Guardian of Atlantis (The Children of Atlantis) (20 page)

Seeing two distorted faces floating in front of her, Raven’s eyes widened. She gasped. “Now I’ve got two of you to deal with. That’s not fair!”

Jay shook her.

“Don’t do that.” Raven clawed at the hand wrapped around her arm. “It makes my head hurt worse.”

“Good!” Jay laughed. He shook her harder.

“I told you to stop that.” Raven kicked at him.

Jay growled again and shook her even harder.

“Stop!”
Raven put her hand up between them, with her palm facing Jay. She felt a surge of power, then excruciating pain.

Everything started spinning.

Raven’s stomach churned.

Blackness swept in, narrowing her vision until nothing was left but the black. The tunnel collapsed, leaving Raven falling through the blackness.

13

One time I asked mom why we moved so much.

She didn’t give a direct answer. Instead, she said one day I would have to make a really difficult decision and I wouldn’t be able to explain why I did what I did. I would just have to do
it and
live with the consequences.

             
             
--Raven Weir’s journal

“Raven.
”
Ethan gently shook her.
“This is not funny. Wake up.”

A groan slipped from Raven’s lips. “Go pick on someone who can’t beat the crap out of you.”

“Raven, open your eyes.”

Raven pushed through the pain and the blackness clinging to her. She forced her eyes to focus and saw a worried looking Ethan kneeling in front of her.

“Good girl. You’ve got a nasty bump on the side of your head, but no broken bones. I smell—“

“Jay. Jay’s here.”

“Yeah.”
Ethan glanced into the distance. “He’s about fifty feet away. What happened?”

“Before, during, or after Jay?” groaned Raven. Slipping back into full consciousness brought a wave of nauseating pain radiating through her whole body. She realized she was sitting with her back
to the jungle gym. T
he same
one
she hit her head on earlier.

“Just the highlights, though I have a good idea.”

“He attacked.
Planned on
ripping off my arms and legs.
You know. T
he usual gorge
yourself
on the human plan.”

“But you’re not human.”

“Minor detail.”
Raven gingerly touched the bump on her head. “He doesn’t like you either. Plans to kill you and take over the pack. I doubt he’ll stop there though. He’s too power crazy.
Wait. I take that back. He’s just crazy.
”

“He’s had a problem with me for a long time. I just didn’t realize how bad it was.” Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “How did you manage to fight him?”

Raven laughed.
“Desperation.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t quite control my abilities. But I did manage to kick his tail end a little bit. Now I’ve just go
t
to figure out how to make everything work. Guess
it’s
easier said, at least until I figure out what my powers are
and how to access them when I want to
. Too bad they didn’
t come with an owner’s manual. Bec
ause I could sure use one right now, especially
if I’m going to
protect the world from Zeus.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “You’ve had a sort of revelation?”

“You could say that. Help me up.” She held out a hand to him.

“I don’t know the extent of your other injuries. You need to stay there.”

Raven closed her ey
es and took several deep breath
s. Maybe, if she focused hard enough, she could look at her own injuries.  With the next breath she let out, she let her mind float. Raven opened her eyes and grinned. “The bump on my head’s the worse.”

“But—”

“Just a lot of bruises.
I think that’s all. I didn’t sense anything else.”

“You think. That’s not good enough.” Ethan sniffed her.

“Quit doing that! What I think will have to be good enough. I don’t feel anything wrong other than the goose egg on my head and the bruises, and all
of them are
starting to heal. So help me up, or get out of my way. I’ve got a
crazy
Hellhound to deal with.”

Ethan stood up, pulling Raven up with him.

A wave of dizziness hit Raven
about the same time her head started throbbing
. She knew Ethan was watching her, so she bit her bottom lip and worked through it as best she could. At least she didn’t have to do anything drastic like run for her life.

“Jay is not your problem,” sai
d Ethan. He slipped off his jacket
and wrapped it around Raven.

“He’s tried to kill me twice. I think that qualifies him as
being
my problem.” She pushed her arms into the sleeves.

“No, it doesn’t.”

“Why not?”
Raven plopped her fists on her hips.

“I’m responsible. He’s part of my pack.”

“You’re not responsible for his actions.” Raven shook her head.

“
You may not be a human, but look at you. You can barely stand up.”

Raven raised an eyebrow. “You want me to be the Guardian but you don’t want me to fight my battles?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“
But it’s
how it sounds.” Raven sighed. “The only way for me to learn to control my abilities is for me to use them. Besides I’m not as fragile as you think I am.
If I was, I wouldn’t be standing here arguing with you.
”

“This is a pack problem. That makes him my problem. And as the alpha, I have to deal with him. Not you.”

“But—”

“Ethan, everyone’s here.” Greasy-haired Billy appe
ared out of nowhere beside them
.

Ethan nodded. “Stay with her. You know what to do if I don’t succeed.” Ethan pulled Raven into his arms and kissed her. When he re
leased her, Raven was breathless
. Her lips tingled. She couldn’t think. Ethan caressed her cheek then turned and walked toward Jay.

Raven stared at the back of his head. Something snapped in her brain. “Wait! What’s going on?” She caught up with Ethan, grabbing his shoulder to stop him. “What are you planning to do?”

Ethan turned to face Raven, but it wasn’t the Ethan who had just kissed her. This Ethan wore the cold hard face of a predator. “Taking care of a problem I should’ve taken care of a long time ago. He won’t hurt you again.” He glanced at Billy and nodded toward Raven.

Billy dipped his head in reply.

