Descendant of Darkness - Chapter Three
Araceli felt arms wind around her waist, someone pulling her back away from the shards. Two people emerged from the door, both smiling widely at their triumphant entry. Arcadian and Iris stared at Araceli, eyes wild, as they surveyed the room. Iris moved to the left as Arcadian went right, trying to make her feel surrounded. The arm around her waist was the only thing that held her still or she would have bolted right after seeing it was them that had intruded Hades’s home.
“What do we have here?” Iris sang, looking from Araceli to the person behind her. “A god protecting a child of darkness? Now isn't that a new sight. Never though I’d see the day where a god would protect one of father's children.”
“It isn't because she's father's child,” Arcadian hissed, voice full of venom. He glared at his older sister, eyes full of hatred and blood lust. “It's because her mother is their precious Lady Corrine. That pathetic woman hasn't shone up once during her only child's life and why? Because her child is as horrible as she is.”
“Don't speak ill of my mother,” Araceli replied. She felt the arm around her tighten and she chanced a glance behind her. Hades was glaring at her younger two siblings, obviously angry at them destroying his house. Looking back to her siblings, she frowned. “How did you even get in here? Hades keeps everything locked up.”
Smirking, Iris crossed her arms. “Even his defenses can't stand up to the ruthless icy powers that I possess. Just one weak spot and I can break into anything. All we had to do was heat things up first. And Arcadian is fully capable of doing just that.”
“You speak of me as if I'm some lowly flamethrower.” Arcadian glanced sideways at Iris before turning his attention back to Araceli. “Now, if you'll be so kind as to step outside, we can finish our fight from before.” Beckoning to the broken door behind him, Arcadian smiled. “Or will we have to destroy more of Hades’s elegant home just to prove our point?”
Right on cue, Iris shot a burst of ice toward the chandelier hanging above the coffee table. The chain holding all of the weight froze solid before it creaked and shattered, the chandelier falling to the floor and spraying thousands of glass shards all over the floor. The only thing that remained of the coffee table was splintered wood lying under the mangled bronze and silver of the chandelier frame. “Sorry, I hate waiting.”
“Araceli,” Hades whispered, keeping his eye on the two intruders. “Go upstairs and awaken the twins. I'll keep them down here for now.”
“No, I’m not leaving you with them.” Araceli kept her voice just as low, the confusing looks on her siblings' faces making her smile. “They're absolutely lethal, Hades. God or not, they'll find a way to kill you. Everyone has a weakness and as much as I’d love to believe that you don't have one that they would know of, they probably do.”
Arcadian sighed, rubbing his temple. “I'm getting very impatient, Araceli. Come with us now, or a dear friend of yours will pay dearly for your mistake.”
Frowning, Araceli couldn't help but reply to him. “My friend? I don't have any friends, Arcadian. I isolated myself since you killed my classmate five years ago.”
“Oh, but you do have a friend, sister dear.” Iris cackled, holding her hand out toward Arcadian. He held his hand up level with hers and they used a tiny portion of their power together. It formed an orb that soon morphed into a mirror. The person it showed made Araceli’s breath catch in her throat.
“Athena? How can you have Athena? She's at home.” She felt some small part of her wanting to cave and go with them, but she held her ground. It was hard not to since Hades still had one arm around her. For some reason, him being that close gave her strength. It calmed her like the sound of the wind. Something felt right about being there, about being so close to Hades that she could hear his heart beating. The sound was steady, strong, as it hummed next to hers.
“She was at home. While Arcadian was waiting for you at that factory, I was able to sneak into Athena’s home. It was a small challenge considering Artemis and Apollo were there. But once they left and took off after you, she made an easy target. If you don't come with us, I'll make sure she suffers a very painful death.” Iris watched Araceli carefully, trying to discern any emotion on her face. When her sister remained unemotional, she turned to Arcadian. “Release them, brother.”
Nodding once, Arcadian held his hand up. Flames erupted from his palm, swirling around until they turned black. He turned toward the mirror, placing his hand next to the pane before pushing it inside. A shadow dropped from his hand, followed by two more. They grew into three shadow demons, similar to the one Araceli had fought.
“One word from me and they'll rip her apart. They don't particularly like sharing their meals,” Arcadian explained. He turned his attention back to Araceli as he withdrew his hand from the mirror. “One snap and they'll attack. Once they do that, I'll be sure to withdraw my command over them. You can only command the shadow demons once and when that connection is broken, you can't stop them.”
