Descendant of Darkness - Chapter Five

[his_angel16]

Araceli crept through the streets, hurrying along as the wind guided her. She knew she had to keep going despite being alone. Being on her own wasn't really scary, it was just a little tiring. She didn’t have someone to push her, to keep her going. At this point, she wanted to turn around and flee. But she couldn't do that. She had to keep going no matter how lonely she felt. She kept the same, steady pace, not wanting to draw any more attention to herself than necessary. She found that the wind had changed direction slightly, and the next turn she took, would lead her closer to her father, closer to her siblings. And still, she kept moving. Even if she was captured, she would try to bargain with them. Even though they were on the side of evil, she was still their family, still shared their blood. They would have to give her one final request before they killed her or held her prisoner or whatever they would do to her.
  She could feel a strong force ahead of her, but it was the only one she felt. Sighing, she felt relief surge through her. If she had chosen the right time for a sneak attack, this had to be it. Vaguely, she could feel four powers pulling at her from far away. Two were close to each other, but the other two were a few miles apart. She quickened her pace a little, knowing she only had one chance to do this.
  “Wind, guide me. Help me out of this before everything crumbles and I lose my nerve,” she mumbled under her breath, her voice lost to the wind. She ducked into another alley, hoping she hadn’t been seen. The people here looked like everyone else, but she didn’t know if they held any powers. She just took it as they might so see needed to stay hidden. She waited as they passed, exhaling slowly. A hand fell on her should and she almost screamed. Instead, she whirled around, ready for a fight. She faltered, however, at seeing it was only the twins.
  “Sorry,” Artemis mumbled, smiling sheepishly. “We though you could use some help.”
  “How did you catch up to me so quickly?” she asked, looking from Artemis to Apollo.
  “We have friends in nature. All we had to do is ask which direction you left in and they pointed us to you,” Apollo replied, smiling lightly. “Now, have you located Athena yet?”
  Araceli shook her head. “I'm still trying to find the building. I have no idea which one it is.”
  “Follow me.” Apollo turned around, leading the two girls toward the other end of the alley. “Usually, they have a barrier up that keeps their place hidden from outsiders. And when someone enters the barrier, it alerts them.”
  “So, how are we getting in?” Araceli chewed on her lip, worrying about saving Athena.
  “They have a small place, a breach in their security, that we can slip through. Come on. It's over here.” He waved them over, watching the look on Artemis’s face at the way in.
  “A drainage pipe? That's disgusting, Apollo,” Artemis whined, frowning.
  “Where does it lead?” Araceli stared at it, glancing toward the building before back at the opening in the pipe.
  “If my calculations are correct, we'll go right by the dungeons. So, we'll be close to Athena.” He grinned, Artemis whining only making him want to laugh. “You okay with crawling through this?”
  Nodding, Araceli took the backpack off, repositioning it on herself so it wouldn't get snagged on the pipe. She braced herself before crouching in front of the opening. “Let's go.” She started inside, missing the look of shock on Apollo’s face and the look of disgust on Artemis’s. She didn’t think it was too bad herself, but she liked stomping around murky water as a kid. Athena wouldn't be thrilled about it. She caught herself laughing at the thought of dragging Athena through this drain pipe, her smile making her feel as if her face would crack.
  “Oh, I can't wait to see the look on Athena’s face when she sees this pipe,” Araceli murmured. “When I was a kid, I would play in muddy, parasite infested water. Athena almost fainted every time I came home. The mud was so caked on I had to throw away a lot of outfits.”
  “So, you like filthy water?” Apollo was behind her, Artemis trailing behind him. He told her that he would go first, so he could keep most of the filth on him. Artemis had been more than pleased.
  “Not particularly, but kids always love playing in dirt and gross water. They find it fun.” She frowned as she saw two different paths. “Which way?”
  “We can split up. I'll go left, you girls go right.”
  “No,” Araceli paused, looking back and forth between the two. “Give me a second and stay perfectly still.” Araceli closed her eyes, straining her ears as she listened. The water was soaking into their clothes ans she wanted to hurry, but she knew that some things you just had to be patient for. And then, she heard it. Footsteps walking away from the side on the left. She could smell rotting food, too. “We go left.”
  “How do you know?” Artemis whispered, still trying to be quiet.
  “I heard footsteps and smelled food rotting. It's to the left.” She turned, leading the twins toward the dungeon she hoped Athena was being kept inside of. She paused, looking around in the dark pipe before she moved a little closer, reaching up. She felt the metal of a grate, smiling to herself. She pushed it open, peering out before shoving it entirely off and climbing through. She reached down, helping Apollo up before they both helped Artemis up.
  “Is this it?” Apollo asked, voice quiet.
