Pandora (Book 3) (The Omega Group) (15 page)

“There was nothing I could do,” Flip whined. “The
archeologists dropped it as they were carrying it out of the chamber.”

“Silence!” Ares bellowed. “You’re supposed to be a god, and
you can’t control two pathetic humans?” He raised his hand and Flip flew into
the wall behind him. “Is there nothing that you can do right?”

“I’m sorry. I tried, but there wasn’t time to stop it.” Flip
trembled as he regained his feet.

“My plan was perfect. Now you’ve ruined everything. The key-holder
will know the box has been opened. Zeus will know the box has been opened.
Soon, every god on Mount Olympus will know. You are pathetic!”

Ares grabbed Flip by his throat and pulled him off the
ground so their eyes met. “You have never been worthy of being a god, so now
you won’t be.”

Flip was thrown to the floor hard enough to crack the
marble. When he stood, his eyes widened. “No, Ares. Please give me my powers
back. I need them. I’ll be defenseless without them,” he pleaded.

But Ares didn’t answer. Instead, he turned his back, flicked
his wrist, and Flip disappeared.

Mirissa watched the scene play out in front of her. The god
of war may have been gorgeous, but he was also a complete ass. She understood
why Flip had chosen to defect to the other side. She would probably have done
the same thing under those circumstances.

She waited for Ares to say something that might tell her
where he’d hidden the box, but the god didn’t appear prone to talking to
himself. He just paced circles around it, pausing occasionally to stomp his
foot or shake his fist in anger. When he finally picked it up, Mirissa took in
every detail, trying to discern something that might be the least bit helpful.
But she found nothing.

And then he was gone. Holding onto the box, he took a deep
breath and sank through the marble floor as though a hole had formed beneath
his feet.

Mirissa rose from the couch and shook her head to clear what
remained of the vision. “I saw it,” she said.

“Saw what?” Greco and Flip asked in unison.

“When you and Daedric brought the box here.” She held Flip’s
gaze a moment longer than necessary in the hopes of showing her sympathy. “But
once Ares was alone, he disappeared with it. He didn’t say anything about where
he was going. I’m sorry.”

Greco threaded his fingers through hers and pulled her to
his side. “It’s not your fault. This was a long shot, anyway. Once he
teleported, there was nothing you could do.”

Mirissa remembered the first time she’d seen Ares. He’d
teleported into the game room of Daedric’s house on Ortega with a blinding
flash of light, to rescue his son. That had been her first introduction to a
god and would forever be seared into her memory.

“Flip?” Mirissa asked. “When
gods
teleport, they disappear in the same way I do, right?”

“Pretty much. Sometimes the higher gods are accompanied by a
flash, but only when they’re trying to show off,” Flip answered.

“But that’s not what Ares did with the box. He didn’t just
disappear. He fell through the floor. Could that mean the box is in the
basement?”

Flip’s jaw dropped. “Are you sure he went through the floor?”

“Yeah. I watched him pick up the box and drop through the
floor. Why? What does that mean?”

It was Flip’s turn to pace back and forth this time. “It
means our task just got a lot more difficult. There’s only one place we travel
to in that manner.”

Mirissa could feel a knot forming in her stomach as she
waited for him to continue. Bringing two human’s to Mount Olympus hadn’t fazed
him at all, but now he looked scared.

Flip stopped pacing and brought his fingers to his mouth,
chewing on his nails. “He’s taken the box to Tartarus.”

Myrine slammed her phone down on the hospital tray table,
causing Steve to jolt upright in his bed and then fall back with a groan.

“I’m sorry, honey,” she said as she lowered herself into the
chair at his bedside.

“No news, I take it?” he asked.

“No. She hasn’t contacted anyone. And Greco seems to be
missing, too. Beck and Orano are at the hotel waiting for me to give them their
orders, but I’m at a loss on what tell them.”

Steve tried to push himself into a seated position, but
quickly gave up with a grimace. “What about Julian?”

