So sorry for the day late update! I had driver's ed yesterday, and then I was only home for an hour or two before my dad picked me up to go do a little shopping and dinner, and I didn't get home until ten, plus I've got plans for today so I had to get some sleep and I'm just posting this real quick.
Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)
Review Replies:
xxstella - Eh, I like the whole actually-learning-to-drive thing. The guy actually was a lot nicer when I went driving with him and then in our second class. Monday must've ben a tired and hot and grumpy sorta day. Also, who doesn't question life over fanfics? I know I have xD Next chapter posts Friday!
Previously on More Than A Mortal:
"Why don't we go upstairs and figure out how to get rid of the guy we all hate?" I asked.
"That sounds extremely dangerous." Jay announced. "Let's do it."
We went quietly up the stairs, everyone drawing whatever weapon they had. I tugged on the charm on my bracelet, and my sword appeared in hand. The blade was oddly comforting, even though I'd only ever wielded it twice, not using one of those two times.
When we went into my room, he was standing in the center of the room. He still looked like Kiernan. When he saw all of us with our weapons, he just smirked.
"Finally figured it out?" He looked at Kiernan. "More like they did."
"You said like two sentences to me, and I was asleep for the gods know how many hours. No one's gonna figure out anything like that." I said in an annoyed tone. I was so done with everything going on.
"Why don't you all put away your weapons?" He asked, shifting back into his own looks.
Chelsey whimpered, and I looked back at her. "His aura is so dark and evil." She whispered. Then she passed out. Jay caught her, and set her gently against the wall, putting her sword in her sheath.
"Ah, yes, the daughter of Hecate with the rare gift of being able to clearly see one's aura." Tartarus said. "Now, let's get down to business. Put away your weapons."
None of us made any move. Tartarus tutted. "Come now, don't make me harm an innocent child." In his arms appeared a baby in a green blanket. It looked like the baby had a little tuft of green hair. Odd.
Nikita whimpered this time, but didn't pass out like Chelsey. No, it was a reaction to seeing the baby.
"I see you have kept your oath, Niki. Good." Tartarus said.
"Do not call me by his nickname!" Nikita snarled, expression going from upset to angry in less than a second.
"You are in no place to be ordering me around. Now, all of you, put away the weapons. I will not hesitate to kill the child." Nikita sheathed her swords. I, slowly, did the same. Jay and Kiernan were more hesitant, but did as he said.
"Good for all of you. Now, I'll be keeping Whitney around with me for now. You'll feel my rise, Lyric, and it will most likely hurt. Nikita, you know what that felt like. You may even feel it as well." Tartarus said.
"Please, just give her back. She's just a baby." Nikita pleaded. Something echoed at the back of my mind, but I didn't have a spare moment to worry about it.
"Au revoir." Tartarus called, then his form flickered and disappeared.
"I think... I think that I need to go see Mom. She's still here, right?" I asked Nikita. Nikita nodded, still staring at the spot where Tartarus had disappeared from.
I exited the room, and Jay went with me, leaving Kiernan with a comatose girl, and a girl who only stared at one spot, not speaking.
We found mom in her room. She was sitting on her bed, reading. She set her book down when she saw us. "Is everything alright?" She asked. I went over and sat beside her, leaning on her shoulder. Jay did the same on her other side, and she put her arms around us. I started crying.
"When they brought you into the house, I knew it wasn't him. I could tell Nikita knew, too. She told to stay in my room, to leave for the farm tomorrow, so I could be away from here." Mom said quietly. I cried harder.
"Lee..." Jay started, then hesitated. "What happened down there?"
"He held us in a room. Nikita and I talked a little. Then he made me... He made me... He made me marry him. And then he raped me." I said quietly. I heard mom gasp, and Jay had a shocked look on his face. "I don't really want to talk about it."
"Oh, baby..." Mom said, stroking my hair with her hand, a comforting gesture.
Kiernan came in with Nikita and a no longer comatose Chelsey. They sat quietly at the end of the bed while I cried, obviously not knowing what to do.
Something echoed at the back of my mind again, and this time I paid more attention to it. Memories flooded back into my mind.
A moment later, I sat straight up. "I am going to destroy that fucking bastard." I said, steely determination and rage mixed in my voice.
"Lyric?" Mom asked.
"He has her. He has Whitney and I didn't even realize it." I said. Nikita looked me in the eyes.