  Araceli nodded, noticing the familiar walls from the mirror her siblings used. She crept over to a cot, finding someone sleeping on top of it. Reaching out, she shook the person awake, relief filling her when Athena sat up. “Athena!”
  “Araceli?” Athena asked, eyes wide in surprise. She looked over Araceli’s shoulder, finding her twin siblings just behind her. “And you brought Artemis and Apollo.”
  Araceli nodded again, smile still on her face. “We came to get you.” She pointed to the drain pipe. “We can escape using the same pipe.”
  “You used a drainage pipe to rescue me? How original.” Athena rolled her eyes. “If we're going to go, we have to leave now. They'll be back soon?”
  “Who will be back soon?” Artemis asked, coming a little closer.
  “Araceli's siblings. They keep coming and asking me where you are, where you like to go. And every time I keep telling them that I don't know. Even now, I still don't know some of the places you would run off to growing up. You needed your space, so I gave it to you.”
  “We can reminisce later. Right now, we have to get you out of her and back to Olympia.” Araceli helped Athena stand and get over to the pipe before dropping down first. Artemis came down next followed by Athena. Apollo came through last, closing the grate behind himself.
  “Do they know that the grate is really easy to open?” Apollo asked, crawling behind Athena as they followed Araceli back through the pipes.
  “It might not be easy for most of their prisoners. Maybe it's just easy for us.” Araceli turned when they needed to, leading them back toward the entrance. “I still think that this was way too easy. Something is bound to happen before we can get Athena back to Olympia.”
  “Why do you say that?” Athena questioned.
  Araceli frowned. Athena sounded very tired to her and she wanted her friend to be safe as quickly as possible. “Because my luck is never this good. The fact that they let me sneak in and get you just to sneak back out. It's too easy.” She kept going, despite her worries over it not being a challenge. Seeing the faint light ahead, she hurried a little. She stopped and looked around, checking even the sky and the tops of the surrounding buildings. “It seems clear. Let's hurry.” Just as she moved to leave the pipe, something caught her eye.
  White and delicate, cascading down in soft spurts, was snow. The first snowfall of the year. Araceli watched it fall, beginning to cover the ground as it spread. She moved slowly out of the pipe, the others following her. She was the only one watching the falling snow, the others engrossed in trying to find the safest way out. That's when it happened, when she had her guard down. The wind picked up, swirling around her and the others, before it calmed to a gentle breeze. Before her stood Iris and Arcadian. The look on Iris's face made her skin crawl. This was the girl who could kill her own family, her own brother, just to get rid of Araceli.
  “I'm surprised to see you standing,” Iris purred, smirking at them. “And I’m very pleased that all of you are here. That way, you can all witness the death of Araceli.”
  Artemis stood beside Araceli, one arm in front of her as if to protect her. “You won't harm her without going through me. And I won't go down easily.”
  Iris laughed, staring at Artemis. “Aren't you getting brave. You saw what happened at the gate. She doesn't care about any of you. She pushed you inside the gate and tried to fight us herself.” She laughed again as Artemis gave Araceli a confused look. “She didn’t want your help in fighting us. She thinks she can take us on all by herself.”
  “Araceli, you stayed behind on purpose?” Artemis asked, frowning. She felt tears in her eyes. “So, it wasn't my fault that you stayed behind?”
  Araceli shook her head. “I did it so you wouldn't get hurt. I knew Arcadian was there, but I didn’t know Iris was there until ice started coming from nowhere.” She felt Artemis hug her, blinking in shock. She looked over at her friend, puzzled. “What was that for?”
  “I thought it was my fault. That I should have held onto you tighter and you wouldn't have gotten left behind.” Artemis sniffled, wiping at her eyes. “But all along, you were just trying to keep us safe.”
  Iris growled low in her throat. “How touching.” She looked at Arcadian. “Don't mess up this time. Or I'll kill you myself.”
  Arcadian nodded, turning to look at Araceli. “Let's end this, Araceli,” he mumbled.
  Frowning, Araceli took a step forward. “Arcadian, you don't have to fight me. We can be friends.”
  Iris leaned in closer to Arcadian, a small smirk on her face. “You know you have to fight her. If you want our brother to have the throne when father steps down, you have to destroy her. You'll never be friends with her. You can't be. Despite her having father's blood, she isn't fully a child of darkness. You know that. Now, get rid of her.”
  Araceli watched as Arcadian stepped forward, his hands glowing red as fire erupted from them. She shook her head, trying to tell him he didn’t have to do this. They didn’t have to fight, it's just what Iris wanted. Voice low, she kept her eyes locked on her brother. “Apollo, get Athena out of here. Artemis, you keep an eye on Iris. If she starts to intervene, I want you to tell me.” She waited as Apollo began to move, taking Athena with him.
