow.

“My choices?” Carmen shrunk back in shame. Her defensives crumbled visibly, softening her features and causing tears to collect in her eyes. She placed a hand over her heart in defense. “My choices were to protect myself. I just wanted to be normal! I wanted to go on dates like everybody else, and act like my biggest problem was what to wear on my date Friday night. But I knew…it wasn’t real. I didn’t really like any of those guys I went out with.”

“You cannot alter events that have occurred. The consequences must be attended to.”

“I know that!” She sobbed in earnest as her gaze darted to Ricker. “It just felt good to…be in control. It made me feel strong. At least it would for a little while. And then I would just go back to being scared and confused. I didn’t know how to deal with it! It’s not like the library has a ‘Dealing with Abortion for Dummies’ book.” She tried to grin at her own joke, but it didn’t reach her eyes. My heart was breaking for her. Coming from a history of violence and upheaval, I still could not imagine the extent of her pain and suffering. I also thought about my initial resistance to my stepmother’s direction to go on the pill for regulation of my period. I hadn’t really thought of it in the sense of actual pregnancy control until now.

“You cannot avoid what happened any longer,” the same Erinye replied. “The time has come for you to decide if you can use your pain for good, or if you will let it destroy you. We are here for the latter.” I caught the snide grin that played on her lips and shivered.

“I’ll use it for good, I promise,” Carmen pleaded weakly.

“And we’ll help her!” Phoebe stepped forward a little too quickly, almost tripping over her own feet. The Erinyes looked at each other and closed their eyes. They remained that way for several minutes as we all looked at each other apprehensively. Finally, they opened their eyes and gazed upon Carmen with resignation. “Truth and remorse. That is all we ever required of you. Many times the self-inflicted punishment of one’s own soul is harsher than any appointed retribution. Your intentions are virtuous. Our judgment is one of renunciation.”

“Thank you,” Carmen whispered as exhaustion took hold of her body. She slumped back down onto the sand as they continued.

“The soul of your unborn child will be extricated from the Vale. She will await your arrival among the Asphodel Meadows.”

“She…” Ricker repeated quietly, his eyes filling with tender happiness.

With that, the Erinyes promptly disappeared, leaving us drunk with relief and elation. Silent tears trickled down Ricker’s cheeks as Carmen rose to her feet with the help of Phoebe. She gingerly took his hand and smiled. “I loved our unborn child. And…I love you. I always have and I always will.”

Ricker’s light blue eyes gazed into hers and joy washed over him. “I love you, too.” He pulled her close and kissed her with obvious devotion. “Having you and knowing that she’s waiting for us -

when we die - gives me every reason I need…to live.”

Phoebe smothered them both in a sloppy hug as Finn put his arm around me and squeezed me tight. His smoldering blue eyes gazed down at mine full of affection, weakening every ounce of willpower I possessed. Having both he and Carmen return to us was almost too much to accept.

Happiness exploded in my heart and flooded my soul.

“May I have a moment?” Oreithya asked me cordially; her dark eyes shining. She took my hand and led me away from the group. Her touch felt like the soothing rhythm of the tide, and her voice reminded me of a symphony.

“You show the courage and loyalty of a great leader.” She held my hand, palm up, in hers and stepped in front of me. A ray of gratitude sliced through me when it dawned on me what she was doing. She closed her eyes and smiled ever so slightly. I noted the others halting their conversations to pay attention to Oreithya’s display of approval. My hand tingled and the glittery puddle condensed on my palm. Just as before, it hovered in the air and then burst. “Echete Epilexei.”

“Thank you,” I nodded graciously, and then remembered something that I had been wondering about. “What does Echete Epilexei mean?” She cupped my cheek with her hand and smiled at me lovingly.

“It is Greek for ‘You are Chosen’,” she clarified with a wink. Well that made sense.

Next, Oreithya approached the still fragile Carmen and embraced her in a hug. “Take care of yourself, daughter. You have been through so much. You deserve true happiness.” She raised an eyebrow at Ricker and grinned slyly.

“I can’t ever thank you enough, Oreithya.” Carmen hugged her again. “It is such an honor to meet you.”

“What was all that about?” Willow and Phoebe whispered to me curiously, pulling me aside with excitement.

“She Chose me,” I smiled proudly. “That makes thirty-eight Nereids.”

“That’s what the gathering was for?” Phoebe gasped.

“They each have to Choose me before I can join their sisterhood,” I explained.

“That’s unbelievable,” Willow breathed. I gave them a brief summary of the gathering, the spiti of Achilles, and the variety of Nereids I had met. Finally, I relayed Laneira and Psamanthe’s messages to them.

“I can’t believe she knows who I am,” Phoebe muttered in awe.

“I got the feeling they know each and every one of their descendents, even though they aren’t present in their lives,” I contemplated.

“I wish I could meet Laneira,” Willow hoped wistfully as she watched Carmen and Oreithya.

After saying her goodbyes, Oreithya gracefully made her way back out into the sea and vanished beneath the waves. I hoped that I would have even a percentage of her strength and presence if and when I became a true Nereid.

“Let’s get back to the villa and make you some breakfast.” Natasha eyed Carmen, “You must be famished.”

“Breakfast would be wonderful,” Carmen answered. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about food.”

We slowly made our way back to the house, mimicking Carmen’s measured pace. It was wonderful to have her back, but I was still worried about her overall physical health.

“How are you feeling?” I wrapped an arm around Carmen’s now thin shoulders.

“It’s pretty nice to have those bat-shit crazy women out of my head. It was getting a little crowded,” she chuckled. Remembering something, she twisted around to Ricker, who was walking with Finn.

“I’m sorry I attacked you,” she apologized, and then raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Twice.”

Ricker ticked off something on his fingers and sneered at her, “Actually I counted five times.

Not counting The Great Scissor Incident of 2012.”

“You want to make it seven?” she glared back at him playfully.

“I didn’t know you could count that high,” Ricker applauded her cynically.

“Ah, young love…” Finn snickered under his breath.

Chapter 15

If you took a snapshot of my last forty-eight hours, it would probably resemble a head-on collision. I felt like a solid mass of twisting emotions, spiked by moments of pure joy and searing anger; the resulting aftermath leaving me numb with the task of making sense of it all. We had retrieved Finn’s soul, freed Carmen’s mind, and mended Ricker’s heart - but the shadow that continued to hover over me had only grown heavier and darker with each passing moment. The knowledge that Nadia was out there, scorned and vindictive, had me looking over my shoulder every other minute.

I knew that she was to blame for the torment Carmen had been subjected to for the last five days, not to mention what she had put Finn through for an equally exorbitant amount of time. Each hour that went by without any retribution added to my already long list of things to worry about. How much of Finn’s essence had she been able to obtain? And what was she planning to do with it? What had begun as simple annoyance had rapidly intensified into a raging fury; demanding to make her pay for what she’d done. It begged to bestow a slow, agonizing death; eradicating her evil intentions and actions that have hurt so many. But I knew that wasn’t who I was. Acting out of bitterness and revenge would make me no different than her.

I desperately wished that my birthday wasn’t a month and a half away. She was stronger than I was, even without Finn’s essence. I had no way to overpower her. And most frighteningly, she knew it. Whatever she was planning, it wouldn’t be long before it would come to fruition. She wouldn’t wait for me to become immortal, like Keto had vowed to. Nadia was incapable of integrity. She was more into the whole stab-you-in-the-back-and-kick-you-while-you’re-down kind of thing.

Although I knew that a confrontation with Keto was also imminent, the simple fact that she would allow me a fair fight was the only thing that kept me from buying up the entire US Naval fleet of battleships and drawing up battle plans. I also had the sneaking suspicion I would need her to

‘Choose’ me along with the other Nereids, which complicated matters even further. At this point, all I had were a lot of questions and even more assumptions, not a lot of facts or definitive answers - the very reason I wanted nothing more than to throw up.

Fortunately, the fear of Finn watching me regurgitate my entire breakfast was keeping my gag reflex at bay, along with the welcoming Mediterranean Sea that I now found myself in. After returning to the house, Carmen had devoured half the contents of the kitchen and had then slipped into a deep sleep. It had been decided that we would celebrate by staying one more day, and then would go out to dinner in Paphos later that night. I was excited about getting out of the house and actually getting to see Cyprus and the House of Eventide. Not to mention, I was aching to resume any and all normal activities.

In lieu of dinner, Finn had insisted that we leave on the excursion he had planned for us as soon as possible. So after scarfing down a ham and cheese sandwich, I threw on a stark white bikini before we retraced our steps to the beach, and left the oxygen breathing world behind. The water was chilly, but I barely noticed. Swimming off of the shore of Cyprus during the day was a completely different experience than swimming during the night. The mysterious, serene underwater paradise of twilight had changed into a sparkling, picturesque wonderland, teeming with energy and life.

“So where are we going?” I quizzed Finn for the hundredth time.

“I thought we’d do a little skiing on Everest,” he provoked with a mischievous grin. “You in?” I cut my eyes at him, but did my best not to let my eyes linger. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how mouthwatering I thought he was, but there was no denying how much I had missed him. Having him beside me now, I wanted to drink every part of him in before another evil princess tried to steal him away from me again. The possibility of losing him forever had only served to intensify my growing feelings for him, and had firmly secured his place in my heart. If I’d thought that I needed him before, I had no idea the profound effect that his absence would have on me. He had become as much a part of me as my left arm, and I could no longer imagine my life without him. Nor did I want to.

The sky blue swim trunks that hugged his waist blended in with the turquoise hues of the sea, but they inevitably drew my attention to his tan skin and dark hair that danced in the current. The sun’s rays filtering through the surface above flitted across the shape of his muscular arms as they propelled him forward. The swirling blue tones of his eyes teased me with piercing confidence as he shot forward. Forcing myself to focus, I pushed myself harder and easily matched his pace. That smug confidence dripped down his face the second I passed him, and I couldn’t stop the victorious smirk that spread across my lips.

“I win!” I touted as I went by. In response, he clasped my ankle and yanked me backwards, winking at me as he swam past. Unfortunately, the ten year old within me emerged and called him out, “Hey! That’s cheating!”

“I like to think of it as being resourceful,” he called back to me, and gained even more speed.

Deciding to let him win so that his ego would stay intact, I observed the scenery unfolding beneath me. The sandy bottom below was now dotted with huge limestone boulders; beautiful, lime colored grass growing on their tops and sides. They swayed in rhythm to the currents, and I fought the urge to go to them. Their energy was sharper than the typical seaweed that I was used to; it had a more vibrant presence, and I could sense the frenzy that flowed through my veins without actually touching them. Keeping Finn in my sight, I dove down and wove between the large stone boulders, skimmed my fingers along the soft surface of the sandy bottom, and marveled at the beauty of the sunlight that shone through the turquoise water; bouncing off of the pale landscape. I bent sideways and shimmied between two particularly close pieces of stone, and then emerged on the other side triumphantly.

“We shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

I let out a yelp at the close proximity of Finn’s low voice. “She who?” I asked, once my heart rate lowered to less than a hundred beats a second.

“Aphrodite’s Rock,” he stated flippantly, and started swimming toward shore. Aphrodite’s Rock was a she? I took off after him in confusion and noticed the rocks that dotted the bottom were increasing in size, some of which were breaking the surface above. Finn moved toward one in particular and shot up along its side. I followed him until his feet disappeared from the water completely. When my head broke the surface, I realized why. He was now perched on top of the massive rock that extended up from below. Using my sub-par rock climbing skills, I clumsily maneuvered my way up the limestone wall and settled in beside him with shaking arms.

“This is Aphrodite’s Rock?” I asked as I inspected our underwhelming sitting spot. It was only about eight feet wide and rose maybe ten feet off the surface of the water.

“No,” Finn chuckled and pointed off to the right, “that’s Aphrodite’s Rock.”

“Oh,” I breathed in amazement. Two crescent-shaped white beaches joined together, creating a point where a massive white limestone rock looked out over the sea. It was a rough half dome about the size of a five-story building, its vertical cliff facing the sea. With the tide in the process of coming in, the entire back half of the rock was still visible sitting atop the rocky shore. Behind it, the shore gave way to a rocky hill sloping upward towards a road that followed the winding coastline.

Unable to tear my eyes away from our amazing view, I struggled to shift my body off of the broken piece of rock that was valiantly trying to puncture my leg. My hand slipped when I experienced a sharp, cold sensation at the back of my neck. A flashback of being rendered helpless within Nadia’s cold, dank, cave hit me and my eyes swept the area. Instinctively, I sent out feelers with my ‘other’ sense to make sure that no one was waiting for the perfect time to attack.

“Did you feel that?” I asked Finn, zeroing in on the strong positive energy that rolled off of Aphrodite’s Rock in swells.

“No,” he refuted as his body tensed in preparation for whatever I was sensing. “What did it feel like?”

“I don’t know…” I answered, beginning to doubt myself. Just because I felt something cold blow across my neck didn’t mean our lives were at risk. “I think it was just the wind.” Finn’s eyes focused and his trace shimmered as he sent feelers out for any danger or evil.

“Yep,” he agreed and rubbed his arm, which had stopped shimmering. “Probably just the wind.”

“Do you think Nadia would have followed you back here?” I wondered uneasily.

“No,” he shrugged casually. “If she does, I’ll feel her before she can get within ten miles.

That’s the only good thing about being evil; she might as well put on a glow-in-the-dark orange jumpsuit,” he chuckled at himself.

“She has a way of just…popping up, though,” I countered, not feeling nearly as assured as he seemed to.

“There is one thing I’ve been trying to figure out, and it’s something that you definitely need to be aware of,” he explained nonchalantly. “Keto showed up in Nadia’s underground travelling circus of torture.”

“Keto?!” I almost fell off the rock.

“I could tell that they were planning something, but I kept going in and out. I couldn’t ever stay awake long enough to hear an entire conversation. It was slightly annoying.”

“Do you think Keto is going to help her infuse your essence into her soul?” Why would Keto be helping Nadia? She had to be getting something valuable in return.

“I know for a fact that Keto doesn’t have the ability to perform the essence infusion ritual.”

“How do you know?” Apparently, my detective skills needed some work.

“The process of infusing essence requires a great deal of energy, pulled from a source such as the sun or the moon…neither of which Keto is affiliated with. If I had to guess I’d say Nadia is helping Keto, not the other way around. But don’t think you are the only thorn in their sides,” he poked me in my ribs playfully. “There’s a good chance that this has absolutely nothing to do with you or the Tydes.”

“So, you don’t think that Nadia could convince Keto to confront me before my birthday?”

“Keto is not one to be coerced.”

“I need to find out for sure,” I squirmed. “Not knowing is worse than anything else.” It was then that I decided I needed to find Nadia, or even Keto through a reverie. I couldn’t just sit around anymore. If they were planning something diabolical, I couldn’t let them take me by surprise. And I had to practice! I still didn’t know what all I was capable of! Not to mention that I still needed to get an understanding of what Keto was capable of.

“I could sit here forever,” Finn mused happily, voicing the exact opposite of how I was feeling. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, soaking in the sun with a smile. His body was completely relaxed, and I got the feeling that he didn’t have a care in the world. Meanwhile I was a ball of nerves - two seconds away from a panic attack.

“How do you do that?” I asked; a little annoyed at his cavalier attitude.

“Do what?” he asked, peeking out at me from the corner of his eye.

“That!” I gestured to his relaxed stature with contempt. He sat up and threaded his fingers through mine tenderly.

“If you were sitting beside you, you wouldn’t have a care in the world either.” He grinned and I gave him a ‘be serious’ look. He twisted his body toward mine, providing me his full attention. His handsome face darkened and a steely hardness entered his eyes.

“Stasia, listen to me. I am Prime of the Sons. I can kill and have killed without blinking an eye. I have the most powerful essence, only second to my father. Not to mention, I have an army of Sons behind me.” I held my breath at the conviction in his voice and the strength of the darkness that now surrounded us. “I fear no one.” His eyes melted and dropped to our intertwined hands, “Except you.”

“Me?” Yeah, right.

“It’s true. You scare the hell out of me.” His voice wavered slightly as he began to run his finger over my trace, sending tingles up my arm.

“Yeah, right,” I whispered my thoughts, attempting to brush his words off.

“I’m not me without you,” he vowed adoringly. “The possibility of losing you was almost too much for me to handle. I compromised your trust and risked both our safeties by foolishly believing I could handle it all on my own. But, I can promise you right now, I’ll never underestimate you again.”

“I just feel so much pressure,” I sighed. “Not only do I have to fight my way to become the leader of the Tydes, I have to somehow prove that I’m worthy of being a Nereid - and I have no idea how I plan on doing either of those things! I need to practice. I need to get stronger. I need to come up with a plan. And to top it off, Nadia and Keto are now best friends! I just don’t think I can-“

“You’re not alone in this, Stasia. I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you. Whatever comes our way, we’ll handle it. Together.”

“Together,” I repeated quietly. It had been so ingrained in me that hardships and trials were something I stumbled through alone, that now I had a hard time seeing it from a different perspective.

“But by my calculation we have twenty-four hours before we have to leave this paradise, and I intend on making the best of it. What do you say?”

“I think I can handle that,” I said and allowed myself to smile.

“Good. But can you handle this…?” he raised an eyebrow at me, stood valiantly and did a back flip into the water, ten feet below. Not one to shy away from a challenge, I stood shakily (note to self: no more rock climbing) and pivoted, backing up so that my heels were hanging off the rock. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and flung myself backward.

Chapter 16

Unfortunately for the tender skin of my stomach, that feeble attempt at a back flip turned into more of a half flip-half flop. Finn, of course, was several feet away doing nothing to contain his laughter. My wounded pride burned inside of me and I chased after him. I finally caught up to him at the bottom of another rock structure. I followed quickly as he disappeared around a corner, and I realized with fascination that the sea had carved out a tunnel that ran the length of the rock; leaving about six feet of air between the ceiling and the water. But Finn was nowhere to be seen. I entered the tunnel and searched below me for a submerged Finn lying in wait. Without warning, I was grabbed from behind by warm, strong hands. An equally strong, warm darkness descended upon my heart, and I immediately gave in. Finn twisted me around with a smirk and pinned me against the side of the tunnel, clearly pleased with himself.

“You shouldn’t swim alone. You never know what kind of darkness lurks in these waters,” he mewled in a low voice; taking my breath away as the water rolled down his handsome face and swirled within his blue eyes, which were currently mere inches from my own.

“The only thing lurking in these waters is you,” I countered with disregard.

“Exactly,” he gave me a crooked grin. He licked his lips and moved even closer. Those same perfect lips parted ever so slightly as they met mine; tasting of sea water and lighting my world on fire. The heat that rolled off of his body as he pressed against me contradicted the cold of the rock at my back. He broke his kiss and diverted his attention to my neck, slowly kissing his way to my shoulder. The sound of the water splashing up against the tunnel walls didn’t mute the moan that escaped my mouth, as lips continued their southward course. He followed my collarbone and gently kissed his way down to where my bathing suit clasped in the middle. His head disappeared beneath the water as his mouth explored the now red and tender skin of my stomach, sending shivers down my body.

He continued to sink, running his fingers down my legs and wrapping them around my ankles. The next second he yanked me underwater with him, caught me at the waist and pulled me against him with a wicked glint in his eyes. I shook my head at him and kissed him again. As our kisses became hotter and deeper, we sank to the sandy bottom below; emblazoned by our own desire.

Out of nowhere, a massive impact from above broke us from our intimate trance as we shifted our focus toward the surface. Finn went from completely unreserved to Prime in a nano-second, as he scrutinized the figure that was now in the water above us. Another body splashed in, and we could hear the laughter and squeals coming from more people on the rocks. Finn’s body relaxed and he smiled down at me with renewed mischief.

“I want to show you something.”

Swimming silently towards the shore, the sensation of his kisses stubbornly lingered on my body; counteracting the water’s velvety touch. We made our way up to the beach, which transitioned from soft sand into large pebbles; making it difficult to walk without twisting an ankle. The unsettling feeling of something looming over me set me on edge, until I peered up to see the massive limestone side of Aphrodite’s Rock. It was utterly awe-inspiring, and easily commanded its own presence on the beach as it overshadowed everything else.

We strolled along its side and I marveled at the graffiti that littered its white stone face.

Hundreds of hearts decorated it, each incasing a different set of initials. Some had been worn down by the hands of time, while others were newer and bolder. I stepped on a loose rock that gave way beneath my weight and then sent me careening sideways. Bracing myself against the rock, I did not expect the immediate explosion of thoughts and sounds.

Startling image after image slammed into me. Pictures of people smiling, drawing, laughing, and talking flew across my vision with such speed, it almost knocked the breath out of me. The odd part was the fact that my point of view was from inside the rock, looking out. An overwhelming wave of pure love and adoration crashed over me, hitting me again and again. I couldn’t tell if it was how the sea felt to the rock, or how the rock felt about its pilgrims, but either way it was magical and haunting…and then it was gone. Finn had pulled me off of the rock and had me in his arms.

“I wish I had a warning sound that went off before that happened,” I said, my words only coming out as a whisper. Tears of love and happiness rolled down my cheeks as I tried to speak louder. “I seriously need to get that particular ability under control.”

“I think I know someone who can help you with that once we return to Lorelei,” he informed me cryptically with a wink.

“Who’s that?”

“You’ll see,” he answered vaguely. I wanted to press further since it seemed that I was always the last to find these kinds of things out, but the intense cloud of joy that hovered over the beach stole my thoughts.

“There’s so much love here,” I marveled. “It’s intoxicating.”

“People come here to pray to Aphrodite and secure their love in stone,” he explained as he led me toward the sloping hill that led up the road above. “Either by writing on the rock itself, or by creating their own memento.” What I had initially thought were just random rocks from the beach were now taking the shape of larger hearts that scattered across the hillside, created by the white stones from the beach. Just like the ones drawn on the rock, each heart encased a pair of initials, usually created by smaller rocks.

Seeing all of the hearts had my own thoughts wondering to what our future held. I knew that I wanted to be with Finn - I couldn’t see myself with anyone else. But I couldn’t be sure that he was willing to claim the same. I knew that he loved me, but there’s a difference between ‘love’ and making a commitment to spend the rest of your lives together. Especially if you’re immortal.

Forever is literal.

“When immortals are bound…” I began carefully, “is it the same as being engaged?”

His eyes flickered up to mine in surprise, and an uncomfortable shadow fell over his features.

He wiped all emotion from his face and answered robotically, making me wonder if there was a teleprompter suspended behind me. “What humans refer to as being ‘engaged’ is similar to binding, yes. But when you bind your soul to another’s, you are vowing to marry them and love them forever.

Unlike engagement, binding is irreversible.”

“So you didn’t vow anything to Nadia,” I said before thinking, and then corrected myself.

“Or…did you?”

“Persephone overrode any normal traditions that went along with being bound or married. I had no choice in the matter. But the only thing I’d ever vow to Nadia is to rid the earth of her,” he answered coldly, and then fidgeted anxiously as he continued in a softer voice, marked by conviction.

“In my eyes, the act of becoming bound before marriage is nothing like getting engaged. When you are married in the traditional sense, you share each other’s lives, personal belongings and experiences. When you become bound and subsequently married you share souls, emotions, and thoughts as well.”

“Wow…” Was all I could think to say, until I remembered something else I’d heard him say a couple of weeks ago. “And…binding usually happens on a person’s eighteenth birthday?”

“Usually, yes. Especially if you’re Chosen.” He paused as if he wanted to say more, and I thought I saw a flicker of something in his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly. “But becoming bound is not to be taken lightly.” He bent down to collect a handful of stones that had trickled down to the base of the hill. “Just like these stones.” He changed the subject, failing miserably to do so unnoticed.

He walked up to the hill to find an empty spot, and created his own heart, retrieving discarded stones from the bottom of the hill until it was complete. I took a handful of smaller stones and climbed up to meet him.

“I must say, that’s the most beautiful rock heart I’ve ever seen,” I complimented his work with a touch of cynicism and a smile, hoping to bring his back. A heavy insecurity fell over my heart as I fought to understand the drastic change in his demeanor. It didn’t do much to help the fear that he could be unsure about our future. The fact that my eighteenth birthday was only a month and a half away did nothing to ease my self-doubt. I shook myself mentally and reminded myself that there were many other things to worry about before my eighteenth birthday. I certainly couldn’t become bound to anyone if I was dead.

“Another ability of mine:” he quipped as his smile returned, “drawing perfect hearts.”

I snickered and handed him half of my collected rocks. I placed mine in the shape of an F and then added a + symbol. He placed his in the shape of an S, and we stood back to admire our artistry.

“Hmm, I think the F’s a little crooked,” he frowned dramatically, tilting his head to get a better look.

“I think you’re a little crooked, so it works out perfectly,” I teased him, and gave him a light shove.

“One more thing,” he informed me, taking my hand again. We walked over the loose stones of the beach, toward what looked like a limestone tunnel that stretched beneath the road high above.

“That’s how the non-water-breathing world gets to the rock,” he chuckled and gestured toward the dark tunnel. We came to a stop in front of a very large, very scraggly looking bush. But that wasn’t the extraordinary part. Every branch and every twig was overflowing with small strips of tissue or cloth that had been tied around them. It reminded me of rolling a tree with toilet paper, although I was positive that was not the case here.

“What are they?” I asked curiously. I refrained from touching even one branch, for fear of experiencing the visual onslaught of every person ever to stand in that spot.

“Wishes,” Finn explained nostalgically. “If you make a wish and then tie a piece of cloth onto the bush it will come true.”

“Like a wishing well,” I pondered.

“Except these are only wishes about love,” he said with a tenderness in his eyes. He reached into his pocket and produced two strips of white cloth and handed one to me. “Make a wish, Pasha.”

I closed my eyes. I wish for the safety of the people I love…and to be with Finn. Forever.

Okay, so that was two. Maybe Aphrodite wouldn’t mind. I chose an empty inch of branch and tied the cloth to the tree; careful not to come into contact with any branches or leaves.

“Your turn,” I instructed him as he stared down at his piece of cloth and smiled. Then he too tied it to the tree, right beside mine. I couldn’t help but wonder what he had wished for as we strolled back toward the waves. Not that I had the courage to ask. Finn, however didn’t have that problem.

“What did you wish for?” he questioned me with a devilish gleam in his eye.

“Wishes don’t come true if you tell people what they were!” I scolded him.

“If that’s the case....” He pretended to lock his lips and throw away the key. “Mine will stay locked away forever.” His voice took on a serious tone as he continued. “Some wishes are too important to waste.”

Chapter 17

“Seventeen!?”

“Seventeen,” Tina repeated for the second time with a little tone of annoyance.

“Seventeen,” Phoebe confirmed, still skeptical of Tina’s claim. She was hardly convinced that the legal drinking age in Cyprus was four years less than in the U.S.

“Except for people named Phoebe,” Carmen teased her. “They’re only allowed sippy cups full of chocolate milk.”

“Hey, I like chocolate milk,” Phoebe shrugged her shoulders with a twinkle in her eye.

“Especially with Bailey’s in it.”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that…” Natasha muttered as she perused the menu. The oceanfront Sienna restaurant had made a table for us next to the windows, overlooking the pristine and currently dark waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The serene blanket of night seemed farther away than just a pane of glass, amongst the bustling sounds of the restaurant. Tina had suggested Sienna for its relaxed, but upscale atmosphere. White tablecloths covered the tables, while small candles on each created a romantic, but cozy ambience.

Not until after our very tall waitress with a slight mustache took our orders and provided us with bread did I realize how hungry I was. I supposed that swimming twenty miles up the coast and back will do that to a girl. The celebratory mood at the table eased my nerves and put a smile on my face, as I began to relax and have a good time. Or it could have been the Tequila Sunrise that I was drinking. Either way, I was ecstatic by the time an overflowing bowl of chicken and mushroom cannelloni pasta was presented to me.

In the chair next to me, Finn barely took the time to breathe before inhaling his Lamb and Leek Soutzoukakia (Tina had to pronounce that last word for us). Across from me, Phoebe was already on her third mojito and was becoming more and more flushed as the minutes passed. Beside her, Carmen and Ricker had barely touched their entrees. They were more concerned with each other and the details of their hushed conversation. My heart warmed at how obvious it was that their love/hate relationship had transcended to a new level.

Dessert consisted of Greek coffee, which Phoebe completely ignored in favor of her fourth cocktail. I saw Elina raise an eyebrow at Natasha, before clinking her fork against her glass to gain everyone’s attention.

“Who among us has heard of Kafemandia?” Elina asked with heavy dignity.

“Kathemannia?” Phoebe proceeded to butcher the beautiful Greek language.

“Almost,” Natasha inserted with a smile. “Kafemandia is Greek for Tasseography.” After several blank stares Elina continued; un-phased by our lack of culture.

“Kafemandia is the art of reading one’s future in the grounds of coffee or leaves of tea. It originated from the Chinese monks of old. The residual coffee grounds left within the demitasse, or small cup, can be interpreted to explain your past and present, as well as to predict your future,” she explained mysteriously.

“I’m pretty sure mine are saying I need another round of Jack Daniels,” Ricker eyed his tea cup with a sneer. He jumped as Finn kicked him under the table, making sure that Finn saw the middle finger he was dramatically scratching his eyebrow with. Thankfully, Elina ignored him with unabated grace.

“Kafemandia has been passed down for generations in my family. If you would like, I’d be happy to read your grounds once you finish,” Elina said with a twinkle in her eye.

“I think I’ve had enough supernatural shows for one day,” Carmen muttered stubbornly. I could see the tiny wheels turning in Willow’s head as she drank hers in one long sip. I downed my small tea cup of foamy, rich liquid in a matter of minutes and saw the leftover coffee grounds settling around the bottom. No wonder it was so potent! I wondered why they even bothered creating a drink.

A person could chew on the coffee beans and achieve the same result. With everything weighing on my mind, I decided that the chances of me allowing Elina to read my future were slim to none. I knew all too well what my future held, and I didn’t want to be reminded. Tina gleefully finished her cup and handed it to Elina dutifully.

Elina silently took the cup, tilted it on its side and twisted it clockwise three times, allowing some sludge to drip out onto her empty plate. I was trying to pay attention, but the realization that I had just drunk something that resembled a mud pie made my stomach churn. Elina proceeded to set the cup down and placed her hand over the top. She closed her eyes for a split second, and then peeked inside. Tina leaned over as far as she possibly could, as Elina inspected the contents.

“The grounds on the bottom of the cup represent your past. The middle or sides of the cup represent your present, and the top rim of the cup represents your future. The grounds will form certain symbols, which is what I will use to discern the meaning.” We watched on eagerly (and skeptically) as she continued to decipher Tina’s coffee grounds.

“It would appear someone has been slacking on their studies…” she began with a telling frown. Tina’s face shaded bright red as Elina continued. “You’re extremely happy and feel much gratitude for being in your present company.” Tina’s smile widened, but her face turned an even deeper shade of red. “It would appear that a new love interest will soon come under a revelation that will alter their path in your direction.” The white of Tina’s eyes became visible as they grew larger.

“Do mine! Do mine!” Phoebe waved her cup at Elina, taking the attention off of a relieved Tina. Elina somehow snagged Phoebe’s waving tea cup and repeated the motions of spreading out the coffee grounds.

“At the bottom of your cup I see a tree on fire.” Phoebe gasped, but Elina continued steadily.

“This means that you have gone through a period of change and growth…a renewal of sorts.” Phoebe let out her breath and squeezed Carmen’s arm. “I clearly see a waterfall on the side, which means you’ve had enough to drink.” She raised an eyebrow at Phoebe. I had a feeling that whatever symbol she had found on the sides of the cup represented Phoebe needing to be cut off. “And in your future I see one continuous ring, which means much happiness in friendships and love.”

“Wow!” Phoebe delicately took her cup from Elina and peered inside. “Can I keep my cup as a souvenir?”

“I think petty theft is frowned upon in most countries,” Ricker snickered.

“Do Stasia’s next!” Willow exclaimed, stealing my cup and handing it to Elina. Unable to snatch it away from her, I could only await the inevitable. My stomach gurgled again as she went through the motions and inspected the remaining contents.

“You have experienced so many traumas at the hands of others.” She furrowed her brow as she continued, “But the phoenix I see tells me that you’ve gone through a rather amazing transformation; well on the way to becoming a beautiful, powerful creature.” I felt my own face heat up as everyone turned to smile knowingly at me. Finn put his arm around me and squeezed me tight.

“Anxiety and immense pressure fill your current reality, as seen by the herd of elephants running around the sides of your cup.”

“Herd of Elephants?” Phoebe giggled.

“That’s not what you’d normally want running around your cup,” Ricker quipped, “or anywhere for that matter.”

“Whoa, who are they?” Willow interrupted with a loud gasp, her gaze fixed on the entrance of the restaurant where a large group of people had arrived.

“Auras,” Tina answered with a scowl. The entire restaurant appeared to glow in the group’s presence. Made up of five rather obvious couples, they followed the hostess to a table near ours. I’m surprised that I didn’t see the tether of a leash on each of the guys, as the girls gripped their arms with an air of ownership. Their dark brown hair was offset by startling pale skin and light silvery-gray eyes. Something tickled at my memory, as I watched the first girl walk towards us. Her slender frame easily maneuvered between the tables as her calculating eyes swept over us. Her shoulder length hair fell perfectly around her face, and the glittering silver top she wore matched the silver of her eyes.

Black skinny jeans were topped off by silver high heels and a black clutch. Still looking down her nose at us, she lifted her chin ever so slightly, not bothering to smile or acknowledge us. Each person behind her followed suit, completely ignoring us.

Besides their pretentious, imperious attitudes, the other things that struck me were the glass orbs that hung from the silver chains around their necks. It instantly reminded me of the woman in the soul-stealing vision I had on the plane. She had the same type of necklace, except that hers pulsed with light.

“What’s an Aura?” Phoebe whispered to Tina with saucer-shaped eyes.

“They’re one of the orders at Eventide,” Tina explained dryly. “Descendents of the moon goddess Selene. As you can see, they don’t believe in associating with lesser beings. A.K.A., everyone else.”

“Seriously? An entire Order of snobs?” Phoebe scrunched up her nose in disgust.

“Pretty much. They only date and marry other Auras, too. They believe that having offspring with someone in another Order diminishes the purity of their essence.”

“They sound like well-adjusted, open minded people,” Ricker chuckled with sarcasm. “Think they’d want to join us at the Inferior Beings table?”

“We should pretend they aren’t there,” Elina censured us. “Each Order is free to practice their own beliefs and traditions. It is not our place to judge them, just as it is not their place to judge us.

Speaking of traditions…let’s continue our reading, shall we?”

We tore our eyes away from the Auras, who were barely even speaking to the waitress tasked with obtaining their drink orders. As Elina inspected my cup again, I recognized a warming sensation at my side where my purse hung from my chair. I twisted around and searched through it for the source of the heat.

“And your future appears to hold….” Elina’s breath appeared to catch in her throat, just as I wrapped my fingers around what I recognized as my moonstone. I had begun to carry it everywhere in memory of my mother. I pulled it from my purse, but all curiosity was lost when Elina dropped my cup suddenly and stared at me; stunned. “Death.”

What did she just say? Death!? The blood drained from my face and the air left my lungs as my world flipped upside down. I clenched onto Finn’s arm and tried to steady myself.

“Stasia! Your moonstone!” Natasha gasped. I looked down at the moonstone still clutched in my left hand, which was now glowing - pulsing a silvery light. A pulsing light that reminded me of the woman in my vision’s necklace once again. Feeling eyes on me, I looked up into the eyes of all ten Auras, who were now openly gaping at me. I gasped at what I saw. The glass orbs hanging from their necklaces were now glowing; pulsing in cadence with my moonstone. My last vision came crashing back to me. A crescent shaped beach. Just like the beach at Aphrodite’s Rock. White stone boulders. Just like the ones surrounding Aphrodite’s rock. A full moon. My eyes flew up to the full moon peeking out of the clouds, which had been building all afternoon. My vision was going to take place at Aphrodite’s Rock. The next thing I knew, I was running.

Chapter 18

I ran past the now wide-eyed Auras, past the startled hostesses who unsuccessfully tried to hold the door open for me, over the railing, and across the beach until I finally made it to my destination. The sea. The details of my vision revolved in my mind like a ferris wheel gone wild.

The rocks, the crescent beach, the glowing orb, the woman who could only be the Moon goddess the Auras descended from. The pale skin, dark hair, and silver eyes. I had no idea what the vision meant, or why it had happened. All I knew was that I needed to stop it.

Death. Elina’s last word also circulated through my thoughts. Torturing my already tortured soul, I pledged silently that it didn’t matter - as long as I could save those people on the beach. Maybe if I could get to them in time, I could stop it. I could make a difference! If I died saving them, then so be it.

The sea’s crashing waves felt like a soft blanket on a cool night, surrounding my heart and energizing my muscles. I found the moonstone still in my hand and shoved it into my jeans pocket before diving underwater; swimming as fast as I could. I propelled myself through the water with incredible force and speed, surprising even myself. As the rain fell on the surface, a frenzy of energy swirled around me. Schools of fish suddenly came alive, darting back in forth with the cadence of the rain above. It was as if the sea was feeding off of the turbulent energy from above. I pulled from it and let it take over, filling every fiber of my being with its strength.

As the bottom changed from sandy to rocky, I knew I was close. Allowing my instinct to guide me, I darted toward shore. The grass covering the boulders below danced in the chaotic rhythm of the waves and I could feel the excitement every living being fell victim to at the falling rain. It was if the sea was celebrating. Celebrating a part of itself returning after a long journey.

As I made my way on shore, I realized I had lost my shoes at some point during my swim. I clamored over the rocky shoreline that swept the area. The pouring rain made it impossible to see and even more impossible to walk. It hadn’t been raining in my vision, but what about when the rain let up? What about tomorrow? The next day? I strained to remember if there was any trace of rain in my vision, but I couldn’t remember. The more time that went by, the hazier the memory of my visions became.

My feet slipped on the slippery rocks of the beach and I tumbled sideways, landing hard on my side and scraping my leg. I pushed myself back up and continued, only to slip again. This time a pair of arms caught me mid-fall, securing me and softening the landing as we both tumbled onto the rocks. I felt the pain of several more bruises as my legs slammed into a couple sharp ones.

“Nice night for a swim,” Finn’s sarcastic voice tickled my ear, momentarily hypnotizing me.

“Let me go, I have to find them!” I yelled back at him, attempting to stand back up.

Unfortunately, he easily overpowered my efforts.

“You’re not finding anybody in this weather.”

“I have to try!” I struggled against his strong arms to no avail.

“Stasia, calm down.”

“I’ll calm down when I figure out why the hell I keep having visions that don’t make sense!”

I yelled at him, tears burning behind my eyes. “I have to watch a bunch of people have their souls ripped out of their bodies with no clue as to who they are, where they are, or most importantly when they are!”

“Just because you have a vision about something doesn’t mean you are supposed to hunt to the ends of the earth to find it and prevent it,” he said calmly. “Some things are meant to happen. Fate and destiny are stronger than any vision, any essence, or any ability.”

“Then why do I have them? Why can’t I have a vision about something good? Why do I have to watch people die!?”

