Olympus Ascending

By L.C. Tinsley

Ava Carmichael has spent centuries running from her past, existing in the shadows and not really living. But now she finds that she can no longer stay hidden.Especially when someone she thought she'd left behind her shows up on her doorstep, telling her that he needs her help. Powerful magic that was long forgotten and buried has begun to resurface, bringing with it new horrors that threaten everyone on Earth. Now Ava must face a life she thought she had escaped and the dangers that come with it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.C. Tinsley
• Release date: Mar 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9780999855805

Book preview

Olympus Ascending

Olympus Ascending

By: L.C. Tinsley

Copyright © 2018 by L.C. Tinsley All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First Printing: 2018

ISBN: 978-0-9998558-0-5

Table of Contents

Olympus Ascending

Prologue

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWLEVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THRITY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Prologue

Most of the stories you hear start out with once upon a time, this one is no different… only this time, I don’t know the ending, but who am I kidding… I’m not sure I ever did.

You know the stories, you’ve read about us, the us we once were. But they lied to you. The tales aren’t all true and they lack the facts. They are all fantasy. The truth about us is much more real. Yes, we were there, but not the way they said. It was all a false sense of divinity. But we had everything, everything we wanted, and everything we didn’t deserve. Yes, we had powers but not just the ones you know… our powers were so much more than they made them out to be, more potent and more dangerous. And with power comes a price. Our price was our humanity. We lost it. We changed.

There were fifteen of us up there watching and judging with no thought of consequences when we should have concerned ourselves with the effects of our actions. We unleashed great goods on the earth but with the good came the darkest of dark known to this world, harnessed some powers and failed to control the rest, because with the good there is always bad.

We tried to right our wrongs, mend the problems we created but in the process, we lost who we were before and became the things we worked so hard to keep from humanity. Sometimes the best intentions become the nightmares you try to destroy.

So as the story should begin...

Once upon a time they worshiped us, once upon a time we were in power, once upon a time… we were gods…

CHAPTER ONE

The rain pounded down on the tin roof sounding like bullets being pelted from a gun. Ava Carmichael stood under the awning with her black leather jacket drawn tightly around her; taking a long draw from her cigarette. The long dark alleyway was right off of the main street, a dreary area with only the tattoo shop at the end. Lights from the street filtered down reflecting like diamond strands in the puddles. The cool air swirled through the rain biting at the edges of her exposed skin, but that wasn’t what bothered her. Ava's nerves were on edge today. She wasn’t sure why, almost like her body felt the looming presence of something on the horizon.

A buzz resounded inside her head as it always did, she hated the buzz. It was constant and annoying. Luckily, with all her years of experience she was good at blocking it out. She looked up the skinny dark alleyway. Sounds from the road floated down like they were being screamed into a cone. On a dry night, it would have been laughter and footfalls but tonight with the rain it was the roar of car engines. Her foot smacked the water on the cracked sidewalk as she tapped it to calm her nerves and took another long draw of smoke; orange embers devoured the end of the cigarette. The red neon light from the tattoo shop’s open sign cast a crimson light down on the sharply drawn features of Ava's face, making her long dark brown locks look auburn. The heavy metal door of the shop opened behind her. Staring forward, she knew who it was before he spoke to her, his mind was familiar.

Is it break time, Ava? Mitch’s slimy voice said one thing while his mind thought another. Ava had been working with Mitch in Underworld Tattoo since the start of the year, personally she thought the name was ironic. Mitch Piper was the owner, a lanky guy with short blonde spiked hair and tattoos covering every visible spot and just about every other spot that wasn't visible. He had a gaunt demeanor, and a long face that made him appear even thinner than he was. His eyes were gray brown and sunken deep in the sockets.

Ava rolled her eyes as Mitch's mind wandered through scenes and wild fantasies, some true, some not. Real or false, it all made her cringe and wander what the hell she had been thinking. Smoking, Mitch, what does it look like?

You want to some company? Mitch's tone lingered disgustingly and made his thoughts project even louder. Ava recoiled as he stepped even closer to her. She could feel his eyes traveling up and down her backside. Her skin crawled. She didn't have to see him to know what he was thinking. The feel of Mitch's eyes taking in her long slender figure and the way she looked in her dark denim jeans and motorcycle boots, made her sick. Ava saw last night vividly through his mind… it was definitely not the same as she remembered it to be. But now she might just loose her lunch.