  I don't want to fight him, Araceli told herself, trying to steel herself against her emotions. But I will if it means protecting Athena and the others. I have to win. I have to make him see the light.
  She jumped as fire hit, dodging the flames as they surged upward. She spun, wind blowing passed her to hit Arcadian in the chest. He slid backward, but remained standing. She continued to leap and twirl through the air, always dodging Arcadian's fire right before it hit. She knew it was risky, moving at the last moment, but she didn’t want to give him a chance to redirect the fireballs. She stopped, foot skidding against the ground, and pivoted toward him. She ran, trying to get as close as possible before he attacked again. He threw more fire, but she didn’t dodge it this time. She threw up her barrier and ran through it, knocking Arcadian to the ground.
  “No,” Iris spat. She waved her hand in the air, ice forming overhead. “You'll both die!”
  “Araceli!” Artemis shouted. She drew her bow, aiming her arrows at the falling ice. She could crush some of them, but there wasn't enough time to get all of them. She watched as one after the other, her arrows connected with the ice, shattering them into tiny ice crystals. “You have to move!”
  Araceli looked up in time to see the ice falling toward her and Arcadian. Not again. She looked at Arcadian, the anger on his face puzzling her. Was he angry at her? Or at Iris for interfering again? Just as she opened her mouth to speak, he stood, shoving her backward as he held his hands upward. Fire emerged, melting the falling ice and turning it into water. It fell over him, and he shook his head, glaring at Iris.
  “Stay out of this!” he ordered, voice sharp. Iris took a step back, surprised at him talking back to her. “For once, Iris, stay out of my fights. I want to know if I’m capable of something on my own! Stop trying to make things easy for me!” He faced Araceli, staring her down. “An eye for an eye. Now, get up so I can knock you down again.” He channeled his power, his hands becoming engulfed in flames once more.
  Nodding, Araceli stood up. “Just you and me, Arcadian.” She felt something inside of her, way deep down, flare up at the thought of fighting. She figured it was the darker side of her, the child of darkness, that had slept for most of her life, now wishing to be free. “First to fall down is the loser.” She felt a smile spread across her face at Arcadian nodding in agreement.
  This is it, she told herself. This will decide which of us is stronger. Our own power, our own will to go on. No interference by anyone, but just us. She smiled again, feeling power overtake her. I know I can win. For my friends, for my family. For me.
  Arcadian attacked first, fire soaring through the air toward her. She spun out of the way, counterattacking with wind. It swirled toward Arcadian, knocking him back, but not off his feet. She knew it wasn't strong enough to do that, but she wanted to give him his glorious moment, too. Which was why she was dancing around his fire, everything he threw at her, waiting for him to get angrier, a little more desperate. When he finally did, she barely had time to jump back, the flames threatening to consume her.
  “Stop toying with me!” he yelled, eyes filled with anger. He wanted a true fight, regardless if he lost or not.
  Frowning, Araceli looked at him, noticed that he was trembling, that something bad was going to happen if she didn’t do something. “Arcadian, calm down.” She dove out of the way when more fire sailed through the air, hitting all over the place. Artemis had to retreat a few steps to avoid being hit and Iris just stood there, watching as they fought. “Calm down, Arcadian, or something bad will happen!”
  “You don't know that.” He glared at her, fire spiraling up his arms, leaving welts and slight burns whenever they got too close to his skin. “If you play with fire, you're going to get burned. You should know by now, Araceli, that my power increases when I’m angry. What happened at the factory, that was nothing. In order for me to win, I know what I have to do. I'll get hurt, too, but I think it's well worth it.”
  Araceli shook her head. “It isn't worth it. Harming yourself just to get rid of your enemy, that's like a double-edged blade. No one wins in the end.” She held her hands up in surrender. “I won't fight you if you're going to harm yourself, Arcadian.”
  “It's too late for that.” He winced as the fire brushed his arm, his skin burning under the touch. He locked eyes with Araceli and they stunned her. They weren’t the original dark eyes that had stared at her in the factory or in the forest, but they held a spark, as if they themselves were on fire. They were a bright brownish red, and the flames reflecting in them were just as bright.
  “Stop, Arcadian!” Araceli felt panic welling up inside her. If she allowed him to release all of the energy he stored up, all of his anger and hatred woven into it, he could cause the entire area to go up in smoke. She shook her head. “You have to stop! You're going to destroy everything!”
  “I don't care. If it means I'll win against you on my own, then I have to do it!” He closed his eyes, fighting against the pain as the fire surrounding him threatened to take over completely. “I'm sorry, Iris, that I wasn't of more use to you. Tell Gaea and Drusico that I love them.”
