30. Chapter 30
Chapter thirty
Phineas
P hineas’s hands fell to his thighs as he slumped over to catch his breath. Lately, training had gone by in a blur of pain and fatigue. He’d been working hard, but he’d had enough for today. It was Corre’s birthday, and after not seeing her for the last few weeks, he could finally see that beautiful smile of hers as he handed her the gift he’d spent a long time creating. It was a locket made of wood. A heart with perfectly sculpted edges that took him about a thousand times to get right. He’d carved it from one of the trees around the forest near her house. They used to play there for hours every day as kids. He knew she’d appreciate the deep sentiment. Those bygone days meant just as much to her as they did to him.
“I’m heading out,” he yelled to Athena, throwing a towel over his shoulder and heading to the watering hole.
“Wish Corre a happy birthday for me,” she called back, her melodious voice whisking through the trees.
“I will,” he said, but he didn’t look back. He already feared she knew his plan, at least somewhat. Athena was the most intuitive goddess he’d ever known. If she saw the nervousness in his eyes, she’d probably give him a teasing look that would psyche him out. She could read him like a picture book. It was best to just think of Corre, and of her gift. And not throwing up when he thought about saying what he’d practiced.
He tried not to think about it as he washed himself off and got dressed in new clothes, but the closer he got to the moment he’d see her, then inevitably tell her, the worse he felt . I don’t know if I can go through with this . He reached for the perfectly wrapped box with the purple ribbon. He’d saved up to buy the best wrapping at the market. It ended up being a good thing she’d been absent from his shopping trips lately.
It was more of a surprise this way.
When he made it home, he let out a relieved breath at the silence he met as he walked through the doors. Not having to worry about talking to his parents about his plans was preferable. His blood was already pumping with nerves. The only sound he could hear in the quietness of his cottage was the pounding in his ears. He needed as little interaction with anyone who may psych him out as possible, and while well-meaning, his parents weren’t always the most eloquent or articulate in the encouragement department. He got his lack of verbal grace from them.
Hesitantly, Phineas stepped in front of the mirror to scrutinize himself. He was wearing the nicest clothes he owned: a dark leather tunic with a tan belt and matching pants. He only had his work boots, though, but they’d have to do. He’d just have to clean them off on his way there.
His forehead crinkled as he studied his rigid frame in the mirror. He looked tense . It was to be expected, he supposed, but he tried shaking out his limbs as he moved to the door. He breathed in and out as steadily as he could, then squared his shoulders and left.
He weaved mindlessly through the trees, wiping his boots on a dewy patch of grass on his way to Corre’s cottage. He thought again of how it was good that his parents hadn’t been home because his mother would have needled him until he admitted what he wanted to say to Corre, and then she would have instructed him on how to do it properly because he had planned it all wrong.
On second thought, maybe he should have asked for advice ahead of time.
He was about half a second away from peeling out of there and coming up with a whole new birthday plan when he spotted the smoke billowing from Corre’s chimney. She was home. If he turned back now, she might see him, and then things would get really awkward really fast. He had no choice but to keep going.
He cleared his throat. “Corre, I know we’ve known each other a long time,” he rehearsed, “and I think we know each other better than anyone. I know I feel that way about you . . . Argh.” He scratched the back of his head. How was he supposed to do this? A lifetime of friendship would be hanging in the balance. If she didn’t feel the same way, he could ruin everything.
No. He promised himself he would do this. He needed to tell her how he felt. It’d been long enough already.
Phineas was only a handful of paces from the cottage when he heard the wooden door on the other side of the home swing open in a quick, high-pitched squeak. Then a slam.
“Corre?” he called, but it wasn’t the young goddess he saw frazzled and tearing away from the small house, hastily running toward town. “Berenice?” The goddess didn’t hear him. There was something rabid in her eyes. “Berenice!” he called louder. The woman stopped. She flipped around, and her wild expression made him freeze.
“Berenice? Is everything okay?”
“Have you seen Correlia?” she cried.
“What? Isn’t she—” He pointed to the cottage, but she shook her head in fiercely quick wobbles.
“I don’t know where she could be. She was supposed to be home. She—"
“Hold on. It’s all right. Don’t worry. I’m sure she’s just out—”
“No! She promised she would be here! I told her I’d be here! It’s her birthday! And if she isn’t with you . . .” Her voice trailed off before a hand raised to her mouth and her eyes widened in horror. “You don’t think . . .”
