Memoirs of an Immortal (The Immortal Series) (39 page)

My Heart

The wind was strong, as we stood on top of a large hill overlooking the ridge. I could see some Diavolis. The air was thick with their smell. There was no way the air would smell like that for the few that I saw.

‘
Over here!’
Akhilles voice was clear in my mind. He pointed to the other side of the ridge to a large army of Diavolis. I stood stupefied. I had never seen that many at once. I let out a heavy sigh. How we’re we going to do this? There must have been over a hundred.

Sparta was not far from here and we needed to act fast.

“Okay, Herakles, Eirene, you’ll flank me and we’ll head straight for them. Agape and Akhilles head west and attack pushing them inward. Eva and Bellerophon attack from the east. While Zoe, you will stay back. We’ll push them inward not giving them much room to move.” I ordered and they all agreed.

I stood on the ridge with Herakles to my right and Eirene to my left. I yanked out my weapons and I let my head drop, as I inhaled deeply. I allowed the wind to have its moment, as I enjoyed the last few minutes before we headed straight for them.

‘Ready’
I heard Eva.

‘Here’
Agape’s thoughts cried out.

“They’re in position” I said calmly. “It’s time.”

Finally letting my head fall forward. My eyes all a blazed with wrath. I was ready. “This will be a good battle.” I breathed and began to run. I allowed my mind to wield my blades, as I cut off the first Diavolis’ head I saw.

The alarm was heard and the rest scrambled to fight. We caught at least a few off guard. Zoe had released some of her powered smoke. It blanketed most of the area and paralyzed some of the Diavolis, but not all. I yanked back my blades and held them. As quickly as I saw a Diavolis in front of me, I attacked without mercy. I was seeing how my family was doing through my mind’s eye, each of them handling them on their own.

Zoe allowed her arrows to herd them in place.

While Eirene and Herakles worked like a team having a sense where one was and the other was needed.

Akhilles enjoyed the fight, but always had one eye on Agape not like she needed it. Agape’s spears were dealing quite the damage and impaling quite a few Diavolis.

Eva’s sickles were paving the way for Bellerophon’s golden sword, both working together, creating a path of dust in their wake. I saw a group of Diavolis in front of me and I launched myself into the center.

The clawing and biting was not a sensation that one could get used to, but I flung my swords out, creating a whirlwind attack, which held them off as I assaulted them. When I took care of my group creatures, I stood in the middle of the battlefield. I could see that my sisters were hurt beyond anything they had suffered before. I let out a warrior cry silencing the field for a moment. I could hear the thoughts of the Diavolis.

A slow sucking sound followed with gargled words “
Protect the masters.”
The hissing and crying of their language was nauseating. What masters were they speaking of?

My anger grew as I saw my sisters suffering. My attacks became more spiteful and malicious, until only a few of them were left. I reached for one that was still on the ground, it was trying to crawl away from me. I threw my blade at him and he stopped. I held my other blade to its face.

“What masters are you speaking of?” I asked, but it only laughed. I had grown tired of him and staked him with my sword. It turned to dust as I walked away. I was looking for the rest of my clan. I could see Eirene fight a large front with Herakles. I ran to attack from behind, when I was stopped in mid stride.

A large man stood in front of me, blocking my path. His hair long enough that it passed his chest, covering his face. I wielded my blades towards him. He attacked just as swiftly blocking my swords. I finally was able to attack back and found myself on top of him.

“You always like it this way, Psykhe.” I looked down. His hair no longer hid him from my sight. My heart stopped. How could it be? I felt my body go limp. My stomach fell and my breathing stopped. I was staring at Leonidas’ face, at my husband’s face, my dead husband’s face.

“Who are you?” I stammered as I tried desperately not to lose my hold on my blades.

“Come now, you know who I am. I’ve missed you so much, my love.” He reached for my face.

I rolled off of him and stood. My shocked eyes clearly focused on him and his every move. He stood up and slowly started to walk over to me. He began to stretch out his hand, but I kept walking backwards.

“Get away from me!” I cried out. “Leonidas died ages ago and you are not him.” I roared. How could they find a way to mimic him?

“My love, it’s me. They brought me back.” He held out his hands motioning to the Diavolis. “And I’m glad they did. I can be with you now. We can finally be together forever.” His face lowered, he seemed hurt by my reaction. “Are you not happy?” He stopped moving toward me, leaving a gap between us.

