Avenging (The Rising Series Book 3) (24 page)

Nicole shrugged. “I was just curious.”

He looked at her through narrowed eyes. “I did have a family—a mother, father, brother, and sisters. And then I had… Caroline.” The last word came out in a reverent tone.

“You loved her.” Nicole couldn’t help the surprise in her voice. It was obvious this hideous thing loved a woman. Nicole looked at the creature. He had seemed so inhuman at first, but now he looked more man than a monster.

“Why do you ask me these questions?” he hissed through his sharp teeth.

“How would you like to return to your old life?”

He shook his head. “Impossible. Caroline is dead; my whole family is dead.”

“If I could send you back in time to your loved ones, would you want me to?”

“You could do this?” He fingered a narrow, gold chain at his neck. A simple ring hung on the chain.

“I can. Do you want me to?”

“I would need to be human again.”

“I could do that.”

He stepped toward her, the glint of a bloody tear in his eye. “Yes, I do want it—more than anything.”

“Then I’ll do it.”

“Why?” he sneered as he leaned in mere inches from her face. His breath smelled strange, like dust and spiders with a hint of rotten jerky.

“If you aren’t here, you can’t tell Ares my memories have returned.”

“Hmm. That makes sense. But, if you are lying and can’t send me back to my Caroline, I don’t care what the captain ordered. I will kill you, drink your blood, and bathe in your entrails—and not necessarily in that order.”

Nicole swallowed and nodded.
I sure hope this works
. She raised her trembling hand and said, “I’m not lying. Take my hand.”

He hesitantly wrapped his long, clawed fingers around her hand. His skin was hard, crackly, and cold. Nicole went over in her mind exactly what she’d say. She only had one shot at this, after all.
I wish I could go back in time to my family and be fully human.
Yeah, that should work.

“Now,” Nicole said, “repeat after me.”

“I wish I could go back in time to my family—” she began.

Nicole was horrified when he began to speak before she could finish.

“I wish I could go back in time to my family.”

“And do it—” she rushed to continue.

He disappeared.

What have I done?
Nicole swallowed, looking at her empty hand. Flakes of black skin clung to her sweaty palm. She really hoped she hadn’t condemned an innocent family to die.

The wind picked up, and goose pimples broke out across her skin. The trees fluttered in the distance, and she felt eyes boring into her.

We
.

He’d mentioned his fellow troops. That meant that there was more than one of those monsters!

Nicole sprinted toward the house as the wind blew harder, whipping her hair around and pelting her with gravel and dirt. The sun darkened as shadows spread across the ground and crept up the side of the house. She thought she heard hissing and murmured voices on the gusts as her feet hit the porch step.

Triton leaned against the post of the front porch and watched the sun turn orange above the trees. Heavy footsteps approached him from behind.

Xanthus.

“The human world can be peaceful,” Triton said. “There’s nothing like this anywhere in the sea.” Triton tried to ignore the ache squeezing his heart. Each moment without Nicole grew progressively more difficult—especially since his memories had returned.

“It is beautiful,” Xanthus answered his voice deep. “The humans have ruined much of the land with their encroaching cities and the pollutions they bring. But still, there is a good amount mostly untouched.”

“Are the Dagonians still calling for war with the humans?” Triton asked.

Xanthus frowned. “The anger has cooled a bit. I think the humans are safe for now. At least they are safe from Dagonians. But the elements? Not so much.”

“What has my daughter seen lately?”

“The better question would be—what hasn’t she seen? I don’t know what I can do to help her. Since her powers have fully come, she’s been plagued with dreams and visions. She scarcely got a few minutes sleep last night. Can a goddess’ power harm her?”

“Not usually.”

“These powers seem to be wrecking my precious wife. She is filled with worry, she has seen horrors, and it seems the responsibility of the universe is on her shoulders. This is so wrong! A woman as innocent and sweet as my Sara shouldn’t have to carry such burdens.”

Xanthus turned and placed his hand on Triton’s shoulders, his eyes pleading, tears brimming in them. “Is there any way to take her powers from her?”

Triton thought about the siphon, but he immediately dismissed it. He would not allow another entity to invade his child’s mind and steal her god powers.

Triton shook his head. “I know things are hard for her. This is the most difficult time in the life of any god or goddess. And the more powerful the god, the more difficult it is.”

Triton paused before speaking again. “And Sara is powerful. But she will learn to control it. Until then, we just need to be there for her.”

Power washed over Triton like a wave. It was a power he hadn’t felt in a millennia. And it was coming from the forest. His eyes searched the darkness.

“Do you…?” Xanthus asked.

Triton nodded. “Yes, I feel that.”

Three figures stepped out from the shadows of the trees. Triton dared not breathe when recognition hit him, feeling as though the action would attract their attention. The women sauntered up, unafraid of either Triton or Xanthus. Xanthus moved to block their approach, and Triton put out his hand to stop the Dagonian. “Let them pass,” Triton whispered.