Panic surged through him, but he tried not to act on it. “I’m sure it’s nothing. She’s probably training or swimming or something.”
“Has she been training with you ? Because she’s not in the fields.”
Something wavered in his gut. “No, I haven’t seen her.”
“Since when?” she said, her eyes bulging and unblinking as she stumbled toward him and grabbed hold of his forearms. She shook them as she stared up at him. “Since when ? When did you last see her?”
He racked his brain, but it was so flurried it was hard to think straight. “Um . . . I think . . .” His mouth turned dry when he remembered. “After Hades. Before you left.”
Horror struck her face, pasting her eyelids open against her crepe-paper skin. “Phineas,” she gasped through a sob, and he knew what she was thinking.
Ice pricked the back of his neck. “Berenice, Theron’s demons have been swarming Mt. Olympus this whole week, but . . .” Where was he going with this? He needed to decide if he should comfort the harried goddess or figure out a plan.
She teetered back, terror twisting her face, so he made his decision.
He quickly caught hold of her before she fell to the ground. “We can save her. We just need to go to Zeus.”
Her chest was quick, her breaths short and panicked. “We don’t have time.”
“We have no choice.”
She put a hand to her chest as she caught her breath. “Okay. You’re right.” But the terror still hung in her eyes. Her mind was elsewhere, and without another word, she turned around and headed back on her trail toward the top of Mt. Olympus. Phineas wasn’t sure what else to do other than to follow her, but he soon realized how long it could take for them to make it to the top of the mountain and plead their case to Zeus, get ready, and make the trip all the way to Tartarus. What would all of that entail? Would they need Hermes to bring them to the River Styx? Any official process could take ages.
Zeus was probably extremely busy with a variety of matters, too. How long would it take to get in front of him once they were there? But he was the only one who could assert any kind of authority over Hades, if even just a little. Plus, he had the fleets. The power.
Still, there was no telling how long the process would take, and the longer Corre was down there . . .
The fear inside him boiled into rage as he thought about what Theron could be doing to Corre right now.
Phineas was Ares, so he could do something about this.
“I’ll go down there with my army,” he said quickly.
“Army?” He could hear the incredulity in her voice despite her not so much as turning to face him.
“It’s kind of an army. I’m still recruiting, but there are enough of us, and we’ve all been training for years under Athena. It will at least buy us some time before Zeus sends anyone down.”
She stopped and looked over her shoulder. The conflict in her eyes was intense. For a goddess half his size, Berenice sure had an intimidating presence. “Are you sure you’re ready for something of this caliber?” she asked.“I don’t know if you should try something so risky.”
He stepped closer and placed his hands on her narrow shoulders. “It’s the only choice we have.” She opened her mouth to protest “I have to, Berenice. It’s Corre.” The pleading in his voice and the desperation in his eyes were apparently enough to convince her. There was no stopping him.
“Be careful,” she said firmly.
“I will be.”
She turned back around and continued. “Zeus will help us. I know he will. All you need to do is buy us some time. I’ll be quick.”
Phineas’s heart swelled. “Yes, ma’am.” Then he ran for the trees as fast and hard as he could. He needed to go to Athena and find Terraceus and the handful of others they sparred with. He’d somehow have to come up with an army that wouldn’t get killed the moment they stormed the Underworld.
We’re strong. We’ll be fine . Phineas had more motivation now than ever before as he skidded down the path to Athena’s training course, yelling, “We have to go! Now!”
The crimson-haired goddess approached him with a worried, puzzled look on her face. Some of her students straggled close behind.
“Corre’s in trouble!” he shouted. “Which way to the armory? Where’s—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, Phineas. Tell me what’s going on.”
It was hard for him to breathe, let alone think, but he did his best to recount the events and explain what they needed to do. More students gathered around, some already putting on heavier training gear and preparing to go into town to fetch more weapons.
“Okay,” Athena said calmly, but the worry was written across her face. “Let’s get ready. We have a lot to do in a short amount of time. Follow me.”
He gave her one quick nod before he and the others followed her into their preparations. As he readied himself, he let the anger sweltering within him fuel his concentration. “You won’t live after this, Theron,” he growled under his breath, tightening his boots and fetching his bow. “You’re dead.”
