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Chapter 20

I had taken to watching the News with Haden and Po after I had left the kitchen. Haden had his legs dangling over the arm rest of the armchair, his back leaning against the opposing one while he casually played with a cackling orb of black energy. Po was idly making the water in his glass run circles around the room, going faster and faster each time.

I winced as raised voices echoed through the house.

"Henri Lewis! You get back here right now!" Helena was screaming. Henri had been running from Helena for at least thirty minutes now ever since she found him in hysterics about the Fridge Goblin incident.

To say that he was running would be an understatement. Henri didn't run for his life, he sprinted as if hell was chasing him, only in the form of the Queen of the Gods.

The News was still on the segment about those two massive mountains in Athens, Greece, this time featuring an interview with a native who was saying that, during a hike, he thought he had heard the hills groan.

The things people come up with nowadays.

A figure burst into the room, succeeding in making Po lose concentration, the water that had been racing around the room dropping into a puddle on the floor. Haden, however, kept throwing and catching his dark energy ball as if there had been no interruption.

The figure turned out to be Henri as he dived behind the armchair Haden was sitting on, crouching behind it in fear.

It wasn't very long after that when Helena stalked into the room, her eyes immediately zoning on Henri behind the couch. With a triumphant yell, she pounced on him, straddling, before glancing up at us with a self satisfied look.

Then she screamed.

The shrill note of it seemed to pierce my soul. I jerked to a standing position in an instant, my swords in my hands while I scanned the room for danger. Haden calmly stood, the energy ball elongating and expanding until a long broadsword was held in his hands, loosely, professionally. A trident appeared in Po's hand in a flash of blue light and was immediately pointed dangerously at Helena.

She was still screaming.

Henri, growling, rolled over so that he was on top of her, pinning her arms to the ground. For some strange reason, jealousy flashed through me, eradicating all other emotion. I shook it off hastily. It was not an emotion I welcomed.

"Helena!" Henri shouted, successfully cutting her off. She stared up at him with wide eyes. That's when I noticed that the screaming was still going. She hadn't been the only one shrieking.

Our heads snapped towards the TV, where the source of the screaming was now emitting from.

I nearly dropped my sword.

The blonde reporter was gazing at the two mountains behind her in utter terror. The mountains must've been the two she had been talking about, the ones that had apparently groaned. However, from what I was seeing at that moment, that wasn't the only thing they were doing.

The mountains creaked and groaned, as they slowly grew, straightening. They were uncurling themselves, what was once a vast plane of grass becoming a pair of mossy arms, a particularly round bulge becoming the head.

I could barely contain my horror as I watched the hills bloom into two, twenty story giants. They were massive, their entire bodies rippling with unconcealed muscles. Their skin had a slightly mossy tinge to it, a large loincloth the only clothing on their body. Their heads, however, was what really got to me. They weren't like an average mortal's head. They were entirely round and smooth like a newborn babies. Long, tangled beards covered the better part of their faces, tinged an unearthly green like their skin.

They each had rolling eyes that had to be the size of my room, each orb a swirling mass of red. They let out an ear-piercing roar, screams of the mortals surrounding them sounding through the TV.

The roar turned to laughter while one of them took a rumbling step forward, the camera shaking with the impact.

"Zeus!" it roared, laughing maniacally, "We're back!"

Images flashed through my mind, images full of terror and fear, fear that I would have to give myself up to one of these terrifying beasts. I hissed.

"Are those who I think they are?" Haden whispered.

"The Aloadae," Po breathed.

Oh Gods.

Everyone was panicking.

Zach had entered the room in a flurry of winds, Aaron and Anna flanking him. Ignoring the TV studiously, they took their places as they prepared to conduct a council. Others, however, were less relaxed. It had taken Aaron and Haden together to lift Po into his seat due to the fact he had fallen to his knees, his eyes turning into flat golden discs as he was experiencing a flashback.