Ava could read minds, one of the special talents she had gained from her past. She could read the thoughts of a person and be able to recognize their mind’s voice and emotional signature. It could be a very helpful power but most of the time it was irritating.

Ava scoffed, Not from you.

Oh, come on. Mitch purred, reaching out to touch her hips.

Ava jerked out his reach before his hands even made contact.

Mitch’s mind said the curse word like he was shouting it.

Ava’s anger spiked. Go away Mitch.

The door slam as Mitch walked back inside; Ava flicked the ashes away from her. She wasn’t sure why she had ever begun this thing they had… she didn’t have a word for what she thought it was. Mitch considered it a relationship of some sort, but Ava saw it as something else entirely.

The rainfall continued to batter the tin like thousands of tiny nails as she stood still under the awning. Frustrated with the very idea of Mitch, she turned toward the alleyway and left the shop.

Ava grabbed the hood of her sweatshirt she had on under the leather jacket, pulled it over her tangled waves and walked through the pelting raindrops. Mitch’s mind and mood when she went back inside the shop was not something she wanted to deal with, leaving was best. Mitch was only there out of convenience and nothing else; he filled a gap that became bigger each day. A gap that served as the main reason for the constant bitterness she encountered all the time. Ava had never been in love nor did she ever plan on being there, love was for the weak, and it clouded your judgment. Humanity just hadn’t seen that yet.

The streets of downtown Louisville bustled even in the rain, but soon the rain subsided and people emerged out from the shelter they had taken. The buzz in her head was too annoying to ignore. Reaching into her pocket she slipped the earphones of her iPod up through her jacket and into her ears, the rock drowned out the buzz. The rain's disappearance meant that the city would wake up from its slumber. A few more streets down the nightlife of Louisville was in full swing tonight, all of them. Ava kept her eyes downcast. The last thing she needed was to be noticed or recognized.

By a club door a beautiful blonde with vivid purple, pink, and blue makeup was clinging to the front of a good-looking guy. The girl wasn’t just beautiful, she was unnaturally beautiful. Her skin and hair were subtly luminescent like the glow of the moon, and her thoughts weren’t human at all. They were long haunting songs. Other men were staring enviously at the two, like the saying goes if looks could kill… Ava gave a wide berth to the couple and their envious spectators. She knew what this girl was.

Everywhere she could feel them as she walked down the street. They mixed with the humans, concealing their truths from them in the shadows, with the bright flashing club lights and loud music. Supernaturals.

Ava cut down the next alleyway to avoid the crowds. She leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, too much activity. The alleyway was shadowy; it had to be better than the busy street. Her black boots sloshed through the heavy puddles, she removed the earphones. There was less buzz down here. Her brain did its usual trek down memory lane as she walked.  Memories fired through her head, like stills on a motion picture reel. A large mansion made of alabaster, never ending corridors, vast rooms swam through her mind. And she watched as her humanity fell away. A chill settled over her. She shook it off along with the memories.

Continuing down the damp alleyway, Ava felt the memories pushing at the edges of her consciousness but she ignored them. She passed large dark heaps of trash and debris and old darkened doorways. It wasn’t until halfway Ava realized she wasn’t alone. The darkness had become thicker and heavier, but it wasn’t the air she was feeling. The feeling was morbid, like death and decay. The sensation was because she was reading the intentions of something. A Fury.

This unnerved her. Ava hadn’t seen one out in the open like this in centuries. Her eyes narrowed into the darkness and she cast her mind around the area to read through the blackness of its thoughts. Through the Fury's mind she could see herself, it was somewhere above her. The Fury didn’t know who she was, which gave her the advantage. Ava's insides itched for the fight that was coming; time never took away the fight.

A sudden whoosh from behind her signaled the creature's dissension upon her like a predator… the only difference was, it was mistaken who the real predator was. Ava turned to face it. A man’s face came into focus, his features distorted by the evil spirit that had taken his body. He leered at her with a hungry expression all over his face.

The Fury’s head moved from side to side inhaling the scent of the blood that ran through her veins. Darkness clouded his thoughts, but the smell of her blood stirred hunger inside him, aching and clawing at his throat. His body lifting up and down with his heavy breath, a guttural growl issued from the recesses of his vocal cords. His eyes were catlike and fierce with inky darkness surrounding them like hollow caverns.

