“Emily!”

Emily Quartermaine shut her locker at Port Charles High and resisted the temptation to bolt. It had been eight days since their fight. Eight days of having Reginald make excuses for her, of pretending like she was sleeping when he showed up at her window, and of just generally ignoring him every chance she got.

It was Strife who had pointed out gleefully that Emily was waging a campaign of war against Lucky and that she was proving to be every bit Ares daughter as she did so.

Emily could have told him that she had learned just as much from being a Quartermaine, then decided that it didn’t matter.

Quartermaine or Olympian Lucky Spencer didn’t stand a chance.

Literally.

Emily had spent the last eight days in a concentrated effort to forget that she had ever felt anything other than friendship for Lucky.

An effort made easier by the fact that every moment not spent dodging Lucky was spent in Nikolas’s company. Movies. Dinner. Just hanging out at the cottage. It didn’t matter. Nikolas had been her refuge, a balm to soothe her battered ego.

“Emily!”

Sighing, Emily turned towards Lucky.

“I’m late Lucky. My cousins are waiting for me.”

“Come on Em. It’s been days....”

“Eight days to be exact.”

“All right eight days. Don’t you think you’ve been avoiding me long enough?”

“Am I avoiding you?” Emily tisked softly. “I’m surprised you noticed.” She turned and walked off.

“Em.” Lucky grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her back around to face him. “Don’t do this.”

“I didn’t you did.”

Lucky ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. “Don’t you think you’re making too much of this? Liz didn’t mean anything by her comment. And even you have to admit that you were acting pretty strange that night.”

She stared at him in shock, in disbelief, and underneath it all a deep hurt. A hurt she refused to acknowledge. Refused to feel. She’d done enough crying over Lucky Spencer.

Instead she shook her head. “How can you defend what she said?”

“I’m not defending it I just ....Emily she’s your friend and she’s really sorry for what she said but you won’t even give her a chance to apologize.”

Emily clenched her teeth and unseen by either of them an intense energy began to burn around the demigoddess. “Elizabeth Webber is not MY friend.” Emily nearly spit out the words in her anger. “She’s your girlfriend and because I wanted to keep you as a friend I put up with Elizabeth, just like I forgave you for ignoring me and pushing me aside the minute Sarah and Elizabeth hit town, like I forgave you for not being there when I needed you to give me a reason not to get high and for not being there when Dorman was putting my family through hell.” Emily took a deep breath and tried to calm down. “And like an idiot I always forgave, I forgave you, for lying to me about your mother’s death when you knew how badly I was still hurting from my mom’s death. I forgave you for all that Lucky because you were my best friend and I think I would have forgiven you anything, done anything to keep you in my life.”

“Would have? Were?”

Emily nodded. “I’m not sure were friends at all anymore Lucky, much less best friends. What Liz said, if you don’t understand why that hurt, how much that hurt, than you don’t understand anything about me at all.” Emily paused. “And as for my behavior being strange, if you knew the things that have been happening to me lately than you would understand. But you wouldn’t know because all you can see anymore is your precious Elizabeth.”

“Emily that’s not true. It’s just that Elizabeth and I are....”

“Yeah I know. Girlfriend/Boyfriend. Lovers. Whatever you want to call it. I call it a sick obsession.”

“What do you know about love?”

More than you know Emily whispered to herself and then pushed the thought away. She thought of Cupid. “A few months ago nothing. But I know now Lucky and its a far cry from what you think it is.” The words were said quietly with a sad resignation in them. She stared at Lucky, remembering for a second the sheer joy that had coursed through her when she had seen him alive in her room. She’d vowed then that she would never let him out of her life. Funny how short never could be sometimes. “I’ve got to go. I’m meeting Nikolas for a date this afternoon.”

Lucky’s breath caught as he watched her go. God how had this happened. He closed his eyes and replayed in his mind that moment. He’d been concerned about Emily’s behavior and for a brief moment, dammit one brief second, when Elizabeth had mentioned the possibility that Emily was using again Lucky had been silent, too caught up in the fear that maybe Liz was right to say anything, do anything. And then Emily had appeared and he had looked in her eyes and had known that Liz was wrong, but his doubt, his stark fear, must have showed on his face because pain and hurt had registered on Emily’s.

She’d left with his brother before he could think of something to say to make it better, to undo what he had managed to destroy in an instant.

And now she was walking out again and he couldn’t stop her. Couldn’t think of the words to make her come back.

