BLOOD MOON

F O R T Y - N I N E

"Because you're naked and the towel's slipping" I bit my lip "And it's making me forget what the Chief said." 

He chuckled and got up to get dressed. 

"The Chief thinks he knows what the key is." I started when the bed dipped again and he threw a hand around my waist. 

"Yeah?" he kissed my shoulder "What does he think it is?"

"Midnight" I said, turning to face him "According to him, the key is something I've acquired while in Hell. Something that I didn't  have before and something that's become apart of me."

Zephyr mulled it over for a moment "That sounds right." 

"You think?" 

He nodded. 

"And you think it'll help us find whatever we're looking for?" 

"It might" he shrugged "Wouldn't hurt to try." 

I sat up in bed "So let's go try." 

Before I made it off the bed, he caught my wrist and pulled me back down. 

"What?" I looked at him. 

 "There's more that you're not telling me." 

I looked away "It's not important." 

"Tell me anyway" he gripped my chin softly and redirected my attention on him "I want you to always tell me what you're thinking or feeling. No matter how insignificant you feel that it is." 

I deflated and repeated the conversation the Chief and I had this morning. 

Earlier that Day...

"You're telling me what exactly?" I asked quietly "That this key is something that could harm me and Zephyr in the end?" 

The Chief gave me a grave look, pointing to a sentence in his tattered book. 

"The key is something that could open a gateway between the Underworld and the Mortal realm" he said "And according to this when the key is used on a major Celestial Event, like the Blood Moon, the key can be used for a dual purpose." 

"Dual purpose like what?" I asked "It can open two gateways?" 

"Possibly" He nodded "Which would be very bad for all of us." 

I cocked my head, giving him a questioning look "How bad?" 

"If this key can open dual gateways, possibly anywhere, then the trouble that came come from it will be potentially devastating." 

"And how does this affect Zephyr and I?" I asked "What harm does this pose to us?" 

"I told you what I think the key will possibly be" he said "But we don't know how to activate said key on a Lunar event." 

A lightbulb flashed in my head "You think we can activate the key somehow?" 

"There's a reason why those monsters were coming after you specifically" he said softly "Maybe they know something that we don't or maybe they're speculating that because you're down here, without being dead, that you're the key to escaping." 

I looked at Zephyr, who was mulling over

"We need to find out how to use his key pronto" I said "I'm pretty sure that this is what Hades wants." 

"I thought you said it was Midnight." Zephyr asked, standing to grab his shoes. 

"She should be the key" I answered "But I haven't seen her in a while." 

Zephyr paused "She hasn't visited you?" 

I shook my head and was about to say something else when a sickening scream came from inside the Matthews Elysium. 

Before I could register what was happening, I was on my feet and running out of the room and towards my family.

~~~~~~~

Wolfies! 

Three more chapters left!! Eep!! 

The end is near!!