From Deities (26 page)

“He really does,” Sky said weakly, leaning her head into my shoulder. She was steadier on her feet now, walking a bit faster. “And I love you guys, too. Thank you for risking your lives for my parents and me. I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

“You made Mason finally wake up from the dead. I think that’s good enough,” Everett said.

“We’re so happy to have you back,” Skylar muttered.

“You have no idea how happy I am to be back. Hephaestus is one crazy dude. He thinks he’s God.”

As always, Nick liked to lighten the mood. “Why don’t we go out and celebrate right now? I bet people would get kick out of how we look.”

Amanda laughed out loud. “Look at us. Our clothes are torn. My hair looks like it was hit by lightning. In fact, I think I was struck by a bolt, but barely escaped by a hair. We’re smudged with dirt. Although,” she gazed at their chests, “I have to say, you boys are hot with your shirts and jeans torn. It shows off your six packs.”

“We always look hot,” Nick smirked. “Let’s get Sky home. I need to see Kayla and explain to her about my absence, and more to come.”

“There’s our car.” Sky looked somewhat relieved, but her eyes were still teary. I could feel her pain; her pain was my pain.

“Let’s go home,” I said, and we got in the car. I sat in the back with Sky, holding her tightly to let her know that everything was going to work out, but I had no words of comfort. There was dead silence as we drove away.

“i’m not sure
what I’m supposed to do.” I pulled back my hair as if the answers would suddenly appear in my mind. My eyes felt heavy and my muscles ached. My wounds healed faster than humans, but there were still lingering pains that took time to go away, especially the ones that affected my heart.

Mason shifted to a comfortable position, tucked his arm under his neck for support, and locked his eyes on mine. “I think you will know what to do when you get there. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“I’m scared, Mason. What if something bad happens to one of us? Maybe I should go alone.”

“Do you think you can take on Hades and his hell creatures by yourself?”

I turned my eyes to the floor and stared there for a bit.

“I didn’t think so.” Mason placed his fingers under my chin and forced me to meet his eyes. “Don’t do anything by yourself. We all have something to lose and something to gain by going to the Underworld. We need to stop Hephaestus from turning humans into vultures. Besides you, Victor’s team would like their leader back. And we need to find a way to get rid of Hephaestus for good.”

“Okay.” I nodded. A part of me couldn’t help thinking that this was my fight and not theirs, but I had to stop thinking that way. I had no idea what I would be up against, and I needed any help I could get. Having the power of lightning, being able to manipulate water, and now, according to Steven, supposedly I could tame fire. Whatever that meant. I had no clue, but I guessed it would happen when the time came. My body seemed to know. It always did.

“Good. I’m glad you agree.”

I jumped in with an idea I’d been meaning to tell him. “Hades isn’t dead.”

“Then maybe…neither are the other gods.” Mason sat up. We were on the same wavelength with this. I could tell that he knew what I was going to ask next. His eyes grew wide with elation.

“Do you think the statues at Old Olympus are the gods? I mean, Hephaestus said that over time, the iron casts turned the color of ivory, so do you think—”

Mason didn’t give me a chance to finish. “Yes,” he blurted. “Let’s not get our hopes up. We won’t know for sure until we get some answers from Zara when we meet with her, and the rest of the gang tomorrow. Hopefully, she can guide us on how to kill Hades. There’s got to be a way without you going near him.”

I had a bad feeling about this, but I tried not to show it. How on earth was I going to kill a god? “I hope so.”

As time clicked away, swiftly moving to when we were meeting the others, my heart thumped just as fast as the second hand on the clock. I was scared out of my mind, but I couldn’t let fear get in the way; it would make me weak, make me slower…it would totally cloud my judgment.

I had a lot of people helping me. We would kill Hades and free my parents. With the support of my friends, we could conquer evil. Good always won. I had to tell myself that because that was my only hope.

Mason caressed my cheek, and with his finger traced the words on the bracelet he’d given me for Christmas. “You ready, Sky?”

I had hardly slept last night. When I
did
doze off, it was the result of Mason’s loving caresses, helping me relax. “Yes,” I said, but I really wasn’t. Regardless, I knew I had no choice, and neither did my friends.

Mason helped me off the bed and gave me a long kiss on my forehead. “I’m with you, Sky. Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to let anything hurt you.”