“It just takes time-“

“I don’t have time!” I yelled back at him. “All of this! You’ve had time to figure all of this out! I’ve had months, Finn! Months! And each day I’m closer to my eighteenth birthday. Each day I’m closer to confronting Keto. Each day I’m closer to-“

“…fulfilling your destiny.” Finn interrupted. “Why can’t you see how special you are? If your mother didn’t believe you could do this, she wouldn’t have Chosen you.”

“Well being Chosen isn’t as great as it’s cracked up to be, if you ask me.”

“Welcome to my life,” Finn muttered and chuckled in spite of himself. “Being Chosen isn’t supposed to be fun or easy. It’s hard - it’s very hard…which is why it’s not given out freely. Only those who can handle it are given the responsibilities and pressures that come along with it.”

“I feel like my abilities work against me half the time. They distract me or backfire on me!

How can I concentrate on what I’m supposed to do when I’m having visions constantly about people dying and horrible things happening? How can I concentrate on what I’m supposed to do, when I know Nadia is out there, waiting for me to stumble so she can kick me when I’m down?”

“I know you don’t want to hear this, but you’ll figure it out. Once you begin to control and harness your abilities, it will all begin to fall into place,” Finn explained. “You have to trust me on that. When we return to Lorelei, Mom will make sure your only priority is to practice your abilities. I have a feeling the new Maven will not disagree.”

I gave up my fight and sagged against him, leaning my head back on his shoulder. I let his darkness wrap around me and soothe my heart. “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I murmured.

“You’d probably have a broken leg,” he joked. “These rocks are no joke. Let’s get you someplace dry.”

He helped me up and we delicately made our way across the rocky beach, toward a rock that was shaped like a giant letter ‘n’ stepping into the ocean; one leg on the beach, while the other was underwater. Beneath its arch the waves were slowly crawling toward the other leg, so that the sand beneath was wet, but we were still shielded from the rain. I sat down on the wet sand and stretched my legs out, allowing the water to slosh over them again and again.

“We could be in one of those Giorgio for Men cologne commercials right now, and not even know it.”

“I was in a commercial like that once,” Finn contemplated.

“You were!?”

“No,” he smirked.

“I hate you,” I splashed water up at him.

“Aw, you don’t mean that,” he mewed, moving closer to me. I inched away from him and crossed my arms.

“Oh yes I do.”

“I bet I can change your mind.”

“I doubt it,” I retorted, instantly regretting it when I saw the knowing look in his eye.

“Challenge accepted.” He grinned at me like a panther about to go in for the kill, and I was fully aware I was the kill. What I wasn’t aware of was the fact that it had started to storm. Lightning struck nearby, sending a shockwave across the beach that lit up the night with its flash. I shrieked out and instinctively moved towards Finn, who pulled me close.

“I knew I could change your mind,” he chuckled. I didn’t miss the smug smile on his face.

“You didn’t know I could control lightning, did you?”

“I hope the next one hits you.” I rolled my eyes at his phony claim, inwardly relishing the feel of his arms and the comfort of his body beside mine. As if on cue, another bolt of lightning shot across the sky and sent the resulting thunder over the water and onto the beach; rattling my insides with its tenor.

“Careful Pasha, you never know what you might be capable of.” He grinned, leaning towards me and nuzzling my neck. “Burnt-to-a-crisp-Finn was not on the menu for tonight.”

“I’m pretty sure I can’t control anything that powerful,” I laughed his comment off and shivered at the feel of his breath on my neck.

“I beg to differ,” he whispered in my ear. As the warmth of his mouth met the rain-soaked skin of my neck, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to become lost in his touch. As his lips ran along my collarbone, I suddenly needed to feel them against my own. I leaned forward, pushing him off of me and against the rock. I let my knees slide on either side of him as he pulled me closer. I ran my fingers through his wet hair and clenched it tightly in my hands as I leaned down to kiss him. As the storm intensified, he ran his hands up and down my back as he pulled me against him and deepened our kiss, sending me into a world of sheer bliss. The energy of the storm had nothing on the energy and heat we were producing.

With his hands on either side of my waist, he put a slight distance between us; taking a moment for his eyes to linger on mine before they roamed down to my lips, along my shoulder and finally to the shirt that now clung to me, accentuating everything underneath. His hands migrated to the bottom of my shirt when his eyes met mine once more, before he pulled it up over my head and discarded it onto the rain-soaked sand. (Thank goodness I’d worn one of my more lacy bras.) His eyes drank me in as they widened slightly, and a sweet grin danced across his lips. Chills popped up on my skin as I tugged off his shirt, which ended up next to mine on the beach.

He slowly traced the skin around my bra with a light finger, sending even more chills down my skin. Once done, he leaned forward and his lips followed the same course; his tongue occasionally making an appearance, raking my insides with warmth. His teasing touch drove me insane as I felt myself swell for more beneath the lacy fabric. I reached back and unclasped my bra, slowly shrugged it off and slung it aside.

“Wow…” he muttered breathlessly. Nervous giggles escaped my lips, and I suppressed the urge to cover myself as I sensed my cheeks flush. “You’re so beautiful.”

He wrapped me in his arms, and the feel of his firm chest pressing against mine unraveled me. Every part of me suddenly came alive - warming and pulsing with desire. He kissed me softly and slowly, as his hands gently investigated the tender skin of my chest. As he cupped and caressed me, his kisses deepened and an intense feeling of closeness and safety warmed my heart. Allowing myself complete vulnerability to his touch, his acceptance, and his love freed me of the abusive words and judgments of my troubled past; healing something inside me I didn’t realize needed healing.

Feeling way too restricted by the heaviness of my soaked jeans, I stood. Never breaking his gaze, I slipped them off and kicked them aside. As he stood I noticed he was biting his lip, almost nervously waiting for me to make the next move. I grasped the waistband of his jeans and pulled him towards me. As I unbuttoned his jeans and let them drop to the sand, he tucked my wet hair behind my ears and smiled.

“I think I’ve had this dream before,” he smiled down at me, alluding to our last beach encounter on Shackleford Banks. I didn’t miss the way he stumbled over his words nervously. “I keep finding myself half-naked on a faraway beach with the most amazing girl in the world.”

“That’s funny,” I grinned. “I’ve had that very same dream!”

“On a faraway beach with the most amazing girl in the world?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, so maybe there was one slight difference in my dream…” I giggled.

“Shew,” he wiped his brow. “I was starting to get worried there for a minute.”

My laugh came out a little too spastic, and I realized that our rambling was an effort to hide our nerves. But I was in uncharted territory, and I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I didn’t want to stop. We gazed at each other in nervous silence, before he took a step towards me and his face turned serious. He wrapped one arm around me and swept me up into his arms, gently lying me back down on the sand. The chill of the ground below me was quickly erased by the heat of his body as he lay down on top of me. At the pressure of his weight, a sharp pain erupted beneath one of my butt cheeks and I cried out in pain. Finn jumped off of me so fast, I almost missed it.

“Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

I searched for the sharp culprit beneath me and produced a sharp piece of something brown.

“I think it was just some wood,” I explained; catching my breath when I realized what I had just said. “I mean…not your piece of wood…no - I mean…oh my god.” I laid back down on the sand and put an embarrassed hand over my face. I heard him chuckle and felt him lay back down on top of me slowly. He took my hand and somehow peeled it off of my red face. I peeked out at him from one eye.

“I love you so much,” he grinned down at me, his eyes full of tenderness. Thankfully, my thoughts were swept away as soon as his soft lips met mine. The thunder continued to rumble around us as we became lost in each other. Each touch, each movement fueled the flames that threatened to engulf me. I could think of nothing else other than Finn. I wanted to be closer - I needed to be closer.

Deciding that I couldn’t ignore the ache inside me any longer, I clumsily rid Finn of his boxers as he attempted to do the same for me.

“Stasia,” he breathed into my neck; his voice husky with passion. “I’ve never…” The sudden intensity in his eyes sent ripples of every emotion through my body at once. Beneath the overwhelming passion and unmistakable desire was a layer of uncertainty, a side to him no one was allowed to see. A side of him I’d seen only once before. His innocence. It shone so brightly in his eyes, that my heart melted and ran down into the sand, mixing with the rain.

“Me either,” I whispered back. I felt his body tense unexpectedly as a crushing disappointment fell over his face.

“I don’t have…anything,” he stumbled, looking away from me in shame. “I didn’t know…I..”

“It’s okay,” I rubbed his face to comfort him, utterly touched and silently thanking my adopted mother. “I’m on the pill.”

His body relaxed and he closed his eyes, relief washing over him. I pulled him back down on top of me as his touch became more urgent, his kisses more desperate. I had never felt a need so strong. It was crushing in its intensity and urgency. I no longer heard the banter of the rain or the rumbling of the thunder. The storm was now raging inside of me, releasing entirely new and powerful feelings. Waves of heat rolled over me as we became one, and I willingly embraced this entirely new and profound level of love. Time faded away and the outside world disappeared into oblivion, leaving only me, Finn, and the perfect storm.

Chapter 19

“Time to wake up, sleeping beauty.” A light, feathery touch along my arm roused me from a dreamless sleep, as the musical sounds of crashing waves filled my ears. I kept my eyes closed, but couldn’t stop the sloppy smile from dripping across my face. I had a bad feeling that getting rid of said sloppy smile would take some effort. I knew that it would take Carmen all of two seconds to figure out what I’d done if she caught a glimpse of it. Finn’s touch trailed down my arm and onto my trace, as he took my hand and kissed it softly. The light of day burned against my eyelids as I blissfully replayed last night over and over in my head.

“Turn off the lights, it bright out here.”

“It’s called the sun,” he chuckled. “I’m afraid there’s no off switch.”

“Damn.” Before I could say more, a loud squeal and subsequent laughter jolted me wide awake. I took in the throngs of early morning beach goers and tourists snapping pictures of the rocky shore, Aphrodite’s Rock, and the sea. Shock and horror rushed over me when I remembered that I was lounging around in public, sporting nothing but my birthday suit.

“Oh my god!” I instinctively curled up into a big red ball of absolute humiliation, until I realized that move had only succeeded in baring my backside to the entire world. I moved to huddle up against Finn, when I noticed his pious smirk and the unmistakable glint in his deep blue eyes as he watched me with amusement.

“Where are my clothes?” I demanded with a hitch in my voice. I searched the surrounding sand in a desperate hunt for something - anything – that resembled my bra and underwear. Finn snorted and proceeded to antagonize me further by showing off the clothes he was clutching in his hands. Before I could beat him senseless, I discovered we were sparkling. I let out an exasperated sigh and collapsed back onto the sand.

“I hate you,” I declared plainly. As he hid his laugh behind a poorly executed cough, I glared at his pearly whites and fought the smile that played across my own lips.

“I notice you keep saying that,” he tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Although I’ve done nothing to warrant such harsh words…”

Feeling increasingly exposed (which doesn’t take much when you’re standing naked on a beach full of people), I lunged at him unsuccessfully. He stood his ground and held them just out of my reach with a smile. Not surprisingly, no amount of jumping did me any good. Instead I was forced to watch in horror as he walked down the beach with a satisfied lightness in his step. I scrambled to my feet and chased after him, nearly tripping over a small toddler counting rocks near the water’s edge; his unsuspecting mother beaming with pride. The possibility that Finn’s cloak would disappear at any given moment was enough to send my legs into overdrive. I had no idea how far away from him I could be, and still remain invisible. The burning heat of my cheeks spread to the rest of my body as I chased him past a sweet older couple holding hands. To my relief, he turned on his heel and headed out into the waves instead of farther down the beach. I swam after him as hard as I could, and finally caught up with him after about a mile.

“Give me my clothes!” I shouted at him. He whirled around with a look of pleasant surprise masking his underlying merriment.

“What clothes?” he asked innocently, while pulling on his own jeans and shirt. I came within inches of latching onto him, when he twisted out of my reach and continued to swim. Realizing that I had to ‘up’ my game if I wanted my clothes back, it dawned on me that I had many more non-traditional options at my disposal, rather than chasing him all over the Mediterranean Sea. I still wasn’t exactly sure what all my abilities allowed me to do, so I used my imagination and prayed it would work. I held my arms out toward Finn and easily anchored my energy.

“Stop him,” I commanded quietly. A swarm of energy flew outward and through the water toward him. Mere seconds later, that same energy had doubled in strength and raced its way back toward me, in the form of a powerful current. The water flowed past me but didn’t take me with it.

Instead, I watched with giddiness as the now-struggling Finn was forced backwards. In an effort to understand what was happening, he twisted around and met my smiling eyes with surprise. As the current brought him back to me, I concentrated more energy on a patch of seaweed below, and pictured it sprouting up to take him captive. To my delight and surprise, the seaweed shot up and wrapped around him tightly, just as I had a pictured it in my mind.

Undaunted and enjoying my newfound potential, I sent more energy to a nearby group of crabs that were scurrying across the sea floor. I pictured them wrenching my clothes out of Finn’s hands and returning them to their rightful owner. They must have gotten the message, because they veered off course and headed straight for him. He twisted and struggled against the seaweed as the pale, white crabs’ claws snipped at his hands; forcing him to let go of my clothes. The obedient crabs expertly retrieved my sinking clothes and laid them at my bare feet.

“Why, thank you,” I thanked them formally with a curtsy. They performed a gleeful dance for me and then scurried off again. I watched a helpless and defeated Finn as I tugged my clothes back on with chagrin. If you’ve ever tried to dress underwater, you’ll know it’s no easy task. After several shaky attempts, my clothes were back on and I swam over to the “Finn burrito”; laughing so hard my stomach hurt.

“I’m glad I could provide some comic relief for your morning entertainment,” he replied dryly with a crooked grin. I released my energy on the seaweed and it snapped back down to its former length like a rubber band. As he made a big show of checking himself for bruises or cuts, I fought the urge to roll my eyes at him.

“I see what you mean about attacking seaweed,” he poked fun at me with heavy sarcasm.

“They’re absolutely ruthless!”

“You sure you don’t want to keep it up?” I asked seriously, “I could really use the practice.”

“Tempting…” he cut those swirling blue eyes at me, “but no thanks.”

“You’re no fun…” I teased him with a wink. In response, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, gently kissing me on the lips. I’d always heard horror stories about relationships that went south after the couple slept together, or that just turned weird afterwards - but I experienced none of that with Finn. It could have something to do with the fact that those stories had come out of Laura Beth’s mouth, so the validity was always suspect. But in an odd way, I actually felt more at ease with Finn. I tried to meet his eyes, which were now fixed on the sea floor, but he had suddenly gone all shy and awkward on me. Maybe I had spoken too soon.

“Last night was amazing,” he said shyly. “I knew it would be worth the wait.”

“The wait?”

“I always wanted my first time to be…with you,” he admitted with trepidation and shrugged his shoulders. “Dating other girls just seemed pointless…”

“But how could you have known?” I furrowed my brow, perplexed. “I just got here.”

“I fell in love with you the moment you appeared to me in your reveries.” His tender eyes finally met mine, “I knew you were you of course, but…I didn’t know I was… him. Until recently.”

“You lost me. Who’s him?” I hope he wasn’t going to start talking about himself in third person. That could get confusing. Not to mention weird. He looked down at the sea floor again.

“You’re…Paramour,” he answered.

“Isn’t that a band?” I wondered out loud.

“The prophecy – your prophecy,” he tried again, his eyes filling with admiration and tender conviction as he met my gaze. “It said that your ‘Paramour’, which means lover or partner in life, would be a great warrior; bred to lead an army of men, but destined solely for you. It said that you would make a great sacrifice for him…even if that meant losing everything.”

“A sacrifice…” I breathed, still tasting the pomegranate on my lips and feeling the solid determination in my heart. “Why are you just telling me this now?”

“I didn’t want to sway your path,” he retorted, “and if you were truly meant for someone else, well…I needed to know. Letting you go would have been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I would have done it…for you.”

“I think I’ve always known I was meant to be with you,” I divulged. “For the longest time, I thought you were just a dream. You were the only light in my dark past; the only person I looked forward to seeing. The one thing no one could ever take away from me. Even if you weren’t real it didn’t matter, because you were…mine.”

“Yes, I am,” he grinned down at me and kissed me again.

“So where exactly is this omnipotent prophecy everyone’s raving about?” I asked jokingly, “I want to see if I’m going to win the lottery.”

Although I was joking, it was slightly unnerving that my entire life had been scripted for me already. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. And the fact that everyone else seemed to know more about it than me didn’t help. I planned on doing some research on the subject once I got back to Lorelei.

* * *

“You guys are the definition of the ‘Walk of Shame’,” Ricker chuckled, casually popping a piece of cheese toast into his mouth. We had returned to the villa at precisely the same moment my roommates had made the decision to come searching for us. Before we had taken three steps into the living room, we were subjected to a strict lecture from Carmen and Ricker explaining how certain they were that we’d been killed, stuffed, and were at that very moment being displayed on Nadia’s living room mantle. Thankfully, Natasha and Charon had left earlier that morning for a meeting on campus.

Carmen circled us with a critical eye; pecking at my hair and brushing off Finn’s sand-coated shirt.

“All the signs are there: messy hair, guilt-ridden faces, and wrinkled, sandy clothes from last night.” She chastised us with a disapproving frown and then whispered in my ear with a conspiring grin, “Not to mention the shit-eating grin on your face.”

“You guys leave them alone,” Willow scolded them and draped a supportive arm around me.

“They deserved a night to themselves.”

“And now I deserve a shower,” I laughed and inspected the travesty that was my appearance.

“Agreed,” Finn grinned down at his own sandy clothes.

“Just make sure you two behave up there,” Carmen wiggled her eyebrows before Willow elbowed her in the ribs.

“I’m not making any promises,” I winked at them as we climbed the stairs. I had a feeling that our love life had already been a topic of conversation, so why not torture them a little more and keep them guessing? When we reached my bedroom door, Finn hugged me tightly and kissed my cheek lovingly.

“Last night was the best night of my life,” he said.

“Me too,” I agreed with a goofy-feeling smile.

“I knew it!” an eavesdropping Phoebe screeched, as we heard her feet scrambling back down the stairs to tell everyone else what we’d said. I rolled my eyes as I shut my bedroom door and began to undress.

The hot shower felt so good I stood in there for what seemed like hours. The rolling steam and lavender body wash I’d brought infused my senses and relaxed my muscles. I replayed my night with Finn in my head again and shivered. I couldn’t believe I’d lost my virginity. But at the same time, there was no one else in the entire world that I would entrust that part of myself with, so it felt completely right. I shivered again as I realized the gravity of what we had done. I was his and he was mine. No matter what challenges this Chosen life threw our way, we would tackle it and come out stronger. Together.

Chapter 20

It wasn’t the cold stone floor that pressed into my bare shoulders or the pounding of my head that woke me. It wasn’t even the uncomfortable way my left leg was tucked up under my body, or the vague knowledge that there was blood trickling down my temple. It was the sound of her voice as it exploded inside my head, awakening the tightly twisted rage that had been woven within my heart.

“The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout,” Nadia’s breath heated the side of my face as she ruined one of my favorite childhood nursery rhymes. I felt a slight tickling sensation on my right arm, jerking it spastically in an effort to rid my body of an unknown invader before my eyes flew open.

“Get away from me!” I growled at her. The fact that I was in a reverie did nothing to dull my irrational panic, as the tickling on my arm remained despite my attempt to swat at it. My movements were measured and labored, and I groaned when my hand completely missed my arm; instead flopping down onto my stomach. My panic quickly changed to a very rational fear as I laid eyes on the dark brown spider that was making its way up my forearm.

“I wouldn’t fight her if I were you,” Nadia wore a sharp grin as she crossed her arms over a gray silk blouse and watched the spider with tenderness. A shiver ran down my spine as I swallowed and tried to suppress my rising hysteria. It was just a spider, a simple, harmless insect. So what if it had eight hairy legs and black beady eyes? I was a thousand times larger and a million times smarter.

Unfortunately for me, something about those eight legs trumped any amount of intelligence or size.

“She’s a Darwin bark spider,” Nadia explained proudly through dark plum lipstick. “Isn’t she beautiful? She chose me to be her master.”

“You should choose to lay off the drugs,” I muttered in disgust. Her eyes flickered, razor sharp, before a wistful smile crossed her lips and she diverted her gaze back to the spider that was literally making my skin crawl. The mountain-size goose bumps that had risen on my arms only amplified the tickling sensation, and threatened to expose the true horror I was feeling inside.

“I found her magnificent silk web spanning the banks of my river,” she sighed. “I would watch for hours as she expertly weaved her deadly web. She’s the perfect predator.”

So her role model was a spider. How fitting. My arms shook involuntarily as the tiny torture device made its way around my forearm, and stopped in the crook of my elbow. Its thick body was only the size of a quarter, but I could see the black hair covering its eight legs quite clearly. I could also feel the bile collecting in my throat, on its way to the outside world. I pushed it down and fought to harden myself.

“Get it off of me,” I demanded with what I hoped was an unimpressed tone.

“It can also kill with one bite of its venom,” she cackled knowingly. So much for the ‘its-just-a-spider’ angle. “And these are her children.”

Nadia swept her arm out to the suddenly crowded room I now found myself in. My vision zeroed in on at least a hundred identical spiders littering the mass of webs that spanned the rooms’ walls and ceiling. The sunlight shining through the lone open window lit up the strands of silk, which glittered and swayed in the slight ocean breeze. Ocean? My senses sharpened and I tucked away the dizzying déjà vu feeling I was beginning to feel into the back of my mind. The white stone of the walls poked at my memory, but the air that smelled of sea salt and sand only caused a thick longing for the safety of the sea.

I shut my eyes and focused on my body back at the villa on Cyprus. Unfortunately, just as in her underground cavern, nothing happened. I felt the spider being snatched off of my arm as Nadia chuckled at my increasing number of failed reverie-ending attempts.

“I have to admit, that never gets old,” she snickered and waited patiently as her spider crawled back onto one of the webs nearby. “I love watching you fail miserably. It just proves how little you belong in our world.”

“Where am I?” I asked calmly, refusing to take the bait. She stood with grace, brushed off her black skinny jeans, and swept her golden hair off her shoulders into a low pony tail.

“Exactly where you should be,” she retorted matter-of-factly. I watched as her golden eyes darkened and the light evil smoke twirled off of her skin. “Out of my way.”

“You think a bunch of spiders are going to stop me from escaping?” I tried to laugh convincingly. I was pretty certain a bunch of spiders was the best way to keep me from escaping. I pictured my body wrapped in the webs as a hundred spiders ate me alive, and shuddered.

“Of course not,” she grinned sharply. “The absence of your essence should take care of that for me.” My heart hit the floor as she picked up a full syringe from the window sill. My trace had faded to gray, and understanding filled my mind, quickly trumped by rage.

“Why are you doing this?!” I yelled at her, and tumbled backwards as I tried to move toward her. With a twitch of her finger something tightened around my ankles in a faint glow. Enchanted chains connected to chains secured my ankles to the stone wall; further ensuring that I had no access to my abilities. Nadia twitched toward me with a smile and pointed at me with one red manicured finger.

“Because I can.” In one quick motion, something solid and cold connected with my skull; taking my breath away and knocking me unconscious.

“He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me. He loves me….not. Well, crap.” I chucked the bare flower stem aside and plucked another yellow flower from the thick, lush grass beneath me. The neighborhood park had proved to be a formidable safe haven that was rarely frequented by any of the any other kids. They were too busy playing video games or spending time with their normal families.

I wasn’t jealous at all. I shifted my attention back to my flower and plucked the first petal.

“He loves me. He loves me not…”

“Love is never left to chance, dear.”

“Huh?” I started a little at the raspy voice behind me. I spun around to see an older lady with a cane peering down at the daisy in my hand with an amused grin. Her starched light blue pants matched her striped white and blue top, and I looked around to see who she was with. She must have grandchildren playing on the swings or the jungle gym, but I was the only kid around. I looked up at her, confused. “Do I know you?”

“No, dear. I’m only visiting.” As she smiled warmly, the corners of her bright blue eyes crinkled from age and I was instantly captivated by those kind eyes. They held such tenderness and wisdom, I found myself unable to look away. They danced with joy, and I got the odd feeling that I should know who she was.

“Who are you visiting?” I asked curiously.

She chuckled, and her wrinkled fingers played with the shining pendant that hung from her necklace. “It would seem the only one I’m visiting with at the moment is you! How’s that sound?”

I straightened, but my ankle rolled over a rock and I pitched sideways. The old woman grabbed my arm to right me, but I cringed as pain exploded from several fresh bruises. She released me when I cried out, but surprisingly asked no questions. She simply shuffled her feet and turned toward me with empathetic eyes. I realized just how short she was. The disfiguring hump on her back forced her slight body to bend over at an odd angle.

“Do you have grandkids?” I looked around again, wondering how an old woman who could barely stand got to the park.

“I will someday,” she laughed again and gestured to the flower I still clutched in my hand.

“May I?”

I handed her the fragile flower and she inspected it with interest. She had to be at least ninety years old. If she was going to have grandchildren, wouldn’t it have already happened?

Another odd feeling of familiarity passed over me, as I watched her hold it to her nose and breathe deep. She closed her eyes and smiled as if it were the sweetest thing she’d ever smelled.

“They say Sweet William will always find his Black-Eyed Susan,” she mused.

“Who’s Susan?” I asked. I had no idea what she was talking about. “Why does she have a black eye?”

“Their story is one of America’s oldest and least known romance tales,” she explained, and held up the flower with raised eyebrows. “Actually, this particular flower was named for her. This is a Black-Eyed Susan, named such for its dark center.”

She handed the flower back to me as she continued, “After meeting beneath the silver light of a full moon in a field of wildflowers, William asked Susan to marry him, presenting her with a bouquet of those very wildflowers. Only one day before their wedding, sweet William was taken prisoner on a war-bound vessel set for the high seas. Throughout his plight-ridden journey, her memory kept him alive; the hope of seeing her again pushing him to survive. Upon his release a year later, William was informed that Susan had run away to evade an arranged marriage. After searching for his true love for months and months, sweet William decided to return to the field where they had first met. That night as the full moon rose, William finally arrived at the field to find his dear Susan sleeping. She clutched a dried bouquet of wildflowers in her hands…the very same kind of flower you hold in your hand today.”

I glanced down at the yellow flower in my hand and smiled. “I want a sweet William.”

“Maybe you already have one,” she wondered with a conspiring grin.

“I doubt it. Plus, I don’t really want a black eye,” I clarified with a giggle.

Chapter 21

“I told you I would figure it out.” Nadia’s muffled voice scratched across my eardrums. “How could you have ever doubted me?”

I groaned and painstakingly forced my way into a sitting position against the cool stone wall.

The leftover lightness from my dream disappeared, and I leaned my head back in an attempt to hear Nadia’s voice more clearly. I couldn’t tell if it was coming from next door or below me. The acoustics of the stone room created a confusing echo, and made it difficult to discern the origin of the sound. At the contact of the jagged wall, my head exploded into a million shards of pain. I automatically reached up to touch the throbbing knot that Nadia had bestowed upon the side of my head, and I regretted it just as quickly. My hand came away covered in warm, sticky blood. I tried to wipe my hand on the floor, but only succeeded in spreading it across my entire hand and the floor beneath me. The thin tank top and cotton shorts I was wearing gave me a hint as to what had happened right before I woke up at this god forsaken spider web.

The last thing I remembered was resting on my bed after a warm shower, but I didn’t recall falling asleep. Could Nadia force me into a reverie, or did she have to wait for me to fall asleep before taking me captive? Whichever her method, it was successful every time. I had to figure out a way to block her advances.

I concentrated on the sprinkling of sand near my feet that had been tracked in by Nadia’s shoes, and sent my energy flowing towards it. I willed it to draw together and create sole pile, but not even the smallest of grains so much as moved a millimeter. Next, I concentrated on the breeze that flowed in the window. I tried to wrap my energy around it and pull it towards me. Still nothing. Had she taken all of my essence!? Was that even possible? Or had she just created a vacuum similar to the one in her cavern? The inability to draw on my essence resulted in a sharp pang of panic and a dread that hovered over my throbbing head. Although I knew I didn’t know how to harness most of my abilities, it was still comforting to know they were there. The army of spiders that surrounded me did nothing to ease my nerves. I closed my eyes and forced my ears to strain and listen.

“Don’t crown yourself Queen of the Underworld just yet, Nadia. There is still much to be done,” a smug voice replied with contempt. A smug voice that I recognized from my vision on the plane. A smug voice that belonged to the woman with the glowing, pulsing orb…the same orbs the Auras wore around their necks. Suddenly the woman from my vision, the Auras, and the velvety voice floating up to me in that moment collided into a dizzying mass of understanding. Selene, the moon goddess. She was the woman in my vision. She had descendents at Eventide. And she was…working with Nadia? Things were going from bad to worse.

“Selene is right as always,” purred a third voice. I recognized it, but its owner eluded me.

Most importantly, there were three voices belonging to three women. My vision couldn’t be far from coming to fruition. My eyes darted toward the window, which glowed with the colors of the sunset.

Night was approaching. “Tonight’s ritual will prove to be the turning point. Without the Prime’s full essence, there is a good chance this will not be successful.” Unfortunately, the speaker’s next words revealed her identity and clicked the last puzzle pieces into their final resting place; tombstone and all. “We don’t know the extent of her powers yet, so it is imperative that I am as strong as possible. I will NOT be overthrown by Thetis’s bastard child. Do you hear me!?”

Keto. Keto wanted our essence, not Nadia. And she was going to use it against me! So the worst possible scenario had come to pass. Keto and Nadia had teamed up against me. Add the goddess of the Moon to the equation, and you’re left with one very screwed Stasia.

Nadia’s laughter singed my ears; reheating my anger. “Which brings me to my next announcement. I have a little surprise for you.” I could picture the proud smirk on her face, and my blood boiled.

“Oh?” came Keto’s intrigued reply. As their voices faded, I had a bad feeling I knew exactly what Nadia’s surprise entailed. Footsteps sounded outside the wooden door that sealed my arachno-prison, and I struggled against the enchanted chains around my ankles. They instantly squeezed tighter, cutting off the circulation to my feet.

“We may not have all of Finn’s essence,” I heard Nadia’s arrogant voice outside the door as it creaked open “…so I brought us someone with an even more powerful essence. I give you…Thetis’s bastard child.”

As they swept into the room, a shocked expression filtered through Keto’s wild green eyes, while a calculating glimmer shone from Selene’s silver ones. Each woman’s presence was magnified by their proximity. Keto wore a long, simple black dress that accentuated the green highlights throughout her hair and the scales running up her arm and neck. Selene was as ethereal and stunning in person as she had been in my vision; her pale skin standing in contrast to her dark, unruly hair. The calculating instability of her silver eyes matched the shifting layers of her silver dress. The same strips of fabric I had seen in my vision hung from her wrists and gathered around her ankles. As a cold wave of evil washed over me, I instinctively pushed back Nadia’s essence and locked my eyes onto her golden ones so she would know that I was aware of her attempted violation. She sneered happily at me as if she had been expecting my reaction. Her arrogance only angered me more.

“Let me go!” I countered; resulting in three very toothy smiles.

“Ugh, give it a rest.” Nadia rolled her eyes at me and regarded the other two women under her breath, “I don’t know what he sees in her. She’s really quite annoying.”

“Go to hell,” I growled with hatred.

“And quite rude as well,” Nadia scolded me with a smirk. “She certainly needs a lesson in etiquette.”

“Quiet,” Selene held up her hand and sent us piercing glares. “Both of you.”

“This is quite the accomplishment, Nadia.” Keto glided across the stone floor to stand over me with a smile. “Well done.”

“Defeating her will be no problem if she is already under your control,” Selene added.

“Yes – however, her essence shall not be left to its own devices. I will still require your assistance, dear friend.” She gazed at Selene lovingly, but I didn’t miss the threat in her voice. “She could prove very valuable down the road as well.”

“You will not control me, and I refuse to let you take my essence!” I threatened her.

“It would appear that you have already been proven wrong on both accounts.” Keto nodded at Nadia. “More. Collect as much as you can. And make sure she cannot escape. We will begin the ritual when the moon has reached the highest point in the sky.”

“No!” I protested uselessly. With a gallant twist of their heels, Keto and Selene disappeared from the room; leaving me with the Princess of the Underworld, who clapped her hands together in delight before retrieving the now-empty syringe from the window sill.

“Maybe when Keto makes me Queen of the Underworld, I’ll let you live in my underground room,” she quipped. “But don’t get your hopes up.”

“The only throne you should be sitting on is your toilet,” I shot at her with venom.

“After mother’s taken care of, I’ll decide who should and should not do what. Lucky for you, you’ll be scrubbing my throne and toilets for the rest of your pathetic existence.” She knelt down beside me and grinned wickedly. “You’re welcome.”

As she grappled my arms and brought the syringe closer to my trace, I realized how weak I had become when my muscles wouldn’t budge beneath her hold. The last thing I remembered was the sound of her humming my now-most-hated nursery rhyme, the Itsy Bitsy Spider.

* * *

The next time my eyes cracked open, it was to a slight knocking sound farther down the same wall I was leaning against. Instantly on the defensive, I instinctively searched my surroundings with my sixth sense, only to realize it just wasn’t working . All I felt was the cold stone against my bare skin and the throbbing of my weakened heart, as it strained to push blood through my constricted veins.

The knocking commenced several feet away, more urgent this time. With every ounce of energy I had left, I scooted several inches toward the sound, and then rapped my knuckles against the wall as hard as my pain threshold would allow.

“Hello?” A deep voice murmured from behind the wall.

“Who’s there?” I asked hoarsely.

“I heard you crying out. You sounded like you were…in pain.” His voice trailed off. I gently touched my face to find fresh tears. I swallowed thickly before answering.

“Who are you? Why are you here?”

“I’m a prisoner. Like yourself,” he answered solemnly. A vision of the group of people floating above the sand, their souls hovering above their bodies flashed in my memory.

“How many others are there?”

“I’m not positive,” he conjectured. “Fifteen? Maybe twenty?”

“My vision’s coming true,” I muttered in defeat. All of those people would die. All of those souls would be drained of their essence. “Are you a Tyde?”

“No. I’m…nothing,” he said with bitter finality.

“Where are we?”

“The ancient Isle of Doulos, which means the ‘Island of Slaves’ in English.”

“Slaves…” I repeated breathlessly.

“You have to find a way out! You must escape as soon as possible!” His voice took on a more urgent tone as his emotions rose.

“I can’t…” I managed, the effort of talking leading me closer and closer to sheer exhaustion.

“They’re draining me…I can barely move.”

“You have to find a way!” he yelled desperately. I knew he believed I was his only hope. But at the moment, I was the one who needed rescuing. I wasn’t capable of rescuing anyone else. I heard him gasp as a door slammed. I closed my eyes as a woman’s voice yelled, and a loud thump shook the wall behind me. The door slammed once more and then…deafening, absolute silence.

“Hello?” I whispered as loudly as I dared, fearing for the man’s life. “Are you okay?”

After no response, I slumped down and followed the light of the moon sweep across the floor as it rose higher and higher in the sky. The silver moonbeams collided with the silk webs that cascaded from the ceiling, creating a spectacular display of nature. The bark spiders were beginning to stir; busily weaving new strands or repairing old ones. Their magnificent works of art were dazzling in their intricate designs and artistry. They worked in tandem, creating one massive web of silky death traps; just waiting for unsuspecting prey to flutter by or walk into it. My hand dropped to the floor and landed in something sticky. I groggily contemplated my blood from earlier in the day that had begun to coagulate on the floor.

Had Finn or my roommates found my body? Had they tried to wake me up? Were they looking for me? If I couldn’t return to my body, I had no way of telling them I was in trouble. I had no way of warning them about what was about to happen or where I was. Someone had to stop this, and unless Nadia’s vacuum imploded in the next couple of hours, it would most certainly not be me.

Did my body reflect the pain I was in? Could they see how dark and dull my trace had become?

Could they see the bruises and the blood? I was reminded of the pain from my wounds after returning from the Underworld. Every bruise, every scratch had been visible. That was it! Every scratch was visible! My body! That’s how I could send them a message! I looked down at the smooth skin of my arm above my dulled trace, and couldn’t believe that I hadn’t thought of it earlier.

My eyes and hands frantically inspected my surroundings for anything remotely sharp. A sliver of shell that had been tracked in with the sand would have to do. I ran my finger over it and decided that it would suffice for breaking skin. I took a deep breath and attempted to justify what I was about to do. I had a high pain threshold, but I’d never inflicted any amount of pain upon my own body. Looks like I’d be able to check ‘disfiguring one’s own body’ off my bucket list.

I drug the shell across my skin and began to tear up right away, as an intense burning sizzled up my arm and pellets of blood beaded up from the newly opened wound. One letter down, eleven to go. Before I lost my nerve, I made three small slashes to create a lower case letter ‘s’. By the time the word ‘Isle’ had been carved into my skin, I’d balled up the bottom of my tank top and stuffed it in my mouth to stop any screams from leaking out. I leaned my head back and took some deep breaths in an effort to ease my heart beat and therefore, the bleeding.

After eight more letters, the words ‘Isle of Slaves’ were scrawled across my forearm beneath a pint of crimson. The excruciating pain had morphed into a warm numbness that wrapped around my arm and tricked me into thinking the worst was over. I closed my eyes in relief at what I had done and prayed it would work. All I could do was watch and wait.

Chapter 22

A light tickling across my leg roused me from a delirious trance of hopeless exhaustion.

When I tried to use my arms to prop myself up, it became painfully clear that the warm numbness I’d felt earlier was long gone. A shower of sharp pain shot down my arm, momentarily paralyzing me. I squeezed my eyes shut and fought through the agonizing pain. Every movement, every thought, every breath felt like I had been suspended in an alternate universe of perpetual slow motion.

Unfortunately, the three spiders that were currently crawling up my right leg were moving at warp speed. They scampered forward with short spurts of movement that struck fear in my tired heart. No amount of coercion would convince my legs to move, and I watched on, helpless as they made it to the tops of my thighs. Panic exploded in my chest and raw fear took hold of me. Forced into flight or fight, my groggy mind analyzed my limited number of options. A thin line of moonlight several feet away drew my attention, and the memory of its renewing energy in the underground cavern trumped any other thoughts.

Motivated by a primal fear I could not control, I awkwardly threw my body toward the light; landing on my side and immersing my head and shoulders in the moonlight. When I looked up to see the horrific sight of more spiders crawling in my direction, I attempted to move again. That’s when I felt an intense burning pain in my side, as one of the three spiders making their way up my torso bit me.

The spider venom exploded under the skin; causing my muscles to shake violently and cease up. A choking panic settled on top of me, until I glanced up and became caught in the majesty of the full moon’s rays as they shone into the small window. A cool energy swirled through my mind, calming my nerves and chilling the blazing pain that racked my body. I lay there unmoving, as the spider venom spread along my stomach and back, hardening my insides to stone. As the cooling sensation washed down my body and inhabited every cell in my prone form, my breathing came a little easier and I was able to think more clearly. Very slowly, I felt the venom’s potency retreat to only a slight pulsing around the bite site.

