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  Natasha took another sip of tea before expounding on what I had already assumed, “I transported them using conveyance.” Phoebe’s mouth dropped open and Willow’s eyes lit up.

  I had experienced her incredible ability of conveyance when she had used it to take us to the location of Finn’s fight. It was an unbelievably fun way to travel. And quite convenient, I might add.

  “Natasha’s a Wiccan.” I smiled at Phoebe’s now confused face, “She’s a descendent of Hecate; a witch.”

  “Hecate?” Phoebe’s emerald eyes widened as they peered down at her tea. “No wonder this is so good.”

  “Making tea is one of my many abilities,” Natasha claimed with a straight face and a clever twinkle in her eye.

  “That’s really an ability?” Phoebe clamored. Apparently Phoebe had missed the clever twinkle. Willow shook with laughter and Natasha’s deep blue eyes crinkled as she smiled.

  “Yep, she even has a pink lemonade ability,” I poked fun at Phoebe’s naïve tendencies.

  “Hey, it could happen!” Phoebe held up her cup in retaliation and frowned, “I mean this is some seriously good tea.”

  “But you really took Ricker and Finn to Cyprus using conveyance?” Willow shifted forward, enthralled by her ability. “That’s amazing!”

  “That’s right,” Natasha confirmed. “Ricker is looking after Finn’s body until we arrive, and his presence may prove beneficial once we begin to work to heal Carmen.”

  “How does it work?” Phoebe inquired. “Why didn’t you just convey us over there, too?”

  “I don’t believe I’m strong enough to convey three girls and their inordinate amount of luggage all the way around the world.” Natasha tilted her head in amusement.

  “It’s pretty cool! When she took me to Finn’s fight, one minute we were standing on the Fortunate Isle. The next, we were standing on a beach in Greece,” I attested.

  “I’d never travel any other way. That is so cool!” Phoebe gawked. “I wish I was a witch! No planes, no cars, and you’re there in two minutes flat.”

  “It definitely beats a broomstick,” Natasha snickered and took a sip of tea.

  “Can all Wiccans convey?” Phoebe asked curiously.

  “Yes, but we aren’t the only Order to have that ability. There are…others.” Her eyes became unfocused and her mouth tightened into a straight line at what must have been an unpleasant memory.

  “So Charon will be able to heal Carmen’s mind?” Willow asked in an effort to reinforce her thoughts. The crease between her eyebrows hinted at the wheels churning within her head.

  “I hope so,” Phoebe muttered gravely as she shot a sideways glance at Carmen’s sleeping form.

  “What about me? I can heal bodies - maybe I can heal her mind, too?” Willow inched to the edge of seat in case Natasha agreed.

  “I’m afraid I may have used an incorrect term.” Natasha’s features deviated to apologetic. “Her mind is not technically diseased or even injured. It has been…changed or manipulated. There’s even a chance it has been hijacked. But she cannot be healed in the terms you are alluding to.”

  “Oh,” Willow sighed and collapsed back into her seat in a cloud of defeat. I took another long sip of mint tea and contemplated the possibility that Carmen’s mind had been hijacked. By who? Or what? Was it possible that one of the souls from Tartarus had caught a ride to this world? Or worse, one of Nadia’s ghosts… It was getting difficult not to notice what was at the core of all my problems: Nadia.

  “So what’s our new plan to find Finn?” I squelched the rising hope that the possibility of a new plan evoked. That precarious little thing called hope would inevitably threaten to piece my heart back together, which would only leave it vulnerable to further disappointment. I wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

  “Charon hasn’t divulged all of the details to me, but he will brief us once we arrive. We’ll be flying into Paphos, which is one of the larger cities on the west coast of the island.”

  “Isn’t there a descendent school in Paphos?” Willow thought out loud. “The House of Eventide?”

  “Very good, Willow,” Natasha nodded. “We will actually be staying on campus for the duration of our visit.”

  “Where exactly is Cyprus?” I asked, realizing I wasn’t completely sure I knew where it was located.

