A Pawn For Time (Daughter of the Olympians #1)

(32) The Threads of Power

•Hades's Point of View•

I felt a stab in my gut as Katherine stepped through the portal. It was an odd feeling, and it gave me serious goosebumps.

Zeus sighed and turned to face us. He looked utterly crushed. We all knew there was nothing we could do to change her mind, but it still made us feel responsible for her betrayal.

"What do we do now?" Poseidon asked. His eyes wandered in a lost state.

Zeus shrugged and said nothing. We all knew that he wanted to give up by his composure. Hera rubbed his back and Zeus leaned on her.

I let my head hang. Katherine was the one thing that tied us more closely as a family. Now that she's gone, I'm not sure how we will continue on with one another.

"I don't think that siding with him was entirely her decision," Athena mumbled. She was fidgeting with her fingers and staring at the ground intently.

"Were you not watching when she told us? She seemed very reluctant to side with him," I hissed at her. I was not in the mood for a false hope starter.

"No," she dragged, "It just seemed as if she was going to help us..." Athena paused. "... by what she said before she fainted."

I opened my mouth to snap back at her, but I immediately shut it when I realized that she was right.

"Yes, it does look that way, but she still didn't pick us," Artemis reasoned, "I don't think Kronos had anything to do with it."

That got me thinking. While Katherine was defending herself against Malakai, he motioned with his fingers to say that they were together.

I shook my head. There is no way Katherine and Kronos are together like that. I think he means something more.

"Malakai motioned that they were together," I blurted out. Everyone looked at me.

"Yea, so?" Hera answered weakly.

"Well, if my accusations are correct, Katherine and Kronos are together," Demeter pulled a face, "but not like that."

"Huh?" Hermes said. I took a deep breath. I could tell that they weren't catching on.

"Together. As in bound together," they gave me a blank stare, "Linked together as one!" I finished with agitation.

Everyone was silent. "Their threads of power are twisted," Apollo responded with a concentrated expression.

"I believe so," I nodded. Finally, someone got it.

"That would explain why I've been off for the past few days," He continued wearily.

"Off?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yes, off. For the past 3 days, every time I try to check the future," he inhaled, "It's been blurry, like someone smeared dust all over it. I can't tell what's going to happen."

"What do the enemy's threads being tied together have to do with the future?" Dionysus sneered.

"Nothing, but everything at the same time," Apollo and I locked eyes, "You know what I mean."

I swallowed. "Yes. It means that their linking together caused the entire fate of the world to be thrown off," I looked away and at Zeus, "Because it wasn't supposed to happen."

Zeus's eyes widen with my last statement. Demeter looked at me with disbelief, then with shock when she realized I was serious.

"Wha- what do you mean it wasn't supposed to happen?"  Zeus stuttered.

"Well, nothing in the fate of the world is carved in stone, but some paths have already been made. They're kind of like the road that you have to follow, no matter what. There is no avoiding them. Katherine and Kronos being linked was not something fated in stone to happen, but it was something so large and out of place that it threw everything off."

I paused and tried to catch my breath. Apollo continued where I left off.

"Katherine was supposed to not be linked at all with anyone. So when Kronos tied himself and Katherine together, it messed up her paths of fate.  In fact, it messed with all paths of fate. Everyone has their own paths, so it's hard to tell, but we're positive that's what happened."

Everyone took that information in. I shifted my weight and finished off the explanation.

"In all, Kronos and Katherine's linking changed the fate of the world. It messed with the future, so now there's no way of knowing for sure what paths are going to be taken. Their linking could have interfered with Katherine's decision and way of thinking. Because even though she may have picked us, Kronos could have changed her choice indirectly."

Zeus leaned off of Hera and straightened his clothes. He walked over to me and clamped his hand on my shoulder.

"I guess there's only one way to find out for sure," He said. I could see the gears turning in his head.

"Let's see if you and Apollo are correct," He continued, "by asking fate, themselves."

He walked away in triumph. Apollo and  I exchanged glances. His eyes were wide with alarm.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Apollo said quickly. Zeus turned back to us.

"And why would that be?" Zeus asked timidly.

He gave me a look of panic. He couldn't say, because he knew it would just make him look more weak. I gave him a reassuring look.

"Fate is a mess right now," I answered stepping up, "Bothering it would just put it in more chaos."

Zeus waved me off and scoffed. Athena looked at me with utter confusion, which was highly unlike her normal standards.

"I'll see about that," he grumbled. And with a wave of his hand and a puff of smoke, he teleported away.

"Do we go after him?" Hera questioned quickly.

"Of course. Do we really trust Zeus to do the right thing by law?" I asked. Hera tilted her head in agreement.

I stepped up. Zeus, I thought, what do you think you're messing with?

I sighed and with a flash of my hand, I sped away after Zeus, with the others following not far behind.