The Fury rushed at Ava. She swung around, her fist coming into contact with the sharp angry face of the Fury. He was thrown backwards with the force of her blow. Ava could see the confusion seeping through his mind. The Fury didn’t understand her strength, her power… but he would.

Ava turned to face the Fury. He stood up, snarling at his victim. He was going to rip her apart. The thoughts in his mind were dark, but the message was loud and clear. He charged. The fingernails on his hands lengthened into black claws. The Fury ran at her once more slashing his blackened claw like fingers through the air. Ava ducked and weaved to avoid the razor-sharp nails. Stepping back, she evaded another long swipe, the being growled angrily.

Adrenaline rose inside of Ava. The surges of power edging around her, like sparks of electricity. She raised her right hand at him, her palm open and swung her arm to the right. She sensed the power leave her hand. The Fury flew like he had been hit by an invisible train, smashing into the alley wall with a resounding crash.

Groans issued from the pile trash and rubble he had landed in. Ava approached him, her boots splashing water as she walked. A knowing and bitter smile crossed her face as she leaned down coming face to face with the Fury. The putrid smell of rotting flesh under the glossy pale skin filled her nose. Reaching down, Ava placed her hand around the Fury’s throat. The Fury struggled against her iron hard grip. His cat like white eyes swimming in the dark caverns focused on her face, cowering like a frightened animal.

Hm, so now you are scared, are you? Ava's voice was like silk with a razors edge. She toyed with him. You should be.

The Fury spat a slew of curse words in her face.

Anger swelled up in her at the word. Ah there is still some nerve left in that dying body of yours. Let’s see how you feel if I start ripping you apart. And trust me, I can. She ran her finger along the Fury’s neck. An involuntary chill shuddered through the Fury’s body.

The Fury looked up, defiance and fear written all over his face. It made him look pathetic.

Who are you? His voice was rough and unearthly, like his vocal cords were dying.  Ava would enjoy killing him. This abomination shouldn’t even be alive right now.

A vindictive smile spread across Ava’s face. The name is Ava. I’m a witch. But then again you might know me by another name. She opened her palm, felt the heat of fire run through her veins and course down in to her palm. The Fury’s face contorted in horror he knew what was about to happen.

I used to be Athena, and I used to be a god.   Hatred slurred in the last word. Ava lowered her hand to the Fury’s chest; sparks became full-fledged flames as they emanated from her hand and engulfed the body. A howl of agony escaped him as he faded into smoke and ash before her.

CHAPTER TWO

Ava didn’t understand. Furies had fled underground into the recesses of the mountains and sewers after Hades disappeared. Single attacks happened, in the darkness, places like caves and remote areas. They preferred to live there because they could hide; they knew her Coven still existed above ground. And without their leader, they are nothing.

Ava’s mind ran in circles trying to make sense of a Fury stalking the public. Furies came to be when the bodies of humans died and became inhabited by an evil spirit. These spirits fed on blood and skin. They were the source of the horror stories of vampires and zombies. The difference between their fictional counterparts and them, light did not affect them nor were they grunting shells of their former selves, or any other tricks from the literature that talks of these monsters. The only ways to kill them involved severing their head or use the elements.

Long ago, Fury attacks were easier to hear about because people would tell stories of evil spirits after seeing them. But these days’ people wouldn’t be able to recognize them, they would just think the furies are people who liked heavy eye makeup. Changing times made it harder and harder to spot the supernatural these days unless you happened to be one.

Ava ignored the buzzing in her head as she ran as fast as she could down the street toward her apartment. Swiftly she cut around corners, her agility looked inhuman but she didn’t care. She had to get to her apartment and fast. This surprise visit and the increase in the supernatural activity would mean she needed to leave and soon. The city was too dangerous now.

As she rounded the last street corner, her apartment came in to view. A run-down building with crumbling steps and boarded up windows. The street dark because of all the busted lamps but it was so far off the beaten path she thought for sure no one could find her; it was the extreme opposite of her past life.

Druid, Magician, Sorcerer, Enchanter, Conjurer, Witch, Warlock, god…

There had been many words for what Ava was, depending on what area and culture you belonged to, they assigned a name to it.