Araceli watched as he held out his hand, fingers pressed together, waiting for Iris to give him the word. That's when it hit her. Arcadian said they listen to a child of darkness. Well, she was one, too, right? Her having her father's blood running through her veins automatically made her a child of darkness. Sure, her mother's blood most likely diluted it to some extent, but it was worth a shot. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine just the shadows and herself existing in the same space.
I call upon the powers of darkness, she thought to herself. It felt weird, but she was willing to try anything to save Athena. After all, Athena saved her and raised her. She owned it to the goddess to do everything she could to keep her alive. My father is King Seriphus, the ruler of your world. I need your help. I know you live off of fear and destruction, but listen to me. The woman my brother wants you to attack, she raised me. She's important to me.
“Do it, Arcadian,” Iris commanded.
Araceli’s eyes flashed open as Arcadian snapped. “No!” Her hand flew out, the shadows looking at her, red eyes glowing brightly against their black silhouettes. “You will not harm her!”
Iris watched as the shadows remained still, staring at Araceli instead of attacking Athena. “What are you fools doing? Attack Athena at once!” When they still refused to move, she growled at them. “Do as I say! Arcadian, make them attack her!”
“I can't. As soon as I gave my order, I released my hold on them. I was going to close the mirror to the other realm if they turned on us.” Arcadian looked to Araceli, suddenly gasping. “It's you! They're obeying you!” He pointed at her, eyes wide.
“How can she control them, brother? She isn't even one of us.” Iris glowered at her, eyes conveying her hatred. “It's impossible for her to control something like that.”
“No, it isn't.” Araceli smiled. “Shadows, you will return to the Dark Kingdom, where you belong. Once the gods and goddesses of Olympia okay it, you will get your own world where you can be free from those who seek to use you. You will be your own masters, your own people.”
Iris watched in horror as the shadows left, one by one. She let out an ear-splitting shriek, staring back at Araceli. “You! I'll kill you!” She lunged at her older sister, eyes crazed. “You've ruined everything with your existence! From this day forward, you will cease to exist!”
Araceli was ready for a head to head fight, but Hades jumped backward, pulling her with him. “Go upstairs, Araceli. Get Artemis and Apollo. We'll leave this place and go somewhere else for the time being.”
Frowning, Araceli watched as the mirror showing Athena slowly vanished. She nodded once before turning without Hades toward the stairs. She hurried over to them, hating the thought of leaving him with her out of control sister. But he gave her an order and she was going to follow it this time. Reaching the stairs, she ran up them, throwing open the small door to the second floor. Looking around frantically, she followed her instinct on which rooms the twins were most likely in. She threw open the third door on the right, the one marked with a sun, and found Apollo asleep on his bed. Clouds covered the walls over the blue paint and everything inside the room reminded her of bright, sunny days. Remembering in the back of her mind that most myths associated Apollo with the sun, she ran over to the bed. It was rather easy to wake him up.
“Araceli?” he mumbled, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “What is it? What's wrong?”
“Arcadian and Iris broke their way in here. Hades is downstairs with them now. Go help him while I wake up Artemis.” She didn’t wait for an answer as she fled the room. Icy cold air flew up from the trapdoor in the floor. Shivering slightly, she opened the door marked with a moon, rolling her eyes at the corniness of it all. It was right across the hall from Apollo’s room, too, which made things a little cheesier. She hurried to Artemis’s side, shaking her shoulder.
Sitting up, Artemis, blinked, looking up at Araceli. “What? Is Hades being mean to you?” she asked, yawning.
“No, but he's in trouble. My brother and sister are downstairs, fighting him. I sent Apollo down before us. We have to go help them!” Araceli pulled Artemis from her bed, dragging her by her wrist from the room. They rushed down the trapdoor, returning to the first floor. Everything was quiet, no one in sight. The furniture was overturned, singed in places and frozen in others. “Something doesn't feel right.”
Artemis stayed close by Araceli’s side, scanning the room. Taking another step forward, she frowned. “It's doesn't seem like anyone is here.” She looked around a little more. “Apollo? Hades? Where are you guys?”
