Ungodly Chaos Book Three of the Ungodly Series

Chapter Twenty-Two: Darkness Creeps In

“What's going on Rafe?” Phoebie asked softly. Rafe cursed. He'd left her upstairs, but of course she'd heard the noise and come down to see what was going on.

“Hold steady!” Janus ground out, shoving a shoulder against the door. “Bel had Warding installed, I don't understand-” The door cracked, cutting him off. Splinters of wood pelted their way into the room and Phoebie's scream froze everything. Everything except the god coming in through the door, and Rafe, who happened to be in his way. Rafe was halfway transformed into his raven Form, rushing back towards her when the god touched him, and Rafe simply fell to the ground. Phoebie lost control as she watched Rafe crumple. Another scream, this time of primal rage, and time reversed itself around her. Again, except for Rafe and the god. The door swung back into position, pieces whizzing back through the air into the frame, forming a solid whole. Janus moved across the room, backwards away from the door to stand by Nadia's body, his mouth open on a yell. Then the peridot that she hadn't noticed all lifted from the ground, sticking to the wall, which seemed to catch the Healer's attention. The god watched it all with amusement.

"Impressive.” He stated, nodding with a bemused expression. “Especially for a human. But, you see, we knew about your little gifts, so I came prepared.” He grinned wickedly and everything froze again. Phoebie slid to her knees beside the banister. She couldn't tell if Rafe was alright. She couldn't breathe until she knew that he was. She reached out a hand. “Oh your little birdy? You won't be needing him anymore.” Sneered the god. “Obviously, you've abused the rights and privileges associated with having a Familiar by using him as a means to manipulate time for your own gain. Further, it has been decided that no other Bond shall ever be formed by you. You deserve no other Familiar, and shall receive none. In other words: Rafe was the only one you were ever gonna get, ever will have, or ever will get.” The god gave her a smile so full of spite it nearly seared her heart.

“Rafe, no...” Phoebie murmured.

“You're lucky they didn't decide to take your children too. After all, you never even bothered to show up at the hearings over the issues.” The god waved a hand. “Not that it's strictly against the rules to have relations with them, but really, I'll never understand you humans. You'll f**k anything. Spirits though? Isn't that like humping a dead guy?” He made a scornful expression and shuddered, then grabbed Rafe by the shirt collar.

“No! You can't have him!' Phoebie yelled, sliding down the last few stairs on numb legs that hardly bore her weight. She reached for the god's arm, but he side-stepped her easily. He moved so quickly, it was like he had wings on his feet.

“Oh honey, I'm not keeping him. He'll go into a sort of 'recycler'. All memories of you will be purged, and he'll be put on ice until you die, so you can't 'accidentally' meet up again and reform your Bond. What would I want with a puny thing like this?” The god laughed and shook Rafe by the collar. Rafe's head lolled grotesquely as Phoebie screamed a denial and reached for him once more. With another lightning-fast move, the god was out of her reach again. Phoebie clutched her stomach.

“You can't.. you can't take him! He's mine, I love him.. our children..” She fumbled for the words, any words that would make the god stop, reconsider, listen to her. He merely laughed and started walking towards the door.

“Should have thought of that before you started meddling with time, sweetheart.” He threw over his shoulder. The god picked Rafe up by his collar like he weighed no more than a doll, and draped Rafe over his back like a coat he no longer wished to wear. “See ya sis.” The god saluted her and raced off, disappearing almost in the blink of an eye as Phoebie sank to the ground again with a desperate cry. She couldn't be without Rafe. She'd loved him since they were teens. Maybe before that, if she was honest with herself. He was her rock, her true other half, and they'd ripped him away. She felt a tightening in her lower abdomen and panicked.

“No! Don't you leave me too!” She screamed. Ugly, heart-wrenching sobs broke free of her chest. She grabbed her abdomen as if she could hold on to the lives within, and suddenly a hand was there, prying hers away.

“Come now Sorceress, move your hands so I can feel the state of things for myself.” Janus scolded gently. Phoebie reached for him, gripping his shoulders with a relieved wail. In all the activity, she had forgotten he was even there. “Come on, let's get you to the sofa. I'm going to give you something. It'll stop any true contractions you may be experiencing and calm you down, alright?” He asked her and she frantically nodded her head. “Good. By my estimation, you're not due yet. Soon, but not today. These babies haven't dropped yet.” Janus remarked and strode out of the room after getting her seated. Phoebie tried not to get hysterical while he was out of her sight, and after he'd handed her a foul tasting concoction and told her to drink it down, she didn't have to worry about it anymore because she slipped into unconsciousness, not waking for several more hours.

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“Don't you tell me to be calm.” Phoebie snarled, pacing the small room. “Who was it Janus?”

“I'm telling you now, your body and your children cannot handle the stress. This shock has done a number on you, and I'm warning you, if you go into labor now, I cannot guarantee that all of your children will be healthy enough to survive without the aid of one of our fertility gods on hand.” Janus reprimanded, pointing at a chair with a look that offered no room for debate.

“Fine.” Phoebie spat and lowered herself carefully into a chair. She was still afraid of sparking a premature labor, though she would never admit it to Janus. It had taken him several hours to get her body to cooperate with the medication. Luckily, she had been unconscious for most of it. She crossed her arms. “But I still want to know who took him Janus. Who took my Rafe?” Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes and she refused to show any weakness by wiping them away. Janus sighed.

“It's not going to do you any good sweet girl, he's just a messenger. He fetches, delivers, does the dirty work of others, a 'gofer' if you will.” Janus murmured softly. He held her wrist, counting her frantic heartbeats and tsked to himself. He needed to get her to a calmer state.

“Who was it Janus?” Phoebie demanded. Janus sat beside her.

“If I tell you, will you take a sedative for me to calm you down?” Janus asked her softly. She hesitated.

“I need to go after him Janus. I need him here, I can't...” She sobbed. “I can't do this without him. He's.. he's my other half, he's part of me...” Phoebie wrapped her arms around her ribs, trying to fight the tears back. Janus rubbed her back.

“I know, sweet girl, but it will do you no good if you kill yourself or risk your children in the attempt. You need to make sure that you're protecting yourself first.” Janus tried to reassure her, but she stiffened.

“I can't wait to get better or to give birth Janus. You didn't hear what he said. They're going to wipe Rafe's memory! He won't remember me! He won't.. know who I am anymore!” Phoebie was on the edge of panic again, and Janus closed his eyes. No wonder the dear girl was so worked up.

“Oh Phoebie. I'm so sorry.” He whispered.

“No! Don't you do that! Don't you sorry me like it's already over!” Phoebie screeched, jumping to her feet. Janus merely shook his head.

“But it already is, sweet one. You see, that was just Mercury. He could have been working for anybody. Anybody. Any god, spirit, demigod, sorcerer or sorceress, anyone with enough power, or that amused him enough to ferry a message for or to bribe him into working for them. It isn't hard, once their time starts fading, they'll do what they can to make themselves useful. Remembered.” Janus shook his head.

“He said something about a hearing.” Phoebie pushed the words past numb lips and Janus stiffened.

“So, it's about that then. I'm sorry Phoebie, if that's the truth, Rafe is truly lost to you now. The gods made a decision, and if they've decided this is your punishment, there is nothing you can do to get Rafe back. At least not on your own.” Janus stood and approached her. “Now let's get you sat back down and comfortable...”

“No.” She whispered as Janus continued to babble soothingly at her. He forced something between her lips that numbed her mind, so that all she was left with was one simple thought.

Rafe...