It took Hermes a day and half to realise she was ignoring him.
She spent the first day avoiding him as much as possible, pretending to be focused on her water training and saying she needed to check something whenever he entered the same room as her. When she couldn't avoid him, she simply ignored him. Giselle acted as a mediator between the two of them but their moods were beginning to rub off on her and even she began to get tetchy.
Jaxon took every opportunity he could to be alone with Thea but Hermes seemed to have some sort of sensor that went off every time they were alone. It was the only time Thea was happy to see Hermes, even if it was only for a brief second.
After two days of being ignored, Hermes caught her on the stairs after she'd gone for a walk in the ocean. She had decided to test how far out she could walk before it got too dark to see. Once the lights faded and all she could hear was the noise of creatures unknown swimming in the darkness, it became terrifying.
She'd run back and only started walking when she saw Hermes waiting for her, fury emanating off him. Before he could argue, she'd brushed past him, determined to get back to her room, but he caught her at the stairs.
"Are you out of your mind?" he snarled. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there? What would you have done if something had attacked you?"
Biting her tongue, she tried to move past him but it seemed he'd had enough of being ignored. Grabbing her, he yanked her over his shoulder and she started beating him. "Let me go!"
He walked back to her room, passing Giselle. "Oh Hermes, what are you doing?"
"None of your business!"
"Giselle, help!"
Giselle watched them helplessly and Thea knew she wasn't going to save her. Giselle was still on Team Hermes, believing he was going to come around and apologise. If this was how he was going about it, Thea wasn't having any of it.
"Let me go now before I drown you!"
She shrieked as she was airborne. She landed on the bed, only to be trapped as Hermes sat on her, pinning her down.. "Drown me if you want, but you will listen to me! You don't go out there by yourself! Take Giselle - Gods, take Jaxon - but don't go out there on your own!"
"I'll do what I want," she snapped. "You aren't the boss of me - now get off!"
She tried to push him off with air and was shocked as he used it against her, pushing her further into the mattress.
"I get it, Thea. You hate me right now but that's no reason to act like an idiot and forego your own safety. If you don't want me around, then just tell me instead of acting like a snobby bitch and ignoring me every time I enter the room!"
"Fine, I don't want you around. Happy? Now leave!"
His eyes changed and she felt his grip on her arms soften. "Why is it so important that I apologise?"
"Because you were a jerk! I've heard from others that you don't think I'm Lissandre, then you tell me that I am like her -a cold heartless bitch - and you think I'm just going to let that go? Well, I'm not! I have done nothing to give you any indication that I'm like her. You just keep looking for excuses because you're scared of a woman who died years ago."
He stiffened. "I was not scared of her -"
"Yes, you were. You hated her and you're scared that I'm turning into her, so what does that say? Hate and fear go hand in hand Hermes. Trying to pretend that our argument hadn't happened was not cool. The first argument I can understand, but this one was personal and I can't just pretend it didn't happen. If you're not ready to apologise, then please get off me and leave me alone until you are."
"It's hard, Thea."
"It's one word, Hermes."
"No, not that. It's hard, letting go of so many years of hate and distrust."
"Again, Hermes, I'm not her, so either you hate me or you don't."
He lowered his head onto his chest and she could sense he was battling something internally. He was starting to look up when her door banged open, Poseidon striding in.
"There you are! Gods, every time I see you girl, some man is all over you! Have you no respect for yourself?"
Hermes sighed and moved away from Thea as she glared at Poseidon. "What do you want, Poseidon?"
"I want the girl. I've had enough of arguing with Nyx and she says she wants to meet her. I'm taking her out there."
"Can't she come here?" Thea asked, getting up from the bed.
"Not a chance!" he thundered. "That woman will never gain entry to my haven! Just having her in my ocean is painful enough! Now come on, we don't have all day."
Grabbing her hand, he dragged her out and she looked back quickly. Hermes still sat on her bed, eyes distant as he stared at the door. She hoped she'd gotten through to him. She hated fighting and usually she got over an argument in a few days. Fighting with Hermes made her feel wrong inside and she wanted him to hurry up and apologise so they could move on.