“Move!” Apollo shouted, shoving Artemis out of the way. He grabbed Araceli’s arm and jumped back, fire and ice hitting the floor where they had been standing. “Hades, they're behind the couch!”
Hades moved from his place behind the door, scepter in his hand as he advanced. The orb was glowing, the bluish purple fires inside it swirling around. “Get Araceli out of here.” He swung the scepter as Iris stood up, the flames emerging from it burning her arm. She fell back against the wall, holding her injured arm close to her body. “This is what happens when you don't heed my warnings!” He pun, the scepter spiraling before he held it out in front of himself. “Fires of the underworld, come forth and claim your prize. This soul, as twisted as it may be, will serve me well.”
“Get down!” Arcadian grabbed Iris by the arm, yanking her down as the fires hit the wall. They crawled against them, the paint peeling off to reveal stone beneath it. “We have to get you out. These flames, they'll search for you until they find you. We'll have to find a way to kill Hades to stop it.” Holding tightly onto his sister's hand, Arcadian ran for the door.
Araceli placed a hand on Apollo’s shoulder, stopping him from following them. “Let them go for now.” She looked down at Artemis, offering a hand to help her up. “We have to leave, go somewhere they won't have access to.”
“I know of only a few places they won't be able to reach us,” Hades stated. “One, was supposed to be here. But, as we can all see, my home is destroyed because of them.” He frowned as his ruined furniture before sighing in defeat. “Zeus isn't going to like hearing of this.”
“So don't tell him.” Artemis offered a nervous smile. “He doesn't have to know everything, right? We can leave out some minor details. They're so unimportant that they aren’t even minor details.”
“We aren’t lying to your father.” Hades ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it before looking at Apollo. “Get the bag I keep in the kitchen. We have to leave at once.”
Araceli watched as Apollo did as he was instructed. She looked at Artemis’s uneasy expression before looking at Hades. “Where are we going?”
“As I said before, there's only a few places that they can't reach us. One was here, the second is the underworld.”
“And the third place?” She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach before Hades even replied. It only made matters worse when he looked at her. His face was pale, his expression nearly unreadable as he finally spoke.
“Olympia.” Turning away, he refused to say any more, waiting in silence for Apollo to return. When the other did, he took the emergency bag from him and slung it over his own shoulders. “Let's go. We need to be outside to go there.”
Araceli followed Hades and the twins, chewing on her lip as they walked. Their footsteps echoed in the quiet hall, the lights barely glowing. She tried to keep herself from becoming hysterical as she thought about their destination. They were going to Olympia. It made her feel self-conscious. She had grown up in the presence of a goddess, was among another goddess and two gods, and now she had to face the rest of them all at once? She mentally shook herself. She had one of two options. The first option was to go to Olympia with them, to the home of the other gods and goddesses that watched over the universe. The other option sounded better to her, though. Her second option, was to run as the others went to Olympia. They would be safe there and wouldn't be sucked into her fight. Yes, that sounded much better than facing all of the immortals on her own.
“We'll be reaching the gate soon,” Apollo stated. He was walking beside Artemis, both of them staring straight ahead as Hades walked before them. They were walking before her so it would be a little easier to ditch them. When they reached the tavern, Hades opened another hidden door, this one leading outside. Walking through it, Araceli found that they were on the outskirts of the little village.
“More magic?” she asked, Hades nodding only once. She could vaguely see the outline of the gate, steeling herself for what she was about to do. “You guys are going to go first, right? At least two of you? I don't want to randomly show up there without anyone familiar. Besides, won't they think I’m trespassing?”
“Hades and I will go first.” Apollo waited as Hades opened the gate, using his scepter.
So it has another property. It opens the gate to Olympia, she told herself. She inwardly smiled. With Hades and Apollo going first, it'll be easy for me to get Artemis in without going in it myself. She watched in slight awe as Hades and Apollo stepped through the gate, disappearing into another world. She looked at Artemis, offering what she hoped was a convincing smile.
“Should we go at the same time?” Artemis nodded, and stood before the open gate.
“Let's go, Araceli. My brother and Hades are waiting for us.” Artemis smiled before reaching out to her.
“First, tell it to close after you go through it.” Araceli waited, holding her breath as she loosely gripped Artemis’s outstretched hand.
Looking up at the gate, Artemis spoke. “Gate to Olympia, close after I come through.” She looked at Araceli, still smiling. “Are you ready?”
