Hunter: The Reckoning

Chapter 18

Watching the table, the mood was dark. No one seemed to appreciate my plan, or lack of one. Zane's' mind was in overdrive, obvious from the way he wrote furiously in his notebook while Ares and Athena did nothing to hide their judgement as they clearly wondered if I had lost my mind.

"So just to get this right, you want us to simply turn up at the scene of your vision and are hoping a surprise visit, which isn't guaranteed thanks to Nieve being on their team, will give us the advantage." Deimos slowly questioned.

"Yes." I agreed. "Why do you all look as though you think it's a terrible plan?"

"Because it is." Zane mumbled under his breath.

"Everything I've ever done has been spur of the moment, not thought out and involved me completely winging it. Why would or should this be any different?"

"Because it is." Ares huffed. "This isn't you coming in at the last minute, this will be the first step to instigating a war against Uranus, and his Furies. It could last years, and sending everyone in the first wave-"

"Will hit them hard and fast when they're least prepared." I push.

"The Empress has spoken then." Artemis adds dryly, inspecting her bow.

"Are you scared, Elise?" Aphrodite asks softly, making me wonder if she was.

"No. I'm impatient." I hesitate, deciding to go with the big sell. "And I am known for my recklessness and impulse decisions. We've wasted so much time trying to make a plan, do things in a way we all agree on and why bother? Hecate often said to be successful, I would have to be myself. This is me, being me. I thought about it a lot last night. What would Elise do and here we are."

"You're going along with this madness?" Apollo growled at Cain who managed to blend in with the rest of the group a little too well.

"She makes a point. Her whole life has been one big, what the fuck is she doing now, moment for most of us, so why should this be any different?" He sighed. "With everything we have learnt, there doesn't seem a clear way to defeat Uranus. The Furies, well, they were defeated once and Elise has nearly killed them twice. If we can separate them from Uranus, we could stand a chance. We don't know where he is, but we know where they are. For whatever reason, they have set up their base in that cave. Our spies know this. Without a Seer to confirm the visions we have seen have changed or even remain the same, that's all we've got to go on."

"I don't believe a word either of you are saying." Hermes declared.

"It doesn't matter what you believe." I roll my eyes. "This is how it is."

"It's our lives you are gambling with." Hermes looked at Cain now, as if trying to work out what was really going on.

"Kara?" Apollo had the whole table turning their attention on her. "I agree with Hermes. Be our Queen and the voice of reason right now. Whatever those two are wanting us to believe can not be-"

"It's true. We spoke about it last night." She agreed quickly.

"What?" Athena frowned.

"Incase none of you have noticed by now which is hard to believe considering how you've all constantly dismissed me since the second I arrived, I am not the one in charge here. Elise has been to Tartarus and held her own against him. She has Gaia following her orders. Hecate made her into our Empress." Kara stood, pointing at me. "It's always been about her. You of all people, Apollo should know that."

There was a part of me that threatened to crumble. I could tell them the truth, I could apologise for nothing - for all the things I didn't have control over and what I hadn't even done. I could let the doubts in my mind win, convince myself I couldn't do this and that I wouldn't ever win another battle again. Guilt made Kara's words sting in a way I knew they shouldn't, and as I felt the weight of the group land on me, Hades eyes met mine and he gave the tiniest of nods giving me the reminder I needed that I had nothing to be guilty about.