“Maybe you should have spelled it out better,” I said, and she laughed.
“I said that the child of the lord of the Nether and the avenging Fury would turn the world of the gods on its head. That her coming would change everything, that the world of the immortals would cease to exist as they had known it. That she would raise an army and defend her homeland against all threats. I should have remembered that most beings, no matter how powerful, see change as something worth fearing.” She shrugged, and it was quite possibly the most graceful shrug I’d ever seen.
She smiled again. “But things that are meant to be will find a way, won’t they? And you are here, and you are an honor to behold, my dear.”
I bowed my head again, overwhelmed. “Thank you,” I said.
She came over to me and took my hand. She was warm to the touch, hot, really, almost uncomfortable to be in contact with. “I am guessing you have questions,” she said, and she led me over to one of the trees I’d knocked down, and we sat on the trunk. It had started to snow, fluffy flakes falling everywhere, except on us. I shook my head.
“They said you wouldn’t help, that you slept,” I said, looking at her.
“They were right, for the most part. Things are best when I sleep. I have done my part here. I created the beings I wanted to create, the realms of the immortals. A few other things as well,” she said, smiling a little. “I sleep, and things stay in balance. But I am needed now, and I wanted to see you.”
I nodded, not knowing what to say.
“You are here to check on the gateway,” she said.
“My parents said it wouldn’t let them through,” I explained.
“And it won’t, ever again,” she said. “The immortals will have to live in your world now. Their homelands are lost to them with the weakening of the Nether. I cannot allow what is imprisoned there to run rampant in this world, and a few too many monsters have already gotten through. You will have to hunt them, but the rest will remain locked away from your world.”
“Thank you,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief, and she smiled.
“Don’t thank me yet. The immortals will not be happy about this.”
“They are rarely happy in general,” I said, and she laughed.
“So why can’t they go back?”
“After I have finished speaking with you, I will retire to the Nether to sleep. Before my slumber, I will destroy the gateway between the worlds. It will never exist again. The things that reside in the realms of the immortals will stay there, as they should. The monsters we’ve imprisoned there. The Titans, minus two who escaped into your realm And I am sorry for that, dear girl. Nightmares, angry souls. Those shall remain locked away. With Tartarus failing due to Nether’s loss, the realms themselves will have to serve as prisons for what gets loose. I can easily cut those realms off from your world, but the immortals would be in constant danger. I am not willing to see constant slaughter and torture of them, no matter how prideful and ignorant they can be.”
“How will Hades and the Furies do their jobs, then?”
She smiled. “They will always be what they are. They will always judge and punish those who have done wrong. They will just do it in new ways now, by your side. It was time. I will deal with the souls of the dead now, in my own way.” She stopped talking, looked around. “One thing I did not foresee was you destroying the Nether, my girl.”
“Well I really didn’t mean to,” I said, and she smiled.
“I know. I have to give her credit. She is much more cunning than even I knew. She was patient, and the second she had a chance to free herself, she did.” Her gaze sought mine. “She hates us, granddaughter. Every single one of those I created. She was insane before she was imprisoned, and she is even more so now, after eons of being both prison and prisoner. She will stop at nothing to destroy you and everything you hold dear. Know that.”
I clasped my hands together. “Is it true she knows what I know? She can do what I can do?”
“Yes. It is. Your first steps should be moving anyone you love. She’ll attack their homes first, trying to hurt you.”
“She can kill immortals?”
“Yes.”
“Can she kill me?”
She took a breath. “That, we don’t know. I have no idea.” Frustration rolled off of her. “I just don’t know how it will work when you two face each other. Assume she can.”
“Well, if she can’t necessarily kill me, and we have the same powers, then that means we’re not sure I can kill her either.”
“I know,” Nyx said.
“So what am I supposed to do?”
“You will figure it out,” she said, and I nearly growled in frustration. “I do have a few last words of advice for you before I go.” She stood, and I stood with her.
“What can you tell me, grandmother?” I asked, and she smiled and clasped my hands in hers again.
“I can tell you that you need to start trusting yourself more. This final betrayal has rocked you to the core. Do not let it. Have faith in yourself. Stop doubting what you are. I know you feel the darkness in you sometimes, the temptation to be an absolute terror. I know that you fight against that.”
