I studied the clearing once again. It was a perfect circle, full of knee high wild grass and encircled by tropical trees.
"A perfect circle", I mused again to myself. "It must be symbolic of something. But what?"
"You’re such a smart, smart girl," a voice creaked.
Stepping from the edge of the tree line, Lachesis walked steadily toward me, in her ancient, stooped form. Not only was she ancient, but I was also quite aware that she had been rendered powerless, so I stood unafraid and waiting as she approached.
"You’re such a proud little thing," she observed. I stuck my chin out even further and she smiled. "You always have been. That’s a paradox. Pride really should go against your peaceful nature."
"I am meant to bring contentment and peace to those around me," I replied. "It does not mean that I always feel it myself. Of course I do not- particularly when there are those who continually endanger the peace that I love."
She smiled again.
"Subtly is not a strength that you possess," she observed. "I like that."
"I care not what you like," I answered. "Please tell me where my mother is. You have no need for her. I’m the one you want."
"And to get you here, we had to involve your mother. She is restrained and you are outnumbered."
I felt many sets of eyes on me and my gaze flew once again to the tree line. I could see shadows of quite a few people surrounding us. Calypso’s nymphs. They were under the orders of the Fates. I swallowed.
"I am outnumbered now, but you are familiar with my father the god of war. He will be along shortly."
She laughed, a haunting sound.
"I wouldn’t count on that, I’m afraid. It is possible that they might have been shall we say waylaid." She laughed again, satisfied and secure. "I fear they will be of no help to you."
"Yes, you sound very afraid," I muttered.
"Come now," she extended her hand. "There is a party and we’re waiting for you."
I ignored her hand. Did she really believe that I was going to actually touch her? I followed closely behind her as she moved with surprising speed through the clearing. As we crossed through the trees, the solemn nymphs parted and allowed us to pass. Their expressions were at once curious, sorrowful and resigned. I could sense that they didn’t wish to be participants, but they had no choice.
A few minutes later, we stood in what had to be the very center of Ogygia. On one end of the encampment, a magnificently large black tent stood proudly, its fabric rippling with the gentle breeze. Facing it from the other end of the encampment was another tent, this one as red as blood.
In the middle, was an enormous pit. It spit fire, the flames licking the edges of the pit itself as it roared within. A firepit. Perfect.
But that wasn’t the worst part. Hanging upside down like bats from the trees above us were so many minor gods and goddesses that I could not count them all. From where I stood, I could see Alathea, Eris, Eros and Chaos. There had to be at least 30 more, but I couldn’t see their faces from here.
They were suspended in the air, held by long golden cords fastened at their ankles. Their hands were criss-crossed over their chests and held tight by an odd looking sheer material that surrounded their entire bodies. Only their hair was free and dangled downward toward the flame. Their eyes were tightly closed. It was as if they were in a strange, comatose state, much like how we found the Amazons in Eris’ home.
"Eris helped you," I pointed out. "She delivered Aphrodite to you. Why would you turn on her?"
"Why do you care?" Lachesis asked. "She is your sworn enemy."
"True," I acknowledged. "And I don’t care. I was simply curious."
"Well, you know what curiosity did to the cat." Lachesis smiled a slow, creepy smile at me.
"What do you hope to gain here?" I asked her. "What have these people done to you?"
"Absolutely nothing," she replied with a smug smile. "But they will be used as a message."
"Of what?" I asked in frustration.
"Of things that aren’t your concern." Another voice resounded through the encampment and I looked up to see Atropos and Clothos emerging from the black tent. They slowly walked to the edge of the fire where I stood with Lachesis.
"You do not have the right to demand knowledge from us," Clothos snapped in her superior way.
"Yet you cannot stop me, can you?" I asked. "You possess no magic here." I looked to Atropos. "Your breaths are no longer hazardous to me." Her ancient eyes snapped and I could see how much being rendered powerless truly vexed her.
From the opposite end, three hooded figured emerged from the red tent. The Keres. I watched them with interest as they crept to where we stood. When they reached us, I gazed at them curiously. And gasped.
They were hideous. It was no wonder they wore hoods. Their faces were ancient, like the Fates, but their skin looked like cracked stone. Their cloudy eyes were almost white and blood ran from the corners and dripped from their eyelashes to the ground. Everywhere they walked, they trailed blood.
"Do we repulse you?" the one nearest to me asked. I decided not to lie.
"Yes."
She smiled and grew even more terrifying as her gaunt face stretched over her jagged bones.
"We cry blood because of all that we have seen," she uttered. Reaching out a gnarled finger, she trailed it along my jawbone. "Such beauty," she hissed.