Markus
The throne room doors opened. The thought of seeing Thanatos’s look of delight as Correlia was dragged in front of him pained Markus a lot more than the bleeding gash the guard had cracked above the bridge of his nose. But the throne was empty. The whole room was empty.
The guards pushed Markus to his knees, and though he wanted to jump up, grab Correlia’s hand, and run, he knew he needed to resist. He had to think first. He needed to be strategic. But when Correlia grunted in pain as she was forced to her knees, he couldn’t stop himself. He sprung to his feet and lashed out at the guards holding her chains. As soon as he pushed his powers out on them, most of the entire lot flung to the doorway, some crashing against the frame leading to the labyrinth, their backs snapping against the iron walls. But the guards holding his chains unleashed the soul-sucking energy that sizzled through the restraints, rendering him powerless as he was brought back to his knees, flinching and groaning in pain.
“Markus,” Correlia whimpered, and the sadness in her eyes made his soul splinter into a thousand pieces.
He had done this to her. If he had never gone to Olympus that second time, this never would have happened. He lifted himself to his knees, ignoring the pain searing his wrists and fizzing through his muscles, and scooted closer to her. “Correlia,” he whispered, desperate and urgent. He held her face in his hands. The chains binding his wrists clinked down his arms. “You’ll be okay. I promise you. No one can touch you if you’re with me. I’ll always take care of you.” He lifted his lips to her forehead and kissed it. A tear rolled down her cheek and sunk into his palm. He tilted her face up and looked firmly in her eyes. “I told you that, didn’t I? I promised you.”
Her eyes shut as more tears fell into his hands. He pulled her into his chest, holding her against him as he fought back his own tears and the shaking in his legs and tremors quaking through his body. He had no idea how he would do it, but he needed to protect her. No matter what it cost him.
Her body was enveloped in his arms as he held her against his chest. Her hands curled against his bare back, and he nestled his face into the crook of her neck. His arms wrapped tightly around her. He couldn’t let go.
The throne room doors slammed shut, and then, slowly, another set of doors at the back of the room creaked open. A familiar sinister shuffling echoed through the room. Correlia’s breathing quickened, so he held her tighter.
“It’ll be okay,” he whispered into her ear. “Just stay calm. And remember what I taught you. Focus, when the time comes. Try to guard your mind. Like you did that day you met me.”
She pulled back slightly, but her hands were still tight against his back. “I don’t know how I did that.”
“But it’s in you,” he whispered. “That’s all that matters. You’re strong, Correlia. So, so, so strong.”
She looked up. The whites of her eyes had turned pink, and her cheeks were damp. “But what about you?”
His head jerked back. “Me?” She nodded, her lower lip quivering. “What about me?”
“What will he do to you?”
He blinked. Why was she worrying about him at a time like this? Didn’t she know she was the vulnerable one here? That she was the one Thanatos was after?
She had no idea what she was up against or of the kind of monster that lurked in these halls. No matter how much she recognized Thanatos’s evil, there was no comprehension of it until you felt the cruelty of his hand, his nails, and his mind as they slashed through your skin and psyche and drove you half insane.
“Don’t worry about me,” he said, but her expression didn’t change. Her eyes still searched him in fear. It killed him to not have the ability to take that terror from her—to not be able to assure her wholeheartedly that nothing would happen to them and to have her believe it. “Just remember what I taught you. Focus on what you want, and it will come.”
“My, my, what is this I’m witnessing?” Thanatos drawled, but Markus kept his eyes on Correlia.
A bold move he’d never attempted before, but he needed her to see the look in his eyes so she knew he would keep her safe. “It will be okay,” he whispered again, but before she could respond, he was thrown to his feet by a powerful force. Thanatos’s power sucked the young god into his mammoth grasp. Markus’s body rushed to his master’s enormous hand, but before the deity’s gangly claw could grab hold of him, Markus used his own power to break himself free.
He slid back but remained firmly on his feet. His mind was strong, and the power flooding through him far exceeded his usual abilities. He’d never had this much passion to work with before. This much purpose.
Thanatos’s eyes were as black as thick, dried blood as they narrowed in on him, and an unamused expression stiffened his crooked face. “Are you defying your master, boy ?”
Markus’s fists tightened, the power in his veins pulsing through him in unbridled waves. A shield of energy formed behind him, blocking Correlia from the creature on the throne. He did it all without breaking a sweat. “Yes,” he said, his voice strong, his eyes locked on his master’s. “I am.”