  Iris was rooted to the spot, a frown on her face. Araceli watched as she did nothing to try to stop Arcadian. She was either too shocked or she just didn’t care, but she wasn't about to stand around and do nothing while her younger brother tried to kill himself just for the sake of taking her out with him. She couldn't let that happen. Not for her sake, but for his. She knew she could easily form a barrier to deflect most of the damage, but he'd die. And she didn’t think she could live with the knowledge of him giving his all when she hadn’t given hers. Closing her eyes, she braced herself, tried to find some words of wisdom she knew she had.
  How am I supposed to stop this? I can't let him die, not like this. She felt tears form behind her closed lids, spilling over as she thought of him exploding and sending fire raining down. She shook her head, knowing she couldn't let him do that. What am I supposed to do? And then, she heard it. A faint voice, telling her exactly what to do. It told her to try to absorb it into herself, to drain his power form him so he could never harm himself or others with it ever again. Eyes flashing open, she sprinted forward, tried to get close enough to him that she could take his power away. But how?
  Touch his arm, Araceli, and will his power into you. No words, no enchantments. Just pure will. You can do it.
  It was a strange yet somehow familiar voice, but she felt as if she could trust it despite not knowing exactly where it came from; as if it wouldn't steer her wrong. Still, she had to try. If she died with him, then he would have succeeded. Either way, neither of them would be completely unscathed from this. Stopping in front of him, she reached out, through the flames covering his arm, and grabbed his wrist. He opened his eyes, confused, as to why she was so close to him and how she managed to reach through his fire to touch him.
  “Are you insane?” he ground out, eyes watery and still confused.
  “Maybe,” she replied. She closed her eyes, trying to picture his power leaving him and going into her. She felt warmth consume her before everything got really hot. She grimace against the heat, but she didn’t remove her hand from Arcadian’s arm. Before it was all over, she could feel herself sweating as the fires consumed her, coiled up around her. She thought she was dying being so close to the fire, but she felt herself getting stronger instead of weaker. She didn’t know how to explain it, but she could feel his power soaking into her through her hand. Then, more quickly than it had come, it vanished, forcing the two of them apart. She landed on her side, closer to Artemis, as he fell on his back, lying in the snow still drifting down. Iris had disappeared, taking with her the knowledge that she thought was true. In her eyes, Arcadian was dead, Araceli had killed him.
  “Araceli!” Artemis cried, running over and dropping down next to her. She reached out, tapping her face lightly as she waited for her friend to open her eyes. When she finally blinked and opened them, Artemis sighed in relief.
  “Is it over?” she asked, voice barely a whisper.
  Artemis nodded, looking over at Arcadian. “Yeah, I think it is. With him, at least, I think it's over. Iris ran away, but that's okay. Apollo got Athena safely out of here. Are you okay?”
  Araceli nodded, sitting up. She looked at her hand, seeing that there was a band of some sort wrapping around her arm, the pigments only a shade or two darker than her natural skin color. “Did I...? Did I take his power away?”
  “Is that what you were doing? I thought you were trying to kill yourself off with him.” She frowned, looking back to Araceli. “Is your brother dead?”
  Shrugging, Araceli stood up and slowly moved over to where Arcadian lay. She kneeled down beside him, checking for a pulse. Relief washed over her, and she exhaled a breath she hadn’t known she was holding before she smiled. “He's still alive.” She heard snow crunch under shoes, looking over in the direction it came from. She braced herself for another fight, but she really wasn't up for another one so soon.
  “It's just me,” Hades stated, coming out from the shadows, followed by someone Araceli had seen before, but hadn’t been introduced to. “Zeus told me to bring Ares with me.” He looked down at Arcadian before over at Artemis and finally allowed his eyes to fall on Araceli. “Are you guys okay?”
  “We ran into Apollo and Athena,” Ares said, crossing his arms. “It's a shame that you took care of the situation before we got here. I love a good brawl.”
  Hades rolled his eyes. “So long as you can beat someone half to death, you like it. But if you get yourself beaten up, all of us have to hear you complain about how things were unfair.” He knelt on the other side of Arcadian, watching Araceli’s face closely. “You never answered my question. Are you okay?”
  Araceli nodded, not looking up from her brother. “Do you think we can take him to Olympia? Just to get better?” She looked up finally, meeting Hades’s gaze. Her eyes were watering, tears still falling as she thought about what might have happened. “He tried to kill himself by using most of his power. He was going to blow everything up, but I stopped him somehow. I don't know how to explain it, but I absorbed his power. And I think I'll be able to control fire from now on, too.”
  “You stopped him?” Ares scoffed. “How could someone as small as you stop him? And he controlled fire? What do you control? Flowers?”
  Glaring up at Ares, Araceli stood up, palm held upward as she focused a small portion of energy. A ball of fire formed, the wind circling it making it grow. “Don't be fooled by my appearance, Ares, the god of war. I can be very deadly and now that I have the destructive power of fire in my hands, I could torch you.”
