Turmoil: Book Three of The Shadow Goddess series

Chapter Nineteen

It took no time fort he griffin to get back to me with Atlas, Cronos, Hyperion and Prometheus. All of them held expressions of anger and impatience as they glared at the griffin. That is until their eyes landed on me and where the griffin was leading them. The poor thing must still be too wound up to shift back. He really needed to if we were going to get to where we needed to go. He needed to tell me where we were going. Sure, I could go by the few images he gave me, but we wouldn’t end up exactly where the attack was taking place. We would be on the outskirts where the children were being led.

“Rose, what’s going on?” Cronus asked, passing the snorting griffin.

“I’m not sure. The griffin got some kind of mind signal. A distress beacon of sorts. His clan is being attacked by three gods. Zeus and two others. There are children involved. Many children. A woman led them into the forest but I can’t let Zeus kill them. Cronus, I watched as Zeus burned people alive. We have to get to them. I called you here to help. This may not be the battle where we end him, but it may be the one where we get some of his allies.” I stared at his intently trying to gauge any kind of emotion deep within his green eyes. “Are you in?”

“Yes.” His answer was instant and without thought. Totally and completely trusting. I couldn’t help the smile and swell of pride I felt that such a powerful creature trusted me so completely. That he was so willing ton stand by my side, fight by my side. It was surreal.

“Then let’s go.” I turned back to the griffin. “Are you coming?” I asked. The creature growled, his upper lip curling over his teeth exposing his fangs. “I can only get us to where the children were because that’s all I saw. Without you in your human form to tell me where we’re going, I can only go to where I saw.”

The griffin bowed its head, the sound between a mix of a whine and a growl leaving its throat. I knew he wanted to help, but I also knew he was unable to. He helped all he could. But once we got to where we were going, I knew he would fight to his dying breath to protect what remained of his people. I just hoped there were people left there to protect. I hated what he saw, but I also hate what we’re about to walk into. What he was about to see. This was his clan, his family. People he or she left behind to fight in a war to protect. But somehow the war found its way to his clan’s doorstep. And I knew he would never forgive himself for leaving. And there was nothing I could say that would help ease the pain.

I walked closer to the griffin and placed my hand on his nose. “Are you sure about this?” I whispered. “This won’t be easy. You will see things that will haunt you for the rest of your life. Things you won’t be able to unsee.” I warned him. “These are your people.” The griffin snorted, pressing his muzzle into my chest and nuzzling gently. “Very well.” I turned to everyone else. Looking over everyone else. My men, my created children, the titans. Everyone who decided they were joining me. All of us against three gods. You would think it would be easy. But the sinking feeling I had in my gut told me that this would be anything but.

“When I open the portal Ryker, Micha and Ambrose I need all of you to go and find the children. They are hiding in the forest. Cronus, Atlas, Hyperion, Prometheus, Hades, Cassius, Phoenix, Aaron, and the griffin we are all going to the village to save as many people as we can and to fight off the gods. The gods are not out main priority today. We fight them back, get them to leave the village. Today our priority is saving lives. Are we clear?” I looked over the crowed, many disappointed faces looked back at me but no one spoke against me. “I said, are we clear?” I hardened my voice.

“Yes your majesty.” Their voices echoed around me.

“Good. Now let’s go.” I turned away from them, picturing the forest the griffin showed me and pulled my power to me. I felt it flow through my body like a living thing, bringing my body to life as the portal swirled to life in front of us. The scene on the other side of the portal showed the forest opening where the woman lead the children. “Go.” I whisper yelled, urging everyone forward. “We’ll all meet back here when we’re finished.”

Everyone rushed through the portal. The screams splitting the air reached us first. The smell of burning flesh and smoke surrounded us making my stomach turn. The griffin squawked angrily, but the sadness in his eyes was unmistakable. We instantly split up some rushing through the forest while the rest of us followed the griffin. It didn’t take us long to reach the village. And even though I saw what was happening through the griffin’s mind, it could never could have prepared me to see it in person. And this before me now was so much worse.

Bile rose in my throat and I had to cover my mouth with my hand to keep from throwing up. I felt Cassius’s hand lightly touch the small of my back silently lending me his support. But even his touch couldn’t give me comfort. Bodies charred and burnt beyond recognition lay scattered over the ground. Buildings still burning so hot I could feel the flames from the top of the hills, while screams wailed from inside. Men and women were trying to get inside some of the burning buildings to get to their loved ones, but couldn’t get through the front doors. I could see women screaming on their knees in front of some of the homes while men held them to their sides.

Others were hurt, bleeding out on the ground or missing limbs while they were being tended to by anyone who was willing to help. Through all of this though I noticed that the gods were no longer here. Anger surged through me when I noticed this. I wanted to kill the female gods Zeus had with him. I wanted to tear them apart in front of him. Punish them for what they done to these people. Something told me though that Zeus would be back. He wasn’t done this little village. His plan was to kill all supernaturals, and people here were still alive. He wouldn’t leave survivors.

“We have to help them.” I ran down the hill, not caring if anyone was following me. I did know the griffin was by me though. He wasted no time following me and staying by my side the entire way.

“Thank god. Your majesty please.” A woman sobbed. “Help me. My daughter.” She wailed. “She’s still inside.” I looked over to the burning house, it was almost completely consumed in flames.

