Volcanoes Read Free Page B

power. I had natural power on my own, but nanites enhanced what was there and - due to a little demi-god cocktail that he'd slipped me - I had a bit more than most.
    Did the lack of sensation mean that the power was gone? I didn' t know what to think, or how to feel about that.
    Let's face it, I'd been whining for nearly a year about the changes in my and Dylan's life.  Too much, too soon – yada yada yada. The troubles just kept piling on and I ’ d have to believe I was a rock to sho ulder the burden with dignity. I wasn't a rock.
    Bollocks.
    I wondered how long it would take for Hephaestus to come back and get me.
    When the feeling returned to my legs, I crawled to the water's edge and splashed some on my face. I don ’ t consider it cryi ng if I've splashed water on my cheeks to hide the tears. My eyes kept drifting toward the glass outline of my body. I couldn't stop wondering what kind of permanent damage I'd done to this region's ecosystem by blowing that volcano.  The heat output need e d to melt the sand into glass frightened me.
    Rolling onto dry sand, I ignored my feelings of unease and swept my arms and legs up and down, creating wings and a gown. What do I do when faced with a catastrophic emergency that will most likely break me? Ma ke sand angels, of course.
    There's a reason that kids don't stress out like adults do. They do silly little things to help divert the tension.
    How long would it take Heph to realize that I wasn't right behind him? Was he mad enough at me that he'd just g ive up, or was he searching my usual hiding places right now - getting madder with each deserted location?
    I doubt that it would have occurred to him to come back here and check right away.
    An ugly thought popped into my head. What would I do now without any powers? How would I keep my kid safe? Would I be shunned?
    Actually, I ’ d worked myself up into such spiral of self-hate by the time Hephaestus showed up that I immediately went on the offensive.  Certain that they were going to wipe my memory and hate me for the rest of my natural life - because of course I was mortal now - I threw the blackest scowl I could muster at him and yelled, "I don't care if you don't like me now!"
    He'd barely materialized and the look of utter shock on his face would have bee n priceless if I'd been a state of mind to be amused.
    "Would you care to explain to me why I am not going to like you now?" His eyebrows rose to his hairline and he crossed his arms, standing somewhat defensively.
    I guess I'd have been on the defensive too, thinking back.  "I don't have any stinking powers anymore. I can't even feel the hum of the Earth. So I'm useless now. You guys are probably going to wipe my mind and leave me on some rock to wait for the coming apocalypse where Nyx wipes out the human race!"  I was babbling at this point, struggling not to cry during my rant.
    His lips quivered before he bit the bottom one to contain his mirth.  "Sooooo, you're void of any powers and certain that we're going to n ot only shun you, but wipe your memories too?  Grace Murphy, you are seriously one crazy bitch." He strode over to me, pulled me up out of the sand and wrapped his arms around my waist before smiling down at me. "Seriously – you ’ re crazy. Let's go home an d we'll get this figured out."
    I wasn't sure whether I should be happy that I'd deflected his anger or pissed off that he'd called me a crazy bitch.  I decided upon happy and let him teleport me without any fuss.
    We landed in the quiet solitude of Zeus' la b and I felt the immediate unease of someone being stalked. "Where is everyone?" I asked quietly. I was afraid to speak in a normal volume. I couldn't see who was here, but the hair on the back of my neck prickled with alarm.
    'Someone is here,' I thought to Heph.
    He pulled back and frowned at me, shaking his head subtly. I appreciated that he was at least being discreet and not blatantly disagreeing with me.
    My eyes widened and I