Turmoil: Book Three of The Shadow Goddess series

Chapter Five: Ryker & Roman's POV

“It’s been two weeks.” Cassius roared at Hades. “You’re a god, this should be Childs’ play for you.” Cassius’s anger was palpable in the air. His aura swelled until the room became insufferable. His eyes bled to red as the black veins trailed from his eyes, down his neck and along his shoulders. His shoulders heaved with his heavy breaths, his body seeming to swell, muscle forming where none had been, his height rising.

“Calm yourself.” Hades chided him. “If I could focus more on her wards and less on the out-of-control vampire god, we could be out of this sooner.”

In two weeks, it seemed like all we done was jump down each other’s throats. There was no peace in our group without Rose. There was no harmony, no reason. We were all like a hoard of wild beasts. Unpredictable, unhinged, angry. Everyone soon heard of Rose’s departure and her reasoning. People now saw her in a new light. Admiring her strength to leave us behind and do what was right for her people. She was being worshiped and she didn’t even know it. She had gained the favor of her realm and knew nothing. It was sad really.

Cassius’s growl tore me from my thoughts. I just rolled my eyes, leaning back against the wall to watch it all go down. Again. Hades and Cassius have been at it like an old married couple since they read Rose’s note. Micha and I just sat on the sidelines and watched. There was nothing we could do to help break the wards. She was a goddess; we were nothing but a vampire and an elf. Hades and Cassius’s were the gods here, and probably the only two able to break whatever hold she had on the wards. If they could just learn to work together that is.

“We don’t have time for any more of this.” Aaron snapped, stepping out from the shadows he so often hid in now. “Your arguing and bickering are getting us nowhere. Shut your mouths and start working together. It’s the only way we even stand a chance to get out of here and back to Rose.”

“And if we can’t find her?” Micha asked softly. It was odd how Rose leaving affected him. He was taking it worse than any of us were. Though we all felt hallow, like we had lost a vital piece of who we are. Micha acted as if he had lost any and all will he may have had. He was allowing himself to waste away into nothing. Rose would be heartbroken if she could see him now.

“We will.” Cassius ground out.

“You need to take better care of yourself Micha.” I told him. “Rose wouldn’t want this. She left to protect us not kill us, and you allowing yourself to waste away like this will break her heart. She wouldn’t want this for you.”

“I know.” He eventually sighed, massaging his temples. “I just hate this. Not knowing if she is okay. Not knowing if she is in pain.”

“We’ll find her.” I assured him. “But you will be no good to her if you don’t take care of yourself. “

Micha looked down at himself. He really looked this time. His face crumpled in shame and disgust. Wordlessly he left the room, pulling his shirt over his head along the way. He must finally be going to take a shower. Good thing too, that elf smelt like a walking trash can. None of us were any better, but at least we all attempted to shower. We all looked ragged. My black hair had grown out in two weeks now grazing the bottom of my ears. I hadn’t shaved so I kind of looked like a demon lumberjack. You know, with my red eyes and everything.

Cassius was a constant ball of anger and nerves. Rose’s loss all but driving him insane. It was like something inside him snapped when the information was actually able to sink in. His blonde hair was long and tangled around his shoulders, his beard growing out almost matching mine. The eyes Rose always spoke about and loved so much were crazed, manic lately with his desperation to reach her. Hades had tried helping him like he did for Rose, but Cassius wasn’t having any of it. He was too mad at the world to care anymore.

Hades stayed eerily calm through everything. It was easy to see the anguish in his eyes though. Eyes that once danced with life around Rose were now dull and empty. Rose was Hades everything. His whole world on one body. She was made for him and when he was finally able to be with her, he only got a little while. Not nearly enough time.

How could we all have been so blind? How could we all be so consumed by our own negative emotions we never noticed how we were affecting her? She would never confront us if we kept away from her. She would automatically assume she did something wrong and give us time. It may have been what we needed, but for what reason? Why did we all get the sudden urge to blame everything on her? To hold her accountable? None of it was her fault, she was a victim just as much as we are. But all of us pushed her away like it was the easiest thing in the world. We were so blind. A loud thud brought me back to the present, my eyes focusing on the two brawling gods.

