Memoirs of an Immortal (The Immortal Series) (32 page)

I regretted what I had said, knowing full well how much she missed them and how much she tried to see them in her mind.

“You should’ve just let me calm both of you down, now it serves you right to feel this guilty.” Agape said while finishing her last bite of food.

‘She’s right’
Eva thought.

“Where’s Zoe? Maybe she can tell me off too.” I added sarcastically.

“She left, she probably with Asklepiós.” Eva noted.

I sat down at the table. “And why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with Akhilles?” I snapped at Agape.

“I am. He’s upstairs in my room.” She emphasized the word ‘my’ in her statement.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down.

“I know you can hear me Eirene.” I spoke a little louder. “You don’t need my permission to go. If you want, I’ll go with you.” I felt like an ass, but I was worried that they would be in danger.

“Nice we’ll all go” Eva added.

“I think it best that we stay home. Let the two of them go, too many might bring attention when it’s not needed.” Agape added. “What do you think Psykhe?” She asked.

“So now you think it dangerous?” Where was she two minutes ago when I needed her? I lost whatever was left of my appetite and I walked out to meet Eirene.

We used a map that Hermes had given us of all the islands in Greece. I pointed at our island and the map zoomed in.

“There. I think that is about as close as I can get us.” I looked up at Eirene, her thoughts were silent. She still was angry at me. The map flew into the air and with one touch I was able to open a portal.

I could hear the birds in the distance and the wonderful familiar smells of home. The room became filled with sounds and smells of my childhood. The pull of it all was too intense. Eirene without hesitation walked through, but I hesitated, knowing the portal would close as soon as I followed her.

A part of me was excited at the thought of seeing our parents again, but another part was fearful of what was awaiting us. I was finally able to see the beautiful ocean view that I missed so much. I was so taken in by everything. Memories began to flow through my mind. I remembered us running and playing through this field. The strongest memory was seeing my father fishing.

I was so involved with my thoughts of reuniting with my memories, that I hadn’t noticed Eirene, until she cried out. That’s when I was jolted back to reality. I ran up the little hill to where she stood, I knew that just over the hill was our home.

“What? What is it?” I tried moving her, but she didn’t budge. I followed her gaze, down where my home was, where my life began, where my happiest moments were. Now only stood a desolate house, nothing was left, but rumble.

I stumbled down the hill looking at it, hoping that it was some sort of illusion. I walked over to the front door. The wooden door was half off its hinges, I pushed it open and it fell inside the front courtyard. My breath grew shallow, my mind not able to wrap around what was going on. At first I hesitated to walk in, but finally found my composure.

Grass had grown over on what was left of the stone walls. I headed straight for the main house, knowing that my father was always there if he wasn’t outside. As I walked in I could see that the roof had caved in, the hearth was covered with debris. I couldn’t really move around much, so I just stood there and looked. My memories overlapped the rubble that was left behind. I felt my heart wince in pain. I walked out in a daze and went to see our bedroom. I looked over to the second level and saw that the roof had fallen there too. I eased my way up the stairs, the floor was not safe and the wood was giving way. I tried to push the door open, but it wouldn’t move. I used my strength and the door nearly broke off. There was little left of our room, it appeared that it had become home to various animals. Tears began falling down my face.

I couldn’t take it anymore and I hurried down the stairs and out to the courtyard. I looked at what was left of my home, it no longer had life. It had died along with us and the realization of not knowing what had happened to my parents began to fill me with crazed thoughts. I stood surrounded by my rundown broken home, trying to let it all sink in, when Eirene’s thoughts made me bolt to her direction. She stood over a large stone it read:

‘
here I lay, the most beloved wife of Nikephoros, the daughter of
Hippolyta, a great Amazonian, if you have come, know that I died a happy wife and mother, that I do not regret my life, but loved it gracefully and enter Haides with the most happiest of hearts.
’

Eirene had knelt down, slowing rubbing the stone crying quietly. Her thoughts completely filled with my mother. I stammered over to touch the epitaph, but I hit something on the ground. I bend down and pushed back the overgrown grass, there just underneath the earth were my mother’s weapons.