Bracing herself, Araceli nodded, taking a small step forward. She let Artemis pull her a little closer to the gate, feeling a cool breeze brush passed her. Looking over her shoulder, she found Arcadian walking toward them. Panic setting in, she pulled her hand from Artemis’s, using her now free hand to shove the goddess into the gate. It closed behind her, sealing itself before Arcadian could get any closer.
“Araceli?” Artemis gasped, landing on the other side, standing in front of the closed door. She hit her fist against it, panicking as it wouldn't open. She turned frantic eyes toward Apollo and Hades. “We have to help her! Arcadian showed up again! He was waiting for us to open the gate. He's going to hurt her!”
“Artemis, calm down,” Hades ordered. He looked at the sealed doors, frowning. “Apollo, take Artemis and report to your father. I’m going back to earth.”
Nodding, Apollo took Artemis by the hand. “Let's go tell father about this. Perhaps he'll help us protect Araceli. After all, he's fond of Athena and she's the one who raised her.”
Hades waited for the twins to leave, holding his scepter up toward the gate. When nothing happened, he gripped the scepter more tightly in his hand, placing it against the doors. When they still refused to open, he took a step back. “Why won't you open?”
Apollo and Artemis rushed to the temple where Hera sat on her throne. Looking around, Apollo frowned. “Hera, where is father?” he asked, the urgent tone in his voice alerting the queen that something was wrong.
“What's happened, Apollo?” Hera asked, sitting a little straighter in her seat.
“There's a girl, an immortal, that needs our help. Where is father?” He still held Artemis’s hand tightly in his own, feeling her trembling beside him.
Hera frowned. “All of the immortals are accounted for. Who do you speak of?”
Closing his eyes, Apollo was certain he would regret this some time later. Opening his eyes, he looked at his step-mother. “Araceli, the only child of Lady Corrine.” The look of shock on her face was only a confirmation.
On the other side of the gate, Araceli dodged and ducked under and around her brother's attacks. Once she managed to knock him off balance enough to move around him, dancing her way across the ground. She was panting by the time he turned toward her, an evil smile gracing his face. She knew she couldn't keep this up for long, but she didn’t want the others coming back from Olympia to help her. Inhaling deeply, she jumped out of the way as more fire rained down, the crackling loud behind her. She landed on her knees, hands scraping against the rough ground.
“Stop, Arcadian,” she said, looking over her shoulder at him. “I don't want to fight you.”
Smiling wider, Arcadian held his palm toward her. “Then it'll be easy to kill you. We immortals, we have weaknesses. No one is impervious to death's embrace. Now, sit still and I'll end this.”
Araceli braced herself, knowing she couldn't fend off fire with wind. Closing her eyes, she held her breath, thinking of all the people she would miss. Images flooded her mind, flashing quickly and brightly. Artemis, Apollo, Hades, Athena. Athena, I’m sorry. I never should have left. This wouldn't have happened if I had kept listening to you. A gentle breeze began to swirl around her as Athena’s face came back into her mind's eye. It wasn't an image from her childhood, but from the mirror she looked into in Hades’s living room. I have to help her. But how? I’m about to die.
“Farewell, sister!” Arcadian shouted, laughing as fire left his hand.
Eyes shooting open, Araceli threw one hand out toward the oncoming flames. A sense of déja vu overcame her, something deep inside of her giving her the strength she was looking for. The fire hit, surrounding her entirely. She watched as they danced around her, licking away at the ground, charring it beyond repair. It was then that she knew she wasn't burning. There was a barrier around her, a protective wall of magic. She looked toward the spot Arcadian would be standing as the fires began to fade. The expression on his face made her smirk. Standing up, she faced him, hands clenched into tight fists at her sides.
“I gave you a chance, Arcadian,” she began, staring him down. “I was ready to give up and die, but then I remembered something. My family needs me. And until I know they will be safe, I won't be going anywhere.” She charged him, jumping over him just to twirl and kick him in the back. He fell forward, rolling over and getting to his feet.
“Is that all you amount to? A petty kick?” He spat on the ground, smile returning to his face.
She mirrored the smile, his faltering slightly. “I'm just getting started.” She twirled her finger in the air, a small vortex forming around it. The energy gathered in her palm, growing larger with the passing breeze. She released the wind, it blowing around the clearing they were in only to knock Arcadian off of his feet. She stood, hovering over him like a shadow, as he stared up at her. “Have you had enough yet?”