“I’ll try.” I told her. I searched within myself, bringing Poseidon’s power to the forefront of myself. Water rushed to me from all over. I could feel it coming from the wells the people had all over the village. From the stream in the woods. I could feel water drawn to me from a lake a few miles away. All of it was pulled to me, surging to me under the power of my call.

Though I felt all the water I didn’t know just how much had answered my call. A tsunami of water barged towards us from all directions Never having called so much to me before controlling it was hard, harder than I thought it would be. But I knew I couldn’t focus it all on this one house. It was more than enough to put out the fires in the entire village. Taking a deep breath I lifted the water high into the air, spreading the water over the entire village until there was a cloud of nothing but water shadowing the village.

I had to ignore the whispered awes, and gasps of shock. The murmurs turn into white noise, my concentration solely on the water as allow the bottom layer to drop, soaking the entire village and everything and everyone within it. The fires sizzle and hiss, some extinguishing while others still blaze with less life. My body with the strain of holding the water as I allowed the middle layer to drop. Little by little I dropped the water until all the fires were out and the air around us was filled with smoke and ash.

I dropped to my knees as people started rushing around in and out of houses trying to get to whomever had been trapped inside. I had done what I could, all I could do was hope it was enough. The strain of holding onto one gods power for so long has taken its toll. I had never tried to focus so much of one gods power before, and I will never do it again. It took way too much from me. I would never be able to fight in this state. I needed rest. I couldn’t sleep, but I still needed rest.

“Rose!” Cronus’s shout caught my attention, making me turn towards him. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. It just took a lot out of me is all. Do we know how many we saved?” I asked, turning from him and looking around.

“No, not yet. But we can’t stay much longer. We have to go. Zeus will be back soon and you’re in no position to fight him or any other god.”

“You’re right. I’m not.” I agreed. “Gather everyone together, tell them we need to go.” Cronos nodded once and ran towards the crowd of people in town. So many people, so many lost. But at least we saved some. At least not all were lost. That’s all we could hope for right now. Save who we could until the final battle reaches us.

A crack of thunder split through the sky and my stomach dropped. I didn’t have to look up to know what it meant. I didn’t have to ask; I could feel the power. I could feel the vileness in the air. I was surrounded by my people in seconds, being pulled to my feet by Hades. We all stood side by side in what some would see as an impenetrable line. But we all knew better. Me, Cassius and Hades and the titans were the only truly immortal ones here. The others could easily be killed, and the knowledge made chills run down my spine.

“Look who we have here.” A sickly sweet voice trilled.

“Hera.” Cronus hissed.

“Hello father. What an unexpected surprise.” She sneered. Her eyes moving to me. “I guess we have you to thank for his return?” She questioned. I didn’t answer, just glared at her. She didn’t deserve an answer. She didn’t deserve an explanation. She deserved death for what she did here and nothing more. Screw her and her inflated ego.

“Father.” Zeus growled taking his place beside Hera “What are you doing here?”

“I am here to help destroy you like I should have done to begin with.” Cronos hissed through his teeth. “You’ve taken your greed too far Zeus. Your need for power has driven you mad.”

“Says the titan who swallowed his children.” Zeus laughed.

“I never swallowed my children. That’s a sick and demented lie you’ve told throughout the ages to make you and your brothers look like heroes. You and the others titan’s children rose against us, poisoned us to weaken us and threw us into a prison of your making. One only the god killer could free us from.”

“And I see that she has.” Zeus’s hate filled gaze fell to me. “She is nothing but a thorn in my side. It’s about time we got rid of her.”

“You couldn’t even if you wanted to.” I growled. “You all made sure of that when you created me. Thanks for that by the way.” I said sarcastically. “You all probably should have thought that through before you created me. I CAN’T die, I can’t be killed. But guess what?” I said, my voice falling into a deathly quiet tone. “You can.”

I knew I was too weak to take on Zeus. But Hera? While they weren’t expecting it? Yeah, I could take her. Within one blink of an eye and the next I called Zeus’s power to me, just to be spiteful and threw it at Hera, hitting her square in the chest just where her heart was. Her ear-splitting scream echoed through the air as she flew several yards back head over heels. My own power came to me as I cast a barrier over the people around me to protect them.

Somehow with a mind of its own my power lifted Hera’s prone form from the ground and drew her back towards us. I watched in shock, not sure what was happening because it wasn’t me that was controlling it right now. If my power had grown to have a mind of its own, we were screwed. Or maybe it was running off my emotions because I was murderous right now as images of what they did to these people flickered through my mind.

Zeus’s eyes were wide with fury, horror and fear as Hera’s body stopped before him. And I mean right in front of him. Then, right before everyone’s eyes. She turned to ash. Just poof. Nothing left. My eyes widened at the sight. I was frozen in shock and confusion. While I was thrilled, I had accomplished one of my tasks I was concerned how it had been done.

“You’ll pay for that.” Zeus roared, his body trembling with rage.

“Go to hell Zeus.” I screamed, my eyes snapping to his. “You’ve done enough damage already. Thinking back to the academy I snapped my fingers and he was gone. Banished to either Olympus or the underworld, I’m not sure which. “Come, we need to go. Now. I don’t know how long he’ll be gone.” I quickly formed a portal back to the island and rushed everyone inside. I knew if the war hadn’t officially started, it did now. There was no way Zeus was going to let me killing his wife go.