The fact that it did not disappear completely weighed on me, but I hoped that with the healing hands of Willow and the magic of Natasha, they would be able to remove it before any further damage could be done. The three spiders miraculously made their way back down my leg and onto their webs, leaving me relieved and exhausted on the floor while I stared up at the moon’s magical light. Why did the moonlight affect me in such a dramatic fashion? Did I have an affinity for the moon? Was that even possible? And what did that mean? My energy was somehow being recharged; my arm was healing at a fast rate and the wound on my temple was closing, leaving only a tender layer of soft skin.

Hoping against hope, I closed my eyes and attempted to return to my body. Nothing.

Whatever enchantment or vacuum Nadia had placed on the room was preventing all of my abilities, no matter how much energy I had. Crushing disappointment blanketed my heart when the moon’s energizing light disappeared, as the Earth revolved with agonizing speed.

I forced myself to think. I couldn’t just sit around and wait on Finn and my roommates to get here. I had no idea just how far away this island was from Cyprus. We could be in the Caribbean for all I knew! Even with Natasha’s conveyance ability, I couldn’t depend on a rescue. I had been given a sliver of energy from the moon’s light; enough so that I could try to conjure up a plan to escape. But that meant I had to act, and I had to act fast.

As an idea, albeit nearly impossible, formed in my mind, I focused all of my attention on the enchanted chains that encircled my ankles. They were secured into the wall at an anchor point, bolted into the stone. I spun around and pressed my feet against the wall, gathering the chains in my hands.

With everything I had - I pulled. And pulled again. And again. After the fifth or sixth time, I felt a slight shift and watched as one of the anchors actually budged. The effort only resulted in drawing fresh blood out of my new arm tattoo, but the little hope of victory pushed me to pull harder. After one more desperate yank I was launched backwards, landing on my butt. It had worked! The anchors clanked loudly onto the stone floor, as part of the wall began to crumble on top of them. I stared at the wall in disbelief. Apparently I’d become stronger than I realized. Evidently, using the energy I had been gifted with by the moon was not the best idea, because now a burning sensation spread across my stomach from the bite, and my arm continued to bleed. I placed a hand over it and cringed in agony.

“That was impressive.” A gruff voice chuckled from behind the crumbling hole in the wall, temporarily making me forget about the burning hell I was in. I caught a glimpse of an eye peeking through one of the small holes that had formed.

“Oh my god!” I scampered over to the wall, “Are you alright? What did she do to you?”

“Don’t you worry,” he responded confidently. “It’ll take more than a metal pole to keep this old man down.”

“A metal pole!?” I gasped and watched his light gray eye sparkle with amusement.

“I’ve been hit by worse,” he responded nonchalantly. “Besides, you appear to be stronger than six of me.”

“I didn’t realize I was capable…” I trailed off in confusion and he laughed lightly.

“I believe out of all the walls you could have chosen to take down, this would have been the best.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been using this wall as a sort of calendar. Scraping away at it to mark the days. I have a feeling its structural integrity has been weakened over time.”

“Oh.” I grinned sheepishly as I felt my face heat in embarrassment. I should have known I didn’t have the strength to take down a solid stone wall. That’s when the memory of my previous reveries slammed into me. The room with the marks on the wall. The window I had peered out of, meeting the eyes of an old man on a beach. The beach where the same old man had been collecting shells.

“You….” I started, unsure as how to explain what I was thinking. “I’ve seen you before.

I’ve…I’ve been here in a…dream.” I surveyed the room I was currently in. Of course! How could I not have remembered? The room I was in now greatly resembled the stone room that I’d found myself in during my reverie, the first time I’d caught sight of the old man. The second time resulting in a new trace. A new trace brought on by close proximity to my past.

“I saw you too.” His eye crinkled as he smiled. I ran a light finger over the eternity symbol trace below my eye, trying to understand the connection.

“Are you…? Are we…related?” Before he could answer, sounds down the hallway made us freeze as I snapped back to the task at hand.

“You need to go.” His eye darted toward what I assumed was his door.

“Are you chained too?” I asked him.

“Fortunately not, but my door is as solid as a mountain.”

“We can get you out through here!” I exclaimed with excitement, already clawing at the wall.

“You must go-” he began, until I started to ramble.

“My door isn’t locked! It’s guarded by a million spiders, but…”

“No!” he protested. “Your time is too precious! You need to leave!”

“I’m not leaving you here…” I kept clawing at the stone.

“Anastasia.”

The sound of my name stopped me dead in my tracks. “You know my name?”

“You must go.” His unblinking eye told me he was serious, matching his firm tone. “I’ll be right behind you.”

“Okay,” I responded robotically. I didn’t want to leave him. I would never forgive myself if something happened to him. After another moment without movement, the sounds down the hall grew louder as voices could be heard.

“Go!” he instructed, as I finally found my way back to the present and back to the dire situation I was in. I glanced back at his gray, wise eyes one last time before gathering up the chains and running towards the door.

I barely felt the silk webs of the bark spiders as I ran through them with little patience for the shivers they threatened to send down my back. I unlatched the door and wrenched it open, finding myself in a long stone hallway. I briefly inspected my skin to make sure no spiders had hitched a ride. Satisfied that there were no lingering spiders and feeling the hot breath of time on the back of my neck, I ran to the left and away from the voices we had heard.

In the darkness of night, I stumbled down the hallway and almost fell down an abrupt set of stairs. After several twisted ankles and one heart attack, I reached the end of the spiraling stone steps and flattened myself against the cool wall to catch my breath. I had no idea where I was going, or what I was going to do when I got there. I just knew that I had to stop the three conspirators from infusing the prisoners’ essences, as well as mine, into Keto. With that power, it would be impossible for me to defeat her.

Realizing that now I needed to find out whether all of my essence had been drained or if I still retained my abilities, I closed my eyes and reached out with my mind; in search of the ocean. The sensation that hit me in the next second was so unexpected, it brought tears of joy to my eyes. Other times when the ocean had called me, it felt like a light tug; urging me to dive into the arms of the waves. This feeling was so powerful, I lost all control of my feet as they began to run. The urgency with which I needed to be beneath the waves was so overpowering, I could think of nothing else. It was as if my life depended on it. As the burning in my side grew into a raging inferno, I realized that maybe it did.

Chapter 23

When my bare feet landed on the sand that led me towards the welcoming arms of the sea, the moon revitalized my soul and helped me make it the rest of the way to the water. As the burning in my side became unbearable and the world spun out of control, I lost my footing and fell into the shallow waves as they lapped at the shore. The velvety touch of the ocean sent a frenzy of energy through every cell in my body, and I allowed myself to float farther and farther out. I closed my eyes and lost myself in the euphoria of the sea’s magnificent power. It swirled around me and inside of me as I breathed it in greedily. The coolness of its touch spread through my body; cradling my heart and soul in its nurturing, loving arms.

I didn’t bother to move or swim until I felt a light touch on my side. I snapped my eyes open to catch a three-foot-long gray fish attempting to kiss the side of my body. As he re-angled himself in relation to my side, I realized that he was no ordinary fish, he was a Plecostomus – a sucker fish - a much, much larger version of the ones we had back in Atlanta. They sucked up the algae on the bottom and glass sides of the rectangular fish tank we’d had back home. Once repositioned, he attached his mouth to the red, blotchy spot where the spider had poisoned me. The burning in my side started to vanish slowly, as he actually pulled the venom from my body. In any other situation, having a random fish stuck to my side would have been slightly disturbing, but the absence of my intense pain literally extinguished any hesitation I might have had.

Apparently satisfied, the courageous fish detached from my skin. I reached out slowly and ran a hand over his scaly body. One glassy black eye watched me carefully, until it stilled completely and he drifted onto his side; succumbing to the venom. A wrenching sorrow filled my soul and I cried out in horror, but before I could understand what was happening a wall of seaweed had wrapped around me. I continued to search for the fish, but the seaweed quickly pulled me to the sea floor.

I struggled against its fronds, until I felt the tiny sparks of energy that flowed along my skin and throughout my body. Their playful spirit surrounded me and filled me with a pure happiness and unabated joy I knew was not my own. More energy flowed from the seaweed into my veins, clearing my head and revitalizing my drained muscles. Every cell, every nerve-ending reveled in the sea’s arms as a light melody filled my ears. I instantaneously recognized it as the sea’s song. She was calling to me, embracing me as one of her own; loving me and healing me with her love and acceptance.

After what seemed like an eternity, I awakened to an airy fluttering sensation traveling across every inch of my skin. Images of giant bark spiders coming to finish me off filled my mind, and fear instantly gripped me. When I opened my eyes I prayed that it would be a school of sharks, electric eels, or Jonah and his whale - anything besides flesh eating spiders. Thankfully, it was just a mass of baby sea turtles swimming around me with excitement. I knew that they were newly hatched from the aura of pure innocence they emitted.

“Hello there,” I greeted them warmly. At my acknowledgment their joy soared to a new level, and I didn’t think their little fins could paddle any faster. They darted around me, a frenzy of energy and happiness that brought an unstoppable smile to my lips. Just as quickly, my on-land reality slammed into me and I knew I could hide beneath the waves no longer. I could already be too late! Untangling myself from my bed of seaweed, I easily swam back to shore. I felt as good as new, but was still in shock at the sucker fish’s ultimate sacrifice, along with the sea’s incredible healing power. I hadn’t asked for it. I hadn’t even realized it was possible. But somehow it knew and it pulled me in, understanding what it needed to do. And an innocent life had laid down his life for mine. It was a difficult concept to understand, but one that filled me with an even stronger love for the sea and its inhabitants.

With renewed hope and, most importantly, energy, I crept out of the waves with a keen eye for any sign of Nadia, Keto, or Selene. Unfortunately it didn’t take very long to spot them. They stood between the moon and the sand, all of them shining with an unearthly glow. They could have been three friends hanging out on the beach, three sisters taking a night stroll, or three ghosts born of the sea and stone. But I knew who they really were. I knew what they were capable of and the evil that lived in their hearts. That point was made even clearer, as one of them began to frantically gesture with her arms. Her threatening stance and raised chin told me that she was simmering with a slow burning rage.

I darted up behind one of the many boulders that littered the beach to remain hidden, and held my breath as I peeked around the side. My new point of view allowed me to discern a very pissed off Keto and a defensive Nadia standing across from her. After a few more terse words, Keto slapped Nadia across the face; sending Nadia crouching down in shame. I watched the evil roll off her like a waterfall just before her eyes lit fire. Despite her rage, her fear and respect for Keto halted any further argument. I had a good feeling I knew what their fight was about. A small part of my heart rejoiced, knowing my untimely escape was more than likely the cause.

The darkness of night was held at bay by the pale light of the full moon, as it shone down onto the pale sand of the beach; illuminating the rocks and boulders, as well as the foam of the waves.

After Keto’s final gesture, their argument cooled and the three women glided toward the water in unison; their anticipation and greed a tangible force no one could ignore. The metal click of a door drew my attention towards the cliff, just as a thick wooden door swung open. The line of hostages filed out, linked together by shackles on their wrists and ankles. They shuffled toward the three women and my heart raced with panic.

I steeled myself and scampered silently towards a larger and much closer boulder to the right of the group, in order to get a better view. The reluctant hostages formed a rough semi-circle around the women and just as my vision prophesized, Selene stepped forward, raised her arms, and threw her head back; sending the hostages falling backwards onto the sand unconscious. I knew I had to act quickly, but I had no idea what I needed to do! Before I knew it, Selene began to sing. Keto raised her arms, and the hostages were lifted off of the ground in tandem. Selene hit an impossibly high note and the hostages’ soul-less bodies dropped onto the stark white sand, leaving their souls suspended and vulnerable. Suddenly, Selene appeared to falter. She twisted to Nadia, and I didn’t miss the rage that flashed from her silver eyes. With a couple of inaudible words from Selene, Keto kept her arms raised while the now furious Selene headed towards the other side of the beach.

As the memory of my vision came racing back to me, I mentally kicked myself for not remembering something so critical earlier. The old man! He was the one Selene had found sneaking around the boulders in my vision. He escaped because of me! He would be killed because of me!

And being on the other side of the beach, I had no way of preventing his untimely death.

My limited options flashed across my mind in a split second, as my nerves calmed and energy surged through my body. I could either save the old man by dashing across the beach - leaving me vulnerable to Keto and Nadia - or I could use Selene’s momentary absence to disable Keto and hopefully reattach the souls back to their bodies. Unfortunately, I never liked doing things the easy way. My only real option was to do both.

I stepped out from behind the safety of the boulder and knelt down; pressing my fingertips into the powder-soft sand, which rapidly gave way to my heightened state of emotion. As energy flowed down my arm and out through my fingertips, an unseen force rippled outward, just below the surface, towards Keto. I stood silently, knowing full well I was about to be discovered, but there was no turning back now. I had committed myself to this fate and I would see it through, no matter what transpired. The racing mound of sand rolled into a massive wave, growing in height and speed as it approached Keto. The unstoppable power that swirled inside the massive wave of sand washed over Keto before she had even inclined her head. As she was knocked off of her feet, she inadvertently released the captives’ souls; slamming them back down into their bodies lying below. However, even after the incredible force of their souls being returned to their bodies, they remained impossibly still.

Nadia’s permanent smug expression changed from surprised to elated in less than a second.

Already gathering my energy for another attack, I commenced to running. Before making it halfway across the beach, I was thrown sideways and wrapped tightly within the unending black fingers of Nadia’s evil smoke. I closed my eyes, pulled from everything good in my heart and blew it outwards, blasting the smoke away from my body and allowing me to regain my footing. By that time, Keto had brushed herself off and stood; shaking with fury I could taste. She zeroed in on me and snapped her fingers. A large boulder to my right dislodged and roared towards me. Not wanting to steamrolled by a boulder, I dove out of the way, narrowly missing being crushed to death. In response I blew a strong wind in Keto and Nadia’s direction, which thrust them backwards and momentarily, stopped their advance. Not knowing what I was doing, or even what I was capable of, outside of the ocean, I couldn’t have seen it coming. Boulders, water, and even sand I could handle. Deadly ball of light?

Not so much.

A glowing orb flashed in my peripheral vision before it slammed into me, making the world spin violently. I landed square on my side against a rock, seconds before I heard a sickening crack in my upper arm. Indescribable pain shot up my shoulder and down my spine, but my surging adrenaline suppressed it efficiently. I fought to stand until I realized that not only did the orb hit me, it had consumed me! I was actually inside the glowing orb, completely powerless to help the innocent hostages who were about to lose their lives. I helplessly eyed Selene as she carried the old man out from behind the boulders by his neck. To my relief he was writhing and kicking her in defense, which meant he was still alive! In the next instance, she mumbled something and his body went limp.

Feeling like I had been punched in the stomach, I fought against the invisible walls that contained me, but to no avail.

“Let them go!” I cried out in desperation. “You have me! You don’t need them anymore!”

Instead of answering me or even acknowledging me, Keto nodded formally to Selene, who abandoned the old man’s limp form onto the sand. Keto once again raised her arms, threw back her head, and repeated the steps to release the captives’ souls from their body.

“No!” I shouted uselessly, centering my energy and trying anything and everything to release myself from the steel trap of the orb. Those efforts only bounced my energy off of the walls and slammed them back into me, which knocked my breath away and left me reeling. The sound of Nadia’s laughter made the hair on my arms stand straight, and suddenly I wasn’t alone in my glowing prison anymore. The black fingers of evil were swirling around me, occasionally licking at my skin and eliciting a burning sensation so overpowering, that all I could do was scream. Over and over, the smoke attacked me from every possible angle. Helpless to save myself or the poor souls that floated above their own bodies awaiting the departure of their essence, I could only feel. The scorching fire of the black smoke was nothing compared to the agony I felt inside at my failure. The weight of those vulnerable souls suffocated the very light of my heart; hovering over my own soul and ripping it apart. Suddenly, a lone melody rose from the beach; it captivated the night and signaled the beginning of the essence-stealing ritual.

I fought to see what was happening, but was able to focus on Nadia just as she produced two vials from her pocket and uncorked the first carefully. A thick, swirling dark liquid billowed out of the vial, becoming suspended in the crisp night air. The liquid reminded me of a storm cloud, raving and pulsing with power and esteem. As the cloud of liquid crackled with a magic that almost hurt to look at, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. It sparked and glistened a mirage of colors in the direct moonlight from above. Just as I wrenched my gaze away in fear I would be blinded, I felt it.

Darkness. Warm darkness. Finn’s darkness. They made it! They were here! My euphoria was quickly squelched by crushing disappointment, as I realized that there were no new arrivals. No prince in shining armor. Just me, a glowing orb, and the personification of evil times three. When the startling truth hit me, I became so nauseous that I almost threw up.

The sparkling mass that now hovered in the air above the three women wasn’t just liquid. It was no different than the sparkling drops of liquid the Nereids had infused into my hand. Their essence. Which meant that the dark sparkling liquid under Nadia’s control was Finn’s essence. And the other vial could be none other than my own soul’s essence; the excruciating evidence of their relentless lust for power. A veil of violation shadowed my soul, but while I continued to burn on the outside from Nadia’s evil smoke, I burned even hotter on the inside from her never-ending torment.

Selene’s singing suddenly rose to another impossible octave as Keto’s body collapsed to the ground; her dark soul separated from her body, floating above her. With one command from Selene, Finn’s essence connected with Keto’s soul, causing a massive explosion of light and a powerful shockwave that even I felt from within the orb. I cried out in distress and met Nadia’s burning, glowing eyes. The evil smoke that surrounded me waged another massive attack on my skin, as her smiling face dripped with victory and revenge. Finally overpowering my mental barriers, it roared in my ears and singed my insides. Waging a counterattack fueled by determination, my essence forced the evil out, leaving it to only destroy my already-tender skin.

I managed to open my eyes again, only to see the first of the souls being sucked dry of its magical essence. A stream of glistening fog separated from the floating soul, flowed toward Keto and disappeared into her soul with a brilliant flash of light. Two, three, four more souls were shed of their essence, strengthening Keto’s soul to epic proportions. Each second that passed ensured her victory over me. Each soul that was lost ensured that she would remain the leader of the Tydes. Each flash of light was a reminder that I had failed my Order and everyone I loved. As the last flash of light lit up the night sky, I knew I had lost. And my entire Order would pay the price.

Chapter 24

In the midst of my self-loathing, I registered the return of Finn’s warm darkness only seconds before the world exploded around me. A deafening thunder rolled in from the ocean, blowing anyone standing off of their feet and causing my hearing to falter. In a haze of silence and pain, I noticed that I had fallen to the sand; released from my glowing prison of affliction. Nadia and Selene were already beginning to stir several yards away, and the vial that contained my essence had been dispatched in the opposite direction. It was nestled into a secure pocket of sand that I prayed they wouldn’t find.

Keto’s emerald eyes snapped open with surprise, as her soul reconnected with her body lying below.

Commanding my body to take action I awkwardly leaned onto my shoulder, while the excruciating pain I had become accustomed to radiated from my shoulder. It was so profound, it muted the agonizing fire that emanated from every bare piece of my skin. I gasped in horror when I saw why. My ravaged skin was torn and swollen, burned from the evil smoke and scorched several layers deep. I would have fared better if I’d been dipped in a river of lava.

Out of the corner of my eye, three figures emerged from the waves; stealing the attention of Nadia, Keto, and Selene. Unfortunately my body would not listen to my commands to move, so I lay there helpless once again, watching the events unfold before me. Taking a hint from the sea earlier, I began to pull from the sand in order to recharge my energy - and hopefully begin to heal myself.

One of the new arrivals ran up the beach in my direction and I tried to call out a warning to her, but my voice betrayed me - coming out as a useless whisper. She was only a few yards away when a glowing red ball of light struck her from the side and she slumped to the ground. The dark spray of blood across the untainted white sand was an image I would never forget. Somehow I was able to drag myself across the blood-splattered sand with one arm to reach her.

“Stasia…” she tried weakly. I knew by the severity of the wound in her side that she only had moments to live, so I swallowed my despair and forced a weak smile.

“Tina!” I managed to pull myself up so I could see her eyes. “It’s okay, you’ll be okay…”

“I know you’re lying, but - ” She attempted a grin, but it morphed into a grimace as bloody coughs racked her dying body. “I believe in you….” she managed. “We all do…” Her eyes widened in pain before settling on my gaze once more.

“No!” I pleaded with her, “You’re going to be okay! Stay with me!” As I spoke, her green eyes focused on something behind me before losing their light altogether. Her body went limp beside me, and I felt an intense loneliness as I felt her soul disappear.

“Tina!” I yelled, but my voice was barely audible as I was overcome with grief.

“Murderers!” A deep voice boomed with accusation. Finn’s eyes never left them as he flicked a finger toward the three women and a net of blackness fell over them, muting their voices and incapacitating them. “Get Stasia!” he instructed Natasha.

She closed her eyes in preparation and her lips moved ever so slightly as my body lifted from Tina’s side on the sand. I memorized the tranquility of her still expression and grieved the loss of such a wise, talented Tyde and friend. Her body faded into gray as I was drawn farther and farther away into the safe arms of Natasha. Another form lying on the beach demanded my attention, and I struggled against Natasha’s magic to go to him. The old man’s body lay limp and motionless on the sand; discarded to the side. I didn’t know if he was still alive, but I did know that I wouldn’t leave him.

“Natasha, wait!” I cried. “You have to get him too! I can’t leave him! And Tina’s body…!”

Now in her arms, Natasha carried me toward the waves, “We don’t have time dear-“

“I can’t hold them much longer! She’s too strong!” Finn yelled back to us, visibly struggling to contain the two goddesses and one evil princess.

“I’m not leaving him!” I protested against Natasha. All of my emotions converged within my heart and I drew as much energy as I could from the waves that now crashed around us. I attempted the only thing I could think of, and prayed that it would work in time.

“Hurry!” Finn yelled back to us, as Natasha carried me farther and farther out into the waves.

The dark blanket he had cast around the women fizzled and disappeared completely; leaving us vulnerable to their power. A streaking motion to my left caught my attention and I sighed with relief, as a mass of seaweed shot out from the ocean, wrapped around the old man’s body and dragged him toward the waves.

We dropped beneath the surface as I saw Finn hold out his arms and blow the three women backwards one last time. The shockwave flowed over us along the surface of the water, and I fought to free myself of Natasha’s arms as my energy returned to me. The pain in my shoulder and along my skin was now simply an annoying pressure, numbed by sheer will and strength of determination.

“Stasia, stop!” Natasha called after me as I swam toward the length of seaweed as it retreated back into the ocean. As I caught site of the old man’s white hair floating in the current, someone seized me from behind.

“You have to go!” Finn clutched my shoulders, sending a new shot of pain all the way up to my neck. “We don’t have time!”

“I’m not leaving him,” I protested with indestructible determination. Finn searched my eyes and nodded his head respectfully.

“I’ll promise you I won’t leave him. You must go back to your body,” he instructed; not leaving room for argument. He darted off toward the old man’s unconscious body, and I closed my eyes in order to concentrate on my body still asleep at the villa. I perceived something powerful and evil moving in my direction beneath the water, but I was faster. In a split second everything became a blur, and I felt my soul crash back into my body with lightning speed. I shot upright and gasped for air; adrenaline still coursing through my veins.

“Stasia!” I heard Phoebe shout, right before she vaulted out of a chair and onto the bed I was lying in.

“Phoebe, no!” Willow warned, but she was too late. Phoebe threw her arms around me, quickly reminding me of how wounded I was.

“Hey…” I whimpered while Ricker wrenched her off of me. Willow quickly took her place, concern masking her features and her hands promptly working to heal me. They swept over my skin in a flutter of warmth and I looked up to see Elina’s calm eyes peering down at me. She lifted a steady finger and leaned in.

“No…!” I tried. She quickly shushed me and tapped my forehead with a magical finger. Her voice was the last thing I heard before falling into a deep sleep.

“Time to rest, dear.”

* * *

In a mystical haze of safety and bliss an endearing melody drifted into my soul, blanketing my heart and numbing my grief. I held on to the soft blackness supporting my tired soul, as I listened to the sweet song echoing through my mind.

“I make the sound, Nani nani nani and wherever it hurts will heal. Nani to my baby whom I love as the olive of its leaf. As the little birds of the water and the mountains of the sun…”

Her voice was like a symphony of colors that beamed into my life and submerged me into a net of security, soft and true. The lyrics of the lullaby tickled a memory that I couldn’t quite reach, but as the angelic voice continued, I didn’t fight it as I drifted into a world of limitless enchantment and youthful wonder.

“The sun sleeps on the mountains and the partridge in the woods. Let also my baby sleep. So, whisper to her but don’t wake her up. The sun sleeps on the mountains and the partridge in the snow.

Let also my daughter sleep on a bed of clean sheets. To nani nani, my baby to heal. To nani, nani, my baby to heal.”

Chapter 25

The intoxicating scent of lavender permeated my senses as I woke from my forced sleep. My body was immersed within a cloud of feathered pillows and blankets; doing their best to coax me back to sleep. Ignoring my body’s pleas to stay there forever, I opened my eyes to the dancing light of a candle in a foreign dark room. Panic seized my entire body, and I shot straight up in bed.

What alternate universe had I fallen into this time? Between all of my dream state abilities, I was beginning to wonder not so much where I was, but when I was. From what I could tell, my body and soul had been reunited. And I felt like I was in the present, but that really didn’t mean much. I searched my surroundings for any clues. The king-size four poster bed I was currently perched in was not familiar, nor were the thick damask curtains, walnut dresser, or various whimsical paintings of various island landscapes dotting the walls. I reached out with my essence (which I was hoping was still intact) to find nothing but cool peacefulness and the calming hum of the ceiling fan spinning above. I felt him before he stepped into the room, and the combination of both was almost too much.

I almost vaulted off the bed and into his arms when the bedroom door swung open, but the unforgiving stiffness of my muscles combined with the tenderness of my skin stopped me.

“Good Morning, Pasha.” Finn greeted me with the most adoring crooked grin I’d ever seen. I was instantly overcome by a massive wave of relief, love, and adoration…right before the wall of irrational shyness smacked me in the face. What was wrong with me? His widening grin told me that my schizo emotions were written all over my face, but it still sent my heart into overdrive. With an easy, confident stride he walked over to the bed and sat down carefully.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m…I’m not sure,” I answered with hesitation. I’d been in so much pain for so long, I couldn’t be sure if the pain was really gone or if it had just been numbed again. I pushed back the sheets and quickly took inventory of my body. The first thing I noticed, was that someone had replaced my previous attire of tank top and shorts with a cotton t-shirt and pajama bottoms. The next thing I noticed was the pink blotchy pigment of my skin, where it had literally been burned by Nadia’s evil smoke. I touched a spot on my arm lightly, and was surprised that although it was tender, it didn’t hurt at all.

“Who knew smoke could do this much damage…” I muttered, cynically inspecting my equally splotchy legs and stomach.

“Smoke?” Finn raised a dark eyebrow while his eyes sparkled with amusement.

“Nadia’s evil smoke.”

“Ah,” he chuckled. “You mean her vapor.”

“Smoke, vapor, demonic torture device…whatever,” I shrugged. I shook my head in disgust and then gasped as I noticed my other arm. My handiwork had closed up, but pink lines that read the words “Isle of Slaves’ were still clearly visible. I really hoped that it wouldn’t scar, because I wasn’t looking forward to wearing long sleeve shirts for the rest of my life.

“I see you decided to get a tattoo,” Finn joked with me lovingly. “Was your tattoo artist in elementary school, by chance?” He gently traced the pink lines that made up the harsh letters, and I shivered beneath his touch. A paralyzing shyness swept over me again and my eyes dropped back down to my skin. What was wrong with me? It was just Finn. The same Finn I had made love to the night before. Bingo. My face heated at my thoughts, and I tried to respond without tripping over my words.

“I’ll have you know that I spent countless waking hours perfecting my new body art,” I retorted with pride. His heartfelt eyes gazed directly into my soul, right down to the raw emotions and fears that made me who I really am.

“It was a genius idea,” he complimented me. The obvious adoration that shone from his blue eyes set free an entire flock of butterflies in my stomach. “Watching your body deteriorate, but not being able to find you or help you, was excruciating. It reminded me that our true strength comes out when our backs are against the wall.”

“I just did what I had to do,” I said quietly.

I broke his intense gaze and got busy inspecting my shoulder. I moved my arm in every direction, which resulted in no pain whatsoever. I would have to give Willow another big hug when I saw her again.

“So where are we?” I asked. All shyness dissipated as the memory of the last twenty four hours came rushing back to me.

“Mom brought us back to Lorelei,” he explained simply. “We’re at the new Maven’s house -

Zara’s house.”

“So she’s okay? What about the old man?”

“They’re both fine. Willow worked on healing him at Eventide while Mom conveyed us back here. They’ll all be landing in Wilmington in a couple of hours.”

“Tina….” At the mention of Eventide, Tina’s lifeless stare flashed before my eyes and despair coursed through my veins. “Why was she even there? Why did you bring her?”

“We had no idea it would end that way. She insisted on helping. She was the only who knew where the Isle was. She led us there - off the coast of Cyprus.”

“She swam that far?”

“She had the ability to breathe underwater...like us.” He sighed and I knew that her death weighed heavily on his heart as well. “I told her to stay hidden in the waves. She didn’t listen.”

“She shouldn’t have come at all.” I allowed the tears to flow down my cheeks at her loss.

“She came willingly,” Finn soothed me, but I could see the glistening of tears in his eyes as well. “She wanted to help save you. Without her…we wouldn’t have found you in time.”

“But she died for me, Finn! How could she be willing to die for me?” I demanded incredulously. “She barely knew me!”

“She proved what everyone else already knows.” He gently lifted my chin to meet his stern gaze and his voice dropped to a whisper. “You’re worth it.”

“She said that she believed in me,” I breathed, and then shook my head in defeat. “I watched her die, Finn. Just like that brave fish. Neither one of them thought twice about saving me…”

“A fish?” He raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Now this, I have to hear.”

I spent the next twenty minutes convincing Finn that I had, in fact, spent several hours surrounded by poisonous spiders, describing my wall-breaking ability, and detailing the fish who had sacrificed his own life for mine. It wasn’t as difficult to convince him of what Nadia and Keto’s true intentions had been. My thoughts drifted back to the old man.

“Do you think he’s related to me?” I asked as another possibility dawned on me. “Could he be…my dad?”

“I think there’s a very good chance he’s related to you,” he pondered. “But considering his age, I would guess a grandfather or great uncle? I’d also like to pick his brain about the Isle of Slaves, and the reason he was there.”

“We should probably make sure he’s feeling better before we interrogate him.” I giggled, but inside I wanted nothing more than to find out who he was.

“I have a feeling he’s stronger than you think; he lasted a long time on that island,” he informed me.

“Speaking of stronger than I thought,” I raised an eyebrow at him. “You didn’t tell me that the ability of sonic boom was in your bag of tricks.”

“My bag of tricks is an endless pit of awesomeness,” he winked at me. I rolled my eyes, but his gaze brought the butterflies back with a vengeance.

“I think I’ve almost got you figured out,” I teased him.

“I doubt that,” he countered.

I crossed my arms. “Right now you’re contemplating whether or not I really do have you figured out, because the thought of that scares you to death. And you’re craving beef jerky.”

“Uncanny,” he smirked. “But I wasn’t craving beef jerky until you mentioned it. So now I’m craving beef jerky.”

“See? You’re an open book,” I smiled.

“My turn,” he considered me for a long moment and then leaned in close. “At this very moment you want me to kiss you.”

“You’re way off,” I lied.

“Am I?” he sneered, moving even closer with a confident grin.

“Waaay off,” I lied again with the conviction of a slug.

“So you don’t want me to do this?” he asked coyly, as he kissed his way down my jaw line.

“Not one bit.”

“Or this?” he muttered, as he brought my mouth to his with excruciating slowness. The softness of his lips was only a prelude to the taste of his tongue, as our kiss deepened and every cell in my body came alive with happiness. He leaned back with a smug smile on his face, leaving me wanting much, much more.

“Told you so,” he bragged happily and thread his fingers through mine.

“Tell me again,” I breathed as I grabbed his other hand and yanked him under the covers with me. A knock at the door made us both freeze, eyes wide and staring at the other. I was hoping that a random squirrel had just thrown some acorns at the window. Because that happens all the time.

“Anastasia?” a very southern woman’s voice asked jovially. She swung open the door just as we were attempting to give off the impression of innocence. It didn’t work. She grinned knowingly, “It would appear that you are feeling better.”

“We were just…” Finn and I fought to justify at the same time, which elicited a laugh from the stunning woman standing in the doorway. Adequately mortified, I silently hoped this was not our new Maven.

“Your faces scream guilty, but I’ve never been one to get in the way of a future goddess and her paramour.” She winked at us and I groaned inwardly. Had someone posted my prophecy on Facebook or something? Finn slid out from the covers, but remained sitting on the bed as she glided into the room. “I’m Zara, fellow Tyde and Lorelei’s newest Maven. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Anastasia,” she drawled. So much for hope.

“Call me Stasia,” I advised; as dignified as one could after getting caught making out with her boyfriend. She met my embarrassed gaze just as a bout of déjà vu slammed into me. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with a familiarity that left me reeling. I knew with a certainty that I’d never met her before, so I couldn’t quite place the feeling. I brushed it off as she smiled warmly at me.

“Alright, Stasia.” She made herself comfortable in the rocking chair near the window and crossed her legs with more grace than a ballerina. “We need to discuss how we’re going to turn you into the most powerful sea goddess this world has ever known.”

Chapter 26

Wearing the fresh pair of jeans and warm sweater that had been set out for me, I exited the bedroom and found myself in a single great room that contained a modest living room and kitchen. I inhaled the soothing smell of apple cider that reminded me of a Cracker Barrel restaurant. After peering into a bathroom off to the right of the great room, it dawned on me that I’d just seen the entire cottage. The wooden floor beneath my feet offset the white décor beautifully. Two large, white oversized couches dwarfed the living room, leaving only enough room for several pieces of vintage furniture. A weathered wooden coffee table matched the large cupboard standing against the back wall, filled with an extensive bone china collection.

As my curious eyes trailed over the wrought iron cabinetry hardware in the kitchen, I noticed the repetition of starfish throughout the great room. They were everywhere. Adorning the wall, splayed across the coffee table, embroidered onto decorative pillows, and displayed across the mantle of the quaint stone fireplace.

The cozy mood of the house spoke to my soul and made me feel secluded from the world’s (and my) problems. I did find it odd that the Maven of a House would have requested such a humble living arrangement, however. Where had she slept while I was occupying her fluffy, heavenly, softer-than-a-cloud bed? The couch? The (gasp!) floor?

“So do you…live here, too?” I inquired, my voice shadowed by shame. If our Maven had to sleep on her floor because of me I would buy her a new house. Or at least a cot to sleep on. I wandered the rest of the way into the living room and then plopped down on the sofa beside Finn.

“Oh, bless your heart! My four dogs would eat this place for lunch,” Zara chuckled and handed me a cup of steaming cider. “This is just my guest house. The main house is up the path on the left.” Although I had only just met her, I was drawn to her instantly. She couldn’t have been more than thirty years old, but she had the southern elegance of Scarlett O’Hara and the unapologetic cynicism of Betty White. Smoldering amber-colored hair had been pulled back from her shoulders, and then tied with a blue and white polka dotted scarf. Her youthful figure was thin but curvy, and her impossibly long legs were hidden by white skinny jeans. Her blue silk blouse accentuated striking blue eyes that twinkled with wisdom, but were clouded by something ominous and foreboding that gave me pause. The subtle permanent arch of her right eyebrow gave off the impression that she lived in a constant state of amusement.

“I love the starfish decor,” I complimented her decorating cordially. In case she turned out to be bat-shit crazy like our other Maven, I wanted to make sure I was on her good side.

“That’s good.” She raised an eyebrow and continued with a sly grin, after taking a seat on the other sofa, “ ’Cause you’re going to be staying here for a while.”

“You didn’t tell me I was grounded!” I snickered at Finn and then took a sip of cider. I was only half kidding. He draped an arm around my shoulders and I felt the warmth of his darkness wrap around me as well; soothing my anxiety.

“Well, not yet…” she predicted through a clever sneer. “Give it time.”

“I can promise you, I won’t be any trouble,” I persuaded, unsure whether she was kidding or not.

Shifting forward in response, Zara patted me on the knee. “Now, don’t go making promises!

What fun would it be if we didn’t cause a little trouble?”

“Don’t worry, trouble follows Stasia around like a sick puppy,” Finn quipped easily. I nodded.

“Yeah, and that puppy’s name is Finn…” I countered in all seriousness, leaving Zara chuckling.

“Now,” she began, “I’ve made sure that there is a protective shield around the house to keep any unwanted guests out. Me, Finn, your suitemates, and a handful of other people are the only exceptions. And you, of course.”

“Really?” I didn’t bother to hide my enthusiasm. “I don’t know what to say!” The validation that I would be staying there warmed my heart. My own house? And it’s protected from the long list of people who would like nothing more than to chop my head off? Where do I sign up?!

“It’s only until your birthday, but I’m more than happy to have you. During your training you’ll need to be extremely focused and have a safe, peaceful place to meditate and practice your abilities. Not to mention, we can’t have any psychotic fire-breathing princesses chopping you into bits and pieces now, can we?” She set down her mug while I picked my jaw off of the ground at her candor. I heard Finn laugh under his breath when she got up to collect something from the kitchen.

“All of your clothes are hanging in the bedroom closet, and I had a couple of your personal items brought over. I believe this belongs to you?”

She placed the valise that my mother had bestowed upon me onto the coffee table. I admired its intricate detail again, and delighted in the beautifully engraved trace that covered the lid. Zara unlatched it with hands of certainty and laid its contents across the table; very much like my roommates and I had done before travelling to the Underworld. Unlike our subpar guesses, I had a feeling that she knew much more about the items held within, for which I was genuinely grateful.

“My mom left it to me,” I asserted wistfully. “I found a letter inside. She said all of these items would help me in the quest to fulfill my destiny.”

“And she was correct,” she reinforced with approval. “But before you go fulfilling any destinies, we need to talk about a couple of things. Not only will you become a goddess and a Nereid -

if you receive the required approvals from your future sisters, that is - on your birthday, but you’ll be up against a very powerful ex-Nereid to claim your rightful place as Leader of the Tydes.” Before I had the opportunity to throw myself off the roof, she elaborated. “So as you can see, your training and preparation are high on the priority list…right below Mr. Paramour over there.” She rubbed her chin and regarded Finn almost scientifically before declaring, “He loves you. You love him. So he stays.”

“Agreed,” parlayed a very self-assured Finn.

She gifted him a knowing smile before continuing, “I believe we can also agree on the fact that Keto is definitely not planning to uphold her faulty claim to wait until after Stasia’s birthday to challenge her. I think the possibility of an attack before January 1st is pretty high.” She shifted her attention towards me, “That being said, I’ll teach you to protect your body and mind, but you need to stay on high alert at all times, understand?”

I nodded at Zara earnestly. “Especially now that we’ve cut off Keto’s ability to get mine or Finn’s essence…she knows it’ll be easier to defeat me while I’m still half-human.” I was all too aware that my use of the word ‘defeat’ actually meant ‘slaughter’, but I liked the sound of defeat infinitely better. Zara’s stunning features stiffened to severe and her smile vanished.