  Ares grinned, clapping her on the back. It startled her, nearly knocking her forward as he laughed. “You've certainly got spirit, kid.” He shook his head, still laughing slightly. “So, Hades, what's your call on this? Do you want to take the knocked out kid back to Olympia?”
  Hades looked down at Arcadian, frowning at seeing him look harmless for once. “Araceli, are you absolutely positive that he doesn't have any fire power left?”
  “Yes, I’m absolutely certain. I absorbed all of it.” She was trying to keep herself from passing out on her feet as she responded. Taking in another power was tiring, but to keep it contained was going to be the bigger challenge. She pursed her lips, wondering how strong Arcadian had to be to keep his anger in check all of the time. The slightest slip up and he could have burned entire buildings to the ground. I'll have to ask him how he did it when he wakes up. She smiled slightly, proud of herself for being able to save him from destroying himself just in an attempt to take her out. I apologize, Arcadian, that I saved you. But I'm still needed in this world.
  “Then let's get him to Olympia so he can get started on mending.” Hades motioned for Ares to come over, pulling him down with his back facing them. He and Araceli hoisted Arcadian onto Ares's back, both of them trying not to laugh at how ridiculous Ares looked. He looked about as harmless as ever, carrying an unconscious person on his back.
  Ares frowned, wanting to protest, but he kept his opinion to himself for the most part. He had an occasional outburst, but they all managed to laugh at him and make him flush bright hues of red. “I'm the god of war! I shouldn't be carrying some kid on my back like some sort of weird taxi service,” he grumbled. Artemis laughed at him the entire time, joking about how she would never see him as a threat ever again.
  Araceli walked silently beside Hades, their hands brushing together ever so often. They would both freeze, but acted as if it didn’t matter to either of them much. They all kept a leisure pace, nothing forcing them to move much faster and it was nice. She felt a calm wind blowing, putting her at ease and soothing her frayed nerves. She was almost positive that she would have to kill Arcadian, but she found a loop hole. She always managed to find them in her most precarious predicaments and she was glad for it. She wouldn't be able to cope with knowing she had killed her brother. All the same, he was ready to kill her at a moment's notice. She hoped that would all change once he woke up and saw that she had saved him again. She wanted to speak with him, to tell him that they didn’t have to fight. That they could be friends and perhaps, finally the family both of them so desperately needed.
  “I'm glad to see that you're okay,” Hades murmured, making sure Ares and Artemis couldn't hear him. They were walking a little ahead of him and Araceli, so he deemed it safe to speak from his heart. His heart that had beaten more loudly and more painfully now than it had in his entire existence. And it was all because of her.
  Araceli smiled a small smile, trying to hide her obvious happiness. “Thanks. I’m glad I’m okay, too. For a few second there, I though Arcadian and I were both going to die.” She paused as she felt his hand brush against hers, this time his fingers intertwining with hers. He stopped, too, looking over at her. He took a step closer to her, voice still low as he spoke.
  “I mean, I’m really glad that you're okay. I don't know what I would have done if things turned out differently.” He offered her a smile before he gently tugged her along, matching his pace with hers.
  Artemis peered over she shoulder at them, grinning at seeing them holding hands. She nudged Ares, who looked down at her from the corner of his eyes. “Hey, I think Hades finally admitted he has a crush,” she giggled, motioning behind her.
  Ares chanced a quick look over his shoulder, grin splitting across his face. He chuckled along with Artemis’s giggling, shaking his head. “Oh, wait until Zeus and Poseidon find out. They are going to pick on him so bad.”
  Artemis frowned. “Why do you still refuse to fall Zeus father? If it's too formal for you, at least call him dad or something.”
  Ares shook his head again. “No, I think I'll stick to calling him Zeus, if I call him dad, he'll get all mushy on me.”
  Artemis rolled her eyes. “Admit it, big guy, that you don't want to get all mushy on everyone else.”
  Snorting, Ares repositioned Arcadian on his back. “As if! I’m supposed to be all big and bad. If I start going soft, what kind of god of war would I be?”
  “The only one that has a heart and isn't afraid to show it,” Artemis deadpanned. She quickened her steps, leaving Ares to ponder her words in silence. She felt herself grinning, knowing her words would strike a cord in him. Despite not wanting to be made fun of for having a heart, she knew he was the most loving and giving out of all of them. She knew why he disappeared most days and why he always vanished during holiday seasons on earth. He was busy being kind, acting human, and she thought it was wonderful of him to do so. To have a kind, caring brother, she counted herself lucky.
