AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Just a conversation,” I assured him, stepping out from underneath Wild’s arm and taking a few steps backward before falling to my knees and slamming my hands down in the dirt.
“Gracie—”
“Face us,” I demanded, not giving him and Wild a chance to object. “Gaia, face us.Youwanted this fight. You equipped your army. You led them here. Come here and face the aftermath of this battle; see the bodies of the agathos who died inyourname. Tell me you’re satisfied with what you’ve done.”
All eyes were on me as I stared down at the dirt, I could feel it, but I didn’t look up. Not until the air around me shimmered and changed.ThenI looked up, hastily climbing to my feet. Wild snatched my hand, pulling me into him, and T pushed himself to a sitting position, breathing heavily.
The Spartoi had frozen in place, and for a brief moment, it seemed as though all the oxygen was sucked out of the atmosphere. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak, couldn’tscream. But then it all came back in a rush, in a wave of golden light. I scrunched my eyes shut, throwing my arm over my face to shield myself against the blinding brilliance for a second before forcing myself to look, not wanting to miss a moment of whatever was happening.
They descended on chariots.
Six golden chariots the size of buses, pulled by white, winged horses, two riders standing on the back of each.
The Spartoi rushed forward, standing at our backs, careful to keep me front and center. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that they dropped to the ground, bending a knee and bowing their heads in reverence.
I straightened my spine, standing a little taller, while Wild and Riot shifted around to keep me in the middle, not bothering to bow either.
I wanted to decide for myself whether they were worthy of bowing to.
Despite the heavythudof the chariots hitting the earth, the ground didn’t shake. Almost as though Gaia herself was holding her breath, deciding what to do with this turn of events.
How were they here? Dare hadn’t been able to get to Tartarus. The pit had closed up. Had there been another way in?
Then again, I supposed it didn’t matter. Not really. However, the prophecy had been fulfilled, it was done now, and this was the moment we’d been waiting for. The culmination of all of our efforts. It was all for these golden, ethereal creatures who we had to hope would act in our best interests.
I didn’t need an explanation of who was who. The many depictions of the gods that had survived since antiquity had done them plenty of justice. As the silver-bearded, enormous man stepped off the first chariot, a regal, slightly haughty goddess at his side, her palm resting on his forearm, I didn’t wonder which deities they were. This was clearly Zeus and Hera, and the others behind them were just as clear—the lovely, bored Aphrodite, the stern, attentive Athena, the imposing, tempestuous Poseidon… They were all here.
They stepped off the chariots, and the winged horses took off into the air, leaving the twelve deities standing imperiously before us. The moment their feet hit the ground, another wave of dusky golden light washed over the earth.
And then the scent ofgrassfilled my nose. Grass andflowers. The wind picked up, carrying the salt of the sea with it. In the distance, I could have sworn I heard the buzz of insects, and was that… birdsong? Or was I dreaming? The world had been so dead and silent for what felt like so long that I wondered if I was hallucinating.
For the briefest moment, I just let myself enjoy it. Let myself enjoy the beautiful, perfect peace of a lush and vibrant earth. The world the way it was meant to be.
By the time I opened my eyes, the golden color had faded, leaving behind verdant green surroundings beneath a brilliant dusky sky. The muddy battlefield was now a soft grassy plain with patches of brilliant wildflowers, though the jagged rocks, deep ditch, and remnants of the plateau were still standing.
My cheeks were wet with tears before I even realized I was crying.
Zeus, King of the Gods, surveyed his surroundings with interest before looking past me.
“Typhoeus,” he called, inclining his head in greeting. “It’s been a long time. You’re looking well.”
T huffed in annoyance, slithering closer until he was a looming presence at my back, casting a shadow over me, Riot, and Wild. Zeus turned his attention to me, his beard twitching slightly.
“Prophêtis. I have heard so much about you. I look forward to speaking to you more, but there is something I believe you’d like us to take care of here first, hm? Of course, that is the priority.”
Hera nodded encouragingly at Zeus’ side while he turned his impassive gaze down to the ground. “Come now, Mother Gaia,” Zeus called, not bothering to raise his voice. “We have much to catch up on. Won’t you visit with us?”
Silence.
“You were about to,” he added, sounding bored. “At the Prophêtis’ request. As you should, of course. She is our go-between, speaking for the gods to mortals, and for mortals to the gods. The very least we can do is respond to her call.”
Riot pressed up against my shoulder, his hand finding mine, while Wild stiffened, a sword in his hand once again.
More silence.A silence that dragged on for a painfully long time before the volcano rumbled ominously. We all turned to face it, my hands trembling as Gaia climbed out of the crater, not much smaller than the volcano itself. Somehow, her footsteps were light as she crossed themilesbetween us in three steps, shrinking down to a slightly larger-than-human-sized form in line with the other gods.
As we’d seen her in the Realm of the Gods, she was not particularlyhumanlooking. Her skin was like bark, and in place of hair were thick, leafy vines that sprouted from the top of her head and twisted around her body like a living, moving garment.
“Grandson,” Gaia said cordially. “Welcome back.”