“Take care of what?” asked Raven as Billy took hold of her
arm. She tried pulling
out of his grasp but he tightened his hold, refusing to let go.

Ethan didn’t answer. He turned back around and continued walking toward Jay, who was now standing.

“Let go, Billy!” Raven tried jerking her arm away from him.

“Can’t do.”

“Why not?”

“Ethan said.”

“Ethan didn’t say anything.”

“Be quiet!” Billy growled at Raven with a force that caused her to take a step back even though she couldn’t go anywhere.

Raven started to say something, but she stopped herself. She and Billy were no longer alone. About ten teenagers surrounded them. Another fifteen or so were gathered around Jay.

“Don’t move.” Billy released Raven.

She nodded.

Billy turned his attention back to Ethan, who stood half-way between the two groups. Everyone’s attention focused on him.

“Jay, you have a choice to make,” Ethan’s voice rang loud, clear, and full of power.

“And what is that, pup of my father’s human
pet
?” Jay moved away from the crowd gathered around him.

“You can leave here tonight, alive, but you will forever after leave Raven Weir, the Guardian of Atlantis, alone and you will no longer be part of this pack. Or you can die.”

“That’s not an option. She will die. You will die and the pack will be mine.” Jay held out his arms to the teenagers gathered around him. “Ethan’s not fit to rule the pack.” Murmurs of agreement went through those behind him. “His human side makes him weak.
And he’s blind to the power the
female has over him.”

“Zeus knows she’s the one who will stop him. He’s afraid of her. She’s the one who will bring peace,” Ethan countered. “And I will protect her.”

“You’re a dreamer. She’ll enslav
e all Hellhounds
like she’s enslaved you.” Jay took a couple more steps toward Ethan. “See how you
already
chase after her.”

“No one’s enslaved me.”

“Then prove it. Step out of the way and let me finish her off. Her head will be the centerpiece of the feast table.” Jay’s eyes glowed red with anticipation.

“I won’t let you kill her.”

“I just need to infect her with our poison.”

“It won’t kill Raven Weir.”

“How do you know it won’t kill her?” called a voice from the crowd behind Jay.

Jay growled his disapproval.

“Because Jay sank his claws in her right leg and shredded the flesh. Yet she limped away. When I found her the wound was already healing. Now it’s completely healed. She’s standing right there.” Ethan gestured back at her. “Hellhound poison has no effect on her.”

An argument broke out in the group behind Jay.

“ENOUGH!” shouted Jay. “Look what she did to me!” He
turned so
everyone could see the disfiguring wounds on his face.

The group erupted again.

Raven rolled her eyes. “This whole thing is stupid,” she mumbled under her breath.

Billy turned and glared at her.

“But he’s lying. I didn’t do any of that to him. Meritus, Zeus’s daughter, did that,” protested Raven. “And I’m not letting Ethan fight Jay because of me.” Raven took a step toward Ethan and Jay, but Billy immediately blocked her. “Get out of my way!” she hissed at him, but Billy refused to move.

“Ethan has to do this,” said a female voice next to Raven.

“Why?” Raven looked at th
e short, red haired girl who
stood beside her. The girl’s nose was densely covered with freckles but as the freckles moved across her cheeks they grew sparser. “Why
should I let him fight my battle
?”

“This is not about you. Yes, you’re a part of it, but this fight has been brewing for a long time. Ethan has to fight. He has to stop Jay.”

“And you are?”

“Pauline Ryder.”

“What
is this fight about?” asked Raven.

“Control of this pack
and the direction it will take
,” said Pauline. “Whoever wins determines which of us live or die.”

“What?” Raven wasn’t sure she’d heard right.

Pauline looked at her. “Whoever wins the fight will be the leader. Those who do not pledge loyalty to the new leader are executed.”

“That’s barbaric.”

“That’s the way it’s always been.” Pauline shrugged her shoulders.

“But Ethan’s already the leader.
Right?”

“Jay’s been challenging his authority for a while.
It can’t continue or Ethan will look weak.
”

“But Ethan won’t have any problem taking him, will he?” asked Raven. She glanced over at Ethan and Jay who were now circling each other.

“I hope not. Cerberus is their father.
Ethan’s onl
y half Hellhound.
His mother is
human. Jay’s mother was a full blood Hellhound. But Ethan’s very much an alpha.”

Raven felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach. “Ethan and Jay are brothers?”

“Half-brothers.”
Pauline looked at Raven. “You didn’t know?”

“I’m not exactly a part of your circle.
What a minute. I thought Hellhounds can only have
one mate.
”

“If a mate dies, sometimes we are granted another mate. It’s very rare though. Cerberus went many years before he was granted his second mate.”

“Who’s the older brother?” asked Raven.

“Jay.”

“So Jay’s angry and jealous because Ethan’s the alpha and not him.”

Pauline didn’t comment. Her attention was focused on the brothers, Ethan and Jay.

Raven’s brain whirled. She couldn’t let Jay ki
ll Ethan. She had a feeling
Pauline wasn’t telling her everything, and it angered her. She knew she had set t
h
is
fight to the death
into motion, but the way Raven saw it, Jay was her problem not Ethan’s. And Ethan shouldn’t be responsible for killing Jay.

But who should be?

Her?

The idea stuck. Could she take that responsibility and all that went w
ith it? Could she kill someone? E
ven
if that
someone
was
as demented and crazed as Jay? Could she do it to save Ethan
and herself
? The thought of killing someone, even someone as evil as Jay, sent an icy, cold chill through her. “What am I thinking,” she asked herself.