“Finn told me what happened on the Isle of Slaves while you were sleeping. I’d like to think that Keto would have used her better judgment and waited to challenge you, but I’m afraid she’s too far gone for that. So from now on we’ll move forward with the assumption that she could attack at any time.” The depth of her sadness bewildered me, but she hastily masked it behind a mischievous smile. “Which leads me to the contents of your valise.”

I inspected the items on the table while Zara took a sip of cider, tucked her legs up under her, and settled in. A broken compass, a jeweled dagger, a piece of rope, the eerie conch shell, the hematite stone, and three skeleton keys all dumbfounded me with their mystery.

“I think I should hang on to the dagger for safe keeping…” Finn informed us wickedly, and attempted to hide it behind his back.

“You have your own bedazzled weapons,” I scolded him. “This one stays with me.”

“My weapons are not bedazzled,” he spit out, almost choking on the word ‘bedazzled’.

“Of course they are!” I smiled at him happily.

“They’re jeweled, not bedazzled,” he corrected me.

“Definitely bedazzled,” I muttered under my breath, until Finn playfully poked at my stomach; sending me into a full blown giggle fit.

“Alright, lovebirds…” Zara reprimanded us affectionately. “It’s time for a quiz.”

I elbowed Finn in an attempt to dissuade him from any further attacks, which only got me a retaliation elbow to the ribs. I suppressed another giggle and forced myself to pay attention to Zara.

She gave Finn a warning look and he finally sat still.

“What type of goddess are you and will you continue to be?” she questioned me plainly. I peeked back at Finn, but he was watching me; waiting on my answer as well.

“Um…a good one?” I guessed pathetically.

Zara made a buzzing sound, “Wrong. Try again. What type of goddess are you and will you continue to be?”

“A Tri-goddess,” I answered with assuredness.

“And what does that mean?” she pressed further.

“That means…I have a connection with the sea, shore, and wind.” Thankfully, I had inherited a good memory and could remember the first time Finn and I had sorted through the valise on the Fortunate Isle. The triskellion symbol necklace that still hung from my neck had come with a label, which explained that the symbol stood for the Tri-goddess. Unfortunately, Finn had failed to expound upon what that meant for me specifically.

“Very good. There’s only one other Tri-goddess of all the Nereids. Your mother was actually very close with her,” she looked at me pointedly. “Her name is Amphitrite, and she’s the Queen of the Nereids.”

“There’s a Queen of the Nereids?” I established, causing Zara to nearly choke on her cider at my next question. “She doesn’t happen to have a tainted, demonic daughter as well, does she? I don’t think I can handle another blood thirsty princess.”

“Not that I know of,” she crowed. “Blood thirsty and demonic aren’t usually qualities the Nereids strive for.”

“Tell that to Keto…” I inferred under my breath.

“Now, the queen was second only to your mom in power and strength, but she’s by far the wisest. The fact that she’s a Tri-goddess helps. Once you become a goddess, Nereid, and Leader of the Tydes, there will be two Tri-goddesses.”

“If Mom wasn’t a tri-goddess, how did I become one?” I contemplated.

“Well, Amphitrite and your mom shared the same mother, your grandmother, but she wasn’t a Tri-goddess either. How it happens is unknown, because it’s not inherited and can’t be bestowed.

You’re just born that way.”

“So - Amphitrite is Queen of the Nereids because she is the wisest, and Mom was the Leader of the Tydes because she was the most powerful?”

“Exactly. But, being the strongest two Nereids, they naturally gravitated towards each other.

Amphitrite was on Thetis’s counsel, along with Natasha and Dr. Campbell. But, Amphitrite was your mom’s right hand woman - her confidant. And your mom was the same for Amphitrite. Kind of like a best friend you’ve known your whole life - except for Thetis and Amphitrite, ‘your whole life’ meant centuries.” Zara smiled.

“Then why didn’t she become the leader of the Tydes after my mom died? Why Keto?” I examined. Something moved in my field of vision and I snapped my head to the front door. I could have sworn there had been someone standing there. I blinked several times, but all I saw was the door. I shook myself mentally and tried to focus.

“Finn, do you want to take a shot at this one?” Zara held her mug of cider up to her nose and breathed in the sweet aroma before taking a long sip.

“Well according to mom, in the absence of a Chosen leader, the next strongest Nereid is the rightful Leader of the Tyde Order - which should have been Amphitrite. Even though Keto had broken away from the Nereids centuries ago, being Leader of the Sirens wasn’t enough for her; which is evident by the death of Thetis at Keto’s command. She had always planned to rule over the Tydes as well as the Sirens. So once Part One of her plan had been carried out, Keto challenged Amphitrite to prove that she was stronger. It wasn’t much of a challenge, however. Planning her challenge years in advance, Keto had some…help. She almost completely destroyed Amphitrite, until the Nereids came and carried her away to ensure that she lived. Therefore, Keto declared herself the Leader of the Tydes because technically she was the strongest Nereid, with no one to challenge her position.”

“Until you came back,” Zara’s green eyes regarded me warmly. “You’re the Chosen leader and you’ll be the strongest Nereid, hands down. Only problem is that Keto could care less about the Nereid’s rules. You’ll have to meet Keto’s challenge and prove that you’re stronger than her, as well as the rightful, Chosen Leader of the Tydes. That is…”

“That is, unless she finds me before my birthday and brutally murders me,” I finished for her with chagrin.

“Precisely,” she confirmed with an encouraging grin. If nothing else, at least she was honest.

Chapter 27

“Three?”

“Three.” Zara nodded in confirmation. After lunch, I had slipped away for another nap while Finn and Zara discussed my training regimen. Once I awakened, we had reconvened in the living room to continue the lesson before our ‘special guest’ had arrived to kick off my training. The smoldering sun was just beginning to sink towards the horizon, although the clock only read 5:00pm.

Its pacifying light radiated across the cottage, enhancing its cozy atmosphere. Sunset was quickly becoming my favorite time of the day; a gentle farewell, replaced by the spellbinding arms of twilight. Finn lightly poked me before I realized I’d zoned out. I cleared my dry throat and focused on the coffee table that still showcased the contents of my valise. I back tracked my thoughts in an effort to sort out the answer to her question.

“Well I have three keys,” I deduced first. Apparently the number three had some kind of significance, and I was supposed to figure out what that might be in relation to me. “I’m a tri-goddess which means I have a connection to the three elements of the ocean - the shore, sea, and wind.”

“That’s right…” Zara urged. She tucked a strand of amber hair behind her ear, which resembled simmering embers amidst the sunset’s orange tint. The eager way that she leaned my direction and the captivated focus of her emerald green eyes begged me to provide the right answers.

Unfortunately, I was failing miserably at her first question of the first lesson. Not too promising.

“Any chance you could give me the answers?” I murmured sheepishly. I hated tests.

She shook her head vehemently, “Not for this. The only one who has these answers...is you.”

“We might be here awhile, then.” I snickered and diverted my gaze to my hands, when Finn slowly ran a caressing finger over my trace. Suddenly, understanding smacked me across the face.

“Oh! My trace! It has three spirals,” I testified proudly. Seeing right through his sneaky hint, Zara sent Finn a stern look. He just smiled back innocently and continued to rub my wrist, sending tingles up my arm.

“And how many traces do you have?” Finn whispered without moving his lips. Zara caught him once again and shook a finger at him.

I did a quick count, “I have…three. Interesting,” I thought out loud. “So, there are three keys.

I have a connection with the sea, shore, and wind. I have three main abilities-that I know of-and I have three traces.” My incongruent thoughts rambled out of my mouth uselessly as they came to me.

Finn quietly offered me several taunting uh-huh’s to let me know I was on the right path.

Unfortunately, that was also the exact moment I ran into the proverbial brick wall. “And…that’s all I’ve got.”

“You’re getting closer,” Zara tapped her chin knowingly. I had the feeling she enjoyed my self-discovery because she wanted me to succeed, but I also sensed she took pleasure in stumping me.

Which incidentally, she was extremely talented at. She sat back with contentment and chuckled lightly. “Well, you’ve collected all of the major pieces, I suppose I can spare you the agony and connect the dots for you.”

“Oh thank God,” I sighed in relief. “My brain was a mere two seconds away from popping off and exploding.”

“That would be fun to see, actually,” Finn inserted with his typical smirk.

“Not to mention the mess it would make,” Zara added at my expense. Before I could smother them both with a pillow, Finn stood reluctantly and nodded his head respectfully at Zara.

“Is my unerring intellect intimidating you that much?” I teased him. Surprisingly, his usual witty comebacks were replaced by his eyes dropping to the floor as he shuffled his feet; suddenly uncomfortable.

“I need to...take care of something. You know…Prime stuff.” He shrugged his shoulders but wouldn’t meet my gaze. I could tell he was hiding something, but I couldn’t reconcile nervous behavior with the Finn I knew.

“And miss all of the excitement?” I countered, hoping to elicit more information. “The possibility I could single-handedly sink the entire island is never far from my mind.” The corner of his lips lifted and he took my hands tenderly; pulling me up into an affectionate embrace that left me wanting more.

“I’ll be back tomorrow, I promise.” He leaned back and I was drenched in the undeniable magnetism of his blue eyes. “I’ve come to realize it’s physically impossible for me to be away from you for more than twenty four hours. Without you…I can’t breathe. You give me my reason to live.”

He kissed me passionately and my legs turned to jelly.

“And you’re giving me a cavity with all that sweet talk,” Zara giggled. “Now get outta here so I can make our girl into a goddess.” With one final breathtaking kiss, Finn left the cottage and I moved back to Zara while she continued as if my entire body wasn’t steaming from the heat of his touch.

“Okay, think about what you just said - especially your abilities,” she tapped her chin. Finn’s touch had erased all thoughts pre-kiss, so it took me a second to recall what I had said.

“I have Antiquity - which is seeing into the past, Reveries - which are always in the present, and then visions of the future.” Only after the words came out did I realize I’d just solved my own mystery. I clapped a hand over my mouth as it dawned on me. Zara leaned even farther forward and grinned expectantly. “Past, present, future! I can see all three of them!” I touched the infinity trace that decorated my cheekbone. “I have three traces -this one’s for Antiquity-and I’m guessing the one that’s on my wrist and around my finger stands for reveries and visions?”

“Very good!” she exclaimed. “So you have a connection to the past, present, and future as well as possessing abilities that parallel with each. Over the next few weeks, you’ll be learning more about those three main abilities that essentially can take you different places within the past, present, and future.”

“That makes sense,” I agreed calmly, although I was jittery with excitement.

“Now, everything - and I mean everything - has essence; us, the trees, the sea, the rocks, everything. Right?”

“Right.”

“You have a connection with the three main elements of the ocean: the shore, sea, and wind which all possess their own separate essences. Which means…” she paused for effect. “You don’t just have an essence, you have essences.”

“Did you say essence-ES? As in plural - more than one? Meaning multiple?” I clamored in disbelief.

Zara’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Because you’re a Tri-goddess, you have three separate essences. You can’t harness your essence as a whole until you learn what they are and how to combine them. So far you’ve been experiencing them separately - whether you knew it or not. What we need to help you do is meld them all together into one massive ball of mind-blowing power.”

“A massive ball of mind-blowing power sounds ideal,” I chuckled. “So if what you’re saying is true: I’ve been using one essence to connect with the sea, another to connect to the wind, and even another to connect with sand and the shore? And that includes the animals living on the shore, in the sea, and on the wind?””

“Yes and yes.”

“Wow,” I breathed in amazement.

“Even though your abilities are aligned with your essence, the types of abilities you have will also depend on the amount of essence you have in your soul. Since you’re a Tri-goddess, you have three essences. Since you’re Chosen, each of those essences will be at their highest level possible.

Throw in the potent goddess blood that runs through your veins, and its Game Over. That, my dear, is why you’re so powerful. You’re the definition of a triple threat.”

“Wow,” I said for the second time. Words were few and far between at this point.

“Now one thing I want you to remember is that you’re not a goddess yet,” she attested and leaned forward. “Your essences haven’t reached their paramount levels. Your abilities will be infinitely easier to control and harness once that happens, but for now it’ll be a good learning experience.” Someone knocked on the cottage door and Zara’s face lit up with excitement.

“That must be our special guest!” she proclaimed. She literally jumped off the couch and swung open the door so quickly, the hinges creaked. Her excitement boiled over when she laid eyes on the person standing at the doorstep.

“Welcome!”

“I’m Olivia Campbell. I’m here to help-“

“Well of course you’re Olivia!” Zara dragged a bewildered Olivia inside the cottage. “And I’m Zara. And you know Stasia…I’ve already completed the lesson, so you’re right on time!”

“Okay, great…” Olivia replied slowly, raising a skeptical eyebrow at her before taking a seat on the couch next to me. She was dressed for the occasion in black yoga pants, a Roxy sweat shirt and matching Pumas. Her mass of dark curls were piled precariously atop her head.

“Oh!” Zara stood back up, somewhat spastically, “You need cider!” She got busy in the kitchen preparing a mug for Olivia, who was having trouble keeping her jaw off the ground. She forced her gaze away from Zara and focused her chocolate eyes on me.

“She’s seriously our new maven?” she whispered suspiciously. “I don’t think her elevator goes all the way to the top floor.”

“She’s just...eclectic,” I whispered back. “You’re the special guest we’ve been waiting for?”

She nodded slowly and I could tell that she was only half-listening to me; her skeptical eyes following Zara around the kitchen.

“Apparently Mom called her up and told her I’d help,” she complained with indignation. “I think she’s trying to get me to do my civic duty. I think civic duties are overrated, but what do I know?”

Before I could inform her that this particular civic duty didn’t need her farmed-out help, Zara returned with a steaming mug and a smiling face. Her bright blue eyes watched Olivia, and appeared to be memorizing her every characteristic. I wondered then if Zara didn’t have some interesting abilities, herself.

“Alright, girls!” she prompted. “Let’s get started.”

Chapter 28

“The first thing I’d like to-“ A frantic knock at the cottage door interrupted Zara. She swiveled her body parallel to the door and appeared to listen for something. Her face relaxed and her eyes brightened with anticipation. “You have some visitors, Stasia.”

A distressed Carmen and Phoebe spilled into the living room, wearing their concern on their sullen faces. Incredibly happy to see them, I threw my arms around them and held them both in an awkward three person hug.

“Hey you guys!” I shrieked, and fought back joyful tears that were welling up.

“Stasia!” Phoebe inspected my face with the intensity of a surgeon. “We were so worried about you!”

“Nice new crib…” Carmen gawked as she glimpsed the quaint cottage amidst our embrace.

“It’s so cute!” Phoebe chirped, tensing straight away when her gaze encountered Olivia behind me. “I thought I smelled pretense and arrogance…” she muttered; her distaste palpable.

“You guys, this is our new Maven, Zara!” I introduced my roommates to the cottage’s owner in an effort to divert the disdain building in Phoebe’s eyes.

She gave them both gentle hugs and gestured toward the couches. “It’s so nice to meet Stasia’s roommates!” I realized that I hadn’t specified they were my roommates, but thought that maybe Finn had mentioned their names to her. “Make yourselves at home! We were just about to begin with Stasia’s first training lesson.”

“Where’s Willow?” I asked while we sat back down opposite Olivia and Zara.

“Still with Peleus.” Carmen bit her lip and articulated the worry I found in her eyes. I didn’t miss the look of shock that crossed Zara’s face. “He’s doing better, but he’s still in a lot of pain.” My stomach dropped as I realized Peleus must be the old man’s name.

“But he’s going to be okay, right?” My voice came out in a rush of fear.

“Natasha says he’ll be okay. He broke several vertebrae and his arm,” Phoebe said. “He’s in good hands though…he’ll be healed in no time.”

“Can he talk?” My curiosity asked, “Who is he?”

“He was pretty out of it on the plane, but he might be talking more now. Natasha took him to her house so that she and Willow could take care of him.”

“What happened? And who’s Peleus?” Olivia directed her questions at Phoebe with a distrustful edge to her tone.

“It’s really none of your-“ Phoebe started to retaliate.

“Excuse me girls, but we really need to stay on schedule,” Zara interrupted sternly. Carmen and Phoebe clamped their mouths shut, and Olivia narrowed her now-flashing eyes. “Now, as I was saying Stasia, the first thing I’d like for you to do is to practice your abilities related to the past. They combine to create the ability of Antiquity.”

“There are different forms of Antiquity?” I frowned. All of this new information was leaving me increasingly rattled. Everything I thought I knew was apparently just the tip of the iceberg.

“Have you ever touched something like a building, or a specific item that belonged to someone and then experienced brief visions?” The mermaid statue off the coast of the Outer banks, the Spiti of Achilles and the incident when I had accidentally touched Aphrodite’s Rock erupted through my mind.

“That was Antiquity?” I gasped. “I didn’t even mean to do it. It just…happened.”

“So you have? Oh, that’s wonderful!” she celebrated. “As you’ll learn, Antiquity is most easily described as accessing memories; whether that’s by accessing the memories of your ancestors, other people, or a particular object. All are forms of Antiquity.” The second type stuck out in my mind. Was that what I’d been doing when I saw Nadia’s memories during class the first day I met her? And on the beach in Cyprus when I had seen those images from Carmen’s mind?

“Objects have memories?” Phoebe furrowed her brow; puzzled by the theory.

“Of course! Just like everything has essence,” Zara affirmed passionately. “The memories are just energies imprinted on the objects’ essence. Stasia has the ability to access them.”

“That’s pretty cool,” Olivia breathed, studying me with wonder. I pictured myself stuck in a cage at the zoo, as overzealous parents snapped countless photos of their children pointing at me in fear. I vowed to steer clear of all zoos from that point on.

“It sure is.” Zara chuckled and pulled something shiny out of her pocket. She handed it to me.

“I’d like for you to hold this in your hand and concentrate on feeling its essence. I want you to try to access any memories that have been imprinted on it.” It sounded easy enough, but I also knew my track record. My best efforts usually only showed themselves when I least expected it. Pile on the pressure and the failure rate increased exponentially. Not to mention, that I had no idea how it worked. Taking a shot in the dark, I held out my palm and inspected the piece of small pottery. Upon closer inspection I realized it was in the shape of a small dog, no bigger than two inches long.

I held my focus steady as I concentrated my energy and attempted to ‘feel’ anything from its essence. Instantly, a hot, panting breath warmed my face and I instinctively held the piece of pottery farther away. An image of a slobbering pink tongue flashed in my mind, and I realized that the hot breath was coming from the owner of a long brown snout. The tongue disappeared, replaced by an image of a brown nose that twitched back and forth. I peered up at Zara with an amused smile.

“I believe this poor specimen was the unlikely victim of a dog’s tongue,” I giggled.

“It doesn’t matter how many times I yell at her, Twiggy loves that thing,” Zara retorted proudly. I couldn’t tell if she was proud of me or her dog.

“Twiggy?” Carmen asked and Phoebe covered up a laugh.

“One of my boxers. She has more in common with a two year old than her canine siblings.”

She shook her head as I handed the small pottery puppy back to her. “Excellent work, Stasia. Let’s move on to something a little more challenging. Face Olivia.” I did as I was told, but Olivia wasn’t quite as obedient. She shot a weary look at Zara. Somehow understanding Olivia’s adverse reaction, Zara’s green eyes softened.

“I’d like for you to allow Stasia to access your memories.”

“Can I just pick a memory to show her?” she pleaded; crossing her arms in contempt. “I don’t really want her thumbing through all my memories like a freaking book.”

“Unfortunately Antiquity doesn’t work that way. All of your memories will be fair game.”

“I didn’t know I was signing up for this,” Olivia scowled. “I don’t want anyone rifling around in my brain.” She started to stand, but Zara folded her hand around Olivia’s. She stared down at their entwined hands; shaken.

“Having trust in your future leader is of utmost importance right now, Olivia,” Zara declared; gazing into Olivia’s defiant brown eyes with fervor. “She needs you.”

“Okay,” Olivia agreed quietly. Her body relaxed and her unyielding pride fell away, as she reclaimed her seat on the couch beside me. Obviously, her unyielding bitchiness didn’t get the memo.

“I hope you know that you’re the only one I would do this for,” she informed me. Beneath her defenses, I could see that trusting me was extremely difficult for her; but she was willing to try, so I decided to be patient.

“I’ll try not to stay too long,” I grinned in thanks. “I’ll even take my shoes off so your mind won’t get muddy.” Her hard face crumbled into a smile, and she chuckled in spite herself.

“My mind’s already pretty dirty, so it’s okay,” she laughed.

“Maybe you should take a mop and some bleach then,” Carmen snickered, making everyone laugh and diffusing the tense mood. Zara’s features tightened as she concentrated on the task at hand.

She faced me and I sensed the significance of what I was about to attempt.

“The eyes are the quickest route to memories, so you need to shed your heart of any judgment, feelings, or greed. Your energy has to be pure when accessing someone else’s memories, or it will not work.”

Olivia and I sat up straighter and looked into each other’s eyes. After the longest minute in history, Olivia fidgeted and Carmen cleared her throat to disrupt the uncomfortable silence. I regrouped, took a deep breath and cleared my mind. I could do this! I concentrated my energy on Olivia’s dark eyes and allowed my internal walls to crumble, along with my fear of failing this exercise. I felt a slight pulling sensation on my essence, and then everything around us melted away until her eyes were the only thing I could see. That’s when it happened.

Hazy and abrupt at first, I began to see images flash across my field of vision. Moving pictures starring Olivia’s roommates, the inside of her suite, the same Son she’d gone to the Ball with a couple of months ago, a smiling blonde haired guy, a younger dark haired girl in the hospital, a graveyard at dusk, an older woman, a purple birthday cake with ten candles on it; smiling faces all around. The images continued to pour out of her mind, and I could tell that I was moving farther and farther back into her memories as time went by. An image of a younger Natasha caught my attention and I fought to keep the memory from passing.

The image shifted slightly as Natasha spread a blanket out on the beach in the sunshine. She smiled up at a blonde haired woman with pale streaks in her hair and beautiful blue eyes; I recognized her from one of my mother’s memories - the one where they were discussing my fate. Which meant that this was the second Nereid who had known of my birth. I felt Olivia’s happiness as Natasha and the blonde woman showed her how to build a sandcastle and write her name in the sand. An odd sadness filled my heart, and I tore my eyes away from hers with effort.

“That was way too weird.” Olivia shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut as if my presence had knocked something loose in her mind. A tear slipped down my cheek and I wiped it away before anyone could see it. Unfortunately Zara’s watchful eyes were quicker than my hand.

“What did you see, Stasia?”

Olivia’s eyes zeroed in on me with dread and I smiled to ease her anxiety. “I saw one of Olivia’s good memories. She was on a beach with Natasha and a blonde…”

“Amphitrite,” Olivia finished for me nostalgically. Her voice turned childlike as she described the memory I had seen. “We had a picnic. They taught me how to make really cool sandcastles – the ones where you dribble wet sand on top and make those little….” She trailed off when she noticed Carmen and Phoebe gawking at her, then she cleared her throat and lifted her chin before continuing. “Anyway, it was fun.”

The blonde woman was Amphitrite? Several puzzle pieces clicked into place and I realized that the blonde haired woman I had seen in my vision was the Queen. Nemertes and Amphitrite were the two Nereids whom my mother had trusted with the knowledge of my birth. Two of my mother’s closest friends. Two Nereids I would’ve known had I not been sent away.

“You’ve known Natasha for that long?” Carmen asked curiously.

“Mom was on Thetis’s counsel with Natasha and Amphitrite, so yeah, I’ve known them my whole life. After Thetis died, they’d still come to Charleston to visit.”

“Amphitrite? She’s the Queen of the Nereids, right?” Phoebe asked.

“That’s right,” Olivia spoke proudly. “She should have been our leader all this time. Not Keto.”

“It was a good memory,” I admitted to her quietly. “I wish I could have known them that way.

Thank you for letting me experience it.”

Surprise took her features hostage before giving way to empathy. “I think you will. I mean, you already know Natasha and I know Amphitrite will love you.”

“I haven’t met her yet,” I deliberated. “It seems like if she were so close to Mom, I would have met her by now right?”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that the Nereids are very wise,” Zara shared.

“They are never frivolous with their decisions. If she hasn’t come to meet you yet, I’m sure there’s a very good reason.”

“She’s right,” Phoebe rubbed my arm. “Besides, you’ll definitely meet her on your birthday.

She has to give you her approval!”

“Which brings us back to the task at hand.” Zara’s features became serious and she focused on me with impish eyes. “The next part of Antiquity I want you to practice involves visiting the past through in soul form.”

“Are you talking about…time travel?” I asked incredulously, but she just chuckled.

“It’s no different from your foresight ability,” she clarified. “When you have a vision of the future, your soul travels there. Seeing the past is no different.”

“So I can go back to events of the past?” I asked wide-eyed. “Can people see me?”

“That is the one caveat. During visions of the future, the people involved cannot see you because the events haven’t happened yet. The past is different however. Anything you do or say can and will alter your present.”

“Watch out Marty McFly…” I muttered. When I tried to wrap my mind around time, I failed miserably. I decided then and there I wouldn’t ever go back to the past. It sounded way too complicated.

“What I’d like for you to try is traveling back to just a few minutes ago.” She instructed. I waited for her to start laughing, but unfortunately she didn’t crack so much as a smile.

“And how do I go about doing that?” I asked timidly. Could I get stuck?

“It’s actually the easiest of the visions to prompt. You just have to close your eyes, relax and allow your soul to let go as you picture the event you want to witness again. You may feel slightly dizzy but it won’t last long.”

I leaned back on the couch and closed my eyes. I thought about Finn sitting beside me as we talked about the common denominator in my life; the number three. I felt as if my soul was detaching for a reverie, but I concentrated on the moment I wanted to re-witness. I felt a slight lifting sensation and I opened my eyes eagerly.

“Now, the queen was second only to your mom in power and strength, but she’s by far the wisest. The fact that she’s a Tri-goddess helps. Once you become a goddess, Nereid, and Leader of the Tydes, there will be two Tri-goddesses.” I heard Zara say. I scanned my surroundings and swiftly noticed I was standing at the door. I stared wide-eyed at the me in the past sitting beside Finn.

“If Mom wasn’t a tri-goddess, how did I become one?” The past me contemplated.

“Well, Amphitrite and your mom shared the same mother, your grandmother, but she wasn’t a Tri-goddess either. How it happens is unknown, because it’s not inherited and can’t be bestowed.

You’re just born that way.”

“So - Amphitrite is Queen of the Nereids because she is the wisest, and Mom was the Leader of the Tydes because she was the most powerful?”

“Exactly. But, being the strongest two Nereids, they naturally gravitated towards each other.

Amphitrite was on Thetis’s counsel, along with Natasha and Dr. Campbell. But, Amphitrite was your mom’s right hand woman - her confidant. And your mom was the same for Amphitrite. Kind of like a best friend you’ve known your whole life - except for Thetis and Amphitrite, ‘your whole life’ meant centuries.” Zara smiled at the past ‘me’.

“Then why didn’t she become the leader of the Tydes-“

“Holy crap!” I shouted as I shot upright on the couch and looked around with a crazed expression. “That was amazing! I actually saw us sitting here talking!” Something else dawned on me suddenly. “I remember thinking I saw something! At that same moment! I thought I saw something near the door. But it was…me!” It was official. My mind had been blown.

“No way!” Phoebe squealed.

“Excellent,” Zara clasped her hands together and then peered down at her watch. “You’ve done exceptionally well tonight, but we need to move on to your next lesson. You may think you’ve experienced your range of power over the sea, but you’ve only scratched the surface of what you’re capable of.”

Chapter 29

“You want me to do what?” I implored with astonishment. The words that had just come out of Zara’s mouth were laughable at best.

“Is that even possible?” Carmen squinted up at Zara from her perch on the sand between Phoebe and Olivia. Zara’s house was located north of Lorelei’s campus on the same side of the island. A short walk down from the guest house brought us to a picturesque, isolated stretch of shore that faced west. As the sun dipped below the tree line behind us, the sky darkened considerably and gave the illusion that it was later in the evening. The tide was high but the ocean was calm, producing waves no more than three feet tall. After taking a stab at spinning up whirlpools, creating waves, calming those waves, and playing with any and every sea animal that felt my presence, the sea lesson had started to feel like a cake walk. But obviously Zara had decided to keep the main event for last.

“Didn’t someone split the Green Sea?” Phoebe wondered out loud.

“That was the Red Sea,” Olivia snorted, “…but Stasia’s definitely not Moses.”

“You’re right,” Zara answered assuredly. “She’s much, much more powerful.” I glanced back at her with obvious doubt, but allowed a dying wave to pool around my ankles and bury my feet farther into the cement-like, wet sand. A smiled hijacked my lips as I thought back to the first time Finn and I had spent time together on the dark shore at the bonfire. Like Zara, he had possessed an inordinate amount of faith in me. I’d stilled the waves with his instruction, and had even managed to create a protective bubble around Phoebe and I during the hurricane. But creating a ten foot wide trench in the ocean all the way to the horizon? On purpose? At least she didn’t have high expectations. What if there were boats out there? Some unsuspecting fisherman was about to have the experience of a lifetime.

My gaze traveled from the small waves lapping at my calves to the distant horizon for any signs of boats. Satisfied there were none, I stood tall and centered my energy. As the water swirled around my legs, I concentrated on its welcoming touch. Drinking a cold glass of milk after eating a plate of hot wings couldn’t hold a candle to the tranquilizing arms of the ocean. I closed my eyes briefly, as the water around me danced with the energy that flowed outward from my skin. With every ounce of strength and pure will I shot that energy forward like a wrecking ball.

A continuous, massive arch of water shot skyward, as the ball of energy raced through the water and toward the horizon. Throttling a big ball of energy into the ocean felt a lot like being blasted with a fire hose (not that I’d ever been blasted by a fire hose). As my energy met the resistance of the solid water, I could actually feel the friction it created. As it fizzled out and the water returned to normal, I slowly twisted around in shock and met the wide eyes of my onlookers.

Phoebe gave me a standing ovation while Olivia and Carmen smiled widely. I was overcome by the powerful current of excitement that coursed through my body. Zara resumed her instruction, completely un-phased.

“Instead of trying to push the water outward, concentrate on throwing out a thin line of energy. With that, you can push the water in either direction; creating the trench,” she diligently advised. I decided to try a small experiment before casting my energy out to the horizon like a fisherman on steroids. I had only been fishing twice on a lake near Atlanta, and I didn’t have much to brag about. At least this didn’t involve sticking a hook through grub worms and tiny fish. I took a deep breath and allowed my energy to flow from my feet; a steady stream that stretched forward a couple meters.

I closed my eyes and tried to remember to breathe, as I focused on sending more and more energy onto that one, fragile strand until I was ready to try the next phase. I willed the line of energy to widen and expand outward. As if I were lifting weights with my mind, I pushed back against the pressure that was created by the powerful water. An eruption of applause and cheers behind me made me peek out of one curious eye, and I saw that a wide gap now extended approximately three meters; introducing the sand below to the air - along with shells, scampering crabs that couldn’t seem to penetrate the sides of the trench, and clumps of seaweed. With a smile I slowly pulled my energy back toward me, allowing the trench to fill itself back in.

Exhaustion was knocking at my mind, but a tank couldn’t have stopped me from continuing at that point. For the next hour, I casted my line of energy into the water over and over; each time sending it further out than the last. My growing confidence allowed me to accomplish it quicker and easier; sending my onlookers into a frenzy of shouts and applause. As night cast its heavy shadow over the ocean and the moon rose higher in the sky, I finally succeeded in creating a trench as far as the eye could see. The moonlight shone off of the water, causing the trench to look more like a silver canyon. As the water deepened, so did the pressure. That pesky exhaustion quickly won over my determination, but for one glorious minute, I had succeeded. For one powerful moment, I had overcome the power of the ocean and commanded it with my mind and essence. It was exhilarating and frightening all at once.

I collapsed backwards as my energy returned to me like an oversized sling shot. The ocean quickly zipped up the trench. Enjoying the feeling of accomplishment, I gazed up at the glistening stars as they blinked back at me. The waves caressed my skin as the soft sand below supported my tired body.

“Well done, young goddess.” Zara peered down at me lying in the sand with more amusement than usual. Those four words were void of her southern accent and I frowned up at her in confusion. I convinced myself that I had only imagined it when the normal drawl was clear once again as she continued, “I think the ocean’s had enough excitement for one night.”

* * *

“You cannot understand!” a voice screeched with unabated pain. “The peace you feel within your heart for our sisters does not exist in mine. They have made it so. They have stripped me of my dignity! They have stripped me of my pride! One mistake should not heed an eternity of rejection and banishment!”

“You must give them time, Keto,” the voice of the person sitting beside me countered. When I turned to see who it was, I recognized her immediately. Amphitrite. “Forgiveness is a gift that must be earned. And only time can mend the fractured hearts of our sisters.” Amphitrite’s lustrous blonde hair fell past her shoulders, as the streaks of pale blonde created an amazing effect. A crown of silver was woven around her head; the encrusted yellow diamonds sparkling in the light of the crystal chandelier hanging above. I observed my own attire, instantly taken aback by the striking blue gown and aquamarine jewelry adorning my wrists and fingers. I shifted my gaze to the woman Amphitrite was debating with and stiffened when I looked directly into the weeping eyes of Keto. Her blazing green eyes appeared to glint that much brighter as the tears poured down her cheeks. The dark green streaks that highlighted her hair perfectly matched the dark green gown that flowed down the length of her curvy figure and pooled at her feet.

“Time?” Keto pleaded, “All we have is time! Must I endure this torture for another century - a millennia - until forgiveness prevails? Would you have me face their judgmental faces for that long?”

“Your sisters love you,” I said soothingly, my voice coming out wiser and slightly lower.

“You must know that. They only judge that which you have done, not who you are.”

“What do you know of judgment, Thetis?” Keto cried at me. Thetis. I had entered an antiquity experience! The last thing I remembered was lying on my bed, listening to the creaking of the rocking chair as Zara patiently watched me purposely enter my mother’s memories. As Keto continued her rant, I forced down my excitement and tried to concentrate on my surroundings. I found myself in a grand room with high ceilings, marble floors and looming windows covered with lavish silk tapestries. A large stone fireplace roared behind us as we sat on regal furniture. A modest table stood between Amphitrite and me, overflowing with books. Keto stood before us; exasperated and contemptuous. Mom’s gaze commanded Keto’s attention before she spoke again. I could feel her anger rise and fall as Keto’s tone cut her. She quickly collected herself and succeeded in presenting the picture of grace and dignity.

“The scornful eye of judgment watches us all, especially me,” Mom said. “Every step, every decision I make is critiqued and discussed. I feel the pressure at my back every waking hour, but you must stand strong and remain confident in who you are and move forward.”

Keto threw up her arms in frustration. “You could have it so easy if you would utilize the gifts bestowed upon you! You are the strongest of us all! You must know that no Nereid would challenge you! The words you speak have no validity when such an advantage exists!”

“The path to obtain the love and respect of those around you is not through overpowering them,” Mom corrected her sternly. “Strength and power must be used to protect and nurture those who depend on you. Those are the qualities our Order covets in a leader. Those are the qualities which earn the trust of our sisters. Once that trust is broken, it is extremely difficult to rebuild- as you are experiencing now. But, you must remember…” Mom leaned forward, “It can be rebuilt.”

“I do not wish to lower myself to pleading on my knees, in a pathetic attempt to win back that which I have been stripped of. One accusation does not warrant such a harsh penalty!”

“The penalty for your indiscretion lies on those you have hurt the most,” Amphitrite informed her gravely. “Themisto believes one year banishment and revocation of your title is fair punishment for your betrayal, and I agree. There will be no negotiations.”

“My own sisters have turned against me,” Keto stated plainly.

“Your own sisters are giving you a chance to make it right,” Amphitrite corrected her.

“And how does my absence make anything right? How does stripping my title make anything right? I am an embarrassment! Something to brush under the rug! I will never regain the status I had before!”

“Our decisions determine our destiny, Keto,” Amphitrite declared; resolve deadening her tone. “Do not make the mistake of thinking you are the victim. You have earned your punishment.”

“No, you’re wrong,” Keto fumed incessantly. “I have earned my freedom. I do not want any part of a sisterhood which turns their back at a moment’s notice.”

“Your sisterhood would never turn their back on you. We love you. We need you,” Thetis explained with kindness. “But you must serve your punishment. You must be held accountable for your actions. You cannot claim to believe we would make an exception for one sister and not for all.”

“This sisterhood is poison in my veins; imprisoning me and sentencing me to a life without power.” Keto stepped towards us, and I felt Amphitrite tense next to me. Her next words were spoken slowly, deliberately, and with unfaltering conviction. “I denounce my place in this prison of sisterhood. I will not subject my descendents to this treachery, nor will I forgive this act of betrayal.”

“Your sisterhood loves you and needs you,” Amphitrite beseeched.

“You’re a liar! A traitor!” Keto bellowed and threw up her hands, but Mom was quicker.

With a flick of a finger she shielded herself and Amphitrite from Keto’s energy. Mom’s bright blue energy swarmed around Keto, tightening and rendering her powerless. Amphitrite nodded her head ever so slightly at several guards standing near the grand door at the back of the room. They swiftly dragged a screaming Keto from the room.

Mom disintegrated back into her chair and a deep sadness washed over her. I felt her love for Keto, and the pain she felt at her vow to break from the sisterhood. She glanced up at Amphitrite, whose head hung down in defeat; a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Chapter 30

“Stasia?” a faraway voice called. “Stasia, wake up!” I rolled over and searched for the source of the voice. Zara peered down at me with concern marking her beautiful features. When I sat up, tears streamed down my face; I wiped them away with the back of my hand as a thrill shot through me.

“I did it!” I exclaimed; consequently opening the flood gates for what I had just seen to come pouring out. “My mom and Amphitrite were talking to Keto - she did something - and they were issuing the punishment - but Keto didn’t agree with it - she told them she was leaving the sisterhood!”

“Hold on, slow down.” Zara sat down on the edge of the bed. “Keto? Amphitrite?”

“They were in a large room arguing about whatever Keto had done. They told her she would be banished for one year and stripped of her title? I didn’t know that Keto held a title,” I rambled.

“She was one of Amphitrite’s prefects of counsel,” Zara breathed, appearing caught off guard by my words. “But the exact events of Keto’s leaving have never been revealed by the Nereids. All I know is that a Tyde - a descendent of Melite - was murdered on Keto’s command. Or so she was accused. Themisto was the prefect of customary law and had gathered the details of her punishment.

But Keto left the sisterhood before it could ever be carried out.”

“Amphitrite and Mom tried to talk her out of it. But Keto couldn’t be convinced that the Nereids had not turned their backs on her. They were so…poised and strong. It was impressive.”

“What’s ‘impressive’ is your ability to access that memory,” Zara raised an eyebrow at me.

“That happened several centuries ago.”

“I was thinking of Mom and Amphitrite and it just kind of…happened.” I smiled, but another question I’d been wanting to ask surfaced. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“I know that the Nereids all have to Choose me before or during my Epiphany ceremony in order for me to become a Nereid, and therefore Leader of the Tydes.” I held my breath. “That being the case, does Keto have to Choose me as well?”

“When Keto left the sisterhood, she left all ties and any input as well. She will have no bearing on your future as a Nereid.”

