Memoirs of an Immortal (The Immortal Series) (42 page)

“Hold out your hand!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, tears streaming down my face, but still he didn’t move. His eyes simply fixed on me.

“Fine!” I gritted out. I turned towards the cliff and threw the ring. I turned to face him. I jerked my head to one side and gave him a serene smile and then proceeded to leave.

Before I reached the portal I sensed his anger, it reverberated throughout his body onto mine. I had crossed the line. I cringed at what I had done. I wished I could take it back, remembering the words Eirene had told me earlier. As I walked through the portal, I felt a wave of energy. A large hand took me from behind and propelled me into my courtyard.

“You always take thing too far. Straight from the beginning when you first came here.” He used a voice I had never thought could come out of him. It was hard, loud and spiteful. My sisters ran to the window that faced the courtyard.

‘
What happened
?’ Eva asked.

‘
She pushed him too far this time’
Eirene thought while shaking her head.

‘
Why is he so angry?
’ Zoe added.

‘
He doesn’t deserve to feel this way
’ Agape finally thought.

“I made that ring for you. I took the time to make that for you and you simply throw it away, like it was trash? WHY?” His nose flared and his eyes were changing. I started to feel pain. It overwhelmed me, taking over my thoughts again.

“Don’t!” I hissed, giving a pointed look at Agape. I turned to face him. “You’re the one who left. You’re the one who broke me. So don’t act like I did something so awful. If you hadn’t started it, then I wouldn’t have done that.” I yelled. I could feel my breathing becoming heavier. To still myself I took one deep breath.

“I’m done.” I waved my hands at him and proceeded to the house.

“We are far from done!” He pulled me using both my arms. He turned me to face him. His face so close I could feel the heat from his breath.

“You don’t get it, do you?” I breathed. “You left me. You’re the one who didn’t trust my love for you. It was you, who didn’t even give me a chance to make you happy. You decided to leave and decided that I wasn’t enough. Now you have to deal with your consequences.” I bit out. His hands were so firmly placed on my arms that they began to feel numb.

I knew that my words had hurt him, because they had hurt me. The realization that we were truly over swept over him and he began to slowly let go of my arms.

“You’re right. I didn’t even try. I simply let myself dwell on your past and not realize that I may have been your future.” He said quietly, his realization slowly sipping in.

I had nothing left to say or hear. I left him in the courtyard where we stood.

When I passed the doors of the main house, I slid behind the wall, waiting to see what he’d do. If he just fought for me, if he had ran into this home to find me, I would fall back into his arms, back to him. But he didn’t, I heard him quietly leave, my heart plummeted. I reached deep into my cuff and there in my hand I held his ring. I rubbed my finger inside the ring and words began to appear. ‘
You are mine, since forever
.
’

Summoned

The summons from Zeus came early in the morning. I had no choice, but to appear before him. The great hall was its best basked in the morning light. The warmth of the sun filled the room. It had been a while since we had seen it.

I looked around and found Zeus perched onto his throne, his head leaning to one side, listening to Athena whisper in his ear.

“You’ve come” He bellowed.

“You summoned me father, I must come.” I answered back.

His eyes narrowed his face grim. “What have you found out about these Diavolis? What is it that they are doing?” He hand cupped his chin.

“Are you seriously asking now? After every attempt to convince you. After repeatedly showing you Erysikhthon and his endeavors to try to unify and create armies. Now, you’re interested?” I hissed.

“You right! The moment you came, we had washed our hands of all this. This was your duty not ours, but now, now everything matters.” He leaned forwards from his throne.

“Of course everything matters now.” I said as I laughed. “Your most beloved son pretty much screwed it all up for us and embarrassed you and us for that matter, with the rest of the foreign gods. Now, what is it exactly that you want from me?” I really wasn’t in the mood for this, especially after all my efforts to get help or even guidance from him.

“What I want is a guarantee. What I want is for you to do what you are destined to do to and bring about the great Hesychia.” His words were curt and cold.

“Oh, is that all?” I added, “Sure here. Let me promise you something that I have no idea about doing.” I raised my voice and flared my arms. “The only thing I’m going to tell you father, is this, I will do the best that I can.”

