Descending (The Rising Series) (24 page)

Gretchen pounded her fist against the stone wall and shouted, “Just put him on!”

“Fine,” her mother huffed.

Gretchen had to wait several minutes before she heard his voice. “Gretchen.”

“Drakōn? Are you all right?” She knew it was pointless, but she just had to ask.

“You’d better run, mermaid.” His voice was forced and thick with effort.

“I can help you.”

“Help yourself
.” His cry nearly blew out her eardrum.

“Drakōn
,” she yelled, hoping he could hear her. “I’m at the Witch’s Cove. Take the trail into the hills and turn left at the second turnoff. I’ll be waiting. Have your ears open to me. However you can do it, open your ears and I can help you.”

The phone clicked off. She sat looking at it for several minutes. She had no idea if he actually heard her.
All she could do was wait. She placed her pistol on her lap and began to sing.

Two hours
later, her voice wavered. Maybe he hadn’t heard her, maybe he wasn’t coming. Another hour after that, she was almost sure he wasn’t. Her voice cracked. She stopped singing to take a sip of water. She tried to sing again, but her throat was swollen, making her hoarse.
This won’t do
. She couldn’t compel anyone with a scratchy voice. Her plan wasn’t going anything like she thought it would. Perhaps she was wrong for trying to go about this on her own. She pulled out the phone and dialed Xanthus’s number.

“Gretchen?” Kyros answered.

“Kyros.” She breathed his name.

“
Thank the gods you called. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.
Drakōn didn’t show.”

“
Thank the gods,” Kyros said. “Listen, I’m sorry. I was wrong to dismiss you like I did.”

She sighed, unable to hold the anger that had gripped her heart before.
“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have tried taking him on all by myself. I was just so angry.”

“Where are you?”

After giving him directions, she ended the call and sipped her water. It was warm, but it soothed her dry throat. After several minutes, she stood to walk back to the car. It would be safer waiting there.

She
heard something. Rustling. Coming from above.

She looked up to the top of the rocky cliff wall in time to see a figure drop down. The body slammed to the ground in front of her. His face was chalky white and smeared with blood—the face of a stranger.
Gretchen screamed, scrambling away from him and dropping the gun in the process. She turned to see a rock tumbling down, bouncing over boulders. No, not a rock—a head. The long, blonde hair of a woman trailed behind as it bumped down the cliff and landed with a thud.
Oh, please no!
Gretchen’s mind screamed the denial.
This cannot be happening.
She turned to run, but stopped as a headless body landed in her path. Her mother’s laughter rang out.

“You thought you could outsmart me?” Her mother’s voice seemed to surround her
as Gretchen’s legs threatened to collapse underneath her. “I’ve been playing these games for four thousand years!”

Gretchen flinched away as a
long, narrow knife speared toward her, impaling itself into the ground at her feet. “You may as well just slit your own throat, daughter. Here’s a knife to do it. Just get it over with, and no one else has to die.”

“No
,” Gretchen shrieked. She dropped to her knees, slammed her hands over her ears, and squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to block out the nightmare unfolding in front of her. How could she have been such a fool? She should have known her mother wouldn’t allow her pet to leave without a fight. Tears poured down Gretchen’s cheeks as a sob shook her chest.

“
It’s up to you.” Her mother’s siren voice penetrated through her hands, driving like a knife into her mind. Gretchen felt, more than heard the thumping of bodies hitting the ground. “The blood of thousands will be on your hands if you don’t do it. You know me well enough to know I speak the truth. Look around, Ambrosia. See the destruction? Watch your precious humans die, and you can decide. Is it them, or is it you?”

Gretchen’s heart
iced over. Her mother was right. Aella didn’t care who she hurt, how many people suffered, or who died. But she knew Gretchen did. Aella had all the power here. Gretchen had to get out of there. If she left, Aella would stop. Her mother needed an audience.

Gretchen opened her
eyes, and bile rose in her throat. Bodies were piled up around her. Most of the people had died on impact, but some were still groaning, moving… The man nearest her had a broken neck. His head lay against his back at an unnatural angle. Gretchen leaned forward and slapped her hand over her mouth as she willed her stomach not to heave.

Another body came down
. She dove away as it nearly hit her, brushing her leg. She scrambled onto her feet and raced toward the exit.

“Gretchen!” It was Kyros’s voice coming from down the path.

“Kyros! Oh, please help me,” she sobbed.

She stumbled and fell, landing on a lifeless woman. Strong arms lifted her up
, pulled her off the poor woman, and into his arms. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.” Kyros spoke in her ear. She tried to run, but as fast as Kyros was moving, her feet barely brushed the ground.

Gretchen could see
Xanthus scaling the rocks, to reach the top. Sara ran to her, intercepting them at the mouth of the cavern. “Oh Gretchen, are you hurt?” Sara took her hand. Gretchen was too stunned to answer. The horrific images consumed her mind. “Let’s get her out of here.” She heard Sara say. “She’s in shock.”

A voice like a tsunami rang out, filling the air as loud and full as
a Roman Cathedral’s church bells. Kyros dropped to his knees, spilling Gretchen onto the hard ground. “Oh gods, no,” he gasped. The impact of hitting the ground seemed to knock some sense into Gretchen. She looked up and saw Kyros on his knees writhing in agony.
Please, not again!
There was only so much pain one man could take. She crawled forward and reached for him, grasping his arm. She looked up at Sara. “You need to sing.”

