CHAPTER 14
DREAD FEAR WHIPPED THROUGH GEARY AS SHE SAW THE doom in the eyes of the ones confronting them. "I'm really getting tired of these guys."
Arik made a rude noise in the back of his throat. "Believe me, I share your sentiment entirely."
That didn't really comfort her. "So what do you suggest we do?"
Arik shrugged with a nonchalance she couldn't even begin to fathom. "There are nine of them and two of us. They have the powers of a god and we're human." He gave her a very Sean Connery/James Bond mysterious kind of smile. "Therefore, I suggest we run. Fast."
Before she could even think to respond, Arik shoved her in the opposite direction of the mean army of darkness that was out to shorten their lives. Geary's heart was pounding as he took her hand and led her through the alley and down the cobbled street at a pace that would make a sprinter proud.
She had a moment when she thought it might work, but that hope died quickly as one of the women appeared out of nowhere in front of them to block their way.
The goddess tsked at Arik. "What's the matter, Skotos? We bathed and everything. Surely you don't want to leave us without at least saying hi."
"Hi." Then without hesitating, Arik let go of Geary and kicked the goddess away.
Spinning about, the goddess countered with a staggering blow to his solar plexus. Arik grimaced, then backhanded her so hard, she stumbled back.
Geary grabbed at something on the woman's waist that looked like a billy club attached to her belt. She jerked it free before she struck the goddess with it across the back. A blinding light sparked on said contact and was followed by a vibrant burst of power so strong, it knocked them both apart.
"You okay?" Arik asked.
All Geary could do was nod.
He kissed her on the cheek before he took the club and turned to face the others.
Rattled by the surge that continued to burn through her body, Geary stumbled away while he moved to engage the twins again.
" Megeara..."
That deeply hypnotic female voice whispered through her mind. It was the same one that had been calling to her for weeks now. But she didn't have time for it. Geary shook her head to clear it.
"Listen to me, Megeara. Use the medallion you wear. Place it under your tongue and let me into you."
"What?" she breathed.
"Just do it, child, and I will take care of them for you. Trust me. I can protect you."
Yeah, she was gone, seriously gone, and yet even as the thought went through her, what harm would there be in trying it? She and Arik were already getting their butts kicked. What harm could it do?
After all, they were fighting a band of gods out to kill them and, given all she'd seen in the last few minutes, what was a few more leaps of faith?
"I can't believe I'm doing this." She pulled the small coin up and placed it in her mouth, under her tongue.
She grimaced at the salty metallic taste. But that only lasted a nanosecond as something warm invaded her mouth. Whatever it was, it didn't stop there. It spread through her like lava, heating her body and making her heart race.
And as it went through her, images filled her mind. Images of an ancient world. Of a hall filled with gold.
She saw the face of a beautiful blond woman who had mercurial eyes that swirled like a silver mist.
Words whispered through Geary in a language she'd never heard before.
Then something snapped. Geary felt as if she'd been pushed outside of her body so that she was nothing more than a ghost, looking down on the others-yet she was still in her body. Only someone else was in complete control of her. It was the strangest sensation. To be cognizant and not responsive. No matter what she tried, her body ignored her instructions.
One of the gods came up to attack her. She laughed at the warm power cascading through her before
she headed toward the man to confront him. He swung at her. She ducked like a seasoned pro and elbowed him in the knee. Hissing painfully, he dipped as his knee gave way.
She rose quickly, then swung her arm so that she caught him under his chin with her fist. That blow sent him twisting, straight to the ground.
Deimos approached her next. She wasn't sure how she knew that it was him, but she did.
He backed up. "Aekyra Apollymi?"
Are you Apollymi?
Even though his question had been asked in Atlantean, she knew it and, better still, answered it even against her will. "Naiea."
He took another step away from her. As he did so, her hands heated up even more. She threw them out and a blast emanated from her fingertips that flooded the alley with light.
Two seconds later, the gods went flying as if she'd struck them all with lightning.
Arik raised his hand to shield his face as he felt the heat of an Atlantean god bolt. But what stunned him more than the fact that he felt the impact of something that hadn't existed for over eleven thousand years was that it had come from Megeara.
"Apollymi!" Deimos snarled in Atlantean. "This is not your fight. Back down."
"Naiea, Olygaia eta."- Yes, it is, Olympian. The voice was Megeara's and at the same time she spoke the Atlantean words like a native. "Anekico ler aracnia."
Victory to the spider. It was an old Atlantean saying that meant "patience wins the day."
"Ki mi ypomonitikosi teloson semerie."
And today my patience ends. Even though her teeth were clenched, her voice was loud, clear, and angry as she snarled the words in a tone he could tell reached all the way to the halls of Olympus.
More important, it was enough to convince the Dolophoni that they didn't want even a tiny piece of the Destroyer when she was in this mood. Deimos looked to the others before he called for a retreat.
They vanished instantly.
Arik wiped the blood from his lips as he made his way cautiously to Megeara's side. Even though he lacked his powers, he could feel Apollymi's essence as it filled Megeara's body. Her eyes were swirling in color and dotted with silver. Rage and vengeance bled from every part of her.
She started after the others, but he pulled her to a stop before she could pursue them and possibly hurt Megeara in the process.
"Ochia, Apollymi. Anekico ler aracnia epitrepedio. Efto ler kariti u topyra."
No, Apollymi. Let the victory go to the spider. This is not the time or place.
She hissed at him and would have attacked had he not pulled the necklace from Megeara's lips. The abruptness of it caused her to collapse against him. He lifted her in his arms and held her there while the goddess was forced to retreat out of Megeara's body. He held her close as she trembled.
Geary could barely breathe as a foreign weakness invaded every part of her. She'd been so strong before; now she was as weak as a newborn. Leaning her head against Arik's neck, she was grateful for his support, because at the moment she couldn't even lift her own arms.
"What was that?" she asked weakly.
"The Atlantean goddess Apollymi. Even though she's trapped in Kalosis, she can reach out and at times possess people and the elements. Her powers are a pittance on this plane to what they would be if she were free, but they're still impressive."
"Why did she do that? Why possess me?"