Part Fourteen

Weeks had passed by slowly in limbo, as Cassandra had noted right away. But during that time, Apollo had spent a lot of time at the strange pool, showing her images of Icarus and Lysandra, Herc and Meg. They were searching for her but by now, were far away from where she really was. Apollo had been so kind as well to show her, her own body, which Cassandra couldn't help but find odd. The farm boy, whom she now knew as her "murderer" was keeping a careful watch over her, keeping her body just healthy enough to stay barely breathing.

The sandal thing had been stupid. She couldn't believe he had done that. It seemed his intent had been to scare them all away from the area since they had been so close to where he was hiding her. But that had just made them look harder and twice, they had looked right at the hidden area she was at. She had held her breath and was leaping inside, screaming for them to go forward just a little bit more . . .

But now, they were searching else where and only getting colder.

"Mm . . . Cassie, your friends are fools . . ."

"At least I have friends,"

Her words were lost in his laughter and she glared at him in question.

"It seems Icarus has other plans . . ."

"What are you doing to him?" she growled, standing up to look over his shoulder. He drew his hand abruptly from the water.

"I am simply reading his mind," Apollo smiled up at her, as innocent as the boy who had knowingly stolen the dessert before dinner and wasn't fessing up.

Cassandra crossed her arms. "Sure you are,"

"What?" he stood up, his head inches above hers. She looked him straight in the eye. "Are you possibly . . . caring what happens to him? I thought he annoyed you, I though you would love to see him, you know, dead,"

"Listen," she jabbed a threatening finger into his chest, her eyes flaming. "If there is anything I hate worse than guys with ponytails, it's guys like you . . . If you kill the louse you can be sure that Hercules will be the last person you need to worry about. I will find out a way to get you onto the mortal plane myself and I swear I will kill you,"

"Oh, felt good to say that, didn't it Cassie?" he patted her cheek testily. "Be careful though; you sound like your starting to care . . . but you don't, do you? Not in the slightest, right? That's why I made the wrong choice in choosing you as my willing sacrifice,"

She glowered at him.

"And if you let me know how to get us both to the mortal plane . . . please, tell me, I would really like to know . . ."

She moved to strike him and caught her wrist easily with his hand and yanked her closer to him, putting his lips inches from her ear.

"I wouldn't waste your energy, Cassie, it isn't worth it," he shoved her away roughly and turned his back to her.

She had landed on her hip with a grunt, looking up through her tangled hair at his retreating form. Oh, how she would just love to knock him over the cliff again, but this cursed world defeated the purpose of such an action. He would come back right away because here, you were, in a way, already dead. But you weren't . . . Cassandra had pondered this concept for hours during her stay here. With an angry sigh, she came to her feet and went to stand over the pool.

She had stood over this small puddle of water for quite some time when Apollo was off on his own. There were times when she almost followed him out of curiosity, but then stayed back due to her dislike of his company. But this pool had been her only link to the "real" world since she had gotten here, though she wasn't entirely sure how to use it at all and was only able to watch whatever image Apollo had left up. Right now, it was at her house. Herc had been watching it cautiously when he was there and when Icarus and Lysandra had been released, they to kept an eye on it. Icarus was there now, inside it, walking around like a lost sheep. She wondered bleakly what Apollo had put into his mind . . .

And then wondered if maybe she could find out herself.

She raised her head to look around, to see if he was close by. He wasn't and excitement built in her. She contemplated trying to do what he did for the past few days but had never been sure what he would do to her if she did; but then, she asked herself, did it matter? It's not like he could kill her, after all . . . and injuries here didn't even last more than a few seconds.

What did she have to lose?

Looking down upon the water, she brought up a hand and brought her fingers down into the center and was surprised to feel . . . nothing. It wasn't cool, it wasn't warm, and she couldn't feel anything. It was as though her fingers suddenly weren't there, even though she could plainly see them. She looked at Icarus then and suddenly, his voice echoed through her head though his lips weren't moving.

She heard Apollo cough from a distance and she abruptly pulled her hand from the water, but she did not move from the pool.

Because of him, Icarus was going to go look for her . . . without Herc. Icarus never went anywhere without his best friend and Cassandra knew Apollo was having some part to play in this. As he came into sight, he was smiling suspiciously. Cassandra crossed her arms, looking at him with a hint of defiance.

"Whatcha ya up to, Cassie? Trying to escape?" he chuckled as he looked down at her.

She glared back. "No, but I'm keeping you from doing so,"

"Oh, so you're catching on, are you?"

"What do you want with Hercules?" she shot at him. "Why are you keeping him separated from everyone? What are you trying to do to him?"

