Chapter Forty-Eight

Aiden and Brigid were the last of the Jackson Children to return home to Altair Ain with Aiden having been sworn to secrecy over the whole debacle.  Everyone was exactly where they thought they would find them; in the master bedroom.  Here in Altair Ain it was far later than 10 pm.  “Where have you been?” David asked sharply when they appeared in the room.

“I didn’t have my phone on.” Brigid stammered.

“What the hell good is it then?”

“Not much.” She agreed in a tight tone.  “Hi, Mom.” Brigid dropped her bag to the floor as she walked past her uncle and hugged her Mother. “I’m sorry I’m so late.”

As she’d done with the other children, Calla took Brigid in her arms and returned the embrace warmly.  Always was she glad to have them with her.

“They are all here.” Morpheus said gently.  “Are you ready now?”

Calla looked around. Yes, they were all here now; Aiden and Amy, Athena and Lilly, Brigid and Colleen, Paddy and even Danny were here though he didn’t look very well as he slept curled up in the crook of his Grandmother’s good arm.  Duncan and Morgan were present as was Fiona. David was here, right by her side and he wouldn’t leave, she was sure of that.  Hades and Morpheus rounded out the group with Poseidon still being in Siberia trying to help Samantha.  Annie had yet to return home and Kiki was still away at school as Annie saw no need to tell her daughter what was happening back home.  Calla thought Annie was wrong and that in her desire to protect her daughter Annie might actually be putting her in danger but what could she do? She wasn’t Kiki’s mother and had no right to override Annie’s decision. Calla shook her head ‘no’ tears welled up in her tired sunken eyes.

“What’s wrong, Sunshine?”

“She doesn’t want to leave us.” Lilly said as she walked forward to hold Calla’s hand. She wants us to stay here with her for the night, don’t you Grandma?”  Lilly with strong empathic ability couldn’t read Calla’s thoughts but she could feel them, and when those feelings were very strong Lilly got little pictures in her mind and right now she was seeing all of them when they were much younger and they were camped out here in this room.  Comfy in pjs with their blankets and sleeping bags strewn across the floor they would lay by the fire and stay up to the most ungodly of hours laughing, talking, playing silly games and listening to Grandma’s ghost stories over bowls of popcorn and mugs of hot chocolate.  “She wants to have a sleepover, is that right?” Now it was Lilly whose eyes stung with salty tears.  They’d had so many wonderful nights here in this room, it seemed so long ago and yet it seemed like just yesterday.

Hades and Morpheus looked at each other before Hades spoke. “We don’t have time for that Little One but I promise your family will be right here while you sleep.”

“Why don’t we have time?” Brigid asked.  After the lousy few hours she’d just been through Brigid would very much like to have a little taste of childhood and a sleepover sounded like the perfect idea.  For a little while she could forget all of her cares and massive mistake she’d made with Dexter. “Surely we could do this tomorrow night.”  She looked up at her older sister, Colleen, who was now Queen for back up.

It was with a very heavy heart that Colleen had to openly disagree although she too would like nothing more than to get in her pjs and sack out here on the floor tonight with the rest of them.  “No, Brig, she has to do it now.  Dad, Nick, Umpa and Uncle Jack they’re counting on her.”

“I’ll open that goddamn gateway,” Athena said snidely. “Unlike you, I am an Olympian.”

The impetuousness of youth combined with the temper of Ares and the passion of Calla. Colleen shook her head.  “I’m sure you will try and who knows you may even succeed but if you don’t then it’s best for them and us not to wait in the meantime.”

Athena took a step toward her older and wiser Sister. A step which, much like Ares’s gait, had great silent purpose in it. “When I am Queen, things will be different around here.” Tomorrow she would show them all just how powerful of an Olympian she was and after that there would be no dispute regarding who should be Queen and it definitely was not Colleen.  The pitiful excuse for a half-breed Olympian had returned from the Underworld without the majority of her powers because Hades was unable to keep her so imbued when he returned her to life to her.  Now she was nothing but another useless mortal. That, in Athena’s eyes of course, was the last person who should be leading the Olympians and the UPs to a grand and powerful future.
 

