Turmoil: Book Three of The Shadow Goddess series

Chapter Ten: Hades POV

“She is earth bound again.” I said, standing from where we had all been waiting. Rose had been in the underworld far longer than I was comfortable with. The anxiety within me was tightening my chest as I tried to figure out what was there that would possibly make visit. She had made sure I would never have to go back, then she goes herself. Knowing I couldn’t go after her. Was it done on purpose? Did she ward the underworld so I would never have to return to the prison I had been locked in? Or did she do it so she would be able to go there undisturbed? Surely it was the former. I knew Rose loved me, loved us. I had to believe she did it because she had my best interest at heart. I mean she did pull me out, breaking the chains that Zeus had put on me.

I shook my head, once again ashamed of myself. I was doubting her again. Questioning her motives. I knew she loved us and only wanted to keep us safe. I knew she was protecting me from being sent back. She was gaining control of her goddess powers quickly, and understanding how they work. And she was doing all of this on her own. I wanted to be there with her when she gained full control. I wanted to celebrate her accomplishments and share in her joy. I wondered if she was feeling any kind of joy or if she was just as miserable as we were.

“Can you find her?’ Cassius hissed. The vampire god has allowed his power to overtake him. Allowed his anger and hurt to fuel his power. If he wasn’t careful, he would go dark, his power no longer able to tell right from wrong. He had already attempted to kill himself, using Belle, Rose’s dragon friend as his method. Eventually he accepted he couldn’t die and went just to feel the pain of the fire. He was willing to feel anything, anything other than the hurt and pain from Rose leaving us. I was worried what he would do if or when we found her.

“You need to gain control of yourself Cassius.” I told him. “In your state of mind, you could harm her if we find her.”

He growled, his eyes turning crimson. “I would never hurt Rose.”

“You already have.” I pointed out. “We all have.”

“A mistake.” He grit through his teeth.

“Your anger is consuming you Cassius.” Micha steppe forward and spoke calmly. “If you allow yourself to continue down this path, your anger towards her for her leaving will urge you to harm her. Your baser instincts forcing you to hunt.”

“I would never hunt her. She is not prey.” He huffed, but I could see as the argument settled and our words reached him. His crimson eyes turned back to their blue, the black veins receding until there was nothing left. Eventually his shoulders slumped as if a weight had landed on his shoulders. When he looked up at me, his eyes were empty of emotion, a pit of nothingness. “Can you find her?” He whispered, anguish lacing his words.

“I can try and get a sense on her power.” I told him gently, not wanting to set him off again. He just nodded and stepped away from me to give me room. I closed my eyes and focused on her and my need to find her. It had been weeks, months even since she left us. My sole purpose was to find her and reunite with the woman I loved. I didn’t just want to find her. I needed to find her. For me, for the others. We couldn’t survive much longer without her. She was our heart, our spirit. She was our purpose. Without her, we were nothing.

As the thoughts passed my mind a bright light shone in my mind, her power signature flaring to life in my mind’s eyes. Upon closer inspection I noticed she was in the middle of the ocean. I furrowed my brow as I opened my eyes and looked over the others. “I found her. But the location doesn’t make sense. It says she is in the middle of the ocean,”

“Do you think she is with Poseidon?” Aaron asked as he stepped forward.

“No.” I shook my head firmly. “She doesn’t like or approve of him. I fully believe she would kill him if they spent any amount of time together.”

“You think she is ready to kill a god?” Ryker asked.

“I do not know. I haven’t seen her in months. I would have to assess her power when we find her.”

“Fine.” Phoenix’s deep voice echoed. “let’s get to her. I can’t stand another second without her by my side.”

“Grab hands.” I instructed; my power focused on that location in my mind. When I felt all of our power connect my power washed over us moving us through the in-between. I didn’t notice it until it was too late. A barrier surged before us and we bounced off of it harshly before we were dropped in the middle of the ocean.

“What the hell was that?” Phoenix rasped, spitting water from his mouth.

