Alexandra Adornetto: Hades

I realized then that I was screaming, screaming loud enough for all the town to hear me, but nobody did. The Chevy was still nosediving toward the rocks below where it would smash and crumple like tinfoil. I’d never felt more powerless in my entire life. My body was still imprisoned deep underground in Hades and my soul was trapped between the dimensions. But as I caught sight of Jake’s smirking face in the rearview mirror, I realized I wasn’t as powerless as I thought. I spun around and grabbed him by both wrists. He looked surprised, but didn’t shake me off.

“Don’t hurt him,” I pleaded. “I’ll do whatever you want. Name your terms.”

“Is that so?” Jake smiled. “A trade … how interesting.”

“This isn’t the time for games!” I begged. The car was only seconds from the rocks and dusty ground below. “If Xavier dies, I’ll never forgive you! Please … let’s make a deal.”

“Okay,” Jake said. “I’ll spare his life in exchange for you granting me one wish.”

“Done!” I cried. “Just stop the car!”

“Do I have your word?”

“I swear on my life.”

The Chevy lurched to a stop in midair, completely frozen. It was a sight to behold and it was lucky there were no humans around to witness it.

“I’ll see you back home, Bethany.”

“Wait — you can’t just leave him here!”

“He’ll be taken care of,” Jake said and with a snap of his fingers he vanished from the backseat. After a few seconds, I became aware of the presence of Ivy and Gabriel. They screeched to the edge of the cliff in a borrowed Range Rover and bolted out. Seeing the Chevy suspended in the air, Gabriel didn’t hesitate, he ran to the cliff’s edge and jumped, his wings bursting out to hold him up as he descended toward the rocks below. I’d forgotten how majestic Gabriel’s wings were and the sight made my breath catch in my throat. They reared up ten feet in the air, blazing white and powerful beyond belief. They were heavy and feathered and yet seemed to ripple with a life of their own. Ivy followed suit, graceful as a swan, her feet skimming the edge of the cliff as she swooped down. Her wings were a different color from Gabriel’s. His were ice white and flecked with brass and gold. Ivy’s on the other hand were more of a pearly gray like a dove’s and dappled with rose petal pink. Xavier had opened his eyes and was staring incredulously at the angels now hovering in front of the windshield of his airborne Chevy. He blinked hard, uncertain whether to trust his own eyes.

“What the hell …” he breathed.

“It’s okay,” I told him. “You’re okay.”

But Xavier could no longer hear me. He just watched in amazement as Gabriel looped his hands through the front window, gripping the roof of the car. On the other side, Ivy did the same. Then they began to slowly lift it back onto the road. The muscles in their arms didn’t even strain, just flexed ever so slightly as they guided the car back to solid earth. It landed so smoothly that Xavier didn’t even shift position in his seat. Ivy’s and Gabriel’s wings, which had been beating rhythmically to hold them up, retracted in a flash as soon as their feet connected with the ground.

Xavier threw open the door and jumped out at the first opportunity. He leaned against the hood and exhaled loudly.

“I don’t believe it,” he murmured.

“Neither do we.” My sister glowered. “What were you thinking?”

“Hold up.” A look of surprise flitted across Xavier’s face. “You think I did this on purpose?”

Gabriel fixed him with his penetrating gaze. “A car doesn’t drive itself off a cliff.”

“Guys.” Xavier threw up his hands. “Jake was controlling the car. What kind of an idiot do you take me for?”

“You saw him too?” Ivy’s eyes widened. “We sensed his presence, but we didn’t think he’d have the nerve to show himself.”

“He didn’t show himself exactly.” Xavier frowned. “I couldn’t see him … but Beth told me he was there.”

“Beth?” Gabriel looked as if he thought Xavier might be losing his mind.

“She spoke to me through the radio … and then she appeared when I thought I was going to die.” Xavier twisted his face into a grimace, aware of how far-fetched his story sounded. “It’s true, I swear.”

“All right,” Ivy said grimly. “Whatever happened, we have to remember that Jake is pulling some dirty moves. At least we got here in time.”

“That’s the thing,” Xavier said, crossing his arms. “The car was gonna smash, I know it was. Then suddenly it stopped, and Beth and Jake were gone.”

“What are you saying?” Gabriel asked.

“I’m not sure — but I know Jake was trying to kill me. Something or someone stopped him.”

Ivy and Gabriel exchanged worried looks. “Let’s just be thankful you’re all right,” said my sister.

“Yeah.” Xavier nodded, but he still looked concerned. “Thanks for helping me out. Jeez, I hope no one saw you.”

A faint smile played around Gabriel’s lips and he pushed back the lock of golden hair that had fallen loose from his ponytail.

“Look around you,” he said. “Do you see anyone?”

Xavier looked and a thoughtful frown appeared on his face. His eyes fell upon a snake in the long grass. It seemed to have stopped mid-slither, locked in place. He turned his face upward and his mouth fell open in surprise to see the fleeing birds frozen in the sky, as if the whole world had become trapped inside a painting. Only then did the dead silence become apparent. All the sounds of the world had stopped. There was no buzzing of crickets in the air or the sound of vehicles on the road. Not even the wind could break through the silence.

“Wait …” Xavier passed a hand over his eyes. “Did you guys do this? No way, it’s impossible.”

“You of all people should know that nothing is impossible,” my sister said.

Xavier’s brilliant blue eyes met Ivy’s cool, steel gaze. “Tell me you didn’t stop time.”

“We didn’t stop it exactly,” Gabriel said casually, inspecting the Chevy for signs of damage. “We may have put it on hold for a few minutes.”

“Are you serious!” Xavier cried. He was struggling to process what they were telling him. “Are you even allowed to do that?”

“That’s beside the point,” Gabriel retorted. “We did what we had to do. Can’t have civilians watching two angels carry a car out of the sky.”

My brother closed his eyes for a moment and lifted his palms upward. A moment later signs of life burst out all around us. I jumped, having never realized how noisy life was until I heard the world without it. It was strangely comforting to see the trees swaying in the breeze and watch a beetle shuffle across the dry earth.

Xavier shivered and shook his head as if to clear it. “Won’t people notice what just happened?”

“You’d be surprised what slips under the human radar,” Ivy said. “Stranger things happen every day and nobody pays any attention to it. People constantly catch glimpses of the supernatural, but they turn a blind eye, they blame it on too much coffee or not enough sleep. There are hundreds of excuses to disguise the truth.”

“If you say so,” was all Xavier said.

“What about Bethany?” Ivy asked. “You say she was physically present?”

“I saw her.” Xavier scuffed his shoe against the ground. “I’ve sort of … communicated with her a few times now.”

Ivy pursed her lips. “Thanks for sharing that piece of information with us,” she said and then a crease appeared in her forehead. “I wouldn’t have thought it was possible.”

Gabriel frowned. “Astral projection?” he asked dubiously. “From Hell?”