Calla didn’t like the tone in either of her daughter’s voices and she tried to sit up but David eased her down again. “Let them handle it.” He whispered in her ear. David didn’t have kids of his own—well, not that he knew of anyway—but he had a brother and he’d watched these five grow up.  David was well aware of how upsetting it was to Calla to watch her children argue with each other but sometimes it was best to just let them sort things out for themselves. Besides it looked like Paddy’d had about enough of his Sister in-laws behavior and was going to stand up for his Wife. Paddy opened his mouth, took a step forward but Colleen gently pushed him back.

“Perhaps they will be,” Colleen agreed, “but you are not Queen now, I am and you will do what I say whether you like it or not.”

“Well I don’t like it.”

“You will still comply.”  Colleen didn’t much care for this Queen thing but handling her bratty younger sister was something she was used to doing.

Athena’s first instinct was to start complaining loudly but there was something in Colleen’s eyes which stopped her, something that said; you don’t understand what’s happening here so be quiet.  She intended to find out what was happening but obviously Mom needed to be asleep first.  “Fine.”

“See it’s ok,” David whispered in Calla’s ear.  She snuggled against him.

“PU,” Lilly said and waved a hand in front of her nose. “Ok, who didn’t shower?”

Aiden sniffed the air, Amy sniffed, Athena sniffed and so did the rest of them. When they found nothing in the air, all around gave themselves a good sniff.  “I don’t smell anything.” Aiden said.

“Awww c’mon, how can you not smell that?  It smells like…smells like….like….” she looked down at her Grandmother as the realization dawned. “Like Grandpa after he’s been digging in the dirt for a few hours.”  When they were really little and Grandpa would go away Grandma would often, “you want one of Grandpa’s stinky old shirts?  Is that it?”

David didn’t wait for Calla to nod. “I got it.”  Danny had been away for a while but still David managed to find a single dress shirt which had fallen behind the hamper and escaped the laundry.  “Here ya go, Sunshine.  Remember ya got me too.” He smiled at her as he handed her the shirt and watched as she brought it to nose, took in a good deep breath and seemed to relax.

She didn’t like the idea of sleeping so long and of leaving things in the hands of others while she did.  With little other choice she nodded and then lay back on the pillows.

“Night, Mom.” Brigid kissed her cheek and the other Jackson Children came in to do the same.

“We’ll be right here.” Colleen assured her Mother.  “Sleep well.”  As soon as her Mother fell asleep Colleen and the rest of them would take their very first trip to the top of Mount Olympus where she would make the first Decree in Olympian History in nearly a thousand years.  There was a weight on her shoulders that threatened to crush her heart.  All she could was hope that she could pull this off.

When they stepped back Morpheus stepped forward with a pinch of Dream Dust in his fingers.  “All will be better when you wake.”

All Calla could do was to hope that was true and that she wasn’t making some dreadful mistake.  True, she wasn’t of much use in the decrepit body with this faulty mind but she knew enough to be alert and aware of the danger lurking around them.  It wasn’t like her to leave such responsibilities to others knowing the wolf was prowling around looking for the smallest opening.  Over her head Morpheus’ transparent fingers wiggled back and forth and the glittering dust fell from them as those around her held their breath so as not to take it in.  A few moments later and Calla was deeply asleep.

Ollie looked so peaceful laying there on her bed with her gray head on those soft fluffy pillows. “All right who wants to take the first watch?”

“I’m staying with her,” David said. “You knew that already.”

“You can’t stay with her 24/7 for the next three days.” Duncan countered.  “You have to eat, sleep and shower…please…at some point.”

“You stay the rest of the night,” Aiden said to his uncle, “in the morning we’ll divide up shifts.”

“Who put you in charge?” David asked.

“I did.” Aiden countered.  “He’s right, you can’t stay here like that you have to take a break some time. You just spent almost 48 hours awake with her, didn’t you?  What kind of guard dog can you be if you’re asleep on your feet?”

Behind them Duncan cleared his throat.  It seemed there was a little Ares in Aiden after all.  “He’s right.”

“Great, that’s great,” David groused feeling backed into a corner.  “Fine.  I’m staying tonight and tomorrow we’ll figure something else out. But I’m gonna be…right here…” he pointed at the floor at his feet, “most of the time.  That’s my job and you both know it.”

“Fine, Sa’Tan.” Aiden agreed.  “You can step up and show us what you got.”

“That’s enough.” Hades said in disgust.  “We all have the same goal in mind so let’s not quibble. Duncan and David will stay here while we go.”