He stared at me intently. “Your best little one, is not enough, I need more.”

He stood up and walked down the few marble steps to tower over me.

“I need to know where you loyalty lies. Are you with us or will you fail me and join your dead husband?” I knew that this question had to be asked, I was just waiting on when.

“Could you not ask Apollon to foretell what I’ll do? Oh right, you can’t, he’s banished. How about Themis? Can you not ask her to see into the future, to show you what I’ll do?” I asked sarcastically.

“That’s the thing little one, I can’t. I’ve asked and no one can see your future anymore. You, yourself have not decided it yet.” He was right about my choices, I hadn’t truly thought of them, especially when it came to Leonidas.

Zeus inched closer. “You must decide.” He implored.

“What are you afraid? Afraid I might humiliate you completely? Or is it that I have free will and can do what I want and you can’t do anything about it?” I inched closer this time, “I’ll decide when I choose.” I waited for any retaliation, knowing Zeus’ temperament, but all he did was nod his head. I waited, but finally I spoke. “If there is nothing else, I think it’s time I leave.”

I reached the large doors of the hall, my mind went blank. It became consumed with images of a battlefield.

Thousands of Diavolis were in formation, waiting hungrily to attack at the base of Olympos. Erysikhthon was sitting comfortably in a chair near a cliff overlooking his men. His face slowly decaying, his hands busy feeding himself as he dug into a bass bowl filled with human flesh.

Leonidas was standing beside him quietly waiting on instructions. Eirene’s premonitions were strong and vivid, soon they will be here, soon the battle will be decided and soon I will have to make a choice.

“What did you see?” Zeus said curtly.

“They plan to attack us here.” I answered.

“How blasphemous! To think they can enter our world.” Zeus roared “Athena call to arms, everyone is to be prepared.”

Athena nodded “Yes father. I will make the appropriate arrangements. We will be ready.” She left as soon as she spoke.

“What will you do Psykhe? What?” Zeus asked.

“I’ll do what is needed to be done. What is expected of me.” I said it, but my heart didn’t mean it.

“You have no clue, do you?” He said bluntly. “Logic tells you to fight, but emotions cannot be so easily controlled. Today will be very decisive for everyone. Ready your immortals and we will be there to fight by your side.”

I left the palace still numb from my uncertainty. Without noticing I was back home. My sisters were waiting for me. The smell of the anticipating battle was lingering in the air.

“So are you ready?” Eirene was leaned against our olive tree.

“Yes, I’m ready. I want blood.” I declared. I could hear the thoughts of my sisters worried about what will happen when I finally met with Leonidas. “The attack will happen soon. They plan to drive up the mountain on all sides. Akhilles, Herakles and Bellerophon, each of you will split up throughout the mountain and hold them back. Eva and I will head down through the mountain’s forest. The thick fog will help us stay hidden. Eirene and Agape, head down straight through the valley, to the opening where they will be. The gods will be ready to reinforce us.” I ordered.

As we ready ourselves on the outskirts of our world, I could see down the mountain. Pass the clouds, pass the forest, thousands of Diavolis were surrounding the base Mount Olympos.

“How do they plan to get up here?” asked Eva.

“We are a floating island, above the mountain.” Zoe started. “We may not be seen by human eyes, but they can see it. For them to want to reach us, it’s not about conquering us here, but to show that they are in control. That they are no longer afraid of us, that the world we live in can easily be tainted with fear and violence.” Zoe said dryly. She had no doubt about her assumption and neither did I. Fear is a far more complicated weapon to use than just mere violence, with fear one can easily feel violated.

The air was electric. The smell of the Diavolis was slowly hitting my nose. I could hear them down below. Before I was about to leave with Eva, I heard my name being called. I closed my eyes, embracing his low rough voice.

Hephaistos called me one more time, before I let myself turn to his direction. He stood not too far from me, dressed in his armor.

“Do you need to go? Can you not command your immortals from here?” He reached for my ponytail, which was swaying in the wind, holding it in his hand, caressing it with his fingers. I watched as he played with my hair, as I stared at him, he let go. “I’m sorry, it’s become a habit.”

I swallowed what I wanted to say and spat out a lie. “What I do is none of your concern.”

