Chapter Eighteen
Tristan
Even though Thalia was here in my arms, safe, I still felt like I was on the verge of losing myself and going after those who have been trying to hurt her. She was lying against me while we watched a movie. Our friends had slowly trickled out to see if she was okay, before going back to their rooms to finish sleeping off the sickness. I am forever indebted to Aphrodite for rescuing Thalia before she could get sick.
When Thalia started to drift off, I set her down on the cushion of the couch and stood. I needed to expend some of the energy that was stuck inside me. I felt volatile.
Thalia made a little whimper in her sleep. I worried she was suffering in her dream, but after a quick peek inside, I saw that she wasn’t dreaming anything. She was simply missing my body against hers.
There was nothing I wanted more than to hold her forever.
But right now I had to do something else. I walked out of the house, Jack following close on my heels. I didn’t know where I was going, or what I was going to do. Something just needed to happen with my mind right now. I was not in a good place to be the support Thalia needed me to be. In that mist, I felt like I had lost her. It wasn’t a feeling I missed, but one I easily recognized. Waiting for her was the best thing I had ever done, but it wasn’t a walk in the park. Like I told her in the dream world, there were so many times I wished she was there with me, living life with me. I was alone, and for those few hours, despite having the demigods with me, I was alone again.
“I can’t lose them, Jack.” I looked at the ghost dog, who simply cocked his head to the side.
“What can I do?” He didn’t answer me, but he would listen. I talked to him a lot during my millennia of waiting for her. He was all I had for a while.
Feeling that rage rise inside me again, I transformed myself again, and let out a growl that shook the ground beneath me. Taking off into a sprint, I had a feeling where I was heading, but couldn’t stop myself. The anger was leading my feet. In a moment, I stood in front of Osiris’s palace. He was technically the god of the underworld, since I got demoted after falling in love with Thalia the first time.
“You threaten my family again, and I will rip the heart from your chest and eat it myself. Give up your shameful fight!” I growled at the black gates. Nothing. I looked around to see the underworld had changed slightly; was growing into a state of unrest. This would not be pleasant, but I’d been through it many times. The sand had turned a darker shade of orange. If it kept going, the grains would look red. Like blood.
“Let my family be!” I demanded to whoever was listening, and turned to walk away. No one came out to meet me, or speak to me. Just silence. Fuckhead gods didn’t have anything better to do with their lives, so they play games with mine. Still feeling like I was going to explode on the inside, I simply went for a run. It didn’t really do much for me, except help clear my mind for a brief moment, but it was enough for now.
I transported myself back into the house to see Thalia was still asleep, and Orion was sitting on a chair carving his bow. Interesting.
“All good?” I asked him while looking around. Everything seemed to be in order.
“Yep. She’s out.”He looked up to answer me, then went back to whatever he was doing. I leaned down to kiss Thalia’s cheek and then to clean myself off in the shower.
Once dried off, I went back to join the others, who were up and moving about, making food. Thalia was awake and sitting quietly, watching Leander and Lacey try to make some soup. Probably something easy for their stomachs. Promptly, I walked over to my love and swept her into my arms, needing her comfort. My head was not in a good place right now. I needed her to help ease my soul.
“I’m glad you’re with me, love.”
Her brown eyes looked up at me, and her smile was sweet, but she felt my vulnerability.
“No other place I would ever be. Remember, even death couldn’t keep me away.” She leaned in and kissed me quickly. She died once, and was granted reincarnation. I wasn’t so sure that if something ever happened to her—if that ring was to come off— if she would have that option again. My thoughts kept spiraling down, remembering the pain of losing her. The look in her eyes when her life drained from them, leaving her cold. I couldn’t stop the images from flooding my head. But now the images included her with our children. Their lives depended on us. To fight, to pull through, to survive.
“Tristan, what’s wrong?” She could feel the pain surging through me.
“Don’t worry about it, love.” I knew I had to calm my soul, or it would worry her. I did what I had to, and the pain was covered by a nothingness. She eyed me, not really buying my sudden change of mood.
“Who’s up for soup?” Lacey had perfect timing, distracting Thalia from pursuing what was going on inside my mind. Her stomach growled, and I knew she was torn: Figure me out, or eat. For now, eating won. She got up and grabbed a bowl of whatever soup the two lovers had made. Everyone ate, not really chatting, but not because there wasn’t things to say. Everyone had gone through so much in the last twelve hours that they were lost in their own minds.
“ How are you feeling?” Lacey asked Thalia, wanting to check on her.
“Okay. I’m starting to feel a little uncomfortable. They are running out of room in there.” One of the babes decided to prove his or her point by kicking, making her wince a little.
“I bet. You still look hot, though.” Thalia rolled her eyes at that comment, obviously not quite feeling it. Seemed I had some proving to do tonight, to show her that she was beautiful, even with her swollen stomach, and heavier breasts. She was simply exquisite. Focusing on her body as it was right now, in that Grecian dress, was helping with the pain that was still laying underneath the surface. I would need to explore that later. Being buried inside her always seemed to complete me in ways I could never have dreamed. She was the other half to my soul. When we were connected in that way, we were one. One Person, one soul, one love.
“You do look good dove.” Leander put in his two cents. Thalia just looked at him and then burst into a fit of giggles.
“Wow! You know, I’ve never thought about your nickname for me until now. Dove, so smart! The dove was Aphrodite’s sacred animal. I’m her daughter. Sneaky sneaky.” She kept on laughing. Lacey joined it, but most just because Thalia’s giggle was contagious. Leander just shook his head at the two girls. Orion sat there eating, obviously still not feeling like one of the crowd, but it seemed like he was trying.
“Finally caught on. And you went to college and were all smart and shit.” He was teasing her.
“Turd!” She pointed at him, with a what-the-hell tone in her voice.
“ Just saying, kinda slow there. Only took you forever.” He kept poking the bear. She was getting riled up, but in a good way.