"Oh, you've done some thinking. What do I want with Hercules . . . well, nothing, really, but his power which - lets face it - I don't think he is quite so willing to give up again . . . unless, maybe, it'll save another person's life?"

She felt her world fall out from under her and she stood up. "So you're using me?"

"Oh we have a winner!"

"And so what's the grand purpose to taking his power?" she said ignoring him. "Who are you?"

"Ah," he muttered quietly, drumming his fingers together. "That question again, hm? Who am I . . .? Well, at this point in the plan, I suppose it wouldn't hurt too much to tell you, would it? But . . . I think I'll wait."

"It doesn't matter," she growled. "You still don't have a willing sacrifice,"

"Oh! And this is where you are wrong, Cassie, because I do have leverage,"

"If you're talking about Icarus-!"

"I am talking about the "winged blunder" actually. You see, I've sent him to his death already. Adelphos, poor soul is so upset now you see . . . and well," he laughed. "There is no saying what might make him bring that knife up again . . . So how do I keep you willing? Icarus could live, you see. Once I get back onto Earth, everything runs like clockwork and my uh . . . business deal I'm going to offer wont take very long and to top things off, I can shift from place to place in a matter of moments. I can talk to little Adelphos, Icarus doesn't have to die . . . But unless you move from that pool, you are the one who is going to let him die, are we clear?"

Cassandra stuttered for a moment, turning her head to look at the pool. The room Icarus had been was empty and her blood went cold. She looked disgustedly in Apollo's face again.

"Oh I'm good . . . aren't I?" he purred, bringing a finger along her cheek.

She slapped his hand away. "I hope you rot in Tartarus!"

He threw his head back, howling with crazy laughter and then it abruptly ended with an eerie echo and he painfully grabbed her shoulders, his face so close she could smell his breath. "You know? I really wish I could, Cassie . . . I really. Wish. I. Could."

He let go and stepped back, smiling darkly now as she crinkled her nose in distaste. "Now, move aside sweet Cassandra . . . the seconds are ticking away as we speak . . ."

She didn't know what to do for a moment and stood there, frozen. She imaged Icarus dieing, imagined herself watching him die, helpless from her spot near the pool. But she also imagined Hercules giving up his strength again, weak and worthless while this maniac took it and thrust the world into utter chaos. Actually, she wasn't sure what he wanted with Hercules's power, but she didn't assume it was anything good.

"Look hon," Apollo said firmly. "Icky-poo is going to die if you don't move like . . . now! Alright? And don't act like you don't care, because you do. You can't stand having him die on your own hesitation. It would tear you apart . . ."

Her nails were being driven into her arm as she fought with herself. She shouldn't move, but if Icarus died, it would be her fault . . . but if the world fell apart, it would also be her fault . . . Her heart racing, she tried to think what Herc might do.

"Tick-tock! Times slipping for dear Icarus . . .!"

Would the gods allow a mortal that much power though? How did he have the power he had in the first place? But she didn't really have time to ponder these things now . . .

"Oh . . . Cassie? Do you really want to kill Icky here? Because you're going to . . ."

She looked him coldly in the eye, part of her still in conflict with the other. One foot wanted to stay grounded, the other wanted to move. What she really wanted to do was scream. Clenching her teeth as though it were the most painful thing she had done, she slowly stepped over, unable to look Apollo in the eye any longer.

"Ah! Sweet Cassandra; that is probably the wisest move you have made yet!" he bowed mockingly to her. "I thank you . . . from the bottom of my soul."

She glared at him as he walked past her and she almost leapt in front of him again, but something held her back. He saluted to her as he stuck one foot into the water and then hesitated.

"One thing I forgot to mention, Cassie . . ." she looked at him, her face unreadable. "Once I leave here, there is no way you'll be getting back . . . so any sacrifices you made, or thought your were making, were for nothing. You're never getting back onto the Earth again,"

Her anger boiling over now, Cassandra leapt on him to pull him back out, but he had already fallen through, laughing manically as he did so. She landed on her hands and knees, her palms cut by the sharp rocks that surrounded the pool, though they seemed to heal instantly. Her nose was just barely touching the water, which was moving gently to her exhale. She fumbled back to her knees after pounding the ground a few times and studied the pool, looking for him, cursing him . . .

He was in her house, exiting like he owned the place.

Never had so much anger flared up inside her, never had she wanted so bad than to see him tortured. She pounded the ground again, chucking rocks over the edge as they came back to land heavily at her feet.

And the cry of hatred she emitted echoed all over the empty space around her, unheard by anyone.