Chapter 17
Hera had called an emergency meeting for Herry, Atlanta, Archie, Neil, Gisele, Krista, and Chloe since tonight was the night that the planets were aligning, and Jay and Theresa still hadn't been found, which meant that everyone was on edge.
"So what do we do?" Gisele asked nervously, Herry took her hand squeezing it.
"We fight!" Archie said determined.
Hera sighed, "Hopefully it won't come to that… Persephone is in Tartarus with Hades and Campe, so if everything goes according to plan between the three of them, they can stop Cronus from escaping."
"But you should still be ready," Zeus said, "We don't know what's going to happen if he escapes this time."
Krista, Gisele and Chloe all looked at each other nervously.
"So what do we do in the meantime?" Atlanta asked, "Just sit around and wait?"
"You have to be ready, so spend whatever time you have left getting into armor and getting your weapons ready." Hera said.
Everyone walked out of the room, all of them walked in silence, Herry, Archie, Atlanta and Neil couldn't believe that they might have to fight Cronus again. Likewise Gisele, Krista and Chloe couldn't believe that they might have to fight a god, that shouldn't even exist.
Cronus tapped his foot impatiently, he could sense that the planets were about ninety five, or so percent aligned, which meant that within the hour he would finally be free.
"You're not escaping, Cronus," Hades said scowling at him through the bars, "we won't allow it."
Cronus laughed, "Do you honestly think that you can stop me?"
"We have a plan!" Persephone said confidently.
Cronus scoffed, "keep telling yourself that."
Hades and Persephone walked away from his cell, back over to Campe.
"How much time do we have left?" Campe whispered to Persephone, who closed her eyes, when she opened them she looked at the two of them worried, "they're almost completely aligned."
"OK we have to be ready!" Hades said turning his attention back to Cronus' cell, Persephone and Campe did the same thing.
Theresa's heart beat accelerated as she was carried through the portal, they had arrived in Tartarus, her eyes widened with fear as she realized that she was in Cronus' cell.
"Wow!" Cronus said impressed, "You brought a hostage."
"We thought we could use her as leverage to help you escape." Odie said.
Cronus rose his eyebrow smiling at Odie, "wow, it's so odd seeing you as evil."
Odie also smiled, "I like being evil, besides she deserves anything that happens to her after what she did to me!" He said growling at Theresa.
"Leave her alone," Anna said.
"Yes there will be plenty of time to make her suffer later," Cronus said closing his eyes, when he opened them he smiled, "it's time."
"What do you need me to do?" Clarissa asked.
"You and I are going to use our powers to get me out of here."
"What about Anna and I?"
Cronus looked at Theresa a huge smile growing on his face, "she's my ticket to making sure that I actually escape, so make her as uncomfortable as possible."
Odie smiled placing his hand on Theresa's neck, "if you try to escape… I'll rip your head off…" he whispered causing her to whimper quietly. She wanted nothing more than to scream for help, but with the piece of duct tape over her mouth that was impossible.
"OK," Cronus said excitedly, "it's time!"
"NO!" Theresa thought to herself horrified, as Cronus stuck his hand out of the cell door, breaking the handle opening the cell door.
Cronus stepped out smiling at Persephone, Hades and Campe, "you're not going anywhere!" Came yelled raising her weapon up.
Cronus laughed, "Oh I think you'll find that I am going to escape."
"Wanna bet?" Hades asked.
"Yes I do," Cronus said stepping aside as Odie pushed Theresa out.
"Theresa!" Persephone screamed.
"Let her go!" Hades demanded.
Cronus once again laughed, "I don't think so…she's my ticket out of here!"
Theresa wished that she could transform into a werewolf right now, but with the bracelet still on her wrist that was impossible, her adrenaline was the only thing keeping her from falling over from exhaustion right now.
"We have Jay as well…" Clarissa whispered to Cronus.
"What?" He asked surprised, before looking back at Campe, Persephone and Hades, "if you don't let us go then I will not only have Odie, here, kill Theresa, but I will kill Jay."
Persephone, Hades and Campe all looked at each other defeated, they knew that they couldn't risk Jay or Theresa's life, but if Cronus escaped then that meant that the whole world would be at risk.
"You're running out of time to decide…" Cronus said, Odie smiled tightening his grip on Theresa's neck, she looked at the three of them with pleading eyes.
"Stop!" Persephone screamed, "Fine go!"
Cronus smiled, "I knew you'd see things my way."
"You're a monster, Cronus!" Hades screamed.
Cronus shrugged, "I'm a monster who has a secret weapon up my sleeve," he said looking at Anna, Clarissa and Odie, "let's get going to set my plan into motion!"