Deanna and Phe, along with Helena, began to think that screaming would be a suitable way to let out their fear. Henri was tasked with the job of calming them down while Alex shuffled nervously into the room before hastily taking the seat between me and Anna.

The blond reporter was still on the TV, her previously perfect hair now falling out in large strands. Her voice was struggling to be heard over the screams of pedestrians and the roars of the Aloadae as they stomped through the city a good kilometre or two away.

"Silence!" Zach roared.

The thunder of voices froze immediately, the Gods in the room sitting in their assigned seats. Zach was still standing, golden static and electricity running the length of his body. I had never seen him so angry, his face blazing with fury and his blue eyes cold as ice.

"We have a matter of extreme importance, here," he hissed, his voice rising to a shout, "And we're acting like toddlers! Get a grip on yourselves!"

The silence that seemed to weigh down upon us once he had finished was thick with tension, however, Zach didn't seem to notice this. Taking a seat, he addressed Anna, "Athena, what can you make of this?"

I winced at his use at our true names. This was serious.

Anna shook her head, a few stray tendrils of hair escaping from her ponytail. "I don't know," she whispered, placing her head in her hands, "I've never been so confused in my life."

She glanced hopelessly at the TV, Zach waiting patiently for her to continue. "I have no idea what to do," she told us, "But I can confirm that their the Aloadae, Otus and Ephialtes. But that changes nothing. I still don't know what to do."

Helena regally stood, looking every ounce of a Queen as she presented, "I don't understand why the Aloadae our problem. We don't need to solve the mortal's problems. I say let them deal with it."

Horror flashed across Po's face. "How can you say that! Of course it our problem! Their Greek Monsters and we're Greek Gods! Do you really think that the mortals and their silly toy guns would stand a chance against the Aloadae?"

"All I'm saying," Helena began haughtily, "Is that their in Greece and we're in America. The only reason we're even panicked about this is because we, as reincarnations of the Greek Gods, feel like it's our duties. Well, newsflash, we're only reincarnations. We're still teenagers."

"It's our duty," Zach said carefully, "Because it's the right thing to do. Now sit down Helena before you stress yourself."

She huffed, perching herself on the armchair. "Fine. I'll help but we still don't know how to kill them."

Zach nodded mutely while Aaron leaped to his feet, fury lining his face. "Who cares if we don't know how!" he yelled, brandishing his sword, "We'll attack and thrash them into the ground. Simple as that!"

I shook my head. "It won't work Aaron. We don't know how to kill them or if there is something that we have to do before hand. We need a plan."

He scoffed. "We don't need a plan. War is never planned! It's nothing but violence and blood lust between great cities and countries. We'll surprise them and beat them into submission!"

Anna shook her head. "Mia's right, Aaron. It's too dangerous to charge in there without a plan. We could be killed."

Anger flashed across his face mixed with a sick, almost malicious, hope. "Then let me go in by myself! I can defeat them by myself and even if I don't, which I doubt, I'll be able to buy you time! Just let me fight!"

"No, Ares." Zach's voice was cold, emotionless.

Aaron shook his head. "C'mon, Zeus! Let me fight and I'll-"

"I said no, Ares," Zach repeated, standing slowly. That was a bad sign.

"Bu-"

"No!" Zach yelled, "I said no and that is final! It is too dangerous to stroll merrily into the brawl without a plan. Case closed, Aaron, now sit down."

Aaron didn't sit down. He glared at Zach with enough venom to burn a hole into the wall but Zach just merely sat in his chair once again, calm serenity replacing his once fury filled features.

"Fine!" Aaron spat, a very impressive looking vein pulsing at his temple, "Have it your way, my King,"

Looking very much like he wanted to stab Zach multiple times, Aaron stalked out of the room, slamming the French doors shut behind him. The doors slammed together so hard, several large cracks appeared in the glass.

Several people in the room flinched at Aaron's sudden ferocity but Zach just stared at the cracks with a disinterested look.