“Oh good,” I sighed. A weight lifted from my shoulders and I ran a shaking hand through my hair in relief. “The chances of Keto Choosing me for anything other than to be her slave are about as good as the ocean dislodging from the sea floor and floating away.”

“Careful what you wish for,” she chuckled. “You could probably make it happen.”

“So what exactly happens at my Epiphany ceremony?”

“It’s actually pretty spectacular, from what I hear. As you know, once you are Chosen by all of the Nereids, you will become one of them. But the process of becoming a goddess is a little more intense.”

“Intense?”

“Have you ever been struck by lightning?”

“Almost,” I laughed. “That’s how Mom’s house appeared to me on the Fortunate Isle. One minute there was a field of wildflowers, the next - lightning struck the field and a house magically appeared. Now that was intense.”

“You presence must have woken the house up.” She grinned at me wickedly and I got the feeling I wasn’t going to like what she said next. “The same will happen with you. The goddess inside you must be...woken up. Lightning tends to be the way it happens.”

My jaw hit the floor and I had trouble picking it back up in order to speak. “Lightning?

Couldn’t they just use an alarm clock?”

“I’m afraid ‘they’ are not able to choose. Just as weather creates lightning when two forces within the atmosphere collide, your essence will create it when your own internal forces collide.”

“And who’s to say I won’t be burnt to a crisp?” I stared wide eyed at her as her face crumpled into laughter.

“I can promise you that will not happen. You may not feel a thing.”

“May not feel a thing?!” I gasped. “So there’s a chance I will feel the twenty thousand volts of electricity as it fries my insides?”

“It’s only a slight chance,” she mused, as if I was being ridiculous. She didn’t hold back her laughter as I chunked a pillow at her.

“I’m glad that you find it so hilarious that I’m going to be an extra-crispy-fried-Stasia in a month. Don’t forget to bring the honey mustard sauce to dip me in!” I fell backward in a cloud of disbelief and stuffed a pillow over my face.

“I like barbeque sauce myself.” I heard her laugh again, and felt her attempt to pull the pillow off. I held on as tight as I could. Death by smothering sounded much better than death by electric shock at this point. Her voice trailed away as she left the room, “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the lightning strike…”

“Go ahead…laugh it up…” came my muffled threat through the pillow. When I heard the light switch and the click of the lock on the front door, I knew that Zara had left the guest house to return to her home up the path. I lay there like that for some time before the whirling sound of the ceiling fan faded and I drifted off to sleep.

I vaulted off of my bed when an explosion erupted beside me and my hearing blinked in and out. That’s when I noticed I wasn’t on the bed anymore. By some small miracle, I hadn’t catapulted myself right off of the cliff that I now found myself poised at the edge of. A couple chunks of limestone flaked off; falling fifty to sixty feet to their death into the angry water below. Vertigo spun my world around, and I closed my eyes tight in an effort to right my equilibrium before I fell to my own death.

“Afraid of heights, are we?”

Every time I heard that blood curdling voice, it seemed like an emery board was being dragged across my eardrum. If I had my way she’d never speak again. Unfortunately, at the moment my way wasn’t an option. I spun around to face my mortal enemy, whom I already knew was standing behind me. With her golden hair piled on top of her head and her off-the-shoulder bronze sweater bringing out the golden specks in her skin, she looked radiant in the setting sun. By the looks of the cliff we now stood on, I deduced that we were back in Cyprus.

“What do you want, Nadia?” I met her gaze with impatience. It was a rhetorical question, but somehow I knew I would get an actual answer. I was right.

“To kill you,” she smirked at me.

“How’s that working out for you?” I asked with heavy sarcasm.

“All in due time, love,” she chuckled. “All in due time. Right now, we need to talk. You need to know something.”

I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows. “Enlighten me.”

“I really don’t want any hard feelings. Killing you is nothing personal. Strictly business.”

“Comforting.”

“Keto wants you dead because she wants your position, and therefore your power - not to mention, leverage over the Nereids. But I digress.” She began to pace. “Selene wants you dead because your father betrayed her. You are the product of that betrayal…and a mutt. I want you -”

“What does my father have to do with any of this?”

“Stop interrupting!” she snapped at me. “As I was saying…I want you dead because Keto owes me. So you see; it’s simple math, really. Either way…you die.”

“I really don’t care about the corrupted deals you’ve conspired. And I hate to bust your bubble, but I’ll be around for a very, very long time.”

“Which brings me to my next point.” She stepped towards me, and I waited for the red devil horns to pop up on her head. “I deserve to be Queen of the Underworld, not my mother. If you help me get rid of her…I’ll make sure you don’t die.”

“As tempting as that offer sounds,” I pinched my nose in annoyance. “Not only no, but hell no.”

“Whatever,” she shrugged.”It’s your funeral.” She twitched away, but stopped mid-step and twisted around with a sneer. “And just to warn you…your helpful, accommodating new Maven Zara is anything but. I wouldn’t trust her as far as I could throw her. But that’s just me.”

“Have you been spying on me?”

“What kind of Underworld princess would I be, if I didn’t have a pair of eyes watching you?”

She cackled at me and slid within inches of my face. I stood my ground.

“We’ll be coming for you. Soon.” She looked thoughtful for a moment before her golden eyes hardened again. “It’s a pity you’re paying for the decisions of your parents. But, as you’ll learn, dear Anastasia: Karma’s a bitch.”

With a wink, black smoke shot out from her hands, pushing me right off the cliff before I knew what was happening. As the ocean below raced up towards me, I hastily concentrated on getting my soul back to my body. As I continued to fall and the rocks below became larger and larger, I began to panic. I did the first thing I could think of…I shot my energy out to the sea and summoned it back to me with as much force as possible. I closed my eyes and braced for the excruciating impact of hitting very large and very solid boulders.

Instead of breaking every bone in my body, I landed with an immense splash several yards above the rocks. I had done it! As the water rushed back out, it swept me with it. I held on for the ride and easily lost myself in the arms of the sea. Nadia’s warnings wrapped around my mind and refused to release it until I regarded them with rigor. Could I trust Zara? And if she wasn’t who I thought she was…then who was she? The fact that they would be coming for me was no surprise. That did little to calm my nerves, however. The last thing I wanted to be was a sitting duck. Luckily, I felt somewhat safe in the cottage. I would just have to hole up there until the rest of eternity. I could live with that.

And why had she mentioned my father? He had betrayed Selene? I had no idea what was true and what wasn’t, but I was sure of one thing...I didn’t trust Nadia. She was only messing with my mind, and I couldn’t afford to let her get into my head. That would be the fastest way to get myself killed. As my thoughts continued to go in circles, I sank deeper and deeper. The ocean got darker and the fish got larger, but I simply closed my eyes and gave my body over to the currents. I was tired of thinking. I was tired of fighting. I was tired of looking over my shoulder. For a little while, all I wanted to do was sink.

What must have been hours later, I felt a warm darkness in the distance. Not just any warm darkness. Finn’s darkness. Knowing that he wasn’t swimming in the endless abyss I was floating in, I relaxed and concentrated on my bedroom.

Once back in my bed, I tried to open my eyes but couldn’t. As I fought to catch my breath, I realized something was very, very wrong.

Chapter 31

Panic singed my veins and sent my thoughts into a tailspin until I realized that the pillow was still sitting on top of my face. As self-effacing laughter bubbled up, I hurled the pillow across the room and rolled over.

“If you didn’t want me here, you could have just told me. No need to start throwing things.”

“Finn!” I threw myself onto the other side of the bed and into his open arms.

“I should stay away more often, if that’s the greeting I’m going to get every time,” he chuckled.

“Don’t get any ideas,” I warned him. With his warm darkness surrounding my heart and his strong arms surrounding my body, you could have told me the zombie apocalypse was knocking at the door and I wouldn’t have cared. Not even a little.

“I was going to wait until this afternoon to return but…” he paused. I peered up at his handsome face and his gaze locked onto mine with intensity. “Every part of me…was craving every part of you.”

“Every part?” I grinned up at him, my reverie and Nadia forgotten in the passion I now found pulsing in his deep blue eyes.

“Every part,” he confirmed with hooded eyes. At his tantalizing words my body came alive, and I wanted nothing more than to feed the craving I could feel in his touch. His fingers slid beneath my hair and around to the back of my neck, as he brought his lips down to mine without hesitation.

The warmth of his mouth as it moved against mine only incited the insatiable need growing within me.

In one swift movement he was on top of me, his hot lips against my neck, threatening to unravel me completely. His teeth gently nipped at my skin, before he licked the same spot and covered it with his mouth. The alternating sensations scorched my body; sending me reeling with pleasure. Before I knew what was happening, my shirt was stripped off, followed quickly by the rest of my clothes.

He leaned back on his knees and tugged his shirt off, as I allowed my eyes to run over his strong shoulders, chest, and abdomen. Craving the feel of his skin on mine, I hooked a finger around the belt loop of his jeans and yanked him down on top of me. He caught himself inches away from my body, leaving me sizzling with desire. His eyes took mine hostage as he slipped his hand around to the small of my back with excruciating slowness. Still holding my gaze, he pulled me against him before slowly pressing his full weight on top of me; kissing me hungrily. Suddenly his hands trapped mine at my sides, as he painstakingly trailed his mouth down my body.

If I thought that his hands felt good, I was anything but prepared for the heat his mouth would elicit on my skin. For fear that I might explode with need, I tried to wiggle out of his grasp; but was rewarded with a crooked grin and a wicked sparkle in his eyes as his lips continued to caress my stomach, my sides, and my legs. As his mouth headed back northward, it covered the tender skin of my chest and I closed my eyes and heard myself moan.

As the intoxicating fog of longing and rapture enveloped us, I could no longer tell where I ended and Finn started. The world exploded as our bodies melted together over and over; overlapping the powerful essence in our souls and intertwining the love in our hearts. As time slowed and my pulse returned to an acceptable rate, Finn wrapped me in his arms and secured me in a blanket of love and darkness that filled my heart to capacity.

“Pasha?”

“Hmm?”

“What do you see in our future?”

“Besides death and destruction?” I smiled at myself, although it was the undeniable truth. He shifted on his side to face me and searched my eyes.

“Besides death and destruction,” he pressed with true curiosity. “What do I have that I could possibly offer a goddess?” I kissed him gently on the lips before answering with a smile.

“Eternity.”

* * *

The next morning, my little cottage was filled to the brim with people. Natasha, Elina, Finn, Phoebe, and Zara were all gathered in the living room awaiting my return. After my pathetic excuse of claiming that my stomach hurt, I had holed myself up in the bathroom. I needed to think. My strict training regimen hadn’t included any scream-at-the-top-of-my-lungs time. Apparently I would have to sneak that into the schedule any way I could.

Not wanting Nadia to ruin my magical night with Finn, I hadn’t brought up my reverie to him. Now that it was time to begin training with my essence from the Present plane, I was beginning to feel like my best option would be to throw up and fake my own death instead. Nadia’s words were on a continuous loop in my mind; torturing me without end.

Not only was she still tormenting my sleeping hours, she would soon be tormenting my waking hours as well. They were coming for me. Soon. Time was quickly running out. I stared myself down in the framed bathroom mirror for a couple more minutes, until I’d counted every eyelash and aquamarine strand of hair. Sighing to myself, I flushed the toilet (to put a nice conclusion on my charade) and shuffled back into the living room. Natasha and Elina were discussing the many uses of ginger root in the kitchen over coffee, Zara and Phoebe were giggling about something in a book and Finn was leaning back on the couch with his eyes closed; probably trying to drown out all of the chatter.

As soon as I entered the room he turned his head and gave me a confident grin, which sent my heart fluttering. I cleared my throat.

“I need to tell everyone something,” I proclaimed grudgingly. They all discarded their own pursuits in favor of listening to my announcement. “I had a reverie last night…and Nadia was there.”

Someone cursed under their breath but I kept going. “Among the always-cheerful conversation about sunshine and unicorns, she informed me that they were coming to kill me. And it would be very soon.”

I noted Finn’s darkened features and his suddenly steely eyes. He was at my side in a split second. “What else did she say?”

“Just her normal death threats and blackmail,” I shrugged. “I just wanted to let everyone know so that we could prepare and be watching our backs.” The fact that Nadia had told me she ‘had a pair of eyes on me’ made me shiver. I met the concerned gaze of Zara and wondered if Nadia had just been messing with my head, or she really wasn’t who she appeared to be. Everyone began to talk at once until Zara stood.

“First and foremost, it is imperative that Stasia learns to harness her essences so that she won’t be at too much of a disadvantage, if and when they decide to show up. Nadia has a history of manipulation, so I think we should take her words with a grain of salt. She could just be trying to scare us.”

“It would be wise to err on the side of caution,” Natasha spoke up. Elina nodded her head in agreement.

“I agree,” Finn advised. “She may be manipulative, but she’s also deadly. We do know that Keto and Selene are extremely powerful, and we have to be ready. I’ll hand pick my best Sons to stand guard, and I think we should enchant the house once more to make sure the shield is still in place.” He gestured toward Natasha.

Zara directed her attention to me, “Today we’ll concentrate on the most important aspects of your essences, and the abilities that’ll help the most if you have to face Keto, Nadia, and Selene before your birthday.” I noticed she was using the word ‘if’ a lot. Did she not believe me? Or was she underestimating Nadia?

Finn faced me with consternation, “I’m going to talk to Dad and get you some guards. You can sense if Nadia’s near. Just make sure you’re feeling the area out for any sign of her. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He cradled my downtrodden face in his hands and a tenderness softened his eyes as his voice dropped, “I won’t let anything happen to you, Stasia. No one will get close to you without having to go through me first. And if they try, they’ll regret it.” I couldn’t miss a macabre severity flash in those tender eyes as he disappeared out of the door. Zara took his place in front of me.

“Let’s get started,” she instructed; her tone urgent. She swiftly piled the contents of my valise back inside it.

“I don’t think you’ve explained what the keys actually do?” I questioned as she snapped the lid closed.

“Once you’re done with all of your lessons, I’ll explain their significance,” she justified. “The keys can’t be used until you have mastered the art of combining your essences. You’re doing exceptionally well, but we aren’t quite there, yet.”

Several minutes later, Natasha, Elina, and Zara were standing watch on the beach as Phoebe taught me how to dig deep trenches in the sand with a single finger, how to create a sand tornado, and even how to shave off a layer of skin (or six) with what she called a ‘sand-blaster’. I practiced creating larger and larger balls of spinning sand, as well as catapulting them down the beach with my mind. As I was able to increase their speed and size, they did more damage to whatever they happened to collide with. By the time I was finished with my sand lesson, the beach looked like a mine field.

“Now that’s what success looks like!” Phoebe high fived me as we admired my handiwork. “I can tell you one thing, though: the crabs are none too excited about our little experiment.”

“How can you tell?” I asked curiously.

“The very pissed off crab snapping his claws at you kinda gave it away.” She pointed at my feet.

I jumped back as I noticed the large crab for the first time. He was circling my feet like a boxer in a ring fight; occasionally rearing back on his hind legs to snap his claws at me. I bent down cautiously and sent some positive energy his way. His claws stilled, as he was momentarily stunned by the foreign energy. Thankfully, he calmed down before calling in reinforcements or slicing my toes off one by one.

“I’ll fix it, promise,” I reassured him with understanding. I decided to try something I’d seen Phoebe perform, when she had covered up the turtle eggs we’d buried after the hurricane. I swept my hand back and forth over the sand, and pictured the holes in the beach filling in and becoming smooth sand once more.

“Perfect! You’re a natural!” Phoebe cheered before pretending to wipe off her hands nonchalantly. “My work here is done.”

“And ours is just beginning.” Zara’s ominous tone and close proximity made me jump.

How’d she sneak up on me like that? She sent me a warm smile and her blue eyes sparkled with excitement, as I tried to decide if I should continue to trust her. Seeing as how she was the instigator of my training regimen, I figured I didn’t have too much of a choice if I wanted to be prepared to fight. “Your next lesson is going to blow your mind. Brace yourself.”

I locked eyes with Phoebe, whose mischievous grin crept across her lips in a slow progression; I could tell she was having trouble trying to contain her excitement.

“Are we done on the beach?” Natasha inserted, glancing around protectively. I peered at the ocean and wondered if Nadia’s ‘eyes’ were lurking around. As the hair on the back of my neck rose at the thought, Zara nodded and we all headed back to the cottage at a quicker pace than normal.

As we approached the path to the cottage I could already see two very tall, very businesslike Sons standing watch outside of the door. They were staring off into the distance, with perfect posture and stiff hands clasped around a long sword hanging at their sides. It would appear that I had my very own version of the Queen’s Royal Guard keeping watch outside of my little Buckingham Palace. I couldn’t stop myself from giggling when they refused to acknowledge our presence.

“Don’t forget to breathe,” I poked fun at them as we passed through the door and into the living room. I heard a hitch in one of their breaths as Phoebe tickled his stomach and chuckled. We were met by an indignant Finn pacing the living room. His steely glare easily settled on Zara as we filed inside.

“It’s been nearly three hours,” he accused her. His jaw flexed as he continued, “You should not have left her vulnerable for that amount of time! You know what’s at stake.”

“We wouldn’t have let anything happen to her, Finn,” Zara brushed him off calmly. “You need to trust us.”

“Don’t tell me who I should and should not trust.” Finn’s face darkened and his voice took on a threatening tone. “I trust my instincts and I know first-hand what Nadia and Keto are capable of.

They are not to be underestimated! One missed step or misguided decision and it’s over. There is no room for error.” I looked at Natasha to see her reaction, but she was simply beaming at him with pride. She remained silent and I realized that above all, Finn was the Prime of the Sons; powerful, courageous, and scary as hell.

“Finn, it’s alright,” I attempted to soothe him. “I’m back, everything’s okay.”

He put an arm around me protectively. “You’re right,” he affirmed, before searing the eyes of Zara with his glare. The Prime in him made another appearance, as his voice boomed with a fierceness that sent shivers down my spine. “And if you value your position, Maven…you will respect mine.”

As I caught Phoebe shrinking back with fear on the other side of the room, I was reminded again just how frightening he could be. It was easy for me to overlook the dark and violent side of Finn, because I was one of the select few who knew his softer side; his protective and loving side. I knew without a doubt that he would offer up his life, if it meant keeping me safe.

“I apologize.” Zara’s tone softened as she seemed to remember exactly who she was up against. “I’ll be more cautious with her time while training.”

“The value of her life exceeds that of everyone in this room,” he reminded her, and I got the feeling he was referring to her life in particular. “Do not forget that.”

She nodded to Finn respectfully and excused herself to the bathroom. I wondered if she was going to take my similar path from earlier and throw up instead. I kissed Finn on the cheek and Natasha walked up to him with admiration in her eyes, before heading to the kitchen to get something to drink.

“Whoa,” Phoebe whispered to me as she made herself a sandwich. “I think I need a change of underwear.”

Chapter 32

“Reflection is the name of your ability that is allows you to see into other places within the present. Your reveries are a part of Reflection,” Zara explained to me as Phoebe listened with interest. Natasha and Elina had left several minutes earlier, and the rest of us were gathered inside the cottage to begin my next lesson. Along with the two Sons blockading the door, the only other person still there was Finn, who was standing watch from the kitchen.

“Only a part of Reflection?” I clarified. “I thought they were the ability?”

Voices coming from outside disrupted our conversation, and before I could blink, Finn was at the door. He listened intently for a moment, his body relaxing as a smile tugged at his lips, and swung the door open.

“Willow!” I bounded to my feet and embraced her in one of those hugs that breaks ribs. I hadn’t seen her since Cyprus and I could tell that she hadn’t been getting a lot of sleep. Healing the old man had taken a toll on her body. Her wide blue eyes had dulled, and they were framed by dark circles under her skin.

“How’s everything going?” she asked, taking in the cottage’s living room and fireplace along with its inhabitants.

“You’re just in time for my next lesson.” I took her hand and presented her to Zara, “This is Zara, our new Maven.”

“Nice to meet you, Zara,” Willow greeted her.

“Likewise.” Zara bowed her head in respect and then patted the couch cushion beside her.

“Find a seat and make yourself at home!”

“How’s Peleus?” Phoebe asked Willow with concern.

“He’s doing so much better!” she answered enthusiastically. “I had to practically tie him to the bed to make him rest. I think he’s getting cabin fever. These hands don’t cure that, unfortunately.

Natasha’s with him now.”

“Peleus?” My heart clinched as a name was attached to the old man I’d saved. Somehow it made him more…real. “Have you found out anything else about him?”

“Not much - he’s been sleeping a lot, but mostly he’s the one asking the questions. He was stuck in that prison for more than sixteen years.”

“Sixteen years,” I contemplated, doing a quick calculation in my head. Zara interrupted before I could ask her anything else.

“Time to get down to business,” she commanded sternly. I sat up straight and tried to remember the last thing we had been talking about. “Now where were we…Oh, yes. Reveries. So, Reflection is a multi-faceted ability; reveries being only one of those facets.”

I tried to remember any other unexplainable instances that had occurred in the last several months, but came up empty-handed. Phoebe, (who was about to jump out of her seat) couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Affectation!” she spit out, and then clamped a guilty hand over her mouth.

“What’d you call me?” I scrunched my nose at her, making her laugh.

“Affectation,” Zara began, “is the ability to shroud your appearance.”

She allowed her words to sink in for a moment, but it was apparent that Willow and Phoebe had already heard of it. Me? Not so much.

“Like…a shape shifter?” I questioned hesitantly. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I had no desire to ‘shift’ in any way.

“Not quite. Affectation is more of an illusion,” she explained. “You aren’t physically changing whatsoever. The person you plant that image upon will simply see you that way.”

“I’m not sure I want to brainwash anyone.” I bit my lip and heard Finn snicker from the kitchen. I cut my eyes at him, which only made him laugh louder. I didn’t think brainwashing was a laughing matter, but what did I know?

“When you shroud your appearance, you’re just causing the other person to see you differently. You aren’t changing their thoughts or memory. You’re simply presenting them with a mental picture of you that removes what you truly look like.”

“You can’t be serious,” I countered. I could change the way people saw me? Something about that possibility sent excitement pulsing through me, but my instincts were telling me there were consequences.

“Serious as a heart attack,” Zara promised ominously. “But, it’s not an ability you should throw around on a regular basis. There can be major consequences if it’s used out of context.” Bingo.

“So what do I use it for?” I’d always wanted a bigger chest, but I had a feeling that fell under the ‘out of context’ she was referring to.

“For our immediate needs, I’d advise you to use a shroud for protection.” She studied Finn.

“The person seeing the shroud will not know that you’re doing it, but only one person at a time can be fooled. The second anyone else walks up, they’ll see you for who you really are.”

“I could see where that would get tricky,” I contemplated. Something about it just seemed wrong - tricking people into seeing something that wasn’t really there. Needless to say, I still wouldn’t hesitate to use it against Nadia or Keto.

“Let’s practice,” Zara ordered. “Willow, I want you to be our first guinea pig. All you have to do is make sure your mind is open and your eyes are focused on Stasia.”

“Show me something good,” Willow winked at me.

“Alright, Stasia, first you’ll have to decide what you want Willow to see. Then you have to picture a clear image of it in your mind, before transferring it to Willow. It’s similar to seeing other’s memories, except…the opposite.” That made just enough sense for it to confuse me completely.

“Okay.” I pictured what I wanted Willow to see in my mind, and then memorized it before driving my energy to Willow; continually focusing on the image. She squinted several times, but frowned.

“You’re either a really pretty Brad Pitt or a really ugly Jennifer Anniston,” she guessed.

Phoebe collapsed into a fit of giggles and Finn laughed from the kitchen.

“It was supposed to be Phoebe,” I groaned in defeat. Unfortunately, that made everyone laugh that much harder. After tears were wiped and everyone caught their breath, we tried again.

“Okay - this time really fixate on the specific details of the image,” Zara instructed. “But once you send her the image, wipe it from your mind. If you don’t give it to her fully she won’t be able to see the whole thing, or else it’ll be a mixture…like your Phoebe attempt.”

After everyone had again chuckled at my expense, I decided on another image and then sent it her direction. As Zara had suggested, once sent, I dismissed it right away. I even took a sip of tea as I watched Willow’s eyes widen. She placed a hand over her mouth and stared at Zara and Phoebe to see if they were seeing what she was seeing.

Convinced she was the only one to see my new appearance, she finally spoke. “You’re Liam!”

I didn’t know if I could pull off a boy, but I chose one that she would recognize without hesitation.

“It worked!” I bounced up and down on the couch. Willow burst into another bout of laughter.

“Next time you turn into a boy, I’d refrain from talking,” she giggled.

“I didn’t even think about that!” I crowed, and sought out Zara for my next question. “So how do I turn it off? I’d hate to have Willow thinking I’m Liam. That could get real awkward, real fast.”

“Just pull your energy back,” she retorted simply. I gathered up the small amount of energy I had sent Willow and pulled it back to my body.

“Much better,” Willow exhaled with a smile. “That was freaking me out.”

“That is the coolest ability ever!” Phoebe shrieked with wonderment. “Do me next!”

For the next hour we embarked on a diabolical game of ‘Guess Who’ until I was the resident expert on shrouding. The fact that I could do it without even trying was almost unsettling, but the entertainment I got out of watching their reactions to my version of Oprah, Sporty Spice, and Crocodile Dundee was worth it.

Even though I had the most practice with reveries, Zara still wanted me to practice in front of her to make sure I was doing it correctly and efficiently. The fact that I had an ulterior motive for wanting to practice reveries had something to do with my willing attitude. Willow and Phoebe got comfortable on the couch while I coaxed Finn into sitting with me, so that I could lay my head on his chest. It didn’t take much coaxing. While Zara paid close attention, I closed my eyes and allowed my soul to detach and lift from my body.

My soul glided across the island and onto the mainland as I headed for my chosen destination. I just hoped they were still there. When my bare feet landed on something solid, I stood in the middle of a dimly lit bedroom inside Natasha’s house. I twirled around to get a sense of my surroundings and instantly registered the form of a person lying in the bed. I crept towards the bed to get a peek of the person’s face. He was facing the wall, so it took a little maneuvering on my part to see it. As I leaned over, I held my breath and inspected the rough features that somehow appeared more rugged than old.

From the floral scent coming off of him, I assumed that his full head of gray hair had been recently washed with a bottle of shampoo from Natasha’s collection. The coarse gray hair of his beard and mustache wavered ever so slightly as he breathed in and out. He looked perfectly at peace under the veil of sleep, and I got the urge to hug him. It must have been so lonely for him, being in that prison for such a long period of time. I was about to step away when his eyes flickered open.

My heart dropped to the floor and I moved away at an inhuman speed. I pressed my back against the far wall and held my breath. I slowly knelt down beside a chest of drawers, praying I was invisible to him. In some of my reveries Peleus had been able to see me, but as in the last one at the prison on the beach, he couldn’t. I wasn’t taking any chances though, so I tried not to make a sound.

The low light did wonders to keep me hidden. I could have been a shadow. A poorly shaped shadow, but a shadow nonetheless.

He shifted in the bed, twisting onto his other side and adjusting his pillow. Thankfully, his sleepy eyes fluttered closed once more and I remained in my hiding spot for several more minutes as his breathing deepened and I was satisfied he was asleep. With the dexterity of an elephant, I made my way to the foot of the bed.

Oddly enough, three large suitcases had been set out; all overflowing with men’s clothes. I had a good feeling that they belonged to Charon. On the dresser sat a disheveled stack of papers and a large unmarked, manila envelope. The papers were scrawled in a language I couldn’t understand, and there were hundreds of them. It almost looked like diary. I picked up the manila envelope and looked inside when I heard his voice. I dropped to the floor without a second thought, hitting my leg on the dresser drawer that wasn’t flush with the others and slamming my elbow on the wood floor.

Ignoring the pain, I listened for him to speak or strangle me. That’s when I noticed a figurine on the edge of the dresser above me that was currently teeter-tottering on its side. I watched in horror as gravity won the battle and it fell. In one swift motion I caught it in my right hand, exhaling with premature relief.

As I brought my hand back down, it slipped out and landed onto the floor with a single clanking sound. I covered it with my hand and kicked myself mentally. The role of stealth ninja would never be in my future. Finn was right, I was like a bull in a china shop wherever I went. By some small miracle, Peleus didn’t move or say another word as I peeled myself up off the floor and rubbed my new bruises.

I returned my attention to the bulky manila envelope and slid its contents out very slowly. It was a loose stack of dusty old pictures. I began to thumb through them and marveled at several magnificent landscapes, islands, and flowers. Next was a young man holding a small baby and smiling jovially at the camera. The next was shot over someone’s shoulder as the baby reached for the person’s face. The next was a striking woman holding the same baby in her arms, gazing down at it with unconditional love. A closer picture revealed the woman’s beautiful features and bright blue eyes that I recognized without error. My eyes. My mother’s eyes.

My hands shook with each picture I investigated, but the one that tilted my world upside down was the one of the happy couple; smiling and posing with their newborn child. My mom and a handsome dark-haired man with kind gray eyes at her side.

With legs of rubber, I moved toward the bed and caught sight of the picture frame he was clutching in his hands. It was a photo of a woman. But not just any woman - she was my mother. As my hands trembled uncontrollably, the pictures slipped out of my hands and hit the floor with a loud thump. I saw a large conch shell - just like the one I had in my valise - on the nightstand, right before the old man’s eyes opened and he sat up in alarm.

Chapter 33

“Why didn’t you tell me!?” I was yelling before I even opened my eyes. I bolted upright and balked at Finn with disappointment.

“Tell you what?” he stared at me; dumbfounded.

“Why didn’t you tell me who Peleus was!?” I yelled again; tears springing up in my eyes.

“The old man?” He fought to grasp my arms as I darted around his attempt; escaping towards the door. “I have no idea who he is - all I know is his name! Stasia, wait! Don’t let her out!”

I thought that I might actually succeed at breaking out, until the two guards of doom pivoted inward and blocked my path. I tried to plow through them, but only succeeded in hurting my hand.

Instead, I diffused my displeasure back on Finn.

“You should have told me, Finn,” I fumed.

“I promise you.” He put up his hands in surrender. “If I knew who he was, you would have been the first I’d tell.” I searched his eyes and realized that he was completely in the dark, just as I had been all of five minutes ago. I let out my breath and met Willow’s concerned gaze.

“Did you know, Willow?” I asked breathlessly, my tone losing its potency.

“Of course not,” she answered sincerely. “What happened? What did you see?”

“I went to Natasha’s.” I expounded upon my reverie. “I was in his room. I saw pictures and a frame he was holding. It was a picture of my mother.” Everyone’s eyes brightened to white saucers at the same moment. “He’s my father.”

“Are you sure?” Phoebe squeaked.

“There were pictures of him and Mom holding a newborn baby.” I collapsed back down onto the couch as the gravity of what I had just uncovered hit me with full force. “It has to be him.”

“I thought your father perished long ago?” Zara questioned carefully. “Even before your mother.”

“When I saw her in the Underworld…she told me he was still alive. I wasn’t sure if I really believed her or not.” I ran a hand through my hair. “I thought it could be a possibility that he was a grandfather or great uncle, but my father?” I shook my head in disbelief.

“Maybe if you shave off the beard, he would look younger?” Phoebe tried. I latched onto Finn’s forearm as I remembered something.

“Your mom knew him before,” I concluded, “She has to be aware of his identity, right?”

“We’re about to find out.” He pulled out his phone and quickly had her on the other end.

After the shortest conversation in history he regarded us with satisfaction. “They’ll be here soon.”

I sucked in a deep breath and tried to make sense of the thoughts swirling around in my head.

I had so many questions. Why was he imprisoned with other descendents if he was human? If he had recognized me, why didn’t he tell me himself? Why had my mother led everyone to believe that he had been killed? Nothing made sense.

Not two minutes later , the sound of voices could be heard outside. Natasha made her entrance, followed closely by the old man. Peleus. My father. The deep lines of his face reflected how weary his body was, but now he appeared much healthier and stable than the last time I had seen him; limp and unconscious at the hands of Selene.

“Why don’t the rest of us make our way to the main house, so they can have some privacy,” Zara offered, in lieu of everyone hovering over our already-awkward encounter. A shadow of insecurity and something close to raw terror fell over me at the thought of being alone with him. Finn gave me a hug and bent down to whisper in my ear.

“I’ll be right up the path. I love you,” he reassured me.

“I love you, too,” I breathed, touched by his knack for always knowing exactly what I needed to hear. Once Zara had ushered everyone out the door, I stood slowly and gaped at the man on my doorstep.

“Would you like to sit down?” I offered cordially; my voice coming out robotic and forced.

“Something to drink?”

“That would be wonderful,” he smiled appreciatively at me. While he made himself comfortable on the couch, I poured him a glass of ice water. “I saw you.”

I almost dropped the glass of water, but thankfully collected myself, handed it to him and sat down opposite him on the other couch. I met his gray eyes sheepishly. “I…I wasn’t trying to spy on you or anything. I was just…curious.”

“It’s quite alright, Anastasia,” he chuckled. He somehow fit a lifetime of love and devotion within the nine letters that made up my true first name.

“Say it again,” I requested timidly, before I could stop myself. “My…name.”

“Anastasia,” he repeated, with a slight questioning lift at the end. I searched his face and felt a shyness wash over me.

“You’re my father,” I stated simply.

“I am,” he answered just as simply. A wide grin swept across his face and the corners of his gray eyes crinkled. His gray eyes focused on mine as he continued, “I was imprisoned for almost seventeen years. I went to sleep each night thinking about you. I woke up every morning thinking about you. Every storm, every sunny day, and every starry night I thought about you. When I missed your mother so much it hurt, I thought about you and the beautiful young woman you would have grown up to be. When I could find nothing else good in this world, I thought about you. Each line I scratched on that stone wall marked the days until I would see you again.” His eyes dropped and I caught him wiping away a tear. He met my eyes once more. “My baby girl. You are the spitting image of your mother, with the strength and fortitude of a hundred men. I know I can never get back the time we’ve lost, but…I would be honored to get the opportunity to try during the time we have left. I am getting old in years… I cannot promise just how long that will be.”

“I met Mom,” I revealed; my voice only coming out as a whisper. They were the only three words I could convince to form on my lips. His words had been so overwhelming and heartfelt, I wasn’t sure that I’d had enough time to process them sufficiently. His compassionate smile told me he understood.

“She told me,” he answered, somewhat embarrassed. “She visits me...in my dreams.”

“I met her in the Underworld. She was…well…everything I’d hoped she would be.”

“That does not surprise me at all. She was a magnificent woman, and an even more amazing leader. I can already tell that you take after her.” He touched his gray hair and scowled overdramatically, “Which is probably a good thing.”

A nervous laughter escaped my lips, but it was quickly silenced when he stood and walked around to take a seat directly beside me. He took my small hands in his much larger, calloused ones.

“I need to make sure you know, that although we were unable to be in your life, we love you endlessly. We wanted keep you safe. We wanted to give you…a chance.”

“For years I just thought I was unwanted; a discarded burden that was un-loveable. I couldn’t understand what I had done to deserve that kind of fate.” I contemplated our hands, as his face crumbled at my pain and stifled a sob. “But over the last couple of months, everything’s changed. An entirely new world has opened up to me, and I’ve finally been able to learn who I really am, where I belong, and where I came from. As hard as my life was and as much as I had to go through, I came out on the other side stronger and more determined. And I know now, that I was wrong.” I met his eyes again.

“Every day I asked myself if we did the right thing by sending you away,” he divulged.

“Every day I lived that last day over and over in my head. The way you reached for me. The way you seemed to look right through to my soul. The same way you are looking at me now. But when I look at you now, sitting here beside me, I know for certain that it was never our choice in the first place.

We were only the beginning of your story. The rest has been carved out by your own strength and will, leaving the goddess I see before me.”

Tears filled with years of desolation streamed down my face; making way for the steel threads of a father’s love to mend some of the holes in my heart. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he held me in his arms for a long time. The same arms that had dropped me off so many years ago had finally returned to pick me back up. The conch shell in his room suddenly flashed in my memory. I pulled the conch shell Mom had given me out of the valise and held it up to him.

“The conch shell?” I asked. “I noticed that you had one in your room. Are they significant?”

“Quite,” he grinned from ear to ear. “They are enchanted.”

“The last time I held it up to my ear I could hear something in it. Somebody mumbling? Is it…alive?” I flipped it over in my hands curiously, but he chuckled at my hypothesis.

“It is a portal for sounds,” he explained. “Your mother came up with it before there were phones that you could carry around with you. When she was away, sometimes for months at a time with her duties, it would become excruciating for us to be away from each other that long. So she found these two shells and enchanted them. They each can hear the goings-on wherever the other resides. We could speak to each other. I could…hear her breathing as she slept. While in prison, I used it to mark the days on my wall.” His eyes dropped and I could tell that he was fighting back tears.

“That’s amazing.” I marveled at the bulky shell in my hands.

“I knew you wouldn’t find it until you came back, and even then you wouldn’t know what to do with it – but I always listened for you. Just in case. For years there was only silence. Then one day I could hear something. It was only voices in the background, but it gave me hope.”

“All this time I could have communicated with you, and I didn’t even realize it!” I charged.

“Conch shells don’t usually double for telephones, so it’s quite understandable.”

“Well that’s true,” I giggled, and a thought popped in my head. “Natasha knew who you were when we found you on the Isle of Slaves, didn’t she?”

“She did, but until then she was unaware that I was still alive.”

“Then why didn’t she tell me when you returned from Cyprus?”

“She is a loyal and trusted friend, indeed. She meant a lot to your mother as well. I instructed her not to say anything to you or Finn. I couldn’t allow my presence to hinder your training. You are my main concern. You and only you.” The fact that he was only worried about my well-being after being in prison for the last sixteen years while I had been free tugged at my heart strings.

“Why were you in that prison?” I questioned him carefully. “Did you commit a crime?”

“The only crime I ever committed was loving your mother.”

“That was a crime?” If that was the case, I was in trouble.

“In some people’s eyes, yes. It is a betrayal of sorts.” Nadia’s words echoed in my mind and I stiffened.

“What…kind of betrayal?” I pressed further. He took a deep breath and his face aged at least another ten years before he answered.

“I am human now, but I was not always human,” he delineated ominously. “I was once a part of this world. I was an Aura. I was a descendent of Selene, the Moon goddess whom you had the pleasure of meeting on the Isle of Slaves,” he explained with a touch of sarcasm.

“An Aura? Selene…?” I pictured the group of Auras we had seen at the restaurant in Paphos -

their silver eyes, pale skin, and dark hair. I tried to reconcile the fact that my father was a descendent of the tainted goddess that I had seen rip the souls out of hostages. The same one who had tried to kill me. “But if you were her descendent, why were you imprisoned? Why did she treat you so poorly?”

“Auras are very strict in their rule against mating with other Orders. They believe their bloodline to be the purest and the truest. Any mixing of essence would compromise that purity.” I watched as storm clouds gathered in his already gray eyes.

“And Mom wasn’t an Aura,” I deduced sadly.

“I love your mother dearly, and I was willing to give up whatever it took to be with her.” He shook his head in disgust. “Unfortunately, that meant being stripped of my essence and Aura bloodline.” A vision of the hostages’ essence leaving their bodies and colliding with Keto sent my blood boiling, as I understood what he was saying.