“A shield, or barrier. Much stronger than what had trapped us in the palace.” My power surged as I levitated out of the ocean and approached the barrier carefully. I placed my hand on it, power and electricity jolting through me making me jerk my hand away from it. I knew this power. Supernaturals who wanted to get in would bounce off the barrier as of they’d hit a wall. Humans who tried to pass through would just teleport from one side to the other, them staying none the wiser of whatever was inside it. A very complicated and advanced skill, but the magic was no doubt Rose’s. She has done well for herself.

“Rose has placed a barrier against not only us but any supernatural or god who tries to enter. No one can get in without her allowing it, not even me.” I informed them from where I levitated.

“So, we’re screwed.” Aaron huffed, skimming the water so her stayed afloat.

“No.” I shook my head. “With us trying to teleport inside the barrier she will be alerted that someone tried to break into the barrier.”

“So, she’ll come and investigate.” Cassius said, a small barely their flicker of hope in his eyes. I felt for him. While Rose’s absence was anguish, it seemed to be killing Cassius. If the man could die, he’d already be gone and Rose would be destroyed.

“Yes. She will come and investigate. And three things I know for certain. She will be extremely angry. She won’t be alone. And once she sees it is us, she very well could break down. How I don’t know. She could succumb to pain from being away from us. Defeat for failing to keep us behind her protection. Anger for us breaking free. Or all three. But her reaction to seeing us will not be joy.” I told them sadly.

“You don’t think she’ll be happy to see us?’ Ryker’s voice was timid.

“I think deep down she will be thrilled to see us. But on the surface, everything she’s done to protect us, to keep us safe, and us fighting against her will hurt her. It will make her feel like she’s failed us. Then it will make her feel as if her sacrifice was for nothing.”

“You don’t even know if she’s in pain from being away from us.” Cassius’s voice was harsh.

“No, but I know.” Micha spoke up, his shadows keeping him safely above the water. “There have been times, very few that her pain has slipped through the bond she created with me. Her pain outweighs ours ten to one. That small flash, not even two second of her pain was enough to bring me to my knees. The separation she has placed between us is torturing her. I fear she will not be the same Rose she was when she left.”

“Why are you just now mentioning this?” Phoenix growled, steam starting to rise from his body from the heat of his phoenix fire.

“Because whether she knows it, wants it or not. She needs us and we need her. We complete each other. Being separated will do nothing but weaken us, weaken her.” He said with so much assurance the truth of it pierced my heart.

I stiffened when I felt the power approach from behind me, from behind the barrier. I turned slowly, just in time to see a hole open in the barrier leading to what I could only assume was a paradise like island beyond. But the two figures who stood before me completely consumed my vision, my heart in my throat. Rose, her power far greater than when she departed. Her auburn hair longer, and her purple/blue eyes hardened. The person beside her had fear trickling down my spine. Cronus, my father. He stood regally beside her as if they were equals, looking no different than when he was banished. It was at the sight of him I knew why Rose went to the underworld. She released the titans, recruited them into her army. Where the idea was great, she couldn’t control them, no one could.

“Hello son.” My father’s voice boomed, the air vibrating around me. “Such a surprise to see you.” He arched a brow before turning to Rose. “I thought you said they were tucked safely behind a barrier at the palace.” Rose’s eyes remained on us, her face emotionless, her eyes empty. What has she done to herself? What have we done to her?

“They were.” She finally said, her voice cold. This made Cronus furrow his brow and look over to her.

“They broke your barrier?” He asked. “How?”

“Their blood. I felt the barrier snap.” She told him, her eyes still on us.

“Do we let them in?” He asked. I was totally dumbfounded on how they interacted. They acted as if they were friends, like they’ve known each other for years instead of hours. And how she was able to control him in this way was confusing. My father listened to no one, never asked for permission. But with Rose, he was respecting her, asking her permission. He was almost acting subservient to her. How?

“I can’t very well leave them out here in the middle of the ocean.” She said, a flicker of the anguish Micha spoke of in her eyes and voice. “Escort them in, give them one of the empty cottages at the edge of the island.”

