“Yeah, it fucking will. Your plan is to duel a god,” I remind him.
He scoffs quietly. “And I plan to win.”
“We will, and Blondie might know where that Tongue of something is, as a first choice.”
He looks over his shoulder at me and nods. “Yeah, we’ll find a way.”
Once he leaves, I finish my can, toss it into the waste bin beside the TV and settle down to sleep. Barely a few minutes have passed when I sense the changes around me.
The smell of death fills the room, and something dark takes it over. I smirk, my eyes still shut as I feel the weight that presses down on me.
“Really, evenyoucouldn’t just let me sleep for a bit before showing up?”
TooClose
Heaven
Itoss and turn; the room feels stuffy. Allie fell asleep quite quickly after we returned, showering first, of course. She’s now sleeping on her back, her hands resting on her waist on top of her perfectly folded sleeping bag. Not a single hair out of place.
Like a vampire in a coffin.
Katara is still asleep as well, but not me.
I sit up, braiding my hair, hoping it helps. A few strands come out from the front. My hair is thick, and I hold the end whilst whispering a small spell to retrieve a scrunchie from my bag. I tie the end of my hair, lying back down again and stare at the ceiling.
Let’s count wolves…
One wolf, two wolves… three wolves…
My wrist tingles, and I raise it in front of me sharply,staring at the glowing green symbol on my wrist. It burns brightly and then begins diminishing.
Theo.
I kick off my bedding, whispering a silencing spell as I rush from the room. Why is his life force diminishing? My heart thuds. Was this the price for asking for Hades’ help? What happened?
Earlier, I had imprinted him with a spell that would not only tell me his whereabouts, in case he ran, but also would tell me if trouble came his way. This mission is my responsibility, and I’m not about to let anyone get hurt. I’ve done the same to Allie, too, and I’ll do the same to Jayce when I get a chance to get close to him. This mission is risky after all.
I had sat beside Theo on purpose, so I was able to cast my spell. Jayce will be harder; he’s always had this thing about keeping his distance.
I hurry to the basement door, whispering a spell to unlock it and step inside. The place is dark, darker than normal, and there seems to be remnants of something… stale? I’m not even sure.
I flip on the light switch and hurry down the steps, only realising now that I came barefoot.
“Theo?” I call as I hurry around the sofa and see him sitting on it, looking like someone high on drugs, his head lolling back, legs sprawled in front of him, and hands slumped by his sides. “Theo!”
I’m in front of him in an instant, checking his pulse and his forehead when his eyes snap open, milky white and deadly.His hand suddenly shoots out and wraps around my throat in an agonisingly painful grip.
“Theo…” I choke out.
His hand tightens. He doesn’t speak as he flings me sideways onto the sofa. My back hits it hard as I stare into his unseeing eyes.
What is happening to him?
He doesn’t move, and I feel the tingle grow on my wrist.
My eyes blaze as I focus on casting a spell, even if my vocal cords are cut off. I can feel how weak he is, but even then, the strength he possesses is unbelievable.
My magic glows around me, and I hope it works. This isn’t a spell I’ve performed without chanting the words out loud. I channel some of my own energy into him, giving his weakening body some strength.