“Do you remember the first night I saw you? You sang to me, that song that was meant only for me,” his hand now over his heart “and when we met on the cliffs near your home and how I took you on my horse to our ships. Please Psykhe, remember me, it’s me. I’m back.” He stood in front of me pleading holding his hands out. His eyes, it can’t be. I fell down to my knees, burrowing my head into my hands. He reached for my body and began stroking my back.

“Why are you not wearing my wrist bands?” He asked. I pushed him off. My breathing became erratic.

Within seconds, Agape appeared beside me, her face telling me she understood my feelings. She held me and stared at Leonidas.

“Who are you?” She demanded.

“I’m Leonidas. Psykhe’s husband and your brother-in-law.” He hissed, his eyes now showing his annoyance.

“This cannot be! There is no way to bring back the dead.” I yelled.

“Oh, but you can.” I heard a familiar voice that brought up bile to my mouth. “You see Psykhe, one only needs to trick Rhadamanthus, who’s the gatekeeper of the Elysian Fields and kidnap Hekate, who is the goddess of necromancy and here you get a live and breathing dead husband.” Apollon was gloating before me. “You should have chosen me. Now you will have to choose and your choice will be a painful one, which I have caused. I’m glad that I could be a bringer of misery to your life.” He spoke viciously. A wicked grin slowly etched itself on his face, as he stared at me. “Have fun.” He then disappeared.

Eva appeared within seconds. Time started to slow down and all that stood around us, froze. She walked towards Leonidas and examined him.

“Who’s he?” She asked with her head towards me, pointing at him. My eyes darted up. Agape towering over me, as I lay crouched down trying to wrap my mind around this. The rest were busy killing the last of the Diavolis.

“Apparently, he’s Leonidas, its Apollon’s doing.” Agape’s voice was trembling, probably feeling my emotions.

“What him?” Eva walked over to him and looked right into his eyes.

She thoroughly examined the rest of him, as he stood frozen in her time loop. I finally rose up from where I was and followed Eva’s actions. Every scar was there on his body, his stance, his eyes, everything screamed Leonidas. I looked into his face and his piercing blue eyes marred my heart. He might be Leonidas, but he was not the one I knew from my past. I couldn’t piece it together, but it was the way he spoke, it wasn’t really him.

“Come, let’s go, the battle has ended and its best we get back. There’s only so much power I have to hold onto time.” Eva’s hand gestured towards the portal she opened up.

“Psykhe!” Eva cried out. “Let’s go…Now!” I stepped backwards, keeping an eye on him as I walked through the portal. His lifeless body now revived as Eva released her hold. I could see him looking at me as I finally walked through the portal back to Olympos.

My New Reality

I stood in my room, not trying to hear the thoughts of everyone around me. Everyone was shocked and disgusted, but for the most part, everyone was worried about me.

As I stood by my window I could feel the tension leave my body. Hephaistos’ hands glided across my waist, his head leaned into the nook in the back of my neck.

“What is it my love?” He murmured.

I realized that there wouldn’t have been anyway for him to know what had happened. He was busy with weapons that the Mesopotamians had wanted. Hephaistos had always buried himself in his work.

“I haven’t seen you since you’ve been back.” His was voice low and apprehensive. “Was it that bad? Was it what you thought it would be? Or was it worst?”

Tears began to fill my eyes. “Worst.” My voice cracked.

I wiped the few tears that fell and turned my body and allowed his arms to wrap themselves around me, protecting me from my misery. He whispered my name and kissed my forehead. Each tender touch he gave me wounded my heart. I finally broke away from his hold.

I took a deep breath and started to pace the room. Trying desperately to put together my thoughts, so it wouldn’t turn out as bad I thought. I finally stopped and looked at his face. It was filled with anxiety and worry. He reached for me, but I held my hand up.

“I need you to hear this from me and we need to deal with it together.” My voice was alien to me. “As we fought…” My thoughts became scrambled. “They become organized.”

He looked at me carefully. “Yes I know, you’ve told me so before.” He said quietly and waited for me to continue. I took another deep breath.

“They have a leader” I was barely able to say.

“Yes it’s Erysikhthon.” He nodded and waited again.

“Yes, but they now have another…” I stopped. Time stood still at that moment, I looked at his wondrous face.

“Hephaistos… I love you.” I blurted out. He reached for me, but I moved back.

