"How did you get here?" Casey asked. Fire, not just of that that was surrounding us, was burning in his eyes. Malka took a few steps forward and smiled a sarcastic grin.
"Your lovely little mock goddess over there opened up a portal for all heavenly beings to enter. It just so happened to lead me to you." His faux smile evaporated with most of the oxygen. All eyes were on me and I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach.
"I only summoned my aunt here! And last time I checked, murders couldn't get in to heaven." I tried to add a little sass into my words but immediately regretted them as he started laughing.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! Elizabeth. You know there is a lot of talk about you up in heaven. It seems that God has alot of plans for your mock goddess capabilities." He stepped closer to me and placed an index finger on my temple and slowly slid it down my cheek. I used the fog to make a knife and I went to stab his side. To my unfortune, he saw and grabbed and twisted my wrist causing me drop it.
"Now now Lizzie, if I were you I wouldnt want to provoke me. Not when I have what my son missed over a decade ago." He smiled brightly before suddenly disappearing almost as quickly as he showed up. His words puzzling us all.
"What happened between you and Jason over a year ago?" Medusa asked. Her being the most puzzled of us all.
"The only thing that happened is he got mad at me and tried to kill-" we both looked up at each other and said her name aloud.
"Annie." We ran out of the basement and up to the main floor of the castle. Medusa was close behind us causing all of the guards to fall over screaming, or turn completely to stone. The king heard the commotion and met us half way to Annie's room.
"What,in my part of Hell is going on here?" He saw Medusa and froze. "What's she doing here?" He said grinding his teeth.
"Dad meet Liz's Aunt Medusa. Now if you wouldnt mind Malka is in the Castle and he's after Ann!" Casey screamed with rage and we took off running again.
It took only but a few minutes to reach her room which at that point was still considered the nursery.
Kicking open the door we were shushed by Malka who was holding a sleeping Ann in his arms.
Cracking a smile he whispered " See you later Liz." Before snapping his fingers and disappearing again.
It was at that moment that I felt my heart, physically stop beating. I heard gasps but I couldn't move enough to see what was happening. I remember feeling light headed and closing my eyes. But not before feeling lifted and hearing Medusa squeal.
It hadn't been much longer when I woke up. I was on Annie's bed and I remembered how the sheets smelled like her old baby wash.
The king, Medusa, and Casey were all hovering over me. They all seemed relieved but only Medusa was smiling.
'What happened?" I said rubbing the back of my neck. Which was weird cause I don't ever remember falling.
"You experienced a godly rage! Your now fully a mock goddess!" Medusa threw her arms around my neck and hugged me.
"What?! What are you talking about?!" I said pushing her off of me.
"When Malka left with Annie, you froze. We tried to ask you a question but you became unresponsive. All of a sudden you started glowing like really bright and I knew exactly what was happening. When a mock goddess in training, is about to turn full goddess and receive all her powers she glows and it can cause her to faint. My guess if that that you experienced such a powerful and godly rage, that it threw you into turning!" Medusa couldn't stop shaking with excitement.
"So this means that i have all of my powers now?" I asked kidda skeptically. Medusa nodded her head and her snakes looked as if they were gonna be sick. I thought about it for a few moments before getting out of the bed and closing my eyes. I felt heat radiating off of me as i tried go think where Malka would be.
"What are you doing?" Casey asked putting his hand on my shoulder but then quickly pulling it away as the touch of my skin burned his flesh.
"I'm going to go get Annie." I said simply. I noticed how my voice seemed sweeter, smoother. And the words flowed out as if they weren't even mine to begin with. In my mind images flashed of a hospital. Clearly no one hand inhabited in years. It looked strangely familiar but I couldn't place my finger on where.
All I knew was Malka was in there and he had Annie.
I turned around and looked at my aunt. She looked as if she had saw the same thing and said nothing. She just nodded her head once as if saying she knew what I had to do.
Casey, still holding his burnt hand, looked at me with confusion and took a small step back. I could sense the fear, and I could hear his thoughts about me. He was petrified and confused. He wanted to run away but something was keeping him here. I couldn't look too far into his heart to find out what, but there was a pain in my own heart to see how much he hated me. He blamed me for his daughters kidnapping and the worst part, I knew he was right.
"I'm sorry Casey." Was the last thing I whispered to him before I forced myself to dissipate and re form outside of the castle gates. Medusa re formed with me and hugged me tight. "This is why mock gods and mortals can never be one. There is always another power to get involved."
"Did you see his heart? He thinks I'm a monster! He hates me." I cried as spoke my thoughts aloud. My voice the same other worldly voice as earlier.
"Darling, he loves you. He is just confused and scared for Ann. But everything will turn out okay. I promise." I heard where her heart skipped a beat when she lied.
"Do you know how this ends?" I asked pulling away from her slightly.
"I am a goddess. I've been watching over you since your mother died, and yes I know how this story ends." Her eyes glossed over but she quickly willed her tears away.
"Do I die?" My question was enough to push her tears over the edge and she held me close once more.
"Darling I cannot tell you what is it or isn't to be. But what I will tell you is that to win this war you will undergo great suffering." I let her hold me for a few more minutes as she tried to talk me out of going.
"I'm sorry Auntie. But I need go save Ann." I straighted up and wiped the tears on the back of my sleeve.
"Okay. But be warned, she is part demon so your direct touch will burn her skin. Just as it did with Casey. And you must be very careful with Malka. He is mentally unstable and he only wants to hurt you. Do you understand?" I nodded my head kissed her good bye. With that I went to the hospital where Malka was waiting. I thought the whole time that I had to get Ann back to Casey. I just had too.