In her past life, Ava belonged to a Coven of powerful witches and warlocks. They supplied the myths and legends in today’s world. The Coven also known as the Olympians or the gods of Olympus. But they were never gods; they were born mortals with special talents. Theirs was just more powerful than most. Part of the reason was because the Coven was an elemental one. Each of them identified with an element they controlled at will… earth, air, fire or water. Some of them developed other powers on top of their original elemental control… like Ava. She also developed telepathic and telekinetic powers.

On Olympus, life was luxury. It differed greatly from the life she had now. The apartment she lived in was a rundown residence in the worst part of town. She preferred it that way now if it meant never having to see them again.

Ava took steps long ago to prevent the others from finding her. The long waist length light brown locks that used cascade down to her lower back now only reached just below her shoulders. Dyed dark brown, almost black, she thought it mirrored her soul. Tattoos and piercings littered her body. Ava doubted that anyone from her past would even recognize her now and that was the way she wanted it. She wanted nothing to do with them.

Ava remembered her past well, sometimes a little too well.

The Coven of Olympus was large, fifteen strong. Their names were synonymous in Mythology. Their parents’ Coven had moved from Rome. The old tales claimed their parents were the Roman counterparts to their Greek god identities, but that was not the case. But the mortals got a lot of things wrong in the stories they called Mythology. The Olympus Coven’s parents passed their knowledge onto to their children, who eventually exceeded even the powers of their parents.

When a tragic accident took the lives of some of their parents, life changed. The Roman Coven was never the same. And eventually, their children, created their own Coven and moved from their home to another home. They came to Mount Olympus to start a new life for themselves.

The Coven’s power had been what catapulted them to the status of the gods. Power like that drew lots of attention. Rumors of their abilities spread like wildfire through the land. It was that power that created the lust for more power and that lust made them do what they did those many years ago.

An attack like this may have been noticed if anyone was watching. The fear of any of them finding her gripped her soul. Ava's apartment was on the third floor. She grabbed her keys from her back pocket and unlocked the sticky deadbolt of the peeling red door. The apartment was dark but Ava needed no light and it was better she didn’t have one on. She hurried over to the small bedroom that held an old weather-beaten dresser and a small cot covered in old blankets and a worn pillow. The more time she lost, the more possibility she would get caught. She snatched her dingy brown duffle bag from under the cot and stuffed only clothes into it from the dresser. In no time, she packed everything she owned in that one duffle and headed out her door. There would be no need to lock the door or even shut it; she wasn’t coming back.

Ava bolted down the stairs, taking two or three at a time, listening to every sound and every thought passing through the walls and shabby doors of her building. She had a plan already in place; she would catch the next train out of town. On the bottom floor, the small hallway was empty. She walked toward the door quietly, and then suddenly she caught something. A wisp of emotion from a familiar mind… but they were trying to mask their thoughts from her.

You know it's bad manners to not say hello to an old friend. The voice ran through her mind like an arrow splitting a target. Ava knew him without even looking.

And it’s terrible manners to run away. You’re a hard woman to track down.

Of all the people from Olympus, she never expected this one. Ava turned to face him. He had not changed, but then again, he wouldn’t because they aged at a rate so slow it was almost not aging at all. They were all fixed in stone in their mid 20s. Thanks to a spell they had performed on Olympus they were practically immortal. As witches and warlocks, they possessed the power to heal quickly. But for them it was not enough, they wanted immortality, and they got it, or at least as close as possible.

Looking at him… was like looking at a carved statue. Phillip had high cheekbones and a strong jaw line shaded lightly with a five o’clock shadow that lead up to deep brown messy hair. It was a little longer now than it had been on Olympus. His stature was tall, towering over her mere five foot six inches height. He wore a fitted white tee under a distressed black leather jacket and a pair of dark denim jeans, it fit his stature well. His build wasn’t skinny like Mitch but he wasn’t built with muscle on top of muscle, he merely made the perfect in between. But of all his handsome features his eyes were the winner. A shade of bottomless devouring blue that would make anyone melt. He had always been considered the handsome one.

Even Ava admitted that.

She vaguely wondered if people felt the same way when they looked at her. It had been so long since she’d seen another one of her kind… this must be how people saw them. Maybe she hadn’t been hiding well enough.

Poseidon. Ava nodded with her teeth clenched, What do you want?

Ava wasn’t close to Poseidon on Olympus. Maybe they were close before when they were children before they chose what they did. But Ava couldn’t remember things like being friends with any of them, and she didn’t want to, she