“Never.” He rolled over, covering his head. “Iris, now!”
Looking over, Araceli jumped, looking down as the ice hit right in front of where Arcadian lay. She landed a couple of feet away, staring at the trees. She knew Iris was hiding within them, but she didn’t know where. The ice could have come from any direction, and that was the problem. Without being able to pinpoint the exact location, she couldn't go gallivanting off into the trees where she was blind. No, she had to remain in the clearing, in plain sight. That was the best strategy at the time. She moved just as ice shards hailed down from the sky, smashing around her. She covered her head, eyes on Arcadian for some sort of sign as to where Iris my be. Something clicked inside her head, a small smile forming on her face. That was the answer. Surely Iris wouldn't want to harm Arcadian, right? Taking her chances, she ran forward, dodging the falling crystals. A few managed to bounce off of the ground, scraping her arms, but it wasn't severe enough to stop running. She dove, lading beside Arcadian and the ice ceased.
“What are you doing?” Arcadian snapped, glaring at her. He rolled over, trying to put enough distance between them so Iris could continue the assault, but every time he looked over, Araceli was stuck to his side like glue. “Will you stop? You're acting like a child!”
Araceli rolled over again, mimicking Arcadian, but instead of lying still, she reached out and grabbed his hand. “If I’m going down, you're going down with me.” She grinned, standing up. “You said I’m your sister, right? Then I’m a child of darkness. Maybe it's time I started thinking like one.” She wrapped her free arm around his throat, pulling just enough to make him splutter.
“You're going to choke me?” He clawed at her arm, panicking as he thought of dying by suffocation. It wasn't a glorious death nor was it the one he would choose to go out by.
“No, I’m not going to choke you. I’m using you as a shield while I think of where Iris is. Until I know which direction she's attacking from, you're going to be my hostage. Now, be a good little boy and stay quiet.”
Arcadian struggled against his sister, trying to free himself. When he knew she wasn't going to let go, he stopped fighting, his backup plan coming into play. “Iris, do it!” he shouted, eyes screwed close.
Ice hailed once again from the sky, aimed right for them. Gasping, Araceli realized a moment too late that they would do anything to get her out of the picture. And that meant harming each other. Shoving Arcadian forward as she jumped back, she knew she only had enough control over her new ability to create one barrier. Closing her eyes, she imagined one forming, being strong enough to withstand this barrage of ice. She felt the sting of the cold over everything else. She was back enough that she wasn't fatally wounded, but she was going to need some kind of help. She looked over at Arcadian, glad her barrier held up. The ice had bounced off of it, sticking in the ground where they were slowly starting to melt. His eyes were wide, Iris standing behind him with the most disgusted look in her face Araceli had ever seen.
“She...she protected me,” Arcadian whispered, finding he was untouched by Iris's ice crystals. He stared at Araceli, her arms cut and bleeding, her right leg had a few smaller ice shards sticking out of it. He felt his stomach churn at the sight, unable to remain angry at her in that instant. For as much as he hated her, she had gained his respect. That alone sickened him. He couldn't understand what possessed her to do so since they had been trying to kill her. Frowning, he looked up at Iris. “Let's retreat and regroup for now. We can come finish her off later.”
Iris was going to protest, but the look in Arcadian’s eyes said there would be no room for arguments. Despite being the older of the two, she complied, helping Arcadian to his feet. They disappeared into the shadows below the trees without so much as looking back.
Araceli fell back, closing her eyes and breathing heavily. She couldn't believe they had left her alive, but the fact that they could return at any moment and kill her was still hanging overhead. She knew she had to move, had to seek shelter where she could recover, but once she tried to move, she found it to be a greater challenge than she first thought. Lying here, she could manage. Any thoughts about moving made her hurt and she just wished to stay here like this until she was completely fine. Behind her closed lids, she saw a strange light. It took every ounce of strength left in her to lift her head and look, but the gate to Olympia looked like it was opening up again. Letting her head fall back down, she felt herself relax. Regardless of who was coming, she knew everything was over. Whether it be friends or foes coming from the gate, she knew she would be saved or put out of her misery. Either way, the pain coursing through her would end.