I looked around at the vast expanse surrounding me. That didn’t explain why I was here now. The Fates had been imprisoned in the Underworld. They couldn’t do a thing to anyone.
As I pondered it, I couldn’t help but notice the horrifyingly sad atmosphere. Every moment that I was here, I felt more and more forlorn and sad. It was quickly becoming overwhelming. I closed my eyes, anxious to leave. If a person spent much time here, they would rapidly grow suicidal.
“Wait,” a deep voice said. “Don’t leave yet.”
My eyes flew open to find a man standing in front of me, almost consumed by the swirling fog. His long black robes seemed to swirl with the mist, all the way down to his bare toes. His head was shaved and inky black Egyptian script was tattooed on his hands. His eyes were onyx black and glittered as he stared at me. It was impossible to guess his age. But if I had to hazard one, I would say he was ancient.
“Yes?” I answered, as bravely as I could. I forced my feet to remain still and not step away.
“I was sent here by your mother,” the man said. “I brought you to this neutral place because it is safer.”
“My mother?” I asked. “Where is she?”
He ignored my question. “Hecate knows that you seek her,” he said quietly, his voice hoarse with years and wisdom. “It is not safe for you to find her just now. You must stay away.”
My eyes narrowed on their own accord. “How do I know that you aren’t lying? Perhaps you have done something with her yourself.”
The man threw his head back and laughed, a creepy, unsettling sound, and in that instant, I realized that I knew him.
“I’ve seen you before,” I whispered. “Somewhere. But I cannot remember where. Do I know you?”
He shook his head. “No, you don’t. But I know you.”
As he moved, I caught a whiff of his scent and recognition dawned on me. “You were with Harmonia in the Underworld,” I said cautiously. “Your name is Ahmose, correct?”
He nodded. “Yes, that is my name. And yes, I’ve been with Harmonia in many places throughout the years. But I am here now, to help you. Your mother and Harmonia both wished it so.”
Harmonia was the goddess of peace and contentment. In the not so distant past, she had battled the Fates in order to secure the freedom of the Olympians. During the struggles, the Fates had sent Harmonia’s daughter, Raquel, to the Underworld. I had accidentally come across her and had taken care of her until Harmonia could find us. I knew that she would be forever grateful to me because of that. If her right-hand man was here now, it was because Harmonia wished to help me. Knowing this, I chose to believe Ahmose and nodded.
“Fine. My mother sent you. Is she alright?”
He studied me, his black eyes gleaming. “Your mother is the most powerful witch in the world. She is fine. But it is not safe for you to seek her currently, yet it is not safe for you to linger in the mortal world unprotected, either.”
“I’m not going to Hades,” I cried determinedly. “Can’t you see that we cannot trust him?”
Ahmose held up a calm hand. “Hush now, young one. I was not speaking of going to Hades or even Zeus. Before your curse is lifted, much will come to pass. You must seek out the third brother, Poseidon. You draw strength from water- so what better place for you to seek refuge than an underwater world? Your mother wishes it so and Poseidon is expecting you. You must trade your bracelet for safe refuge in Poseidon’s world. Your mother has arranged it.”
Confusion swirled around me.
“My mother no longer wishes for me to return to the Underworld? Why not? What has happened? What changed her mind? And my bracelet? I cannot! It is enchanted to save my life. She would never ask me to give it away.”
Ahmose shook his head. “There is no time to discuss it. You must leave here. It is only safe to linger here for a few minutes. The despair will overwhelm you otherwise. Your mother had to barter your bracelet- it is a sign to Poseidon that you trust him, a sign of respect. You must give it to him in exchange for safe refuge. I imagine that he will return it to you when you leave his world. Leave here now, Empusa- but don’t remain too long in the mortal world before you go to Poseidon. Your safety depends upon it.”
He waved his hand and I was suddenly waking up, still curled in the safety of Brennan’s strong arms.
My brow was damp from anxious sweat and I impatiently pushed my hair out of my eyes. That was a strange and intriguing experience at the same time. Why had my mother sent a message through Ahmose rather than just coming herself? Something was going on- and I was sure that I wouldn’t like it if I knew what it was.
I glanced at my watch. The luminous hands said that it was just after 3:00 am. Dreamwalking always took up more time than it seemed. Brennan breathed deeply and evenly, his arms still wrapped securely around me even in sleep. I smiled and brushed his hair back with my fingers. He was boyish as he slept and I couldn’t help but stare at him.
His cheekbones were chiseled, his lashes long. He had a very Roman nose, proud and aqualine. It gave just the right amount of character to his face. His lips were soft and pink and I ached to bend and kiss them.
“So, do it then.”
I startled as he read my mind, then laughed. “You faker. I thought you were sleeping.”
