Down below, Azura blasted Eris with a pattern of blue and white threads, knocking the goddess of chaos off her feet with a blast of concentrated water and wind. Shakra hurtled a second spell, wrapping Aphrodite up in pulsing threads of magic. Gabriel and Maya were sprinting towards Alice, faces grim.
Alice thought later, that it seemed to happen in seconds. Like everything had turned slow and syrupy in that moment. She knew, somehow, that something very bad was about to happen. Aphrodite was screaming, a high, siren-like wail. She split the threads holding her arms in place and started towards Azura with rage written on her face. Eris sat up, shaking her head, looking unhappy. Her hair was clinging to her face and her neck, and her tattered gown was dripping fat droplets of water on the floor. She didn’t stand up, just raised her arms above her head, a smile creasing one corner of her mouth.
Alice felt the foundations of the building tremble.
“No!” Adonis was on his knees, holding the side of his face. He turned to Eris. “No, don’t—”
It was too late. The impact of the goddess’ power shook the floor, and Alice stumbled, slamming both knees on the ground as she fell. A rumble from overhead made her look up, and her heart sank into her stomach. The ceiling was cracking, slowly at first, increasing speed as she watched. Eris’ laughter echoed around the room as the building shook. Chunks of the ceiling began to fall around her, and she watched in horror as the heavy beam that ran all down the center of the room began to crack and slope downwards. It fell, spinning twice, and then slammed to the ground with an earth-shattering boom. Screams and dust filled the air. The Halfmoon order had leapt out of the way, scrambling to avoid huge chunks of the roof as it caved in. It was still caving in.
Somewhere in the chaos Maya was screaming. Alice knew it was Maya because she was screaming Gabriel’s name over and over. She felt hot and cold all over, sick and dizzy. This couldn’t be happening.
Rocks rained down around her. No, not rocks, pieces of the ceiling. The stage vibrated beneath her, Altair was staggering across it, arms outstretched, panic in his bright eyes.
“Alice!”
Another loud crack split the ceiling above them, and a wooden beam crashed down between them. Alice stood there, paralyzed, as the ceiling collapsed. Altair was thrown off his feet, and then a second, larger beam cracked and fell, sending a section of the roof the size of a car down. Altair’s sharp cry was cut off as he vanished from sight.
A scream ripped out of her, and Alice lunged forward. “NO! Altair!”
Then the stage crumbled beneath her, and there was nothing holding her up anymore, and Alice plummeted down into the darkness.
Why did her head hurt so much? Alice blinked, opening her eyes slowly. Beneath her the ground felt soft. She had landed on something slightly cushiony. When she opened her eyes her head began to throb even more fiercely, and she winced. Above her a ceiling swam into view. A canopy of some sort, soft velvety looking red fabric.
A bed. She was lying on a bed.
“How are you feeling? I’m sure you have a few aches and pains but that will pass.”
The voice was so soothing and kind that Alice didn’t even jump. She should have sprang off the bed and grabbed for the first magic she should find, but somehow she didn’t feel alarmed. Slowly she turned her head, her stiff neck protesting the movement.
There was a woman sitting on a stool beside the bed. She was in a very fine looking golden dress that hung down and exposed one milky white shoulder. Her hair was beautifully curled and fell down her back. On her lap was a small black cat, who appeared to be examining Alice with considerable interest.
Now Alice was surprised, and she sat up so fast her head spun. “Emmy, what are you doing here?”
“Emmy stays with me sometimes.” The woman smiled, stroking one hand down the cat’s back. “She travels between world, as all cats do.”
“Between—” Alice’s stomach lurched as realization set in. “I’m dead, aren’t I?”
The woman tilted her head and pressed her lips together, her eyes roaming over Alice’s face. “You look so much like your aunt.”
“Aunt Ruby?” Alice’s head whipped around as she searched the room. She was half expecting her aunt to walk in. “If I’m…is she here?”
“You can see her later.” The woman nodded. “Now, tell me what happened.”
“The roof collapsed.” Alice frowned. “I’m sorry, who exactly are you?”
The woman didn’t reply at first, she kept stroking Emmy, tilting her head back to look at the ceiling, as if she were deep in thought. Alice shifted impatiently. She was about to clear her throat, when the woman said, “I have many names, but most of you know me as Gaia.”
Alice’s mouth dropped open. She’d done enough research by now to know exactly who that was. She was sitting in the presence of the mother of all goddesses. The one who had created every living being. Stunned, Alice only stared at her, mind racing frantically. Should she bow to her? Curtsey? No, that was ridiculous. What did one do when faced with the mother of all creation? And why on earth was Gaia paying any attention to Alice in the first place?
