Wrath of Hades (14 page)

Raven nodded and gritted her teeth. He didn’t have to tell her, she knew any movement was going to hurt.

A blue light streaked out of the tips of the trident and sliced through the limb, separating Raven from the tree. She dropped about three inches before the water cushion caught her. The water sank slowly to the ground, stopping when she became level with Poseidon.

“How did this happen?” he asked as he put his hand on the side of her face.

“I t
ried using energy shield to shove the zombies away from me.” Raven closed her eyes.

“Open your eyes!”

Raven forced her eyes back open. “I’m so tired.”

“I know, but you can’t close your eyes.”

“But—”

“No buts. We’ve got to get this limb removed and the wound cleaned. Once that’s done,
you’ll be able to start the healing process.”

“How are we going to explain this at the hospital?”

“We’re not going to a human hospital. I’ll take you home and get a healer to come over.”

Raven shook her head. “Please, Dad. I want my room.
My bed. Not your home.” She closed her eyes again.

“You have to keep your eyes open.” He pushed her hair away from her face. An anguished look filled his face. “I will take you where you want to go, but only if you open your eyes and keep them open.
If you close them again, I will take you to my palace. Do you hear me, daughter?” He gently caressed her cheek.

Raven’s eyelids fluttered. She half opened her eyes.

“All the way and keep them open,” said Poseidon. He carefully picked up her off the water cushion, trying not to jar her too much. The water receded into the earth.

“Thank you,” Raven whispered.

Poseidon looked at her and winked. “Don’t thank me yet. We may have a fight on our hands.”

Raven didn’t say anything.

Cradling Raven in his arms, Poseidon turned and walked away. Two seconds later, he vanished as if he had never been there.

Chapter
13

Death often knocks on my door

Whatever it is you want

Don’t come here no more.

But Death doesn’t listen very well

Whatever it is you want

Stop ringing my doorbell.

Death’s hand rests on my shoulder

Whatever it is you want

I won’t die ‘til I’m way older.

                            --Raven Weir’s journal

“How could you let her walk away on her own?” asked Leslie.

“She didn’t exactly walk away,” said Chad, as he leaned against the counter next to the stove. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Oh yeah! She drove away in Ethan’s jeep.” Leslie rolled her eyes.

“And Ethan’s jeep is now at his house.”

“And obviously Raven’s not there.” Leslie glared at Chad.

“No, she’s not.”

“So what are you doing to find her?”

“I’ve got people out looking for her everywhere,” said Chad.

“Why aren’t you out?” Leslie propped her hands on her hips.

“Would you two give it a rest? What’s important is we find Raven.” Diane looked from Leslie to Chad. “You two have to focus on finding her, not blaming each other for Raven being missing. It doesn’t matter who is to blame for not watching her. What’s important is we find her.”

“What is important is for you to find Pandora and bring her here. Now!” Poseidon stepped out of the shadows and into the light with a barely conscious Raven in his arms.

Chad growled and leaped in front of Leslie and Diane. “Put her down or I’ll—”

“You’ll do nothing but step aside. Attacking me will only get you killed and Raven hurt worse than she already is.”

Diane stepped forward. “What have you done, Poseidon?”

“Obviously more than you have been doing. You have failed miserably at protecting the Guardian—at protecting my daughter.” Poseidon walked up to Diane. “Now, go get Pandora.”

“I don’t know where she is. Why do you need her?” Diane stood up to Poseidon.

He glared at her. “I don’t need her, you foolish woman. My daughter does. Move out of my way and go find Pandora.”

Diane looked at Raven, really looked at her for the first time. She gasped. “What in the name of the gods happened?”

“Raven?” Leslie started toward Poseidon, but Chad stopped her. “What’s wrong with her?” She shoved and pushed at Chad but he refused to let her get any closer.

“It could be a trick.” Chad told Leslie causing her to glare at him.

“Trick? That’s Raven he’s holding and she’s hurt. Now get out of my way!” She punched him hard in the shoulder.

Chand grunted but didn’t move.

“Enough!” Poseidon’s voice reverberated through the room causing the very foundation to tremble. “Where is Raven’s bedroom?”

“You can’t possibly think we’re going to let you go anywhere with—”

“Where?” Poseidon interrupted Diane. His icy glare made Diane shiver.

“This way,” said Professor Snyder from behind everyone. He stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the hallway. “Go up the stairs and the first door on your right. We moved Raven into the master suite several weeks ago.”

