[Failure Consequences: Required to cease all attacks on Rissa Latimer and permit her to enjoy the sunlight once more. Required to remove the blessing/curse applied to ALL of her relatives. Required to remove/heal effects caused by the curse. Not permitted to act against Rissa Latimer, her family, or her allies for a minimum of twelve years]

A Voice in Helios’s ear woke him before he felt like he’d had enough sleep, but at least he was no longer completely out of it. He’d slept later than he planned, but he still made it to above New York City only a few hours after dawn. Naturally, that was when he realized just how big the city was; he still thought of it as the sleepy backwater it was the one time he visited.

In 1678, he could have asked around and found someone without too much trouble. That wasn’t going to be possible in the New York City of 2037.

Well, the strange Voice had been oddly insistent about taking care of the results of the bet; maybe it would help. “Where can I find Rissa Latimer? So that I can remove the curse on her?”

[Pelham Bay Park]

It wasn’t just the words; Helios could actually see a line stretching from where he was to a spot on the ground. He shrugged to himself and followed a sunbeam down to the grass.

He was in a tamed wilderness, mostly grassed but with some trees to one side. The line continued forward; that was strange. Why hadn’t it simply led him to Rissa Latimer? Was the strange Voice trying to slow things down?

Helios’s question was answered when he stepped forward, because only a few steps later he felt his control of the Sun disappear. He’d entered another god’s Realm. If this were anywhere but Earth, he’d have wondered if it was the Realm of a powerful creature, but Earth had fallen too far; any creature powerful enough to have its own Realm was long gone. Even the gods were limited to small areas, depending on the power of their followers to keep their places of worship active.

The gods with followings off Earth had long since left, and the few that remained had to put up with the decline in magic. Helios could remember the last time he stepped into another’s Realm unexpectedly, but it was a long time ago. He wondered who this Rissa was to be protected by someone strong enough to make a Realm that stood in the Light of the Sun, yet did not acknowledge it.

Even more interesting was that Helios could feel a tie to a Sun, but it wasn’t this world’s Sun. It was far more diffuse than that, almost like it could be the Sun of any world.

He shook himself out of his daze and headed forward. At least he now understood why someone would pretend to be him: to avoid trouble. He didn’t know who the protector was, but whoever it was had power.

:Someone has entered the dungeon and is headed directly towards the living area.: Aki’s warning rang in Serenity’s head. :He feels like Sunlight.:

Serenity sat up in bed and turned to Rissa. “Do you think we should go meet him?”

Rissa turned off her tablet and set it on the table. “May as well. You’re thinking it’s Helios? How did he find us?”

[He required your location to perform the curse removal]

Rissa shivered a bit. “It’s still so strange to think we’re always being watched.”

“Always watched but not always paid attention to.” Serenity shifted his armor onto his human form. “It pays a lot more attention to me now. I usually can’t tell if it’s paying attention or not unless it comments, so I ignore it. It’s not like it cares about most things people want to keep secret; it doesn’t actually care about anything that doesn’t influence your Path.”

“I think it might care a bit more than that, but I guess we’ll see. At least it’s not hostile. I think it actually wants to help you.” Rissa shook her head before obviously turning her attention elsewhere. :Aki? Can you please have Raz watch from a short distance? I’m not sure I want to reveal that we have a dragon working with us right off the bat.:

They were waiting for Helios on the ramp to the crafting area when he arrived.

Helios was tall and tanned, with a sharp, symmetrical face and hair that looked more golden than blond. He’d have made a good model for a sculpture. Serenity disliked him at first glance; there was something about him that seemed self-absorbed and uncaring. Serenity tried to give the benefit of the doubt, but it was difficult. He didn’t like gods and he didn’t like people who used curses, so that was two strikes against Helios.

The fact that he’d cursed Rissa twice didn’t help matters any.

There was one odd thing about him that stuck in Serenity’s mind. Serenity had somehow expected to see the man from Rissa’s vision, the one she’d had after Phoebe knocked her hands off the vase fragment. Helios didn’t look like that man. Oh, there were similarities; he was male and blond and probably fairly light-skinned under the tan. Both had very regular features. Other than that, though, they looked quite different. Was it the clothing, or were they actually different people?

Helios seemed distracted, like he was following something only he could see. When he finally noticed them, he stopped and stared for a moment. “You are Rissa Latimer? And you must be … Serene?”

“Serenity.” He couldn’t resist correcting his name. As he started to say something more, Serenity realized he didn’t know what to say. Instead of standing there and looking like an idiot, he closed his mouth and frowned at the curse-maker. A glance at Rissa gave him the words he’d momentarily lost. “So? What’s keeping you from dispelling the curse?”

Helios seemed to notice Serenity’s glare and met it with his own. “It’s not my curse. I still don’t know how you closed more portals than I did, but I can remove a curse from someone, even if it’s not my curse.”

“It’s not just me,” Rissa objected. “It’s also my family.”

