“Thanks.” Thanatos looked up at Hyperion. Then he glanced at me. “Zeus is … way more powerful than he should be. Smelled dark. Like the sins.”
Okay, guess he did notice them, then.
“I saw the necklace.” Everything else I wanted to say started with f and ended with k. We had worked so hard to box those sins and Zeus just went and let them back out and inside of the necklace. Or inside of him! Either way, he was channeling their power somehow and that was not okay. Evil bastard didn’t need any help.
At this stage, the coin I’d held was gone completely, and it reminded me that we needed to get Cronus out of there before Zeus murdered him again.
“Are you fine now, Than?” I said in a rush. “We really need to resurrect Cronus out.”
“Go,” he groaned.
Hyperion reached out and grasped my hand, then with a pop we were gone from the underworld, my feet firmly planted in the sand.
“First we resurrect Cronus and Rhea, and then we’ll get you food,” Hyperion said.
Oh good. He had his priorities in order.
The familiar landscape lifted my spirits, and I hurried to the place we’d left Cronus’ body. I could have found that Bali hut with my eyes closed; it already felt like home in a way nothing else in this world ever had.
It was actually Cronus that was home, though.
Bali was just a bonus.
When we reached the path, I started to run, and thank the gods I wasn't waddling yet.
Good, baby girl, I praised, sending loving thoughts toward my rapidly growing child. I felt a return of energy, and it was soothing, brushing along my spine and into my gut, settling like a warm blanket.
Fuck, who would have thought I could love so fiercely over a child I only just discovered. But it was instant and intense. I would kill to protect my baby. I would die for her.
Another kick.
I patted her gently. “Sorry, baby, no more talk of dying.”
The next kick was gentler, and I had to chuckle at her demanding little kicks. I kinda liked them.
When we reached the hut, I jumped straight into the water, grateful there was still daylight. It felt like afternoon sun, but I was super disoriented going between worlds, so I really had no idea.
“Mais!” Theia was the first one to pop up; she appeared to be keeping guard from the edge of the hut. I hugged her hard, and when she pulled back, her eyes were wide and locked on my stomach. “That's new,” she said sort of breathlessly.
I nodded. “Yes, I know. Long story, but first we need to resurrect Cronus.”
#NotALongStory #YouPutTheDickInTheVaginaAndYouShakeItAllAround #AndThat’sWhatIt’sAllAbout #PleaseDon’tBeListeningBabyTitan
Splashing through the water, I found the others surrounding Cronus’ burial site, virtually in the same position as when I left them. Behind me, Theia was greeting Hyperion, and I could feel their joy at being together again. Something I would have been all over with heart-eyes, but right now I needed to focus on Cronus. Bringing him back was my only priority.
“What can we do to help?” Okeanos asked, stepping forward. His hair was longer than the last time I'd seen him, and considering that only felt like two days for me, it was oddly jarring. His hair was growing like my stomach.
“Can you bring his remains up so that we can resurrect him?” I said in a rush. “He's back in the first level of the underworld, but Zeus is there too. We have to hurry.”
At least I’d hoped he’d gotten to the first level.
Okeanos didn't say another word, he just turned to the water he commanded and did whatever hocus pocus to make it obey. It split apart, the sand moving as the remains rose to the surface. They were starting to decay, and I choked down my bile.
“How long have I been gone?”
“Four months,” Phoebe said, stepping forward from where she'd been perched against a nearby pole.
I gasped, shaking my head. “That explains the baby belly,” I muttered, staring down at the obvious bump.
Cronus was fully visible now, what was left of him anyway, so I focused on that and not on the fact that four months had passed me by in a blink of an eye. I suppose it wasn't so bad to miss some months of pregnancy. Baby would be here so much faster, and I skipped right over the morning sickness that everyone had in the movies.
#OkayYeahNotReady #AtAll
“You should step back, Mais,” Hyperion said, moving forward with Theia so they were right beside the body. #NotACorpse #He’sJustSleeping #WithRottenEyeballsAndGreenSkin
“What if you need my help?” I said, not moving.
He shook his head. “With all of us here, we should be able to bring him back.”
“Cronus is so strong though,” Phoebe cut in. “The chances are that we will need that boost Maisey seems to be able to provide to you all.”
“She's pregnant,” Hyperion said, more bite in his words.
Everyone stared at my stomach and the baby kicked, like it enjoyed being center stage.
Iapetos played peacemaker: “Let's just see how we go.” I hadn't known them all long enough to truly see the multi-faceted parts to their personalities, but some of them were clearer than others.
All the Titans gathered closer, their hands out over the top of their leader, brother, and friend. Their faces were drawn, eyes closed as they brought forth power, letting it trickle from their fingertips. The water started to heat and swirl around us like we were in a huge hot tub, and I felt more kicks from my baby Titan. She wanted to join in with the family adventure.
I was in so much trouble with this one.
Hyperion said the few words to bring Cronus back, some of it in English, others not, but the reverence in his tone was clear. He had a great respect for his old friend and it made my heart hurt, in a good way. I figured all the tears could be attributed to baby hormones. I'd be blaming that for everything. Eating all day, crying at any given moment, screaming when mildly inconvenienced. Pregnancy, as excuses went, was solid.
The Titans stood in a circle around Cronus’ remains as he floated in the water. More power rose between them, and my hair started to dance about like it had a few occasions before. It was unnerving when it acted like it had a mind of its own, but I didn't move back. I wanted to see Cronus in the flesh, not muted out like he'd appeared to me in the underworld.
My desperation grew with the power.
“Something is stopping him,” Hyperion bit out, his face red, cheeks puffed out as he seemed to be fighting against whatever had a hold of Cronus.
“Zeus?” Okeanos asked, eyeing me like I'd have the answers.
“Yes, it could be,” Hyperion answered anyway, and I tried not to panic.
No fucking way was I letting Zeus keep me from my baby daddy.
My body shot forward then, outside of my control. I waded deeper into the water and dropped my hands onto the two closest Titans, Hyperion and Phoebe. Energy funneled through me, stirring deep from … my womb, I was going to guess. It was stronger than anything I'd ever felt, even when I’d housed the sins. The tingly magic coursed through my veins, building and building until I cried out as it left my body, burning along my skin.
“You're not strong enough for that power,” Hyperion warned me, eyes wide.
I grunted. “Try telling that to my baby Titan. She thinks Mommy is super strong.” This was said through gritted teeth as power rattled my brain, dizziness washing over me.