  They reached the gate, Apollo and Athena having already gone into it to get her nursed back to health. They all stepped through it, Araceli getting nervous about taking Arcadian there without asking Zeus or any of the others. She did ask Hades, but she wasn't sure what kind of pull he had amongst the gods and goddesses. She knew he had all of the control in the underworld, but in Olympia? She wasn't sure. She frowned, wanting to chew on her nails, but Hades was still holding her hand. As they reached Olympia on the other side of the gate, she saw that Zeus was waiting for them, Athena sitting on the stairs by his side. She stood up as they approached, frowning at seeing Arcadian unconscious on Ares's back.
  “Why did you bring Arcadian here?” Athena asked, confusion ringing in her voice.
  “Because I wasn't going to leave him there to die,” Araceli replied. She found that it was rather easy to speak her mind despite only being away from Athena for no more than two days. “He's really hurt and I wasn't going to leave him there for Iris to kill him.”
  “But why would you bring him here? He doesn't belong here.” Athena couldn't fully understand why Araceli had brought the very person who tried to kill her back to Olympia.
  Sighing, Araceli gripped Hades’s hand a little tighter. “Like I said, he's really hurt. I want him to be able to recover without having to run for his life every moment. If you have a problem with him staying here, Athena, then I'll have no choice but to take him elsewhere. It's just that Iris and everyone else in the Dark Kingdom can't get here yet. It's the only safe place for him to heal.”
  Athena frowned. “He tried to kill you. He tried to kill you more than once, and you're defending him?” She didn’t know why, but she felt as if she couldn't trust Arcadian no matter what Araceli said.
  Araceli waved her off, standing in front of Zeus. She cleared her throat, trying to sound as strong as possible. “Zeus, I would like permission to keep my brother here until he recovers. He won't be able to attack anyone because I managed to absorb all of his power. Please, let him stay.”
  Zeus pondered the request, holding up his index finger as he spoke. “Give me one good reason why I should allow him to stay,” he replied, falling back into silence. He was about to grin at his triumph when Araceli spoke again.
  She felt Hades squeeze her hand. “He's family,” she stated without hesitation, knowing it was the best reason she had. “He's my family. And I want to keep him safe.”
  “Your family?” Zeus nodded before he crossed his arms. “Athena told me he tried to kill you. That he would try to again without a moment's hesitation. What makes you think he won't try to again? What exactly makes him family to you?”
  “I trust him.” Again, no hesitation as she answered. She heard Athena let out a small gasp, but she ignored it. “I'd like to get to know him, be friends with him in the near future. And then I hope to help him, by loving him as my younger brother. His entire life, he's probably been used by our siblings, Iris most likely the most. But that doesn't mean he's evil. He grew up into a royal family where the eldest was meant to be the heir. And then our father threw me into it. I can understand his resentment toward me, but I know it'll change.”
  “What makes you certain that he'll change?” Apollo asked, leaning against the rail on the stairs.
  “Because, as I said before, I trust him.” Araceli felt as if a weight was lifted off of her shoulders. It was hard for her to describe, but she knew it was because she was speaking from her heart. And it felt right, even if it meant defying Athena this time. In the past, she never would have questioned it, but she had finally grown up enough to make her own judgments, her own reasons for doing the things she was doing.
  Zeus nodded once, clapping his hands together once as well before he stood. “Ares, take him to the infirmary. Give him Olympian medicine and stay with him. If he wakes up, alert me immediately.”
  Ares grunted an agreement before he walked off toward the infirmary in their palace. He wasn't sure how Araceli was going to convince Zeus to let Arcadian stay, but he was more than okay with the outcome. He was a little impressed even, but he would just have to keep that part to himself. Artemis smiled, looking at Araceli.
  “You did it! You convinced him to let Arcadian stay!” she nearly squealed in Araceli’s ear, but she didn’t mind. She was just glad she had a friend that supported her throughout all of it.
  Araceli looked over at Athena, her own smile faltering at seeing the frown on her friend's face. She removed her hand from Hades’s, and made her way over to where the goddess stood, staring at the ground. “Athena, can we talk?” she asked, pointing to a door that led away from everyone else. At Athena’s nod, the two walked off to have their private conversation. Once they were alone, Araceli sighed. “Are you upset with me?”
  Athena remained quiet for a moment before she nodded. “Yes, but not for the obvious reason. You stood up for what you believed in and I’m happy about that,” she replied. When she finally looked up, the hurt in her eyes made Araceli take a step back. “Why didn’t you wait for me to get home before you left? You promised that you wouldn't leave without telling me first.”