“Ryan? What are you doing?” asked Diane.

“Looking after what’s best for Raven.” He nodded at Poseidon as he passed. “Go find Pandora,” he said to Diane.

“We can take care of Raven. We don’t need him or Pandora.” Diane jerked her head toward Poseidon.

“This is not the time or the place, Diane, my dear,” said Professor Snyder. “This is not the time or the place.” He turned and followed Poseidon.

Diane stared after him until he was gone. She pulled out her cellphone from her back pocket and punched in a series of numbers and put the phone up to her ear. “I need you to get here A.S.A.P. Something has happened to Raven.” There was a long pause. “And Poseidon’s here.” She ended the call, put the cellphone back in her rear pocket and went outside.

Leslie slipped around Chad, and ran to the living room.
“Ari! Bree! We’ve got to get up to Raven’s room!”

Both girls looked up from the books they were reading.

“Come on,” said Leslie. “Raven’s hurt.”

“How bad?” asked Bree.

“I don’t know, but Poseidon brought her home.”

“Do what?” asked Ari. Her bottom jaw fell down, leaving her mouth wide open.

“Poseidon brought her home?” Bree blinked several times.

“He’s still here. Come on!” Leslie waved for them to follow her.

The girls ran upstairs to Raven’s bedroom and pushed their way through the crowd of teen Hell Hounds gathering outside the bedroom door. Chad stopped them just before they could go inside.

“You can’t go in,” he said.

“Move out of my way, or you’re going to find yourself tied up with a whole bunch of vines.” Bree put her hands on her hips. “Some of them might even have thorns.”

“You don’t scare me with that forest mumbo jumbo stuff,” said Chad.

“I wouldn’t push her if I were you.” Ari put her hand on Bree’s shoulder.

A single, thin vine crept out of the carpet. Slowly it coiled
its way toward Chad and wrapped around his foot. Slowly it twisted up around his ankle.

“What the—” Chad jumped back, yanking the vine out of the carpet. He shook his leg trying to get it off.

Bree snickered. “I warned you,” she said pushing past him.

Ari shrugged her shoulders and followed Bree.

Leslie smiled. “You just met your match. Admit it.” She followed the girls into Raven’s room.

Poseidon was kneeling beside the bed with his back to them. “Raven, you’re breaking your part of the deal. Open your eyes.”

“Raven, open your eyes.” Bree moved to the other side of the bed. She held her hand over the limb still sticking out of Raven’s stomach.

“What are you doing?” Poseidon’s voice was ragged and harsh.

Bree looked at him. She was pale and shaking slightly. “I can help get the limb out,” she said. Her voice sounded small.

“You can help Pandora when she arrives.” Poseidon turned his attention back to Raven, dismissing Bree.

Bree got up and moved away from the bed. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Almost immediately she was surrounded by Ari and Leslie.

“Are you okay?” Leslie softly asked.

Bree shook her head. “It’s bad.”

“What’s bad?
Raven’s wound?” Leslie frowned.

Bree nodded. “The limb is trying to stop her from bleeding out. It didn’t mean to do what it did
, but the branches couldn’t stop her from crashing through them.” She grabbed both Leslie and Ari’s hands and clung to them.

Poseidon caressed Raven’s forehead. “Open your beautiful eyes, daughter. Open your eyes.” His face was etched with anguish and concern. “If you don’t open your eyes, I’m going to take you to my home and lock you in a room so you can’t get hurt ever again.”

Raven’s eyes fluttered. She half opened them.

“Better. I knew you could do it.”

The overhead light flickered several times before it went out, casting most of the room into darkness. The only light left to fight the darkness came from the lamp on the nightstand by the bed.

The girls moved closer together.

The teen Hell Hounds growled.

“Poseidon, who did this to my daughter?”
The hypnotic voice filled the room.

A half scream, half growl fo
llowed.  One of the female Hell Hounds pointed to the mirror on the other side of the room. “A f-f-face! In the mirror!”

“Who did this to my daughter?” The woman in the mirror spoke louder and with more force. The darkness surrounding her rippled and twisted. Large black sunglasses covered most of her face.

Poseidon looked up. “You know as well as I do who did this. Him and his twisted experiments.”

“Hades, I’ll kill him!”

“How? You tried before and he almost killed you.” Poseidon shook his head. “You can’t go after him.”

“He has to pay for this,” said the woman.

