Raven (18 page)

We moved forward, working our way through fallen tree branches and wet mud. Hail began to fall about fifteen minutes into the hike and I heard Sam groan. I pulled the hood of my coat over my head, wishing we had used a vehicle, or some other form of transportation, though, with all the trees down, that would not have worked out too well.

Not before too long, things began to change and turn colder, the world around us slowing down. It was easy to find this time around, the path unchanged, or at least it seemed. In a way, I figured the god’s were looking for me as much as I was looking for them at this point.

I looked back at the group. Sam’s face was full of elation, looking forward to the moment when it all froze. I could see his mind swimming with mischievous things—things that were bound to anger Margriete. Edgar, too, looked excited. His black-opal eyes reflected the light, full of amazement. I stopped for a moment as he caught up, taking his hand as I startled him. He snapped out of his trance.

“
Haven’t you ever been here before?” I looked up at him, his skin glowing in the dim daylight, his body as striking as mine would be on a beautiful day. He always looked best in the light of a storm, but I could see why. His evil side thrived in this type of environment, giving him life and energy.

He looked down at me with black eyes, a smile on his face that played at the corners of his cheeks, creating deep wrinkles. “Believe it or not, I haven’t. I’ve only been to Heaven one way: by force—never on my own free will.”

I laughed. “Really?” Thinking about it, I saw he was probably right. I knew he had been to Heaven before me, while I was gone, but it was likely he had found a way to force himself in, or get dragged in by the gods.

“
Yeah, I mean. I always tried to find the fastest way. But this is fascinating.”

I looked up, seeing the trees above had now frozen, no longer blowing on the wind that was now also absent. “I think we’re getting close.”

Edgar nodded, as though waiting for me to say something.

I exhaled, rubbing my hands together with nervous energy. “You haven’t asked me why I’m doing this, why I’m coming to talk to them. How come?”

I saw Edgar swallow. “I know what you’re doing, Elle, and I’m okay with it. I can understand how you thought I’d be angry, but I’m not. I’ve done all I need to here. I told you that.”

“
So, Sam told you?” I guess keeping secrets was out of the question for him.

“
Well, yes. But I had already figured it out on my own, just by the way you talked about it, as though it was the end of our time here—no matter what happened.”

I clapped my hands together once. “Well, I guess that makes this easier on me.”

Edgar’s mouth curled into a smile. “Exactly. It’s not worth being angry about anything anymore. We are doing a great thing here, a necessary thing. The two worlds should have never mixed to begin with.”

He was right. There was nothing to worry about. For the first time, everything was finally getting straightened out.

I heard a twig snap behind me and I turned to look. Sam had two sticks in his hands, his eyes looking around for trouble. I saw Margriete swat the sticks from his hands with a frown, lacing her fingers in his and holding tight. I could see that she was hoping to keep him under control and avoid a repeat of what happened last time, but it wasn’t going very well. Sam bickered at her under his breath and she glared back. Margriete was not ready to kill any wildlife, not when they were threatened enough as it was.

We crossed the same river we had before, the frozen water swelling to nearly five times what it previously was. I slipped my way across the first half before Edgar swept me off the ice and threw me over his shoulder. I giggled wildly. On the other side, he set me down as I continued to roar with laughter, my cheeks blushing.

Sam rolled his eyes at us, Margriete looking mildly jealous. I stopped laughing and righted myself, taking the lead. As expected, I saw steam begin rise from the forest, and as we drew close, I saw the gryphon’s fires igniting through the tops of some of the trees.

Sam took the lead then, his wings extended, his drive to protect us taking over as he walked slow, creeping toward them as we came into the small clearing. They noticed us then, waking from a doze and rising to their feet. The head gryphon remained regal, while the young one shifted his weight from one foot to the next—clearly anxious.

I stepped in front of Sam as he tried to grab me, but I was quick to slink away. I walked right up to the gryphon, seeing him act appalled. “Gryphon, I need you to summon the gods for me.”

The gryphon tilted his head, his chest puffed with pride. “You, again. Why should I help you?” His voice made me smile. On my last visit, the gryphon had managed to extract Edgar’s voice out of me, but this time, it was Scott’s voice he chose to use.

If anything, I found that hearing Scott made me feel at ease. “Because, by helping me, you help yourself to survive all this.” I motioned to the world around us.

The gryphon looked around, hunger in his eyes. I knew for a fact that they came here to hunt, but since the storms had started, I was certain the hunting had been sparse. Flecks of molten iron fell from its body, sizzling as it hit the ground.

“
I see.” The rear gryphon turned and paced toward the cave, and then paced back, rearing in the air as he crashed down, shaking the earth.

“
Do not help her,”
he uttered in the same voice. “She is a
traitor.”

I laughed, mocking him. “I am no traitor. I am your
savior.
You should bow to me.” It felt good to say it, and my heart fluttered with strength.

The gryphon laughed sharply. “I will never do such a thing! The gods are my creators.
Not you.
”

I laughed back. “Then you should know that I am in charge of the gods. They are at my mercy just as much as you are.”

The gryphon remained stubbornly silent, giving me no reply.

I crossed my arms against my chest. “Fine. Then I’ll leave.”

I turned and began to walk away, hearing the gryphon move behind me. I waited for what I knew was coming, confidence streaming through me and giving me strength.

“
Wait, human.” The gryphon’s movements lumbered to a halt.

A smile grew on my face as I looked into Edgar’s eyes, seeing the flames of the gryphon’s glitter within them. I could feel their heat close at my back, the sizzling sending a chilling noise throughout the dying forest. I slowly began to turn and face them, a smug mask pressed across my face.

“
Yes?”

