The Altered Seven

The Seven Revealed

"Auntie Lilly!"

Aelin kept calling her name as she held her, though she'd almost lost hope. She'd been unconscious for two minutes now. Her body was steaming, her eyes rolled back in her head. She couldn't tell if she was even breathing.

"It's no use, child." Hera stood over them in her simple black robes and shawl.

"Shut it, you bitch queen," Thalia snarled. Her entire body was shaking with grief and rage as she glared at the goddess.

Jason sat next to Lilly, his eyes wide as Aelin held her.

"She...she saved me," he breathed. "I hadn't..."

Aelin glared up at the goddess. "This is your fault. Do something!"

"Do not address me that way, girl. I am the queen-"

"Fix her!"

Hera's eyes flickered with power. "I did warn you all. I would never intentionally hurt the girl. I told them to close their eyes before I revealed my true form."

"Um ..." Leo frowned. "True form is bad, right? So why did you do it?"

"I unleashed my power to help you, fool!" Hera cried. "I became pure energy so I could disintegrate the monsters, restore this place, and even save these miserable Hunters from the ice."

"But mortals can't look upon you in that form!" Thalia shouted. "You've killed her!"

Leo shook his head in dismay. "Come on, lady. You're a goddess. Do some voodoo magic on her! Bring her back."

Aelin half-heard their conversation, but mostly she was focused on Lilly's face. "She's breathing!" he announced.

"Impossible," Hera said. "I wish it were true, child, but no mortal has ever-"

"Auntie Lilly," Aelin called, putting every bit of her willpower into her words. She couldn't lose her. Her parents would be devastated, her cousins heartbroken. She would never forgive herself. "Please, auntie. Come back. You have to."

Her hands briefly glowed magenta. Nothing happened. Had he imagined her breath stirring?

"Healing is not a power of Selene nor Demeter," Hera said regretfully. "Even I cannot fix this, girl. Her mortal spirit-"

"Aunt Lilly," Aelin said again, and she imagined her energy surging through her body, straight down to her soul. That magenta power grabbing her soul from the underworld. Her hands glowed brighter as she said with every ounce of willpower she had, "Live."

Lilly gasped, and her eyes flew open. For a moment they were full of light-glowing pure gold. Then the light faded and her eyes were normal again.

"What-what happened?"

"Impossible!" Hera said.

Aelin wrapped her in a hug until she groaned, "Crushing."

"Sorry," she said, so relieved, she laughed while wiping a tear from her eye.

Lilly was immediately crushed in hugs from Thalia and Aria. She turned towards Jason.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she snapped at him.

Jason just stared in shock. "You...you saved me. Why?"

"You're Thalia's brother," Lilly said with a roll of her eyes. She winced at the action. "Besides, you're important. At least, that's what Michael says."

"Thank you," he said softly.

"You almost lost this war before it started, Hera," Thalia growled at Hera. "Killing her would've lost you the entire Greek camp."