Going Thru Hell (11 page)

The next morning, Modi appeared, explained he couldn't hide my location any longer, of Thor's suspicions and Odin's decree to find me and any person to be used as leverage.

I'd only whis
pered to my parents, in the dark early morning, of what happened and left, not saying goodbye to Riot. My heart broke as I walked away, terrified I'd already endangered him.

I never recovered.
The solution bitch slapped me, giving a way to go home.

“I can hear your thoughts, Kylie.” Bru's voice brought me to the present.

“Why is it so wrong to use it against them? Hell, you guys bring me back every time anyway. One kiss from Hot Stuff and I can't help but feel something.”

“We can't guarantee how long it will work.”

“And I don't like how cold you feel,” Aki interrupted.

“I need to do something. I want to see my son.”

Neither said a word. The Valkyrie could feel the desperation, and, no doubt, the Berserker saw it on my face. I closed my eyes, refusing to speak. If they couldn't understand, I couldn't explain it.

T
he injuries healed quickly. The second day I crawled out of bed, wishing for all of my plush, comfy pajamas. Sleeping in jeans and a t-shirt proved damned uncomfortable.

I followed the smell of coffee into the kitchen, finding a full pot and mug. I hopped onto the counter, poured a mug and closed my eyes
, savoring the hot liquid as it slid down my throat. Feelings of grief and betrayal piped up from their buried location, the coffee much like Anahita used to make. Thick, sweet, perked in such a way to keep from becoming too bitter.

I stared at the cup, wondering what to do with the feelings. The constant attacks left me reeling, hurt and missing pieces of an already tattered soul.

A tiny golden dragon flitted through the air to land on my shoulder. Tiamat didn't often appear in the tiny form, only when she wanted off her plane and into the mortal one. She wrapped around my ear, like the popular dragon ear wrap I’d once seen Keith Richards wear at a Stones concert. She shimmied behind my right ear, causing me to flinch and giggle at the tickling sensation. Settling with her head pointed towards my inner ear, tiny puffs of air against the sensitive area, I waited.

“Will you hunt again, Kylie?” Her normal growling voice replaced with a light tinkling sound. Small, pleasant,
and easy to understand.

“I'm thinking about it. I don't think we need to worry about the Norse pantheon for a few days. Anahita is still recovering. Amun is a bit of a wild card
, but I think he's still processing our little dust up. Leaves one.”

“Artemis.”

“Yes, my little dragon goddess, I want to hunt Artemis.”

“For revenge?”

“Yes, but also as a message.”

“You should not do this, little mortal.”

“Probably.”

Tiamat fell silent, relaxing onto my ear
, and I'm pretty sure fell asleep from the tiny snores I heard occasionally. The goddess engaging in the very mortal act of sleeping caused a smile to spread between sips of coffee.

The morning went smoothly, until Bru and Aki asked about the next plan of action.

“What do you mean hunt Artemis?” Bru's voice rose with each word.

“I think I can take her now. I'll use that lovely little ability and hopefully, she'll understand the
little mortal isn't one to be messed with.”

“It’
s suicide!”

“Only if I die.”

Raging fear and panic crossed our connection, damn near short-circuiting my gray matter. Unable to form thoughts of my own, images of blood and death, battles long before my birth played the inner TV screen in high def and Dolby stereo. Pain raced upwards as my knees hit the floor, clutching my head in an attempt to stop the images. A deep sense of loss pervaded the entire motion picture of her memories.

My brain shut me down. I opened my eyes to Aki rocking me and glaring at Bru. The connection with her
fell silent. I must have moved because his gaze met mine and the rocking stopped.

“You really need to quit this. I'm beginning to wonder if you passed out when getting an A on school papers.”

I smiled, “Nope. But I did do the whole toddler temper tantrum dance over an F once.”

I struggled to sit up, his hand on my back a big help to keep balance. Everything felt a little off, connections not quite in the proper slots. The world stopped its crazy tilt
, and I waved Aki off.

Rolling to the left caused an intake of breath as the pressure on my knees sent waves of agony through me.
I must have landed hard
.

I found myself in bed, yet again. Being a patient isn't a strong suit, an
d since the beginning of my adventure, I'd been in bed more than I liked to admit. And not for good reasons. It left me a lot of time for introspection of what I needed to be doing, a bit of research.