"If you had seen even a portion of what we have, you would not be so pure," she finished, dropping her hand back to her side. "Our sisters have damned us to a lifetime of suffering due to the evil that we have witnessed."
"Much of it at your own hands," Clothos reminded her. "You are not innocent, sister."
The Keres shook their heads. "As if we had a choice," the one in the middle croaked.
Lachesis stepped in. "That is neither here nor there. We have other things to attend to. It is time that we filled dear Harmonia in our plans."
"So, tell me."
I tried to sound brave and sincerely hoped that I carried it off. They could not read my mind here, something that worked in my favor. They were out of their element.
"We have brought you here to give you a choice," Clothos stated.
I waited through the long pause as they all watched me.
"And that is?" I prompted, when their silence continued.
The Fates’ grinned, all of them in unison. It was a startlingly frightening sight. I steeled myself for whatever atrocity that they would reveal. I didn’t have to wait long.
"Your life for theirs."
Lachesis motioned toward all of the gods dangling lifelessly over the fire.
"Your mother is there," she confirmed as she watched my gaze flit over each face. "And there is just one more thing."
Cadmus stepped from the shadows, his face blank and silent.
"Step forward," Lachesis commanded him.
He silently moved forward until he stood in front of her, directly beside me.
"Cadmus!" I cried, grabbing his strong arm.
He didn’t even blink. It was if I had said nothing at all.
"Cadmus!" I cried again as I shook his arm. His eyes stared impassively past me as if he were in a trance.
"What have you done to him?" I demanded, whirling to face the Fates. "Magic doesn’t work here. How have you done this?"
"Ah, sweet Harmonia," Clothos mocked me. "You simply don’t think things through. Of course magic cannot be rendered here. But magical spells that are timed correctly can be effective ."
I stared at her in confusion, trying to make sense of her words.
"It’s a time released spell," she declared simply. "It was administered by Eris at the same time as her love potion. It was meant to become active as he crossed the sea and landed on these shores. He became our agent, feeding the same potion to your father and the Amazons and then he led them straight to us. They are up there also." She gestured proudly to the trees above us. "Calypso’s nymphs are quite nimble and strong. This is all their handiwork."
I struggled with the simple act of breathing, an exercise in futility as soon as she spoke her next words.
"Cadmus," she ordered. "Step forward."
He obediently walked directly toward the fire.
Chapter Seventeen
I screamed and grabbed Cadmus, pulling with all of my might on his arms, trying to force him to stop moving. It was no use. He was much too strong and shook me off as easily as if I were a feather.
"Stop!" I screamed to Lachesis. "Please, I’ll do anything."
"Anything?" she asked, with her eyebrow raised.
"Yes. Anything," I promised.
"Cadmus, stop," she ordered. He halted with one foot hovering over the fire.
"Step back."
He took one step backward, standing as still as a statue, staring blankly straight ahead and I breathed a small sigh of relief. But my relief was short lived. Lachesis turned to me with an arrogant, knowing expression on her weathered face.
"Your life for theirs?" she asked politely.
I nodded. "My life for theirs."
"This was easier than we thought, sisters," she murmured in amusement.
They shared satisfied grins and I felt nausea rising in my belly.
"Too easy, though," she mused. "It’s not nearly satisfying enough. Alexi?" she called.
Alexi stepped from the opposite side of the pit with his expressionless face. He was firmly grasping the elbow of my mother. My mortal mother.
Shoving her forward, she stopped limply next to the edge of the fire. The flames leaped from the massive hole and licked at their feet. I could smell the singed hair of the gods and goddesses hanging upside down above it and I flinched. My mother’s face was as stone, as emotionless as Cadmus’. She was enchanted, too.
"We can’t let you have both of them," Clothos said smoothly. "That would be so unlike us.
What would people think? You may choose one. And then of course, you can have the rest of them." She motioned above our heads, as though the gods hanging over us were worthless chattel.
"I must choose Cadmus or my mortal mother?" I asked incredulously. "Lachesis, that’s unnecessary. I’m giving you my life willingly. I’m handing it to you. It’s yours. Take it."
Lachesis laughed. "And we thank you. But we must have our amusement, too. Which one will you choose?"
I stared at my mother’s helpless form. She was so vulnerable and delicately human. I wondered if Alexi had taken her against her will or bewitched her to get her here . Or maybe he had even lied and told her that I needed her, in which case she would have come willingly which made it all the worse. Her dark hair, just like mine, glistened in the light from the fire.
My gaze shifted to my soul mate. He stood silently next to me, his muscles taut and poised for movement, but rendered useless by the strange spell. All the strength in the world was useless if your mind was captive. His liquid dark eyes stared straight ahead, completely oblivious to my agony.