  Biting her lip as she thought about the answer, Araceli looked away. Her voice was quiet, shaky, when she answered. “I was afraid that if I spoke to you about it, I would lose my nerve. When I left, I felt as if I had made the biggest mistake of my life. It only happened two days ago, but after what we've both been through, if feels like a lifetime ago.” She turned back to face Athena, her eyes watery. “I've already regretted leaving that day for more than just breaking my promise to you. Had I stayed, you wouldn't have been taken to the Dark Kingdom. I could have stopped whoever came and kidnapped you.”
  Athena shook her head. “I couldn't stop her. It was Gaea, your older sister, that came for me. She thought that by taking me, you would come home and find the note stating where to find me. After she took me, apparently Iris showed up and knew exactly where to find me. That's when she and Arcadian unleashed the shadows on me. But they stopped obeying them and I don't know why.”
  “I did it.” Araceli closed her eyes, not wanting to see the look that would cross her dearest friend's face. “I'm able to control them just like Arcadian and Iris can. I stopped them that day when Arcadian ordered them to attack you.”
  “You really are a child of darkness, aren’t you?” Athena’s voice sounded sad, almost distant, to Araceli’s ears. When she opened her eyes, Athena was facing away from her, frown still etched on her face. “I'm grateful you were able to stop them, Araceli. And I hope I can be of some assistance to you in the future against your remaining three siblings.”
  Araceli smiled a little. “I'm certain you will be. I can't do it alone, I know that now. I was only able to stop Arcadian because he was going to harm everything in the area just to win against me. He was even going to kill himself by detonating his power inside of his body. It almost worked, too, but I absorbed it in time.” She stared down at her arm, seeing the darkened skin wrapping around her wrist to her shoulder. “I'm able to control fire now.”
  “Let's hope that his power will prove useful in your fights against the others.” Athena turned around, facing Araceli once again. “I'm going to go rest for a little bit. Do not leave without letting me know. I'll forgive you once, but only once, for breaking that promise. You leave, you tell me. Got it?”
  Nodding, Araceli watched Athena walk away, toward her room. She sighed, tears forming in her eyes. “I'm sorry, Athena, but I’m going to have to break my promise again. I don't want to drag you into this again. You're too important to me and everyone else here.” She turned toward the door, stopping short when she saw Hades standing there, staring at the wall with his arms crossed.
  “You aren’t going by yourself again,” he stated, tone sharp. “I'm not letting you leave here again without someone by your side. You just said that you can't take them on alone, so I'll go with you. And don't worry about Athena. She gets over things pretty easily. If anything, I'll tell her that I didn’t want to wake her. I'll take all the blame instead of you.”
  Araceli frowned, head cocked to the side. “Why would you do that? Wouldn't she be really angry with you for not telling her that I left and that you went with me?”
  Shrugging, Hades pushed away from the wall, walking over to stand right in front of her. He smiled slightly as he stared at her, reaching out and taking her hands in his. “I would do that because I like you. And because of my liking you, I’d do anything to keep you safe. Even if it means putting myself in harm's way; even if it means dying. I'll protect you.” Hades felt his face heat up at his underlying confession, hoping he didn’t sound pushy or lame in the process. But the look on Araceli’s face as his words finally registered in her mind made all of that disappear.
  Leaning forward, Araceli hugged Hades tightly, closing her eyes against the wave of emotion crashing over her. She smiled as his arms wound around her waist, holding her more securely to him. To find someone that was willing to die for her without really knowing her, to find someone willing to do everything to keep her safe other than Athena. It was all she could have wanted and more because it came from the one person she would do the same for. Somewhere along the trail of those few hours they spent together, she found herself falling for the god of the underworld. And she knew that he had fallen for her just as quickly and just as hard.
  “Let's go plan our next attack,” Araceli whispered, not moving from Hades's arms just yet. She felt warm and safe. She felt as if she found where she belonged in the world, but most of all, she had finally found what she wanted to call home. And it was anywhere that she could be in his arms.
  Hades nodded, but didn’t move. He didn’t want to. Being able to be this close to Araceli, he never wanted to move again, but just as quickly as the moment had come, it passed as soon as Apollo walked into the hall. They flew apart, managing to put a good three feet in between them, faces red as they refused to look at each other or toward Apollo. He watched them carefully as he walked down the hall, one eyebrow raised in suspicion. He turned when he reached the door at the end, a large smile breaking across his face.
  “You two can go back to whatever it was you were doing,” he stated, laughing as their faces turned even redder. “I'm going to get some sleep, so I won't be walking back through here for a while.” He left with a wink, his footsteps trailing down the hallway he had disappeared into.
  Clearing his throat, Hades looked everywhere but at Araceli. “About planning our next attack. Perhaps it should be against Apollo.” He forced himself to look at her, finding her nodding in agreement before turning toward the entrance.