“Selene punished you by turning you human and keeping you in captivity?”

“That’s right. Our relationship was overlooked by Selene and the Auras until we had you.”

He squeezed my hand. “She saw it as an act against her and my ancestors. I had contaminated our bloodline, which could not go unpunished. I’m afraid that’s why she’s helping Keto try to defeat you.

She told me that my last punishment would be…to watch you die.”

Chapter 34

“I have a feeling that I’ve thwarted her plan so far,” I answered with a certain hollowness.

“Hopefully we’ll continue to do so.” The confidence in my voice didn’t make it to my stomach, which was doing somersaults right along with the rest of my internal organs. I looked around to find the nearest trash can just in case. He started to say something, but then stopped himself. Another revelation came crashing down on me. “So that means I’m…half Aura and half Tyde?”

“Fortunately not,” he winked at me. “You are 100% Tyde.”

“But how’s that possible?”

“Your mother.” He smiled, “She and Amphitrite made sure that whatever Aura essence you received from my bloodline was removed soon after you were born. With her ability of foresight, she was able to see things I couldn’t, and I’ve never challenged her ability to know what needed to be done. She wanted to do everything she possibly could to protect you.”

“Wow,” I breathed. Just when I thought I had everything about my past figured out, I learn yet another bombshell. As his gray eyes sparkled, I realized that they must have been silver at one time.

“Were your eyes once silver?” I inquired, and he nodded acutely. “We saw a group of Auras in Paphos and they all had silver eyes, dark hair, and these odd orbs hanging around their necks.”

“The orb, as you call it, contains a single ray of moonlight. It is given to every Aura at birth, since they are a product of the moon. It is essentially what your aquamarine gems and turquoise stones are to you and the Tyde Order.”

“That makes sense,” I contemplated. It seemed that whenever I got used to one new piece of news, I get sideswiped again.

“I imagine that this world can be quite overwhelming at times?”

“That’s an understatement,” I laughed. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

“It appears that you have a very strong circle of friends who care for you greatly. That is important as a future leader. All leaders must have a support system. If they didn’t have that, they would flounder and fail. So don’t ever forget - don’t ever look down on anyone unless you’re helping them up.”

“They’re pretty wonderful,” I smiled happily.

“And Finn?” he asked, notably uncomfortable. “His adoration for you is most obvious…” He frowned and raised an eyebrow as something dawned on him, “Do I need to have a talk with him?

Prime or not, he is courting my daughter.”

I couldn’t help but giggle at his use of the word ‘court’ as well as his attempt at being overprotective. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. He almost ripped Zara a new one this morning when our training session ran over.”

“Well…” he sat up straighter and narrowed his eyes. “I may not be a spring chicken anymore, but I’m not above defending my daughter’s honor.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I laughed and hugged him again.

Before everyone returned to the cottage, I regurgitated the Cliff notes version of my last seventeen years on Earth, along with the last six months - which happened to be where my story took a sharp curve around a precarious mountain teeming with magical experiences and evil princesses. He hung on my every word; laughing with me, crying with me, and becoming angry with me. I was still trying to come to terms with the fact that my father was sitting next to me when the cottage door opened and my entourage filed in one by one; their faces changing from worried to relieved the moment they saw us sitting together with smiling faces.

Finn was last to enter; giving instruction to the Sons standing guard outside. Dad stood and approached him valiantly. I fought to suppress the amused smile that was creeping its way onto my face.

“I’m Anastasia’s father, Peleus.” Dad lifted his chin, making Finn’s eyes brighten. I could tell he instantly liked him for the simple fact that he hadn’t treated him like the Prime, but more so like any other teenager whom he was suspicious of.

“My mother, Natasha, has spoken very fondly of you over the years. She mentioned that you and Thetis helped watch after me,” Finn shook his hand and nodded respectfully. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”

My heart glowed at the two of them having a conversation and the very non-threatening sparkle in my father’s eyes. I walked up to Finn and wrapped an arm around him, prompting him to grin down at me.

“Did you see Finn as a baby?” I asked Dad, for the sole purpose of embarrassing Finn. My dad rose to the challenge nicely.

“I sure did, in fact…” he smirked at Finn wickedly, “I even changed your diaper.” I clasped my hands together happily and peeked up at Finn, whose face was actually reddening.

“Is that…?” I pulled the hand down from Finn’s face with effort and teased him, “Are you blushing?”

“If the love of your life’s Dad had wiped your butt as a baby, you’d be blushing too,” he admitted with chagrin, making us laugh.

“Probably, but luckily you’re the one whose butt was wiped.” I pinched his side and he swiftly picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

“I think I heard Zara say that it’s time for Stasia’s next lesson,” he told Dad calmly, and I felt him nod his head respectfully once more; completely ignoring the squirming future goddess draped over his shoulder.

“I heard nothing of the sort!” I argued into his back as the blood rushed to my head. As we walked away, I heard Dad chuckle and I waved to him. Finn lowered me onto the couch beside Zara.

“She’s all yours,” he told her as he cut his eyes at me playfully. I tried to trip him as he walked away, but he predicted my move and stepped over my leg easily.

Dad elected to stay for my next lesson, as did Natasha. Willow insisted on preparing dinner up at the main house while we practiced. Carmen took the place of Phoebe, who had announced that she had a date with Ian, and everyone else settled in to watch the show. Zara kicked it off with a dissertation that left my head reeling.

“As we discuss visions of the future, or foresight, you need to keep in mind that the future is always shifting. What you see in a vision today, is based on the events as they would happen should no extenuating circumstances occur. That same vision would recalculate itself after you’d seen it, because your knowledge of the events to come could shift the paradigm - simply on the theory that your decisions could be affected by the new knowledge that you didn’t possess ten minutes before the vision occurred.”

“Do you think we could hear that again…possibly in English?” Dad furrowed his brow from the other couch. Zara laughed, but strove to hide it under a cough…unsuccessfully. Dad gave her an odd look before she continued.

“The future is a lot like the wind; constantly shifting and highly unpredictable,” she explained with an amused twinkle in her eye. I noticed that she continued to glance at my Dad, much like she had looked at Olivia the day before. She appeared to be soaking in his presence, putting every detail to memory. “According to Natasha, you’ve had several visions; however, were they all unprompted?”

“That’s right,” I confirmed.

“Unprompted visions can be pretty vivid, but they’re also unsettling. The fact that you don’t know you’re in a vision is a huge part of that,” she interpreted, and reached into the valise to produce the vintage compass. I observed the cautious way she handled it while Finn nodded his head in agreement. “This little guy is going to help with that.”

She handed me the compass and I stared blankly at its face when the needle failed to move a millimeter. “I think it’s broken.”

“I’m going to have you practice inducing a vision while holding the compass, and you’ll see real fast how it works,” she answered, while pulling the bronze key from the valise. “The bronze key represents the Future Plane. It is the oldest of the keys.”

I held the unwieldy key in my palm and admired the intricate metal work. I was dying to know what they were for. They gave off a very powerful, ominous vibe that intrigued to me. It was as if they had their own presence.

“You said that every tri-goddess has keys like these, but where do they come from?” I queried.

“Each key is cut from the same piece of metal - whether that be gold, silver, or bronze.

They’re all interconnected and they’re all identical,” she provided, and then promptly changed the subject. “The compass is also made of metal, but it will only work during a vision. It will follow you into the vision and you will be able to use it.”

“So I can decide what I want to have a vision about?”

“You can guide the vision in the right direction…what you see may or may not be exactly what you were looking for, however,” she explained cryptically. “Now what I want you to do is lay back and close your eyes.”

“Is this dangerous in any way?” Dad asked Zara, his anxiety showing on his pinched features.

“Not at all,” she comforted him, and then diverted her attention back to me. “Certain events have more…energy than others, making them easier to access. For example, it would be extremely difficult for you to prompt a vision about your dinner a week from now. But it’d be much easier to prompt a vision about your Epiphany ceremony. Make sense?”

“I think so,” I cracked open one eye. “Is it anything like prompting a reverie? I’m good at that.” I heard Finn snicker and Zara smiled as well.

“Oddly enough, reveries are much more difficult,” she confirmed for me. “Visions are more like…falling asleep. You just have to remember which way is up.”

I dug up some of the times I’d had unprompted visions, and realized that most of the time the world would tilt and I would just black out. Is that what she meant? Is that what the compass was going to do? Help me find ‘up’?

“I feel like Alice in Wonderland,” I muttered, eliciting laughter from Carmen and Willow.

“For this lesson, I want you to choose a specific event that you’d like to see in your vision.

You’ll need to envision yourself there; concentrate on the smells, sounds, and people. You’ll know it’s working when you feel yourself start to spin.”

I closed my eyes and became lost in what I envisioned my Epiphany ceremony would be like.

Since I had no idea where it was held or who would attend, I tried to think about the traditional white dress I would have to wear - the lavish feel of its many layers, and the way it made me feel like I was a part of something bigger. I thought about my friends all sitting nearby, along with Finn, my Dad, and Zara. I pictured the Nereids standing around the perimeter of the room, like they had in the circle of the courtyard at the Spiti of Achilles.

“You’ll feel a light tugging on your soul, and then you’ll feel yourself begin to spin. That when you know…” Her voice trailed off as the world shifted drastically sideways and I held my breath. A mass of colors whirled in front of my eyes, and at one point I thought I was going to throw up. It was a merry-go-round from hell. Just when I thought I couldn’t take it any longer, everything stopped and the world went dark.

Chapter 35

The stone path beneath my bare feet chilled me to the bone while the night air swirled around me, filling my senses with the unrefined, earthy smell of witch hazel. I was positioned on a stone path, lit by the moon above and surrounded by a garden wilted by the early morning frost. To my left, the path wound down to a small cottage. To my right sat a large sprawling beach house with several lights on. Why was I standing on a path in the middle of the night? Shouldn’t I be inside the cottage?

Something in my hand caught my attention and I looked down to discover that I was holding the compass from my valise. Why in the world? Zara. Training. Visions. My mind quickly put the pieces together and my memory came crashing down on me.

I was having a vision! I’d done it! But…this was definitely not my Epiphany ceremony.

Apparently I earned a big F in directing my visions. I studied the compass to see if it had magically begun to work. The face had completely changed, and I squinted in the pale moonlight to read it.

There were actually four needles on the compass; each pointing in a different direction, but I couldn’t quite make out the small writing on the face. One needle looked like it was pointing to A.M.? That would make sense, considering I assumed it was in the early hours of morning. Maybe that’s what the compass did for you: tell you not so much ‘where’ you are, but ‘when’ you are. Interesting.

A sound near the larger house caught my attention, and I froze as a figure stepped up to a side door and knocked. The awning she stood under drenched her in shadow, rendering it impossible for me to figure out she was. I crept forward to get a better view. She tilted her head slightly as if she heard a noise and I ducked down. When a single moonbeam lit her profile, I felt my heart seize in my chest. Keto.

After I collected my jaw from off of the ground and convinced my heart to stop racing, I quickly scooted up the path. Suddenly, the door opened and a cheerful Zara greeted her.

“Welcome, Keto!” she received her warmly. “Please, come in so we can chat.” The first thing I noticed was that her accent had dissolved. The southern drawl I’d become accustomed to was no more. As Keto stepped inside, Zara probed the side yard with paranoid eyes before shutting the door. I had to find a way to hear what they were ‘chatting’ about. Channeling my inner Cat woman, I scurried up beneath one of the lit windows. I couldn’t see them, but I could hear the murmur of voices inside. Nadia had been telling the truth! Zara was definitely hiding something.

If Selene hadn’t been able to see me during my vision of the essence ritual at the prison, maybe they wouldn’t be able to see me either. I cowered in misery as the phrase ‘biting my lip’ turned painfully literal. With my heart in my throat and the taste of blood on my lips, I stepped up to the side door and tried the knob. It gave under the pressure of my grip and I painstakingly twisted it the rest of the way and pushed the door open. I cringed and suffered a small heart attack when the movement elicited a hair-raising creaking sound from the hinges. Mental note - always bring WD-40 to visions.

I cracked open the door just far enough so that I could squeeze my body in and slide through.

I tip-toed down the hallway several paces, and then peeked in the doorway that led to an adjacent room. I snapped my head back and flattened against the wall when I realized that they were mere feet away.

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am,” Zara approved, her voice still void of any accent.

“I suppose it was only time,” Keto agreed grudgingly.

“Have you had word from Selene?” Zara asked casually. I peeked around the corner and discovered that they had shifted away from the doorway.

“No,” Keto sighed, “I don’t suppose I will for some time to come.”

“I believe it is for the best,” Zara replied. “She will come around.”

“I’ve never understood her extreme views regarding the Auras, but I suppose she is entitled to protect her descendents.”

“Except for one.” Zara’s tone darkened.

“Sacrifices are the decision of the willing,” Keto’s gaze turned piercing as she met Zara’s eyes. “There is no blood on my hands or Nadia’s.”

“I have a feeling the Furies will not see it that way,” Zara warned resolutely.

“No, I imagine not.” Keto shrugged. “That is not my concern, however. None of this is.

Especially not her.”

“Anastasia is young in years, but will be a great leader,” Zara countered. She was taking up for me?

“The Sirens are my only concern.” Keto crossed her arms in defiance and gazed out the window with a scowl.

“Come,” I heard shuffling as Zara spoke, “Allow me to show you something out in the garden.” Uh oh. In a flash I twisted the door knob and slipped back outside, already considering which tree I could hide behind. Before I could even make it to the grass, I fell down the two stone steps that led up to the door. Warm blood trickled down my arm and I reached up, just as pain pulsed up my shoulder. I crawled partly behind a bush, just as the two women walked outside. Something hard pressed against my butt and I wrenched the compass out of my back pocket. In the light I could see the face clearly. I laid down on my back and held it up to my eyes, just as I realized that one of the needles was pointing to what was clearly marked as ‘Up’.

I was suddenly back inside the cottage, presumably in the Present, lying on the couch. In an effort not to come unglued in front of everyone, I remained silent. I carefully and deliberately scanned the living room. A concerned Willow was sitting beside me, along with Finn.

“Where’s Zara?” I asked, not making any sudden movements in case my self-control up and ran away.

“She got called out for a disturbance on campus…something about two Tritons fighting over a Siren. Go figure,” Carmen rolled her eyes.

“Convenient,” I muttered. I spotted Dad sitting on the other couch, as I strained to pull myself upright and readjust the shirt that I had gotten twisted. That’s when I noticed the blood. I touched my arm gently to investigate how tender the cut still was. Yep, still tender.

“We’ve been trying to wake you up,” Willow explained as she began to clean the wound. “We didn’t think blood was a good sign at all.”

“I just…fell down some steps.” I shrugged and forced a smile to show them I was fine. “I’m such a klutz sometimes.” Finn grinned as Willow set to healing my cut with her hands. The tingling felt amazing, as it crawled up my arm and relieved the pain.

“You did great,” Finn grinned at me proudly. “Did you see what you were expecting?”

“Yes and no.” I smiled back at him and my heart warmed with love. I could tell that he knew something was off, but was refraining until I didn’t have an audience to analyze my every move. I was hoping that he couldn’t tell that I’d completely failed at directing my vision. I also needed time to digest what I had seen. I rubbed my temples as a headache started to come on. “I think I need to rest.”

“But I made dinner up at Zara’s house! Aren’t you hungry?” Willow frowned.

“Not really,” I answered, and my stomach promptly betrayed me by growling. Willow put her hands on her hips.

“You need food, whether you want it or not,” she scolded me.

“How about someone brings you a plate down?” Finn suggested, and I sent happy vibes toward him; wishing that I could just spend time with only him for a couple of days and forget about everything else that was happening. Unfortunately, avoiding death threats wasn’t an option.

“That would be wonderful,” I grinned at her sheepishly. At that, everyone began to gather their things and stood up to leave for Zara’s. I gave Dad a long hug and realized that I didn’t want to let him go - but I knew that I wasn’t the only one who needed rest. His eyes had sunken in and he’d become pale since I’d been in my vision. The last to leave were Carmen and Willow, who let it be known how worried they were about me. Finn put his arm around me and kissed the top of my head.

“The Sons will be right outside all night, so you’re completely safe here,” Finn reassured me.

“I was hoping you’d stay with me.” My request came out more desperate than I had intended, but I’d been hoping to tell him about my vision. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“I’ll be back first thing tomorrow morning,” he explained. The hesitancy and compassion in his deep blue eyes told me that he didn’t want to leave, anymore than I wanted him to. “My father has requested my presence for a meeting tonight. I can’t miss it.”

“It’s alright, I’ll probably just sleep all night anyway.” I tried to hide my disappointment, but I’m not sure I fooled anyone. At least this would give me some time to think and collect my thoughts.

“I’ll be back before the sun comes up, I promise,” he assured me with another kiss before reluctantly leaving the cottage.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Willow asked me, unconvinced.

“You know we can tell when that head of yours is about to pop off,” Carmen pressed with presumption.

I sighed and gave in easily to their interrogation, “My vision wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be. I’m just not sure Zara is who she claims to be, but I don’t know how to find out or if it even matters at this point.” I ran a hand through my hair. “I feel like I’ve got a million problems piling up and I’m being forced to pick and choose which ones to worry about.”

“Well, the most important problem right now is how to keep you alive,” Willow told me sternly. “Everything else can wait.”

“She’s right,” Carmen said. “You need to concentrate on your training, and figure out how to keep from getting whacked when Keto and Nadia come a-knocking.”

“You are not helping.” Willow cut her eyes at Carmen and then regarded me once again, “You do have one advantage, however.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Kick ass friends.” She smiled widely before continuing, “We’re about to eat up there, and Zara isn’t home yet. We’ll perform some reconnaissance work and report back.”

“Just be careful,” I warned them. “If she’s talking to Keto, we’re really playing with fire.”

“Keto?”

“In my vision, Keto had gone to Zara’s house to meet up and talk,” I explained, and their eyes grew wide. “So just be careful.”

“We will,” Carmen hugged me. “Now, you get some sleep. Doctor’s orders.”

Finally alone, I collapsed onto the couch and massaged my temples. I wondered if a person’s head really could pop off. It seemed feasible. I closed my eyes and laid back, hoping all the answers would magically appear in my thoughts. Instead, the world faded away as sleep took me hostage.

Chapter 36

The next time my eyes opened I had no idea how long I’d been sleeping on the couch, but there was a full plate of cold food on the coffee table in front of me. Either Willow couldn’t wake me up, or she had left me sleeping. I thought about re-heating the food, but decided against it; slinking back to the bedroom and climbing into bed. I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling.

Surprisingly, it stared back.

A solid line of at least fifty glow-in-the-dark stars of all sizes ran the length of the ceiling from window to wall. From there, it trailed down and disappeared into the closet. I switched on the small lamp on the bedside table and hopped out of bed; curiosity getting the best of me. I crossed the room and opened the door to a large walk-in closet that seemed to go on for miles. Blouses, pants, and dresses were stuffed on either side; not allowing room for much else.

I stuck my head inside, but only the eerie glow from the line of stars that continued to run along the ceiling could be seen. I stepped farther inside and spun around slowly. There was a good chance the stars had been there for years, but I hadn’t noticed them the night before. Maybe Zara had thought I’d like them? Or maybe Finn did it? Giving up, I was about to walk out when I heard a light stirring near the back of the closet. I stepped farther in, looking for some kind of weapon in case a murderer, or more appropriately, Nadia, was hiding behind one of the dresses. My breath hitched as I pictured a rat the size of a small dog launching itself at me.

Funny - how a rat could elicit more fear in me than a murderer or Nadia. I didn’t have much more time to contemplate who was sharing the closet with me before three figures plunged out from the darkness and smothered me in a hazardous four-person hug in the middle of the closet.

“What are you guys doing here?!” I screeched at my three roommates. “I thought you were a murderer! Or a…rat. Or…whatever! You shouldn’t be hiding in my closet!”

“It was the only hiding place we could all fit!” Carmen jumped on the bed and tested out its springiness.

“The perfectly good living room wasn’t big enough for you?” I put my hands on my hips.

“Sticking stars to the ceiling and hiding out in your bedroom closet were much more fun.”

Willow laughed. “Plus, the guards outside let us in because we had food.”

“I voted for cutting off the electricity and blasting the door down, but Carmen said that would be too obvious.” Phoebe shrugged as she inspected the pictures on the wall.

“Or…” I emphasized slowly with sarcasm. “And this might sound crazy, but you could have just knocked on the door and woke me up.”

“Once again, that doesn’t involve stars or closets,” Phoebe informed me. “Not to mention, we wouldn’t have had an excuse to get all dressed up like army guys!”

She twirled around to show off her outfit. All three of them looked more like duck hunters than army men, as they were covered in camouflage from head to toe with black war paint smeared on their faces. Willow’s gorgeous hair was tucked up under a bright, neon-orange knit hat.

“Good thing you wore camouflage - If it weren’t for your hair, I wouldn’t be able to see you right now.” I rolled my eyes and laughed.

Carmen put her hands on her hips, “I sacrificed at least three dollars for these diamonds in the rough at a yard sale last week. I knew they’d come in handy some day. Besides, yours are in this bag.

We can’t bust you out of here in that.” I looked down at my jeans and sweater and then back at Carmen with skepticism. She tossed the bag at me with a wicked grin. “You’ve got two choices. Put them on or we put them on for you. You pick.”

“And just what are you busting me out of here for?” I retaliated. “And just how do you propose we get back out without the Sons seeing us?”

“I can be very persuasive,” Carmen answered darkly.

Phoebe snickered and rolled her eyes, “Your money can be very persuasive. Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb didn’t take a lot of convincing to agree to be our escorts for the night.”

“And what exactly do we need camouflage outfits and armed guards for?” I wasn’t convinced.

I eyed my own camo outfit awaiting me in the bag sitting on the bed.

“Operation ‘Zara Dark Thirty’,” Carmen announced, clearly proud of the name they’d come up with; a play on the move title “Zero Dark Thirty.”

“We are not going on a mission to kill Osama Bin Laden,” I disagreed vehemently, “And most importantly, we are NOT navy seals.”

“You’re right.” Willow flung the bag of clothes at me, “We are Tydes and we are going on a mission to find out who Zara is. So get dressed soldier, it’s time to move out.”

“I’m getting the three of you checked out for Bat-Shit Crazy Disorder at some point. I have a feeling you are prime candidates for the disease.”

“Well, you’re gonna be our leader…” Phoebe laughed, “so what does that say about you?”

“Good point.” I sneered at her and began to pull on the biggest camouflage pants I’d ever seen. I twisted around to inspect the tag. “What size are these…? Men’s large!?”

“Army pants don’t come in size 2 Petite,” Carmen enlightened me sarcastically. I pulled them on without having to unbutton them, and then rolled down the waistband to my liking. A black tank top completed the outfit, along with the black paint that Phoebe smeared all over my face. Once my hair was in a pony tail, they clapped their hands and I smiled in spite of myself.

“So what’s the plan, Staff Sergeant?” I regarded Willow formally, with a less-than-accurate salute.

“We found an address in Zara’s house earlier that we think is worth checking out.” Her voice had dropped, but I didn’t miss the undercurrent of excitement. “Zara is definitely up there in her bed as we speak, so I know we won’t run into her.”

“What kind of address is it?”

“I’m not exactly sure, but she received a phone call after dinner and was extremely secretive about it. She left the room, so Carmen pretended to go to the bathroom, but followed her to her study where she wrote something down. Once Zara left to go back to the dining room, Carmen found the paper she had written on and copied the address.”

“You guys are amazing,” I shook my head in wonder. “Did you hear any of her conversation?”

“Not really,” Carmen frowned. “But my superpower of intuition tells me that we’ll find something at this address. I just feel it.”

“Let’s just hope the ‘something’ we find isn’t a serial killer who collects the tongues of seventeen year old girls,” Phoebe inserted off-handedly.

“Yes, because finding a serial killer who collects comic books would be infinitely better…”

Carmen snorted.

“I’m hoping he takes your tongue first,” Phoebe sneered at her.

“Alright!” Willow put up her hands, “If you keep it up, I’ll cut out both of your tongues so neither one of you can talk anymore. I don’t think anyone else will object.” She looked to me for back up and I shook my head.

“If we’re going, we need to hurry!” a deep male voice called from the living room. We filed out of the bedroom to see the two guards waiting impatiently for us. Both were over 6’5 and could more than likely bench press a train. I had to admit, I felt much safer knowing they would be with us.

After consulting Mapquest.com, we found out that the address was a mere half mile north from Zara’s house, so we decided to make the trek on foot. We all agreed that a golf cart would be too noisy, anyway. If it had been any other night, I would have been able to enjoy the cloudless night with the bright silver moon smiling down at us. It lit up the tops of the sea oats and sand dunes to our right, and glinted off every metal part of houses and garages to our left. The roar of the ocean accompanied us as we silently skulked in the shadows just off the road. Every house was dark, their occupants using common sense to stay in bed instead of embarking on a recon mission in the middle of the night.

Luckily, common sense was especially lacking in our little group. One of the Sons walked in front of the group, while the other followed behind to scour our surroundings for potential threats. I did my own scouring in search of Nadia’s evil essence, but so far the coast was clear. As we ticked off the house numbers, we reached the end of the road and were confronted with sand dunes blocking our path. Willow checked her phone one more time to make sure we were right.

“It says it should be right here,” she murmured with agitation.

“Maybe it’s invisible?” Phoebe proposed, completely serious. The two Sons laughed, but tried to cover it up once she shot them a severe look. It was more than possible - the entire Fortunate Isle is invisible to those who aren’t worthy to view it.

“Wait, what’s that?” One of the Sons pointed to the left and just over the sand dunes. “It looks like the roof of a house.”

“Looks like?” Carmen scrunched up her nose, “Or is? Because there’s a big difference.”

“See for yourself…” he rebutted and gestured toward the sand dunes.

“Okay, I will,” she countered. We looked on, as she more stomped than maneuvered around one of the larger dunes and disappeared. Only seconds later she returned, gesturing wildly for us to follow. Willow and I duplicated Carmen’s path around the sand dune. Once on the other side, we could see a sandy path that extended down the rest of the dunes; twisting and turning until it hit flat sand. Just beyond it stood a magnificent house that glowed white in the moonlight. A wraparound porch invited us to explore further, but the fact that it wasn’t on stilts made me reconsider. For a house that was directly across from the ocean, that was definitely odd. It appeared to be in good condition, although no personal items were strewn about the porch or yard and the many windows were completely dark.

“I’m going to go see if it’s open,” Carmen declared. She leapt up the wooden steps and tried the door knob, which gave way easily as the front door swung open. She stepped inside. The beach around us was deserted, but wondrous. As if the moon had been replaced by a big round black light, it highlighted anything remotely pale. The foam of the waves, the sand beneath our feet, and the sprawling house before us were brilliant against the dark night. At the same time, I felt extremely vulnerable. The rest of our group climbed over the same dunes and made their way down the path to meet us.

“Anything in there?” Willow whispered loudly enough so that Carmen poked her head back out.

“Completely abandoned!” she called back. We scampered up the steps in relief. Something about the open air felt threatening. The boards of the porch creaked under our steps and a spacious, luxurious house opened up to us as we entered. Crown molding, wainscoting, and wide banisters were offset by the wide plank wood floors; making the space appear even larger. It was immaculate. I could picture a big family spending summer vacations here, with colorful towels drying on the outside railing and the smell of suntan lotion. Despite my vivid imagination, the house was absolutely void of any sign that people had ever lived there.

Surprisingly, nothing felt ‘off’ or wrong about the house. It just seemed…lonely. We walked through each of the rooms, admiring the high ceilings and ornate light fixtures until Carmen found a secret door in one of the floors.

“I’m not so sure that’s such a good idea,” I warned. “No secret door leading into the bottom of a house leads to anything good.”

“There could be something else down there, though,” Willow advised. “The rest of the house is pretty empty.”

One of the Sons unhooked the latch and pulled it open with no fear whatsoever. A draft swirled up that smelled of stagnant water and concrete. Carmen kneeled down and stuck her head down in the hole as I held my breath.

“There’s a little ladder!” she cried with excitement. We helped her spin around backwards, before easing down into the hole and onto the rungs of the ladder. She climbed down and the sound of her feet hitting solid ground made me jump.

“Come on down, guys! There’s plenty of room!” she called up to us. One by one, we crawled down the surprisingly sturdy ladder into the underground room. The walls were made of stone and the floor was one long slab of concrete. Dim lights hung from the ceiling at ten foot intervals, allowing just enough light for us not to trip over each other. We followed a wide hallway until we saw openings that led to other doors and hallways.

“It’s like a labyrinth!” Phoebe bellowed from one of the hallways. “Oh! I think I found something! Stasia come look at this!”

“Coming!” I answered. Leaving the others to keep exploring, I followed the sound of Phoebe’s voice. The hallway became skinnier with each step and was unequivocally darker. It twisted to the right, but then abruptly ended at a smooth concrete wall. There were no doors or other rooms off of it, just a random, pointless hallway. With no Phoebe in it.

Deciding that I needed to get my hearing checked, I could only assume it had been the wrong hallway. I made my way back out to the main hall in hopes of finding her.

“Phoebe?” My voice came back to me three times louder as it echoed off of the stone walls and raced through the empty hallways. I listened closely for a reply, and my heart hurdled into my throat when I heard no one else’s footsteps. No talking. Not even any breathing. I had an awful feeling something was wrong. I was completely alone.

Chapter 37

“Where’d ya’ll go?” I shouted in response to the deafening silence. The only answer I heard was my own echo once again. “Hello?”

My heart kicked into overdrive and a cold sweat broke out on my brow as I continued down the long hallway, peeking into different rooms for any sign of them. They couldn’t have just vanished - they had to be here somewhere! I noticed that the light at the end of the main hallway was steadily growing brighter as I forged ahead. I forced myself to stop walking and took a deep breath.

There was no reason to panic. I was more powerful than almost all of the people that could possibly be lurking down here. ‘ Almost’ my mind reminded me. If there was anyone else down here, I had no doubt that they’d be able to hear my heart pounding against my chest. I shook out my hands, which were beginning to tingle and swell from the increase of blood flow. I spun in a circle, once again listening for any sound whatsoever. Silence. I decided that the best idea would be to go back to where we came in and get the hell out of there. There was a good possibility that everyone else had gone back upstairs, and I just didn’t hear them calling me. I listened for any footsteps above my head. Silence.

I pivoted on my heel to begin walking back when something lying on the ground up ahead made me pause. It was about two feet long, but skinny. I waited for it to bark, meow or slither away, but it did none of those things. I slowly crept towards it, ready to run away screaming at the slightest twitch. No need to be the hero here. The closer I got, the more the shadow cast by the dim lights above thinned next to the object. I could tell it was a black….flower? A rose?

My thoughts reverted to the twelve black roses Finn had given me at the Cimmerian Ball, what seemed like a lifetime ago. Was somebody trying to trick me? Lure me in by presenting me with flowers? I stood over it for at least three minutes in an effort to figure out what a black rose was doing lying on the concrete floor in the basement of an abandoned house. I knelt down and stretched my arm out to pick it up, but stopped. The risk was too great - enchanted petals, poisonous thorns, morphing into an evil ghost…the deadly options were endless, and Nadia would surely try them all. I looked farther down the hall and spotted another dark something lying on the floor up ahead.

Leaving the rose where it was I scanned the area for any evil, or even darkness, but found neither. As I walked up to the next one I realized it wasn’t just one black rose, but two. I watched the ceiling in anticipation of a net falling on me and trapping me down there. I checked the stone walls for anything suspect. And then I spotted the next couple of roses about ten paces ahead. What was going on?

I cautiously stepped over the first rose and continued along the hall. I passed pile after pile of four roses, five roses, six. I noticed the air beginning to cool, as the roar of waves swirled in my ears and tickled my heart. After a collection of eight roses, the hallway took a sharp right turn and I squinted to make sure that I was really seeing what my eyes thought I was seeing. Up ahead, the stone hallway opened up to the beach! Nine roses, ten roses, eleven, twelve. I reached the end of the passageway where the concrete met the sand, and inspected the inch gap between my feet and the beach. A cool breeze lifted my hair and I fought to run screaming to the arms of the ocean. If nothing else, I could hide out on the sea floor and wait until Nadia and Keto forgot about me. It would only be a couple of years. Five or six at the most.

Very carefully, I leaned around the stone wall and peered down the beach. All I could see were the sand dunes topped by sea grass, blowing in the wind as it came off of the ocean. The tide was low; creating a wide expanse of beach before the waves rolled into the picture. The view up the beach was much the same.

Frustration rattled my brain when I realized that I was cowering in the shadows like an injured puppy. Goddesses didn’t hide in the shadows! They commanded their presence and took control of the situation, no matter who or what was waiting for the opportunity to slaughter them.

Mom had seen a vision of her own death, but had certainly remained steady and courageous until she took her last breath. I had to get myself together and start acting like I deserved the title of Nereid. I had instinct, not one but four essences, and numerous abilities on my side. What did I have to be afraid of? Deciding that I was, in fact, strong enough and brave enough to carry the titles I was prophesized to, I stepped onto the beach with renewed confidence and determination. I centered my energy, lifted my chin, and shed the self-doubt that took pleasure in breaking me down at every chance.

The beach that sloped down to the ocean had been flattened by the tide’s gradual escape, and I zeroed in on something as it poked out of the sand. In the light of the moon and stars, I kicked off my shoes and dug my toes into the sand. The cool temperature counteracted the warmth of its energy as they both spread up my legs. Focusing my eyes on the object up ahead, I strode forward and dropped to my knees in a cloud of bewilderment lined with curiosity. The stem of a single black rose had been secured in the sand next to a weathered glass bottle about the size of a wine bottle, but with no label or writing to reveal its origin.

I wrapped my fingers around the neck of the bottle and extracted it from the soft sand. The glass beneath my skin was reminiscent of the sea glass that’s collected on beaches across the globe for its aged appearance and smooth texture. Sea glass was typically found as remnants of beer or soda bottles that the ocean had pulverized. The pieces of glass are smoothed to perfection by the powerful combination of sand and surf. This bottle was a small miracle, being that it was completely whole with no cracks or breaks.

A dingy cork ensured that nothing would get in or out of the bottle. I rolled it around in my hands, but the foggy glass wouldn’t give up its contents. With a part of the cork peeking out, I tried to free it from the bottle. Not having any luck, I tried the next most rational option; my teeth. Working like a charm, I spit the cork from my mouth, closed an eye and looked inside. Unfortunately, my eye and the moonlight weren’t able to both peer down inside the neck at the same time. I upended it and proceeded to hit the palm of my hand against the side like a Heinz Ketchup bottle that wouldn’t cooperate. After several minutes of hitting and shaking, a tightly rolled piece of paper slipped out and landed in the sand. Satisfied that nothing else was in the bottle; I set it down and focused on the paper.

Secured with a strip of white lace, I could tell that the crisp paper was very old. It crackled beneath my fingers and had been discolored by time and salt water. I tugged on the ribbon carefully, which gave way easier than I expected. Holding the end gently with one hand, I unrolled it with the other. My heart seized in my chest when the paper revealed handwritten stanzas, and it stopped beating altogether when I saw my triskellion trace displayed as a wax stamp at the top of the page.

The penmanship was elaborate, but the words had been written in English.

My breath hitched and continued to stutter, as the significance of the piece of paper in my shaking hands registered. A jolt of electricity surged through me with each line I read. My eyes forgot to blink while my jaw went slack and the sand beneath my legs quivered with energy. My heart began to seep out of my chest into a large puddle in the sand, while powerful tears seasoned with the taste of destiny splashed over onto my cheeks. After reading it three more times, I still couldn’t believe what I was looking at. My prophecy.

Our salient leader she shall be From shore, wind, and bastion sea Thy calling of a new born child Laid to rest for now, resides Her tendered soul from whence will grow Aft brazen chains a heart of woe If province warns of hallowed screams Her gifts revealed amongst her dreams When scornful deeds of power lies Death shall burn in Thetis’s eyes Her Fortunate Isle in slumber deep Lest Anastasia wake her keep From sea and brine thy secrets flow Setting ablaze her eyes to glow Her journey awaits, precluded by need Thy destiny weaving our goddess to bleed Bred wholly to lead an army of men Thy warrior claims great destine within Her sacrifice, forevermore Binds her soul to thy paramour.

Before I could read on, a clicking sound several feet away had me looking up. Blown away by the previously elusive prophecy that I now held in my hands, I was rendered utterly speechless by what happened next. Suddenly, hundreds of lanterns appeared on every piece of real estate on the beach. What started as a warm glow quickly brightened; burning away the silver light of the moon with its intensity. Next to catch fire was the ocean. Countless more lanterns came to life along the surface of the water, glowing as far as the eye could see. It was as if the top layer of water had caught fire, blazing with the warmth and power of a summer sunset. I stood slowly and soaked in the spectacle of so many lanterns flickering and dancing in every direction.

In the midst of the glowing inferno around me, a single flame appeared; hovering only feet in front of me. Something about it, besides the fact that it wasn’t attached to anything, held my focus. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. As it burned hotter it changed from canary yellow to a deep red-orange until it burned a brilliant blue; licking at the night air for fuel.

Entranced by the dancing flame my eyes burned with its energy, and without another thought, my legs brought me closer. My arm lifted slowly and I stretched my fingers out, wanting – needing -

to touch it.

“Don’t burn yourself,” a voice warned.

Chapter 38

So enamored with the flame, I hadn’t noticed the addition of the blue candle supporting it or the smoldering personification of darkness standing before me in all black. He blended in with the night; his presence a sweeping black hole that soaked up the brilliant gleam of the candles. The only part of him that reflected any light were his eyes; currently gazing into mine. They burned as blue as the flame; easily trapping me in their inferno.

“Finn?” I yanked my hand back in surprise. A smile pulled at his lips as my eyes drank him in. Bare feet partially covered by black slacks hung perfectly around his waist. The black button down shirt he wore was made casual by rolled up sleeves. His skull and crossbones trace shimmered next to the glow of the candle he held with both hands. “What are you doing here?”

“Just shedding a little light on the situation,” he smiled again. Always the comedian.

“Where’s everyone else?”

“I told them to go back to the cottage.” He grinned and gestured behind me, as his voice continued much louder, “…so of course they’re hiding behind one of the sand dunes spying on us.”

I spun around and saw Phoebe stand up and wave, quickly yanked back down by Carmen and Willow. “This was all…planned?”

“By yours truly.” He bowed with a proud smirk and set the candle down in the sand. My mind instantly rewound in an attempt to understand.

“There wasn’t really an address?” I asked, thoroughly confused. “So whose house is that?

You put those roses everywhere? You didn’t really have to go somewhere with your dad?” My immediate answer was a wider smile that gave me chills. He stepped toward me, cupped my face in his hands, and shushed me by kissing me softly. It worked.

“It was all a conspiracy to get you here,” he explained. I surveyed the hundreds of flames lighting up the night, and then remembered what I was holding.

“This is…” I held up the piece of paper.

“Your prophecy,” he nodded. “It’s only one page, though. Mom is holding on to the rest.”

“Have you had it all this time?”

He shook his head, “I just returned from the Fortunate Isle. Your parents had hidden it there.

Your father gave me instructions on where to find it.”