“Go?” Athena asked.  “Where are you going?”

“Where are we going,” Hades corrected. “All of you are coming with us.”

The younger Jackson children looked from one to the other.

“We have something very important to do,” Colleen told them, “for Mom.  So get ready because we’re all going to Olympus.”

“For?” Athena asked still in that same sharp snide tone.

“Mom.” Colleen repeated. “Now get ready we have to leave soon.” Colleen thought it best to take Danny out of the bed so her Mother could rest more comfortably. She’d take her nephew down the hall to one of the empty rooms for the night.  As she slipped her arms under him she realized how hot he was. “He’s still got a fever. Morgan will you look after him while we’re gone?”

“Of course I will.” Morgan agreed and took the sleeping boy from Colleen’s arms.

Amy walked over and looked down at her half-brother. Although their relationship was never the best brother/sister relationship in the world she did love her little brother, it wasn’t his fault Nick was his Father anymore than it was her fault and Nick was her Father. “What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s been sick for days, I thought he was getting a little better but I guess not.  Annie says he’s got the flu.”

Amy held her hand over Danny’s sweaty head and a stream of golden light came from her palm.  “It’s not the flu.”  She said almost as though she were in a trance.

 “What is it?” Athena asked from behind them.

Amy ran her hand from his head down his face, neck, and torso all the way to his feet very slowly before making her way back up again. All the while her pretty blue eyes were faded and distant.  “It’s…I don’t know.” She admitted finally.  “It’s some type of disease almost like he’s been poisoned.”

Lilly’s turn to join in. “Who the hell would poison an eleven year old?”

“Wolfgar.” Aiden replied.  “He is Nick’s son.”  Now his gaze went from his nephew to his sister, Amy. “That’s puts you on the Hit List too, Sis.”

“Like to see him try.” Amy dared. “You think he could have gotten that close to Danny and nobody knew it?”

“Can you cure him?” Morgan asked as she held the boy a little closer. 

Normally Amy would say yes as her healing powers were just as great as her Mother’s but this stuff, whatever it was, it was insidious.  It was embedded deep in within Danny’s blood vessels using this as its method of travel but it was heavily attached to his liver, kidneys and lungs.  It wasn’t a matter of just removing an unwanted microscopic predator more like blasting out a heavily armed platoon.  “I’m not sure.  It would take so much from him I don’t know if…where the hell is Annie?”

There was a lot of throat clearing on that one and all of the younger Jacksons looked around them to see the older ones avoiding their stares.  “What the hell’s going on?” Athena asked.  “Why isn’t Annie here?”

David stepped up.  “Looks like she and Nick are splitting up.” He pulled Calla closer to him.

The news was quite shocking to those who weren’t in the know. Nick and Annie had been married forever it was like hearing that Mom and Dad were splitting up. Whatever was between them was between them and that’s where it should stay. “And she’s taking that out on Danny?” Athena asked.

Not even the sound of clearing throats met that question.  Just silence.

“How far gone is he?” Morgan inquired and laid her lips on Danny’s sweaty forehead to try and gauge his life force for herself.

“He’s sick but he’s not too far gone, if we could find an antidote,” Amy suggested, “but for me to just try and sort of lift or suck it out of him I think that would be dangerous.”

“Will he be all right for the night?” Colleen asked in a serious tone. They had to leave and now but they couldn’t just walk away from Danny.

“Yeah, I think so.” Amy said.  “I don’t think he’s on the verge of death or anything….is he?” She looked over to Hades who then came forward to hold his gloved hand over the boy’s head.

“Sick and it could get much worse but no he’s not dying yet.”

“I’ll take him to bed.” Morgan said easily. “The rest of you go and do what you must.”

“Does anyone want to fill us in on why we’re going to Olympus?” Aiden piped up.

“To save Mom’s soul.” Colleen said flatly. “Now come on let’s go.”

The rest of them simply stood there with their mouths hanging open even Athena was speechless.

Brigid spoke up in a very soft voice. “You think she’s going to die, don’t you?  You think Dad’s not going to be able to save her this time.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Brigid!” Athena hissed and her eyes flared.  “She’s going to be just fine.”

“Yeah, then why the hell are they worried about her soul?”