"You remember now?" She asked.
"I thought she was just your sister of something, that maybe you wanted to save her like you couldn't your brother. But she's not your sister. She's your goddaughter." I said. I was still avoiding anyone else knowing that I had had a baby, and Nikita could tell, because she didn't mention it.
"What are we talking about?" Chelsey asked.
"You passed out before he had the baby in his arms." Jay told Chelsey.
"Chelsey, actually, she's also your goddaughter." I said, giving no more explanation than that.
"What?" Chelsey asked.
"I'll explain later. Get everyone to camp. Tartarus knows we're here, and camp's on high alert. It's where we should be anyways. Nikita, you come with me." I said. I held out a hand to Nikita. She took it. "Mom, go to the farm. Stay there until we tell you it's safe enough to leave." Mom nodded.
I closed my eyes. Moments later, Nikita and I were standing in the throne room of Olympus. The gods, all up in their thrones, talking and laughing, quieted and looked to us. "Why do you come here without a summons?" Zeus thundered, as the throne room shrink in size so that the gods were ten feet tall, rather than the size of giants.
"Because all of you are going to help me get my baby back, and destroy Tartarus for once and for all." I said smoothly.
"You dare try to order the gods around?" Zeus asked, rage in his tone.
"Oh, I'm not trying!" I yelled. "I am! You are all going to get off your lazy asses and help me! I will not take no for an answer, and you will do as I say!" I was so done with all of these immortals and their attitudes. The throne room was plunged into almost pitch black. The entire room shook, and the gods were noticeably fearful. Nikita set a hand on my shoulder, and I managed to calm down, enough to stop my power.
"Are you going to help? Or are you just going to have an attitude and sit there like all you immortals do?" I asked quietly, but the room was so silent I could easily be heard.
"All in favor of aiding the destruction of Tartarus?" Zeus asked. I glared. "And the retrieval of a baby he has kidnapped?" Every good said aye.
"Gather any minor gods able to help, and get to camp." I commanded. I grabbed Nikita's arm and the throne room disappeared. The porch of the Big House appeared around us.
"Lyric?" Chiron asked.
"Gather the campers. Announce the start of the end of this war against Tartarus. The gods are going to help us destroy him for good." I said. Chiron was surprised, to say the least.
I would've gone to try and find Tartarus right then and there, but Nikita managed to convince me to go and get something to eat, and then go and get checked out in the infirmary.
The medics wanted me to stay in the infirmary, being down in the pit wasn't good for your health, but there was no way I was going to sit this fight out. Tartarus had my baby. The next time I saw him, I was going to obliterate him. The only thing that kept me in that infirmary was the fact that the gods had not yet arrived. I knew I would likely need their help.
After an hour or two in the infirmary, Cypress came in. He went over to Nikita first, and hugged her, telling her he was sorry he hadn't come sooner. Then he stepped back and looked at me. "The gods are here. They're requesting you come out to see them, so that you can make a plan with them." Cypress told me. I got up from the bed, and Nikita got up as well. The three of us walked out of the infirmary, and Nikita and I followed Cypress to Halfblood Hill.
The sight was amazing, to say the least. The twelve Olympians were all gathered, as well as at least a hundred minor gods. Probably more. Though none wore battle armor, I knew they would likely soon. Because there was going to be a war.
"Before anything else in making a plan, we need to know whatever you can tell us about him." Athena said. I was about to answer when more pain than I have ever felt in my life shot through my entire body. I think I screamed louder than I ever have before. Unable to do anything but succumb to the pain, I collapsed to the ground. I didn't comprehend it as Nikita also fell, screaming.
Someone's arms were around me. My eyes had closed when I fell, so I didn't know who, at first. But then I could smell his sunshine like smell, and I knew it was Kiernan. His embrace comforted me.
When the pain finally ended, and my breathing finally evened, I opened my eyes. Kiernan was holding me in his lap, sitting on the ground. Cypress, beside us, was holding Nikita much the same. She was crying. Jay was nearby, as was Chelsey. They must've gotten here recently, then.
I noticed the gods all staring at something. I looked, and gasped. It was Tartarus. And he was holding my baby.
I pulled myself off the ground, with a little help from Jay, and Kiernan pulled himself up as well.