“You talked to my father about it?”

“I talked to him about a lot of things after we left the cottage.” He took my hands in his, “Which is why we’re here.”

“And…why is that?” I whispered. The swirl of emotions within his eyes matched the ones fluttering around in my heart, as we stood facing each other in the middle of a burning beach.

Something passed over his features as his eyes dropped to our feet, but then quickly flitted back up to mine. My heart skipped a beat as I realized what it was. Something I had only seen once before: Fear. My throat suddenly went dry as I put it all together.

“When I was young, my mom used to tell me a story,” he began. “The story was about a girl named Susan and a boy named William. After meeting under the silver light of a full moon in a field of wildflowers, William asked Susan to marry him. Instead of a ring, he gave her a bouquet of those same wildflowers. Only a day before they were to be married, he was taken prisoner on a vessel bound for sea. Through torture, storms, and neglect he survived because of her memory. Because of her love. After being released a year later, he was told that she’d run away to escape an arranged marriage. After searching for months and months he decided to return to the field where they had met. There, he found his Susan. She was waiting for him, clutching a dried bouquet of wildflowers.”

My voice dried up and I’m pretty sure I’d stopped breathing, as I listened to him tell a love story I’d heard once before. A long time ago. I forced myself to take a breath as he swallowed and continued.

“Those wildflowers were named after her - Black Eyed Susans. And the flower that can always be found nearby are called Sweet Williams.” His voice dropped and took on an ominous tone, “They say that Sweet William will always find his Black Eyed Susan.” Seemingly from nowhere, he produced a bouquet of bright yellow flowers that I recognized from childhood. “I offer you these wildflowers with the promise that I will always find you. I will always protect you. And I will always love you.”

“They’re amazing,” I whispered as he handed me the flowers; the dryness in my throat blocking any semblance of a voice. Unfortunately, I almost hyperventilated as he dropped down on one knee and pulled a small silver box out of his pocket. Oh. My. God. He lifted the lid of the box and held it up to me. I was unable to wrench my eyes away from his to see what it held within. His voice wavered ever so slightly as he spoke.

“I offer you this ring with the commitment to love you and honor you; to not only share my heart and mind, but to bind my soul to yours…for eternity. Anastasia Nemertes Theophanides, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” I whispered and his face lit up. A jolt of excitement shot through me and I cried out louder. “Yes!”

With eyes glistening with tears, he stood and embraced me tightly. The world became a blur of light, as tears of happiness ran down my cheeks and he kissed me with a fierceness that left me drunk with euphoria. I kissed him back as his warm darkness wrapped around us, shielding me from the cool breeze blowing off the ocean. As he broke our kiss with a wide smile, I noticed the waves for the first time. Once calm and gentle, they now crashed onto the shore at least ten feet high; blinking out the flames that had once floated serenely on the surface. Then I noticed the sand. An earthquake would have done less damage! Many of the lanterns had tipped over and were now snuffed out, greatly lessening the warm glow that had once surrounded us.

“Oops,” I muttered. Finn glanced around and laughed.

“I like the dark better anyway,” he assured me. He took the wildflowers still clutched in my hand and set them down in the sand, before holding up the tiny box once more and lifting its contents out. I held out a shaking hand as he slipped a ring on my finger that would put a super nova star to shame. A stunning, antique cut aquamarine surrounded by sparkling diamonds now dwarfed my left hand as I held it up in the moonlight.

“I’ve never seen anything this beautiful,” I breathed. He took my hands and gazed into my eyes.

“I have,” he inferred with a wink, leaned in, and kissed me again; this time with a gentleness that left my knees week and my heart swollen with love. He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against mine with his eyes closed. As I opened mine, I realized I’d successfully smothered the rest of the candles that littered the beach, leaving only the paleness of the moon to glint off of the impressive stone now weighing down my finger.

Someone cleared their throat behind me and I turned to see who had joined us. Carmen, Phoebe, and Willow smothered us in a celebratory huddle. Our two escorts joined us and congratulated Finn with handshakes and respectful head nods.

“Damn!” Carmen shouted when she snatched my hand, and then muttered. “Ricker needs to take notes…”

“Ricker needs to take out a loan,” Phoebe giggled.

“It’s amazing!” Willow cooed. “It’s classy and powerful…just like its new owner.”

“You guys are awesome.” I hugged them again before shaking a finger at them. “But don’t ever do that to me again! I didn’t know what had happened to you! You could’ve been dead! Or abducted!”

“I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” Phoebe smiled happily. “I thought I was going to melt when he dropped down on one knee.” She fluttered a hand over her heart and I saw tears well up in her eyes.

“You’re such a sap,” Carmen rolled her eyes.

“And you two have a mess to help me clean up.” Willow put her hands on her hips, “Stasia needs to get back.”

“We’ll meet you at the cottage in a little while,” Carmen promised me with a kiss on the cheek before they walked away to clean up the mess I made.

“Up for a walk on the beach?” Finn’s voice rumbled in my ear.

“Always,” I leaned my head back on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

* * *

“With a really long lighter.”

“No, really!” I swatted at Finn, “I want to know how you lit that many lanterns all at once!”

“They were already lit,” he said simply. “I just…showed them to you.”

“So, wait,” I stopped and faced him. “You can cloak anything and everything you want?”

“Pretty much. It has its advantages. Especially when I want to steal Ian’s fudge rounds. He just assumes he’s out, but he doesn’t know they’re really there…” he winked at me.

“You’re impossible,” I laughed at him. The wet sand at my feet sparkled under the moonlight as we walked hand in hand along the edge of the water. I was trying to come to terms with the fact that I was engaged. Engaged! I stopped again as the last line of my prophecy ran through my mind:

‘Binds her soul to thy paramour’.

“Our souls will be bound,” I gawked at him.

“That’s right,” he grinned down at me; wrapping his arms around me. “On your eighteenth birthday.”

“And just what does that entail?” I asked slowly. I wanted nothing more than to be bound, but if I had to be struck by lightning twice in one day we’d seriously have to consider rescheduling.

“I honestly don’t know,” he admitted solemnly. “I’ve never been to a binding, but I’ve heard it involves hot coals, barbed wire, and brutal Indian burns.”

“I hate you,” I huffed, and tried to wiggle out of his arms and try not to laugh at the same time. He pulled me closer and smiled, and I tried to maintain my scowl under his loving gaze.

“I love you, too,” he chuckled.

“You better watch it, or I’ll make you wear a bedazzled tuxedo at our wedding,” I threatened.

“I’ll wear anything you want me to if it means you’ll be my wife.”

“Pink Speedo it is…” I decided cynically. A cold, biting energy snaked around us and I watched his eyes harden at the same time that my muscles tensed. We felt her arrive only seconds before she spoke.

“Well, you know what they say,” Nadia’s vile tone mocked me. “Real men wear pink.”

Chapter 39

We spun around to find Nadia smirking at us from a couple yards away; a long black shawl wrapped around her. Her hair blew wildly in the wind; the golden strands appearing almost pale yellow. Her sinister eyes pierced mine, as they reflected the moon’s light and glowed with madness.

A slow calculating smile spread across her face as she took several steps toward us. Finn scooped his arm around me and slid me behind him.

“Take one more step and I’ll rip your head off,” Finn growled at her.

“You really should consider some anger management classes, love,” Nadia cooed. I sensed the warmth of darkness arrive behind us, but noted that it was more lukewarm, whereas Finn’s is always a soothing balmy temperature. We looked back toward the water just in time to see Keto lift her arm. A dark green energy blasted out from her hand and shot in our direction. Finn pushed me out of the way and allowed it to hit him instead. I tumbled onto the sand as he stumbled backwards from the force.

“This doesn’t involve you, Prime,” Keto hissed at him, and then glided up the beach to stand within inches of him. Another presence arrived to our left and I twisted around as Selene stepped out of the darkness. She was flanked by ten women and men who appeared much older and I perceived they were extremely powerful as well. Their shining eyes matched the glowing orbs hanging from their pale necks. I picked myself up from the sand and started to go to Finn’s side, but he held up a hand to tell me to not come any closer. Of course I didn’t listen and took my stance by his side anyway, as he stared daggers at Keto.

“Leave,” he boomed. That one word conveyed the rage that was building inside of him. He clenched his teeth and his jaw muscle tightened in anger.

“I have business to attend to,” she retorted almost casually. “And you are in my way.”

She wrapped a hand around his neck and started to pick him up, but he snagged her wrist and wrenched it away; her nails dragging across his skin and tearing it open. He shot an invisible force in her direction, momentarily knocking her backwards. She stared him down as she reached behind her and pulled a dagger out. The green jewels adorning its handle glinted in the moonlight, as did the sharp silver blade attached.

In a split second, Finn had taken her wrist and thrown her to the ground. With her additional essences, including Finn’s, she was profusely stronger than him and was able to easily launch him a couple of feet away. He landed hard on his back and Keto walked toward him, shooting more energy at him. I started to run to them but felt the smoky, evil fingers of Nadia wrap around me and pull me to the ground.

“Oh, no you don’t…” Nadia scolded me. I centered myself and tried to blow my energy outward, but I was bound too tightly. I was forced to watch on helplessly as Finn struggled against Keto. He now glowed a dark green, and I could tell that her extra essence was overpowering him. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw a flash of silver, as the dagger went soaring in the air and into the ocean. Without the dagger she could hurt him, but she couldn’t kill him.

Just as I thought the words, a silver stream of light came from my left, hitting Finn square in the chest and piercing his body. He cried out in pain before his body went limp and he collapsed onto the sand.

“NO!” I wailed, struggling against my binds. His body lay in the sand, motionless and discarded by Keto, who walked back up the beach. Selene smiled as she pulled her energy back.

“This may be easier than I expected,” Keto purred at me. With a flick of her finger, Finn’s body was cast into a sand dune near Nadia.

“Stop it!” I shrieked at her, my nails pressing into my palm as they balled up in animosity.

She looked at Nadia.

“Release her,” she commanded. The evil fingers dissipated and I slumped down onto the sand beneath me. As Keto’s eyes settled on me, a seething rage raced through every fiber of my being and I quickly stood. Her green eyes darted towards Selene and then sliced through mine once again. “You remember Selene, yes?”

I felt more presences arrive, and spun in a slow circle to figure out exactly who I was dealing with. Nadia stood at my back, while Keto glared at me near the water’s edge. Selene and her shiny-eyed minions still blocked the beach to my right, and my heart sank to the sand as a wall of ten powerful Sirens appeared out of the shadow of the beach to my left. I was completely surrounded.

And completely vulnerable.

“Anastasia,” Keto announced in a booming voice, as all of the arrivals moved in closer to create a barrier around me. “I challenge you! I challenge that the victor will be proved to be the rightful Leader of the Tyde Order; eliminating her opponent and securing her place in history.”

I centered my energy, squared my shoulders and met her powerful gaze with one of my own.

As she walked toward me and the circle around us closed in further, I suppressed the paralyzing panic rising in my chest and forced myself to concentrate. I did a quick assessment of the situation. Keto was already a powerful immortal goddess; possessing her own unyielding essence as well as a sickening mixture of other essences that she had stolen. The lost dagger was once again at her side, and I despairingly realized that my dagger, the only thing that can kill an immortal, was being safely stored within my valise in the cottage. So I had that going for me.

“You’re dishonoring your pledge to only challenge an equal?” I threw back at her with a resounding tone as dignified and noble as I could muster.

“You and I will never be equals,” she spit at me. “You will remain a lesser being no matter how much essence you acquire.”

“Though it would be my own, not ripped from the bodies of innocents,” I countered. “Your power is dependent upon your ability to maintain the conflicting energies within you. That will prove to be your distraction. As well as your downfall.” I channeled my mother’s strength and prestige in order to at least sound like I knew what I was talking about. Even though I didn’t. I figured I should go ahead and continue while I was pressing my luck. “The evil acts you’ve engaged in make you weak by association. Deception will never prevail.”

“It already has,” she snickered. “As seen by your paramour, who is currently incapacitated.”

She approached me; her green off-kilter dress dragging behind her in the sand. Her eyes had been reduced to slits as she sized me up and began to circle me. I had to think of a plan, and I had to think fast.

The knowledge that I had three essences to pull from helped, but I hadn’t learned how to consolidate them. Regardless, I decided a good offense would be the best defense.

I shot a massive gust of wind toward Keto, which she was able to catch and throw right back at me. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I scrambled up from the indention in the sand that the force of my body had made, and faced Keto once more. I centered myself automatically, sent my energy to the sand and whipped up the biggest sand tornado I could muster. It engulfed Keto, who dispelled it in a matter of seconds; however, those several seconds had given me the time I needed to produce Phoebe’s sand blasters. As I walked forward, I commanded them at Keto; sending one after another at her body. She was able to deflect several, sending them careening across the surface of the ocean and down the beach. One finally made contact, tearing and grinding into her skin. Blood dripped down her neck as she noticed the torn skin on her arm and smiled wickedly. Something gnawed at me, telling me that she was using maybe 10% of her power right now, and that the other 90% would show itself when she got tired of playing with me.

I stopped moving towards her as she began to glow a demonic hue of neon green. It swirled around her until it resembled a long green rope. She flicked her hand toward me and the rope of green energy snapped at me; hitting the back of my leg as I twisted around in an attempt to avert it. I fell to the ground in agony, as a red hot fire erupted along my calf and it was sliced wide open.

I ignored the scorching pain that roared up from my leg and the cheers from our onlookers, to face Keto just in time for her to retract the rope and whip it towards me again. I instinctively blew my own energy outward, knocking it away. She retracted it and threw it at me once more. This time it licked my arm before I could block it, spilling even more blood and sending waves of fire up my shoulder. The pain that racked through my body only succeeded in pissing me off more. I realized that not having access to the ocean and the creatures within put me at a huge disadvantage. Which I’m sure is why she had decided to do this on a beach.

As she walked toward me slowly with a smirk on her face, I stood with renewed vengeance and sent a wall of sand in her direction. Unfortunately, it only helped in slowing her down. She held out her hands and two streams of green wrapped around me before I even knew what was happening. I was lifted off of my feet and rendered immobile by the energy as it entangled my body.

I was lifted at least ten feet in the air, when the green energy disappeared and I was sent hurdling back down to the earth. I hit with a dull thump in the sand, which supported my fall but not enough to ease the pain of the force that ricocheted up my spine.

“Stop toying with her!” Selene shouted at Keto with annoyance. “We don’t have time for this.”

Instead of answering, Keto nodded toward Selene and then toward the Sirens. My defenses hastily shot up as all ten Sirens started to sing. I felt the pressure of the ten songs as they pushed against my mind and demanded entrance. It was excruciating and almost unbearable, and it took every ounce of energy I possessed to keep them at bay. I felt my body crumble to the ground as my vision blurred from the pressure.

I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye and shifted my attention to Selene and the army of Auras standing behind her, who currently had their eyes closed. I heard Selene say something, prompting their eyes to open. Out of each pair of eyes came a blinding light like no other I’d ever seen. White hot pain locked onto my own eyes, and the world exploded into a continuous stream of white. My eyes felt like they were burning from the inside out, and I squeezed them shut in an attempt to drown out the brightness. It didn’t work. The scorching white light continued to radiate into my skull until I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore. The pressure of the Sirens’ songs didn’t let up, and the combination of the two wore down any resistance I had.

“Stop!” shouted a deep voice. It sounded a universe away in the midst of the Sirens’ songs.

As I perceived a presence nearby, the pain suddenly stopped. The Sirens had stopped singing and the Auras switched off their blinding eyes. My muscles gave out and my body collapsed onto the sand beneath me. My vision was still blurry, but I could see once again. “Release her!”

I rolled onto my side and was able to prop up my body enough to sit up. He had run down the beach and was now standing between Keto and me. He was breathing hard and swaying ever so slightly from the exertion of exercise on his already-aged and tired body. He leaned his head back to see me; panic raging in his eyes. My father.

Chapter 40

“Dad…” I croaked, the sound of my own voice echoing throughout my brain, sending shockwaves of pain to my temples and eyes.

“This does not concern you, Traitor,” Selene responded coldly. Dad glanced from Keto to Selene.

“She is my daughter,” he announced. “She doesn’t deserve to pay for my mistakes!”

“She is paying for her own mistakes, Daddy Dearest. The mistake of being born. The mistake of breathing. The mistake of returning to this world. And the mistake of thinking that she deserves to be the Leader of the Tydes over me!” Keto fumed. She flicked a finger and he was knocked sideways onto the sand. The sand beneath her feet quivered with fury.

“You will not take her!” Dad yelled and threw his body in front of me, just as Keto held up her arms. I watched her smile and then lower them slowly.

“Fool,” she laughed at him and looked at Selene.

Selene pointed at Dad and a single, silver line of energy raced across the beach at him. In slow motion I watched as it pierced his heart, dissolving into a shimmering abyss as it was absorbed into his body. It flashed from within, and his tired body convulsed with electricity. I knew then that her energy may not kill an immortal Finn, but I knew an all-too-mortal human stood no chance against it.

“No!” I screeched; pulling myself up and falling on top of his still frame. I rolled him over and drug myself up to his pale face. “Dad!”

His gray eyes opened slowly and settled onto mine. “I’m proud…of you…” he whispered.

“Dad, no!” I yelled at him, tears welling up in my eyes and desperation slicing my heart.

“You can’t leave me!” I searched his loving gray eyes, as the excruciating pain of losing him twice in one lifetime crippled my already breaking heart. Suddenly the world around me faded, and I was immersed in image after image that flashed before my eyes. Several were fuzzy at first, but they began to clear: An image of a laughing Selene with tender silver eyes that danced with happiness.

The inside of what looked to be a stately library with mahogany shelves that overflowed with books.

An image of Mom smiling in a white wedding gown; her long blonde hair swept up with blue and white flowers. An image of a blue-eyed baby wrapped in a thick blanket and grinning. And finally, an image of a blonde-haired teenager with aquamarine eyes wide with shock, standing on a beach of white sand. As she disappeared, so did the images, and I was thrown back into the present. With tears streaming down my face I leaned over my father and kissed his cheek.

“I love you,” I whispered. He tried to speak, but then his gray eyes faded lifeless and still, as his soul left his body.

The slight vibration of the sand as someone stepped over me made me look up, and into the eyes of a surprisingly thoughtful Keto. I caught a trace of sadness in those evil green eyes, but it was gone just as fast. I glared up at her with unabated rage; any fear or trepidation I had before replaced with grave resolution and purpose. I demanded the full attention of her eyes as I shrouded myself and quoted my mother’s words, which had been directed at Keto so long ago.

“The path to obtain the love and respect of those around you is not through overpowering them. Strength and power must be used to protect and nurture those who depend on you. Those are the qualities our Order covets in a leader,” I declared, my tone wooden.

Stunned recognition flitted in her widened eyes. Ensnaring her shocked gaze, I slowly lifted myself up onto my knees to stand.

“Finish her off!” Nadia demanded from behind me. Without moving an inch, Keto’s attention snapped back up to Nadia, but quickly resettled on the image I had shrouded myself in.

“Thetis…?” she muttered quizzically, and squinted at me as if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

“What are you waiting for?!” Nadia prompted her again, her voice hysterical and much closer. When Keto didn’t acknowledge her, I suddenly felt Nadia walk up behind me and mutter something under her breath. Just as I heard a commotion from the sand dunes and recognized the voices of Natasha and Zara, my back exploded in pain as Nadia plunged the sharp blade of a dagger into me. My breathing hitched painfully and stalled, as Keto’s face blurred in my field of vision and I sank to my knees. Shouts and screams commenced all around me, but my world was quickly becoming a whirl of distorted sounds and colors. Everything shifted once more as I fell forward into the sand. It took all of my energy to force my eyes open; the pandemonium I knew was happening around me faded nicely into the background, leaving only me and the body of my father lying beside me. I memorized the silver gray hair of his beard, the pale skin of his face, neck and arm which was extended out towards me. With excruciating slowness, I slid my arm toward his and placed my hand in his. When I did, something fell out.

A necklace threaded through a single charm landed softly in the sand, calling my attention.

An orb. A dim miniature light danced within, like someone had picked a star from the sky and placed it within the glass ball. The pull of the tiny light wouldn’t release my attention, and I allowed it to entrance my mind. My hand moved towards it of its own volition and I managed to grasp it in my palm; tightly at first, and then much looser as my body stopped responding and I ran out of breath.

As if in a reverie, a dizzying sensation pulled me under; I felt my soul detach from my body and gently hover above. I rolled over to allow my eyes to fall upon the dark sky above. It glistened with a million stars, all blinking in unison as if trying to tell me something. A single cloud had passed below the moon, shrouding the beach in darkness for several seconds. After the cloud passed by and the moon’s light hit me with its full force, I froze as a thousand sensations pounded my soul at once.

It felt almost as if my entire body had fallen asleep and was being woken back up - the tingling sensation was almost painful and I wanted to twist and shake it off but I couldn’t move. All I could do was stare up at the bright orb of light in the sky.

Tiny streaks of light sizzled across the sky above me, as if someone was playing a dazzling game of connect the dots with the stars. They grew in number and spread like wildfire as they became brighter and more intense. A crackling resonance shook my ear drums and I was completely transfixed on the light show above me. The blazing ribbons of light joined together; sending electricity dancing from horizon to horizon. They quivered brighter as they gained more energy and culminated directly above my soul. Time slowed as a substantial bolt of lightning crackled and arced across the sky, followed by a tremendous boom that shook my world and then shot straight down at me. An internal fire inundated my soul; twisting and burning its way through each and every cell. It was only a matter of time before I burst from the immeasurable power that coursed through me. With another loud crack, my soul slammed back into my body and I opened my eyes.

What in the hell had just happened? Was I dead? Being stabbed and struck by lightning usually constituted dying. Unless… A burning sensation in my palm halted my thought process and I shook it out, noticing the small orb necklace fall to the sand. The orb held my attention as the intense burning continued on the skin of my palm. The dimly lit incandescence had shifted to a brilliant blue light, bursting out of the tiny orb. I rolled over onto my side and carefully clasped it around my neck.

Surprisingly, it was cool to the touch and glowed even brighter as it made contact with my skin. Just like the Auras.

Had the orb awoken something inside me, even though my Aura essence had been removed?

I regarded the moon thoughtfully as I remembered something Zara had said about my Epiphany ceremony, and what would happen when I became a goddess. Lightning. She warned I would be struck by lightning. Could it be? Was it possible?

I glanced down at my arm and gasped. The gash from Keto’s energy had healed completely.

As was the gash on my leg, leaving only my jeans in tatters. But my new healing ability wasn’t what had me gaping at my skin. I was…glistening? I inspected my arm closer and sure enough, it shimmered blue in the moonlight above. Just like Nadia’s golden skin, and Keto’s green-tinted skin.

It couldn’t be possible. My birthday was still a month away!

A shrill cry broke me from my shocked stupor and I blinked at the chaos unfolding around me.

After simply thinking about standing up, I was suddenly standing upright. I didn’t even remember attempting to get up. Talk about odd. The next thing I noticed, was how amazing I felt. A month long spa resort couldn’t have given me the energy I had at that moment. But it wasn’t just me.

The beach was buzzing with such violent and angry energy, the air was sizzling with it. It put my blood in a frenzy, and I wanted to protect my surroundings from the harm being caused. I could actually sense the disruption within the sand’s energy, as well as the creatures living - or at the moment - hiding, beneath it. I could feel the limitless pull of the tide as the ocean’s waves receded further out. It was a magical experience, and one that brought devastation to my heart as the beach itself took the brunt of our fight.

“Stasia!” I heard Phoebe shout and instantly zeroed in on her voice. She was crawling backwards in the sand as three stone-faced Auras advanced on her. Her shirt had become soaked with blood on one side of her body, and one of her legs didn’t seem to be cooperating. I hadn’t even thought the words before a wave of blue energy shot out from my body and engulfed the three Auras around Phoebe. She twisted to look at me and her eyes widened in shock. With another thought, the blue energy tightened and the three Auras went limp, unconscious but still alive. I slapped a hand over my mouth in surprise and new my face matched the look I was seeing on Phoebe’s.

The only explanation was the hardest one to believe. The evidence was becoming insurmountable, but I also had to admit to myself that I just sensed it was the right answer. I was no longer a Tyde. I was no longer mortal. I was no longer vulnerable. The impossible had happened. A month before my eighteenth birthday, I had just become…a sea goddess.

Chapter 41

A thrill shot through me and I almost teared up at the knowledge that I could actually not only defend myself, but also defend the ones I love. My thoughts instantly returned to Finn, and I ran toward the sand dune where he had been thrown. I was there in less than two seconds, which was a little unsettling, but very convenient. Willow was hovering over him with her eyes closed; her hands placed on his chest where Selene’s energy had pierced his body.

“Stasia!” Willow looked up in surprise and then her eyes ran down the length of my body in amazement. “You look…I mean - we thought you were dead!” I kept my eyes on Finn, who was beginning to moan as I answered.

“I think I was,” I contemplated, “But apparently the lightning changed that.”

“Lightning?” she furrowed her eyebrows.

“Yeah, didn’t you see-“ I was interrupted by a piercing shriek that sounded all too much like Carmen. I whirled around and saw several Auras holding her down and attacking her. She was completely outnumbered and lacking immensely in power. I nodded at Willow, who averted her attention back to the now-writhing Finn, and jumped off of the sand dune just as I felt a wave of darkness. Down the beach, a mass of Sons could be seen making their way towards us.

A small sense of relief filled my heart as I regarded Carmen’s dire situation. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Phoebe run up to Finn and Willow on the sand dune, but my focus was strictly on the Auras who were now disabling Carmen with their eyes. One wrapped his hand around her neck, and I was on him in seconds. I grappled him by the neck and propelled him down the beach. He landed right in front of the Sons, who quickly made sure he wouldn’t be hurting anyone else. The other two Auras were now backing up slowly, their suddenly frightened eyes on me. At first I thought they must be seeing something dangerous behind me, but common sense hit me and I realized thatI was the something dangerous.

I swiftly wrapped my energy around the Auras and hurled them down the beach as well; leaving them lying on top of the Auras I’d plucked off of Phoebe. With my roommates safe, Finn healing, and the Sons arriving, I turned my attention farther up the beach to where the bulk of the fight had migrated. With another single thought, I crossed the beach in record time. I tried to assess the situation as fast as I could.

Natasha and Elina were in the process of conjuring a spell against the Sirens, who were quickly closing in on Keto’s command. Unbeknownst to them, the rest of the Auras were moving in silently; attempting to attack them from behind. I was instantly surprised at Zara, who was yelling and gesturing wildly at Nadia and Selene. I had no idea that she had the courage to face two incredibly strong immortals. I searched the beach for Keto, and found her moving towards Selene and Nadia just as her Sirens started to sing. I hadn’t even realized I’d come up with the idea before it came to fruition. A high frequency sound wave echoed out from my body, fueled by my energy, and was then sent on a collision path with the Sirens. All ten collapsed in agony, as the wave slammed into their ear drums and rendered them momentarily deaf. I commenced to blanketing them in a sea of blue energy that quickly muted their voices and left them unable to move. The Auras that had been sneaking up behind Elina and Natasha were also quickly taken care of, as I knocked them unconscious with my energy and cast them to the other side of the beach with their kin. I smiled proudly at myself, and then heard Elina, Natasha, and Zara gasp at my arrival.

I met the startled eyes of Nadia, whose jaw hit the ground; almost dropping the dagger that she clutched tightly in her hand. Standing next to her, Selene’s features darkened with anger and Keto gazed at me with a fury I could actually feel.

“Looks like this won’t be easier than you thought, Keto.” I smiled at her pleasantly, knowing that it would only make her madder.

“Nice work, Pasha.” A voice suddenly materialized beside me, along with a very weary looking Finn. He snapped his fingers twice and at that moment, three things happened simultaneously. The mass of Sons encircled the three women on Finn’s subtle command, Zara tossed me my dagger from my valise, and Nadia vanished into thin air. I felt her materialize behind me. She stood behind my three roommates, who had been watching on from a safe distance. Dark smoke shot out from her hands; quickly wrapping around them and slamming them to the ground. I slowly closed the distance between us with slow, measured steps - watching the madness burn in her eyes as I got closer. She ran behind Phoebe, clutched her by the neck and pulled out a black dagger; more than likely, the same black dagger she had stabbed me with. She grinned wickedly at me as she started to run it across Phoebe’s throat, but I deftly commanded the wind to blow it out of her hand before any damage could be done. All she had succeeded in doing was pissing me off even more. She stumbled backwards from the wind’s force, trying to retrieve the blade, while I walked past my wide eyed roommates and continued to move towards her. She searched the sand in a desperate attempt to find her weapon.

I watched with surprise, as she was able to summon the dagger to her somehow. It slid across the sand and into her outstretched hand. A putrid mixture of hatred and rage hardened her golden eyes as she climbed to her feet and ran towards me. Gray fingers of evil smoke flew out from her outstretched hands, but I dispelled them with a puff of energy and they faded into thin air before reaching me. I watched as a slow fear crept into those calculating evil eyes.

“What do you think you’re going to do?” she fumed at me. The unsteadiness in her voice gave her away, as did the quick worrisome glimpses directed at the dagger I now held in my hand.

The only thing that could kill her. “You’re just the bastard child of Thetis. You’re nothing!”

I smiled casually when she stopped within inches of me, and inspected her with obvious amusement. My electing not to speak only made her more furious, and her face contorted with indignation.

“When I speak to you, you answer me!” she growled at me. She lunged at me with the dagger, but I was easily able to pick her up and throw her onto the sand beneath me; locking the hand that held her dagger on the sand with my knee. Dark smoke blasted out of her body and wrapped around us, but I swiftly forced it back with my own energy.

Somehow she was able to get a leg free, and she gave me a nasty kick in the side. I cringed just enough so that her arms loosened beneath me. She swung the dagger towards my stomach, but I held fast to both of her arms with an iron grip and shoved them down; practically sitting on top of her and staring her in the face.

“You’ve ruined everything!” she screeched at me. “I’ll be Queen of the Underworld soon and I can promise you I will come after you! I will make sure you rot in Tartarus for all of eternity!”

“No, Nadia.” A velvety, familiar voice answered for me; the excited anticipation swirling in the air around her. Mere feet away were three pairs of flashing yellow eyes, all staring at Nadia. “That will be your fate, child.”

I allowed Nadia to incline her head to see our newest visitors. Her eyes narrowed and she yelled at them, “You weren’t summoned here! Leave or I’ll ensure my mother knows of your…”

“Your mother was the one who summoned us,” one of the Erinyes inserted with disdain; breaking one of their own rules by revealing who had commanded them. Nadia was silenced by her words, and another of the Erinyes nodded to me in approval before they promptly disappeared. I shifted my eyes back to Nadia, who spit in my face and began to writhe beneath my ironclad hold.

I was suddenly knocked off of her by a ball of green energy from behind, and I rolled several times before coming to a stop. I jumped to my feet in time to see Finn and Natasha subdue Keto, as the fighting broke out once again within the circle of Sons.

Nadia barreled into me, and we slid up the beach several feet from the force. With my dagger still in my hand, it was difficult to get a hold of her thrashing limbs. My left hand found her wrist, and I squeezed until I heard the breaking of bones. She cried out in pain and dropped the dagger she was holding. I jumped back on top of her and held her down once more; frowning down at her as she yelled at me.

“You will pay for this! I’m the Princess of the Underworld! You can’t do this!” She yelled and spit in my face again for good measure. I glared sternly into her eyes, and something she saw in them silenced her again.

“You have earned your punishment, Nadia.” I spoke loud and clear to make that sure she heard every word I said. “And you were right, Karma is a bitch…and I’m her best friend.” With that, I plunged my dagger into her evil heart and held it there, until the last flicker of light had been drained from her eyes.

I closed her vacant eyes with my hand and pulled the dagger from her body. She slumped back to the sand, and a sadness washed over me. The fact that I had never killed anyone before was overridden by the fact that I couldn’t allow for Nadia to stay in this world. She was too dangerous and destructive to all the Orders, as well as to the Nereids. I remained on my knees with my head bowed over her body. I lifted my head when I sensed a dark presence in the distance. A woman was standing on top of the sand dunes about fifty yards away. Her golden hair blew in the wind, along with the long white dress wrapped around her tall frame. Her golden eyes glistened in the moonlight, as tears ran down her cheek. Persephone. My respect for her tripled at the knowledge that she had summoned the Erinyes to decide her own daughter’s fate; knowing how harsh the punishment would be. I bowed to her slowly, keeping eye contact. She put her hands together and bowed respectfully toward me, and then she disappeared.

“Stasia, turn around!” I heard Zara shout at me, but I had already sensed Keto’s arrival. A cool breeze, smelling of ocean brine and kelp, washed over me as I twisted around and stood with confidence.

“Congratulations, Anastasia,” she hissed with a smirk. “I see that your destiny has come to fruition earlier than expected. Unfortunately for you, the time you will have to enjoy your completed essence is dwindling by the minute.”

“Why do this, Keto? Is the power of greed more potent than your respect for life?” I pressed.

“How many more lives must be taken to satisfy your unattainable need for power?”

“I will require but one more.” Her gaze pierced me, and for the first time I was able to see the woman behind the frigid exterior she had so expertly projected. I could see the pain of rejection in her; the fear of losing control. But most prominently, I could see the hollow grip of loneliness that crushed her soul. I couldn’t help but wonder who Keto used to be, before the pain and betrayal had twisted her heart. She had been a Nereid. She couldn’t be all bad.

“What happened to you, Keto?” I asked her genuinely. “What drives you to these extremes?”

Her defenses slammed shut and a coldness took over her features. She narrowed her eyes at me.

“You’re just like your worthless mother.” She narrowed her eyes at me, “Always trying to pick me apart. As if I were some fractured soul she could piece back together and make whole.”

“She cared about you,” I insisted, remembering the sadness mom had felt in my antiquity experience.

“Don’t patronize me, girl,” she growled at me. “You know nothing of my past. You know nothing of the sisterhood you want so badly to belong to. You are a fool! Only the weak need others to thrive. The strong thrive on their own.”

“Strength founded on vengeance and fear is just an illusion,” I frowned at her.

“An illusion?!” she cackled at me with a shocked expression. “Does this look like an illusion?“ She whirled around and blasted an eight foot hole in the sand with one finger. With a fierce satisfaction she crossed her arms; threatening me to disagree. I shook my head. I pulled energy from the sand and matched her hole with a flick of my own finger.

“Power isn’t strength. True strength is allowing others to see who you really are,” I retorted.

My heart softened as I saw my own fears of abandonment swirling within her.

“You truly are a fool,” she sighed as if highly disappointed in me. “I suppose it doesn’t surprise me, however. With no mother-figure present in your life.” A sly grin appeared on her face, along with a threatening dark eyebrow as she shrugged her shoulders. “It’s such a shame I killed her.”

Chapter 42

I knew that she said it simply to get under my skin. Unfortunately it worked like a charm, because I knew it was the truth. She had taken the life of my mother; ripping her from life too early, and sentencing her to an eternity in the Underworld. Rage churned through my veins and I fought to hold back the urge to rip her apart, limb from limb. Her sly grin widened to a full blown smile, and my restraint unraveled; twisting into something ferocious. I stepped closer and narrowed my eyes.

“My mother should have killed you,” I spit at her. “I heard what you said to them. You deserved any amount of punishment they imparted on you. You were just too cowardly to face it.”

Now it was her opportunity to lessen the space between us. She gritted her teeth, and I took pleasure in knowing I’d found a button to push.

“I deserved their pardon! Their grace!” she hollered at me. “They preach sisterhood, but only on their terms!” Out of the corner of my eye I could see our audience coming closer. Selene, Zara, Phoebe, and Carmen were listening intently. Finn and Willow were helping Natasha and Elina, after my shockwave had sent them flying down the beach. Thankfully, the Auras and Sirens had no healing hands to assist them. They were all still lying motionless on the dark beach.

“And what are your terms?” I shouted at her, exasperated. “Hurt as many people as possible until you get what you want? Where’s the pardon and grace in that?”

“Don’t you dare chastise me,” she fumed. For the first time, I noticed a dark green glow about her. As her outrage rose, so did her luminosity. She would be a glow stick if she got much madder. “This has gone on long enough. It’s time.”

“You won’t succeed,” I informed her with a matter-of-fact tone. Instead of answering, she sent a ball of green energy directly into my chest. I flew backwards and landed in the foamy waves as they lapped at the shoreline. The splash sprayed me with a glistening shower of ocean that sizzled as they hit my skin. I could feel the energy of the ocean before, but this was completely different. The ocean was alive with a litany of emotions and energies that blended together into a world that called to me; sending my essence into a frenzy. It was time to find out exactly what sea goddess essence was all about.

I was back on my feet in time to see Keto disappear beneath the waves. I ran and dove in after her. If we were going to do this, I was glad we were going to do it in the one world we truly belonged in. A thrill of excitement rocketed through me as I glided through the water with ease; almost as if it were pushing me along. Its velvety arms wrapped around me and I was on Keto within seconds.

She shot forward and deeper as I continued to follow her. The green dress she wore resembled fronds of giant kelp trailing behind her in the current. As we passed schools of fish, I could feel their surprise; the recognition of our presence. They darted out of the way as we entered Keto’s element. A forest of giant kelp welcomed us with excitement and I began to lose sight of her as she wove around and through them. She disappeared amongst their dark green color and I soon found myself alone in the jungle of kelp.

I searched my surroundings for her, but only discerned the excitement and energy of the kelp.

Her own essence was so close to the kelp, she became a part of it; rendering me helpless to find her.

The serenity of my surroundings hid the fact that there was a dangerous sea goddess stalking me at every turn. I twisted around in an attempt to get my bearings. I saw a flash of movement in the corner of my eye and I shot after it. I continued deeper into the forest until I was completely lost.

The water temperature dropped suddenly, and the kelp around me quivered before shooting towards me at mach speed. The individual fronds wrapped around my arms, legs, and stomach. As they squeezed tighter, I knew that Keto was close. I struggled against their slimy fingers, but they were relentless. Icy rage bubbled up in my stomach and instantly I distinguished the feeling of remorse from the kelp holding me hostage. It sent a current similar to menthol through my skin and released me. Interesting.

Knowing Keto must be watching, I decided to use the kelp to my advantage. I reached out to my surroundings one more time and was able to sense a cool presence a couple of feet to my left. I reached my hands out to the kelp and willed it to give me a clear sight of Keto. A frenzy of sensations flowed into my hands and an invisible energy split and bent the kelp, creating a path for me to follow.

Suddenly, the kelp around a very stunned Keto bent back, revealing her hiding place. Her head swiveled in surprise and her emerald eyes swirled a bright neon green, as she extended her arms and splayed her fingers.

“Traitors!” she shouted at the giant plants with hatred. Green energy flowed out of her fingers as she sliced the kelp in half, their top fronds floating helplessly to the sea floor. The despair I endured as she mowed down half the forest cut deep and enraged me even more. I could feel the resentment and pain swirling in the water, and thanked Keto silently for unknowingly making my idea that much easier to execute.

I held my arms out, palms down, and willed the seaweed that was still alive to attack her. A mass of green silently rose from the depths and wrapped around her. Several larger strands twisted around and flung themselves at her; cutting into her skin and leaving the water red with her blood. I heard her cry out in rage, but the kelp continued its relentless attack.