Gaia lowered her gaze back to Alice, who was now blushing furiously, cheeks burning. “You’re…sorry, you’re sort of a big deal. I don’t really know what to say, to be honest. But really, am I dead? What happened?” She flinched. “Are the others dead? Are they here?” Did she want them to be here? It seemed cruel to wish any of her friends dead, but the idea of going to the afterlife without them was sort of horrifying too.
“The others are…in the Between.” Gaia’s forehead creased, as though she was choosing her words carefully. Likely trying to stick to terms that Alice could actually understand. “But they died with you, yes. The only ones who didn’t were the immortal.”
Alice’s fingernails bit into her palms, she was clenching her fists so hard. “I wish she was here.” The laughing face of Aphrodite swam in her mind’s eyes, then it was Eris, Adam, Athena, Epimethius, one after the other, flicking past like the footage of an old movie. She had been right, one of them would kill her friends someday. It had finally happened. A white hot rage was stirring in the pit of her stomach.
Gaia seemed to sense the change in her mood. “You have always been challenged by the gods,” she said gently. “And it is only now that you will begin to understand why.”
“I don’t understand though. I don’t understand at all,” Alice’s voice climbed, loud in the echoing room. “What do they want with me?”
“Different things,” Gaia said. “Sometimes they don’t even truly know what they want with you. This time it was Dione, the mother of Aphrodite, she was seeking to use you to overthrow Zeus. But that matters little.”
“What do you mean it matters little?” Alice said sharply. “I’m dead.”
“Dione was only one of the first in the chain of many to come that would have tried to use you. It’s because you are touched by destiny. The only human in thousands of years with untapped ability. One day, if you try, you will be able to touch the entire network and withstand it, a feat that less than three humans have accomplished in our entire history. Gods are drawn to power. They always have been.” A small smile quirked one corner of Gaia’s mouth. “Your Aunt Ruby knew that.”
“Why didn’t she tell Azura then?” Alice couldn’t help feeling exasperated. “Why would she just leave me with no warning, about to walk into a dozen different traps…” She trailed off as the goddess’ face grew dark.
“I would be careful, were I you, how much blame you lay on your Aunt. She sacrificed everything in order to protect you. She is the reason I am here.”
Alice’s mouth went dry. She blinked. It felt like her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth. Gaia’s eyes glittered like fire, her face was like marble. It was as if she’d been keeping herself dimmed up until now and she was letting a little glimpse of her true face shine through. Alice couldn’t believe she’d snapped at the mother of all goddess. Maybe Gaia was about to turn her into a toad on the spot.
Then the cool smile was back, and the goddess blinked. She looked normal again. “Your aunt made a bargain with me. She knew this would end up happening someday. It was her life for yours.”
“What?” Alice shot up from the bed, furious all over again. “You bargained with her life? Did you kill her?”
“No.” Her voice was still cool, but there was warning in it. “I did not. She gave me something much more valuable than her life, and in return, I can grant you whatever you wish.”
Like a genie. Alice wasn’t stupid enough to say it out loud. “I…where is she? My aunt. If this is where you go when you die, isn’t she here?”
“Yes.” Gaia stood up abruptly, and Emmy jumped gracefully to the floor. The goddess brushed her long skirts off and then glanced back over at Alice. “I’ll give you a few minutes to talk to her.”
“What?” Alice stared after the goddess as she turned and began to walk away. “Wait…but…”
The door slammed shut, leaving Alice standing there staring at it in confusion. She was about to storm after Gaia, to slam the door open and yell at her to come back, but something caught her eye. A ripple in the air next to her, spreading out all around her.
Emmy stretched and yawned, and then the little black cat sat down and blinked wide green eyes at Alice. The air was shimmering in front of the cat, like a heat wave in the dessert, distorting Emmy, warping her and making her look as though she was changing…stretching….
Alice blinked, scrubbing at her eyes. When she opened them again it was to see a woman standing in the place where Emmy had been sitting. The woman was a little taller than her, and dressed in fine green robes with very long sleeves. She smiled, and Alice felt her knees grow watery.
That smile was familiar. That face was familiar. She’d looked at that face in the picture of the Half Moon order again and again, until she’d memorized every wrinkle and crease. The way her smile was a bit lopsided, the way her green eyes sparkled. The ski-jump nose that was so like Alice’s own.
“Aunt Ruby?”
“Hello, dear. I’m so very glad to see you.”