"As I was saying," he began, the gazes of the others returning to him, "We need a plan. We can't just barge in there and tell them to put their hands in the air. We're not that powerful yet. Are there any ideas?"

His question was met with silence. Most minds were still focused on Aaron storming out. Aaron's temper was never something you wanted to be in the middle of. He had been known to do incredibly stupid and rash things in a mood and I could tell that most were worried that he would do exactly that.

The Gods knew I was.

Zach sighed. "Alright then, let's brainstorm."

Brainstorming was overrated.

No one could think let alone say a coherent sentence. Words seemed to be sliding off ears, the possible ideas having so many faults, it was amazing it was even an idea. On an even more depressing note, every single possibility we came up with all had the same outcome.

One of us dying.

Zach, Haden and Po had remained vigilant throughout the entire meeting, constantly throwing out ideas; however, even they were exhausted. Most of the girls had fallen asleep, Phe in the crook of Harry's arm and Helena with Deanna on a couch. I, no matter how much I wanted to, refused to sleep. My mind kept taking me to the last time the Aloadae had been a threat to us. They had requested Hera and me in exchange for Ares when they had locked him in a pithos for a lunar year.

I had given myself up and, changing form into a doe, jumped between the brothers in an attempt to escape. They had both thrown their spears at me, however, they missed, piercing and killing each other instead.

Anna had voiced that we should simply repeat history but Zach said wisely that they would be expecting that and Henri immediately snapped that it would be too dangerous for me. His protectiveness was annoying.

I knew we had been talking for a long time when Deanna finally woke up, voicing tiredly that she would see if she could scrounge up some food for us and perhaps find Aaron. She couldn't leave the room faster.

Zach sighed, cutting off all conversation as we looked at him. He rubbed a hand across his forehead, glancing briefly at the News where the blonde was reporting the havoc the Aloadae had been wrecking in Athens.

"Are you alright, honey?" Helena asked, placing a dainty hand on Zach.

Zach didn't get to answer.

A scream sounded through the house. Only moments later, Deanna burst into the room, her eyes wild and tears streaming down her face. "He's gone," she cried, "He's gone!"

Phe let out a sudden shriek from the noise, falling off the edge of her chair and out of Harry's arms. Helena, meanwhile, leapt to her feet, hurrying to Deanna and attempting to calm her down.

"Deanna, take a deep breath," she soothed, "Now tell us what happened?"

Deanna hiccupped. "In the hallway. It's in the hallway."

Helena nodded in a motherly way. "Let's take a look, shall we?"

We watched curiously as Helena muttered a few soothing words and walked, with Deanna, out of the room. No one spoke as we watched them disappear. We were all anxious for some action.

Then we heard Helena swear.

Helena was a wholesome, American girl who often mothered her friends and complimented the geeks. She looked down on swearing and, besides her occasional bursts of spitefulness or flashes of jealousy, you would never find a nicer girl then Helena Lewis. But, at that moment, she let loose a string of swear words in Ancient Greek that made me rethink what I knew about her. Let's just say they were pretty impressive, lengthy swear words.

For a moment, the occupants in the room shared a look. Then we bounded to our feet and crowded by the French doors, clambering and pushing for a better look at whatever made Helena swear.

I growled as Haden pushed me into the frame to get a better view, pushing him back just as someone jostled my back. I could not think of a moment where we acted more immature then at that moment.

I was once again roughly shoved into the door frame as Zach pushed us aside, parting us so that he could walk to where Helena was with Deanna. She and Deanna were crowded around a rough chalk drawing on the floor. The chalk lines connected to make a pentagram.

Scorch marks were gathered at the centre, smoke rising from each of the five points.

Zach frowned down at the pentagram for a moment then turned to face us.

"Hades," he snapped and Haden stepped forward, "What can you make of this?"

Gazing at the pentagram for one intense moment, Haden crouched down by it, placing his hands tenderly against the chalk outline. His face paled.