Wikipedia is a good source for fluffy info, but what I really needed was the hard stuff. I didn't buy the whole virgin story, and while she was the patroness of midwives and young girls, she was also a goddess of war and the hunt. Her twin brother, Apollo, definitely not worth crossing. Artemis had a few daddy issues
, and I avoided thinking about taking on Zeus. He'd hand me my ass with a kiss and a smile. Much of the Greek pantheon were asinine pricks, dealing with them a lesson in backstabbing, scheming and violence. I needed Artemis's weakness, not her ego or arrogance.

The solution presented itself while making dinner of baked chicken and steamed veggies. The entire time I'd looked for the complicated, the hard to comprehend, overly analyzed ideas. Perhaps it was the small, the simple, the little seen which could help give Artemis a lesson.

It required extreme discipline not to blurt out my thoughts while eating. A cold wind blew through the shack from the various holes and I used it to steer the conversation to the idea of moving to a different location in order to remain safe. Both Aki and Bru wanted to do everything in their power to keep me in a room. But I was damned tired, wanted to go home, to stop the constant battling. They liked wars, I hated them.

Tiamat left my ear to search out a new place, well hidden, in better condition and further afield. She left me to battle the two Norse on my own, the coward.

“I think there is a way to teach Artemis a lesson,” I approached it head on, making it fall in the category of “Not My Best Ideas.”

Bru threw down her fork and glared at me. “You are
still
talking about that ridiculous idea?”

“Yup.”

“Can you not talk any sense into the mortal?” She lanced the conversation at Aki.

He raised his hands in surrender, “Hey, leave me out of it. You won't leave me alone in a room with her, much less help to sway her mind.”

“Coward.”

“In this? You bet.”

I glared at the two of them. Leave it to the immortals to believe the mortal should only do as
they
say. “News flash, if you want to sit here and argue, go for it. I don't need your permission, blessing, or even your help. You are friends, or so I thought, and wanted you to know. But now? To hell with it.” I stood and walked out of the room, smiling at the expressions of surprise.

“Wait, wait!” Bru's footsteps sounded hard on my heels.

“Kiss off. You had your chance. Instead you decided to bitch that I didn't automatically fall in line with your demands.”

“That isn't it and you know it!”

“Oh, that's right. You, as an immortal, know what is best for me.”

“Yes!”

I whirled on her, the abrupt stop causing Bru to go on her toes and pinwheel a little to keep from running me over. “I see. I'm the little mortal, must have big immortals take care of me? When it is immortals constantly on
my
ass to use
my
abilities because they can't win?”

“I don't want to use you. I don't want to see you hurt either
.”

In the statement stood deep sincerity. Our bond vibrated with worry and fear. The realization made me soften. Bru did give a damn if I lived or died.

“Bru, I can't sit this out. Do you have children? No. I
need
to see Riot again, at least once, without worrying if I outed his location, his very life, to the ones that would use him against me. A child, Bru.
My child.
I'll be damned if I will watch them use him. You know how they think about mortals.”

“I can't argue. But, Kylie, endangering yourself won't save Riot from being discovered.”

“No, but it will make them pause before harming him. It is the best I can do as his mother.”

Letting the words sink in, I turned and left. I found Tiamat outside, waiting.

“Little mortal, are you still going to proceed with your plans?”

“Yes.”
“Very well. Come, I will take you to the new location. I also have some very interesting information you can use against Artemis.”

I moved close, didn't flinch when her razor sharp claws wrapped around me as if cradling the finest china. She lifted into the air with a great heave and I enjoyed the view. The la
nd in a deep sleep, covered in golds, browns, a bit of green and dotted with the lives of people in rural areas. I missed the snow of my birthplace, but Tennessee had its own beauty. Most people love the vibrant colors of spring, the heat of summer. I enjoyed the view of the earth as it goes to sleep and rests, covered in blankets of muted colors. I loved how evergreens help add some life, sentries to the sleeping. Snow added to the peace and quiet of winter. Despite the harshness of the cold, it was calming for my thoughts and emotions. And sometimes, it was a great mirror for how I truly felt after being ripped apart by using the ability.

