Marked for Murder

twenty three: devote yourselves to cause

SETTING UP CAMP near the shoreline was Darsh's idea. He reasoned it would be a good place to get some fresh air, plus we would have access to water all night. It didn't hurt that we could leave at daybreak. The only thing we needed to do next was cross the Cerberus Strait.

Macaria assured us that our horses were more than capable of taking us across large bodies of water. None of us argued with her, considering how we all knew Poseidon was the sire of all horses. It only made sense that Hades' steeds would be able to do it, too.

I sigh, thinking about the team and how we could possibly cross into Athens, fight some kind of battle, free Hades, and find Persephone, all in ten days' time. Demeter had given me a deadline and I had sworn on the River Styx.

Curling into myself, I throw a stone from my place at the shore and watch it skip seven times over the water. I try again, pursing my lips in concentration. This time the pebble leaps over the water ten times.

I am about to let out a small victory whoop, when I hear something move behind me. I immediately tense and whip around. A small rabbit, not much bigger than my palm, jumps into my lap and makes itself comfortable.

I giggle, the initial tension leaving my body as I ran my hand over his smooth, white fur. "Who's a good rabbit?" I ask, cooing a little while wiggling my fingers over its tummy.

The rabbit tilts its head at me, and for a moment, I can stare at nothing but his golden honey eyes. They immediately bring back pictures of Will and golden brownies, his childlike happiness quite evident in my memories.

My heart sinks beyond measure, just thinking about Will. We were picture perfect together when everything went wrong, all at once. I hope he's happy back at Avernus, playing Deadhand, and staying as happy and vibrant as always.

After the first few minutes of joy and love at his memories that I had treasured so close to my heart, guilt courses through me. It has been over a week since I had thought about him, and more since I had last seen him.

It does not help how the sea ahead reminds of Lake Astral where we had held hands and watched the dying sun. It does not help how his warm smile, his peppered kisses, his way of squeezing my hand to let me know he was there, comes rushing back to me.

A huge sob builds up in my throat when I think about the life we could have had if I wasn't Flawed. Surely, Will deserves better than someone as terrifying as me, someone who was preferably not born with the Mark of Murder.

Someone clears their throat behind me and I jolt out of my musings, the rabbit leaping out of my arms. I turn to see Matthew watching me with a lopsided smile on his face. He topples down on the ground next to me, patting my back as he sat.

I furrow my eyebrows and twist my palms into a questioning gesture. Matthew just stares straight ahead at the sea and says, "There, there."

I resisted the urge to chuckle over the emotion blocking my throat. "Can I ask you something, Matthew?"