I snuggled up to him, looking at the pictures on the nightstand next to his bed. It was a perfect spot for them. We were all smiling and having a great time. I wished I could go back in time and be at that happy place again. I had to believe that we could. “Okay,” I answered with conviction. Even though I was deathly afraid, I was ready...I had to be.

A SNEAK PEEK OF TAKEN

by Felicia Starr

“You’ve been watching me this whole time?” Could he really be so nervy?
Can I not get any privacy?

“No, I was outside. I could feel you getting ready to take flight so I had to let you know I was here.” He paused. I waited.

“I knew there was something about you from the second I laid eyes on you, something special.”

“Yeah, like I was pretty much naked and had the look of a lost puppy dog.”

“Well, there is that.” He nodded and his lips curled up in the corner just enough to let me know his mind was filled with images of me in my birthday suit.

“But there was something more intense. I wasn’t certain if you were the one, but I cannot deny it.” His eyes became sincere and were as solemn as steel.

“Which one, the one with all the great super powers?” I snapped at him. I was so sick of hearing about how special I was and how great I
would
be.

“Honestly, I really am unaware of what kind of powers you have or if you have any power other than being able to astral project. Anyone can do that. Of course, it just usually takes them years to master what you’ve been able to do in days.”

He closed the space between us. “Hear me out for a minute. Please.

“A long time ago, I crossed paths with a witch, a seer, if you will. She grabbed my arm as I was walking through an outdoor market. Most of the time, I wouldn’t have paid a woman like that any mind. They were almost always looking for a handout.

“When she grabbed me, her grip was that of an iron cuff. I was taken aback by the strength she had. She took hold of both my arms. Time and motion around us all but stopped. Her eyes went completely white.

‘She will need you. You must betray your heart and walk amongst the darkness in order to find the truest light. You will know when The Taker tries to take what can only be yours.’

“She released me and her eyes regained their color. Time no longer stood still. The crowd around me started to roar so loud I almost didn’t notice her still talking to me. Her voice this time was softer but had an edge of agitation.

‘
Son, can I help you? Why do you stand in my path, staring at me in that way?’

“She gave me a slight shove and then she was on her way. How long I stood there I will never know. I was stationary for an extended period of time, trying to digest and sort out what she might have been talking about.

“I had no idea who the
she
was to which she referred. All I got was that there was a female in need of help. At the time, I had no knowledge of anyone called The Taker. The one thing that was real to me was how powerful the encounter with her was. Probably one of the most intense experiences I’ve ever had with a witch or otherwise.

“I have carried her message with me for too many seasons to count. From that day forward, I knew there was a path for me. I have made choices against my heart to find my way to you.”

I uncrossed my arms. “You can’t be serious. You expect me to believe that? I don’t even know you. How dare you blame me for your choice to work with the scum of the earth?”

He tried to interject, but I held up a hand and continued.

“And another thing… How can you refer to me as
what can only be yours?
Just because this man or evil dark lord has kidnapped me and stolen me from the real world doesn’t make me part of your prophecy or your destiny.”

FROM FELECIA:

I just want to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to Mary Ting and to her fans for giving me an opportunity to share this teaser from the first book in my
Breaking the Darkness
series. It is such an honor and my pleasure to call such and amazingly brilliant and kindhearted person a friend.

A SNEAK PEEK OF GRAVEL GHOST

by Charyse Allan

Coming December 16
th
, 2014

Sweat drips down my back and trickles off my forehead. It’s freezing in this tunnel, but my jacket remains tied around my waist. My hair is pulled back in a long braid—I’m sure it’s matted with grime. A nice, thick layer of dust covers my jeans and tank top. My legs are killing me and my stomach keeps growling, but I can’t stop. In this small shaft that tunnels through the Rocky Mountains, I hurry toward the beam of light ahead of me. How can five hours have passed already? I
have
to move faster or he’ll catch up to me.

My breaths puff like steam in the frozen air to echo in soft whispers off the mineshaft’s walls. A musty smell fills my nose from the stirred up dust. I tread lightly to hold down the echoes of my steps.

Ahead, a small cove screams at me to sit and be hidden. Only for a minute—that should be okay. I hurry toward it like it’s my lifeline. Using the wall as a guide, I slide to the rough ground before my legs give out. I take my last bottle of water out and take a small sip, enough to wet my mouth and wash out the taste of dust. Sweet relaxation lures me to stay, but I know I shouldn’t. I should be moving.  