“I’m no match for that
,” Sara said, blinking.

“
Then we’ll sing together,” Gretchen said.

“
Okay, together.”

Sara’s voice was soft, sweet, and pure as a summer’s rain. It was not as loud or a
s strong as Aella’s, but it was filled with power. Gretchen opened her mouth to join her, but her voice came out crackled, dry. She was not much help.

Gretchen looked up at her best friend. Sara was singing words of comfort. Her face brightened, glowing.
Then her voice swelled, in volume and in power.

The harsh clash of steel reverberated off the rocks above. A battle was ensuing. “Sara, you need to sing louder
—so Drakōn can hear. You don’t want Xanthus to have to kill him.”

Sara’s
voice rose like the crest of a wave. Gretchen swallowed and strained to raise her own weary voice to match Sara’s. Power exploded as their voices combined—pure, clear, with a strength born of the gods. The song they sang was not one Gretchen had heard before, yet she knew every word. And it filled her with power, bringing healing to her battered throat and peace to her heart. She could feel Kyros’s arms wrap around her, and her heart filled with love for him.

Gretchen wasn’t sure if the battle continued. Everything was
drowned out by their song. The melody calmed and drifted away. The silence descended with deafening stillness.

The magic was broken when Sara’s phone jingled.

Sara answered. “Xanthus. Are you all right? Oh no. How are you going to get him down here?

“O
kay. We’ll be right there.”

Sara turned to Kyros and Gretchen. “
Drakōn is hurt. There’s a picnic area above. He said we should be able to find a road going in.”

Gretchen
stood, pulling Kyros up with her. When they reached the car, Gretchen pulled open the driver’s side door.

“Are you sure you’re fit to drive?” Kyros asked.

“I’m fine. Besides, I’m probably the only one here who’s had more than a month of driving experience.” She got in behind the wheel.

“
You’re probably right,” Sara said.

They tore out onto the road and searched for a turn off. It was only about a hundred yards
away. An old, wooden sign with faded lettering read Cauldron Cove Park.

Xanthus stood with Drakōn propped against him
, blood dripped down his forehead. Looked like Xanthus had to knock some sense into the Dagonian. And from the looks of the wound, he’d hit him with the pommel—better that than the blade.

“
Where’s Aella?” Kyros asked.

“She fled like a coward
,” Xanthus answered.

“What about the peop
le in the park?” Gretchen whispered—her voice weak and shaky.

He shook his head.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Gretchen asked.

“There are no more people in the park.”

Gretchen looked around at the parking lot. There were a dozen cars parked there.

“They’re all…”

“Dead,” Xanthus said, solemn.

Kyros caught
Gretchen around the waist when her knees gave out. She turned her head just in time to miss vomiting all over him. He gently pulled her hair back as she lost the entire contents of her stomach. “It’s okay, baby,” he whispered.

No, it’s not, and it never will be again.
These people are dead, and once again it’s all her fault.

Kyros was both fascinated and disgusted by the human reaction to the carnage. Every local channel broadcasted the story, interrupting their regular shows. Even international stations descended on the island. Every station replayed the scenes from the ravine over and over.

Kyros was sickened by how deeply enthralled the humans were by this story. But still, he and the other
s didn’t seem to be any different. Here they were, watching the news, their eyes locked on the TV. The camera panned over to a woman on a gurney. “What happened?” the woman asked as she turned to the paramedic pushing her. “What am I doing here? How did I get hurt? Where’s my boyfriend? His name is Jake. Have you seen him? Please, you have to find him.” Her voice rose in volume with her plea.

The somber face of the female broadcaster flashed on the screen. “As you can see, the incident is baffling. No one seems to know what happened. The few survivors of this massacre have no recollection of how they came to be lying at the base of a cliff.
As of yet, investigators have no suspects and no explanation as to what happened. Early indications showed it was a mass murder/suicide, but they are not ruling out hallucinogenic drugs. Speculations are that someone may have laced the food or drink, causing the hysteria.” Kyros looked over at Drakōn. His eyes were literally on fire as he watched the TV screen. He looked as if he wanted nothing more than to rip Aella’s head off with his bare hands.

“Turn it off,”
Gretchen said as she stepped into the room. What was she doing up? She should still be resting. He shouldn’t have left her alone while she slept. He stepped to her side and wrapped her trembling body in his arms.

Sara lifted the remote and switched it off.

“She said thousands would die if I don’t kill myself,” Gretchen said as they sank down in the couch.

“She’s insane
,” Pallas said. “Killing you won’t save her now. There’s too many who know she’s alive. Besides, if she starts killing in the numbers she’s threatening, she’ll have the attention of not only Dagonians, but the gods on Olympus as well. They would not be able to overlook a mermaid killing thousands.”

“It
’s happened before,” Xanthus said.

“
Mermaid killings?”

“Not mermaid
—another demigod,” Xanthus said. “Remember Paeton?”

“Oh yes,” Pallas answered. “
He drove his father, Apollo’s, chariot too low and caught the hills on fire. He killed hundreds.”