The gryphon puffed his chest, disliking the fact that he was forced to give up control.
“Wait one moment.”
He held his head high.

I stood with a relaxed pose, gloating as they had to me. “Why now? I gave you your chance and you failed. Just wait until the god’s find out that their demise was your fault.” Now I was just being arrogant, but they deserved to understand submission.

The gryphon exhaled hard, fire erupting from its nostrils. “Do not test me, human.”

I laughed, but kept my mouth shut. The gryphon turned then and seemed to talk to the other gryphon without words. The second gryphon acted annoyed, pounding its claws against the ground. The head gryphon snapped at his friend, causing him to stop and turn, disappearing into the cave.

The head gryphon turned back to me. “One moment, please.” He looked upward to the sky, trying all he could to avoid making eye contact with me. He flapped his wings, lifting one to clean underneath as sparks flew into the air, tainting it with the thick smell of sulfur. We all watched, and not before too long, the younger gryphon returned. The head gryphon turned to look at him briefly.

“
It is done.” He nodded slowly.

Confused, I took one step toward him as he turned to walk away. “Wait. When will they come?”

The gryphon laughed but did not bother to look at me. “Now.”

I was shocked by his answer, figuring it would have taken longer for the gods to assemble. I had planned to go back, wait for them at my house where they could show up as before. I stepped back, walking to where Sam and Edgar stood, looking at them but not saying a word as I took a deep breath. It was as though my heart had gotten shocked back to life, the steady calm feeling threatening to leave as it thudded in my chest.

It was then that a small shiny crystal marble burst from the cave. It rolled and bounced its way across the rough dirt, causing both the gryphons to rear. They flapped their wings and backed up, making room. Our group backed up as well, seeing the marble landing on the open path before us. It then began to grow.

I watched in amazement as it took form, expanding at a rapid pace. I thought about what Edgar had told me about our house, and how he would collapse it down to take with him. I wondered if this thing before us was something similar. Edgar grabbed my hand, pulling me farther back as the object continued to grow. I gasped as two white towers erupted from within, the object finally assuming a solid form as it shot fifty feet into the air.

“
Edgar, what—” I was in shock. A small stone castle stood before us, like a miniature version of the large one I’d seen in Heaven.

The gryphons rounded the structure, taking their places on either side of the archway that led into a center courtyard. We all looked at each other before moving forward, knowing there was no danger, or at least hoping so. We passed between the two gryphons as they sat motionless, like statues of burning marble.

In the courtyard, I saw that the two towers flanked a small white stone cottage. Also in the yard was a table, like one you’d find in a fancy garden. Around that table sat five gods. Nicholas was in the middle, and to his left was the beautiful god from before. Her hair was now a silky blonde and it sparkled in the sunlight that seemed to come from nowhere. I felt as though we had been trapped inside some sort of eternal rainbow. The small stout god was to Nicholas’s right, smoking a cigar as Nicholas had been before. I did not recognize the other two gods, so I deduced that they had either been absent when I last visited, or were in fact just meant for intimidation.

We approached them, finding four empty seats at the table and taking our places. I sat with caution, keeping my back straight and my eyes steady. I quelled my shaking hands by folding them in my lap, leaning back ever so slightly so that I appeared at ease.

The beautiful blonde winked at Edgar. “Edgar. So nice to see you.” She gave him a coy smile.

I growled under my breath, grinding my teeth.

Edgar nodded politely. “Ariana. Always a pleasure.” I sensed hatred in Edgar’s voice, and it put me at ease.

“
Hello, Nicholas,” I said in a dry voice.

“
Estella. So lovely to see you so close to your—should we just say—
performance?”
He glared down on me from over his nose, tilting his head so far back, that I wondered if he could see me at all.

I nodded to him, leaning forward and placing my folded hands on the table before us. “I suppose you know why I’ve come?”

Nicholas smiled as the stout man beside him blew a cloud of smoke at Sam. Sam shifted in his seat and I saw Margriete grab his leg from the corner of my eye, trying to calm him.

“
I suppose,” he answered, rather annoyed.

“
Then you already know what I will ask of you?” I lifted one brow, testing him.

He leaned back, showing his displeasure as well as insecurity in the moment—I had control. His eyes were nervous, likely afraid of the things I could leverage at a time like this. “To some degree, I understand. Please elaborate.”

I remained calm. “I am here to bargain with you. I want us both to benefit from this great opportunity that has been presented to us.”

Nicholas leaned forward as Ariana snarled. “Yes. What a lovely opportunity. Go on.”

I couldn’t help rubbing my importance in their faces. “As
The One
, I believe I am entitled to some requests, and of course recognition. As such, I believe you have no choice but to honor my wishes. If you fail at your task, and refuse to uphold the contract that will be written here today, then I will let us all die, and you will never be trusted by Fate ever again. This Earth will be your last.”

Nicholas shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and I knew I had said the right thing.

I continued. “It is my wish that, as payment for my deed, all magic is to leave the surface of Earth forever. Everyone, even Edgar and I, are included in this.”

Nicholas nodded once. “That is a handsome reward you allow for yourself, especially considering that beings like you do not belong in Heaven.”

I took a deep breath as though trying to show the fact that his ignorance had insulted me. “This is my wish, and I will not falter.”

Ariana touched Nicholas’s arm then, and he leaned down so she could whisper something in his ear. I tried to read her emotions, looking to Sam for some assistance but saw that he too seemed to struggle, unable to read what she was thinking. Nicholas leaned back once more, his lips pressed in a thin line.

“
We can do this, as long as you understand all that you must do, and take responsibility for every consequence of being
The One
.” He seemed pleased somehow, but also troubled.