"You've both survived my second rising." Tartarus mused. "You two are stronger than I've given you credit for. Especially you, Nikita. You've survived it twice now." Nikita had felt that pain before? My respect for her skyrocketed.
"Give her back." I said clearly, even though I'd just been screaming and my throat was slightly hoarse.
"No, I think I should like to keep her. She's just the most adorable little thing." Tartarus grinned.
"Give her back!" I shouted. The ground rumbled.
"Stop shouting. You'll wake her from her sleep." Tartarus said. He looked to the gods, then back to me. "You are lucky they are here. I would have unleashed my minions upon this camp, but their presence prevents me from sending my monsters."
I didn't say anything, but the sky darkened. There was barely any light, only a dim glow from the moon, as well as the glow from the gods. But it was enough. Enough to see. Tartarus just stared at me, and smirked. The sky returned to it's previous hue. Surprised, I stepped back.
"You didn't know? Didn't Nikita there tell you?" Tartarus said. "I can use your power now. Part of the bond and the marriage, dear."
He thought for a moment. "Speaking of, that marriage would make me this baby's stepfather. So, no, I think I'll keep her with me." He said. He said it quite loudly, making sure everyone heard.
Jay and Kiernan, on either side of me, were both shocked. Cypress and Chelsey were as well, and Nikita just stared sadly at me.
"Lee?" Jay asked quietly. I didn't say anything. I was too busy glaring at Tartarus and staring him down. Kiernan reached out a hand and intertwined his first gers with mine. He didn't say anything, and I could tell he was confused and having some conflicted feelings, but at least he wasn't rejecting me like I had feared.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I let the secret out. You weren't planning on telling anyone, where you?" Tartarus mocked. "You didn't want anyone to know you were pregnant. You didn't want anyone to know about your baby."
Tartarus was really starting to get on my nerves. I was also wondering why the gods were not doing anything, merely watching the exchange. Athena, in particular, was watching me closely. She had a cool and calculating look on her face, and looked content to just watch the exchange.
"Are you all going to stand there? Or are you going to do something while I wreak havoc on this world?" Tartarus asked. No one moved or made a sound. "It's as if you're all statues. Well, if you'd like to play statues, I'll just go and cause some chaos. Where to start? Hmm." He looked around, pretending to consider.
"How about we start in Spruce Creek, Ohio? How about we start with those friends and family members you four love so much? Maddie Landon was her name, I believe?" Tartarus asked.
"Touch my partner and I'll kill you." I growled. I would not let him hurt one of my best friends, the girl my brother loved.
Tartarus ignored me. "And what about you, Kiernan? What were their names? Lydia and Mason? Did you know your parents are in town, looking for you?" Kiernan's grip on my hand tightened, and I lightly squeezed his hand.
"And Chelsey." Tartarus went on. "Poor Chelsey, who ruined her reputation to help someone out. How about your father, Samuel? Would you miss him? Or perhaps that boy, Aaron, that you seem to like so much?"
"Why are you saying you're going to do these things? We all know full well you could. Why taunt us with it?" I asked.
"Because it is a great form of entertainment." Tartarus said. "And maybe, instead of Spruce Creek, we relocate the grand opening of my destruction to Blackmeadow Range?"
That was it. I was done with his taunting and everything else. So. Completely. Done.
The sky turned pitch black, and the only light came from the gods. The ground shook violently, and the heaviest downpour ever known to man began. Fissures erupted in the ground, and fires sprang up everywhere along the ground, except around the trees. Even in my anger, my subconscious knew not to burn down the camp or the forest.
Tartarus let loose a deep laugh. "Finally had enough of it, eh?" He asked.
"I'm giving you one more chance. Give me me baby or I will obliterate you so thoroughly you never reform again." I said calmly, evenly. But there was an undertone of rage and steely determination in my voice.
"No, I don't think I will." Tartarus said.
He was about to say something else, but a bubble of golden light appeared around Whitney. It moved quickly, carrying her over to us. Nikita caught the bubble, and then handed Whitney to Kiernan. He let go of my hand to hold her. "Hold your baby. Lyric, I'm going to need some help." Nikita said quickly. I knew she meant with defeating Tartarus. Cypress handed her something, and she shoved it in her mouth, chewing quickly and swallowing.
"And here I thought you had given up using your powers. They only bring you closer to death, do they not?" Tartarus asked. Nikita didn't answer. She just took my hand, and squared her shoulders.