I could hardly compose myself, my eyes filled with tears, so much so that I couldn’t even see Eirene or the epitaph anymore. My head swung back and I let out a painful cry. I couldn’t stop the pain from coming it overflowed my body as I sank into the ground. Eirene now was sitting by the stone her body leaning up against it.

“I don’t understand. It’s only been three years.” She said in her broken voice, her spirit no longer there. Yet another scar had appeared on our souls. I was growing tired of feeling pain.

Being an immortal, having the greatest of abilities meant nothing, if I had to constantly lose what I held precious in my heart. Eirene stared at me with true revulsion, her look added to my already marred heart.

“I blame you.” She said coldly. “It was you who started this. It was you that didn’t allow me to come here sooner. This is entirely your fault.” Eirene’s didn’t move or make any effort to gesture to me.

To her at this moment, I was nothing, but the bringer of her pain. She needed me to be this and I was too heartbroken to care.

‘
I hate you. Know that I really and truly hate you.
’ She laid there for a while, her tears started to flow uncontrollably.

“Why could I not see this? Why could I not have been here to see her before she passed? WHY?” She kept screaming. Her whys had become the only word that I could understand.

I stood up and knelt down beside her, I reached for her and held her to me, she tried to fight me, but her sadness was too great for her and she melted into my arms. There we stayed, both of us, crying.

The day was nearing an end, but neither of us wanted to leave. It was Herakles that had come to see what was taking us so long. I had lied down on the ground near the epitaph, trying to see if I could just maybe hear her last thoughts, while Eirene stayed where she was, completely broken. Herakles must have understood what had happened and didn’t say anything. He quietly walked over to Eirene and picked her up. She seemed to be unaware of his presence.

‘
You too come, we need to head back.
’ He looked at me not wanting to disturb his precious package in his arms. I didn’t move. I wasn’t going to move. He waited awhile, but then proceeded to take Eirene back.

I began to cry again. “I’m sorry for leaving. I’m sorry for not letting any of them come back to see you. I only did it to protect everyone. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” My words burned my throat. I closed my eyes trying to remember what my mother looked like, trying to remember anything about her, but I couldn’t. I heard footstep from behind me, it didn’t take long for me to know who it was.

“I can’t even remember anything about her.” I whispered.

“It’s only natural. How could you since your forcing it? With time it will all come back. When you will do something that will remind you of her, you will remember your mother. At first it will hurt, but I think with time you will look back with fondness.” Hephaistos words were kind, but I couldn’t find it in me to feel better.

“Come” He soothed, “You need to come home.”

I shook softly. “This is my home, it was my only home and I no longer have it.” I sobbed quietly. He reached for me and held me for behind.

“We can always rebuild it. Life will always continue. This is what life is about.” He said as he held me tighter.

I tried to find the strength to get up, but I couldn’t. He bent down and lifted me off the ground and steadied me on my feet. He began to walk back and I followed, but I lost my footing. He reached for me before I could hit the ground. I could feel his eyes on me. He carefully reached for my other hand and gently picked me up and carried me in his arms. I let my head lie on his chest, trying to warm my cold body. Hearing his heart beating brought some life back into me.

Hephaistos knowing my mind returned me home by the portal he had made for me. He laid me down on the bed and sat himself next to the hearth. He started the fire and slowly made his way next to me. I was lying on my side staring outside the window. I tried as much as I could not to hear my sisters, hearing them meant I had to relive that moment.

Sleep crept in and I was lost in my memories of my mother and father, but I was pulled out of my dreams by the painful thoughts of my sisters. It began to be too much for me to bare. I was half awake and began to stir. Hephaistos slowly moved in and scooped me up in my blanket. He moved slowly, so as to not wake me and took me through the mirror, all the thoughts disappeared and I fell back asleep.

I awoke, comfortable and warm, my mind was silent. When I realized that I wasn’t home. I stirred in bed confused at where I was, only to realize quickly that I was in the embrace of Hephaistos. His arms wrapped around me as I lay on his broad chest. I moved slowly to not wake him.

