It gives me a playful nip and ruffles its feathers. The way they fluff up makes it look like a black pompom. I can’t help but chuckle.
It freezes and stretches its neck to look around me at the door. I turn just as footsteps are heard coming along the landing. I look back at the Strix and see its shadow disappearing into the night sky. There’s a knock at my door.
I open it to find Lukas with a plate of pizza.
“You didn’t come down for dinner and Penny fired up the pizza oven.” He holds it out to me. “Ham and pineapple, your favourite.”
I take it from him and the smell of it makes my stomach rumble.
“Thanks! Fancy sharing?” I step to the side inviting him in.
His face lights up. “Sure!”
I go over to a table just inside the double doors that lead to my balcony. There’s a bit of clutter on it that I shove out the way to make room for the pizza. My old bag falls to the floor and Lukas bends down to pick it up. As he does a phone slips out of it onto the floor. He grabs it and puts it on the table and hangs the empty bag on the back of his chair as he takes a seat.
“Krista you OK? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He asks gently.
I didn’t realise I was still standing, staring at the phone on the table like it’ll bite. I shake my head and sit down grabbing a slice of pizza.
“Yeah I’m fine. I just forgot I had that.” I say nonchalantly nodding to the phone.
“Your phone?” He says as he tucks into the pizza as well.
“It’s not mine. That’s the phone I took from Alistair after I…” I struggle to finish the sentence. Captured, maimed and tortured him and forced him to face more torture at the hands of his own father. “…I used him to free you all.”
“Have you looked through it? It might have information we could use.” He says as he tries turning it on. The battery is dead.
“No point. It only unlocks with his fingerprint.”
“I could give it to Caleb to check out? He can hack almost anything.”
“Yeah why not.” I dig into my third slice of pizza. Penny’s cooking is second to none.
Lukas pockets the phone. There’s a comfortable silence as we finish the pizza. He offers me the last slice but I’m stuffed. I lean back in my chair and bring my knee up to my chest. Out of the corner of my eye I watch Lukas’s gaze trail along my exposed leg.
“I had another reason for coming up here. I wanted to check how you were doing after today. It sounds like you saw some pretty intense stuff.” His brow creases in concern.
I sigh. “Yeah I’m still trying to process it to be honest. I knew that night was awful but seeing it firsthand…Seeinghim. Even though it was just his eyes and the rest of him was surrounded in shadow…” I try to hide my shiver as I see Hades's ice cold eyes. “ And seeing you and your dad…” My chest tightens.
Lukas leans across the table and takes my hand. “He died protecting you and Gwen. His death was an honourable sacrifice. I would gladly give my life to protect you as well.” The raw emotion in his eyes, the pain and determination threaten tears in my own.
“I hope you never have to. It’s my turn to protect you all now.” I smile reassuringly. “You and Seth saved my mum and me and then I saved you all from Hades. I guess that makes us even.”
“Do you really think that we are waiting on a war?” His voice is almost a whisper. “Surely Hades saw how strong you are and won't attempt an attack.”
“Hades is as old as time and he made it his mission to wipe out Nymphs and Werewolves. Probably as a slight to Gaia and Zeus. I don'tthinkhe'll come for my Mum and Me. I know he will.” I sigh. “The fact that I stood up to him and threatened to kill his son... I just made his game an even bigger challenge. I just need to hope I'm strong enough to take him down.”
“Well then you need to get training. Let’s see just how much power you can channel and how you can use it against him. I said I'll take you to the top of the 'cano. So we'll go tomorrow morning.” He stands picking up the empty plate. He leans down and plants a soft kiss on my cheek. “Get some sleep. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow.” He winks and leaves the room.
Chapter 17
I don't sleep well at all that night. My mind keeps goingover the night of the attack over and over again. The blood, pain, anguish and the eyes. Those icy silver, evil eyes. No matter how much I try to push them from my mind I feel like they're watching me. Taunting me with suffering that is going to come. Then the three rotting figures. I know they were Skinwalkers. They're more terrifying then Izzy described.
It gets to the early hours of the morning and I lift myself out of bed and go to the balcony. The air is cool and refreshing. I stare out at the stars and over the forest to try and clear my head. There's a comfy swing chair and I get nestled into that and surround myself with the peaceful sounds of the forest. In the distance the volcano is sleeping. It's silhouette cutting the night sky in half. As I stare at it my eyes get heavy and I finally drift off to a deep, uninterrupted sleep.
I awaken with the forest as I always do nowadays and the sun feels warm upon my face. I stretch and lay there admiring my surroundings for a while. Sleeping outside is so refreshing. I can't believe I haven't been doing this all along!
Eventually, I flop out of my new favourite bed and get myself washed and dressed in shorts and a camisole. I head downstairs to my dad cooking a full English breakfast. Lukas is starting to dish it up on plates.