Jaxon was waiting for them outside. "Ready to experience the deep?"
"Sure, I guess."
He smiled and took her hand from Poseidon. "How are we getting to the hole?"
"Swimming, of course."
"I don't think I can swim that far..."
He pulled her close and she gasped. "Just hold tight and I'll do all the work."
Poseidon had already stepped into the water and was waiting for them. "Hurry up!"
They stepped into the water and Thea gripped Jaxon's shoulders as they sped through the water. It was impossible to see anything and she focused on trying to figure out how to swim this fast on her own.
After a few minutes, a light started to form in the distance, and she watched it grow bigger and brighter until the lights became many - and then they arrived.
Several nymphs stood around a hole, each holding a strange looking sphere. They glowed blue, and she saw a large tentacle move languidly out of the hole only to retract as it was shocked. As it was shocked, Thea saw lines connecting the orbs around the circle and realised it was like a gate to stop whatever was down there from getting out.
Thea let go of Jaxon and pushed him away when he wouldn't let go. Her eyes were glued to hole; she couldn't believe the size of it. It looked about the size of a soccer field. It was so large for just one person to have escaped from it. Every new thing she learned about Cronos instilled more fear in her heart.
How was she meant to put him back in there?
"Thea, are you alright? You've gone pale."
She looked at Jaxon, who was watching her with concern. Poseidon stood behind him, eyes on her, and she sensed he knew what she was thinking about. "I'm fine. Just the shock of the journey, I guess."
Poseidon shoved Jaxon out of the way and grabbed her hand, tugging her gently. "Come on, Thea. Let's go and introduce you to Nyx."
She let Poseidon lead her away from the hole. She couldn't help but look back, feeling drawn to it. Something inside her was telling her to do something, but...what?
A woman stood with her back to them, tall and thin. Her black hair flowed in the water, looking like tentacles. She was dressed completely in black, the thin fabric clinging to her body. She turned around and Thea stared into green eyes.
"So, this is the new one." Her voice was abrupt and harsh.
"Thea, this is Nyx, the damn Goddess who won't leave my ocean."
Her eyes flashed and Thea moved behind Poseidon, sensing an argument about to begin. "I'd leave your ocean, you crazy bastard, if you let me close my prison!"
"Not happening! I prefer my ocean to remain in one piece! If you close it, you'll set off another damn tsunami and enough damage has been caused without you creating more! I'll figure out a way to do it myself."
Poseidon released her hand and stepped towards Nyx as she started screaming about his ego. Thea had thought Artemis was scary but Nyx was on a whole other level as she got in Poseidon's face, a dark aura swirling around her. She was an Elder God, Thea remembered, and she probably didn't like having to answer to a lower God, if that was what she called them.
Their bickering continued and she found her eyes drawn back to the hole. She moved toward the hole, feeling like she needed to be closer without knowing why.
Jaxon followed her. "Thea, are you alright? Don't get too close."
"It's alright," she said, her voice sounding strange. "I just need to have a closer look."
Reaching the edge, she glanced over and looked inside. It was pitch dark but she could hear movement. Voices whispering and screaming at each other. A large clawed hand reached out near her face but was stopped by the gate. She heard the creature howl in rage as it fell back into the abyss.
Heart pounding, Thea, moved closer and stood on the edge. Jaxon reached out."Thea, step away!"
His voice alerted the arguing Gods and they both saw what she was doing.
"Get away from there, girl!" Poseidon shouted. "Do you want to get killed?"
Nyx didn't say anything but watched Thea, her eyes sharp.
The feeling in her chest grew and Thea knew she needed to do something to make it go away. She felt the edges of the hole with her mind but they didn't just feel natural - there was a difference. She could sense two realms, tied together through this one gateway.
Reaching out her hand, it felt like someone else was controlling her body, and she didn't fight it, moving with it, sensing that this was something she knew how to do. The earth started shaking slightly beneath her feet and the nymphs all stepped back.
