Iridescence

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EMILY

I hadn't slept, so I hadn't dreamed. That didn't mean I hadn't found anything out.

The vision had been quick, and my mind shut it down almost immediately, but I'd seen myself... Only it wasn't me. The only thing that made any sense to me was that I was dying. As soon as I realized that, I'd snapped out of it.

Vanessa's mother, Jaya, didn't question my presence in her bedroom that morning. Instead, she'd lit up and said, "Emily, dear! It's so nice to see you. It's been a very long time."

Jaya had insisted I join them for breakfast. It had been pretty awkward, but I couldn't exactly refuse. I sat at the table and ate while Vanessa and her mom talked. It was strange seeing what a "normal" family did during breakfast. I usually skipped it all together and left without acknowledging my father.

Now I was standing in the hallway at school on the way to the bathroom.

Ana, a voice called in my mind.

Whoever you are, get lost, I replied. Can't a girl go to the bathroom in peace?

Anastasia... He called again.

That's not my name, I argued. The thing was, it suddenly felt like it was.

"Emily? Are you okay?" Vanessa asked softly as she walked past me.

Remember, Ana! You are the only one who can protect them! The voice shouted.

Protect who? I demanded.

Your siblings.

That was when I saw the rest of my vision.

I wasn't alone. As someone tried to kill me, a boy jumped in front of me and took the fatal attack. He died in my arms as my heart felt like it shattered. A younger girl who radiated with light was there, too.

She's Vanessa, I realized.

Another boy, who was standing with Vanessa, radiated with darkness but wasn't evil. After I died, they tried to protect each other, but they were soon killed, too.

You have to protect them, Ana. Nothing is what it seems, the voice insisted.

I realized Vanessa was hugging me tightly. I pulled away automatically.

"You're crying, Emily," she informed me. "What's wrong?"

Looking into her eyes, I saw the girl in my vision. "Thea..." I whispered as everything came flooding back to me. Just like that, I remembered the history of the person I'd been... Anastasia was the daughter of Morpheus. She was destroyed by her aunts and uncles... She was an older sister whose little brother had sacrificed himself to try to save her.

"Ly..." I sobbed. I couldn't stop it because it wasn't me crying... It was Anastasia.

"Who's Ly?" Vanessa asked softly.

As the realization of how deeply our past selves had been betrayed resurfaced, I shook my head. "Forget those names, Vanessa," I said firmly. I had to protect her from this. "It's nothing."

"Emily-"

"Just let it go!" I snapped. I wanted to run away from her and from all of this as fast as I could, but I couldn't bring myself to leave her.

She's my sister, I thought. We might not be related by blood now, but our souls were sisters, and just like back then, she was the innocent, naive one. I couldn't abandon her.

I'll keep her safe this time, I thought. Her and Ly both.

"Em, please, don't shut me out again," Vanessa said softly.

I sighed. "I won't," I promised. "We need to talk, Vanessa... Come on." I guided her to one of my favorite hiding spots in the school.

"Tell me," she said when we stopped moving.

"Before we were ourselves, a long time ago, you and I were sisters," I began.

"Sisters?" She repeated.

"Your name was Theadora, and mine was-"

"Ana."

I stared at her. "You saw it, too?" I asked.

"In my nightmare, you were called Ana, and you were trying to protect me. Someone called me Thea."

"We have to find Ly."

"You said his name before. Who is he?"

"He was our brother... The voice in my head said I had to protect my siblings... Plural. Ly is here, too."

"You're hearing voices?"

"Don't be too concerned," Jake said as he dropped down from the ceiling. "After all, Emily hears and sees the dead."

"Holy cow!" Vanessa proclaimed. "What are you, a ninja?"

"More like a nuisance," I replied. "Jake, Vanessa. Vanessa, this is the guy who Hades has stalking me."

"Guarding you," Jake corrected me.

"Stalking me," I said again. "I don't need a bodyguard."

"I'm well aware that you can take care of yourself, Emily, but the threat is closer than you think."

"What do you mean?" I demanded.

"I overheard Hades ranting to Persephone. Altheos might be back."

At the name Altheos, I tensed. He was my friend, I remembered. He was close to my family... He was close to the ones who turned on us and killed us...

It seemed impossible to the part of me that had been Ana, but somehow, I knew Altheos had influenced the people who killed us.

Theos was behind everything... He even pulled Chaos's strings... And he's coming back, I thought.

"Em?" Vanessa called softly.

