It was several hours before they could get Mia and Ryo calmed down. Even then, the two of them were still visibly upset. Mia, who got bent out of shape whenever one of the guys put his feet on the furniture, was sitting on the sofa with her feet curled up under her. Hana sat next to her, talking soothingly, but Mia seemed to steel herself whenever Hana placed a calming hand on her arm. Mia’s usually calm demeanor was also absent—replaced by a nervous energy that showed itself in the way she repeatedly clenched her fists and constantly darted her eyes about as if expecting a sudden attack.
Ryo had always been an energetic guy, but the jittery way he kept pacing the room also worried the others. The summer sun shone through the windows, warming the room, but Ryo kept rubbing his arms as if he were cold.
Neither one of them had explained what happened. The others hadn’t pressured them, but they were starting to get a little anxious as the silence stretched on.
A crimson flash of light suddenly illuminated the room and then it was gone. In its place stood Astarte, Gilgamesh, and Trace.
Astarte surveyed the faces around her. “Forgive us for our delayed return. I thought, perhaps, that a few of the outer dimensions might hold the answer we seek. But unfortunately, that was not so. I am sorry, Hana. Takeo. We were unable to find a cure for the poison that afflicts young Uli. We will not give up, however. There are many other dimensions, many other worlds. Our search will continue. I swear this.” It was then that she noticed the subdued atmosphere, the pinched, tired faces. “What has happened here? Were you in battle while we were gone?”
Anubis looked at Mia and then Ryo. “Yes, there was a battle.”
“Was the threat taken care of?”
“The monster was destroyed.”
“Then why do you all look so ill-at-ease? Were many innocents killed by this monster?”
“No.”
“Were any of you grievously injured?”
“No.”
“I grow tired of these answers that tell me nothing of what I see and feel here. What has happened? Why is the very air itself thick with fear and tension?”
Sage took Astarte, Gilgamesh, and Trace aside. In a low voice he explained what occurred during the night—or at least as much as he knew.
Astarte frowned. “You are their friends. Why would they not tell you what is wrong?” She turned to Mia. “How can we help if you remain silent? Talk.”
Mia fidgeted with the hem of her nightgown, trying to compose her thoughts. Astarte was impatient with her reluctance.
The goddess turned to Ryo. “And what of you? Will you tell us what happened to make the two of you so nervous?”
“I…I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Astarte walked over to him, her eyes sparking green.
Sai got up to intercept her. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
Gilgamesh gently grabbed Sai’s arm, keeping him back. His voice was low, for Sai’s ears only. “She knows what she is doing. Let her proceed.”
Sai sat back down with a shake of his head. This was not a good idea.
Astarte moved in front of Ryo, forcing him to stop or he’d run into her. “Look at me, Ryo. Look at me.” Her eyes were now glowing brightly.
Ryo jumped back, instinctively calling his armor. He braced his katanas in front of him like a talisman. “Get away from me!”
Astarte hadn’t expected that. She turned towards Mia to ask her why he’d reacted so only to stop cold at the fury in Mia’s eyes.
Mia’s voice was low and full of barely-suppressed anger. “Friend or no friend, Astarte. You try coercing him again with your power and if he doesn’t cut you to ribbons I will.” Mia slowly got up off the couch, walking towards Astarte. She was shaking with rage. “Do you ever think twice before you do that? Have you ever thought about how it might feel to have someone else in your mind, in your soul, and not be able to stop her? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA??!! IT’S A VIOLATION! A HORRIBLE…” She turned away, afraid of her own anger. Control. She needed control. But it wasn’t there. Someone had pulled the rug out from under her and she was scared.
“Mia. We are your friends. Tell us your fears and we will combat them together.”
Mia looked around her, seeing only a desire to help in their eyes. Ryo’s gaze met hers. She saw her own fear there. They couldn’t do this alone. “Stygia was there. In my dream. She… I’ve never felt anything like that!”
Ryo stared out the window. “Her eyes glowed. Then she sucked something out of me. It was…it felt like she was crawling around inside me, digging and cutting pieces of me away.”
Mia closed her eyes. “I feel violated. She was inside me and I couldn’t stop her. I couldn’t get her out. She was vicious, brutal. Stygia laughed when she…” Mia shuddered, unable to finish the sentence.
Gilgamesh gripped the handle of his battle ax. “Whatever this creature took from you, we will find her and take it back. All of us.”
Astarte was pleased that they were talking. It was as it should be among friends. But something else troubled her. It sounded like this Stygia woman had stolen pieces of their very essence. Such things had limited uses. Evil uses. How would Ryo and Mia react when they discovered what Stygia had done with the stolen parts?
Deep in the earth, Stygia paced the dark. “Is it ready? I have given you what you require for the creation of my new body. How much longer will this take? I have plans.”
“For one who’s lived so long, you are remarkably impatient.”
“That is because I have dreams, goals. I don’t sit in the bowels of the earth, waiting for time to pass me by.”
“Temper, little queen. You will have what you want. Come forth.”
Stygia stood in the middle of the room. At last she would have what she longed for! A funnel of smoke whipped up around her. She felt light, airy. A strange warmth crept through her—the warmth of earth magic, mortal hearts and souls, and sunlight. The smoke blew away, leaving her in the darkness. But she could feel the difference. Her body looked almost the same, but the warmth was still there. She raced up through the tunnels, headed for the surface. It would be afternoon. The sun would be shining bright overhead. For the first time in centuries she would walk beneath it unafraid. Stygia would no longer need the bodies of others. The sun would shine on her face, tingle on her skin. And the golden pure sun of the Land of the Sidh would wash over its new queen. Soon. Very soon.
In the darkness of the cavern, the Nameless Ones gathered.
“The little queen is a fool. She wants a day-walking body so badly that she is willing to give up power to get it. Stygia was stronger as a Darkling Sidh—strong enough to oppose us if she dared, and with the knowledge of our ways to empower her further. But she would throw it away for a weaker body.”
“Yes. Her desires have made her vulnerable. We cannot be seen to act openly act against her. To do so would court the wrath of all the Darkling Sidh. Do you think these armored children will take care of this problem for us?”
“They are conflicted among themselves. Their indecision might give Stygia the advantage she needs over them. If we are fortunate, maybe they will all destroy each other.”
“Perhaps these humans need a special kind of assistance.” A wisp of smoke drifted up from the floor. Obsidian’s dark face formed within it. The mocking laughter of the Nameless Ones rang through the pitch-black caverns.