“ENOUGH!” I shouted, finally having enough of their constant fighting. My outburst had the desired effect. They both stopped, their eyes training and narrowing at me. “You two need to stop acting like children. The two of you are possibly the only two able to find a weakness in Rose’s wards. But that will never happen if you two can’t get along for more than five minutes. We need to stick together to get to Rose. Being divided is only harming us. It’s stopping us from doing what we have to do.”

“You are right.” Hades stood and brushed his clothes off. “We must stop acting like naïve children and focus solely on getting to our mate.”

“Bonded.” Cassius hissed.

“Same thing.” Hades shot back. “A bonded is a mate. A witch’s consort is a mate. All different words with the same meaning.”

“What do we do?” Cassius shook his head, biting down the comment we all knew he wanted to make.

“We do as young Ryker suggested and stick together. We are all apart of Rose, which means we are all in some way apart of the ward as well. In order to break it, we will all have to be involved.”

“That includes Aaron and Micha.” I said, making sure I was heard. “They are bonded to Rose too, though in much different ways.”

“Indeed, they are.” Hades, almost smiled. “Let us gather everyone and talk of ideas.

Roman’s POV

The cottage Rose assigned to me was beautiful. Hardwood floors spread through the kitchen and dining room. A dark coffee colored carpet spread across the living room. A small two-person table all that was in the dining room and a sofa. Love seat and TV all that was in the living room. A door off the side of the living room led to a bedroom with an attached bathroom, making the whole cottage only four rooms in total. Including the kitchen, dining and living room. I wasn’t about to complain though. I have never had my own space. My whole family has always been squished in together like sardines in one house, sometimes one room. So, the space to myself was welcome. I bet Sydney was absolutely loving having her own space too. If Rose wasn’t careful, she would spoil Sydney rotten, just by giving her, her own space.

After the night we had I took a hot shower, feeling the need to scrub the filth of those men off of me. I wish I could scrub my mind too. The awful things they said, tried to do. It was all terrifying and infuriating. I wanted to shift right there and tear them limb from limb. But I have only ever shifted once and haven’t wanted to shift again since. It was like the beast inside me knew we were hiding, that we couldn’t be discovered. So, it slumbered, deep in hibernation.

Until Rose woke him up. I could feel him, just below the surface. His need to be free growing stronger with every passing hour. His desire to go to his shadow goddess making the urge stronger. What even is a shadow goddess anyway? Was my beast insane from so long asleep? Did he lose his mind? I hoped not. Having a half-crazed shifter side would surely end with me in prison. Not someone I wanted to be. Now that he was awake though and his need becoming more fervent, I found myself compelled to follow him. His cries were silently begging me to follow him. So, I did.

Outside the cottage I looked over to where my mom and Sydney were. The lights were off, the home dark. They must have gone to bed early and I didn’t blame them. Sydney especially had a rough day; I was positive she would be traumatized and have nightmares. Nightmares I’m sure only mom could help. She had been in the same situation once, so she understood. I wondered if they were sleeping together tonight. And if they were was it out of fear? Comfort? Or out of routine? Not that it mattered. As long as they were both sleeping, then I couldn’t complain.

Following my hydra’s senses, I moved further into this unknown land. I was led through dense forest until I reached a clearing of sorts. It was large and rectangle shaped. A maze of different tests was spread throughout the clearing. Stones and tree trunks were set to the side as make shift benches. The moon glowed brightly, casting a silver eerie glow. It felt like the shadows of the trees were reaching for me. The sensation made me shutter.

There in the center of the clearing was Rose and others I never knew were here with us. A woman stood by her side. Regal looking in her white gown and flowing black hair. She oozed power just as Rose did just not as strong or as potent. Rose was talking animatedly the gathered group, her arms flailing around in the air as she spoke. There were at least Three hundred people gathered around her. Which was saying something to how big the clearing was. Even from my vantage point I couldn’t hear them, and there was at least a football field away. Being a hydra, my sense was innately heightened, but it meant nothing now. It was like they were existing within a bubble all their own.

The people were all standing tall in front of her, like she was commanding solders. But there also seemed to be three distinct groups involved. Their separation obvious in not only where and how they stood, but how they looked. And all three groups seemed to have approximately one hundred people. Odd how the numbers were so evened out.