Tiamat landed us far into the country, another long forgotten home in disrepair but still standing. The critters already moved out for the season and left plenty of room. I needed it if I planned to tweak Artemis's nose and teach a lesson.

She reformed into the tiny golden dragon, snuggling behind my left ear, the tiny snores comforting.

I needed supplies, but would have to make due with nothing. Tiamat would keep me warm from behind my ear
, and also act as a look out.

The growling of my stomach woke the little dragon, and with a twinkling snort, she left. I walked the empty home, feeling it deep in my psyche. It echoed
my internal state, unsure of myself, wondering if I had lost my mind and unable to prove otherwise.

Eventually the other two found me, with much complaining, and a bit of apologizing. Both promised to stop treating me like a child and came with gifts of supplies.

I spent two days preparing. Artemis had a soft spot for deer and owls, as well as very young females. She had the hots for a few immortals, and if Tiamat were to be believed, Aki was included.

As soon as the information fell from Tiamat's mouth, I turned to Aki with raised eyebrows.

“What?” He looked at me, attempting innocence and failing.

“Fess up, Be
rserker. Why would she have the hots for a Norse? She despises Thor, unless they need the same thing.”

“They despise anything other than themselves. And I'm male.”

“Uh-huh.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It was a mixture of too much Jack and not enough common sense.”

“Oh. My. Gods.” I held my stomach, laughing until I cried.

“You can stop anytime. I woke up and realized what happened. She wanted the immortality, but apparently stayed for the bear.”

The laugh felt so very good. I didn't begrudge Aki his needs. Hell, I had a few of my own
,
even if indulging them proved to be dangerous.

Chapter Seventeen

Ideas are great in theory. Carrying them out usually ended in a Charlie Foxtrot
of epic proportions.

I spent a few days looking for Artemis. Likely she could be found on Mount Olympus, but facing off with the entire Greek pantheon wasn't an option. They wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Aki refused to be bait, muttered something about hotdogs in hallways and walked away. Bru said she would contact a few people on our side and find ways to separate the goddess.

I called on Fenrir.

The damned wolf waited until I left the house, snapping monstrous teeth in my face.

“Why do you call on me, little mortal?” His beautiful yellow eyes glowed in the perfect wolf face.

“I want to cash in the debt owed.” I barely checked the urge to run fingers through his fur.

“You can pet me if you like.” His head tilted to the side a little, ears relaxing, nose down, his tail lowering. I took him up on the offer, gasping at the feel of the course, but silky, fur. Thick with the musky smell of wolf among other earthy scents. My shoulders dropped at the sensations. He grumbled in approval when I scratched a spot behind his massive ears. Deciding to quit before I lost a hand, I stepped back.

“I like being touched.
They only tie me up on Asgard, and you are so very gentle.”

I met his gaze, could see he starved for touch. I knew the feeling. On impulse I hugged his massive neck, burying my nose in his fur. I felt a thick thudding in his neck, his heartbeat steady. I stepped away, waited for him to speak first.

“What do you need, little mortal?”

“I need to bring Artemis here.”

He blinked at me repeatedly. “Have you finally lost your sanity, Braider?”

“No,
I need to make a point.”

“You are willing to give up your sanity for this point? I can already sense
the weakness of your soul.”

“I have my reasons, Fenrir. Will you do this for me? It will clear our debt.”

He sat on his haunches, studied me for long moments. I remained quiet and still, allowed the silence to creep over and around us.

“Yes, Kylie of the Ripp
ons line. I will not see it as payment of my debt to you.”

My turn to blink in surprise, h
owever, I wasn't one to question a gift from immortals. They came so rarely. “Thank you, Fenrir.”

The wolf stood, shook his great body and turned to saunter away. Three st
eps and he turned to look at me. “Kylie, the secret of your son is safe with me. If only my own father had sought to protect me as you seek to do for your own.”

He disappeared in the night air.

Bugger, how many know of Riot?
I wondered. I realized, when it came to my son, the emotions were far from stunted. What would happen if the news broke to the immortal general population? The resulting panic caused the strands to appear, offering options, different outcomes, safety and punishment. One bright blue strand remained to the side, away from the other colors, a last option. It couldn't be braided into a different conclusion of events. Just to follow the thread, I would need to give my entire soul.