He looked down and licked his lips. A hint of anger traced his face. I wanted his arms round me. Reassuring me that the battle I was about to fight was something I could handle, that I was stronger than I thought, but the rift between us was too great. “If you want to be helpful, stay with Akhilles on the mountain and help keep the Diavolis at bay.” I said quietly. He nodded. His eyes in half wrath, ready to explode when the time came.

The gods began to slowly show themselves. Hermes had opened the portal so that we all could head down.

“Ah, I am the happiest now.” cried Ares, grabbing both of his sons, Phobos and Deimos, in a boisterous hug. “We will show them a good war.” He laughed, but before he left he reached over and kissed Aphrodite. “Wait until I come back, love.” Ares wore his battle scars with pride.

He decorated his body with elaborate brandings, highlighting the battles he had been in. His long black hair now tied up. He and his sons were ready. “Come come little sister. I must speak to you before you go.” He motioned for me to come over to him. “For us to win, it can’t rely only on you. You must give me your orders. What is it that you would like for us to do?” He pointed at his sons and then himself.

“Do what you do best and kill. Take your armies and command them, if there is anything I will let you know.” He grinned and patted my head again.

“That is why I love you little sis. Now boys you heard her, let us destroy all the Diavolis we can.” Ares cried over his shoulder.

Phobos laughed, making his wild blond hair dance. He proclaimed that he would instill panic in all the Diavolis he could. While Deimos, who was calmer in both appearance and demeanor, simply grinned. You could feel his ability to bring terror to those around him. His quiet smile and the glint in his crystal blue eyes were more telling, than those of his brother’s. Ares smirked and walked through the portal with his sons flanking him.

I looked over at Eva, who was still holding onto Bellerophon. She acknowledged me and we both left through the portal. The forest was thick with trees and was equally as dense with fog, making the trek down the mountain side difficult. I could hear the Diavolis grunts and growls. We weren’t too far from them.

Eva and I slowed ourselves to a walk, heading over a ridge. We both looked down and there stood several Diavolis, they were waiting, for what we didn’t know. “
Should I?”
Eva thought. I nodded. Lifting both hands she froze them in time. We jumped over the ridge and quickly disposed of them. We quickened our pace and began running to the open field, the trees whipping by us. When we finally reached the tree line we slowed down. We were careful not to make too much noise so that we wouldn’t be noticed. There on the field, were hundreds if not thousands of them, their sounds and smells taking over the land, whatever they touched or lurked close to began to decay.

We waited until we knew the time was right, just a little longer. It was Erysikhthon who called for his army, with one great war cry, the Diavolis began to charge. Eva and I ran alongside them, our pace faster than theirs. We slid in front of them with our weapons drawn.

We both attacked with vicious assaults. I wanted this done with, part of me was fearful, but an even greater part of me gave into my inhuman desire to fight this war. I wanted it, no, I needed it. Eva’s sickles were unforgiving. She would freeze time and took out multiple enemies.

While my blades and my mind working as one, I was able to use them with such ease, as I sadistically killed every Diavolis in my path. I could feel the stinging in my wrists, but it didn’t matter to me now. I could sense a god was coming. I turned to see who it was.

It was Artemis. An ominous aura emanating from her, as she walked through the Diavolis army with ease, whatever lingered in her path died. To her left, was Athena, hovering over the Diavoli army. Her gorgon head that was embedded in her shield came to life and turned them to stone. She then used her spear to finish them off. Dio was at the foot of the mountain holding back whatever Diavolis were coming at him. He used his staff that had a giant golden pine comb shape at the head of it. When he attacked his enemies the pine comb would open up and let out hundreds of little blades that would cut feverishly.

Eva and I finally reached the ridge, which was next to where Erysikhthon was, when Leonidas appeared in front of me.

At that moment the sky became full of lighting, the sounds of thunder echoing in the valley. I lowered my head to adjust my eyes so that they can change back to normal. I didn’t want him to see me at full wrath. I then quickly retracted my blades. I motioned for Eva to continue. ‘
Are you sure I can stay… I was told to stay by Eirene, I don’t… I don’t know what will happen if I leave her’
her thoughts betrayed her.