Suddenly, something razor sharp impaled my left calf, causing me to lose my concentration in a fog of overwhelming agony. The electric eel that had done the damage swam away into the dark, and I heard Keto laugh as she was able to overcome the kelp with her energy. I pulled from the ocean’s energy and felt the pain in my calf subside. I glanced down and smiled as the wound began to close.

“You’re gonna have to do better than that!” I yelled at her as I swam away. I felt her on my heels as I spotted a shipwreck up ahead. I ducked into one of the broken windows and made sure my dagger was still tucked safely in my pants. The handle sparkled in the moonlight that filtered through the surface.

“You can’t hide in there forever, coward,” I heard Keto snicker. I gritted my teeth at her accusation, and then smiled with delight as I found what I was looking for. A small reef shark swam up to me, her curiosity pulsing around her smooth gray body. I rubbed a hand over her back and willed her to follow me. I swam back out of the ship and peeked back to make sure she was still there. Unfortunately Keto was way ahead of me, and her eel pierced the shark with a ferocity that made my heart squeeze. I rounded on Keto and sent a wave of energy at her. It wrapped around her, but with a smile she blew it away with her own. Suddenly there were at least twelve sting rays flying around me, their beady eyes trained on me.

They mimicked every move I made, watching me carefully. A shockwave of cool energy hit my chest, knocking the breath out of me and blurring my vision. My world exploded in pain as the rays instigated their attack. My arm, my legs, and my shoulder were stabbed over and over, blocking my vision as the blood swirled around me. I felt myself hit the sea floor, but the rays didn’t let up. I mustered up as much energy as I could and tried to blow them off of me, but this made them come back even madder.

I felt a soothing presence arrive, but the frenzy of rays and the sand that my thrashing was churning up left me unable to see what or who it was. One by one the rays disappeared, and I was able to deduce what was happening. A massive sea turtle was taking chunks out of them, diverting their attention to her instead of me. I pushed off the sea floor and put as much distance between me and the rays as possible. Suddenly a bright green light shot out of the darkness and collided with the sea turtle, killing her instantly.

It felt like my own life had been taken, and the despair of it all crippled me. My stomach convulsed and my head exploded in pain. How could she do this? How could she be a sea goddess and have absolutely no respect for its creatures? As rage replaced the pain I harbored, I swam towards her and pulled the dagger from my pants. She saw me coming and sent me a sick grin that prickled across my skin. I threw a stream of blue sparkling energy in her direction, and it bounced off of whatever shield she had been able to throw up. She smiled again and started to…twirl?

As she spun faster and faster the water also started to spin, pulling me with it. I shot energy at her, but it spun off and dissipated into the water behind her. Keto finally stopped spinning, and my eyes had trouble convincing my brain that they weren’t seeing a hallucination. Every inch of her skin had darkened to a deep green; covered in overlapping scales. Her dark hair had taken on a life of its own - the separate strands melding together and squirming in the water like snakes. Her eyes had eclipsed a solid black, and the nose that once adorned her face had shrunk to two simple holes. She flashed triangular teeth at me and actually hissed, as a forked tongue shot out. She was something in between a snake and a lizard; both sending chills down my spine.

She moved towards me without swimming, and I backed up in shocked silence. As her hair morphed into full blown snakes that writhed and hissed atop her head, I fought the urge to throw up.

A blinding light suddenly shot out from within her, sending out a shockwave of green that radiated out from her body; leveling everything it came in contact with. Including me. I watched as my dagger was ripped from my hand, and tumbled out of my line of sight.

I was thrown onto a reef as Keto’s energy followed suit; waging war on my body. The coral that supported my weight sliced through my clothes and ripped my skin open, as I tried to struggle against my attackers. What I had first thought were snakes atop her head were actually electric eels.

They detached from her skull and like a sidewinder snake, cut through the water and headed straight for me. Large spinning barbs of green energy commenced to piercing my skin and burrowing into my body. They continued to stab me again and again, painting the ocean a deep murky red. The electric eels rubbed against my skin, sending volts of electricity through me and causing me to convulse and shake. My body slid down the side of the coral as I fought to defend myself; its sharp edges tearing across what skin was left on my back.

I pulled from the sand and blew my energy outward, but neither the barbs nor the eels were affected. I had to figure out how to combine my essences if I was going to overcome Keto’s power. I knew I was stronger than her. I knew I could defeat her. The main thing she had over me was experience. A barb suddenly stabbed me in the stomach and twisted sharply, as it pierced several organs on the way in. An eel ran its belly along the same wound, and I thought my soul had caught fire. The result left me racked with a pain that elicited screams from deep within; the kind of screams you hear when someone is about to die. Unfortunately, the cool reprieve of death would never come for me.

Chapter 43

I was reminded of the one way I could die, as I blinked my eyes open through the pain and made out her form as it hovered above me. Keto floated down toward me, more eels dancing around her face; enhancing the psychotic grin playing on her scaly lips. She held up her dagger and winked a cold black eye at me.

“Tell your mother hello,” she whispered in my ear. In a last ditch effort, I extended my arms and dug my hands into the sand. Instead of pulling energy from the sand, I pushed my own energy and essence into the sand at my back and throughout the water that surrounded my body. I sent some upward, on a journey to find the currents of air blowing across the surface. As I felt Keto’s dagger pierce my heart, I smiled and thanked the majestic world around me that had so eagerly taken me in and changed my life.

A light singing tickled my ear drums and I listened intently as it flowed through me; a symphony of sounds that touched and soothed me to the core. The ocean’s song. As my soul was swaying back and forth amidst the magical current of the ocean, I knew the song was playing just for me. As a loud whooshing sound drowned out the singing, I began to sense an immense pressure building up around me. Someone gasped as my inner damn broke, releasing the pressure around me, and filling my body with a million sensations at once.

The sound of the rolling ocean waves on a hot summer’s day roared in my ears. The smell of sea grass and midnight flowers filled my nose. The cooling ocean breeze blew across my hot, sun-baked skin. The warm, soft feel of sand shifted beneath my feet.

“No!”

My eyes snapped open at Keto’s shout, and I suddenly realized that all of my pain had disappeared. I ascertained that my entire body had been healed, and all blood in the water had vanished. Keto’s dagger lay beside me in the sand; the tip of its blade snapped off, and the rest bent at an odd angle as if she’d tried to stab concrete. I glanced down at my heart and found no puncture wound.

“No!” Keto thundered again, her now green, wide eyes staring at me. She had gone from Medusa’s half sister to sea goddess in a split second, and was moving backwards frantically, devastation written all over her face. Her eyes darted behind me and then she met my gaze with panic in her green eyes. The water swirled around her, imprisoning her. I watched, dumbfounded, as she tried to shoot out energy that was quickly absorbed by the swirling water around her. A wave of devoutness and passionate protectiveness washed over me, as a mass of creatures emerged from the darkness. The largest school of jellyfish I’d ever seen bore down on Keto, who was rendered helpless in her prison of water. They circled her with a fierce determination and suddenly squeezed around her, all stinging her with their burning poison at once. I couldn’t see her, but I heard her screams filled with pain. The jellyfish dispersed, as a cloud of resentful electric eels flew around her, betraying her orders.

I watched on with split emotions. The very ocean that she was connected to had turned against her. It had healed me, and was now punishing her. I knew that she deserved this, but I couldn’t bear the sound of her cries as the eels set her prison on fire with electric current, sending her body into convulsions. Once satisfied with their attack, they also dispersed in order to leave room for the next attack. As Keto’s body went limp inside her water cage, a familiar presence descended on me. I turned to see hundreds of sea turtles flying toward the scene. As they all rested silently on the sand around me, one large turtle in particular swam up and nudged me with her head.

She greeted me like an old friend, and I recognized the brown and gray markings on her back.

She was the same turtle that had first greeted me that day so long ago, as I swam in the ocean with Phoebe. I’d seen her memories and faced her energy. I ran a hand over her shell and soaked in the love and adoration she held towards me. The sight of hundreds of sea turtles resting on the sea floor with me was surreal and comforting, and was a vast departure from the dense hatred I could feel emanating from the next arrivals. The feeling cut me like a knife, and their conviction told me what they intended to do. I got to my feet as five great white sharks soared out of the darkness; the moonlight above glinting off of their bellies as they swarmed around Keto. One in particular dove down suddenly and headed straight for me. I froze as he circled me once, and then rubbed up against me. I briefly perceived Finn’s warm darkness and knew he had sent them. I also sensed the task he had impressed upon them. It was simple and straight forward: kill.

My heart stopped with terror as the shark ascended to join his brothers. Their insatiable hunger and rage pulsed through the water as they slowly circled her; flicking their tails back and forth with anticipation. I pushed off of the bottom and swam toward her. As much as I appreciated Finn’s help, I couldn’t allow five great white sharks to consume her. Her body still hung limp within the tube; unaware of the danger.

“Stop!” I shouted. I experienced the sea turtles’ surprise as they followed my departure from the sand. The largest of the great whites suddenly broke the circle, creating a wider one in order to gain speed for her attack on Keto. I had to get to her! I had to stop them! With a flick of her tail, the largest shark set her sights on Keto and shot straight at her limp form. My body flew through the water and arrived at Keto seconds before the shark. I snatched Keto from her prison, just as the shark’s jaws opened and clamped down on the water where Keto had just been.

“Stop!” I yelled again with renewed conviction. I could feel their disappointment, so I sent them a dose of my own disappointment at their willingness to eat a sea goddess alive with no hesitation. I knew they were protecting me, but that was not the way. They circled us several more times before their hunger dissolved and they glided away.

I laid Keto’s body down on the sea floor and retrieved my dagger from a section of coral to my right. I swam over to her and she opened her eyes with effort.

“She chose you,” she croaked. “You are truly her child.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked. She must be delirious from the poison and shock of electricity.

“The sea,” she sighed and closed her eyes once more, her words forced and choppy. “She protected you. I should be dead. She wanted me dead. I could feel it.”

“I couldn’t let that happen,” I whispered in shock. I couldn’t argue with her words.

“You wanted to do it yourself,” she accused. “Just get it over with.” I looked down at the dagger in my hand and flipped her on her back. Her skin had become pale and discolored, while her face was sunken in with defeat. This is what I was here for. I held the dagger above her heart. She had challenged me. My hand gripped tightly around the handle. It was my destiny to be the Leader of the Tydes.

But I couldn’t end her life. I slowly lowered the dagger and tucked it into my jeans. I took her limp hand and she opened her eyes in disgust.

“What are you doing?” she shot at me. “Are you a fool! You won!”

“It’s not about winning,” I told her, as I held her hand in both of mine. I fought the conflicting emotions that were storming within me. Hatred for what she’d done to my mother.

Vehemence for what she had intended to do to me. Resentment for what she had taken from me.

Sorrow at the many lives she had taken in her quest for power. And finally, a release. I didn’t want to carry the burden of those disabling emotions anymore. This needed to end.

“I forgive you, Keto.” I met her exasperated gaze with empathy. As I gazed into her suddenly unguarded eyes, I entered her memories and gasped at what I saw.

A young girl with long dark hair and bright green eyes, as she stared at herself in the mirror.

She looked away as the sound of laughter filled the room, and six other girls bounded in with flowers entwined within their hair.

“Keto, come on!” a brown haired girl called to her. “You need flowers!”

Her heart filled with happiness and she sat very still as they twisted her hair, pinning it up with beautiful blue and yellow flowers.

“It’s perfect!” a blonde girl with bright blue eyes squealed. “We should put-“

“Keto!” boomed a deep voice from the doorway. Her heart skipped a beat and she bolted off of the chair. She walked over to a brooding, monster of a man with white hair, highlighted with blue streaks. He squeezed her arm and yanked her into the adjoining room. He ripped the flowers out of her hair and stomped on them with frustration.

“How many times must I lecture you!” She began to shake as he scolded her. “You do not belong with the rest! The only place you belong is the blackest depths of the ocean. Your calling requires poison and darkness! Not flowers and pony tails!”

“But Daddy-“ she pleaded, as tears flowed down her cheeks.

“No!” he shook her a little too harshly. “Do not make the mistake of believing that you belong with your sisters. You are the Nereid of sea monsters! Now act like it! You will spend a fortnight locked in isolation to think about what I’ve told you!”

The memory blinked away and was replaced by another. A lonely Keto was perched on the sand looking on as her sisters practiced in the ocean with an older woman. They were laughing and splashing as she watched; her resentment changing to bitter hatred.

I wrenched my gaze away, unable to feel her sadness any longer. She stared at me in defeated silence as I processed what I had seen. She cringed in pain as a spasm shot down her back and finally went limp again, as her eyes rolled back in her head.

As I stared down at her beautiful face, I couldn’t help but see the monster she’d shown me just moments before. Which one was the real Keto? Was she truly a monster who only belonged in the depths of the ocean, cursed to endure an existence without family or acceptance? To be ingrained with such powerful self-loathing at that tender age could only be heightened by the isolation from her sisters. It didn’t surprise me that she never felt like she belonged. And maybe she didn’t. Maybe it was better for everyone if she remained separate and distant.

I sighed to myself and slipped my arms under her motionless body. I stood with her in my arms and turned toward shore. As I swam with her, the ocean’s song filtered through my ears and soothed my heart. Sea creatures of every shape and size followed our path to the beach, marveling at a helpless Keto. Their energy swirled around me and filled me with so much love and acceptance, I thought I would burst. As I approached the shore, I sent out a line of energy and split the waves so that I could walk easily out of the water.

Exhausted and drained in every way possible, I barely noticed my friends running towards us as I lowered Keto onto the sand and sat down beside her with my head in my hands.

“Stasia!” Finn was at my side first, and I latched onto the warmth of his darkness as he held me in his strong arms. I looked up at him and grinned.

“You defeated her?” he asked with obvious pride.

“I guess you could say that,” I chuckled. He helped me up the beach as Elina and Natasha carried Keto to a patch of soft sand where Zara was waiting. My roommates hugged me and I did my best to describe what had transpired in the ocean.

“The sea chose you?” Phoebe gasped.

“I don’t know how it happened,” I scratched my head. “I felt the dagger go in, and then I just stopped fighting and handed my essence over to the sea.”

“It doesn’t surprise me,” Zara piped up. “It takes a strong goddess to trust the sea with her essence. That kind of sacrifice isn’t left unappreciated.”

“Wow,” Carmen shook her head in disbelief.

“Speaking of appreciation,” Zara walked up to me and pulled me up from the sand. “I have something I need to give you.” I searched her blue eyes in confusion, but was nowhere near prepared for what she did next. Her image blurred in front of me and she began to change before my eyes. Her warm auburn hair shed its dark shade, in favor of a pale blonde color with long streaks of white. Her face became more heart-shaped and her body firmed up, presenting a very tone and very strong beauty standing before me. Her ordinary clothes were replaced by a white dress, criss-crossed with golden strands of rope which held it in place. Lastly, a crown of flowers appeared on her head and my eyes almost popped out of my head.

I tried to speak, but was completely speechless as I stared at her. Gasps and cheers from behind me did nothing to force my voice box to work. With a breathtaking smile, she took my hand and placed it in her palm, face up. She closed her eyes briefly as a single sparkling bead of essence puddled in my palm and lifted into the air.

“Echete Epilexei,” she breathed, as my heart fluttered with excitement and happiness. I was finally able to force my voice to speak.

“Amphitrite.”

Chapter 44

“The one and only.” She did a little curtsy before I jumped into her arms. I didn’t miss the fact that her voice had instantly lost its southern drawl.

“It’s been you this whole time?!” I screeched into her neck. “I knew something was off about you, but I never thought…”

“I knew you needed me,” she shrugged as if embarrassed. I unclenched the death grip I had on her neck and stood back to get a good look at her. I knew that she had meant the world to my mother, and I was excited about one day getting to know her as well. But it would appear that ‘one day’ was here!

“You shrouded yourself to…everyone? But I thought you could only show one person at a time? Oh! And you’re a tri-goddess! Just like me!” I jumped into her arms again and she chuckled.

“I have a lot more experience than you do, dear,” she admitted with a wink.

“I knew it!” Natasha put her hands on her hips and shook her head at her old friend.

“Now it all makes sense,” Carmen tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I couldn’t figure out how a Maven knew so much about tri-goddess abilities. We were starting to get a little curious as to who you really were.”

“I apologize for the deception; however, I needed Stasia to do this on her own,” she smiled tenderly towards the group. “She couldn’t know she had me here to depend on.”

Finn stepped forward and cleared his throat; his eyes remorseful. He bowed to her respectfully.

“Hello Finn,” she bowed to him as well. “You’ve grown up to be a powerful young man.” His face actually flushed and he looked down at his feet.

“I wanted to apologize for how I treated you back at the cotta-“ he began, but she held a hand up in protest.

“No apologizes needed. In pretending to be a Maven I should have remembered your position outranked mine. I suppose the goddess in me got a little carried away.” She placed a hand on his cheek and gave him a hug. “The little boy I watched destroy sandcastles on the Isle has turned into the best Prime the Sons will ever know.”

“Thank you,” he ducked his head sheepishly.

“And according to that mountain perched on Stasia’s finger,” she raised an eyebrow at my hand, and Natasha almost got whiplash she stood up so fast. “You’ll soon be bound to the best Leader the Tydes will ever know.”

The frenzy of squeals and happiness that followed filled my world with the promise of a bright future that hadn’t always been certain. As I sat back down in the sand to rest before making the trek back to the cottage, my eyes settled on a still form in the sand. The hollow body of my father was the most glaring reminder at what had truly been lost that night. Someone had wrapped him in seaweed, and I could have almost convinced myself that he was simply sleeping. The despair in my chest knew different, however.

“That was his destiny.” Amphitrite plopped down beside me and followed my gaze with pure adoration.

“Brutally dying because of me?” I muttered. She took my hand and made me look in her eyes as they sparkled with happiness.

“Dying for you and delivering the orb to you before Nadia stabbed you,” she explained.

“What?” I wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“Your mother foresaw this of course.” Her gaze shifted to the sea as her eyes became unfocused; remembering something. “She made sure that your father knew his true calling in life.

You are the reason he hung on for all of these years.”

“Me?” I asked with consternation.

“She only bestowed that key piece of information upon your father. She revealed it to no one else. Not even me.”

“How do you know all of this then?” I asked.

“He told me after dinner. Only a couple hours ago.” She got that faraway look in her eyes again and chuckled. “Your mother was a very smart woman, Stasia. But you will surpass her in every way. And she would be so proud of you. As am I.”

I wrapped an arm around her and leaned into her as I thought about what she had said. All those years, I thought that my parents had abandoned me. I thought that they hadn’t loved me; sentencing me to a life of abuse and pain. But they had been with me all along. And after their deaths, they continued to protect me and guide me. I had a feeling that they would always find a way to touch my life, whether I was aware of it or not.

A tear rolled down my cheek as I faced Amphitrite. “You know what makes me the happiest?”

“What’s that dear?” she questioned.

“They’re together now.” I beamed as I thought about them side by side in the Asphodel Meadows. “They’ll be together forever. No one can ever take that away from them.”

“That’s right.” She wiped a tear from my cheek as she continued, “Just as you’ll have them in your heart forever. No one can ever take that away from you.”

* * *

“Step away from the dress,” Carmen scolded a worried Phoebe. Without the help of Tina, we’d enlisted the help of Amphitrite, who unfortunately didn’t know the intricacies of my white traditional Nereid dress either. After the final aquamarine piece of fabric had finally been secured to my shoulder, Carmen and Willow pulled Phoebe’s perfectionist fingers out the door and into the courtyard.

Unbeknownst to me, a structure had been erected on the campus of Lorelei during my hiatus in the cottage. It was located as you entered campus, immediately to the left of the drive, and it took my breath away. It matched the sandstone materials and gothic architecture of the other buildings on campus, but somehow stood out above everything else. Or maybe I was just biased. It rose three stories into the air, with three majestic stone columns that welcomed you to the massive wooden front door. I stood next to Amphitrite on a stone path along the side, awaiting our cue to walk over to the circular stone courtyard and sprawling gardens of the backyard.

“Ready?” Amphitrite took my hand and nodded in encouragement.

“I think so,” I took a deep breath and giggled. “Tell me again that all of the Nereids will accept me?”

“All of the Nereids will accept you into the sisterhood.” She shook her head at me and rolled her eyes. A loud bell rang three times; signaling the start of the ceremony. We stepped forward in unison, and my hand squeezed hers tighter as my legs began to wobble. She confidently led me around the side of the building, through a vintage wrought iron archway and into the courtyard. I was immediately taken aback at the size of the audience that had gathered around the perimeter of the courtyard. The backyard sloped upwards, revealing a crowd of at least one thousand that erupted into applause as Amphitrite guided me to the very middle of the courtyard. We stopped to stand on a beautiful stone mosaic of a sea turtle, which had been laid with unmistakable artistry. Once in position, Amphitrite stood regally at my side and clasped her hands behind her back.

My palms began to sweat and my legs turned to the consistency of grape jelly. I searched the roaring crowd for a single shred of sanity and found it immediately in a pair of dark blue eyes. His smile was only a precursor to the warm darkness he wrapped around me; causing the rest of the world to fade into the distance. Beside him stood our friends: Carmen - elbowing Ricker, Ian - who was comforting a tearful Phoebe, and Willow - tucked under the supportive arm of Liam. Elina, Natasha, Charon, Dr. Campbell, and even Olivia stood along the stone wall that circled the courtyard. My heart warmed with love and I couldn’t believe that I had so many wonderful people in my life.

The bell rang another three times and I held my breath, as thirty-eight Nereids (yes, I counted) filed into the courtyard and created a circle around us; just as they had in the courtyard of the Spiti of Achilles. An irrational insecurity drifted over my heart, and I suddenly had a fear that the remaining nine Nereids needed to complete my induction wouldn’t do so. After a moment of soul wrenching silence, a weight lifted off of my shoulders as a woman in a bright yellow dress stepped through the arch and into the courtyard. She gracefully made her way to the center and stopped in front of me.

With a gentle smile, she held out her hand and I placed mine in hers palm up. “I am Eione, Nereid of the beach strand.” Her eyes were the color of the sun and her touch was like a fire on a winter’s night. The drop of essence pooled in my palm and lifted into the sky. “Echete Epilexei.”

As she made her way into the circle with her sisters, eight more Nereids followed suit. They each introduced themselves, gave me a drop of essence and declared that they had indeed Chosen me.

After a total of forty-seven Nereids stood in the courtyard, Amphitrite stepped in front of me and held out both of her hands. Without hesitation, I placed mine palm up in hers. She began to pull both of our hands together into a prayer position when someone’s voice broke the silence.

Chapter 45

“Wait!” We both turned at the collective gasp of the crowd, and followed their stunned stares to a woman standing in front of the platform. Her white traditional Nereid dress looked dazzling against her dark features, and the jeweled clip that secured the green sash to her left shoulder sparkled under the lights of the amphitheatre. Keto.

With a subtle nod from Amphitrite, she made her way up onto the platform as the crowd murmured at this new development. My legs turned to jelly once more, and my heart kicked into overdrive. I hadn’t seen her since that fateful night in the ocean, and I wasn’t positive that this would be a pleasant exchange. She stopped in front of us and bowed her head to Amphitrite, who met her gaze with approval. Keto’s green eyes locked onto mine and her typically hardened features softened into a smile.

“I believe you require one more drop of essence before joining the sisterhood.” She raised an eyebrow and my eyes darted toward Amphitrite for a clue as to what she was talking about. Keto wasn’t in the sisterhood, therefore her essence wouldn’t be required. Or so I had thought. Thankfully, Amphitrite was quick to explain. Her blue eyes scanned the arena as she spoke.

“Our estranged sister came to me last week in hopes of rejoining the sisterhood of Nereids.”

She cupped Keto’s face in her hands as she continued, “We welcomed her with open arms.”

The crowd took a few moments to digest this new piece of information, and then slowly began to stand; showering applause of acceptance onto Keto. Joy danced inside my heart and tears came to my eyes as she stepped towards me and held out her hand. I placed my hand in hers and allowed my tears to spill over as she gave me a drop of her essence. She searched my eyes.

“You were right,” she said quietly. The waver in her voice hinted at how difficult it was for her to admit. “Strength is more than just power. Thank you for reminding me of that all-important lesson, as well as for sparing my life. I would be honored to have you as my sister.” Before I could answer, she closed her eyes and said the two words I had never expected to hear her say: “Echete Epilexei.”

“Thank you,” I responded with wonder. Keto bowed to me ever so slightly, and then took her place in the circle. Amphitrite stepped back in front of me, took my hands once more and pulled them into a prayer position between us; her hands on the outside of mine.

“I will say ‘Join us’ in Greek,” she whispered. “And if you accept, you will say ‘ dechomai’, which means ‘I accept’.”

“Dechomai,” I practiced slowly.

“Perfect,” she said in a low voice before speaking much louder, “Elate mazi mas, Anastasia Nemertes Theophanides.”

I squared my shoulders and answered, “Dechomai.” A broad smile spread across her lips as she lifted my hands higher in the air and began to sing.

“I make the sound, Nani nani nani and wherever it hurts will heal. The sun wakes on the ocean and the starfish in the sand. Let also my sister wake. To nani nani, my sister to heal. To nani, nani, my sister to heal. As the little birds of the breeze and the mountains of the deep. Let also my sister wake. I make the sound, Nani nani nani.”

“You…!” I gasped, as my mouth dropped open. I’d heard a similar song in my dreams, when I had first returned to Lorelei! “It wasn’t a dream…”

My answer was a subtle wink before she closed her eyes and a brilliant light shot up from our joined hands. The result left my entire body tingling, and I jumped as the crowd broke into cheers and applause once more. Amphitrite opened her eyes.

“In lieu of your…circumstances,” she inferred with an amused grin, “we will be skipping the awakening ritual and moving right along to the Spiti presentation.”

“Wait…what..?” I stuttered.

She simply took my hand and we turned to face the back of the grand building that had been erected. Six wide, stone steps led to a massive wooden door, which was identical to the front; a stone porch spanning the length of the building. She held out an arm to gesture for me to go ahead of her, and I held my breath as I took the first step. My dress somehow stayed out from under my shoes, and I averted the first potential mortifying face-first fall. Five more to go. By some small miracle, I made it all the way to the top without tripping and then turned to face the crowd. From this vantage point I could see every single pair of eager eyes that watched my every move, and my legs began to shake again. I searched for Finn, but found only an empty spot beside Ricker and Carmen.

Before I could think about where he had disappeared to, Amphitrite joined me in front of the wooden door and commanded my attention, along with the rest of the audience.

“Just as every goddess before her, Anastasia will be gifted a House that will forever imprint her life and memories upon its walls. I present to you,” she held her arms up, “the Spiti of Anastasia!”

The crowd cheered again, and Amphitrite reached into a pocket hidden within the folds of her dress. She brought out the three keys from my valise, one bronze, one silver, and one gold, and it finally dawned on me what they went to. My only question was why one door would require three keys. She held out the silver key and placed it in my outstretched palm.

“The past holds the key to our inner fears, needs, and beliefs,” she announced, and then presented me with the bronze key. “The present holds the key to our thoughts, feelings, and essence.”

Lastly, she presented me with the gold key, “The future holds the key to our dreams, passions, and destiny.” I clutched them against my chest as she continued with the explanation I had been hoping for.

“As a tri-goddess, you possess three essences. Your Spiti has been enchanted to hold the imprints of all three. What you see upon your entrance will depend on the key you use to unlock the door.”

I knew I must have been staring at her like she was speaking a different language, but she had just officially blown my mind.

“If you choose to use the silver key, you will see the memories and experiences of your past imprinted on the Spiti’s walls. Using the bronze key will allow you to see your present upon the Spiti’s wall; a constant reel of images related to you, as well as to your loved ones. And finally, using the gold key will allow you to see your future imprinted upon the walls.”

That was when my eyes began to pop out of my head, but thankfully I was able to keep my jaw off of the stones at my feet as she continued. “It will shift and blur as you make decisions and reach milestones, but…” Her voice lowered and she grinned wickedly, “It’s pretty cool.”

She led me closer to the door and took the hand not holding the keys, “Which would you like to see first?” she asked. I glanced down at the keys in my hand and was immediately drawn to the gold key.

“The future key,” I said slowly, not trusting my voice. She simply nodded and took the silver and bronze key from me. I inspected the substantial wooden door in front of me, and found the massive key hole that could only be meant for the six inch skeleton key I held in my grip. I slid the key into the hole and turned it to the right. The door clicked once and opened on its own. I sent one last questioning glance at Amphitrite, and then stepped into the doorway at her encouraging smile.

As I walked onto the stone floor, I immediately glanced up and noticed the three-story vaulted ceiling above me. Beams, made from the same wood as the doors, criss-crossed above, creating impressive rafters that led my eyes to the walls - or what I assumed were walls. I walked further inside and gawked at the four walls around me. There were continuous images along their lengths, with no beginning and no end. The images blurred and shifted just as Amphitrite had said. It looked like someone was playing a movie and kept hitting the rewind and fast forward buttons.

Feeling a bout of dizziness coming on, I moved my attention away from the walls and into the center of the room. A breathtaking four tiered fountain crafted from limestone dominated the center of the Spiti. Sparkling water ran down from the top tier all the way to the last; the sound resembling the rolling waves of the ocean as it splashed down into the small pool that surrounded it.

I was inspecting its carved images of sea turtles, conch shells, and every other sea creature imaginable, adorned with diamonds, pearls, and aquamarine jewels when a movement to my left caught my attention.

A figure stepped out of the shadows and began to move towards me. Against the backdrop of a swirling mirage of images, I couldn’t make out who it was. I evaluated the nuances of their gait, and my heart exploded. He stopped directly in front of me, and my entire body came alive when those perfect lips spoke.

“Hey, Pasha.”

Chapter 46

“Finn!” I threw my arms around him and breathed him in. He smelled like home, and I smiled into his shirt as he hugged me tighter. I pulled back and raised an eyebrow at him. “What are you doing in my future?”

His face lit up instantly as he laughed and kissed my forehead. “I’m doing anything you desire in your future, my goddess,” he bowed to me dramatically.

“Brownies, chocolate cake, and flowers,” I demanded. “Every day.”

“As you wish,” he bowed gallantly again. As he stood, he produced a bouquet of yellow flowers. Wildflowers. Black-eyed Susans.

“They’re beautiful!!” I examined the bouquet and found another type of flower within.

“Sweet Williams,” he breathed. The story he had told me when he proposed was still fresh in my memory, and I held them to my nose and breathed them in deeply. Their fragrance was subtle but sweet, and I closed my eyes with a smile. Finn cleared his throat.

“There is a reason I’m in your future actually,” he started to explain, and then chuckled. “But to answer your question specifically…Amphitrite let me in.”

“How’d she know I’d choose that key?” I furrowed my brow.

“That’s a good question,” he grinned. “She must know you better than you think.”

“I think she threw in a Jedi mind-trick in that speech of hers…” I considered, but Finn’s eyes had turned serious.

“There is one more thing we must take care of before you turn eighteen and one day,” he continued; his eyes swirling with anticipation.

“Cake?” I joked, eliciting another laugh.

“The binding of our souls.” His voice wavered with emotion, as he took the bouquet from me and faced the fountain. He closed his eyes and held out his hand, palm up. A small puddle of sparkling water appeared and he tilted his hand, allowing it to drop into the waters of the fountain. I gaped at the fountain, as the water turned from a glittery shine to a glowing, bright blue. It looked as if he’d dropped a blue glow stick in it.

“Wow,” I admired under my breath. Next, he bent down and produced two startling, crystal goblets that I hadn’t noticed sitting beside the fountain. He handed one to me and took my other hand in his. We faced the fountain together and I looked up to him for instruction.

“We drink the water,” he smiled down at me. “And then seal it with a kiss.”

“That’s it?” I asked with surprise. He snickered at me and squeezed my hand.

“I can do some cartwheels and sing you a song if you’d like…a little more pomp and circumstance?” he retorted through laughs.

“I can’t have a paramour with a broken hip, so we should probably stick to the drinking and kissing.”

“Drinking and kissing,” he raised an eyebrow. “Always a good idea.” I elbowed him in the ribs and we faced the fountain once again. We glanced at each other and then dipped our glasses into the fountain at the same time. I held up the cup and inspected the blue glowing water one more time.

“Okay,” Finn turned to me. “On the count of three…one…two…three!”

At the same time, we drank the water from our goblets. The water tasted pure and clean, as if it had been poured straight from a natural spring. Once both goblets were empty, we stood frozen to the spot in anticipation of…something.

After a full minute of staring at other, waiting for our skin to start glowing or an angel of love to fall from the sky, we collapsed into a fit of laughter.

“I guess all that’s left is to seal it with a kiss,” Finn surmised, as he stepped toward me and set our goblets down. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. I draped my arms around his neck and grinned up at him with unabated joy.

“You sure you want to be bound to me forever?” he asked; his eyes suddenly fearful.

“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life,” I declared, and pulled him towards me. The moment his soft lips covered mine, warmth spread from the skin of my lips, down my neck, arms, and stomach; finally travelling down my legs. Once it sizzled on every inch of my skin, it filtered into my body and my entire universe caught fire. I opened my eyes to be blinded by a light that would have rivaled the sun, coming from our bodies.

Finn pulled me closer and our kiss deepened as the warmth sparked a new hotter, scorching flame in my heart. It spread to my soul, and finally I felt it consume my essence as all of my senses were assaulted at once. A buzzing sound filled my mind, as we finally ended the kiss and slowly opened our eyes.

“I love you, Pasha” sounded in my head and I jumped back in surprise. He laughed and pulled me back to him. “I always heard that’s what happened. I guess it’s true.”

“We can read each other’s thoughts!?” I squeaked. I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted him knowing some of the things that went through my mind. Mainly the thoughts about him.

“Not quite,” he explained. “We can purposely talk to each other in our thoughts. But I can’t hear your thoughts unless you specifically send them to me.” I stared wide-eyed at him and tried to will my thoughts to him.

“I love you too, Finn” I thought. It sounded louder, more clear in my own head, and I knew immediately it had worked when his eyes lit up.

“Whoa,” he exclaimed.

“This could take some getting used to,” I laughed.

“The silver eagle flies at dusk…” he thought in my head with a James Bond-esque expression.

“Quit that!” I scolded him between laughter.

“Morrison. Finn Morrison,” he added with the same expression.

“Don’t make me ban you from my brain,” I put my hands on my hips. That’s when I noticed the walls. I gasped and Finn followed my eyes with a gasp of his own. One of the walls had almost solidified. It was still slightly blurry, but I could discern specific images. Stunned into silence, we walked hand in hand to the stone wall. Our stunned silence morphed into mind-boggling silence, as we gaped at the images before us.

The first was my image, donned in a striking white wedding dress and kissing a tall, dark and handsome Finn, who was sharply dressed in a black tuxedo. The next several were too blurry to make out, but I could make out Phoebe, Carmen, and Willow amongst the shifting images.

“Pasha,” Finn whispered.

“What is -“ I began, but was dumbfounded into silence once more when my eyes fell onto the image that had captured his attention. It was an image of us on the beach…with two small children.

A toddler dressed in a pink bathing suit played in the sand, while a slightly taller boy dressed in black swim trunks ran along the water’s edge. We turned to look at each other at the same time, and I saw tears swimming in Finn’s dark blue eyes.

“The future is an amazing place when we’re in it together,” I vowed, as I placed my hands on either side of his face and kissed him softly on the lips. As I did, an intense feeling of completeness drenched my heart and I found myself not wanting to pull my lips from his. Thankfully, he leaned back and gazed into my eyes.

“Together,” he whispered, and brought his lips to mine once more.

Epilogue

Even through my wiser and braver eyes, my old neighborhood park looked just as dilapidated as it had so many years ago. I slid behind one of the poplar trees and peaked around its trunk. She was sitting amongst the wildflowers just as I’d remembered, plucking away at yellow petal after yellow petal. The entire park was deserted, for which I was grateful. Still eyeing the young girl, I sent an image into her thoughts in order to shroud myself, and then stepped out from behind the tree. As I approached she was talking quietly to herself.

“He loves me. He loves me not…” she recited.

“Love is never left to chance, dear.” I instructed vaguely.

“Huh?” she piqued at my voice. She spun around and eyed me wearily, as my eyes lovingly swept over her scraggly blonde hair, dirty jeans, and too big t-shirt. Her bright blue eyes glanced around the park until she was sure there were no other kids around that I could belong to. She looked up at me once more with a confused expression. “Do I know you?”

“No, dear. I’m only visiting.” I smiled down at her warmly. She titled her head as if contemplating something and then asked another question.

“Who are you visiting?” she asked curiously.

I chuckled and watched her eyes inspect my mother’s aquamarine necklace as I played with it. “It would seem the only one I’m visiting with at the moment is you! How’s that sound?”

She stood awkwardly, her ankle rolling over a rock as she pitched sideways. I grabbed her arm just in time, and watched as she cringed in pain from several fresh bruises I knew all too well.

When she cried out I released her arm, but didn’t ask questions. I already knew whose hands had inflicted those wounds. Anger boiled in my veins as I thought about him, and I shuffled my feet and waited for her to recover.

“Do you have grandkids?” she glanced around again.

“I will someday,” I laughed, and gestured to the flower she held in an effort to change the subject. “May I?”

She handed me the fragile flower and I inspected it with interest. I held it up to my nose and breathed its fragrance in with eyes closed, and then I smiled.

“They say Sweet William will always find his Black-Eyed Susan,” I mused.

“Who’s Susan?” she asked. “Why does she have a black eye?”

“Their story is one of America’s oldest and least known romance tales,” I explained, and held up the flower with raised eyebrows. “Actually, this particular flower was named for her. This is a Black-Eyed Susan, named such for its dark center.”

I handed the flower back to her as I continued, “After meeting beneath the silver light of a full moon in a field of wildflowers, William asked Susan to marry him, presenting her with a bouquet of those very wildflowers. Only one day before their wedding, sweet William was taken prisoner on a war-bound vessel set for the high seas. Throughout his plight-ridden journey, her memory kept him alive; the hope of seeing her again pushing him to survive. Upon his release a year later, William was informed that Susan had run away to evade an arranged marriage. After searching for his true love for months and months, sweet William decided to return to the field where they had first met. That night as the full moon rose, William finally arrived at the field to find his dear Susan sleeping. She clutched a dried bouquet of wildflowers in her hands…the very same kind of flower you hold in your hand today.”

She glanced down at the yellow flower in her hand and smiled. “I want a sweet William.”

“Maybe you already have one,” I hinted with a conspiring grin.

“I doubt it. Plus, I don’t really want a black eye,” she clarified with a giggle.

About the Author

Kristen Day is a native North Carolinian who, in true southern fashion, is addicted to sweet tea, baked goods, and football. She graduated from Appalachian State University and bleeds black and gold.

When she’s not kayaking or making jewelry, she writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels. Forsaken is the first novel in the captivating and addictive Daughters of the Sea Trilogy.

Connect with her online at: www.kris10-day.blogspot.com or www.goodreads.com/kris10day

Content

Chosen
Daughters of the Sea 3
Kristen Day

Prologue

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

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Epilogue

About the Author