“Yeah,” Aiden spoke up, “what’s wrong with it? What could Mom have possibly done that anyone would need to worry about her soul?”

“I don’t have time to explain now, I’ll fill you all in when we get to Olympus.” Colleen told them and to keep any further arguing from taking place she grabbed a hold of Paddy’s hand  with one of hers and Lilly’s with the other and they disappeared from the room in Scotland only to reappear at the top of Mount Olympus.

“Don’t take this wrong way my bonnie lass,” Paddy said with a smile, “but your family, well they love to posture, don’t they?”

Colleen laughed and it felt good.  “Just Athena. “ She said with a smile.  “She is Umpa’s Daughter.”

“So’s your Mother but I don’t hear her caterwallin’ like that.”

“Mom’s one of a kind.”  Colleen said and wrapped an arm around Paddy’s waist. “I love you, have I told you that lately?  I love you and I’m so glad you’ve stuck this out with me.”

“Yeah, I’m a swell guy even though I don’t get to be King.”  He cracked and held her tight.

“You were pretty cool there Mom.” Lilly said with a grin.  “I love Aggie but she can be a real bitch.”

“You have your Grandmother’s gift for understatement.”

A few moments later Hades and Morpheus appeared on the mountain they were quickly followed by Poseidon whom no one thought would show up for the event since he was busy with Sam trying to track down Wolfgar in Russia.  “What are you doing here?” Hades asked out of the corner of his mouth.

“We have to talk when this is over, all of us.” Poseidon returned.

A very short time after that Aiden, Athena and Amy appeared on top of the cold dark mountain.  “Where’s Brigid?”

“At home with Mom.” Athena huffed. “She’s not an Olympian, she’s not even Mom’s daughter, why should she be here?”

“All your life you’ve run around screaming at the top of your self-righteous lungs that Mom isn’t your Mom,” Aiden said in a dark voice, “Callestah was your Mother, right?  How many times did you make her cry over the years?  Cut her down like she was nothing and you never even apologized…not one fucking time! Now you’re her big defender?  What gives Aggie? Brigid is just as much Mom’s daughter as you are and she might not be an Olympian but she is MY sister.”

“And mine.” Colleen agreed.  “Uncle would you please retrieve her?” She asked Poseidon.  “I believe she needs to be here with the rest of us.”

“As you wish, my Queen.”  In the blink of eye he both disappeared and reappeared with Brigid at his side.

It was cold up here, the wind was harsh and bitter.  All gathered shivered while Hades conjured a fire by what was left of the once grand Altar of the Olympians here on what was left of the top of Mount Olympus.  From thin air there appeared a scroll of parchment in Colleen’s hand.  Calla kept this thing in her office right in the bottom drawer of her desk. Daniel begged her for years to let him put in a safer place, some where it really belonged like in his museum but she refused.  No one would ever steal it, Calla always told him and she never even bothered to lock the desk drawer.  Standing in two feet of snow with more falling lightly around them she untie the simple red silk ribbon which kept the scroll closed and stretched it over the once smooth marble.  On the simple and ancient piece of parchment was nothing less than the entire written history of the Olympian Race.  Lilly told her that sometimes her Grandmother read to the children from it and that it held the most amazing stories ever told. Having never read it herself Colleen would just have to take her daughter’s word for it. Then Colleen just stood there staring at The Scroll Of The Olympians, something that looked as though it held nothing at all, not a single word appeared there, hoping that she really did know what to do.

“Go on, we’re freezing.” Aiden said through gritted teeth.

“Make a circle and hold hands.” Colleen told them and they followed her instruction without question.  Here goes nothing, she thought before she spoke.  “I am Colleen, I am Daughter of Callestah Bryn and Daniel Alexander, I Am Queen of The Olympians and my Word is Law.”  Before her amazed eyes and those of all gathered the scroll began to write upon itself the words that she spoke. “We stand here at the top of our Ancestral Home, at the top of Olympus most Scared place to us all.  My subjects witness what I now Decree, state your presence.”

One by one, going around the circle from left to right, each member stated their name and the name of their parents and the scroll took it all down as the wind began to kick up and the gently falling snow grew thicker.

Deep in the Underworld a dark force reached out from its hole.  It exploded forward in anger rocking the whole of Hades Kingdom and causing its denizens to flee in terror.  It could not come out from its hole, not completely, but its reach was long and its ears were sharp.

