Goddess (Starcrossed)

his face blanching. “Is that where this war is going?”
    “Yes,” Cassandra intoned. Helen shivered at the sound, like someone had poured ice water down her back.
    Orion and Helen turned to look at the Oracle. The air around her flashed with color, and her body rebounded like she was being punched from the inside, but her face and voice remained her own as she fought the Fates.
    “The Twelve immortals cannot meet mortals in open combat. Tyrant, they will unleash their darkest weapons to fight you until you meet Zeus in battle as an equal. Do not delay. One of you must go to Tartarus and complete the cycle.”
    “We’ll see about that,” Helen said defiantly.
    Cassandra’s frail body shook like she was being electrocuted. Her face shriveled and her eyes filmed over with cataracts as the most terrifying of the three Fates, Atropos—she who cuts off the thread of life—pushed her way through and possessed Cassandra.
    “The veil of Nemesis does not always work on the one already blinded,” Atropos said, poking her finger into Cassandra’s eye.
    “Orion!” Helen screamed, and he ran to Cassandra to stop the violent prophecy that was trying to shatter her from the inside out. But the old woman danced away from him in Cassandra’s body.
    “You’ll not steal our vessel again, pretty one,” Atropos cackled. She made Cassandra’s hips sway suggestively, taunting Orion. “Poseidon is raising his darkest pets from the bottom of the ocean. The Kraken comes to kill you this time!”
    Orion wrapped his arms around Cassandra, and she swooned as the Fates were finally driven away. He picked her up as easily as he would a doll and carried her to a chair so he could sit down and hold her in his lap.
    “Kitty?” he said gently, touching her face. She didn’t respond. “C’mon, now, wake up.” He shook her, fear making him angry. “Cassandra!” he commanded, but she didn’t even flinch.
    Helen saw something flare inside of Orion, and before he could snatch the emotion away, she recognized it. It was a bright flash of love.
    Shouts and screams of panic began to sound from the soldiers on the battlefield. Lucas, Hector, and Castor entered the tent in a rush, their faces stark white and staring.
    “What’s going on?” Helen asked, fearing the worst, but the men were still too stunned to speak.
    From outside the back part of the tent, on the inland side, Helen heard Andy’s siren voice commanding soldiers to hold the line. A moment later, Andy ducked in under the flap at the back and did a grossed-out dance like her skin was crawling.
    “There are things coming out of the water!” Andy squealed, just shy of hysterical. “Freaky fish men, and crab women, and—” She broke off and wiggled her fingers, a horrified look on her face. “They’re all gooey ! I’m half siren. I’ve seen most of the creepy crawlies on the ocean bed, but these things are disgusting!”
    Andy’s freak-out woke Jason and he stumbled to the group, his face so drawn it was nearly skeletal. He pointed to Cassandra sprawled across Orion’s lap.
    “What happened?” he croaked.
    “Prophecy,” Orion answered. “She won’t wake up.”
    “What did she say?” Lucas asked.
    “That I have to go do something because if I don’t the gods will—and I can’t believe I’m saying this—unleash the Kraken.” Helen still couldn’t grasp it. “Is the Kraken even Greek ?” she gibbered.
    Castor got a hold of himself first, and he rushed to take all their armor down. “Boys!” he said roughly. “Help each other with your armor. Quickly!”
    Helen stood stock-still while they all stripped and then began strapping each other into their armor. She could hear her heart beating in her ears. How could she watch all of these people she loved die?
    “How would you all like to see Everyland?” she shouted, her voice shaking. Everyone paused, stunned by Helen’s seemingly insane offer.
    “Helen?” Lucas said, his voice deadly serious. “Are you thinking of making everyone immortal?”
    “No,” she replied. “If I make everyone immortal, and I lose to Zeus, he’ll have no choice but to put you all in Tartarus for eternity. There’s no other way to get rid of a full immortal. I can’t do that to you.” Helen was panting. She couldn’t seem to catch a breath. When next she spoke, her voice was so high it squeaked. “But how would you all like to be mostly immortal, like Lucas?”
    A deafening sound rumbled through the sky