  “Cyprus is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is east of Greece and north of Egypt. There is much history that has taken place there, and the Nereids have been meeting there for millennia.”

  “Aphrodite’s Rock!” Willow perked up with exuberance. “That’s in Cyprus isn’t it?”

  “Aphrodite’s Rock, her sanctuary, and many other sites are located all over the island of Cyprus.”

  “What’s Aphrodite’s Rock?” I asked. I was picturing a rock that resembled the goddess or that had been carved in her likeness.

  “It’s the birthplace of Aphrodite, the goddess of love!” Willow exclaimed with a dreamy look in her eye. I had no doubt her thoughts had drifted to her almost-boyfriend Liam. Unfortunately, Phoebe quickly transformed her dreamy look into something resembling revulsion with her next comment.

  “Cronus cut off Uranus’s testicles and threw them in the sea! When the water got all foamy, Aphrodite was created.” She thought to herself for a moment and then shrugged, “It’s kind of gross when you really think about it.”

  Just as I was about to ask if that was really possible, the seat belt lights blinked on and we buckled ourselves, as well as the still-sleeping Carmen, in safely to prepare for our descent into Paphos.

  I peered out the window at the mysterious sea below. The nearly full moon above lit a watery runway of glitter as the far the eye could see. If only my own path were that clear.

  Chapter 4

  Finn

  “I still don’t get why I had to come,” I complained, shuffling my feet as loudly as possible. “Liam’s mom even said he could go surfing on the Isle, but now we’ll have to wait until next week.”

  “The Queen of the Underworld doesn’t care about your surfing schedule,” Mom replied with a frown and walked ahead of me on the stone path. I’d been helping Dad out for years, but I’d never been required to go with Mom to her meetings. Usually they contained information I wasn’t allowed to hear. Plus, no twelve year guy wants to go to meetings with his mom. So, when she told me I had to go with her today, I wasn’t too happy about it. That feeling was amplified after Liam had called to go surfing.

  “Maybe she’d be a better queen if she did,” I muttered under my breath.

  “It’s not every day we’re summoned to see Persephone. I need you to behave. We won’t be here long. Just long enough-“ She stopped abruptly when she peered over her shoulder at me. I held my breath and suppressed a snicker. She put her hands on her hips and glared in my general vicinity. “Finn Morrison, if you don’t uncloak yourself right now, I’m going to change you into a piece of lint and stick you in my pocket for all of eternity.”

  The laugh I had been holding in fought its way out, sounding more like a snort. This time she crossed her arms, smirked, and lifted an eyebrow. “Suit yourself. But it’s going to be hard to surf next week without a surfboard.”

  “Aw, Mom! Come on!” I uncloaked myself and pleaded one last time. “Persephone won’t know I’m there and I’ll still listen to whatever you guys talk about. The only difference is I won’t have to talk to her. Everybody wins.” I gave her my best puppy dog eyes.

  “Except when she catches me talking to thin air and assumes I’ve lost my mind,” she countered.

  “Everybody assumes that already,” I joked, and jumped out of the way as she swatted at me playfully. We walked the rest of the way down the path and soon approached the front entrance. The Queen wasn’t known for being very welcoming, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Mom gave me a weary look and knocked on the heavy wooden door. The house itself was covered on all sides with thick, golden vines. It was as if the forest floor was slowly d
evouring the entire structure.

  After two more attempts, the door finally swung open and a stunning woman stepped out into the light. Or maybe she was the light. It was hard to tell since she looked like she was glowing. She reminded me of a roman candle me and my friends had lit last year at the Summer Solstice event on the Isle. Except she didn’t have sparks flying out of her head. That would have been much cooler.

  I experienced something like a red hot whip slam into my heart as her golden eyes met mine. I jumped in front of mom; immediately on the defensive. I could feel the darkness that everyone from down there had, but the sense of powerful rage simmering below her surface was overwhelming. If Mom felt it, she gave nothing away.

  “It’s alright, Finn,” she reassured me and touched my arm gently. Not taking my glare off of Persephone, I backed away only slightly.

