Goddess (Starcrossed 3)

“What the hell are you two morons doing?” Hector bellowed, pulling Lucas off of Orion.

Before Lucas had a chance to tell Hector what Orion had done, Helen’s voice boomed out across the island issuing a challenge to Zeus. Lucas realized that as a full immortal, she could meet him in single combat, and none of her partially mortal champions could step in to stop it, not even him. Clever girl, Lucas thought. I could strangle her right about now.

They all looked up and saw the clouds flash with lightning. The waves stilled like time had stopped and the aurora borealis appeared, sending eerie neon colors dancing across the sky.

The chaotic battle on the beach paused for a moment as man and beast craned their heads to watch the impossible spectacle.

Thunder rolled. Orange fire erupted in midair as Hecate set the battleground in the sky. Lucas thought about flying to Helen.

“She can handle it, Luke,” Hector said urgently. “I need you here.”

The Myrmidons took that particular moment to regroup into their precise phalanx, shields front and top, spears sticking out like a porcupine. A full unit again, they surged forward like an ancient war machine.

“Form the line!” Hector commanded, holding his bloody sword aloft.

Lucas, Orion, and Jason jumped up like a chip in their heads made them automatically respond to their general. They spread out across the front line, each of them taking a battalion to lead, and their infantry fell into ranks behind them.

The Myrmidons charged.

Helen and Zeus appeared in the middle of the field of wildflowers. Zeus looked around, taking in the purple mountains, and the half-modern, half-ancient metropolis that worked like a counterbalance in the distance across from the alpine range. He stared at every flower, every bug, every gust of wind, measuring them all.

“Well done,” he said approvingly. “Alive in every detail. Hades taught you a lot about life by making you slog through that barren hellscape of his, didn’t he?”

“He did. As hard as it was, I love him for the training he gave me. I can see more clearly because of it.”

Zeus breathed in the air, letting his head drop to the side in pleasure, appreciating every nuance of Helen’s world, like a foodie would a fine wine. “You learned well. You are truly gifted, sweet girl. Pity you can’t do more with Everyland. It’s still unfinished.”

“No it isn’t. It served its purpose,” Helen said quietly. “And I give it to you without reservation. You are the sole ruler of Everyland.”

Zeus tested Helen’s commandment by turning a white flower red and then white again with a thought.

“Thank you,” he said, smiling at her. He held out a hand gallantly. “Shall we to Tartarus?”

Helen looked at his offered hand and shook her head slowly. “That wasn’t actually the deal, as you’ll recall,” she said. “I agreed to give you Everyland in exchange for my family’s safety. I never agreed to go to Tartarus.”

Zeus sighed like he regretted Helen’s decision. “I really wanted to avoid a fight. You know I’ll have to destroy you if you do this,” he said reluctantly.

“How?” Helen asked, backing away from him. “I gave you Everyland—my gift to you—but I didn’t give you its borders. Those I keep for myself.”

Zeus looked around in a panic. Helen knew he was trying to open a portal and leave. She could feel it, but he couldn’t do it. And as long as Helen existed and held ownership of the borders, he never would be able to leave.

“Welcome to my Trojan horse,” she said with a tight smile. “Enjoy. You’re going to be stuck inside it for eternity.”

Helen saw Zeus’ face freeze with horror, and then she left him, locked in her heavenly prison forever.

Helen appeared on the battlefield and looked around frantically. A part of her expected to find Zeus standing right behind her, laughing at her insane attempt to imprison him, but he wasn’t. She concentrated and could feel him in Everyland, screaming at the beautiful blue sky. He really was trapped. Helen allowed herself one half-crazed laugh before she started running.

Helen negotiated the uneven ground, trying to peer through the confusion of smoke, shouts, and combatants running this way and that. The Kraken was still pounding the beach with its tentacles, killing indiscriminately. Combatants from both sides scrambled over the dunes in their desperate attempt to flee from it.

She stumbled forward, her feet catching on something and sending her sprawling. When she looked back, she saw that she’d tripped over a dead Myrmidon. Something moved under her, and she realized she’d landed on another Myrmidon. This one was barely alive, but he still recognized her.

“Tyrant,” he hissed, clamping on to her wrists.

Helen broke free and clambered off of him. She looked around and saw dozens of bodies—Scions, Myrmidons, and strange sea monsters—all entangled in death after what must have been a huge skirmish. She climbed to her feet and ran to the tent. Luckily, she found her family there as she’d hoped.

There were several dozen soldiers left, gathered around the map table, which they had pulled out in front of the tent so they had room to gather around it.

Lucas spotted Helen first and ran to her.