Chapter 18 #2
“Pierce is in a meeting with the Dei of the spirit kyn.” I furrow my brow in confusion.
“The one who rules over the djinn, banshees, harpies, wendigos and totemic spirits,” he adds.
“Three of those kyn have been involved in all the bullshit, and that’s who you were supposed to meet before you decided to shed blood without me.
I’m still fucked off about that, by the way.
Include me next time, yeah? It’s been so fucking long since the last battle, I’m having withdrawals. ”
“Isn’t the Dei going to be kinda pissed about that?” I know I should feel more guilt about it than I do, and I did…but the feeling is being overshadowed by anger and desperation to get Hack back. If that makes me a bad person then I guess that’s what I am.
“Oh yeah, mega pissed, but Slay has gone with him…secretly. Ain’t nobody getting away from Death. Not even a Dei.”
“I have sent two of my valkyrie with them, too. Dei Rafi knows not to mess with a goddess. We may be equal when it comes to the decisions the Thirteen can make, but we are not equal in power.” Hekate even eats gracefully, popping one of the large grapes in her mouth and chewing.
It makes me eat another, because they are super juicy and delicious.
“If they’re both dealing with that, who’s looking for Hack?” I look between them both, watching as Slash glances at Hekate, almost as if he’s asking her approval to tell me whatever he has to say.
“That’ll be our job. You will be able to locate him, then I’ll go in and kill everyone before rescuing him. Simple.” He shrugs.
“And how, exactly, will I be able to locate him?” This plan sounds fucked already.
“That’s where I come in. We’re going to spend the next few hours learning some basic magic before we perform the location spell.” Hekate smiles as though she’s solved world hunger.
“Why can’t we just go straight into the location thing? Aren’t we wasting time by sitting here eating beautiful food? Then we’re going to spend a few hours learning basic magic? I feel like we’re prioritizing all wrong.” I’m beginning to get wound up, my skin prickling with heat.
“You need to get a handle on the power flowing through your body first, because if we perform the location spell without control, you could kill him.” Hekate’s smile has lessened, but it hasn’t disappeared, and I’m unsure whether I find that worrying or not.
“Okay,” I concede, because Hack winding up dead is not on my to-do list. “When do we begin?”
“Now.” Waving her hand, Hekate makes everything in the room vanish as if it was never here. We’re still in the same room. I know this because the pale walls and bronze accents everywhere haven’t changed, only the contents.
Slash has gone too, but before I can worry, the sound of his belch coming from down the hall lets me know he’s fine.
“Close your eyes.”
I obey her first order, hoping to fuck that I don’t fall over my own feet while standing still, because it’s happened before. Although my clumsiness has lessened, the fire at Hack’s house proves it hasn’t gone completely.
“Now listen to your breaths, your heartbeat…and now feel the blood rushing through your veins.”
It’s strange, but I can feel it, the constant flow almost charging me in a way.
“Feel for the power running alongside it. You’ll have strands that you can pull on, that you can manipulate into whatever you choose.”
She’s not wrong. I can feel it. Four very different strands, but they’re all interlinked and overlapping.
“The black is where your witch abilities lie. You will need to study some spells, but your natural talents have been honed to some extent already. The golden strand is the most powerful, that is where your goddess powers lie. The sky is the limit, but this will take a lot out of you while you are still so young. The blue is…”
I snap my eyes open when she pauses, because I know she’s about to tell me who my father is. To be honest, I had forgotten. He’s inconsequential. I have never had a father figure other than George and I don’t need another one now.
“Your father is the celestial Dei. He’s an angel…
the head of the Thirteen. Therefore, he is known as Grandei Atlantis.
” She sighs heavily, making me believe that having an angel for a dad isn’t exactly what I want…
or maybe just not this angel. “He doesn’t believe in mixing kyn.
Our one night together was a mistake involving a lot of faerie wine and a trickster djinn.
To him, you are an abomination. He never knew about you, but now that you have transitioned, and you have been using your angel gifts, he will know. Just as I can feel you, so will he.”
“So he can find me like you did?” That’s concerning. Especially if he thinks I’m an abomination. Jeez. I was right…I still don’t need a father.
“He can, but not if you learn to shield yourself, which is what we’re going to do first. You need to try and avoid calling on your angel powers and learn how to harness the others.”