The first group all had similar features, though were starkly different at the same time. Their skin was pale ivory, and all of their eyes seemed to glow from within in a wide range of different colors. The men dwarfed all the women in height. Their build was lean and muscular, no doubt their clothes hiding the powerful bodies that lay beneath. The woman was all smaller, though nowhere near dainty. Their bodies were just as powerful looking. And all of them held an aura of power. Though none of them anything like the couple that stood before each group. The man was tall and well built, his pale skin and dark hair making him look more the traditional vampire. His eyes were a bright gold color that honestly took me completely off guard. The woman was smaller of course, her stature engulfed by the man at her side. She was pale with dark brown hair and green eyes.

The second group was much the same. Except the women were much daintier. They were all small, none of them taller than about five foot three. The men stood taller, but no less muscular than the first group. The only real difference between the two were their clothes and skin tones. The second groups skin was darker, though barely. And their clothes looked more like cloaks compared the first groups all black clothing. The two in front of this group stood much the same. A Tall man dwarfing a smaller woman. The man having blonde hair and the woman having more of a sandy color. I couldn’t tell their eyes from here. They didn’t seem to glow like the first groups.

The last group was like day to the other two groups night. Their skin ranged from deep bronze to beautiful espresso and chestnut. Their hair was all dark colors. Deep browns, light blacks and some had hair so black it blended with the night around us. Just like the first two the clothes were different. This group wearing casual clothes. Jeans, leggings, T-shirts, skirts. Definitely more modern than any of the others. And the couple leading this group was the very definition of a power couple. The man stood tall; shoulders squared. His massive frame was nothing short of herculean. He had bronze skin and short cropped brown hair, but I couldn’t tell you an eye color. The woman was the epitome of grace and poise. She stood just tall beside her companion, her chin jutting out. She was one of them that had that beautiful chestnut toned skin. Her black hair flowed down her back to her hips.

All of them, from all three groups were beautiful and powerful. I could feel their power from here as it mixed with Rose and the women beside her. Though from all of them Rose’s power, her aura stood out. It was like the aurora borealis among flashlights. None compared to her. Honestly it scared me. How could one woman be so powerful? So beautiful? She just didn’t seem real. I hadn’t known I was so lost in my thoughts until a hand wrapped around the back of my neck. It was gentle, but firm.

“Hasn’t your mother ever taught you not to eavesdrop?” Rose’s voice chirped, her tone firm but holding an odd sense of amusement.

“I…I didn’t mean to.” I told her honestly. “I was following my hydra’s senses and it led me here.” I rushed to explain.

“And what is it your beast is looking for?” She asked, letting go of my neck and stepping away from me. The loss of her body heat against my back making me sigh in relief. Rose might be beautiful, but I never wanted to be that close to her during such circumstances again. She was utterly terrifying.

“I don’t know. Someone called the shadow goddess.” I shook my head, rubbing the back of my neck where she had gripped me. My nerves making my hands shake and my voice tremble. Sounding so weak in front of her made shame fill me. Her body seemed to tense at my words. Her lips pressed to a thin line and irritation filled her eyes.

“I just can’t catch a break.” Rose murmured to herself running a hand down her face. When she looked at me again all the pain from the first time, I saw her was back. Her entire body seemed to slump under the weight of it. I again found myself wanting to help ease her pain, though I didn’t know how. “I am the shadow goddess.” She finally told me. “Don’t ask, it’s a long story. Let’s just say my transition was a gift of sorts from the gods.”

I just stared after her as she turned and made her way back to the group who was now staring at me in a mixture of curiosity, irritation and anger. The woman who stood by Rose was just looking on in curiosity, a small smile tilting the corners of her lips.

“Come on Roman. You might as well join us.” Rose waved me over to where she stopped halfway between me and the groups. I stepped forward hesitantly, not knowing what to expect. Logic told me she wouldn’t save my life and bring me here just to kill me. But the rest of me was screaming at me to turn and run. And I wanted to. I wanted to turn around and run like the hounds of hell was on my heels. But I didn’t want to show anymore weakness in front of Rose. Not only because it would be a hit to my pride, but because my hydra was all but purring in the back of my mind. He fought me to free himself so he could greet his goddess. I didn’t know what this little meeting was about and maybe I didn’t want to know. But no matter how I felt I knew I was about to, and something told me this conversation was going to change my life forever.