He tightened his embrace around me before he answered. “I was. But I’m a very light sleeper. When you woke up, you woke me up. If you want to kiss me, just do it.”
I pulled away from him so that I was able to freely move. Running my hand along his cheek, I bent my head and kissed him lightly on the mouth. He tasted like youth and sunshine. I couldn’t help but moan into the kiss and he grabbed me again, flattening me against his chest.
“I think I’ve been waiting for you,” I murmured, stroking his collar bone.
“Really?” He eyed me. “For how long?”
“Forever,” I answered quietly. “You were made for me. I know it.”
His breathing quickened and I could hear his heart race. Cautiously, I moved backward a little bit. We couldn’t get carried away.
“No,” he growled, pulling me back to him. “I never want to be away from you again. I’ve only been alive for eighteen years, but when I am with you, I feel ageless… and I start regretting all of the years that you’ve lived without me. I’m jealous of time itself, because it was with you when I wasn’t.”
“Silly mortal,” I laughed. “You’re jealous of time? Don’t be. Time is nothing. We can bend it to our will, laugh at it, stomp on it. You’ll see- once this is over and we ask Zeus for your immortality… you’ll see. Time will fall away.”
“What will happen,” Brennan began, “If something happens to me before that? Will I die like a mortal?”
It felt like my stomach was wrapped in a vise grip at his words and I gasped. “Don’t even say that. Nothing will happen to you. I won’t allow it. And besides, demi’s are harder to injure or kill than a mortal. It would take a lot to hurt you.”
He nodded. “I’m not worried, simply curious. And slightly uncomfortable having my girlfriend protect my life. I need to learn some skills before my manhood gets sucked away.”
I laughed again. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, you’ve got plenty of ‘manhood.’ But you’re right. You need skills. We’ll work on them again in the morning. Well, later in the morning.”
He chuckled and we snuggled even more closely together. I closed my eyes once again. It didn’t matter what we had to face in order to get this curse reversed or to get Zeus to grant Brennan immortality. I would do anything.
* * *
We stood on the top arch of the Gryphon roller coaster hundreds of feet above the ground. We were so high up that the birds sitting below us on the fairway looked like tiny specks. The wind whipped wildly around us and we constantly had to re-balance ourselves on the steel track so that we didn’t fall.
“Why again, are we up here?” Brennan shouted to me as he balanced precariously on the edge. He almost slipped, then righted himself.
“Because you need an incentive. You need to move us from here to the ground so that we don’t fall to our deaths.”
“You won’t die,” he growled.
“True,” I answered cheerfully. “So move us to the ground before you fall to your death.”
He glared at me for a moment, before his brow furrowed in concentration. Far below us, dead leaves rattled as they blew along the ground. Another wind gust buckled my knees and I swayed to combat it, reaching out to hold onto Brennan. There was no way in hell that I would let him fall, but I wasn’t going to announce that. He needed this.
Brennan’s brow remained furrowed for a few minutes longer, then he scowled. “It’s not happening. I’m never going to be able to do it!”
He opened his eyes as we teetered on the thick orange rolled bars of the coaster’s track. I wasn’t scared of heights, but being up here in the wind without anything to hold onto but each other was even making me feel queasy.
“Just put us on the ground,” he urged. “I can practice down there just as easily.”
“No, you can’t,” I answered calmly, swerving into him as the wind blew sharply once more. I readjusted my footing and glancing away from him, I stared at the lake. We could see for miles across it from here, as well as every inch of the amusement park. It seemed so eerie when no one was here.
“Focus. Picture exactly where you want us to be, focus on every minute detail of it. Picture your limbs fading from here…and it will happen.”
His forehead scrunched again as the wind blew his hair away from his face. Long minutes passed and sweat formed on his brow from his heavy concentration.
“You can do it,” I urged quietly, clutching his forearm tightly in the wind.
He opened his eyes. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
I sighed and reached for him. But as I did, I lost my footing. I barely had time to scream before I was suddenly on the ground, scooped into Brennan’s arms.
“What the…” my voice trailed off as I gazed up at him.
“I guess you did give me the incentive,” he mused.
“I didn’t do that on purpose,” I insisted, tightening my grasp around his neck.
“Whatever you say,” he grinned.
“I didn’t. But what a nice result. You saved me from falling and you moved us! Do it again! Put me down and transport yourself somewhere.”
Obligingly, he set me gently down and scrunched his eyes closed. A muscle in his cheek ticked with concentration and within a minute, he was gone. Whirling around, I found him standing on the roof of a nearby maintenance building, grinning like crazy.
I clapped in appreciation and he bowed. Before I could blink, he was standing next to me once again.
“Show off,” I laughed.
“You were right,” he admitted. “It was easy once I broke through my own mental block. I feel like I could do anything right now.”