Chapter Twenty Four
Tristan
I watched as Thalia took the babies in to feed them and put them down to bed. I told her that I just needed a few minutes, and then I would be inside. Hopefully nothing sounded off to her, because in truth I was going to be having a little chat with my brother. I walked deeper into the woods so she wouldn’t be able to see me, and then called his name.
“Horus.” The hawk above me tilted his head, and then flew down the ground, becoming a man once again.
“Brother.” He stood there in a T-shirt and jeans, looking very normal.
“I sense you’ve come for a reason?” I just wanted him to spit out whatever the reason he was here, needing to get back to my family.
“To the point. Got it. Well, I’m here to help; I told you I was on your side. The first battle, I was detained. Osiris found a way to keep me busy so I didn’t even know until after it all happened. Not again. I know they—the gods and some of the demigod minions— are planning to attack soon. It’ll be the final battle to end it all, one way or another. I wish to stay near, so I can be of assistance.” He looked sincere, and nervous, placing his hand in his pockets and waiting for me to say something. His soul showed no ill will towards my family. I knew what he was saying was true.
“Any help we can get.” He smiled that I was accepting his offer, and then looked around. Pride for my family bubbled up in my chest.
“Wanna meet your niece and nephew?”
“Fuck, yeah, I do.” He grinned, and his eyes blinked like a hawks. He was so excited that he was a bit out of control with himself. We walked back to the cabin together, and when Thalia saw us, her eyes went wide.
“He’s on our side. He was held back during the battle, but wishes to remain near us for the next. To battle alongside us.” I could tell she was uneasy about him. The only real interaction she had with him was in Egypt, when he and Osiris took me away from our wedding, and then at our recent wedding. They really didn’t talk much then. She eyed him, then set the babies down in their little bouncer seats that we had brought. She moved with long strides to him and pointed at his chest.
“God or not, I will find a way to torture you until you go insane for all eternity if you do anything to harm my children,” She was one hundred percent serious. Horus knew she was, too.
“Brave woman you have.” He looked at me, then winked at her.
“I’ll show you brave when I shove a cattle prod up your ass on high.” She winked back at him sarcastically, which made him raise his hands in surrender.
“Honestly, I mean no harm. I only wish to help protect my family.” His hands came down and he leaned down towards her.
“You are my family now.” He urged her to understand him. She huffed and muttered something under her breath.
“May I see them?” His voice held vulnerability now, and she looked into his eyes then mine.
“Okay.” She walked back over to the babes, who were watching their mother with curious eyes. She picked up Ren and held him out to Horus. I tried to hold back a laugh when he looked nervous about holding a baby. It had been a long time for all of us. He opened his arms for Thalia to set Ren inside Horus’s grasp. Ren looked up at Horus and smiled. His hair changed from its natural color to black, to match Horus’s black hair with a brown streak to the side of his temple. He’d adopted that look in the last century, said it was his true colors.
“He is a blessing,” he said to us but his eyes never left the child’s. They watched each other curiously, before he was caught in the babes’ web of cuteness. My brother was officially won over until the end of time. He held onto Ren for another five minutes before switching to hold Callista.
“So much like you.” He complimented us on my daughter’s hair and looks. She had her mother’s eyes, but she did have strong features from me. I was thankful to have a mixture of Thalia and I in our children. It was going to be beautiful to watch them grow. We all sat down and watched as the two babes fell asleep being held by their family. When it was time to eat dinner and settle in for the night, Horus took it upon himself to stand watch all night. He turned into his hawk form, and then flew around searching for any danger that was near.
“He wasn’t too bad,” Thalia commented as she lifted up the covers and slid underneath them. I went to wash up real quick, and then crept into bed myself.
“No, he was always the responsible one. But when he sees something is wrong, he will not stand with it. He knows our children are a good thing, and will protect them fiercely. Her eyes closed and I knew she was having troubles. Her heart was hurting, and I wanted to ease her pain. My arms reached out and brought her against my chest.
“It’s going to be all right, love.” She was feeling so emotional, all I could do was hold her until she fell asleep. I wished our troubles could be over, and we could finally have the peace we had been chasing for so long. It was always one thing after another. I looked down at her peacefully sleeping face and still agreed with my decision. Through all our trials, death, and suffering, I would never feel like this was all a mistake. Somehow, Thalia cuddled into me closer than before and I smiled, eager to meet her in her dreams, and show her my love, over and over.
A loud knock on the door woke me from me from a very nice dream with my wife. I looked over at the clock on the nightstand on Thalia’s side of the bed and guessed I’d only been asleep for an hour. Looking down at my love and then the babes, who were all still asleep, I got up quietly and went to handle whoever was at the door myself.
“Leander?” I opened the door surprised. He walked in with a big duffle bag on his shoulder.
“They’re coming. Dad came and told me to come tell you. He even dropped me off.” I looked behind him expecting to see Lacey, but there was no one there.
“I couldn’t let her come. She’s not a fighter. I can’t let her die.” His face was hard, and menacing. Even in our last battle, and our hunt to find Thalia before, I’d never seen him this livid.
“Start your plan, and get ready. They know where you are and will be here in an hour.” His eyes leveled mine and told me the truth of it all.
War was coming.
Horus flew in a moment later and confirmed what Leander had said. Now we would see what their army could do. Leander had called the last of the demigods who were left from our previous battle and arranged to get them here. It was no easy feat, but he managed get them on their way.