I found myself in the house again, out of the cold, holding a mug of hot coffee, wholly unaware of how I'd come to be here. Aki stood in the doorway, his face carefully wiped clean of any expression.

“Lost some time?” he asked, his voice quiet.

“Yes. Did you see me walk in here?” I frowned.

“No.” With slow steps, he moved to stand in front of me, hands sliding up my arms, gently taking away the mug and pulling our bodies together. His heat surrounded me, and I quit resisting. With a cry I fell into the embrace, buried my face in the space between his shoulder and neck, taking his scent deep in my lungs. The comfort of being held, the slow rocking motion, his hand sliding over my hair, the other at the small of my back, keeping me close. Nothing sexual, just friendship, pure and simple. The act of being there for someone else, letting them cry, holding them together.

“You have been missing for a day. I felt you return, found you in here. Brunhilde is still in Asgard, trying to find allies to help you.”

I pulled away, meeting his gaze. “A day?”
What the hell?
“I spoke to Fenrir, went for a short walk, found myself here.”

“What were you thinking about?” His hand gently cupped my cheek.

“I panicked. Fenrir knows about Riot. Here I am.”

“Did you see strands, Kylie?”

“Yeah.”

“It is as we feared. Without the strong buffer offered by a soul, you are losing yourself in various planes. We have heard of other Braiders suffering from such things.”

“And
now
you tell me?”

“We hoped it wouldn't be the same with you. Only a few of your ancestors actually suffered from the problem of disappearing and reappearing without memories.”

I clenched my fists, glared, resisted the urge to punch his perfect jawline. My palms heated, fueled by adrenaline and rage. The need to discharge power caused me to shudder. Beautiful threads, in an array of vibrant colors, clouded my vision.

“Braider, come to me. Now!” Tiamat's voice shook the house, and years of training to follow her instructions meant I turned quickly to do as she bid. Once outside, she grabbed me roughly, slicing the back of one thigh and one shoulder blade. “Let it go. Allow me to help you.”

“I want to harm. I
need
to hurt all of you.” Ignoring the cuts, I struggled to get out of her grip.

“No. Unleash it, do not
allow your rage at us lead you to a path which will harm your child.”

On the inner TV
, a video of the last time I spent with Riot flashed while the strands vibrated, beckoning. Tiamat was right. I didn't necessarily like it, but she was right. I put my palms over her chest, leaned in, and let go. The power covered us as she shuddered from the agony of unused potential.

Her claws opened and I fell to the frozen ground. I barely caught my upper body and
my shoulders slumped. Twisted at the waist, elbows locked, I stared at the brown grass and watched as tears fell silently on the frost.

“I don't think I can do this anymore.” Mentally exhausted, physically weak, I cried. It would be so easy to follow the bright blue strand, which flashed and beckoned. I could end it now. Yet to do so meant never seeing Riot again. I wanted to hold my son, I needed to bury my face in his hair and smell deep, to hear his heart
beat and listen to his laughter. I yearned to discover all the quirks of boyhood, see how he'd grown.

“You must.” Tiamat's hot breath flowed over me, keeping the cold at bay.

“The only thing I have is a soul slowly being picked apart, no job, an empty house, I can't even have a lover. What would Riot want with a mother whose sanity is being leached and loses blocks of time?”

I looked up to find Tiamat in her human form. A beautiful female with long, silky black hair h
anging down her back in waves, tan skin, and black eyes, standing over six foot tall. She reached down and took my hands, lifting them until I stood. A graceful hand gripped my chin, forcing me to meet her eyes.

“Get up. Find your feet, little mortal. Y
ou can do it. You must.” She gently kissed my forehead, spices filling my nose, her hands holding my face in a soft grip.

“I'll find a way, Tiamat.”

“I know you will, child.”

I held her gaze until she disappeared. Aki stood behind her, sympathy blazing in his eyes.
“I'm sorry, Aki.”

“I carry no grudge. We deserve it. Our thoughts were to save you from worry, but we often forget you are an adult, and deserve to be treated like one.”

“Yes.”

I walked inside, giving him a wide berth. The power had long slipped into the background, the threads hiding, anger cooled. I understood why the little tidbit had been hidden from me, but I couldn't forgive yet. I deserved to know all the facts up front, to make better decisions.