Helios grunted as though he hadn’t expected that, then looked Rissa up and down. “Let’s get you outside this Realm and into the Sun’s Light. I do my best work there.”

He turned on his heel and walked directly back the way he’d come.

Serenity turned to Rissa and shrugged. She shrugged back at him and they followed. Helios wasn’t friendly, but he had just lost a bet to someone he’d never met before. At least he seemed to be willing to remove the curse. As they walked, Serenity shared his concern with Rissa. :Is he the man from that vision you had? The one we thought cursed your ancestor?:

:I don’t think so.: Rissa’s mind-voice sounded doubtful. :I don’t even think they look related. Distantly maybe, they are both blond? But blond isn’t that unusual.:

:Was he telling the truth when he said it wasn’t his curse?: Serenity didn’t care if he was the man in the vision if he was the one who set the curse. If he wasn’t, well, he’d still have to help remove it. If he hadn’t set it, Serenity would accept almost anything as help. He didn’t want to be unreasonable.

:You know it’s not infallible,: Rissa scolded. :I can only sense emotions.:

Serenity nodded. He did know that; she’d completely missed things a few times. That didn’t mean she wasn’t good at it.

:I can’t be certain,: she reiterated. :He was a little angry and a lot upset when he denied it. I can’t be certain if he’s mad he’s being blamed for something he didn’t do or angry he’s been caught. All I can say is that whichever it is, he didn’t feel guilty or like he regretted anything.:

Serenity was still chewing on that revelation when they left Aki’s dungeon. He stepped over to Rissa and set his arms around her; he didn’t know why his close presence helped, but they’d very clearly established that it did.

“I need to look at her without your interference. In the sunlight.” Helios’s words were abrupt, but Serenity didn’t hear anything else in them.

Serenity dropped his arms, patted Rissa on the back, and stepped a single step away from her. It wasn’t far enough to completely remove the protection he gave her, but they knew that it wasn’t nearly as helpful.

He had to prevent himself from stepping forward again when he saw Rissa flinch, then curl her shoulders forward.

Helios simply stared at Rissa, indifferent to her suffering. When he spoke a moment later, his voice was calm. “I see it now. Not very well hidden. Definitely a Curse of Painful Light, tied to the Sun. Simple enough to remove.”

Helios did something and Rissa seemed to relax. “That should do it. You’re feeling fine in the sunlight now?”

Rissa shook her head emphatically and smiled. “Yes, the sunlight feels good now.”

A cocky grin appeared on Helios’s mouth and disappeared almost as quickly. “You said something about family? I should get it all done at once, get this over with.”

“Mom should be at Red’s place. We think both of them are affected, not sure how many others are.” Rissa bounced a bit as she spoke, then flexed the fingers on her right hand. “It’s really affecting Mom. You should take care of her first.”

Helios nodded, then looked from Rissa to Serenity. “I can only carry so many people, and you’re the challenger. Can you find these people?”

Helios was planning to leave Rissa behind? Serenity glanced over at her. :Are you okay with that?:

:As long as you’re there. I think I’d rather not be, really. I don’t know how much of my mother was her and how much was the curse. I don’t think I want to find out in front of someone who might have been the man who cursed her.: Rissa’s words were clear but quiet. Serenity could hear the pain she was trying to conceal as well.

:If you’re sure.: Serenity waited for Rissa to confirm it. Once she nodded, he looked back at Helios, who didn’t seem to have noticed the quick exchange as being more than trading looks. “I have the address.”

“What in the Underworld are you?” Helios floated in the sky next to Serenity. “You’re harder to move on sunbeams than anyone I’ve ever moved.”

Serenity didn’t respond immediately. Tek’s space station was one thing, but they were floating with nothing supporting them and nothing obvious holding air in, yet he was having no trouble breathing or hearing Helios.

Even worse, they were far closer to the planet than Tek’s space station; they were probably only about as high as an airliner. Serenity knew the air was thin that high; that was what the masks were about, wasn’t it?

Serenity shook himself and tried to come up with an answer to Helio’s grumbling when Helios continued to stare. He started to reply quickly, stopped, then went with his initial reply. “I’m a dragon. Pretty sure that’s true whether I’m in the underworld or not.”

Helios visibly started. It was strange to see someone floating actually jump, but he somehow managed it. “I thought all of Earth’s dragons were dead.”

Serenity grinned. He was really coming to like throwing people for a loop. “Obviously not.”

Helios seemed to expect Serenity to say more about it, but Serenity was just as happy waiting. Eventually, Helios grumbled, “Point it out. I need to know where to send us.”

Serenity was surprised to find that he had no trouble reaching a cell tower. He pulled updated maps since he’d never grabbed them for Nevada, then found the address and tried to match it against what he was seeing. It took some time and Aide’s assistance to narrow down the exact location, but when he did it was fairly easy to point out to Helios. Helios seemed to have far better vision than Serenity.