“Very well baby goddess.” Cronus responded before shadow consumed her and she was gone. “Come on boys, time to go.” Cronus said, his voice changing from the soft almost gentle way he spoke to Rose to the angry and terrifying one he would usually use.

My father waved his hand and we were all trapped within his power being dragged along behind him like dogs on a leash. I didn’t fight it; I knew it was pointless. When we crossed the barrier, the hole that opened snapped shut, leaving us trapped within it. I was completely stunned at the sight we walked into. People milled around everywhere. Hundreds of people. Some trained, I could see the skill in their fighting, the sheer determination and hunger for battle in their eyes. Others watched, trying to learn as they analyzed each move the fighters made. In the very center of the fighting was Atlas. He was training them. Another titan in which Rose recruited and somehow was controlling. Whenever someone made a mistake, he would correct them. Not harshly like he did with us, but also not gently. He knew they would never learn if he was gentle.

Power thrummed from the very essence of the island; Rose’s power suffocatingly strong. She had somehow created this island. Brough it into existence as if it had always been here. Even the cottages that dotted the island pulsed with her power. All of this. The island, the homes, everything was a production of Rose’s power. How had she gained access to so much of her power in such a short amount of time? She couldn’t possibly have figured out how to do this all on her own, could she?

“Your mate is a special one.” My father spoke startling me. “She wrangled seven of us titans like it was nothing. But your arrival has done something to her.” His voice hardened. “We have all grown quite fond of her in the short time we’ve known her. All of us have taken a blood oath not to harm you Hades, and out of respect we will not harm the others. But if any of you hurt her, there are others here that will not hesitate to make you an example. Rose has created three of her own races, her own children so to speak. They are powerful, very powerful. They are also very loyal to their goddess. I suggest you all tread carefully.”

“Her own race of supernaturals? You mean like Nyx and the werewolves?” Ryker asked.

“Yes, just the same.” Cronus responded like he didn’t just blow all of our minds. Rose has truly exceeded in gaining control of her power.

“Where is she?” Cassius asked as he thrashed against Cronus’s hold.

“I do not know. No one here tries to keep up with her coming and going. Though whenever she is upset, she goes to her brother.”

“Brother?” Micha asked.

“Ah, yes. You don’t know. Well apparently, her father had forced himself on a woman before he found his mate, Rose’s mother. The woman got pregnant, resulting in a hydra offspring.” Cronus answered lightly, clearly thrilled to know something we didn’t. It was becoming apparent there was a lot we no longer knew about her.

"Hydras are extinct, everyone knows that.” Aaron fumed.

“No. There are three remaining, and all three reside here on her island. Beautiful, isn’t it? Rose’s island is truly a wonder to behold. She has out done herself.”

No one answered. All of us still reeling from the knowledge of Rose having a brother. From the knowledge that somehow, she had managed to find the only three hydras left in the world and brought them here. That is not including the knowledge of her having created her own children.

“Ah, here we are.” Cronus released us from his power as he turned to face us. “This is where you will all be staying. There are six homes here, one for each of you. You are all to remain here until she is ready to see you. Ah, Prometheus. What are you doing here?” Cronus asked, as I felt the power rise behind me.

“They need to be watched.” My uncle’s hard voice came from behind me.

“Vision brother?” Cronus smirked, his eyes back on us.

“Yes.” Was all he said before turning and walking away.

“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.” My father waved his finger at us. “Shame. Such a shame.” Cronus eyes went unfocused for a second before focusing back on us. A malicious smile dancing across his face. “Your realms new executioner will be watching over you.” My father said, a odd giddiness in his voice.

“These the ones who need watching?” The woman’s voice made my blood freeze. Rose truly brough the most powerful and ruthless titans back. How could she be so careless?

“One in the same.” He laughed. “Have fun with Iapetus boys.” My father trilled, before vanishing from sight. A deep regret was forming in the pit of my stomach. Doubts ravaged my mind. We shouldn’t have left the safety of the palace. Rose had clearly went insane in the time we were apart. No. I shouldn’t doubt Rose anymore. We would break through to her, we would get her back. She put herself through hell for us. The least we could do was bring her back.