Goddess Awakened (On Hold)

Goddess Awakened - Chapter 11

It was only as the smoke started billowing out from the fireplace that Antheia realised she had made a mistake. A massive one.  A loud, ear piercing shriek drowned out all ability to think. It was like a feral harpy was on a rampage. The ferocious winged creatures always had a way of making their presence known, just before they used their claws to tear out the throat of their prey.

Fortunately, there were no harpies in the vicinity. There was only smoke and lots of it.

Coughing, Antheia hurried towards the kitchen with her hands clapped over her ears. Zeus's bolt. What had gone so wrong?

Throwing open a cupboard, the door swinging open with such force that its handle left a welt as it crashed into the wall, Antheia hastily dragged out a pan. She thrust it under the tap, her hands trembling as smoke filtered into the room and shrieking continued overhead.

Turning on the water, she willed the pan to fill as quickly as possible.

Shutting off the tap, Antheia bustled back into the other room. The water slopped over the sides of the saucepan and on to the floor. Her heart thundered in her chest but Antheia barely noticed over the panic flooding through her.

The beep of the alarm continued overhead, the sound growing louder with each ear-ringing shriek.  Antheia hurried over to the fireplace, the glow of the fire a beacon in the thick smoke still pouring from the hearth. Was it getting bigger?

Her lungs burned as she drew in a deep breath and tears streamed down her cheeks. Then, with only a moment of hesitation, Antheia chucked the water over the bright flames.

The wood at its base gave a hiss in protest before sputtering out. Only a few glowing embers remained in its wake.

Antheia's eyes stung from the thick smoke still hanging in the air. She stood numbly before the drowned fire, the pan now hanging uselessly in her hand.

What had gone so wrong?

Antheia had done everything as she should have. She had stacked the wood in the hearth just as she had done in centuries past.

She allowed the saucepan to clatter to the ground with a dull clang.

"Antheia?"

Cool air spilled in from the other side of the room, a soothing balm against the warm, suffocating smog that now hung in the air.

A rectangle of light shone through the gloom.

"Antheia?" Owain's called again, his voice tight with worry.  Then, suddenly he was there in the doorway, fabric balled against his mouth as he searched through the gloom. As is eyes met hers, relief flooded through his body. "Come on, we need to get out of here!"

He stepped into the room, his hand outstretched towards her. She reached out her own hand. Her lungs burned with each inhale and tears streamed down her cheeks from her reddened eyes. Owain's hand caught hold of hers, gripping so firmly it hurt, and then he  was pulling. Antheia staggered forwards, her steps unsteady as he tugged her from the room and out into the early morning frost.

"I'm sorry," Antheia said, rubbing at her burning eyes with her free hand. Her throat grew tight as she spoke, her body falling into a coughing fit. Owain released her hand and she almost mourned its loss. Yet, a moment later, it was there on her back moving in soothing circles. "This is all my fault."

"I have to call the fire brigade." Owain replied, patting at his pockets with his free hand. A curse escaped his lips when he came up empty.

Standing upright, her chest stuttering with the threat of another cough. She drew in a slow and steadying breath. "You need not fret. I have already put the fire out. It's just smoke."