“I know.” He whispered. I swallowed the burning lump in my throat and finally found my words.

“The new leader… Leonidas, its Leonidas.” I looked at his beautiful face, as it started to contort.

“What?” His quiet rage was too much to bare. “How’s that possible?” He squeezed the words though his teeth.

“Apollon.” I whispered.

Just the fact that I named him was enough for Hephaistos to understand. His breathing became erratic and heavy. I could almost see his thoughts in his mind. I stood there not knowing what to do first. I wanted to comfort him, but I needed him to comfort me.

“Now what?!” His face changed.

“What do you mean?” I said meekly.

“You’re leaving me?” He growled. I knew he had insecurities, but I thought that I resolved them. I thought that I had shown him how much I cared.

“My dead husband is now resurrected and you’re asking me if I’m leaving you?” I shouted.

This giant of a man stood over me pleading with his eyes. We both stood in my room. I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I couldn’t even name let alone deal with.

“I’ll go.” Hephaistos said, as he started to leave.

“Why?” I cried out, my tears not stopping.

“I need time” He bit out.

“You need time? What about me? This affects me!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, trying to release some of my frustrations.

Within seconds he was in front of me, he leaned into me, grabbing both my arms and shook me. His face inches from mine.

“It affects me too!” He yelled so loudly my ears began to ring. I watched in horror as his face twisted in anger and pain. He released me and started for the mirror. I watched him as he left me alone in my room. I could still feel his grip on my arms. I collapsed on the floor overcome with fear of what would happen next.

I was awoken by Eirene. “You need to wake up now!” She yelled as she shook me.

“What?” I stirred in my bed trying to wake from my coma.

“It’s Hephaistos!” She shouted. By hearing his name my heart jumped and I stood up.

“What happened to him?” I asked. Eirene heard the urgency in my voice and tried to calm me down.

“After he left here, he went to see Zeus. Well I think that was his original plan, but Apollon was there instead. I didn’t know.” She paused. “Well I mean you could tell that he was strong by his mere size, but I really did not know.” She kept shaking her head in awe.

“EIRENE?” I screamed.

“He beat him, nearly killing him. Hephaistos could have, I mean he could have killed him. I know it’s impossible, but Apollon was all bloodied with his guts showing, he was completely unrecognizable.” I listened in horror. “Herakles and Akhilles tried to get him off of Apollon, while Zeus was trying to figure out what was going on…” Her voice trailed off.

“What is it?” I asked in a panic.

“It’s Zeus, Psykhe, considering how hard we tried to get some credibility with the rest of the foreign gods and how Apollon’s actions of siding with the Diavolis and bringing back Leonidas for such a petty thing as rejection. I have never seen him so angry, he banished him, Psykhe. Apollon got banished.” Eirene said with fear in and awe in her voice.

I hurried off my bed and ran to get dressed.

“Where is he now?” I asked.

Eirene’s mind slowly opened up and I could see scenes and none of them had Hephaistos in them. My eyes opened wide as I looked at her incredulously.

“What are you doing?” I shouted at her.

“I’m sorry Psykhe, I’m trying to control them, but my visions sometimes they come up on their own.” She said ruefully, her face full of sorrow and pity.

“Don’t you dare look at me like that Eirene.” I pointed at her.

“I just feel…” She broke off. ‘
This is bad. My little sister is…you’re going to have such a hard time.’
I ignored her thought.

“Where is he? Do you know?” I asked again. My heart was calling for him. I wanted to be where he was.

“He’s with Herakles and Akhilles, their trying to calm him down.” She said sadly.

“Just tell me where?” I was growing impatient.

“He’s at the palace, where exactly? I don’t know.” She murmured.

I took a few steps outside my home. Olympos had turned from a beautiful hot summer, to a cold snowed filled winter. The ground was covered in ice and sleet, the snow was high and the winds brought in a chill that you could feel straight through you. The trees that were in full bloom now were cover with a blanket of wet snow. Zeus was angry and with the banishment of Apollon, Zeus’ mood had changed as well. He loved all his sons. Every one of them in their own way, to exile Apollon, the one closest to his personality, must have broken him. I walked through the snow filled fields of Olympos. The eerie calm almost brought peace to my overactive mind. When I reached the palace I could sense the sorrow and disappointment. The lively and luxurious aura was now replaced with indifference and inertia.