Chapter 1

            “Selena!”

            Selene glanced up.

            Mr. McCormick thought he was superior to her, she thought, laughing inside.

            “Yes, sir?”  She pretended to care about what he was going to say.  She invaded his mind and found he was going to ask her to answer number twelve on the worksheet.

            “Number twelve?”  Stressed green eyes scanned his student.  He had curly blond hair and was fairly tall.  Tall for an adult man, but Selene was nearly as tall as he.  She released wavy silver-blond hair from her braid and watched the teacher with pale blue eyes.

            “Ah, yes,” she said without looking at the sheet.  She was determined to stare the human teacher down.  “Number twelve, the question on sheet #12 page 15.  ‘What man did Selene –” she smirked, although only her friends would understand why –“fall in love with?’  Endymion.  Ooh la, la… And I understand why.”  Selene rubbed the picture on the sheet with her index finger although her eyes never strayed from the teacher

            The class chuckled at her lame joke.

            Mr. McCormick looked away from Selene’s piercing, cold eyes.  The sweet smell of success.

            Henry noticed the attention leaving him, so he began to wobble back and forth in his desk until it toppled over.  The class erupted in laughter again and Selene smiled. 

            Henry (that dork Hermes) is such a show-off sometimes, Artemis, code name Arielle, told her through telepathy.

            Typical.

            Selene looked behind her to see Arielle nodding at her.

            “Class, pull yourselves together!  I can’t believe your sophomores in high school and you act like a bunch of 7^th graders.”  Mr. McCormick had to ruin the one minute of free stupidity.  He began to type on his beloved calculator, his eyes scanning the English lesson in a troubled fashion.

            Aphrodite gasped, suddenly and violently.

            Arielle glanced over at Selene who rolled her eyes.  Aphrodite had to deal with love stories often, especially when people prayed to her.  She grimaced and shot Hermes a frightened smile.

            “What’s wrong, Abby?”  One of Aphrodite’s girly, popular friends threw her a hyper smile.

            Before Aphrodite sent her the message, Selene knew she was calling for a meeting.  “Abby,” She looked Aphrodite straight in the eye.  “You really should start dealing with these… problems by yourself.”

            “Back off,” the other girl snapped.  “Abby… if there is anything you need from me, I’ll be here.”  Abby fingered her amulet and stuck her hand in her jean pocket.  Selene knew she was feeling for her whistle.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

The gods and goddesses lay scattered among the trees.  The small wood in the hills was their Mt Olympus. 

            Selene rested with Eos, Artemis, Aphrodite, and Hestia.  On ‘ Olympus ’ Hill, they used their true names. 

            All of the Goddesses were wearing silky white dresses tied with golden ropes, the Gods wearing khakis and long white short-sleeves.

            “You’re such a dork, Eos,” Aphrodite said, flirtingly.  “Hang with the girls.  You’re either sticking with your sister –” she grinned at Selene – “or your kissing up to Hestia.”

            “You wish,” Eos snapped, rolling over onto his back.  “You’re just bored and want to ‘enchant’ someone.  You’re just like… like Aphrodite.”

            Aphrodite lifted her hand to silence him.  “I’m Abby now.”

            Before she could continue, Dionysus shouted, “Can I have everyone’s attention, please?  I am performing!”  Although he was an excellent actor, Artemis interrupted.

            “C’mon Dylan… Now?  It’s mid-day and we’ve skipped school.  Someone’s bound to hear us.”

            A typical day for the Greek Gods.

            “Yes.”

            Dionysus was louder than usual and Selene felt his hearty voice echo among the hills.  When he finished they all clapped daintily, but not necessarily politely.  They mocked him playfully and Hermes, or Henry, did something stupid to gain attention. 

            Eos and Selene began walking home at around seven o’ clock, mostly because Eos had to get up early to open dawn’s gates for Helios’ horses.  They had no rider, but had learned to guide themselves.  The Gods still had not found Helios long-lost daughter. 

            Their house was small and square.  It was home to a sage, old, crazy-cat-lady who called the two teens her good little brujas.

            “Eddy, Selena, the kitties welcome you!”  The old woman hopped out of the cottage with light feet.  Her shawl reached her frail knees and her cane was nearly as tall as she.  She bent over it with a gray bandana holding back cropped, gray hair.  “I need to tell Eddy something, Selena.  Hunt with Arielle tonight.