Straightening, he told us, "Hecate was a known companion of Hades and, from her, I learnt a few tricks about sorcery," he gestured to the chalk shape, "That particular pentagram is used for transportation. Aaron must've used it to leave the house."

"But how did he know how to use it?" Po interrupted.

Haden glanced at the floor sheepishly. "I was practicing a couple of Greek spells a few days back. Aaron was watching when I performed the transportation spell."

"Can you tell us where he went?" Zach spoke smoothly.

However, Haden didn't have a chance to speak. Before he could even open his mouth, Phe whispered, "I can tell you."

Zach glanced sharply at Phe, as well as everyone else. She was facing the lounge instead of the hallway, her eyes wide as she focused on the TV. "Where is he?"

She pointed at the TV. "There."

Our eyes followed to where she was pointing. I frowned as the blonde reporter's words finally registered. "A mystery man has seemed to appear on the scene, dressed in what could only be described as ancient Greek battle armour. It seems this man is under the impression he can save us from this terrible threat. Let's take a closer look."

The scene changed, showing the two giants, Otus and Ephialtes. However, below them, barely higher than their toe, was Aaron, in the golden armour of Ares.

He was waving his sword idiotically at the Aloadae, shouting incomprehensible words. I paled.

What in the name of the Gods did he think he was doing? Was he trying to get himself killed!

Otus laughed. "Brother, it seemed Zeus has sent our favourite warrior to overcome us. How pitiful."

Ephialtes looked as if he was barely containing his amusement. "Why, my dear brother, I agree. Shall we let history repeat itself?"

Otus grinned. It was a grin that sent shivers down my spine. "Yes, why yes we shall."

So quick I nearly missed it, Otus plucked Aaron from the ground with one hand, a rather large pithos appearing in the other. My jaw dropped open as Otus cheerfully threw Aaron into the bronze, oversized jar.

A loud thump! echoed through the room as Phe fainted.

Ephialtes laughed joyfully yet I couldn't help but notice the maliciousness that underlined it. "History is repeating itself, Zeus!" he declared, "We shall give you your precious Ares in exchange for your fair wife, Hera, and your beautiful daughter, Artemis! You have a day or the God of War will be no more. We await you decision anxiously."

I stiffened, my mind clouding over. I was dimly aware of the room going into an outrage, Alex tugging at my sleeve with concerned eyes.

I didn't move. I could barely breathe. I could easily remember what it was like last time to be in their possession. It was the only time I had felt like a defenceless woman.

And now they wanted me again.

I realised that Alex was saying something. Tiredly, I allowed his words to penetrate the fog that clouded my mind. "Mia," he was whispering, "Calm down and take a seat. We would never let them take you."

I nodded mutely, following him like a lost puppy as he led me to my chair, perching on the edge of it absent-mindedly. Henri was sitting beside me, a look of barely controlled rage decorating his features as he glared at the TV screen.

That's when it fully hit me.

They wanted me. Me. Like I was some porcelain doll to be bought from a shop window. They wanted a trophy wife, someone to subdue and tease and that would be exactly what they would do to me if they captured me.

If I didn't kill them first.

Rage boiled inside of me. Alex, noticing this sudden change in my emotions, wisely scooted away from me, placing a pillow in between us as an acting barrier. I gripped the armrests of my chair in fury, my knuckles turning white from the tension. I was barely aware of myself attracting a few scared glances as a static crackled around me, causing my hair to stand on end.

"For the Gods sake, Mia," I heard Zach snap, "Calm down. We have a matter at our hands at the moment."

Of course we did. We always did. Even so, I calmed myself down, my hair floating around me in waves as it resumed its normal state. I returned my attention to Zach.

"Due to recent discoveries," he fumed, "We have a much greater problem on our hands then we originally thought. We still have no plan on how to stop these beings and now we have a time limit or else Ares will be killed."