They were tall, statuesque women, with flowing, white hair and dark sunglasses. They moved so gracefully. They seemed to glide across the uneven ground as they walked hand in hand. The one in the middle turned her head to face Triton. She nodded, turning back to the door. Her face was exquisite, as were the two others, who had identical features. The door opened, and they stepped through. The entrance was left open, signaling Triton that he was welcome to follow. As he stepped forward, Xanthus pulled him back.

“Who are they?” he asked in awe.

“The Moirai,” Triton said in reverenced tones.

Xanthus’ eyes widened as he looked at the retreating goddesses. “You mean ‘the Fates’?”

Triton nodded as he stepped through the door. He could see Sara sitting at the table, her head resting on one hand, and a steaming cup of chamomile tea in the other. She raised her head and looked at the three women. She sighed in relief at their presence.

Seeing them near Sara, Triton was shocked to see how much in likeness they looked. Sara was one of them. Triton’s eyes widened when the Moirai knelt down and bowed at the feet of Sara. The Fates bowed to no one, but here they were… bowing to his daughter.

“Thank you for all the help you’ve given me. Your guidance has been such a big help to me,” Sara said.

“We live to serve thee,” they said in unison.

“I’m so glad to hear that,” Sara said. “Please take a seat. It seems strange to have people kneeling at my feet.” The Moirai stood and sat around the table.

Triton shut the door silently behind him and felt compelled to drop to one knee on one side of the door. Xanthus must have felt the same compulsion because he mirrored Triton’s actions, kneeling on the other side of the door. Triton recognized the weight of the positions they took. He and Xanthus were acting as guards, and Triton knew he would fight to his utter destruction to protect any one of the four women in the room.

“I’m having a hard time controlling my visions,” Sara said. “I was hoping you could help me. There is no time for me to train, as I’m sure you know.”

“Our powers are but a shadow compared to thine, Princess.”

“Why? Why am I so powerful? I’ve never really been anything special.”

The Mouri smiled at her. “Regardless of whether you realized it, you have always been special, Your Majesty. And to answer your question, whenever there is a rise in dark power, there must be light to balance it. It’s not always clear why the universe chooses whom it does.”

“So I balance the light and dark?”

“You and the others. You are the daughter of sea and earth—the most substantial of the elements. But you are not complete without the others—the daughter of sea and fire, the daughter of fire and wind, and the daughter of wind and earth.”

“The four elements. Is that what the prophesy means—the daughters that join the four corners?”

“Yes.”

“So am I right? Is Gretchen the daughter of sea and fire?”

“Yes. Her power comes from both the sea and the fire of the Underworld. She has yet to fully realize her power. And then there’s a fifth element.”

“A fifth?”

“Yes, the Aether—the combined spirit of them all. Where the Aether draws its power from, we don’t know. But it is not from this world.”

“I don’t understand.”

“We know you don’t, but in time, you will.”

“So what do I do now? With so many images bombarding me, it’s hard for me to think clearly.”

“We will take some of your visions to ease your mind. Then, together, we can decide what to do.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“Your will is ours, Princess,” they answered. “Now you’ve done enough. We can take your visions until you are fully rested. Is there a place where we may go? We need quiet and, if possible, a soft place to lay our heads.”

“Of course. You’re welcome to take the room upstairs, at the end of the hall.”

They nodded and one by one, took her hand in theirs, leaned in, and brushed a feathery kiss across her cheek. With each kiss, her complexion gained color. At the last kiss, her cheeks were pink and her eyes bright—no longer shadowed. She smiled and sighed. “Ah, thank you. I feel so much better.”

They smiled back, true kindness in their eyes. They left the room, and Sara turned to Triton and Xanthus.

“I was a fool to think I could help you through this transition,” Triton said, shaking his head.

“You just wanted to be my dad.” She smiled. “And for a god, it’s the parent’s responsibility to help their child transition, right?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

She stepped into his arms, and he wrapped his strong arms around his baby girl. She looked and felt so small, so fragile, but looks could be deceiving.

She pulled away, smiling at him. When she turned to her husband, she was truly beaming. She once again stepped into his crushing hug. “I love you, moro mou,” Xanthus said. “I’m so glad to see you’re feeling better. I felt so worthless. Here I am, a great warrior, but I could do nothing to help you.”

She shook her head. “But you did help me. I couldn’t have survived without you there. You were my strength, my reason to go on.”

“That’s funny, because you are my strength and reason to go on as well.” Xanthus smiled, but the truth of his words sang as loud as the wind across the sea.

“You do realize how cheesy you two sound, right?” Triton said.

Xanthus shook his head, smiled, and said, “Shut up.”

Triton laughed. “Okay, daughter. What does fate say we do now?”

“We save my mom. But first, I have to talk to Gretchen. We’re going to need her dad. I think it’s about time they meet.”