“You've touched the water,” he warned me. “Be careful.”
Oh, right. Yeah, I was definitely going to get myself killed here.
We started out again and I thankfully got myself under control, the wave of sadness disappearing as quickly as it came. Unfortunately, the water didn't vanish as fast, and I found myself dreaming of dry land as we continued to wade through it.
It was fucking cold too; my teeth started to chatter after some time.
“I'm going to get sick from this,” I muttered, trying my best not to let it turn into a whine. “Boiling hot level five, freezing cold level six. What the fuck is level seven going to be?”
Hyperion laughed. “Whatever it is, you'll survive it. You're tougher than you look, Maisey. I’m almost certain there's nothing you can't endure and conquer.”
Again with the warm fuzzy feelings, and on cue … waterworks.
This whole Cronus thing had broken me.#Legit
The longer we walked, the worse I felt, until my legs were numb and tingling, my stomach churning, my head pounding, and I was actually convinced that I was about to come down with the worst fucking flu ever.
“The portal should be around here,” Hyperion said, pausing. I almost ran straight into his back, as the surge of agony in my brain increased, just momentarily, before it backed off again. It was strong enough that I had to reach out and grab the Titan's shirt.
He looked down at me in the low light. “You okay, Maisey?”
I swallowed hard. “I don't feel great right now. Does the underworld have its own special version of the flu? Because I think I'm about to get hit with a doozy.”
His eyes were super wide, and it was clear my question gave him cause for concern. “What exactly are your symptoms?” he asked in a harsh bark.
Shaking my head to try to brush off the fatigue—hello, new symptom—I was just opening my mouth to reply, but before I could, he yelled the same question again.
#ExcuseMe #BedsideManner #YourVoiceIsHurtingMe
“I'm nauseous, my head is pounding with what feels like it might be the headache of the century. I'm starving, my skin is super dry and needs a good exfoliation, and I'm suddenly a little dizzy … which is probably part of the starving thing.”
His eyes darted down to the waist-deep water. “Did any get in your mouth?”
I shook my head. “No. I mean, I'm almost certain none did. The only time it was possible is when we first landed, and I wasn't aware it was poisonous then.”
“You're about to touch your face again,” he said dryly, and I jerked my hand back down.
“Okay, so there is a small possibility I accidentally touched my face when pushing my hair back or something,” I finally admitted. Speaking of, this water had better not destroy any of the hair that was trailing behind me in its murky depths. I was hoping to come out of this shithole with my Instagram account intact, and for that I need my hair to survive.
Hyperion shook his head, but he didn't roll his eyes, so that was an improvement. “I need to get you back in Cronus’ care,” he muttered. “This is too much responsibility for me.”
He wasn't the first being to think that about me and he probably wouldn't be the last. I wasn't even offended, because he had a point. “How are we going to find this portal in the water, though?” I asked, trying to get us back on track. He wasn't the only one who wanted me back in Cronus’ care.
Hyperion actually smiled. “The water is drying up.”
What…?
I blinked at the very obvious signs I hadn't noticed while Hyperion had been acting all drill-sergeant over my current state of health. The water that had been at my waist before was now at my knees. Within minutes, it had dropped as low as our ankles until, eventually, it was bone-dry ground again.
Turning back around, I blinked at the lack of water anywhere.
“This place is fucked up,” I said, trying to wrap my poor fragile mind around the insanity of what had just happened. “But as long as we're able to find the portal, I don't even care.”
“I can see it!” Hyperion all but shouted, sounding both relieved and excited. “As soon as we hit level seven, we should be able to sense Cronus.”
We were so close, and I felt like a puppy that was being taken for a walk. My entire body quivered with excitement, my heart squeezing in anticipation at finally having my love back.
Hyperion moved fast, and I stayed right with him. Like a miracle, all of my previous symptoms had vanished—weird and convenient—but I was totally not questioning that because my sole focus was on finding my Titan.
