Chapter Twenty-Three: Worlds collide
1332 Words
“Once upon a time...”
“Once upon a time...”
The words echoed endlessly in Phoebie's head. A constant reminder that she'd lost her happily every after. With a wordless scream of rage, she threw the book she had in her hands down and shoved herself to her feet. That was enough. She wasn't going to sit around and pine anymore. She was going to do something about this.
“Janus! Janus! Where are you? I know you haven't left yet!” Phoebie held onto the underside of her stomach as she hurried to the top of the stairs. “Damn these treacherous stairs!” She cursed. She was tempted to just sit down and slide her way down on her bum.
“What is it Sorceress? I was just on my way out.” Called a harried Janus, coming back to look at her from the bottom of the stairs.
“I've changed my mind. I do want you to find someone to watch the kids for me. Just for a few days. I need... some time.” She tried not to sound too angry, tried to put her grief behind the words, hide her resolve behind a facade carefully crafted to hide her true intentions. Either she was a lot better at lying than she previously thought, or Janus was just feeling very sorry for her.
“Of course, sweet girl. I'll make the arrangements. Please have them get ready. I'll be back before the afternoon is over to fetch them. Now go rest. We've got to get your blood pressure and heart rate back down.” Janus replied sympathetically. Phoebie nodded. The frown on her face having nothing to do with how sad she felt, but rather her determination.
“Thank you Janus. Truly.” She turned as he murmured a reply and headed back to her room. She was going to need help. She couldn't do this all on her own. She needed power. She needed the power of a god if she was going to be hunting one. Phoebie gritted her teeth.
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It started as a low buzzing in Cern's ears. He kept shaking his head, thinking the sound would go away, or that it was some new annoyance by the Fox, until he felt the pull.
“Ah Hell, somebody's calling me.” Cern unwound his arm from Emma's shoulders where they were sitting on the couch.
“Calling you?” Emma looked up at him in confusion. “Does anyone even.. I mean.. I don't mean to be rude, but who knows your new name?” Emma blushed.
“A few do. I do still have a few believers in the world Emma, else I would have vanished long ago, but as far as the name you have given me, only a few. I just haven't been called like this in so long, I didn't recognize the call.” He rubbed at his ear as if he could make the sound disappear.
“Well?” Emma asked excitedly.
“Well what?” Cern replied.
“Aren't you going to answer it?” She enthused. He frowned and sighed.
“Perhaps I should, it sounds rather urgent.” Cern sighed again.
“I mean, it's not like you have to do what they ask you or anything, but somebody's calling for you!” Emma was nearly bouncing in her seat. Cern looked at her with amusement.
“I suppose...” He responded.
“Go, shoo, go, go.” Emma waved him off excitedly.
“Well alright then. I'll be back shortly.” Cern kissed the top of her hair, then strode towards the door, disappearing before he reached it.
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Bel leaned against the wall behind Emma. She hadn't noticed him yet, and he had no intentions of letting her know he was there. Cern had asked him to keep an eye on her while he was gone, and although he still had dubious feelings about Cern, they had an uneasy truce where protecting Emma was concerned. They were being kept on their toes, especially now that Lynne had been attacked. Bel's frown deepened as he thought of Lynne. She was asleep in the house too, though she wouldn't be thrilled to see Bel either. She was still upset that her Innate abilities were a part of her, just as much as her strawberry hair or light freckles.
“Mommy..” The little boy, Sage, came stumbling up the hall rubbing his eyes. He paused when he saw Bel. Ah, of course, the child was that of two gods, so he would be able to see him. Bel held a finger to his lips and smiled gently. The child grinned broadly, and then Emma called to Sage and held open her arms, and Bel was quickly forgotten.
“What's the matter baby?” Emma rocked the child gently. Bel wondered how their own children were faring, and the thought left a terrible ache in his heart.
“Wuci waked me. Hims sad sleepy.” The little boy murmured, his eyes were falling closed the longer he was rocked by Emma.
“Luci's having nightmares again?” Emma asked the sleepy child and he nodded with a yawn.
“He cry.” Sage mumbled, eyes closed. Emma stiffened slightly. That probably meant Luci was whining in his sleep. He hadn't been having a good time of it since Lugus had revealed he was in charge of the Hell Hound and awakened the beast to his control. He kept telling Emma he was dangerous and she should stay away. The most heart-wrenching part was when he begged her to free him over and over. He was bucking their Bond so much that she felt it tightening around her chest, even without using her Goddess abilities. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was time to let him go. It seemed everyone was better off without her. She hugged Sage tight to her chest, tears running down her face.
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Bel saw Emma's tears and snatched part of her thought process out of the air. He shoved off the wall, reaching out a hand to her, then let it fall. He had already broken her once, now was definitely not the time to do so again. He paced through the house, letting the Bond that connected Luci to Emma guide him to her Familiar. If he couldn't help her, maybe he could do a little something to aid him at least.
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Cern frowned. Why would he have been summoned back here? Bel's plane was nearly empty of life. Cern could feel it. The longer the fertility god and goddess stayed away, the less life the plane held. Even the spirits were leaving. Who had called him here? He strode towards the house in the mist, trepidation twisting in his guts. The idea that this could be a trap had already occurred to him.
“Cern.” Phoebie said softly. “What took you so long?”
“Little Time Sorceress?” Cern asked with confusion. She pulled herself to her feet supporting the bottom of the swell of her stomach.
“I need your help.” Phoebie murmured softly. “They took my Rafe, and.. I need your help.” Her tears were unstoppable and Cern had to hurry to her side to prevent her from falling to the ground. Despite her rounded abdomen, Cern felt as if she weighed almost nothing, and he feared for her life on this dead plane. He grabbed the bag of belongings she had set beside her on the bench she had been waiting for him on and simply turned with her, stepping off the godly plane and back into the human realm, hurrying as quickly as he could back to his Emma. Hopefully she could help her niece, because Cern didn't think he could fix what was wrong with her, and he was doubtful Emma could either.
- Writer