No matter how desperately he wanted her too.

As Lucky stared after Emily in silence, two figures appeared behind him, having watched in invisible silence the scene unfolding in front of them.

“I don’t like this,” Cupid’s wings bent slightly. “She’s too on edge. She’s losing her control.”

“You expect a child of Ares to have any control?”

“You are talking about my father you know.”

“Point proven.” Strife didn’t miss a beat. “Unc say anything when you were on Olympus? He and Grandpops any closer to finding this Kyn’an dude.”

“No and if you’re boy over there----”

“My boy?”

“Come on we both know that Luke Spencer is one of your biggest worshippers...”

“Was. I think his affair with that Jones woman moved him from worshipping mischief straight to stupidity.”

Cupid looked at his cousin askance. “You mean there’s a God of Stupidity?”

“I thought that was Zeus’s position.” Strife smirked. The ground shook and a huge crash of thunder filled the hallway. Strife looked uneasily around them. “Okay. It was just a joke. You know joke. Funny. Ha-ha.” The hallway fell silent again. “Hera must have been a stand-up comedian in a previous life because I sure didn’t get my since of humor from the old lightening bolt.”

“Keep that up and you know what will happen....” Cupid warned his cousin. “Natch. Not even Grandpops could be that cruel.” Strife shuddered as he remembered the last time his grandfather had been mad at him. “Locked in a room with Milli Vanilli. Still gives me nightmares.”

“Back to business okay? With the kind of vibes that Em is giving off at the moment, Kyn’an could spot her at a Britney Spears concert.”

“Nah, Em’s got too much class for Britney. Maybe Christina.” Strife shrugged. “But I do see what you mean. What she needs is to something dull, soothing, and boring to keep her mind off things.”

“She’s spending the afternoon with Nikolas Cassadine.”

“There. See. Problem solved. The Prince will bore her to death and her energy levels will go back to normal.”

“Nikolas Cassadine is not boring and he’s a better match for her than that...” Cupid sighed. “Forget it. Let’s just hope that she hasn’t already given her location away.”

“Let’s hope. Not really looking forward to the whole blinking out of existence thing.”

“Yeah.” Cupid stepped forward. “Come on let’s catch up with her.”

A Hidden Lair Somewhere (Now if I told you where it wouldn’t be hidden, would it?)

The dark figure leaning over the huge pot grinned as he took the wooden stick and stirred. He could feel his revenge, taste it in the air, and it energized him.

He Kyn’an, the Dark Sorcerer would rid the world of the Olympian Gods once and for all.

And without Zeus and his misbegotten progeny to challenge him, the world would be his.

No hiding in caves. No scurrying around in the darkness like a rat. Not for him. Not anymore.

He’d live in a castle. Or maybe a penthouse. A yacht. Or better yet a motorhome. Kyn’an’s face became wistful. A motorhome. That way he could travel the world wreaking havoc and creating evil and still come home to a nice comfortable bed each night. Maybe he’d get one of those extra long ones and customize it with a sacrificial alter for all the virgins that he’d find along the way.

Of course virgins were a lot harder to find nowadays, but he was sure they were out there.

After all he couldn’t be the only one listening to Dr. Laura.

Kyn’an sniffed the potion he was making again. Almost ready. The potion, a secret recipe that he’d heard about on a Buffy episode, would make Ares’ daughter his willing slave. Once she was under his control, he would use her as protection while he performed his time travel spell. The fact that she wasn’t tied to this time era would make it a breeze for him to use her as a shield while he slipped back in time. The damned Gods would be gone before they even existed. All he had to do was change a little prehistory and viola. No more Ancient Greece. No Socrates or Plato. No more pita bread. No more Olympics. And thank Kyn’an no more Little Caesar’s. Maybe he’d let the Egyptian Gods take over, he always considered himself a cat person after all. Or maybe no Gods at all. For that matter, maybe no people. Maybe the dinosaurs should have lasted a little longer. Who knew what the T-Rex could have evolved into? President T-Rex couldn’t be much worse than President Bush?

It didn’t matter. All he wanted was Zeus and his infernal family dead. He paused for a second. Okay never having ever existed would work too.

The girl was the key. He would control her, use her, and then kill her.

It was after all the only humane thing to do.

It wouldn’t be right to let the poor girl live knowing she was responsible for the destruction of the Gods and with them, the world as it existed today.

