lacking immensely in power. I nodded at Willow, who averted her attention back to the now-writhing Finn, and jumped off of the sand dune just as I felt a wave of darkness. Down the beach, a mass of Sons could be seen making their way towards us.
A small sense of relief filled my heart as I regarded Carmen’s dire situation. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Phoebe run up to Finn and Willow on the sand dune, but my focus was strictly on the Auras who were now disabling Carmen with their eyes. One wrapped his hand around her neck, and I was on him in seconds. I grappled him by the neck and propelled him down the beach. He landed right in front of the Sons, who quickly made sure he wouldn’t be hurting anyone else. The other two Auras were now backing up slowly, their suddenly frightened eyes on me. At first I thought they must be seeing something dangerous behind me, but common sense hit me and I realized that
I swiftly wrapped my energy around the Auras and hurled them down the beach as well; leaving them lying on top of the Auras I’d plucked off of Phoebe. With my roommates safe, Finn healing, and the Sons arriving, I turned my attention farther up the beach to where the bulk of the fight had migrated. With another single thought, I crossed the beach in record time. I tried to assess the situation as fast as I could.
Natasha and Elina were in the process of conjuring a spell against the Sirens, who were quickly closing in on Keto’s command. Unbeknownst to them, the rest of the Auras were moving in silently; attempting to attack them from behind. I was instantly surprised at Zara, who was yelling and gesturing wildly at Nadia and Selene. I had no idea that she had the courage to face two incredibly strong immortals. I searched the beach for Keto, and found her moving towards Selene and Nadia just as her Sirens started to sing. I hadn’t even realized I’d come up with the idea before it came to fruition. A high frequency sound wave echoed out from my body, fueled by my energy, and was then sent on a collision path with the Sirens. All ten collapsed in agony, as the wave slammed into their ear drums and rendered them momentarily deaf. I commenced to blanketing them in a sea of blue energy that quickly muted their voices and left them unable to move. The Auras that had been sneaking up behind Elina and Natasha were also quickly taken care of, as I knocked them unconscious with my energy and cast them to the other side of the beach with their kin. I smiled proudly at myself, and then heard Elina, Natasha, and Zara gasp at my arrival.
I met the startled eyes of Nadia, whose jaw hit the ground; almost dropping the dagger that she clutched tightly in her hand. Standing next to her, Selene’s features darkened with anger and Keto gazed at me with a fury I could actually feel.
“Looks like this won’t be easier than you thought, Keto.” I smiled at her pleasantly, knowing that it would only make her madder.
“Nice work, Pasha.” A voice suddenly materialized beside me, along with a very weary looking Finn. He snapped his fingers twice and at that moment, three things happened simultaneously. The mass of Sons encircled the three women on Finn’s subtle command, Zara tossed me my dagger from my valise, and Nadia vanished into thin air. I felt her materialize behind me. She stood behind my three roommates, who had been watching on from a safe distance. Dark smoke shot out from her hands; quickly wrapping around them and slamming them to the ground. I slowly closed the distance between us with slow, measured steps - watching the madness burn in her eyes as I got closer. She ran behind Phoebe, clutched her by the neck and pulled out a black dagger; more than likely, the same black dagger she had stabbed me with. She grinned wickedly at me as she started to run it across Phoebe’s throat, but I deftly commanded the wind to blow it out of her hand before any damage could be done. All she had succeeded in doing was pissing me off even more. She stumbled backwards from the wind’s force, trying to retrieve the blade, while I walked past my wide eyed roommates and continued to move towards her. She searched the sand in a desperate attempt to find her weapon.
I watched with surprise, as she was able to summon the dagger to her somehow. It slid across the sand and into her outstretched hand. A putrid mixture of hatred and rage hardened her golden eyes as she climbed to her feet and ran towards me. Gray fingers of evil smoke flew out from her outstretched hands, but I dispelled them with a puff of energy and they faded into thin air before reaching me. I watched as a slow fear crept into those calculating evil eyes.