A gasp of horror echoed across the room. Anna banged her fist on the glass coffee table, a large crack appearing where she touched it. She, however, seemed barely affected by it. "We don't have enough time, Zach. To organise a well thought out attack and goal, we need time which, thanks to that bloody idiot, we don't have any more. I'm sorry to say, but we won't come up with an adequate plan in," she glanced at her watch, "four hours."

I tuned out the conversation as Zach viciously began to argue back. I could see that everyone would had already taken sides, many arguing with Anna as well as against her.

She was right. We didn't have enough time and the only way we would is if we gave up either me or Helena to satisfy them.

My blood ran cold. That was it. If we didn't have time, then we needed to obtain it, no matter what I may have to sacrifice to get it.

I knew what to do.

"We need time, right?" I whispered. My voice barely travelled through the room yet everyone snapped their jaws shut as if I had screamed the words.

Zach nodded at me curiously while I slowly rose to my feet. "Yes, we do."

I swallowed, preparing myself. "Then I'll give you time. Give me to the Aloadae and say that Hera is still preparing and won't be delivered for three days. Say that we will only give her to them if they do not destroy Athens until then though. They won't mind," I faltered, "They'll be too occupied with me to notice."

Silence.

The entire room was looking at me in shock, no one daring to speak. Zach broke the silence.

"Are you sure about this, Artemis?" he asked quietly.

Henri glanced at Zach in outrage. "You're not actually considering this, Zach?" he demanded, "She'll be killed and you know it!"

Zach didn't bat an eyelash. "Artemis? Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Absolutely."

Zach leaned back in his armchair, eyeing me carefully. "It's decided then. Artemis will give herself up for three days to allow us more time. Your sacrifice is noted."

No one spoke. No one dared to breathe. Everyone was still staring up at me in shock

"Mia?" Henri hissed, standing abruptly, "Can we talk in private?"

I nodded stiffly, following him as he stormed out of the room, aware of everyone watching us as we did. I closed the doors carefully behind us, anxious not to be heard. Whatever Henri had to say, I had a feeling it was going to be explosive.

I turned, carefully keeping my face impassive as I leaned against the wall. Henri leaned on the wall across from me, his eyes dark.

"You don't have to do it, Mia." He finally said. It almost pained me to see him like that. He looked hurt. His eyes were haunted, the sparkle gone from the emeralds.

I shook my head. "I do."

He threw his hands up in exasperation. "You don't. There are other ways, I'm sure.

"Yes," I said impatiently. He just wasn't seeing the point, "And to think of those other ways, we need time, don't we Henri? That's exactly the reason why I'm doing it."

"I know but," he ran his fingers through his hair, "We still have four hours, we can-"

"No, Henri," I interrupted, "We can't. I've made my decision. Now, deal with it."

He growled and, before I could even register what he was doing, he crossed the distance between us, pushing me against the wall. I sucked in air as he placed one hand at the small of my back, yanking me closer to him while the other hand rested beside my head, completely trapping me against him. I was all too aware of how close he was to me. I could see every detail on his face, including the stormy emerald eyes that seemed to see into my soul.

I had been right. He did have a haunted look about him. He obviously didn't want me to go.

"You can get hurt, Mia," he breathed, his breath tickling my cheek, "You could die."

"I know," I said softly.

"Then don't go! Please! For me."

I gazed at him. He wasn't strong anymore. He was showing me a vulnerability I had never seen before. Pain flashed through me at this. I had reduced him to begging. It almost made feel like I should've stayed home, safe from the terrors of the Aloadae.

Almost.

"I'm sorry, Henri."

Scowling, Henri released me, taking a step back. All previous emotion disappeared from him, a hard mask replacing the vulnerability. "Fine," he snapped.

I kept my face neutral, not letting a single emotion cross my face as he stalked off down the hall and up the stairs, disappearing from my sight.

I knew I had made the right decision. I knew I had.

Henri just couldn't see it.

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