He checked his watch and smiled gleefully as Mickey’s hands moved forward.

A few hours more and his revenge would be complete.

Later that evening

Emily smiled at Nikolas as they walked along the lake on the Quartermaine estate. Somehow during the course of the evening, Nikolas had slipped his hand around hers and it was still there.

Emily relaxed, Nikolas’s company was soothing and calm, his steadiness and warmth made her feel better just by being in his company. They’d talked all evening about everything and Emily found herself appreciating Nikolas more and more.

At least he knew she was there.

“It’s a beautiful night,” Emily whispered stopping and looking up at the sky. “The stars are so bright it’s like their shining just for us.”

“They are unusually bright tonight as if they were watching us.”

Suddenly suspicious, Emily found herself staring up into the heavans and wondering......

“Em?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry Nikolas. I was just...thinking.”

“Good thoughts, I hope?”

“With you here, always.” Emily replied taking her eyes off the stars as she stared at Nikolas, silently remembering all the reasons why she had held onto her crush on him for so long.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Nikolas hand on hers tightened. He stared at Emily for a long moment before taking a deep breath and letting it loose softly. “Not now when I know what I want...”

Their lips met softly, tentatively, sweet and gentle. Emily broke it off first, taking a step back as she stared at Nikolas with a mixture of shock and pleasure on her face.

“I’m sorry Em I didn’t mean to rush you I just wanted...oh hell I’ve blown it now.” Nikolas finished helplessly.

“No you didn’t ....I just wasn’t expecting you to....I didn’t think...” Emily found herself blushing.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have.”

“Nik it’s okay.” Emily stammered staring down at her feet in sudden fascination. “I.....I liked it. “You did?”

“Yeah I did....”

Just as Emily was about to say something, although she had no real clue what she would say, a huge stench filled the air and a loud noise thundered with the accompanying force knocking both of them to their feet.

And before she really knew what was happening, Emily felt the clammy hand drag her to her feet and the pressure of the blade at her neck.

In a second, Cupid and Strife were there, ignoring Nikolas’s state of stupification.

The God of Love had never looked more like his father than he did as he advanced on the sorcerer holding his sister hostage. “Let her go. You’re fight is with us Gods not a child.” Cupid took a step forward. “Let her go or I swear I’ll burn you where you stand.”

The sorcerer smiled. “No you won’t because you know she will be dead before you take a step or even form the thought.”

“Kill her and your precious plan will go up in smoke.” Strife moved away from his cousin, flanking the sorcerer.

“There are all kinds of revenge.” Kyn’an grinned evilly. “Making sure that Zeus has to live with the knowledge that I destroyed his precious granddaughter doesn’t sound that bad.”

“Emily?” Nikolas took a step forward. “Let her go you creep.” One blast of energy and Nikolas was down, his silent form sprawled across the ground.

“Nikolas! You bastard let me go.”

“You heard her.” A deep voice thundered as Ares appeared in front of them “Let her go.”

“Now why would I do that?”

“Because if you do I promise your death will be quick and merciful. If you harm her in any way, you will find that my father’s idea of revenge is a weak second to mine. The God of War knows more about torture and death than you could learn in a thousand lifetimes.” “Oh I am sure that God of War would destroy me where I stand but you not at this moment the God of War as much as you are her father. And you don’t dare risk her life. Not even to save your own.”

Emily’s eyes traveled back and forth between Cupid, Strife, and Ares. They hadn’t been her family for very long, but she loved them with all she was, all she had. She thought of the beauty that was Olympus and she knew, she knew what she had to do.

“Don’t let him win. Please Dad don’t let him win. Whatever you have to do, do it okay? Please.”

Ares stared at his daughter, knowing what she was asking and knowing that he couldn’t do it. WOuldn’t do it. As long as there was life there was hope. A strange thought for a god used to reveling in death and destruction but nonetheless he realized it was what he believed. Emily could feel the air around her begin to shift and she knew time was running out.

“Dad please. If I’m dead he can’t use me to hurt you or Cupid or Strife or anyone again. Please.”

“Emily....” Ares moved forward as if to reach out to his daughter but stopped when he saw the blade press into her flesh until it drew blood. He looked at his daughter held by the enemy and knew the bitterness of being helpless to do something, anything.

He could only watch as they disappeared, leaving the an unnatural stillness behind.

Next Chapter

Emily’s peril increases and a desperate rescue begins.....