Page 88 of Guided by the Stars
The world clouds over as I realize what he just said. I lunge for him. The chain slices deeper and blood coats my body, but I don’t care. He will fucking pay for what he did to her. I’ll expose the depth of my power and squash him beneath my heel like the piece of shit he is. Why didn’t she tell me? Fuck. I can only hope she’s safe somewhere with Jax.
“No wonder my mother left you,” I say through gritted teeth. “If you didn’t trap us, we’d all leave you too. The only pathetic one I see here is you.”
He grows in size, massive fists hammering at my body until all I feel is pain. Physical pain and emotional pain too, but losing my blood doesn’t hurt as much as losing Adriane.
My knees give out, but the chain holds me up. The only thing on my mind as my vision blurs and my lungs seize is the girl who made me feel alive. She’s my fire in the darkness, and I silently pray to every god I know that she’s safe.
The darkness descends on me, dragging me down into it’s void. But it was all worth it.
For her.
Adriane
When Stars Reunite
I shiver as I pull the helmet off and the warm air caresses my skin, a huge contrast to the cold air of the Underworld. Jax steps closer to me and I allow the comfort he offers me. It’s so late when we walk in, the hotel is so quiet. Not even the front desk clerk is in sight.
How I envy all the people who are sleeping soundly in their beds. They have no nightmares, or maybe they do, but once they open their eyes it goes away. These people have no clue of the torment the Greek gods and goddesses that live above and below them can do.
We make it to mine and Nora’s room and it seems like a lifetime ago from when we first arrived. Jax has both of our bags slung over his shoulder and hands me the room key. I am shocked it still works, but as the light flashes green I push open the door. I make my way into our room, going towards the window to open the blinds. “It’s funny, my key works and my stuff is still here.”
“Time difference. On Earth you have barely been gone two weeks, maybe less.” I flip around and look at Jax. He comes closer to me and I allow him to pull me into his arms. “Underworld time is so different, you’ve been down there for a month, maybe longer. Our time is faster down there, but also in a way it seems slower. It drags. It’s all part of the game Hades plays.”
My eyes are burning, and I pull away from him. “Where is Nora? You both said she would be here.” I have to remind myself that I left Kai for this and she isn’t here.
Jax pulls my face up to look at him. “Beautiful, take a breath. You’re out and she will be here soon. Kai and I gave our word and we don’t give our word to just anyone, much less break it.”
I nod, knowing it’s true, but it’s still so hard. I excuse myself to the bathroom and stand in front of the mirror. I run the water in the sink and look at myself. The image reflected back at me is foreign. Eyes puffy from crying, my hair falling in soft waves down my shoulders, mocking me with its beauty. I’m empty, a husk of what I was when we arrived in Greece. This trip has been hell. I allow the tears to fall.
Kai stayed in the Underworld, and I am here alone. I thought he was coming, but instead I walked away and said goodbye. He asked me to stay, even though we both knew that wasn’t an option. I want to shout all this anger and sadness out, but I don’t want to scare anyone. Once the sink is full of water, I put my face in it and I allow myself to scream. The water covers the sound and once I let it out, I stand upright. I wipe my face with a washcloth and take a deep breath in. I am still in Kai’s shirt and my black leggings and the shirt smells of him. I shake my head, clearing it enough so that I can face everyone.
I walk out of the bathroom and Jax is standing by the door holding a soda and a muffin. I smile at him, the sadness clear in his eyes. We both lost someone. I take the soda and it reminds me of our last meal together. Kai called in favors to get me one.
I flinch, even just thinking his name hurts. Jax grabs my arm, leading me to the bed. “I’m fine, thank you,” I say and sit down. I make a promise to myself that I won’t say his name unless I have to.
“Once Daemyn and Nora get here, we have to hurry, okay? We need to get these stones infused with our power. Right now I am shielding you, but it won’t hold forever.”
I nod because I knew they had a plan, and it would entail some work, but at this moment I just need someone else to take control. If It’s Jax, then I am more than happy to let him have it.
A blue light shines in our room, and one of the two guys I saw grab Nora, what seems like forever ago, is standing there. I get to my feet quickly. The next thing I know Nora is almost falling through the portal and the guy catches her in his arms. The portal vanishes and Nora is looking into where it had been.
I grab Jax’s hand as Nora looks around and it’s as if she notices something. “Alexius...he...” she sobs in the guys arms. I take inventory of her from afar. Her heart is breaking. I can feel it, like it’s my own pain, as if her emotions are being amplified to the room. She is in a large black shirt and black boxer briefs. I glance away, because even though she is my best friend, I feel she needs comfort from that guy she is clinging to and not me.
“We have to move. I’m sorry, Daemyn. I’ll go get the water. Do you need a hand?” Jax’s voice shakes me. The roomwas so quiet apart from Nora’s cries. That must be the guy she is clinging to.
I see the other guy nod and his lips are moving so quietly. I can’t hear very well, but Nora is nodding. Jax takes a step closer to her and touches her shoulder. “Calm. I know it’s hard, but you have us to lean on.” I see her body sag and I can tell he has done his calming magic.
I turn away from them, this moment is so private. Her sobs reduce to a low cry as I make my way to the door. “I’ll…I…I’ll go with you,” I say, and Jax is next to me quickly.
“We will be right back,” Jax says. We walk out the door and I lean my back against it, letting out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. She is my best friend, and I felt I couldn’t comfort her this time. “Ade, do you need help with your emotions?”
I shake my head and hold my hand up, maybe I do, but I also don’t want my pain taken away; only from the darkness can we see the light. I look at Jax with his pain-filled eyes. I know he lost his best friend. He was more than that, they were like brothers. I take a couple more deep breaths and let them out. “Thank you, but not right now. I got this.”
He holds his hand out for me. I place my hand in his warm one and we make our way to the beach and retrieve a bottle full of ocean water. We walk in silence, I love that about Jax. After all this time together we have gotten to know each other. He knows what I need and strangely, I know what he needs.
We made it back to the room in record time and I know we are rushing because they want us shielded and protected. As soon as we enter the room, I see Nora is more calm. She is still tear-stained and red-nosed with silent tears trailing down her cheeks, but her sobs have quieted. I cross the room to her quickly and pull her into me, squeezing tight. Her bandaged hand never leaves Daemyn’s.
“Nora,” I say, pulling away to look into her haunted eyes. She’s broken and hurt, and I have only ever seen her like this years ago in the group home after her family was murdered. “Did…” I am so afraid to ask, but I need to know. “Did, something happen to you?” I ask with a huge knot in my throat.