“What do you think you’re going to do?” she fumed at me. The unsteadiness in her voice gave her away, as did the quick worrisome glimpses directed at the dagger I now held in my hand.
The only thing that could kill her. “You’re just the bastard child of Thetis. You’re nothing!”
I smiled casually when she stopped within inches of me, and inspected her with obvious amusement. My electing not to speak only made her more furious, and her face contorted with indignation.
“When I speak to you, you answer me!” she growled at me. She lunged at me with the dagger, but I was easily able to pick her up and throw her onto the sand beneath me; locking the hand that held her dagger on the sand with my knee. Dark smoke blasted out of her body and wrapped around us, but I swiftly forced it back with my own energy.
Somehow she was able to get a leg free, and she gave me a nasty kick in the side. I cringed just enough so that her arms loosened beneath me. She swung the dagger towards my stomach, but I held fast to both of her arms with an iron grip and shoved them down; practically sitting on top of her and staring her in the face.
“You’ve ruined everything!” she screeched at me. “I’ll be Queen of the Underworld soon and I can promise you I
“No, Nadia.” A velvety, familiar voice answered for me; the excited anticipation swirling in the air around her. Mere feet away were three pairs of flashing yellow eyes, all staring at Nadia. “That will be your fate, child.”
I allowed Nadia to incline her head to see our newest visitors. Her eyes narrowed and she yelled at them, “You weren’t summoned here! Leave or I’ll ensure my mother knows of your…”
“Your mother was the one who summoned us,” one of the Erinyes inserted with disdain; breaking one of their own rules by revealing who had commanded them. Nadia was silenced by her words, and another of the Erinyes nodded to me in approval before they promptly disappeared. I shifted my eyes back to Nadia, who spit in my face and began to writhe beneath my ironclad hold.
I was suddenly knocked off of her by a ball of green energy from behind, and I rolled several times before coming to a stop. I jumped to my feet in time to see Finn and Natasha subdue Keto, as the fighting broke out once again within the circle of Sons.
Nadia barreled into me, and we slid up the beach several feet from the force. With my dagger still in my hand, it was difficult to get a hold of her thrashing limbs. My left hand found her wrist, and I squeezed until I heard the breaking of bones. She cried out in pain and dropped the dagger she was holding. I jumped back on top of her and held her down once more; frowning down at her as she yelled at me.
“You will pay for this! I’m the Princess of the Underworld! You can’t do this!” She yelled and spit in my face again for good measure. I glared sternly into her eyes, and something she saw in them silenced her again.
“You have earned your punishment, Nadia.” I spoke loud and clear to make that sure she heard every word I said. “And you were right, Karma is a bitch…and I’m her best friend.” With that, I plunged my dagger into her evil heart and held it there, until the last flicker of light had been drained from her eyes.
I closed her vacant eyes with my hand and pulled the dagger from her body. She slumped back to the sand, and a sadness washed over me. The fact that I had never killed anyone before was overridden by the fact that I couldn’t allow for Nadia to stay in this world. She was too dangerous and destructive to all the Orders, as well as to the Nereids. I remained on my knees with my head bowed over her body. I lifted my head when I sensed a dark presence in the distance. A woman was standing on top of the sand dunes about fifty yards away. Her golden hair blew in the wind, along with the long white dress wrapped around her tall frame. Her golden eyes glistened in the moonlight, as tears ran down her cheek. Persephone. My respect for her tripled at the knowledge that she had summoned the Erinyes to decide her own daughter’s fate; knowing how harsh the punishment would be. I bowed to her slowly, keeping eye contact. She put her hands together and bowed respectfully toward me, and then she disappeared.
“Stasia, turn around!” I heard Zara shout at me, but I had already sensed Keto’s arrival. A cool breeze, smelling of ocean brine and kelp, washed over me as I twisted around and stood with confidence.
“Congratulations, Anastasia,” she hissed with a smirk. “I see that your destiny has come to fruition earlier than expected. Unfortunately for you, the time you will have to enjoy your completed essence is dwindling by the minute.”
“Why do this, Keto? Is the power of greed more potent than your respect for life?” I pressed.