  “And you must be Finn.” Persephone’s blazing golden eyes dissected me in mere seconds as her mouth curled up into a smirk. My entire body tensed as I sensed the full force of her hidden anger when she spoke. I narrowed my eyes at her in an effort to let her know that whatever dealings she had with my mom, she would have to get through me first. I felt my own darkness flare and spread as Persephone chuckled.

  “I mean no harm to your mother, son.” I bristled at her use of the word ‘son’ and then realized she had known what I was thinking. Could she read minds?

  “Then what do you want?” I growled at her, moving in front of Mom once again.

  “Finn, honey, Persephone only wants to discuss certain…administrative issues. You have no reason to fear for my safety.” I could tell she was trying to be reassuring but she still wasn’t convincing me. No one with that kind of resentment and anger could do anything out of the goodness of her heart. My father once told me that hate binds the heart. People like her always had hidden agendas.

  Persephone ushered us into a large foyer and then up a flight of stairs into a solarium. It was filled to the brim with flowering plants and bushes. Lush fruit hung from trees, and vines clung to the glass walls. The entire ceiling was also glass, which created a tropical forest feel.

  Mom took a seat near one of the many waterfalls, but I remained standing. There was no way I was letting my guard down. As Persephone strolled past and sat down across from Mom, I heard the sound of feet running. Two seconds later, the owner of those feet pranced into the solarium and scowled at Persephone.

  “Mother!”she barked and then rested her hands on her hips. “You were supposed to tell me when they arrived!”

  “Nadia, dear. Won’t you make our guest feel welcome?” Persephone swept an arm in my direction and then addressed me with regal undertones. “I believe you know my daughter, Nadia.”

  I cringed as Nadia’s pout lifted into a cunning grin, and she swept into the room like Cinderella on ‘Dancing with the Stars’. I got the feeling the world was supposed to stop spinning in acknowledgement of her entrance. I was waiting for a hidden orchestra to begin blaring Beethoven’s Symphony #5. I let out a snicker, which was quickly muted by a look from Mom. Nadia ignored my outburst and continued to move in my direction.

  The last time I had seen her would have been at least four years ago. By the spoiled smirk she was wearing, it appeared humility and kindness were still foreign concepts to her. I had to admit, she was stunning. Her golden hair tumbled over her neck and shoulders, accentuating the golden color of her skin, and the black sundress she was wearing didn’t leave much to the imagination. Every guy I knew would jump at the chance just to be near her. I begged to differ. She couldn’t hold a candle to her. No one did. No one ever would.

  “Hey there,” she purred and wrapped a snake-like arm around my waist. I abruptly stepped out of her greedy embrace. The golden eyes she had inherited from her mother boasted a different type of hardness behind them. She was used to getting her way, and the lingering path her eyes created as they slid down my body told me she had expected nothing less from me. She was about to get a very rude awakening.

  “Come with me,” she demanded. Last I checked, I wasn’t a pet Chihuahua who would follow her around begging for her affection, so I stood my ground and raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

  “Finn, give us a few minutes to talk. Why don’t you let Nadia show you around?” Mom smiled and nodded her head, insinuating it was safe to leave her alone with Persephone. I refused to budge.

  “Finn,” Mom urged again with apologetic eyes. I shot one last threatening glare at Persephone as a warning and ignoring every instinct I possessed, painstakingly forced my feet to follow Nadia. Instead of showing me around their home, Nadia made a beeline for the back door. I continued to follow her as we walked down a dirt path, while she rambled on about a girl at school whom she didn’t like. I stopped listening after less than a minute, and tried to figure out when the next ideal time to go surfing would be. The tide would be up by the time we got back, but a storm was blowing in tomorrow, so it might be better to wait until then. I could ride my short board instead-

  “Were you even listening to me?” I ran right into a fuming Nadia, whose carnal eyes were now boring a hole into mine.

  “No,” I shrugged my shoulders and let out an exaggerated sigh of boredom. Surprise flitted across her features before they darkened considerably. She pointed a bony finger in my face.

  “When I talk, you listen. Got it?”

