MADE

~ Wilted Roses ~

I woke up choking. 

Pain. 

Panic.

Pain. 

It wasn't mine. Someone else's. I choked again, fingers coming up to my throat. Rayne sat up beside me. 

Lights flicked on. 

My lungs were empty, choking, choking, choking. 

Alaric ran in, holding his chest. He felt it too. At least he was breathing. 

"Mare," he gasped out between his own ragged breaths. Rayne's eyes were wide, panic for me. 

Air rushed into my lungs, hot and thick and I coughed. Alaric moved behind me, pulling me into his chest as I sputtered and sobbed again. 

Clair was in the room next, watching Alaric behind me on the bed trying to take that weight off my chest. One hand on my head, the other around my waist as I let out a silent scream

Lexi and April came in behind her. 

Alaric held me like that, calming me down before I combusted. 

"What's going on," April said trying her best to catch her breath. 

Lexi had slept with April last night, we feared her being alone - like they feared me being alone. 

"Olympus," I breathed, "It's under attack." 

I shoved away from Alaric, moving off the bed as a whip of pain hit my back. I moved to the closet, pulling open the drawer where my suit was. 

Alaric had just finished them all, finished each one to fit our elements and their peculiarities.  

"Get dressed," I snapped throwing each on at them. "Olympus is in trouble, Rose is in trouble." 

Alaric began to move but everyone else stayed still. Silent. 

"Don't you get it? They die and we all die," I hissed at them. Clair began to move towards me. My body was shaking, I could get to Olympus. I could try. 

"Mare, they have Olympus surrounded," Alaric said quietly. 

"Then we have to go," I yelled pulling away and shoving Clair into Alaric. Alaric placed his hands on Clair's shoulders and moved her to the side as he came towards me. I punched him in the chest, hard and when he didn't stop I punched him again and again. 

My hits got weaker and Alaric pulled me into his chest. I gripped his t-shirt, sobbing again. 

I heard Clair shoo everyone out. My body shook and Alaric picked me up, cradling me into his chest. 

Alaric set me down on the bed, leaning up against his chest. Clair moved to my other side as I sobbed into Alaric's shirt. She kept her cool fingers on my arm. 

"I can't lose anyone else," I said quietly.

"I know Mare," Alaric kissed my hair. "But you can't risk your own team by pulling them all into the line of fire."

"I can't lose Amara or Atticus and what about Rose? The only reason they are attacking Olympus is because they think Rose is me. Ranger could get hurt." My voice cracked. 

"They are coming here," Alaric said quietly, "the people are coming here. They are sneaking them out through the City and on their way here. They are under evacuation."

I looked up at him, eye wide. "All of them?"

"No," Clair said. "Rose, Amara, Atticus and others are there still trying to hold Hades off long enough so they can get out too."

"Hades is trying to kill Rose. He thinks if he kills Rose he wins." Alaric looked down at me. 

"But he can't kill her if he can't get near her," I said, looking for confirmation. 

Alaric sighed, "There are exceptions to every rule Mare. Her gift is supernatural, it doesn't protect her from objects." 

"She's being protected," I said. 

"Yes heavily." His phone rang in his pocket. 

It didn't take long for Alaric to pass me the phone. I looked at it hesitantly but lifted it to my ear.  "Marielle?" 

"Amara," I said into the phone, voice more choked than I would have liked. 

"Get your council together," she didn't say anything more and Clair was off the bed in an instant. Her hand pulled the door open and Rayne, Lexi, and April fell through the opening. Ease dropping. 

Clair rolled her eyes. I pulled the phone away and clicked on the speaker button. Instantly the room was filled with the sound of chaos.

"Okay," I said into the phone hoping she could hear me over all the noise.

"Alright," Amara's voice filled the room with its normal heavenly tone. "Hello everyone." 

"Mom, what's going on?" I asked anxious to know.

"Most of our people are on our way to you, Marielle. They should be there in no more than six or seven hours," her voice came out with a bit of static from the cell phone.

"What about Rose?" I asked swallowing. 

There was silence for a long moment, "We are under fire." Her voice was quiet.

"Rose, get away from there!" Amara's wasn't talking to us. 

A thud was heard on the other end, she dropped it. I could still hear her. 

"Away from there!" It was Amara shouting. "Let go of me! Rose!"

"Aunty," Rose's sweet voice came through from off in the distance. "Tell Mar- kick some as-" her voice cut in and out.

"Rose!" Amara shouted again.

"Mom!" I yelled into the phone.

A sickening thud came from the other end, along with a scream from my mother.

Then I felt it down in the pit of my stomach. Rose's thread of life was being cut.