I nodded.
She gripped my hands tighter. “Stop fighting it. Be what you are. All of it.”
I just stared at her.
“Your power lies in your unending dedication to saving innocents. Your power is terrifying, as it should be. But you are my granddaughter. You are strong. Fearing yourself weakens you.” Then she smiled. “Remember, my love, that darkness is not merely the absence of light. In truth, light can only be born from darkness. And I would know, wouldn’t I?”
I watched her, and she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to each cheek. “I am proud of you, Mollis Eth-Hades.”
And she let me go, and I watched my grandmother, this ethereal, powerful goddess, walk toward the gateway. When she reached it, she turned and smiled, and brought her fist to her chest, using the same gesture my imps did, and I mimicked her. She gave me a slow nod, then stepped through the gateway and was gone.
I stared after her, and a few seconds later, I felt the gateway cease to be. I hadn’t even realized I’d been crying, but I felt tears rolling down my face. I stood in my former yard, looking at the gateway’s former place, and my mind was a mess. As afraid as I was, I vowed to remember my grandmother’s words.
I had a big fight ahead of me, sometime in the future. I would put everything I am into making sure I came out victorious, because the alternative was not acceptable.
“Mistress.” A low, scratchy voice behind me. I spun and saw my imps there, all of them, Bashiok and Dahael standing at the front of the group. Their heads were bowed, their ears drooping. Their postures were defeated. Sadness, anger rolled off of them. I crouched in front of Dahael.
“What is it, my friends?” I asked, and Dahael started sobbing. She tried to pull herself together to speak, and she couldn’t do it. Bash took her hand. Angry tears shone in his eyes as well.
“Have to leave you, Mistress,” he croaked, and I stared at him.
“What? Where are you going?”
“Stronger being pulls on us. Have to serve another,” he said, a growl in his voice. Dahael started crying.
“Who?”
He just looked at me helplessly, and it hit me. The enchantment on them that kept their current master safe had already taken effect. They couldn’t tell me who, because they were already in their new master’s service.
And their new master had to be stronger than me.
“Nether,” I said, and Dahael just cried harder.
“Kill us, Mistress,” she managed, even thought it seemed to cause her pain. “Won’t go back. Won’t hurt innocents. Won’t do it,” she wailed, and collapsed on the ground, her agony and helplessness rolling over me. “Please,” she begged, her face still in the grass.
I went over to her and helped her sit up. “I will not kill you, Dahael,” I said, and she looked at me, begging. “I will get you back. I swear it to you.”
She still pleaded with me and I knew it was the idea of harming innocents more than leaving me.
“Showed us a different way, Mistress,” Bash said, giving words to her anguish, and the rest of the imps nodded. “Can’t go back now.”
I looked at him, glanced at every one of my over two dozen imps. “I will get you back. I know you can’t disobey her. Do not blame yourselves. Believe in me,” I said.
At my words, every single one of them bowed their head and put a fist to their chest.
“Only thing we believe in, Mistress,” Falrog said, and Dahael started crying harder.
“Have to go. Can feel her pull,” Bash said, and I nodded, swiping tears away from my eyes.
“Believe,” I reminded them, and then I watched my imps walk away from me. When I couldn’t see them anymore, I roared in rage, released my anger, knocking down what was left of my house as my power exploded around me.
Once I settled down, I started thinking. So she was stronger than me. I’d have to figure out how that was possible later on. I’d have to prepare myself to destroy the bitch. I’d have to find new places for everyone I loved to live. I’d have to find a place for the immortals to live now. I’d have to deal with Brennan’s lies and how they’d affect us from here on out.
I gritted my teeth as my power rose in response to my anger and stress.
At least I didn’t hurt anymore when I used it.
And then I smiled. I had an overload of power built up.
And I knew exactly how to use it.
I took one last look at my backyard, then I kicked and rose into the air, heading toward the river, toward Belle Isle.
Toward Strife.
When the river, and Belle Isle, came into view, I steeled myself for the upcoming battle. I was grateful that no one had tried to fight me on the fact that I was coming alone. I couldn’t stand to have to worry about Strife killing anyone else I cared about.