"Jake's right... I can feel it. Theos is back, and we're in danger, because there's no telling who he reincarnated as," I said.

"Who was Theos?"

"Altheos is a son of Hades," a voice said from the door.

"Apollo," I said. "You knew he was back?"

"I've only suspected since yesterday," he replied. "Which was when I found out that all of you are reincarnated deities who we thought were lost forever."

"All of us?" I repeated.

"Artemis went to Psyche and confirmed it. We'll explain it all later." He looked at Jake. "I feel Hades all over you, so I assume you're here to help, but I could be wrong. My uncle can be a bit unpredictable at times."

"That's Jake," I explained. "Hades insists on having him stalk me."

"Guard you," Jake corrected me again.

"Alright, no funny business, Jake. Keep your mouth shut about our traitorous deity... The last thing we need is to accidentally draw his attention by saying his name," Apollo said. He looked nervous, and that made me nervous. When the annoyingly cheerful Sun God starts to panic, it's probably not a good sign.

Be nice. I like Apollo, my inner voice scolded me.

Well sorry, Anastasia, but I don't do perky, I silently replied. It probably also wasn't a good sign that I was talking to myself, even if it wasn't out loud.

"You kids should get back to class," Apollo said after a minute.

"I wasn't in class," I replied.

"The counselor will wonder where you vanished to," Vanessa pointed out.

"No she won't," Jake replied. "I cast a distraction spell. She won't even notice."

"So you can occasionally be useful," I mumbled.

"I try my best," he replied with a smirk.

"Vanessa, I'll tell your teacher I delayed you in the hallway," Apollo offered.

"Thanks, Apollo," she replied. "I appreciate it."

"Are you enrolled here, Jake?" Apollo asked.

"Actually, as of today, yes," Jake said.

"What? Why?" I demanded.

"To stalk you," he replied with a laugh. "Seriously, it just makes it easier for me to watch over you and make sure you're safe."

"Do you even have documents that prove you exist?"

"I do now."

"So, you forged them? Criminal." I rolled my eyes.

"I paid someone else to forge them, if we're being technical."

I ignored him. "I need to speak to Morpheus," I said. I was terrified to do it, but I knew I had to. My powers revolved around death. Anastasia's powers had been different. I was going to need his help to master them.

"As do I... There is news he's not prepared for," Apollo replied. "News I assume you girls figured out."

"Emily did," Vanessa replied.

"Let me tell him, Apollo," I added. "I need his help anyway."

"Morpheus can be a bit sensitive about this subject, Emily," Apollo replied nervously.

"I can help him through it."

"What's going on? Why would Morpheus be upset?" Vanessa asked.

I took a deep breath. "Because he was our father, Vanessa," I replied.

Her eyes lit up in surprise. After a moment, she smiled, and I saw constellations of stars moving in her pupils. They were absolutely beautiful, and I watched them in wonder for a few seconds.

Thea had constellations in her eyes, Anastasia informed me.

"This makes so much sense!" Vanessa cried in excitement. "It explains my powers, and it explains why I'm so close to him, and it means that I have a father who loves me exactly as I am!" She flung her arms around me.

Normally, I would have reacted by pushing her away, but I returned the hug. I knew how much having a father who accepted her meant to Vanessa.

"Of course he does," I said, "because you're perfect the way you are, and he'd be an idiot not to see that."

She beamed at me, and I couldn't help but melt slightly. As high as my walls were, I couldn't hate Vanessa, especially not knowing she was my soul's younger sister.

"Let's go see him," Vanessa said suddenly, grabbing my hand.

"Now?" I asked.

"Yes, right now! We could just meditate and send our minds to him."

"Actually, Anastasia could open the dream realm anytime she wanted and walk it physically," Apollo replied. "Do you want to try? You could take Vanessa with you."

I hesitated. I might have Anastasia's memories, but I didn't fully understand how her powers worked yet. "I'll give it a shot," I decided.

"Just close your eyes and don't overthink it," Apollo guided me. "Let it happen. It should be as natural as breathing."

I followed his suggestion, closing my eyes and inhaling. As I exhaled, I felt something strange happening.

"You did it!" Vanessa cried in excitement.

I opened my eyes. Sure enough, a door had manifested in front of us. It glistened with magic, and I knew what must lay beyond it.

"Don't overthink it," I repeated aloud.

I opened the door. The colors on the other side were more vibrant than anything I'd ever seen before. I cautiously took Vanessa's hand in mine. "Are you ready?" I asked.

"Come on," she replied with an eager grin. "Let's go see our dad!"