Poseidon moved to stop her but Nyx held him back. "Just stand here and watch, you crotchety bastard."
As the nymphs moved away, the protective gate shattered and the sound of the creatures below increased as they tried to escape. Thea held out her hand and a light formed in the hole. Slowly, it worked its way from the centre, spiralling outwards until it covered the large hole, and she felt Tartarus begin close.
The shaking decreased but she felt it tremble slightly every now and then as part of her stopped the earth from rebelling against what was happening. As the hole closed on Tartarus' side, Thea started to close the gateway from their end, earth moving across the hole and rumbling as it filled in the empty space, until it was completely covered.
She closed her eyes as she felt Tartarus vanish completely from her senses and the feeling in her chest disappeared.
Stumbling, her legs collapsed and Jaxon caught her. "Are you all right?"
She felt light headed and looked at ocean floor. It was as if nothing had ever been there. She let Jaxon support her and glared at Nyx, realising the true reason she'd wanted to meet her. "You knew that would happen, didn't you? That's why you wanted to see me."
"Of course I knew that would happen." She smirked. "It was the only way we were ever going to shut Tartarus. Poseidon would never let me do it, but I knew you would be able to without ruining his precious ocean. You've done it before and you'll have to do it again. I suggest you remember how to for next time because I won't be taking the time to teach you. I don't have time for that nonsense."
"This is impossible," Thea whispered. "There's no way I can put Cronos back in there - I'm not good enough to do that."
"You've got the same power in you as Lissandre, little girl. We wouldn't just give our power to the wrong mortal!"
"I'm not Lissandre, though! She had her abilities since birth - I've only discovered mine in the last few weeks! I'll never be as good as her! I don't even know how to re-open Tartarus to send him back there."
Nyx rolled her eyes and glanced at Poseidon. "Is she always this whiny?"
He nodded. "Always moans about everything she has to do. Even moaned about having to fill a glass of water -"
"I did not!"
Nyx sighed. "I've had enough. I'm no longer needed here and you're just holding me up, Thea. If you're so interested in learning how Lissandre did it, then it's time you learned more about her."
Reaching out, Nyx flicked her forehead and Thea felt a fierce stab of pain penetrate her brain. Her legs buckled as the world went black.
* * * *
Lissandre ran through the forest, her small legs moving furiously in her eagerness to get back to her mother. She couldn't wait to show her what she'd learnt today.
She'd been mad at Lissandre since she had accidently hurt a man by removing all the air from his lungs. She hadn't meant to do it, she had just thought that the man was hurting her mother when she found him lying on top of her. Because of her mistake, they'd gone hungry that night and her mother hadn't spoken to her since.
She saw her sitting outside their small home, shelling some peas their neighbour had kindly brought them.
"Mama! Mama, look at what I learned to do!" Holding out her hand, she concentrated and a burst of flame shot out of her hand. She looked at her mother, feeling proud of herself.
Shrieking, her mother flew back, peas flying everywhere. "Put that out, you foolish child! Look what you've made me do! Pick them up this instant and don't you dare miss a single one! You know better than to show off your powers so foolishly! What if someone had seen?"
Crestfallen, Lissandre lowered her hand, the flames fading. "Sorry, mama. I'll remember next time."
"No you won't - you never do," her mother said under her breath and Lissandre flinched, her bottom lip trembling.
Clenching her fists so she wouldn't cry, she started picking up the peas, sifting through the grass to find them. Mother always hated it when she cried and she didn't want to upset her any more. She knew she didn't like her powers but Lissandre hoped that one day she would smile and say they were special. If the Gods thought she was special, then why couldn't her mother?
Once she'd collected all the peas, she placed them back in the bowl. "I'm finished, mama."
"Alright. Go down to the river and collect some water to wash up. No using those powers, either. We can't afford having someone see you showing off. "
"But it won't take long to just fill up the bowl now -"
"You know how I feel about you using those powers, Lissandre. Now do as you’re told. You're still a mortal child, don't forget that."
"Yes, mama."