“What is the fourth strand? I have a green one too. You described the others…”
“That is for your chosen. He is a part of you as you are a part of him, which is why you can destroy him if you lose control while tugging on that thread to find him.”
“Shit…okay. Teach me what I need to know.”
A few hours and an awful headache later, I realize Hekate was right. With a little control, I have very few limits on what I can do.
“Can I find Hack now? I won’t kill him?” I slouch on the comfy armchair I conjured up thirty minutes ago and stuff my face with more of the delicious grapes from earlier.
It turns out, Hekate did leave a few things behind and these were sitting on the bronze fireplace for ages before I noticed them.
“Yes, but I will recommend spending some regular time with me to hone your skills and er…” This is the first time she has ever stalled on her words and it makes me lift my head, turning to her in question.
“I’d like to get to know you more, if you would like that too, of course.
” Her sudden shyness of the subject is endearing, as if I have made an actual goddess unsure of herself.
Today is getting more surreal by the second. Although, it doesn’t top the doubles of me and Danika running our shop.
“I’d love that.” And I’m not even lying. I really would.
Nodding sharply, Hekate stands from her own chair, waving her hand to make it vanish before holding her hand out to me.
I take it, making my chair disappear with a less dignified wave of my arm.
“Demon Slash.” Even her yell is graceful, if that’s at all possible.
“Are we ready to rumble?” Slash practically jumps into the room, and I swear he must have been standing outside this whole time just waiting for the call to action.
“We are. Prepare yourself. I will be able to create a one-way portal with a connection to Sage, meaning you’ll have to find your own way back, but once open, time will be of the essence.”
“Got it. Be quick.” He nods in confirmation.
I have to say, I don’t think I like the sound of this plan. We have no idea where he is, what awaits Slash on the other side, how he will get home; will he just be walking straight into a trap too?
Is this exactly the way the person who left the message thought it would play out?
I hate not knowing things.
“Okay, Sage, remember what you learned about how to draw on the strength of the line of power?”
“Yes.”
“Do that to the thread linking you to your chosen, but do not pull too hard because you will be pulling from his essence if you do so.”
Well, that’s not scary.
I’m lying.
It is…very fucking scary.
I don’t want to pull on Hack’s essence…
“Close your eyes and concentrate. Breathe. Center yourself…”
I do everything she says, using the techniques she talked me through, then ever so carefully, I follow the thread, mentally stroking along it to feel it out.
It’s different than the others, more like a lifeline, and the fact that it’s linked to Hack makes it all the more precious.
“Yes, keep going.”
I’m clearly doing something right.
A gentle breeze begins to pick up around us but I keep my eyes closed, concentrating on that single thread and what lies at the end of it.
“There! Now, Slash. Go!”
Opening my eyes, I see the portal—into another fucking cave. What is it with kyn and caves? It’s cold, it’s dark, and scraping sounds can be heard coming from within.
“I’ll bring your demon back, Sagey.” Another of his trademark winks and Slash charges toward the portal a few feet away from me.
I can’t stand here and watch, waiting yet again…I have to help. I can make fire and shit now, I’m not useless.
It takes less than a second to make my decision and I rip my hands away from Hekate.
“I’m sorry, thank you, and all the things…but I have to go.”
She shakes her head as I walk away from her, but she’s still smiling. Always smiling.
“I know, child. Be careful.” The first hint of motherly concern crosses her features with a slightly raised brow, giving me a warm feeling inside as I leave her behind, following through the portal after Slash.
As soon as I’m through, it’s gone, leaving me and Slash standing in a very dark cave with no idea where to go from here.
“Psst.” I tap Slash on the shoulder to let him know I’m here, shifting quickly backward because he swings his giant sword around, barely missing my neck. Thank fuck.
“Don’t creep up on a guy gearing up for war, little goddess.” He sheathes his sword and his shoulders visibly relax, dropping a few inches.
“You don’t seem surprised that I’m here.” My voice is a whisper, matching Slash’s tone, because we have no idea how much danger surrounds us.
“I’m surprised it took you so long. Why do you think I waited?” He wags his brows like he knows all…
And I suppose he’s not wrong.
“Well okay then.”
“Sage? Is that you? Really you?”
The voice makes my heart leap in my chest and I look up to where the sound is coming from, only to find a cage hanging from the cave ceiling. A cage holding my chosen…and I will not have that shit. Nope.
I focus on the chains holding it up, picturing the links snapping just as I twitch my hand and…
“Aargh!”