“And he will, Medusa. He will. But first we must concentrate on our daughter.” Poseidon caressed Raven’s cheek. “Open your eyes a little wider.”

Raven struggled to open her eyes. The darkness called to her. It would be so easy to give in to its luring whispers, but she knew if she did there would be no coming back this time. She would stay in the darkness forever. So she fought. “Can’t give up,” she whispered.

Poseidon smiled. “No, you can’t.”

“Fight, my beautiful daughter.
Fight.” Medusa reached out with her hand as if to touch Raven.

“Leave Hades to me,” Raven said barely above a whisper filled with intense pain. “I will deal with him.”

Medusa clenched her hand into a fist and let it drop out of sight. Her head turned as she scanned the room. “You. You are a wood nymph, aren’t you?” she asked, looking directly at Bree.

Bree’s eyes widened. “Y-Yes
ma’am.”

“You can remove the limb, can’t you?” Medusa’s melodious voice floated around the room.

“I can but I can’t. Not right now.”

“Why not?”
The hisses of a dozen or more snakes filled the air.

Bree cringed. “The limb is doing everything it can to keep Raven from bleeding out. If I removed it, without someone with medical knowledge here, Raven will bleed to death before we can stop it.”

Medusa nodded. “Poseidon, is—”

“I’ve sent someone to get Pandora,” he said.

“You realize I can hear you. All of you,” whispered Raven. “I really hate it when people talk about me like I’m not in the room.”

Poseidon smiled and kissed Raven’s forehead.

“I’m thirsty.” Raven licked her dry lips.

“I’ll go get some ice chips,” said Leslie. She glanced at Medusa then at Poseidon. “Raven doesn’t need to be drinking anything, but the ice chips will help with the dry, thirsty feeling.”

Poseidon nodded.

Leslie hurried out of the room before anyone could stop her. Several minutes later, she returned with a cupful of crushed ice. She gave the cup to Poseidon. “Just rub her lips with the ice.” She stepped back.

“Where is Pandora?” asked Poseidon to no one in particular. He rubbed a piece of ice over Raven’s lips.

“I’m right here, so you had better put away your boxes, especially if you don’t want me opening them.” A woman with short brown hair streaked with red, black and pi
nk pushed her way past the Hell Hounds. “I need everyone out of the room, everyone except for you three.” She pointed her finger at Bree, Ari, and Leslie.

“I’m not leaving.” Poseidon stood up. He towered over Pandora.

“You are going downstairs to wait with everyone else,” said Pandora, obviously not one bit threatened by the god looming over her. She put a black bag on the foot of the bed. “And Medusa’s going with you.”

Poseidon stared at the woman, trying to intimidate her, but all Pandora did was to raise her eyebrow and stare back at him. The tension in the room grew thicker.

“The longer you play this power game of yours, the longer your daughter suffers. The choice is yours, because I can do this all day.” Pandora folded her arms in front of her without once breaking her stare. “But can she live that long?”

“Dad.
Mom,” whispered Raven. “Just do what she says.”

“Poseidon,” said Medusa. “We have to put our arrogant prides away and let Pandora help our daughter.” Medusa turned her attention to Pandora. “I will be waiting.” With a nod, she vanished.

“Take care of my daughter.” He looked around the room. “Everyone out, except you three.”

Professor Snyder walked over to Poseidon. “Why don’t we go down to the study and have a nice chat.”

Poseidon raised an eyebrow but followed the man out of Raven’s bedroom.

As soon as the door closed, Pandora turned her full attention to Raven. “This was not how I expected us to meet again.”

“Not my idea either,” Raven whispered. “Don’t remember you, though.”

“I’d be surprised if you did. You were just a newborn baby after all,” she said. “But what a set of lungs you had. You demanded attention from the minute you arrived.” Pandora opened her black bag and took out several odd, almost alien looking instruments. “Looks like your need for attention
hasn’t changed very much.”

“What do you want us to do?” asked Bree.

“You are going to remove the wood, and you’re going to help her.” Pandora pointed to Ari.

“What do you want me to do?” asked Leslie.

“I need you to talk with Raven. Keep her awake so she can help with the healing,” said Pandora.

Four hours later, Pandora put the last of her strange looking instruments away and wiped her eyebrow with the back of her hand. She stretched her back then turned to Raven who was resting comfortably but awake. “No more getting impelled with limbs,” she said, as she wiped her hands on a towel Ari gave her.