  “Let's go get Artemis and plan our next move. She could come in handy again if we go up against Iris and her icicles.” She paused, smiling as she remembered her absorbing Arcadian’s power. “Oh, and my being able to use fire should be a big help now. Before I could only use wind, so there really wasn't a point. But now that I can control fire, it should be relatively easy to fight against her.” She frowned, looking over at Hades. “But what is Gaea’s power? And my other brother's for that matter?”
  Hades shrugged, hands stuffed into his pockets to keep himself from reaching out and taking her hand. “I don't know, but I’m sure we'll find out soon. They won't be happy that we have Arcadian.”

Iris returned to the palace, face twisted in remorse as she stumbled into the den. Gaea and Drusico were there, both looking up when she entered. Gaea was at her side almost instantly, Drusico hanging back by the couch watching with a frown on his face.
  “Where's Arcadian?” he asked, looking behind her. His frown deepened when their brother didn’t walk through the door.
  “He's gone,” Iris replied. “He tried to take out Araceli and he blew himself up.” She glared up at her older brother, eyes so dark it was endless. “I'm going to kill her for taking Arcadian away from us. We were a family, and she destroyed it.”
  “Are you sure he's gone? Maybe he's still out there,” Gaea stated, trying to calm her sister down. She rubbed soothing circles on her back, hoping it helped.
  “No, he's dead. Even if he was still around and she managed to somehow stop him from blowing up, she found out a way to absorb his power. He'll never be our Arcadian even if he's still breathing. He'll never be able to control fire ever again.”
  “But if he's still alive, shouldn't that be the only thing that matters?” Gaea looked to Drusico for help, but found that he had turned his back to them. “Even if he's powerless, he's still our brother. We should look for him.”
  Iris shook her head. “No, I don't want to look for him. If I find him accidentally, I'll kill him. He's worthless to us now. And father still wants Araceli to take the throne. If we don't get rid of her, Drusico will never have it. We won't be able to be free.”
  Gaea pursed her lips. “I'll help you look for her. But I want to ask her if Arcadian is still alive or if he's really gone. Besides, I still haven't met her yet. I’d like to.”
  “Don't get your hopes up. Even though father's blood runs through her veins, she takes more after her stupid mother.” Iris felt the room going cold around them, noticing Gaea shiver. She smirked, ice forming along the walls and ceiling. “I'll kill her with my own hands.”
  “And what if she kills you first?” Drusico asked, back still turned to them. He could picture the expression on Iris's face without even glancing behind him. It would be contorted in hatred for their sister. He finally turned back around to face them, face serious. “Take Gaea with you whenever you search for her. We don't need you ending up like Arcadian.”
  Nodding, Iris stood. “I'm glad you finally see things my way, brother. It'll be a comfort to me knowing that you support my decision to be rid of her once and for all.”
  Smirking, Drusico shoved his hands into his pockets. “I never said that I support you or your insane rationalizations. All I said was to not go alone. Arcadian made a few mistakes, and it cost him his power. You lose your power, and you're out, too. If I’m going to overthrow father, then I’m going to need your help.”
  “Drusico!” Gaea gasped, frowning. “You're wanting to overthrow him? But, why? You'll have the throne soon enough. Why take it from him?”
  “Because I won't have the throne so long as Araceli is breathing. If we can overthrow father and make me king, then we can send demons out to look for her. All I have to do is prove that he wants a child that isn't born into our world to sit on the throne and that will cause a disturbance. And during that disturbance, I'll push him out of the way and ascend to the throne without him. He and mother both will be thrown out of the Dark Kingdom.”
  Iris smiled. “That's a great plan. I'll help any way I can. But first, I'll have to attempt to get rid of Araceli. If I don't, then father will keep searching for her. He'll eventually find her and then we'll be thrown out if she succeeds him. We can't let that happen.”
  “You're right. We can't. So get moving, Iris, and keep our dear sister from setting foot into my kingdom again!” Drusico waited as Iris left to prepare for her next encounter. He chuckled, turning to face Gaea. “She has no idea that I’m only using her, too. Once her usefulness is gone, I'll be rid of her as well.”
  Gaea remained silent, not wanting to get on Drusico's bad side. She's seen what happened to those that angered him, that have gone against him. It wasn't pretty. And none of them ever survived a week. He toyed with them, letting demons gnaw at them and attack them when they thought everything was finally over. Just thinking about it gave her chills and made her stomach churn. She knew that above everything else, she had to stay on his good side. She didn’t want to become one of those stories on the news about a mauled body being found along the riverside or in the forest. It was supposed wild animal attacks, but she knew better than that. It was Drusico disposing of the people he tortured to death. He was more ruthless than their father and he wasn't afraid of killing someone. He'd kill all of them if he thought he would become king faster. He played a kind older brother in front of their parents and Arcadian, but Iris and Gaea had seen the real him. And it was absolutely deadly.