“You’re finally awake.” he said softly, as he opened his eyes and turned his head to me.

I could barely speak, being too preoccupied trying to remember what had exactly happened so that I would find myself in his arms.

“Don’t think too much, you were stirring and crying in your sleep, the only way you stopped was in my arms.” He said, slowly releasing me from his embrace. I peeled myself off of his body. It had been awhile that I had felt comfort and warmth.

“Why? Why did you come for me?” I stammered.

“There was another attack and your sisters had gone. But Herakles was with me. He noticed how long you both were taking and had decided to come find you.”

I turned my back to him as I sat on the edge his bed. It was then that I had become conscious of how much sadness I felt. I stood up to leave,

“Thank you for coming for me, but I think its best that I head back.” I looked up and watched him get out of bed.

“I will take you back.” He said, as he readied his clothes.

“There’s no need, either way I will need to deal with this.” I said in a quiet tone.

Shame filled me, knowing that I had thoughts of him at this moment. I stalked out of his room barely giving him any time to react. I walked by his workers, not giving them a glance and marched straight through the mirror that had always been there.

I hadn’t been home for a short time when I could hear the thoughts of my sisters, safe one, Agape was not home. I walked over to my door and took a deep breath. I knew, they knew, I was home.

As I walked down to the courtyard, I looked at their faces. Eirene didn’t bother with me, while Eva walked over and hugged me.

“Agape?” I asked. Eva’s thoughts became clear and I could see Agape reeling from her pain and the pain she felt from each of us, it was too much for her. Akhilles didn’t hesitate and took her to their home. The image of my sister collapsing with not only her pain, but ours as well nearly gutted me. No words were needed. We sat silently, their thoughts loud enough for me to hear.

Zoe’s mind went to a place I had not thought of.

“You’re right, perhaps that what we should do” I said, as I finally raised my head off the ground. I looked over to Eva. “Prepare everything we need for funerary rites, we can at least do that much.” Eva nodded.

Eirene smirked. “So that’s it? That’s what we’ll do? Wail over mother’s grave. She’s already dead, for how long? We don’t even know and you want to go and what pay your respects?” She said grimly.

Eirene’s words were like poison. I ignored her as best as I could.

“Eva let me know if we need anything you can’t find.” I continued were I was interrupted. Eirene stood up from where she was sitting, her eyes at full wrath.

“Did you hear me? Or are you choosing to ignore me like you did our parents?” Her resentment grew.

“There is no point in talking to you when you are like this.” I stood up and began to walk away, but she flung herself over me and landed in front of me. She slowly walked to where I stood, inches from my face, her breath full of alcohol.

“I hate you sometimes. I hate your calm demeanor. No one is ever good enough to bother with. You are the best at fighting, the best at strategy, the best at leading us, is that what you think?” She leaned in closer. “You are nothing!” she seethed. “There is nothing special about you.” I watched her look at me as though I was her prey. “If it wasn’t for you, I could have seen my parents one last time, but no, you had to control it. You had to give us permission to go, now what?” She raised her hands and let them hit her thighs. She glared at me. Her eyes were on the verge of tears.

I had about enough of her quiet comments, her thoughts constantly trying to contradict mine. I leaned over and smiled wildly.

“Don’t worry. I always know what you are all thinking.” I pointed to my head. “And yes, I am better than you. I don’t stoop to your level and hate my sisters for who they are. You frustrate me to no end. You annoy me like no other, but I unlike you will never hate you. Now either get out of my way or allow yourself to get humiliated.” I glared at her, but she didn’t move. I wasn’t about to start this, but if she did I wouldn’t just stand there either.

It’s the worst knowing that she felt like this and the only thing I could do for her, the only way I could comfort her, was being her adversary. This is what she needed, even when it meant hurting myself, even if it meant putting aside my own feelings. I needed to be there for my sister. Eirene was known for her quick movements. I was able to dodge her first punch, but not her second. I flew a few feet and slid on the ground. Blood flowed from my lower lip, I eased myself up. I wiped my lip and licked my blood as I stalked towards her.