By now, I think they knew I could take care of myself. And Nain had been too out of it to even argue. He’d be irritated with me later.
That was fine. Strife would be gone and maybe the loss of her influence would help calm things down. It wouldn’t end the mess we had now; the cat was out of the bag regarding supernaturals, and panic wouldn’t abate any time soon. But it would only be worse with her here, spurring it on.
She’d caused too many deaths. I blamed her personally for Levitt. Jones. The eleven allies besides them who had died in battle, mostly shifters and vampires.
Who knows how many Normals caught up in the crossfire.
She would pay for every single one of them.
I flew around until I found the abandoned zoo. I’d been there once when I was a kid. My foster family at the time hadn’t been too bad, and I’d actually liked them. They’d brought the three kids they were fostering out to the island for the day. We’d gone to the zoo and had a picnic on the beach.
The zoo had been sitting empty now for over ten years. It looked like one of those features in
National Geographic
, when they find deserted villages. The zoo had been a series of wooden bridges, and you’d look down into the pits below to see the animals. Along the boardwalk were cedar-shingled pavilions that had offered shade to zoo visitors, as well as several buildings, one that used to house reptiles, one that had housed insects. I landed near one of these and looked around.
The zoo was eerie. Vines had grown along and across the wooden walkways, and the pits that had been dirt or grass were now overgrown with trees and brush. The small building near where I’d landed was nearly covered with vines.
And amid all of it, I could feel power. I took a deep breath. If I could feel her, she could feel me, too.
It wasn’t just Strife. There were demons there. Shifters. Witches and warlocks. I’d never thought to look for her there. The idea of anyone using any part of the island as their base of operations wasn’t something I’d ever even considered. The zoo was one of those places so-called “urban explorers” sometimes toured, snapping photos to post on Instagram. I wondered how many of them had ended up falling at the hands of Strife’s people.
I walked along the boardwalk, through one of the pavilions. I focused, trying to sense where Strife and her people were. In the end, I didn’t have to find Strife at all.
She found me.
I was walking, nearing another pavilion, and she appeared about fifteen feet in front of me. I stopped, and we stood and watched one another.
“So, the little hero has recovered,” she sneered. “How fares mommy dearest?”
I didn’t answer.
“I suppose you feel like I played dirty at the end there,” she said. “And I did. It’s what I do. Chaos isn’t caused by following the rules.”
“You know you can’t beat me, Strife,” I said, and she laughed.
“It was never about beating you, Fury. It was about making you suffer. Hurting you. Making you pay for Enyo and Ares. And then you killed Terror. That one hurt.”
And then she smiled. “And, just as I can’t destroy you, you can’t destroy me, either. Oh, I’ll end at your hands. I don’t doubt that. This avatar will fall, and I’ll go on. I’ll forget you and everything that happened here.” She stopped, laughed. “But you won’t. You’ll live with it forever. You’ll replay watching your demon friend die, seeing your mother near death. It will haunt you, every single day of your miserable existence. You will know that you failed as Nether’s prison. Maybe she will succeed where so many others have failed.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” I said, still watching her. I could feel what was happening. As she talked to me, doing the stereotypical super-villain monologue thing, her demons and shifters had started approaching me from behind. There were around twenty of them back there. I tried to pretend I couldn’t feel them. They were creeping silently along the boardwalk, excitement and nervousness flooding from them. Love and desire. Not for me. For Strife.
“How did you know Nether was in me?” I asked her, trying to make it seem like I was clueless.
She smiled. She really was insanely beautiful. Perfect. I almost wanted to believe she wasn’t a monster based on that one smile. It was easy to see how she’d convinced so many to die for her.
“Elsoloth brought me your daddy’s helmet. Fun little thing to play with. You have no idea how many times I was in your home. How many times I stood and watched as your friends relaxed, as you and your demon lover shared moments you thought were private. It was easy to share that knowledge with Aphrodite. She had just as much reason to hate you as I did. She was supposed to go for the little vampire first. I would have loved watching you mourn her after you saved her from death once already.”