Young Writers Society

Chapter 30: To Look Inside a Heart

Josephine couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Persephone walk through the Temple doors. Her heart ached, panic started to manifest within her soul, and her skin had goosebumps with the sight of that bloody IV still hanging out of Persephone’s arm from the Healer’s Den. It was more than obvious that Persephone used a lot of her remaining energy to disarm Apollo and Hermes. Her long, curly hair was frizzy and sat messily atop her paper-thin hospital gown.

“Get out of here!” Josephine managed to say just as another beam of light smashed into the ground next to Persephone, causing her to collapse and cringe in pain. Josephine’s eyes watered, but Persephone stayed solid, never breaking eye contact with the God of Light even as he freed himself. Hermes stayed holstered in the air, swatting at the giant Venus Fly Traps that were consistently nipping at their faces.

Josephine scrambled to her feet and wielded a wall of fire between Apollo and Persephone even though she knew it wouldn’t do much. It would, though, stall the God and give Persephone some time to readjust. Apollo smiled and wiped the blood from his healing wounds on his torso, “Persephone, Persephone…” his voice was still as smooth as the waves in Poseidon’s Ocean, “I thought you were dead! Oh, what a surprise!”

Apollo clapped his hands together. Ares held Jase upright by his chin. Josephine’s heart burned at the sight of Jase being controlled—his knees were slammed down so hard into the marble that it cracked beneath him. Every once and a while, Jase’s eyes drifted to Josephine, who was now standing against the wall at which she got thrown against.

Hermes stayed directly in front of Josephine, still suspended in the air by roots, “Persephone, Darling,” The God of the Skies cooed, “How are you these days?”

Persephone rose and pulled the remaining needle out of her arm, cringing, “Hello, assholes. Let them go. Take me instead.”

“Oh, but we don’t want you, child,” Apollo stalked towards her, the flames causing his outline to come off as slightly blurry amongst all the flora. The priestesses that were previously in the Temple had somehow disappeared, leaving only the six of them, “What could you possibly have to offer?”

“This,” Persephone forged magic from her fingertips, and in her hand a long, lengthy staff started to form. She released her hold on Hermes as the rest of the item finished piecing together. Josephine knew what it was before Persephone even finished:

Poseidon’s Trident.

With everything going on in Olympus, Josephine completely forgot that she was supposed to return Poseidon’s Relic back to the Sea God. She even forgot her deal with Medusa and Pelagius. What was Persephone thinking? Giving herself up, along with the one thing that controls the weather and sea…. How did she even get the relic? Last Josephine remembered; it was back in her room at the Grande Hall.

“No,” Josephine’s voice came out as barely a whisper, “Don’t.”

Persephone’s ember eyes said it all: I’m sorry.

The wall of flames flared in reaction to Josephine’s anger. Blues and oranges and yellows erupted from the climax of the fire. Hermes, Apollo, and Ares all froze at the sight of the Trident. Jase stayed silent; neck still held tightly by Ares.

“How did you acquire Poseidon’s Relic?” Apollo asked, smile faded, “This changes things, indeed.”

“No, Persephone,” Josephine plead, “Don’t do this. We can figure out another way.”

“There is no other way. Take me, and the Relic,” Persephone’s eyes never left Josephine’s, “Now.”

Jase struggled once again against Ares’ grip, who simply just slapped him in response to his defiance. Josephine felt frozen in place, like the statues she came across in Medusa’s exile. Tears formed in her eyes as her friend handed over the relic to Apollo, who smiled greedily at the wooden drawings on the handle. Apollo and Hermes acquiring both Persephone and the Relic posed a great threat to Olympus, but in Josephine’s mind she knew Hades would go after her. In no world would the God of the Underworld allow his lover to be captured by his nephews.

Hermes, still healing from his wounds from the roots, snapped his fingers and fled, once again. It seemed as though that was his expertise. Josephine watched as Persephone was grabbed by her father and tossed towards the door. Josephine lunged towards her friend, but was stopped by a weak Jase who was still stronger than her at her peak. She tried to fight against his arms, but he stayed through the burns, pulling her back by her waist as her skin scorched his.

“Josephine, let her go. Hades will come for her,” Jase whispered, holding back the cry of pain from his skin boiling atop hers.

Josephine fought against Jase with every ounce of power she had remaining in her body. The wall of fire turned into a sad line of ash that now covered the marble floors. She couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't talk, as she watched her best friend get dragged out of the Temple by the three Gods. Jase's voice echoed in her head as she struggled against him, reaching, and grabbing at the air as if she could somehow pull her friend back to safety.

But alas, Persephone limped out of the heavy doors with not even a glance behind her shoulder.

She was gone. Again.

Josephine angrily turned to Jase, "You didn't even try to stop them!"

"They're too powerful, especially the three of them," Jase mumbled, feeling on his neck where Ares had practically strangled him, "Your father is an asshole.”

“Stop it, Jase,” Josephine was fuming, she could’ve sworn smoke was shooting out of her ears, “Go get her!”

“I can’t.”

Josephine simply stared at her counterpart, feelings of anguish and hatred and… everything, filled her bones. Her lip trembled. She turned and walked out of the same doors that Persephone was taken from. Jase didn’t dare follow.

~

“I need an army. I need more men,” Jase said, scanning the map of Olympus in front of him. The plan was simple: cover every inch of Olympus; Troy, Delphi and beyond for Persephone and the three rebelling gods. As soon as he returned back to Olympus, Jase notified Zeus and the council of the betrayal he’d witnessed. How Ares, Apollo, and Hermes were plotting against Zeus himself and every single god or goddess under his reign. Jase had a slight hunch that the Rebel Gods wanted to conquer the Mortal Lands, too, but that was too far out of his wheelhouse to even comprehend. He would ask Bohdi about that later.

“Sir, we are at capacity,” a lower ranked soldier stood beside him, badge shining in the dim candlelight of the command room, “shall we draft commonfolk?”

“No,” Jase thought about the innocent lives that will be lost if they do encounter the gods. His eyes followed every border, every river, every landmark that the gods could’ve possibly taken Persephone to. If they didn’t locate the four of them soon… Gods only knew what would happen.

“Waiting for commands, sir,” the soldier spoke once again.

“Notify Zeus that we’ll be heading to The Oracles,” Jase glanced at the young man. The soldier nodded his head, and disappeared behind the glass doors that led to the Council Room. Athena sat gracefully at the desk in front of Jase, also forging any information that she could from ancient maps that she’d found in the library.

Athena’s hazelnut eyes lifted slightly, “The Oracles?”

“If anyone has answers, it’d be them.” Jase pointed to a mark on the map, where a large tree sat surrounded by dancing stick figures. The Oracles.

“There are some things not even the Oracles know,” Athena purred, “don’t you think the Rebel Gods have already considered that?”

Jase pondered the thought, “Maybe. But it’s worth a try.”

Athena’s gaze turned sympathetic. The Goddess of Wisdom stood, flattening out her long, elegant cream robe. Metal bands wrapped around the goddesses’ pale skin. She made for an exit, but brushed slightly against Jase’s shoulder, stopping to whisper into his ear, “A word of advice, Vitalis,” Athena’s voice was that of wind and earth, “look deep within your heart. Feel where the universe is trying to take you. Where you’re most comfortable… that’s where you’ll find the answers you’re looking for.”

Jase watched as the Goddess slipped from the room, only leaving the smell of pine and dandies in her exit.