****
Lissandre hid behind the curtain as her mother asked. She heard footsteps and a man spoke to her mother.
"Let me see her."
"No. You have no use for her yet. Until she is needed, she is still my daughter to raise as I please."
The man growled and Lissandre curled into a ball. "You are hindering her learning. She must use her powers or she will be useless when the time comes."
"I don't care." Lissandre heard her mother's voice tremble. "With each passing day, she becomes a stranger to me because of you Gods. Let me keep my daughter while she is still mine. When the day comes and I can no longer tell if she's my daughter or your instrument, then you can visit her as you please. Until then, please leave us be."
There was a moment of silence and Lissandre wondered if the man had left. She jumped when he finally spoke.
"Very well then. When that day comes, we will be stepping in. In the meantime, we could always come to another arrangement to ensure you keep a roof over your head."
"No," her mother said sharply. "I was promised that the Gods would leave me in peace. I have born your creation and I deserve some respect from you, Zeus. Now leave!"
The footsteps faded and Lissandre hesitantly pulled the curtain back. Her mother stood in the centre of the small room, face pale. Her hands shook as she placed them over her mouth.
"Mama? Is everything all right?"
She turned to face Lissandre and for a moment, Lissandre saw something she'd never seen before in her mother's eyes: fear. Lissandre felt as though it was her she was afraid of and not the God who had just left.
In an instant, the fear was gone and her mother smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Everything is fine, Lissandre. Go down the road, would you. and check on Georgakis. I was meaning to visit him today but I'm suddenly feeling tired.”
"Yes, mama."
She walked out, looking back once to see her mother standing in the doorway, eyes void of emotion as she watched her daughter leave.
****
Running through the forest, Lissandre could hear the man chasing her. He had been sharing her mother's bed and when her mother wasn't there, he liked to sit and talk with her. He kept touching her and Lissandre hated it. She only put up with it because he brought them food and made her mother happy. Her mother knew she had gained his unwanted attention but she turned a blind eye, uncaring about what was happening. Tonight though, he'd gone too far.
That night he'd tried to kiss her and, in a panic, she'd burned his face. Now he was chasing her and she was terrified. Her mother had told her that she should never use her powers to harm anyone. When it came to her powers, her mother had become distant, choosing to ignore them. As her abilities had become more prominent, her mother had distanced herself, sending Lissandre on errands to keep her away. She couldn't remember the last time they had sat down and said more than five words to each other.
Lissandre knew she was doing it because her powers frightened her and she tried to stop using them at home in an attempt to make her mother happy. It was hard though when they came so naturally and sometimes she didn't even realise she was using them. Her mother always seemed to know though, and Lissandre had seen the wariness in her eyes, and how her mother looked at her as if she wasn't her own daughter.
"You little whore!" he shouted. "Wait until I get my hands on you! You'll pay for this!"
Sobbing, Lissandre tried to run faster and shrieked as someone grabbed her. A hand covered her mouth and then she was airborne as they found cover in the trees. Down below, the man stumbled around, cursing as he searched for her. She held her breath, heart pounding as she prayed he wouldn't look up.
Eventually he gave up and started stumbling back home. Lissandre sighed in relief, knowing she'd have to sleep in the forest tonight. It wasn't the first time she'd done it and she didn't mind. She felt more safe in the forest than at home.
The hand over her mouth moved and they floated back to the ground. Turning around, she thanked her saviour, already knowing who it was. "Thank you, Hermes."
He nodded, giving her a smile that made her knees weak. "What happened to his face?"
"He got too close to my flames."
Hermes grinned. "Serves him right then. How are you, Lissandre?"
"I've been better. I'm tired of dealing with all the strangers Mama brings home. They pay more attention to me than her now, which just makes her mad."
"You could always come live with us."
"And put up with Apollo and Zeus' attention? I'm not stupid Hermes."