“Once my Great-Grandfather, Zeus, God of All the Gods, Decreed that any Olympian who warred with another Olympian, any Olympian who killed another Olympian would be damned to Tartarus for all eternity and that their soul would never return to Gaia. Rebirth never to be theirs.”

“Wrap it up!” Athena hissed through blue lips and chattering teeth. The wind was now so strong she could hardly keep her eyes open against it. The circle closed in on itself looking for warmth.  Looking around she saw the others were in agreement as they shivered and the snow gathered in their hair.  “You could have told us to bring coats.”

“Tonight we come here to the Top of the World and before all the Gods and Goddesses of this and any other Universe….”

Hades’ eyes rolled back in his head and he almost lost his grip on Aiden and Amy’s hands. “Hurry!” He ordered. “Do it!”  He should have stayed in the Underworld.

Colleen’s voice faltered as she looked at her Uncle who appeared to be in great pain. “I come here…” the wind around her howled so loudly that she had to shout to be heard above it. “To repeal that law.” She held a hand up to her face against the bitter wind and biting snow that was now falling in flakes roughly the size of saucers.  “I…I…am…Queen of the Olympians…”

The ground at their feet began to shake as though a great earthquake were rumbling below. “Don’t let go!” Hades Morpheus shouted out.

“What’s happening?” Lilly yelled trying to be heard over the wind.

Suddenly, in the east, the stars were no more. There was nothing but blackness and it was rapidly coming toward them or, more directly, toward Colleen.

“What the fuck….”

“IS THAT?” David yelled. “Duncan! Duncan!”  A few moments ago the house had begun to shake as though they were having an earthquake and Calla stirred violently in her sleep.  Suddenly the balcony doors blew open and before he could get up to shut them something that looked suspiciously like a hand formed in the dark and began to reach out to the woman sleeping on the bed.

“Holy Mary, Mother of God!” Duncan said as he burst into the room and saw the ethereal hand it seemed to glow with some strange inner dark light.  Without hesitation Duncan drew his sword and began to hack at it but the blade only slipped through without harm.

It was getting closer to her, David yanked Calla off the bed and into his arms as he dashed across the room with her.

“What is it?” Amy roared. “What the hell is IT?”

“Hurry up, Colleen!  Hold it back the rest of you!” Poseidon ordered. “A shield, concentrate on forming a shield.”

Colleen was dumbfounded by the absolute lack of light that was approaching her, it seemed to whirr and hum as it got closer.  The circle around her did not break as their attentions focused on the blackness and around them appeared a glowing dome of blue light.

“Finish it!” Hades demanded.

“I Decree that Zeus was in error and that no Olympian shall suffer this fate,” she stammered as her eyes widened and the blackness touched the shield around them.  It howled almost as though it was in pain but it did not draw away but surrounded it, enveloped it and tried to leak through.

In the bedroom the outstretched hand kept on reaching for Calla as the fingers which were just tendrils of darkness groped for her not with anger or malice but rather as a lover’s hand might reach out in the dark to gather that whom he loves closer.  Duncan kept hacking and slashing at it but it was doing no good and the thing was coming closer and closer it had them backed against the heavy armoire.  “Do something!” David shouted.  To his amazement, in her sleep, Calla reached out for the darkness that approached her almost as though she were welcoming it to her. David pulled her arm back and held it close to her chest as far out of the thing’s reach as he possibly could.

“These souls shall be saved!” Colleen shouted in fear. “They shall be judged fairly on the Cross Road and allowed to pass to the Elysian Fields to await the reward of Rebirth. I am Colleen, Queen of the Olympians, this is my Word and my Word is Law!”

At the very top of Mount Olympus and in the bedroom in Scotland the thing that was reaching out from its place deep in the Underworld screamed in agony. The hand that reached toward Calla turned into a burning fist before it finally disappeared.  The ooze which had started to leak through the shield around the Olympians burst into brilliant fire as its cries of pain echoed in the night.

Aiden, Amy and Athena all turned to Hades. “What the hell was that?” They demanded in unison.

Hade had but a single word answer for them; “Oblivion.”

End of Chapter Forty-Eight of
Golden Years
by Moon Mistress
a/k/a Lisa Beth Darling
Go to
Chapter Forty-Nine