The next twenty minutes were spent taping the wounds from Tiamat’s claws, giving me something new to think about.

Breakfast and coffee cleared the last of the cobwebs.
Fenrir would bring Artemis. The great wolf, considered the greatest threat to the Norse pantheon, carried a reputation for brains and brute strength. I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up with the goddess between massive jaws and a little chewed on. He'd been subjected to Greek bullying on occasion, and it would be his opportunity for a little payback. I smiled at the thought.

The only question, what exactly could I do to scare the hell out of her? She'd been around for millennia and seen more than my brain could wrap around. Separating the goddess from the others would be the easy part. How to use her as a warning was proving to be a whole other monster.

If Bru could find allies, that might give Artemis pause. I needed more, something I could do to create genuine fear. I'd given a lot of thought to the whole puppet thing, discarding it. Pacing the floors, pinching my bottom lip, thinking about the various abilities I carried. Braiding time was out. Taking her to a barren alternate plane out because it was too much like braiding. With Aki, Bru and whatever allies she found, we could beat the crap out of Artemis, but she was a scrappy fighter and damned good with her bow. The goddess wouldn't be frightened of a good beating. What else did I have?

I stopped. In the past, the ability had never been used for more than defense. An idea formed and needed to be tested. If it proved viable, it might be what was needed.

“You thought of something.”

I jumped at Aki's voice. “Yes, but I need a test subject.”

“I could do it.”

“No. Know anyone that likes pain and is expendable?”

Aki smiled and it wasn't pretty, making me think of him in a whole new light.

The evening brought a few surprises in the form of the Celtic goddess of evil magic, Carman. Her normal glamor of a beautiful woman gone, leaving a very ugly visage to make sense of. I didn't ask
how Aki managed to bind the goddess. Questions led to answers, some of which I didn’t really want.

“You cannot do this
,” her voice, normally husky and seductive, screeched like a needle on an old vinyl record.

“Want to bet? Remember the threats you made against humans awhile back?”

“I am more than any mortal, chosen to remain forever. Who cares what happens to humans? Nothing but food for us,” she sneered, showing pointed teeth, black gums and a tongue slithering in the background. Her hair, limp, greasy and a dull gray, clung to her face.

“Is that so?” I moved toward
her, pulling on the secondary ability, palms heating to a blistering degree, melting the frost on the ground in a large circle around me.

Her eyes settled on the red light emanating from my hands. “I am a goddess, you are no match for me.”

I didn't answer and walked forward, mentally going through each step, the smile on my face evil. What I intended to do would not grant entrance into any pantheon's pearly gates.

Carman's eyes widened as the heat oozed over her. Wanting her fear, I hesitated with palms on either side of her face. I slapped both palms against waxy gray cheek
s, and concentrated.

I pushed the power
into
her, filling the immortal with burning heat and pain. Screams filled the air, but I didn't care, enjoying the domination.

Although I pushed the ability into her, it was still mine, to be pulled back or done with as I pleased. In my head
, the picture of a bottle filled to the brim and I stopped, letting it sit in her body, wanting her to wonder.

I lit the fuse. It acted as TNT
and ignited. Like when I used it to push the danger away, it detonated against the walls of the immortal.

The energy from the blast threw me
against the siding near the roofline of the house. I slid to the grass, breathless, the injuries from the impact shocking my system. I landed in a loose slump, struggling to breathe. Stars filled my sight, nausea roiling through my gut.

I hurt all over. Rolling slowly to hands and knees, I looked up. Aki stood motionless, giving me an
open-mouthed stare. I glanced at my hands, covered in strange goo. Carefully, I wiped a hand across a cheek, coming away with a handful of gore.

“That is so gross,” I whispered.

Aki shook himself and trotted over. “Let me take you inside.” He gently rocked my body into his arms and lifted slowly. I groaned in misery, movement causing the pounding headache to worsen.

“Do you think I could use it against Artemis?” My head lolled against his shoulder.

“I think we need to get you cleaned up.”

“Okay.”

An hour later, I found myself on a bed, tucked in like a small child, Aki refusing to leave. He'd bathed me gently, felt for serious injuries and stood nearby to keep me awake.

“I want to sleep.”

“No. I've sent a call out for Brunhilde. Her connection to you will help with healing.”