“He’s tried to track their cell phones, but there’s no
signal.” Myrine covered her eyes with the palms of her hands. “Where is she?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find her. At least she’s not alone. She
has Greco.”

Myrine wanted to believe that, but after Steve told her what
Mirissa had planned, she didn’t feel optimistic. How could her daughter keep
something that important a secret? She’d known for days the only way to close
the box would be to sacrifice herself, but she hadn’t said a word. The thought
of her baby girl carrying such an enormous weight all on her own made Myrine’s
stomach churn.

When her cell phone rang, she all but jumped on Steve to
grab it from the table in front of him.

“Yes?” she said, pressing the button to put the call on
speakerphone.

“I know where she went. At least, I think I do.” Julian’s
voice sounded rushed.

“Where?”

“I hacked into her phone’s provider to get her recent GPS
records. She was at the hotel this morning. The signal was lost for a second,
then came back again at the same location Daedric disappeared from at the base
of Mount Olympus. A few minutes later, it was gone, and it hasn’t returned
since.”

It took Myrine a moment to put the pieces together, but when
she did, understanding washed over her. “Mirissa found a way into the god’s Mount
Olympus,” she said flatly. “The box must be there.”

The silence that followed stretched agonizingly, until a
quiet beep broke the tension.

Myrine looked at the small screen on her phone. “That’s
Beck. Hang on, Julian, while I connect her.”

“What have you got, Beck?” Myrine asked after pushing a few
buttons.

“I’m not sure. Still no word from Mirissa or Greco, but it
looks like Flip’s missing, too. It might not be connected, but I thought you
should know.”

Myrine turned to her husband who had a blank look on his
face. “Why would they take
him
?”

********

Myrine settled herself onto the hospital bed next to Steve,
in preparation for her trip to Tritonia. They’d exhausted every other source of
information they could think of to find their daughter, and this was their last
hope. She’d planned on stretching out on the small chair, but her husband
insisted she share his bed.

With his good arm around her shoulders, she leaned in for a
lingering kiss. “I’ll be right back,” she said, as she closed her eyes and sent
her consciousness to the Amazonian island.

The air on Tritonia felt clean and fresh, in stark contrast
to what she’d been breathing for the last couple of days at the hospital. The
smell of antiseptic had become a constant companion, so the sudden lack of it
was a shock.

As was the silence.

For the first time she could remember, Myrine was alone on
the island. No warriors trained in the clearing, and her namesake—the ancient
Queen Myrine—hadn’t greeted her upon arrival.
Strange,
she thought.

Myrine made her way over to the statue of Artemis. Although
she felt odd being there without accompaniment, having privacy while speaking
to the goddess would be welcome.

“Artemis?” she called out.

When no response came, she placed her hand on the statue,
hoping the contact would somehow connect her to the goddess. “Artemis? I need
you,” she said.

“I thought you might come, although I’m surprised you waited
so long to do so.” The goddess’s voice boomed from the air.

“Then you know what Mirissa’s planning to do.” It wasn’t a
question.

“Yes.”

“Please, there must be another way to close the box.” Myrine
was losing her tenuous grip on civility.

“I’m sorry. This test was designed thousands of years ago.
There is nothing I can do.”

“No!” Myrine screamed. “There has to be. You’re a god! How
can you let this happen?” Tears began flowing down her cheeks as she pleaded.
“Let me take her place. I’ll use the key to close the box and end all of this
madness.”

At first, when Artemis didn’t answer, Myrine thought maybe
her request would be granted. That hope was dashed when the goddess once again
spoke.

“You don’t have the ability to close it. This is the reason
Mirissa was given powers beyond those of other Amazons. She must use them—all
of them—to succeed, just as it says on her key.”

Myrine’s retort froze on her lips as the meaning of that
last sentence sunk in. “But that’s not what it said. Flip translated it for us …”
Her voice trailed off as she tried to remember his exact translation.

“Flip has joined you?” Artemis asked.

“What? Oh, sorry. Yes.” Myrine forced herself to gather her
thoughts and explain Flip’s role in their investigation. “He was part of the
archeology crew that found the box. He translated the writing on the key for
us, but it didn’t say anything about Mirissa having to die.”