"What about her?" Odie asked.
"Leave her," Cronus said, "I have Jay I don't want her now."
Odie smiled and then pushed Theresa away, luckily Hades caught her before she could hit the ground or hurt herself.
"See you soon!" Cronus said waving to Hades, Theresa, Persephone, and Campe before they disappeared.
After they disappeared Theresa fell to her knees tears falling from her eyes, Persephone kneeled down beside her gently ripping the duct tape off her mouth.
"Are you alright?"
Tears began streaming down her face, "we have to help Jay!" She cried before losing consciousness.
With each second that passed Jay became more and more worried, he wasn't even so much worried about himself, he was more scared about what could possibly be happening to Theresa right now. Trying once again to break the ropes that were tied tightly around his wrists, but no matter what he did they just wouldn't come undone.
"Dangit!" Jay screamed, the last time he had felt so helpless was when Theresa had been playing Cronus' game, and he didn't know where she was or if she was alright, much like he was feeling right now.
Just before he was about to try and break the ropes again a bright light appeared, Jay squinted looking into it, and then his heart sank as he saw Cronus walk out of it, followed by Odie Anna and Cassandra.
"No!" Jay cried.
Cronus smiled at him, "hello Jay, long time no see!"
"You may have escaped, Cronus, but you will never take over the world!"
Cronus laughed bending down and pinching Jay's cheek, "oh it's so cute that you actually think that you can stop me."
"Well not just me." Jay said.
Cronus once again laughed, "You honestly think that your friends will be able to stop me?"
"We did it once before," Jay pointed out," we can do it again!"
Cronus rolled his eyes turning to Cassandra, "he's getting on my nerves, put a spell on him until I decide what to do with him."
Cassandra nodded her head and waved her hands over Jay's head, "sleep," she said and a second later Jay's eyes closed.
"Come," Cronus said, "let's go think of how I'm going to put my plan to take over the world in motion."
When Theresa came to she was surprised to see that she was in Chiron's study, her head was pounding and she felt as if she had just been hit by a truck.
"Ah you're awake," Chiron said walking over to her.
Theresa looked at Chiron, gasping and sitting up a little too quickly, causing her to almost fall back down, "Jay!" She screamed.
Chiron gently pushed her back down, "you must rest," he warned, "That bracelet that they put on you really drained you."
Theresa's eyes filled with tears as she rested her head back on the pillow, every nerve in her body told her to get up, go and find Jay but she was so tired and sore. A part of her wondered if she was still pregnant.
"Theresa!" Atlanta screamed running into the room and right over to her hugging her, "Are you OK?!"
"I've been better," she admitted.
"Did Cronus hurt you?!" Herry demanded, also walking over to her.
"No but he might hurt Jay!" She cried.
Archie, Neil, Gisele, Krista, Chloe, Hera, Zeus and Persephone all walked into the room.
"We'll find him, Theresa," Persephone said determined.
"Do you know where Odie and Anna were holding the two of you hostage?" Hera asked.
Theresa thought for a moment before shaking her head, "no."
"You can't sense where Jay is?" Archie asked Persephone.
"No," she sighed, "I don't know if that witch put a spell on the place or what, but I can't sense where he is."
Theresa's heart sank as she worried what could possibly be happening to Jay right now.
"I have to find him!" Theresa said sitting up slower this time.
"You're too weak!" Chiron said.
"I'm the only one who can transform into a werewolf, I can smell him and find him!"
"It's too dangerous!" Hera insisted.
"I'm not going to let Jay die!" Theresa yelled, "If I don't do this by the time we find him it could be too late!"
Everyone looked at each other, as they realized that Theresa was right.
"You're still not going alone," Persephone said.
Theresa looked at Herry with pleading eyes, "Herry?"
He nodded his head, "I'll come."
"What?" Gisele asked nervously.
Herry took her hand, "between Theresa as a werewolf and my strength we'll be unstoppable."
"But…"
Herry leaned in kissing her cheek, "I'll be careful."
Gisele stood on her tiptoes kissing Herry's lips, "I love you."
"I love you too."
As she watched the two of them Theresa's heart began breaking, how she wished that Jay was by her side right now, but she quickly pushed the thought out of her mind, and carefully stood up, Atlanta stood beside her just in case.
After standing for a few seconds Theresa felt steady enough.
"Go into the woods and change into a wolf," Persephone said, "make sure that no one will see you."
"OK I will."
"Be careful." Hera said.
"We will." Herry and Theresa said at the same time, before running out of the room.
End Chapter 17
I don't own COTT
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