Something shifts against the dirt maybe thirty yards behind me. I let out a groan before starting to my feet, shoving the bottle back in my pack.
Too long.
Time to run. My legs and feet protest, but adrenaline pushes me forward. The beam of light gets brighter. I’m making more noise, my footfalls echoing through the shaft, but I don’t care now, he’s drawn too close already. His light footfalls advance on me, as he gets nearer.
Too close, damn it!

I push harder. Even if I make it through this tunnel, I still have so far to go. The thought makes me wish I were still at home in my soft bed, sleeping the day away. His feet slap against the dirt only yards behind me as I ponder my two choices: keep running or face him. Feet away from the mouth of the tunnel, I make up my mind. Slowing my pace slightly, I hear him, grunting softly. Stopping dead in my tracks, I spin around, seeing his arms stretched out toward me. He’s menacing, so much taller than me, thick muscles bulging against his t-shirt. Even on this trek through a hole in the mountain, he’s clean, which is more irritating than anything else. His hair still in place and his clothes unscathed compared to me—a dirt covered mess. 

I dive to the ground past his left side as he lunges for me. He stumbles slightly behind me, but not nearly enough to fall. My hands scrape against the dirt as I turn to see him towering over me. Ignoring the stinging pain in my hands, I wrap my arms around one of his legs, pulling hard against the back of his knee. He falls backward, his head cracking on a rock, sending an echo through the cave as his pack crunches beneath him. I climb on top of him, sending a few good jabs to his face, making him growl in slight discomfort.

Baring his teeth in a snarl, he bucks under me, making me topple to the side. I mutter multiple expletives under my breath, as I stand over his stomach and slam into his gut with both knees and all my body weight. He grunts loudly, doubling over. This would be my opening to pull a dagger out, finish him off. I shake the thought from my mind.
This isn’t an assignment, only training. Focus, Payton!

Coming back to my senses, I take off, finally escaping the godforsaken tunnel. When I come out of the mouth of the tunnel, I have no time to look behind me at the Rocky’s, the beautiful trees devouring the slopes. I’m close to the bottom of the mountain, but there’s a minor slope. Jogging down it, I stumble slightly, but catch myself before I fall. Moving forward is my only option.

A road is at the bottom of the hill, I look for cars as I get closer to make sure I won’t be seen. I
cannot
be spotted or stopped by anyone. None are coming, so I run across as fast as I can. Glancing back, I see that he’s gaining on me again. If he catches me, I know I don’t have the strength to get away again. My calves scream, my lungs burn with every breath. My heart is racing—I have maybe ten miles until I reach my target.

Nine more now—I can make it.

I leap over the large rocks in my path. Up ahead, a cliff shoots up, juts out and flattens at the top. I’ll have to scale it, there’s no way around. Glancing back again I see that he’s only yards behind me now, so I start to climb. I may be short, but my lean muscle helps me pull my way up quickly. I’m careful about feet and hand placement, making sure that every inch I climb up isn’t in vain. I can’t help but glance below—he’s making his way up too fast. Frustration and a little bit of panic shoot through me at the sight of him using tools to scale the cliff. He must have stored them in his pack. I want to smack myself for not thinking to do the same. He’ll be on top of me in seconds if I don’t move.

The top of the cliff seems so close, I’m sure I can reach the top in only a few more moves. I steady my breathing shifting my feet and hands up the cliff. He’s only feet below me when I finally reach the top and huff out a sigh of relief. I pull up at the lip of the cliff, dragging myself to the flat ground. My feet kick below me, and I chuckle at the thought of dust getting kicked into his eyes. He’ll love that. My muscles are like jelly, but this is the last stretch before I get there.
I can make it!

I push myself toward the landing strip ahead of me, the Castle beyond that. The three towers with their green, copper spires reach skyward. Right now, that castle is my beacon. I have to get there before him, I have to complete this assignment or he’ll hold it over my head for the rest of forever. I hear him again, closing in. I run over the tarmac beyond the large hangar. His loud grunting and heavy breathing sounds as if he’s right behind me. From here, the training arena—a huge warehouse attached to the Castle—is in my sights. That’s my target. If I make it there before him, the assignment is over.

He makes one more lunge for me when I’m a yard from the door to the arena. I dodge out of the way, but he still has strength left and uses it to intercept my movement. His arm swipes for me, but I duck under and elbow his ribs as hard as I can. He lets out a puff of air, groaning as I reach for the door. Right when I touch the handle and swing the door open, it’s done. I’ve completed this task.
Thank God! Now, I need a shower.