“Can you tell me what this Flip looks like?” Artemis asked.

Myrine was pretty sure the goddess had missed the most important
aspect of the conversation but gave her a quick description anyway.

“I see,” Artemis sounded odd, as though she was trying to
make sense of something.

“You see what?” Myrine had the distinct impression Artemis
knew more than she was saying. “What’s going on?”

“Flip is not an archeologist, Myrine. He is a lower god. One
that has frequently worked for Ares. I wasn’t aware of his involvement.”

“He’s a what?” Myrine felt her heart clench in her chest.
“He can’t be. He’s so … so …”

“Strange?” Artemis finished her thought. “Yes, Flip is
definitely odd. As a lower god, he is less powerful than most, but Flip is
different from us in other ways, too. His existence has been an unfortunate
one, to say the least.”

“If he works for Ares, Mirissa is in even more danger than I
thought. He’s lured her to Mount Olympus.” Myrine’s heart rate almost doubled
at the thought.

“Flip brought her through the portal? She’s in my realm?”
Even Artemis sounded worried now.

“We think so, yes.”

“Myrine, I must go now. I’ll find out what I can and contact
you.”

“But what about Mirissa? I can’t let her sacrifice herself,”
Myrine said.

“Neither you nor I can change her destiny,” Artemis’s tone
was filled with sympathy. “We can only hope that she achieves it.”

“You had something more important to attend to?” Zeus glared
at Artemis as she returned to her seat.

“I’m sorry, Zeus, but it was unavoidable. Now, where were
we?” Artemis glued a smile to her face as she scanned the crowd. The somber
expressions on the higher gods’ faces did not bode well.

She already knew the reason for the meeting. Zeus would tell
everyone Eris had been released and remind them of his rule against their
interference. A rule she felt sure had already been broken. Her Amazons had
told her of Daedric’s involvement, which meant Ares must have orchestrated the
entire thing. Whether or not Zeus knew of his betrayal was yet to be seen.

“I was explaining to everyone what the punishment for
disobeying me is.” Zeus rose from his throne and puffed out his already
impressive chest in an obvious attempt to intimidate the group. “As I’m sure
you’re all aware, Eris has been released. It is time for the humans to earn
their place on Earth. Either that, or perish.”

 
The rumblings among
the gods in attendance showed an even split of reactions. Many were clearly
hoping the humans would prevail, but just as many were eager for them to fail.
Artemis committed the members of the former group to memory. There may come a
time when she would need their support.

Zeus waved his staff in the air to silence his audience. “It
has come to my attention that some of you may want to interfere, so I want to
remind all of you that you must do nothing to help either Eris or the humans.
This contest must be won without our assistance. Is that understood?”

“What was that you said, Ares?” Artemis spoke as every god
in the room nodded their agreement.

When Zeus shot her a look that would make a cactus wilt, she
put on her best contrite attitude. “I’m sorry, Zeus. I thought I heard my
brother say something. My mistake.”

The ruler of the gods held her gaze for an uncomfortably
long time before turning his attention to Ares. “Was there something you needed
to say?”

As her brother stood, he, too, glared at Artemis. “Actually,
there is. It has come to
my attention,
”
he said, borrowing Zeus’s earlier words, “that Eris may have somehow acquired
the scythe.”

Chaos erupted as every god shot to their feet, shouting at
each other. Artemis joined in the turmoil, gripped in a fear she’d never before
felt, until an idea spawned. The scythe, although capable of destroying her,
could also be the answer she’d been searching for.

Zeus slammed the end of his staff into the floor. Marble
dust plumed from the crater produced by the impact. “Silence!” he bellowed.
When all of the gods acquiesced, he continued. “How
exactly
did you come by this information, Ares?”

When the god of war stood, Artemis expected to see fear in
his eyes. Instead she saw nothing but his usual arrogance. “A short time ago, I
became suspicious of the lower god, Flip. He’d been acting strangely.” When a
few attendees snorted, Ares amended his statement. “Well, more strangely than
usual. Anyway, I decided to investigate. What I found shocked me.”

