“Women are warriors in many different ways. I have seen the way she looks at you and you at her. Do not deny the battle she is fighting in your heart.”
Alek opened his mouth to object, but Maiden held up her hand to stop him. “Halt planning your next move and listen for once. Regardless of what Crone and Mother say, follow what makes you happy. When the curse is broken and you have succeeded, as I now know you will, what will become of your life? You cannot rest in Tartarus for eternity with your mothers as your only companions. Keep your heart and eyes open.”
“Sister, to the Hall! Come quickly!” Mother’s shouts reverberated off the barren walls.
Alek stretched his stride to keep up with Maiden’s quickening pace.
“Alek!” Mother’s worried voice hit him as soon as he reached the entrance to the Hall of Echoes. “Thank the Gods you have returned.”
“What has happened?” he asked.
“The pools, they are again fading. We will soon be back where we were, defenseless without eyes in the Mortal Realm.”
Maiden gasped. “That cannot be.”
“I awoke the Oracle and returned Alastor to his prison. How are those deeds not great enough to have lasting effects?” he asked.
“The curse is too powerful,” Mother said, crouching beside a small puddle. “Not enough has been done to halt it and permanently outweigh its progress.”
He looked past her to Crone’s shadowy figure as she circled the shrinking pools. “This battle seems like one I cannot win,” he mumbled.
“Nonsense,” Crone croaked.
Alek stiffened and walked to the oldest of the sisters.
“My features may be weathered, but my hearing is not.” She bent over and blew a strong breath into the pool. Its image blurred as a new one rippled to the surface. “Where is your confidence? You are a warrior, not a boy.”
“This curse is never ending,” he explained.
“All things end,” she scoffed and studied the pool’s image before shuffling to the next.
“I must ask for your help, Mothers. Eva is in danger, and I don’t know if it’s one I can shield her from.”
“There is no evil you cannot vanquish,” Maiden said.
“True, but this is not an evil. It is a force unique to the Mortal Realm, and it is hunting us both. I need to hide her here until we are sure of our next actions.”
“We can offer no more favors or advice,” Mother said. “Your sole purpose is to bring about the end of this curse. With the addition of the Oracle’s abilities, you have all the tools needed. You must go back and take action.”
“Sisters, this should be discussed. If he and the Oracle are truly in danger, sending him away so soon and not offering them sanctuary will not end well,” Maiden said.
“There is not time. The curse is overtaking us,” Mother retorted.
“And if he or the Oracle is killed there will be nothing standing in the way of its destructive power. All the evil souls held here will rip through to the Mortal Realm and destroy it.”
“Look around you, Maiden. Is that not what has already begun?” Mother said.
Maiden turned to Alek and pleaded, “Son, if you expect battle, you must stay longer and make sure your powers are fully recharged.”
Alek stared into Maiden’s frightened eyes. “Mother is right. I must return to Eva. Valuable seconds are ticking by.”
Mother rushed to him. “You are a good man and a better warrior. Now go.” She quickly stretched her hand over his talisman. A burst of light flashed from her palm and forced him into the void between realms. “Use your strengths and the Oracle’s powers to save us all.”
Twenty-Nine
Restless, Eva walked from room to room admiring the beautiful art and expensive knickknacks neatly arranged throughout the house. She brushed her fingers down the textured wall and smiled at the memories awakening before her. She and Bridget used that hall to practice their America’s Next Top Model runway skills and to model Mrs. Falling’s expensive wardrobe. The pine floorboards creaked under her weight, and she wondered how they were ever able to sneak out successfully.
She leaned against Bridget’s doorway and inhaled the light floral scent that always hung in the air. They’d spent countless summer nights searching for a flowery air freshener or candle before Bridget claimed the smell as her natural aroma. Eva entered the room and stepped onto the soft, white rug. She let her bare toes grip the velvety fibers as she rested in the past.
The shrill ring of the phone shredded the memories. She stood still and silent as if the caller would know her whereabouts if she moved. The ringing ended, and she let her shoulders relax away from her ears. She perched on the edge of Bridget’s bed and traced the flower pattern on the puffy comforter. She longed for the days of recording fake music videos and lying under the soft blankets gossiping. Those summers felt so far away.
The phone again blared, and Eva followed its ringing into the kitchen. The old landline hung on the wall, and Eva hesitated before picking it up.