"When I tell you, you're going to just need to let go. Let it all go. Don't hold back. I'll protect everyone else, okay?" Nikita asked, so quiet only I heard her. I nodded, and she gave Athena a meaningful look. A look was passed between all the gods assembled, as they all seemed to understand something, get some message of what she wanted them to do. Probably something to help destroy the guy they were here to destroy.
"What are you saying to her?" Tartarus asked.
"Nothing important." Nikita said with a shrug.
"I'm sure that that is not the truth. And you are my wife, you should be truthful with me." Tartarus said.
"You're my husband, but you're a cheating whore. And you tried to kill my friends. Who's really in the wrong here?" Nikita asked smoothly. Tartarus actually looked taken aback.
He was about to say something, but Nikita squeezed my hand hard, and I understood what she meant. I let my powers go, didn't control them. Even when they started when I was upset, I usually had a handle on my emotions. Not that I had felt any emotions nearly as overwhelming as this, ever, but this was so much different, too. I let go of all the bottled up emotions, all the emotions I was holding back so that I would not hurt anyone else, all the emotions that I held back for fear of what might happen.
I don't even know what happened. One moment, I was standing there, holding Nikita's hand, the next, I could see nothing, only darkness. I could hear nothing, feel nothing. All but one of my senses soon cleared up, seconds or minutes later. I could feel, I could hear, but I couldn't see. My knees gave out and I fell to the ground.
Well, they got Whitney back, but we don't know what's going to happen. Let's just hope Nikita was able to protect the camp while Lyric let loose. Let's also hope Nikita doesn't die from using her powers on such a large scale. That would be upsetting.
While this update was late, I also got about twenty dollars worth of chocolate out of the shopping trip yesterday, so I'm pretty happy about that. I just kinda didn't look at the shoes at the mall because I already didn't want him to spend a bunch of money on me (this is his way of apologizing for taking his stress out on me and screaming at me yesterday morning before school, his really good friend just suddenly died and he's not taking it very well; also the money he was using was his tattoo money and I didn't want to take that from him but as my mom said "you know he wants to do this, and he's not going to not buy you stuff. Just let the man do this, he needs it.")
So basically we ended up at Best Buy and he got me a five hundred dollar laptop that I didn't want or need (it was the one thing he was very insistent upon, that I have a new laptop for his house so I don't have to stress about carrying mine to school and back on the days I switch between houses, and because I can use it for school and the one I have now is from like fourth grade, anyways).
I'd also mentioned a pair of shoes when I had been stressing out that morning about carrying stuff (I was just a bit overwhelmed with other stuff and it spilled into trying to bring what I needed back to my mom's) so even though I said I didn't need another sixty four dollar pair of shoes and that I only had to carry the one pair (my Spiderman Vans are amazing) because I'd brought home my running sneakers for gym, he wanted me to go look at the store and see if there were any others I liked. Instead of looking at the shoes, I just browsed the clothes a little with no intention to get any of it, debated getting a beanie (I can't wait for fall to just come already so I can wear my beanies), and then we left without getting anything there.
After that, we went two stores down to Lindt, and they had a sale on a row of chocolate bars, most of which were dark, so I was super excited about that. Instead of three something for each, it as a ten for ten sale, so we each got five. I also got a pomegranate dark chocolate bar at full price, and then we filled some bags with the little circle chocolates. He filled his up a ton, I just filled mine like halfway. All in all, we got like forty dollars worth of chocolate.
Only other store we went to after that was Hot Topic. I was browsing the band shirts, didn't see any I particularly wanted this time around, so I got a couple pins. Also remembered Hot Topic carries my favorite brand of nail polish (Blackheart Beauty) so I got a couple of those and one of their perfumes.
But yeah, long story short, TL;DR, whatever else you call it: My dad felt bad about taking his stress out on me, so he took me shopping for a new laptop and just a mall shopping trip to make up for it, so I ended up with a five hundred dollar new laptop, twenty or so dollars worth of chocolate from Lindt, and a couple pins and nail polishes from Hot Topic. (Oh, and he also approved of my wanting the helix piercing, which I was trying to ask for instead of the laptop because it's actually something I wanted and not as expensive, but he was just like "Sure! I'll see if my tattoo artist does them, he does some piercings, I'll ask about prices and we can try to get an appointment!")
Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!