            Io, the blond tabby, rubbed against Selene’s leg.

            Selene grinned, Demon time.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Selene’s fingers delicately brushed the ashes on the ground.  The wind swirl tattoo on her left arm came to life at the magic contact.

            Artemis grinned, “I think we found our demon.”

            Selene swept soft strands of hair from her face and bared her teeth in a smile, “Oh yeah.”  She laid her seductive eyes on the trail of ash, glowing in the vibrant moonlight.

            “Ashes in the night,” she said with a devious smile.  Artemis cackled excitedly, blue eyes fluttering down the trail of ash.

            Selene was in hunting uniform.  A hip-hugging mood skirt that was too short for a human’s comfort, lined with hidden and showing knives, a mood shirt that showed enough to please the goddess, her amulet, bottles of silver body glitter to show her magic side, and a set of silver rings and moons pierced on her ears and belly button.

            Artemis matched the look with sapphires, replacing the silver that lined Selene’s body.

            They both looked good.  Naturally, Selene thought as her rose and crescent moon tattoos on her right arm and neck also sparkled to life with magic.

            Selene began to sing the song demon-hunters used to calm the demon:

“Ashes in the night,

Light the trail, black and

Gold in the moon light,

Black, volcanic sand.

Fiery light beneath,

Demon on the run,

Fire ’neath his feet,

Hiding from the sun.

He fears the brighter lights,

The hunters on the way,

The song is well sung, alright,

This is what we say…

Ashes in the night.

Catch them, kill them, fight.

Ashes in the night.

Ashes in the night.”

            Selene glanced behind her.

            “Do you feel that?”  Artemis’ green eyes scanned the area, “An aura of a goddess.”

            “None I recognize,” Selene responded, drawing her favorite blade.  It was lined with moons and fantasy creatures, etched in the cool metal.

            “She feels… confused.” Artemis continued.  “Feels like her.”

            Selene panicked, a phenomenon compared to her usual cool attitude. “The demon hunt!  She’s too close.”

            With that, the demon leapt from the bushes across from the hiding goddess.  Flames licked his feet, proving he was a true demon indeed.  The flames were golden and red, though, telling the two hunters he was a rogue in the Htrae: the reflection world of earth.  Blue and black flames signified higher class demons.

            Artemis swung around, twisted her magic around him.  Selene reflected the silver moon on him, burning his disguised flesh away to show the gray-skinned demon he truly was.  Selene thrust the blade into his stomach, causing the flames at his feet to rise and envelop him completely.  A scream broke out from the girl hiding from the two hunters.  Selene and Artemis, slightly tired from the surprise attack, watched her run away as she clutched a duffel bag and jacket.  No reason to chase.

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Reddish gold hair cascaded down her bare shoulders as she griped her jacket in her left hand and her cheer-bag in her right.  She sped down the sidewalk, celerity on her side.  Those brujas killed someone!  Helena slowed down as she shoved through her front door.

            “Mom?”  Helena ran shaky fingers through her smooth hair.

            Her mother looked up from her work.  Three colorful costumes made of silk rested in her arms.  “Mermaids, Helena!  Finally something I know well.”

            Helena managed to roll her eyes: her mom was a fantasy fanatic as well as a costume designer.  She also designed normal clothing, but musicals were her true love.

            Helena ’s mom scanned her daughter with deep brown eyes, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

            She tapped the chair across from her and Helena sat down, no longer frightened.

            “No big deal,” Helena replied, tartly.  She reached across the table to snatch an apple from the pyramid of Granny Smiths, but her mother slapped her hand away.

            “Tell me.”

            Helena sighed and avoided her mother’s challenging gaze.  She shoved her bag and jacket on the floor and spilled about what happened.  When she finished the story, her mother fingered her dresses and swallowed.

            “Bruxa, huh?  Too much Spanish class?”

            “Yeah.”

            “There’s something I need to tell you, honey…”

            Helena began to shiver again: a gypsy two days ago had read her fortune.  An unknown truth, a forgotten past, and a magic destiny.

            “You are a goddess, the daughter of Helios.”  And she explained everything. 

            Helena quivered.  After exchanging the stories, she had begun to chill.  The air around them seemed thick and damp, but ice cold.

