Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

I watch as his skin becomes sallow and his eyes turn soft blue. He speaks again but his voice is less confident than it was before, “Okay. Stop. Please stop. I will give you what you want. You can have your baby.”

I let go of his chin roughly, letting him fall forward. My arms cross in front of me and I watch him grab his chest, panting and looking up at me.I meant it when I said I would suck his energy dry. Besides, now I have what I need from him; I have no use for his egotistical ass.

“Oh, an energy empath, well played, Iokaste,” Hera smirks with her chin against her hand as she watches me jump down from Zeus’s throne to stand back with Amari and Jasen, “Selene, with her gifts, your daughter would make a good Olympian. Are you sure you want to let her continue as part of the Manae?” °

“She has her place, Hera. We are here to discuss Iokaste and the future l and scape of the Manae. Not her place in the hierarchy of the Gods,” Mother says in a damning tone.

“Iokaste,” a man’s voice says from behind me, “word has traveled that you have devised a plan to bring balance to the Manae.”

A man sitting behind me says. I turn to face a muscular blonde man with curly hair. He’s wearing a short toga, witha metal hat, and winged sandals. Hermes, Messenger of the Gods, is addressing me as if I didn’t just suck almost all the life force out of Zeus.

Zeus’s energy is still coursing wildly through me. I swallow hard as I find room for it to be contained in my soulso it doesn’t affect my decisions. Even contained in its spot, I feel the power of the staticky force crackling inside me, begging to be released.

“Yes, Sir. I have. The last time I was here, Zeus told me I would have tough decisions to make. SoI made them based on the limited knowledge I have. The wheels are in motion as we speak. They have been for centuries, but I have finally crossed the Rubicon in this lifetime. I have to see it through,” I tell him, "It needs to be finished before I move on to the next lifetime. I don't

all these memories back to be

We have seen your sacrifices, and commend you for seeing this plan through. We do not fight all wars on the battlefield, as you are soon to find out, Daughter of the Moon Goddess. You truly are the warrior Selene prides you to be,” the man sitting next to Hermes says. There is no confusing him to anyone else. Ares stands as tall as Zeus. He is broad and muscular like Bronx, with light brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He is

accept the compliment

that while we cannot interfere with your plan, we all support it. Even dear Amari and her mate will

right. Even if the right thing is difficult. I just want this mess to be fixed. I have worked hard for too many

mate, they agreed. That is why they want to help,”

How?’ I turn my

need to succeed within you, and it seems you have finally learned how to balance it all. You have a powerful pack to support you and friends who truly love you to guide you. After all these eons of watching you struggle, I can finally say I am proud to call you my sister,” Amari looks at me with tears in her eyes as Jasen places his hand on her back, “If we stay, we will only be in the

for her, but she and Jasen stand back. An invisible barrier shimmers up between us and

I try to find a way around the barrier, but Iam trapped in

sorry, child. I have no way to make this less painful,” he says sympathetically at Amari, then hurls the

Jasen drop to the ground, still in each other's arms, staring blankly

No. No. No.

feels like I’m running through quicksand as the barrier gives way to my force. I have to get to Amari and Jasen. Maybe there is still time. Maybe I can heal them. The harder I try