He chuckled and Lissandre felt her heart flutter. She'd liked Hermes since she was a little girl. He always saved her in the nick of time and never tried anything with her. The only thing he tried to do was convince her to live with the Gods. They had let her mother keep her as an infant because she was meant to live a mortal life but her mother's indifference toward her daughter had become noticeable as she tried to stop her daughter from becoming who she was meant to be.
Once Lissandre turned thirteen summers old, the Gods had started visiting on a regular basis in an attempt to remind her of what she was. She knew the Gods had started coming because her mother didn't see her as her daughter anymore. She remembered her words the day she'd hidden as her mother spoke to Zeus, and when she finally realised what it meant, it had hurt. She could never leave her mother though. She loved her despite her indifference, and wanted to stay with her in the hope that things would get better.
Lissandre shook out her hair to cover her flushed face and started walking off.
"Where are you going?" Hermes called.
"To find a place to sleep."
Hermes pulled her to a stop and placed something in her hand. It was a small flower made from flower stems, each petal crossed the other.
"Today you turn sixteen," he said softly. "I wish it had been more pleasant for you."
Breathless, she curled her hand around the gift. "Thank you, Hermes."
"Good night, Lissandre."
"Good night, Hermes."
***
Walking through the forest, Lissandre stopped as a warning went off in the back of her mind. Being highly in tune with the forest and nature around her, she always knew when something was wrong.
She'd sensed when a great storm was approaching last fall and had helped her elderly neighbour to protect his home from the torrential rains.
Today was different. She sensed a fire burning strongly and tried to figure out what direction it was coming from. When she had pinpointed the location, her heart stopped.
It was home.
Turning, she bolted back home, using the air to increase her speed. Arriving in a rush of wind, leaves and grass, she felt the air leave her lungs.
Her home was up in flames, smoke billowing into the sky. Her mother had been home all day; she'd said she wasn't feeling well and Lissandre had gone out to try and find some herbs to make her feel better.
"Mama!"
Rushing into the fire, she started putting it out, the flames licking her skin, but she didn't notice. The fire died out as she found her mother lying on the floor. Her body was covered in ash and blackened from the fire. She could see burns on her arms and legs and felt her throat close in fear.
Dragging her out, she tried to help her get fresh air into her body. Coughing, her mother grabbed her arm and Lissandre cried in relief.
"Be careful, Lissandre. Don't ever trust them," Her mother warned.
"Who did this?" she cried.
"Z-Zeus, she choked and Lissandre stiffened.
"He was angry you refused him the other day. He came to me but I want nothing to do with those Gods. They ruined my life by making you the way you are. It's all their fault."
Lissandre flinched.
"Mama, please don't talk like that -"
"Don't trust them!" Her voice became raspy and Lissandre was scared. "They only want to use you! They want to use your power, your body and then when they're finished, they'll abandon you without a backward glance."
Her mother's eyes began to glaze over and Lissandre's grip on her arm tightened. "Don't leave me, mama!"
"Foolish girl," she murmured as her eyes closed. "I left you long ago."
Lissandre stared in shock at her mother's lifeless body. Pain burned in her belly and she leaned down, burying her head in her mother's chest.
"I'm sorry, mama. For everything."
Sitting up, she cried in rage, the sound echoing through the forest as thunderclouds formed.
Tonight the world would know her pain.
***
"You can't avoid me forever, Lissandre. I always get what I want."
Zeus advanced on her but Lissandre held her ground. Fear curled in the pit of her stomach but her rage drowned it out. She knew she couldn't kill the God but she would make sure he suffered.
As they spoke, Aphrodite was off finding Hera, knowing the Goddess was the only living creature Zeus feared.
"Just because you're a God doesn't mean I'm going to do anything you want."
"You're going to put Cronos in his place," he growled. His eyes traversed her body and she suppressed a shudder. He stood in front of her and his hands traced her waistline.
Lissandre gritted her teeth and kept her emotionless mask in place. "I do that for Gaia and the Elder Gods. If you had asked me, I would have told you to rot in the Underworld."
Blue eyes flashed and she felt a bolt of lightning shoot from the sky, aiming at her head. Holding up her hand, she caught it, the bolt resting lazily in her palm.
