When you're born in fire, smoke will never do...
***
Arden
Once we all reached the fourth level of the library, We quickly spotted Johanna, recovering. She slowly stood up and turned around, unaware that we were there.
"Johanna, now listen-"
"No," She cut Perri off harshly. "You listen. Of course, I knew that you jackasses were going to be difficult, but now you're simply just getting on my nerves." She spat out harshly.
Really!? Like she wasn't getting on our nerves! She and her bat-shit-crazy ways were driving all of us insane- literally!
"What did you do to Harper?" I asked her.
Johanna rolled her eyes and brushed off her clothes. "If she would've helped me and lent me her power, then I wouldn't be here. She wouldn't be hurt. But, if you want something- you obviously have to do it yourself." Johanna explained.
Did she-she stole Harper's power? How the hell did she manage to do that?!
"I didn't take all of it- thanks to you guys of course." Johanna turned and scanned the room while she spoke to us. "And thanks to you guys again- I have to continuously keep regaining my strength."
"The damn feathers were a lie. You used me back in Green Brook." Zane pointed out, looking at her seriously. "There was no damn phenomenon, this whole time we were really searching for you- while you were hurting innocent people."
"No one's innocent," Johanna answered. "Sweetie, the sooner you realize that the sooner you know not everything is what it seems. You'll see the real reason why everything needs to come to an end and be brought back as something better. The reason why you and me ruling over the cosmos is going to be the best thing that's ever happened."
"That's not the way it works." Nikki shook her head.
"Who said?" Johanna snapped. "Nikhole, why can't you be more like your cousins- Once they figured that the world needed to be renewed, they agreed that bringing chaos would make things better."
"They really are my family..." Nikki said more quietly. It almost sounded like she was asking herself a question. Her face was impassive, but I'm pretty sure she was feeling a little conflicted inside.
"Yeah- uh-huh." Johanna clapped her hands together. "And since I assume Harper has told you everything- I'm sure you know all about my family." She smiled brightly and chuckled a little.
"How did Hera have a daughter if she's locked away in the underworld, and how did you escape?"
"Ah, escape is such a pretentious word. Certain things you never truly escape." I squinted my eyes.
What the fuck is wrong with this chick? What the hell is she trying to say?
"It's not your first time saying some shit like that," Zane pointed out. "What can't we escape?"
"A lot of things- but one thing, in particular, I have in mind." Johanna began pacing, making sure to avoid the giant hole in the ground. "But, I want to make sure that you guys are catching my drift."
"Literally no one knows what the hell you are talking about." My voice raised a little. "How did you manage to steal actual power from gods?"
"You all should believe me when I say that I'm stronger than you can imagine," Johanna smirked and held her palm out simply. Bright orange rays and specs of power circled mystically above her hand. "See, this is Harper's. You guys witnessed me take it about seven minutes ago- let me tell you it wasn't easy, for someone was literally frying my brain." She looked over at Zane with a small smile.
"You expect me to feel sorry for you?" He asked sarcastically- yet his whole aura was pretty intimidating and scary- like he was going to blow up any moment.
"I'm not mad at you for hurting me, sweetie. We can make up later, of course- but right now, it's really hard to not be frustrated. Fun fact, the particular spell cast on Zeus' bloodline has been around for a very long time. Not a lot of people know about the Heart Fire- but it was in fact created by Hestia herself, and thought of by the fates. The fates thought that the king along with his brothers should share something special with their significant others that no one else in the cosmos could share with them. A fire."
I raised an eyebrow listening to Johanna go on. "And because I have this, right here," She gestured to Harper's power floating above her palm. "I can see that the fire between you two is still alive."
I briefly made eye contact with Zane. I've felt the warm feeling in my chest always, once it started it never stopped. Well, despite the times when it cooled around Zane and Johanna.
"Sweetie, you don't know how that makes me feel." Johanna lost her smile. She was staring at Zane intently, right before she shifted her gaze to me. "It makes me so angry."
Johanna's free hand twitched by her side. I became cautious of what she was going to do next. Nikki must've known because very fast, Johanna flicked her hand harshly and shot a fire-ball at Perri. Luckily, Nikki drew him to the side, the fire missing him barely.
"What the hell is your issue?" Nikki asked.
Johanna ignored them and continued to glower at Zane and me. "I don't understand- please enlighten me, sweetie. How in the good living hell do you still love her?" Johanna asked lowly. There was a slight growl in her voice. "You need to let go of the damn past...and move on." Johanna stepped forward and I gulped. She was getting angry. Johanna tends to be really violent when she's angry. "You should love me!"
Once again, Johanna pushed her hand forward, sending flames our way. My reflexes acted as soon as possible and created a barrier around the Zane, Perri, Nikki, and myself. It was blue and sealed us in from the flames that were now burning around the library on the fourth floor.
"Johanna calm down-" Zane started.
"Do not tell me to calm down!" She shouted back. Johanna's eyes were now glowing blue yet there were flecks of orange in them. Orange and red flames lighted around the room, setting the many books, shelves, and furniture on fire.
I started to feel the heat of the fire as it caught everything in its path. Gray-ish, thick smoke began to rise through the room.
"Are you guys okay?" I asked over the crackle of the flames.
"We're fine," Perri answered, looking at Johanna warily.
"See how fire just consumes everything it touches?" Johanna shrugged. Her hands were now placed in her jeans pockets, and she began pacing again, avoiding the spots where there weren't any fire. "Fire is like chaos, fire is chaos...it consumes and destroys everything around it. Exactly what will happen to the world..."
I kept the barrier around us and didn't take it down. I took a careful look at the room. Fire climbed up the shelves of books and covered most of the ground. Like the library downstairs, there were large paned windows. It was now dark outside.
The window behind Johanna- we could get out of here. I quietly hoped that Ali and Harper made it out.
I looked back at Johanna as she continued to talk. "Now, exactly how much heat can you guys handle?" Johanna asked, with a giggle.
"On three we go through the window, okay?" Zane muttered ever-so-lowly. We all heard him nevertheless.
Harper's power returned to Johanna's palm and before she could act, I took down the barrier.
"Three!" I heard Zane yell next to me. We all dashed to the window with great force just as Johanna let flames consume and blow up inside the very room.
The sound of atoms splitting filled my ears and glass shattering. I crossed my arms in front of me as we all jumped through the glass window. I felt the heat at my back and the force of the explosion push me further into the air. I braced myself as I felt the impact.
Then, I went falling from the fourth level.
I could also hear our screams and I prepared myself to land on the ground below.
*****
So, just expect an update everyday now. We're going to knock this book out of the water. It's gets real y'all. Merry Christmas Eve, though!
Next chapter, everyone reunites. Yay! Until then,
-brittany.