He paused as though waiting for applause. When he didn’t get
any, he went on with his story. “It appears the horse companion has been
working toward releasing Eris for quite some time, against your very clear
instructions.” He raised his eyebrows at Zeus to show his sincerity. “He has
even coerced Daedric into helping him.

“Today, my worst fears were realized when he and Eris, along
with my son, admitted to their treachery. They have the scythe and they intend
to use it. Of course, I came here immediately to tell you.”

Had it been possible for a goddess to be ill, Artemis would
have vomited the contents of her stomach at her brother’s feet.
 
An obvious lie, his self-serving statement
hung in the air, waiting for Zeus to cut it to pieces.

“Thank you, Ares, for your continued loyalty,” Zeus said, his
hubris blinding him to the truth. “Is there anyone here who knows the
whereabouts of Flip or Eris?” When no one answered, he called upon the one god
who could find them. “Hecate!”

The goddess of magic appeared in front of Zeus before her
name died on his lips. “What can I do for you, Zeus?” she asked in her sickly
sweet voice.

“I need you to find Flip.”

Although her face stayed hidden by the ridiculously large
hood of her flowing robe, Artemis imagined a smile forming at Zeus’s request.
It had been centuries since he’d last called upon her. Hecate’s need to feel
relevant had turned to obsession, and she’d allowed her desperation to warp her
personality. She’d become almost as odd as Flip, and equally unpopular.

There’d been a time when magic was accepted by the humans as
a natural part of their lives, and Hecate had been well respected and revered.
But that was long ago. As magic faded from Earth, so did her importance, until
she became a distant memory. Now, most humans had never even heard of her. Even
some of the gods needed to be reminded of her existence.

“As you wish,” Hecate said.

She reached inside her robe and pulled out a small pouch,
pouring a small amount of shimmering powder into her hand. Holding her cupped
palm in front of her face, she blew the powder into the air.
 
A shimmering oval surface appeared in front
of her as she chanted so quietly, Artemis couldn’t make out her words.

“I have begun the search, though it will take time to locate
him. Our realm, as you know, is almost infinite in its space,” Hecate said.

Zeus returned to his throne and made himself comfortable.
“Thank you. We will wait here.”

The groans from the other gods echoed Artemis’s feelings.
There were many other things she needed to attend to, and waiting for Hecate’s
spell to work would be a waste of her time.

Ares, it appeared, was even more frustrated at the prospect
of waiting. He remained seated for mere moments, tapping his foot and sighing
in exasperation. When he stood, he clenched his fists and spoke. “Perhaps I can
speed things up a bit, Hecate. I believe you are searching in the wrong realm.
Flip is on Earth with the humans, at least that’s what my investigation
suggests. I would think your time would be better spent searching there.”

Artemis stared at her brother, confused at his lie. She knew
from Myrine that Flip brought Mirissa through the portal. If Ares had given
that order, he would’ve known it, too. Why, then, would he slow the search by
focusing it in the wrong realm? There didn’t seem to be any benefit to him, or
anyone else, to have the scythe in the open for any longer than necessary.

Unless he doesn’t know
Flip is here,
she thought. Maybe the odd little god had finally found the
strength to turn his back on Ares. Perhaps he’d been working against him the
whole time and helping Mirissa achieve her destiny. If that was the case, he
didn’t have the scythe at all. Eris did.

“Zeus,” Artemis said. “Hecate seems to have this well in
hand. Would you mind if I stepped out to take care of a few things while we
wait?”

That request opened the floor to every other attendee’s
appeal to do the same, causing Zeus to acquiesce out of sheer annoyance.

“Thank you,” she said. “And might I suggest that Hecate also
search for Eris. You never know who is in possession of the scythe.”

As soon as Artemis returned to her palace, she contacted
Myrine with the news that Flip might actually be helping her daughter. When the
conversation was complete, she readied herself for the next.

This one would be much more difficult.