            And although her mother had just told her she was the goddess of the sun with many magical powers, only one thing her mother implied hit her.

            “So my father is dead.” As a child, Helena had always felt false hope that her father would come home one day.  She looked accusingly at her mom.

            Helena ’s mother jerked back as if her daughter had slapped her.  “I couldn’t do anything.”

            “I’m so magical, why didn’t I do something?!”  Helena screamed.  She slammed her fists on the table and ran up stairs.

            Helena cried herself to sleep that night.  She really wasn’t sure why.  Was it knowing her father was dead?  Was it knowing her destiny was one of magic and certain death?  Or was it just knowing?  Knowing fantasy was real and that real was fantasy?

            She awoke to fresh light.  Helen blinked at leftover tears in her eyes.

            “Eddy?”  Selena’s brother grinned at her, light seeping around him, coming from him.

            “Eos, God of the dawn,” he corrected.

            “Who am I?”  She asked with a lisp, arms hugging her pajamas.

            “Helia, goddess of the sun, code name Helena .”

            “What’s happening to me?”  She continued, gazing at Eos in confusion.

            “You are my sister.  Through magic and power, not blood.”

            “This is a dream.”  Helena laid back down, “Scratch that.  A nightmare.”  She pulled the covers over her head and ran her fingers through her fiery hair.  It was glowing, emitting a golden aura around her head like a halo.  You are a goddess, the daughter of Helios.

            “Helia,” came Eddy’s muffled voice from outside the blanket.

            “Get outa here, Eddy.  I’m not going with you.”

            “ Helena , I’ll give you today and tomorrow to visit us.  Your mother blesses you.”

            Helena thrust off the covers, about to ask him why he was a boy even though the original Eos was a female, snappily.  But then she thought better of it when she recalled that Helios was a male and she was female.   She looked around and found he was gone.  She inspected the room for any sign of him, finding only a few large whitish gold feathers.

            Helena quickly showered.  She thrust on a sparkling orange tube top with bleached jeans that held a hole in the right knee.  She put her hair up in a jock ponytail with golden strands of curly hair raining around her face.

            Sparkling flip-flops of red and gold cushioned her feet as she headed toward Black Sno White Coal.  Saturday was hang-out-by-the-night-club day.  Helena found Alyson, Abby, and Erika hanging out near the locked entrance of the building.

            “ Helena !”  Abby hopped over.

            “Yo.”  Erika slung her black purse over her shoulder.

            Helena smiled as Alyson handed her a strip of gum.  “What’s up, girl?  You look like you just got dumped.”

            “Or dissed,” Abby added.

            “Or beaten.”  Erika snarled at a passerby who quickened his pace at the sight of the Goth convict.

            “Eddy.”  Helena scowled.

            “Ooo,” Abby leaned over.  “You crushing?”

            “No!”  Helena snapped open her mouth and blew a huge pink bubble.

            “Do you… know?”  Abby shooed Alyson and Erika away and pulled Helena to the side.

            “What?”

            “Helia.”

            “You, too?” Helena stepped back, feeling betrayed.

            “Aphrodite at your service.”  Abby curtsied sharply.

            “You’ve gotta be kidding me!”  Helena sprinted away as she had done the night before.  Her feet slammed down on the pavement as she scrambled away from Abby.  Blisters stung her toes, but she let them bleed.  The girl ended up outside the city.  Helena ran up Olympia Hill and skidded to a halt.  Helena had just collided with Dylan – her real crush.

            “Are you OK?”  Dylan placed one, strong hand on her shoulder and smiled that cute dimple smile.

            “Yeah,” Helena whispered softly.  “My bad.”  She stepped backwards and ran into Abby.

            “Dionysus!  You found her,” Abby exclaimed.

            Helena gasped.  “My best friend, my –” she paused.  She couldn’t say crush.  “Classmate.  Why are you chasing me?!”

            Dylan smiled at her again.  “We’re not evil.  We’re not against you.”  He took a step forward and brushed golden hair from her face.  We’re here to help you, not hurt you.”

            Helena wanted to take a step back, but her feet seemed planted into the earth.  She squirmed under his hand. 

            “Why?”  She finally managed.  “Why me?  Out of all the other girls with names that began with ‘H’ –”

            “You’re one of us.”

            Helena sucked in a deep breath.

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Ashes in the Night

Prologue  

Chapter 2