She saw a small trace of fear amongst Zeus' fury and felt satisfied. "Just remember, Zeus: you're the one that needs me. I most certainly don't need you or any of the other Gods. You try to touch me again -" She threw the bolt and it hit Zeus in the chest sending him flying into a tree. "- I'll make sure you go to Tartarus with your father."
Zeus stood up, banging his chest to eradicate the flames burning his skin.
"You little whore," he snarled. "You're just as stuck up as your mother."
At the mention of her mother, Lissandre's rage intensified but before she could attack, Aphrodite appeared with Hera in tow. Hera wasted no time and immediately punched Zeus in the face, bringing the God to his knees.
"I can't leave you alone for a moment and you're already trying to get up some girl’s dress! Have you no shame?"
"I doubt he even knows the meaning of the word," Aphrodite smirked. She came to stand beside Lissandre. "It looks like you handled things well enough on your own."
"It was easy enough. He was too busy thinking with that insignificant appendage between his legs rather than his brain."
Zeus' face grew red but Hera grabbed his ear, dragging him to his feet. "Don't say anything, Zeus. I'm going to permanently remove that appendage if you don't be careful."
He shut his mouth and Lissandre smirked, waving her fingers. "Until next time."
They disappeared before Zeus could reply and Aphrodite giggled. "You are so much fun! None of the other Gods would ever dream of going up against him. I need to spend more time with you."
Lissandre nodded. Aphrodite could prove to be useful. She wasn't interested in her powers and she thought that Lissandre genuinely liked her. She would never be friends with a God, though. Those thoughts had vanished the day her mother died.
"I agree," she said, looking into the distance. "We should be great friends."
"Oh wonderful!" Aphrodite spun around, holding Lissandre's hands. "We're going to have so much fun! "
****
"What on earth is wrong with you?” Hermes shouted.
Lissandre had her back to him and she braced herself. She'd been trying to think of ways to make Hermes hate her and yesterday she finally pulled it off by making Aphrodite steal his love. She had been jealous but she knew she never really had a chance. Hermes had always been kind to her but he never saw her as anything more than a little girl and hating him proved to be the most difficult.
Her childhood infatuation with him was still strong and made her weak. She needed to distance herself from him and strengthen her resolve. If this was the only way, then so be it.
Mask in place, she turned to face him. "There is nothing wrong with me, Hermes. What are you talking about?"
She'd never seen him look so angry. She had to stop herself from moving away from him.
"You know what I'm talking about - what you and Aphrodite did to Elpis! Why would you do that to me? What have I done to deserve it? I have been nothing but kind to you."
She scoffed. "Only because you need me to win your war. Once this war is over, you'll all forget about me. That day can't come quick enough - the sooner you are all out of my life the better."
The wind howled through the forest and she knew he was furious. Her plan was working.
"Do you really think that's the only reason I was nice to you? You're a fool if you think that."
She shrugged and looked at her hand, trying to pretend disinterest though her heart pounded. "Then I must be a fool. In the end, it doesn't matter what I am as long as I serve the purpose I was created for, right? Now are we done here? There's some trees in the north part of the forest that feel a bit ill, and I must go and check on them."
Hermes wasn't finished though. "You've been spending too much time with Aphrodite. You've become cold and heartless. What happened to the Lissandre I knew?"
"She died, a long time ago," she said shortly. "I suggest you forget her because she's certainly forgotten you."
He seemed to be softening and she pulled out one last blow. "You should be thanking me, anyway. That Elpis was a bit of a harlot, if you ask me. Aphrodite and I did you a favour by giving her to that other boy. He might be able to knock some sense into her. Liking you was her biggest mistake."
His face turned glacial and before she could move, he slapped her. "I will never forgive you for what you've done, Lissandre. You're a monster for ruining my life and Elpis' and I hope the guilt eats away at your rotten soul."
He vanished and Lissandre stared at the spot he'd vacated, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"You all ruined mine first," she whispered as she knelt on the ground and wept.
