would have to be to incite an earthquake. “Why are they torturing her!? If they’re supposed to judge her, why don’t they just get it over with and stop doing this to her?”
“She must be resisting,” Finn sighed. “She’s not giving them the answers they require.
They’ll do anything they deem appropriate to get their answers; injury, disease…madness. That’s their only intention: to find the truth.”
“What do you think the purification ritual will do?” I asked, curiously watching Natasha and Elina unload small glass jars from a small burlap sack that Elina must have brought with her.
“Hopefully dispel them from her body.” He contemplated, “But whether or not that will send them back to the Underworld and release her from judgment, we have no way of knowing.”
“All three of them are in there?” Phoebe’s eyes widened. “No wonder she’s been screaming like a lunatic.”
We continued to look on, as Natasha and Elina began their ritual by running their hands above Carmen’s body. Something dripped down from their hands onto her skin as they chanted in hushed voices with their eyes closed. Carmen was watching them with amusement, and a feeling of foreboding fell upon me.
“Foolish witches,” Carmen hissed. “We have decided that the time for redemption has passed. She will come with us.”
“No she won’t!” Phoebe howled. She lunged toward them, but Finn stopped her.
“You cannot take her. Her body lives,” Natasha retorted calmly, eyes still closed.
“We are the Erinyes!” Carmen bellowed with renewed conviction. “How dare you presume to know what we can and cannot do!” She sat up abruptly, somehow throwing Natasha and Elina several yards down the beach.
As she grinned in satisfaction at Natasha and Elina, who were slowly being helped to their feet by Finn, I crept silently toward her. She snapped her head around at me when I was only inches away. I froze while she stared at me blankly, seemingly trying to decide if I was a threat.
“Carmen!” I whispered loudly to her. “Carmen! I know you can hear me! You have to fight them! Don’t let them take you!”
“It would be to your advantage if you’d leave her be, and allow us to do our will. This does not involve you,” she/they commanded; the voice layered and forced.
“Carmen-“ I started, and quickly stopped when her eyes met mine. A wall of judgment slammed into me, crippling my resolve and taking my breath away. I discerned a snaking fire of molten lava surround my body and press at my mind. I quickly pushed it away and mentally blew it back outward. I glared back at her, or more specifically whatever was inside of her.
“You will not penetrate my mind
“Watch me,” she countered with an evil grin. The fire squeezed around me again but instead of pushing it away, I concentrated on my own energy. It stretched outward from my body, creating something of a force field, repelling her advances. Feeling exhilarated and stronger than I ever had before, I met her eyes with confidence. Right before my world exploded.
Images exploded across my mind; blinding me with a mirage of colors, places, and most predominately, people suffering. I attempted to push them away, but somehow the onslaught worsened. I actually felt the agony and pain of the judged souls; hear their pleading and failed attempts at persuasion. Finally, I was able to concentrate long enough to realize that I needed to pull my energy back, not the other way around.
“Get out! Get out! Get out!” Carmen began to shriek over and over, this time in her own voice.
I concentrated on bringing anything and everything ‘me’ back to my body. My energy rushed back into me with unmistakable force and the world spun. I collapsed in the sand beside Carmen and clutched her hand. Maybe, I could get through to her while she was still in control.
“Carmen, please!” I squeezed her hand, “You have to fight them!”
“I can’t,” she whimpered, her voice now weak with exhaustion.
“You have to!” She screamed out in agony again; scratching at her skin as if attempting to pull the beings, or herself, from her body. I wrestled her arms away from her skin before she clawed herself to death when suddenly her body went limp and pale. Her blank eyes met mine slowly as the real Carmen started to shrink back inside herself.
“They’re too strong,” she cried. “I deserve my fate.”
Chapter 14
“Stasia,” Natasha and Elina were now standing beside us, trying to pull me away from her.
“No!” I yelled, pushing them away.
“If she gives in, we must allow her to do so. It is her choice,” Elina stated calmly.
“No! I won’t let her! You hear me Carmen!?” As my hysteria and desperation rose, the sand beneath us began to dance and shift again. Getting an idea, I slid my hands under her arms and began to drag her body towards the water’s edge.
“Stasia, what are you doing?” Phoebe called to me.
“Help me!” I instructed her. Whether it was my fierce tone or the determined look in my eye, she didn’t argue or ask questions. Once the gentle waves lapped at our feet, I sat down in the water and pulled Carmen’s body to me, so that her back was propped up against me.
“Come on Carmen, you’re in the water. Pull from it. It’ll strengthen you. Concentrate on the way it makes you feel.” She continued to stare up at me blankly as Phoebe gently splashed water onto her face and shoulders. “It’ll help you fight them.”
Another minute went by filled with blank stares before we saw any reaction or sign that she could hear us.
“Stasia, look!” Phoebe exclaimed. I peeled my eyes from Carmen’s absent stare and I found what Phoebe was referring to. The water had started to vibrate around Carmen’s body ever so slightly. It slowly organized; sending small waves rolling outward. Excitement shone in Phoebe’s eyes as she watched.
“You’re doing it, Carm!” she rejoiced. “Keep it up!”
With no sounds or movements from Carmen, it was difficult to know what she was thinking or if she was even able to think. I was waiting for the moment when the three beings would come to the surface and decide to retaliate; potentially hurting me or Phoebe. I held her close in anticipation.
Phoebe, however, was in full celebration mode. Tears of joy were running down her face, and she rotated from one side of Carmen’s body to the other several times. Just as I had feared, her joy turned out to be premature. Unfortunately the waves halted, and Carmen’s warm brown eyes darkened to a pitch black.
“No! Carmen!” Phoebe yelled at her and shook her shoulders in panic. “Come back!”
“She just isn’t strong enough,” I whispered, tears springing to my eyes. It was then that I noticed the picturesque woman walking towards us from the waves.
“Allow me.”
As she approached, I knew that she had to be a Nereid. Her dark skin was only a couple of tones lighter than her long, straight hair, which was a rich mahogany with chunks of black strands raining down throughout. Her dark, smoky eyes gave her an air of mystery and strength. She wore a dark blue dress that flowed behind her in the water. As she walked the waves become stronger and larger, clearly as affected by her presence as we were. It could only be Oreithya.
Rendered speechless, I allowed her to take Carmen from me and into her arms. I pulled Phoebe back toward the beach and onto the sand with Finn. We watched on as Oreithya cradled Carmen in her arms and closed her eyes. A bright light flashed, and a massive wave echoed outward from where they were standing. Oreithya opened her eyes and smiled down at Carmen, who still appeared to be limp in her arms. She carried her to the beach and laid her gently on the sand.
“Carmen?” Phoebe asked quietly. Her hands shook with fear as she reached down and touched her arm. Thudding footsteps behind us undoubtedly put me on the defensive, but I didn’t have time to protect us before
