~~

Trinity

~~

What was I going to do now? I had missed my chance to run past Alexio. I had slowed down and wasn't moving fast enough. And any moment now, he would be able to snatch me up off of the moving bridge. I had gotten far too distracted with our conversation and the fact that Alexio, who had no reason to lie to me, said that he had not sent the two hell monsters after me.

I think I had known all along, or at least suspected all along, that Hekate had something to do with this. If Alexio knew where I had been, if he knew where to find us, then he would have been waiting for me and the others when we exited the tunnel. Instead, he happily ran past me and Rudy and went straight to the door in the distance.

"Alexio, I did not send that beast, nor did I summon it at all. This beast was actually sent by the Goddess Hekate.

" I tried to explain it to him as I slowed down, intent on talking to him for at least a second.

"And that thing is going to be here any moment now.

"

"And when that beast is here, it will leave you be and try to kill me. That is why you brought it here.

" He snapped at me angrily.

"No, that is not what it will do. If that beast gets here before I go through that door, it will attack me, these children, and anyone else that I try to protect.

"

Anger flashed across his face. Did he think that I was still lying? Well, just judging by that look, I would say that he most definitely thought that I was lying. And the way that his hand was swinging out for me was also proof that he didn't believe me.

"LIES! ALL LIES!

" I didn't manage to dodge his massive hand in time. For someone so big, he moved very fast.

Alexio's massive hand closed around me just as I twisted and turned so that I could throw Zachary toward Rudy. I didn't want the giant of a man to hurt my little boy. Thankfully, Rudy saw what I was doing right away and adjusted the other two in his arms so that he could catch Zachary one handed.

The pain I felt was instant. Alexio's grip was strong and would have already killed me if I were human. However, I was not as weak and easily broken as that. Nope, I was still alive, but I was hurting.

"I will destroy you and the beast.

"

Just as the massive man said those words, Rudy slid past him with the boys and the hell snake screeched. That thing was getting too close. It was literally only seconds away from us. And I was certain that if that thing bit me, even in this metaphysical state, I would die. Like permanently die for real. I wouldn't even get an afterlife. I would just be gone.

"You go there for a moment, Fake Goddess. I will fight the beast.

" Alexio tossed me to the side and prepared to face the monster. Only it didn't go for him at all.

Once I was out of Alexio's grip, the hell snake followed me. It swung its massive head in the direction that I was thrown and prepared to strike me with deadly accuracy.

I only missed dying by snake by a mere couple of inches. I had flipped over and managed to roll out of the way. The snake's massive teeth, and strange crocodile looking head, slammed into the stone so hard that I could tell it was dazed.

"What is the meaning of this?

" Alexio was flabbergasted. He had truly thought that the beast would go for him and not me.

"Why is your weapon attacking you?

"

"Because it isn't after you, Alexio, it's after me. I didn't bring this thing. It was sent after me.

"

"By whom?

"

"OH MY GODDESS, ALEXIO! DO YOU NOT LISTEN!? DO YOU NOT PAY ATTENTION WHEN SOMEONE ELSE SPEAKS!?

"

I watched as the giant Greek soldier bowed his head. He actually hadn't paid much attention to it at all. He had stopped listening to me the moment that I first spoke to him, that was when he thought I was human.

"I listen when I need to.

" He was still making excuses. Damn him and his stubbornness.

"Well, listen now. I am the target. I am a goddess. And I need to get through that door.

"

The snake was shaking its head and healing whatever injuries it had given itself. We didn't have much time here. We, or rather I, would be attacked again very soon. Well, that is if it hadn't frozen right then and there.

Actually, everything around us froze. Just me, Rudy, the boys, and Alexio were not frozen. And I have to say, to see this world frozen was like seeing a very vivid painting of hell right before my eyes. A very large and very vivid painting, if I wanted to be specific about it.

"She speaks the truth, large one. She is a Goddess, and I will steal her magic. I will take it all and I will rule. I will take over the realm of the living and rule the Earth. I will take over the underworld. And I will destroy the celestial realm. I will do it all, and no one can stop me.

" Hekate's voice echoed through the space that surrounded us.

"And now, thanks to you and your obstinance, I will stop having so many interruptions and delays. Thank you, Alexio, for helping me accomplish my goal. It will be thanks to you that I can finally get out of this hell.

" At that, Hekate's unnerving voice echoed around the space as it laughed. The sound of it made my skin crawl.

"Wait. That can't be true. I am not helping you to escape. I am only protecting the integrity of the underworld. No one shall escape. Those are the rules.

"

"I don't need to escape, Alexio. I am not dead. I do not belong here. I am trying to stop Hekate and that is all. You were the one trying to stop me. Now we're doomed.

"

The moment that the word 'doomed' left my mouth, time started to move again. I guess Hekate was gone, and the snake was unfreezing along with everything else around us.

"I am sorry.

" Alexio looked at me with repentant eyes.

"I was only trying to do my job.

"

I didn't have time to respond. I needed to move again. I had to get away from the snake. But I wasn't quick enough. It was coming right at me. It was going to hit me, and I couldn't stop it.

Though, apparently Alexio could stop it. He somehow leapt in front of me and caught the snake's jaws in his massive hands. He was managing to hold the thing back long enough for me to get out of its way.

I didn't want to leave him there though. He had actually saved me just now, so I couldn't let him die. The least I could do would be to pull him away from that thing's mouth. I had to do something.

I decided to reprise the trick I used on Rudy and the boys. I wrapped my magic around Alexio like it was a lasso and pulled it tight. When I went to pull him away from the hell snake the first time, I felt like he wasn't able to move at all. Then I realized that he was just holding on too tight.

I tugged on him again, and that time I felt him move toward me just a little bit. Another tug and I saw that he noticed that I was trying to save him. He looked over his shoulder at me and evaluated the situation. That little distraction almost cost him though, as the crocodile head almost snapped shut on him.

Alexio let go and pushed himself away from the hell snake. It was like we were in synch for a moment. I knew what he was saying, and he knew what I was saying, all without words.

I pulled hard on Alexio's body with my magic. He was moving fast through the air toward us, aided by the force of his push as well. He was definitely going to be reaching me soon. Too soon.

He was about to crash into me and we would then hit the door, hard.