****
Hovering in the air above the ocean, she waited amongst the Gods as they fought their final battle. Zeus needed to distract Cronos so she could set their plan into motion.
A Titan - Menoetius - charged her, fist raised. He was a hot headed Titan and Lissandre knew he wouldn't last long in this battle. She didn't flinch as he launched his attack and at the last moment he was shot down by a lightning bolt.
Roaring, he fell into the ocean and Lissandre saw Zeus watching her coldly. She turned back the fight at hand without acknowledging his act, and continued waiting.
She saw Cronos advance on Zeus and they began to fight in earnest. They were brutal in their attacks and she knew a mortal would have been dead with the first blow. With Cronos distracted, she took her chance.
Holding out her hand, she began the process of opening Tartarus. The water below them began to swirl, until a large whirlpool formed. The centre began to widen until the ocean floor could be seen. Making the hole large enough, she closed her eyes, feeling for the realm beneath. Sensing Tartarus, she opened her eyes and began to open a gateway.
The earth shuddered and fell away, falling into the realm beneath, and a new sound entered the fray as the creatures trapped in the prison saw light for the first time. She saw Menoetius' body swirl through the water and fall into the prison, disappearing into the darkness.
Smiling, she looked up to see the Gods begin their final attack, throwing as many Titans as possible into Tartarus. Apollo flew past, smashing his fist into Crius' stomach as Artemis pulled him towards the hole.
She saw many admit their defeat, fear of the dark prison stopping their attacks. Cronos' eyes were now on her, laced with fury.
"So this is what Gaia created to defeat me?" he sneered. "A little girl?"
He advanced on her and Hermes intercepted him, staff in hand. Cronos grabbed the staff and threw both it and Hermes away. Lissandre reached into the pits of Tartarus with her mind, searching for the chains she knew Nyx had created just for the Titan. Behind her, a pair of shackles she'd made hovered, ready to latch onto him.
Gaia had come to her in a dream, worried about Cronos being able to escape. She didn't want another war to start between her children and thought it would be best to take some extra precautions. Lissandre knew Cronos was only interested in Olympus; it was his realm and if he ever escaped, he would stop at nothing to take it back. She created the shackles, putting her blood and soul into them. By putting a piece of her soul in them, it would stop Cronos from ever entering the realm of the Gods. He would be stuck in the mortal realm until he found a way to remove the shackles, which Lissandre had made impossible. They were indestructible, made of the hardest metal, and if her soul still lived, then they could never be removed.
He reached her and grabbed her by the throat. Lissandre watched him calmly, knowing fear was what he wanted to see.
"Pathetic," he spat. "These lesser Gods will never defeat me."
"No," she rasped. "They won't."
His smile widened and he traced her face as the hand on her throat tightened. She reached behind her and grabbed the shackles.
"But I will."
His smile faltered and she used that moment to place the shackles on his wrists. They snapped shut and seared into his skin, making him roar in pain. She drew the chains from Tartarus, and latched them to the links on the shackles. He growled in anger as she burned his fingers, still around her throat, making him let go.
Breathing heavily, she watched as he fell into the abyss. His eyes never left her until they were swallowed by the darkness and even then, she knew he was watching her. Quickly, she closed the gateway and the water returned to normal.
There was a moment of silence as peace stole over the battlefield and then the Gods cheered, jubilant in their victory.
Lissandre stared at the water, feeling numb. She knew she should be happy that she'd been victorious, but she felt nothing. The Gods flew around her, shouting in triumph, oblivious to her. Just like that, it was done. She had served her purpose and was no longer needed.
It was just as her mother had said; now she was truly alone.
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I'm an hour early! I decided I couldn't wait another hour until Friday lol! So I'm very interested to know what you all think of this chapter. Let me know what you think! The next update will be next Friday as always ^_^
The song on the side was created by the ever talented AuRevoirSimone for my story and I love it! It's beautiful! I hope you like and don't forget to check out her work! Also the image for this chapter is Nyx, I envision Angelina Jolie as my Nyx :-)
Have a good weekend all!