  I tapped my chin as if thinking. “What am I supposed to say? Oh that’s it - Yes, your highness.” I bowed to her and then flipped her off with a gallant smile. Light swirls of gray smoke lifted from her skin, reminding me of a smoking fog rolling off the ocean. I didn’t need the vapor pouring out of her skin to tell me that she was evil. I could sense it a mile away. She stiffened but remained silent, as she attempted to reign in her wrath. The vapor disappeared and her eyes returned to their normal honey color.

  “We’re almost there.” She twirled around in a show of indifference and continued to walk until we reached a tall stone staircase that led underground.

  “And just where is ‘there’?” I questioned her with heavy skepticism.

  “You’ll see. I made it myself.” She skipped down several more stairs and pivoted to glare up at me. “Well?” Wanting to get this little journey over with, I rolled my eyes and followed her down the stairs. We continued to walk through a dark, dank tunnel for what seemed like hours, until we reached a dead end. I could hear water rushing above us which was slightly unnerving, but I ignored my urge to leave.

  “Congratulations. You made a dead end.” I raised an eyebrow but she simply reached out and touched my shoulder. I swatted her arm away, but we had already been conveyed to what I assumed was the other side of the dead end. She was lucky I was used to my mom using conveyance to travel. Unfortunately, I hadn’t inherited that particular ability. But I had some other cool ones that more than made up for it.

  I inspected my new surroundings and couldn’t help being awestruck. Somehow she had created a completely enclosed square room underground. But that wasn’t the cool part. It was the ceiling - or the lack there of. Instead of solid stone, above our heads were clear rocks that displayed the full fury of the rushing river above.

  “I enchanted the rocks above this part of the river to be transparent so I could see through them,” she bragged with a smug smile. “It’s my hiding place. Only one way in and only one way out.” She wiggled her eyebrows for effect, “ Me.”

  “Of course. It’s your world. We’re just living in it.” I responded with cynicism. My eyes ran along the pristine stone walls once again. I had a feeling I could bust out of there if I had to. If she was trying to intimidate me, she’d have to do a lot better than that.

  “So…” She sauntered over to me slyly and ran a finger down my chest. “What do you want to do?” Punch that smug look off your face.

  “Leave,” I growled and moved away from her. She was beginning to push her luck. “Now.”

  The angry vapor rose from her skin again as she approached, armed w
ith a cocky grin and an arrogant swagger. “You better get used to this now because we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”

  “I doubt that,” I threw back at her and laughed. She smirked and moved to stand within inches of me, rage flashing in her eyes.

  “My mother has spoken. You’re mine.”

  Chapter 5

  Finn

  You know that glorious sliver of time between the moment you wake up and the moment where reality hits? Unfortunately for me, it slipped through my fingers so quick, I nearly missed it. Not to mention my dream hadn’t been too different from my current reality. That day six years ago, I had no idea how true her selfish words were. I was young and clueless. Even when Mom explained it to me with devastated tears in her eyes, I didn’t give it another thought. It was no big deal. I’d find a way around it by the time I was eighteen. When you’re twelve, eighteen is a lifetime away. I told myself it didn’t matter. And I was right, it didn’t. Until she came back. Until I looked into those unsettling blue eyes and glimpsed her soul. The day on the beach when she became real, was the day that everything changed.

  The roar of the water rushing above me soothed my anxiety, while my inner clock fought to calculate what day of the week it was. If my math was right, I’d been down here for five days. I’d spent almost a week in the bowels of the Underworld, as the world above continued to move forward as if I’d never existed. At the onset of each darkness, I would willingly slip away into catatonic episodes of extreme isolation and pain. My mind would do its best to convince me that no one would be searching for me. I told myself everyone had given up, moved on with their lives, and my body had been disposed of in the vast meadows of the sea floor. Or maybe they would bury it on the Isle with a nice headstone that read: Here lies Finn Morrison. The worst Prime who ever lived. My mother would weep with shame, and Stasia would turn her back; unable to bear the evidence of my obvious failure. She had risked everything for me, only to be repaid with utter defeat.