Ares And Mia

Chapter 15

"How are you so beautiful?" Keith? I turn around, catching a glimpse of him. In the soft light, he looked... unreal. His hair was perfectly slicked to the side, his eyes sickeningly alluring. It felt off. Like he was about to disappear just as abruptly as he appeared. As if he didn't exist at all. I tilt my head to the side, confused. 

"What?" I tried to touch him, to make sure that he wasn't some sort of hallucination, but my arms felt heavy and shackled to place. It was suddenly hard to breathe. "Keith?" I blink, and then he's gone. 

And in his place is Alecto's decapitated head. The dog skull on her face was perfectly intact, but her neck was soaked in gold. Her mouth was wide open as if she were caught screaming and her eyes... Her eyes were empty and staring at the ground. My stomach did a somersault inside of me and I grimace, bile rising to my throat. 

But I couldn't tear my gaze away from it. 

Her ashy skin... The gleam of white bone... Suddenly, her eyes turn to meet mine and she was very much alive. Panic ran through me but my scream was caught in my throat, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. I still couldn't move, and she just kept on staring at me. Her mouth widened, until her jaw began to tear at the skin on her cheeks, flesh-ripping from the force. 

"Scream for me, doggy!" A shriek rips from my throat, her voice echoing in my head. 

My eyes rip open and I'm gasping, staring at the blank white ceiling. I writhe on the bed, sparking pain among my abdomen and arms. My lungs burned and every part of my body was sore, but the fear seemed to blot all of it out. "Hey, hey," I look at the person who speaks and I catch sight of Ares, kneeling next to me. "You're okay, you're okay." 

His soothing voice slows my heartbeat and he takes my hand, squeezing gently. I pant labored breaths, holding onto him for life. Ares's hand was warm as if there were a raging inferno encaged in his skin, just waiting to break free. The back of my neck was slick with cold sweat, fear eminent. A whimper leaves my throat, Alecto's torn face branded permanently in my mind. "Shhh... It's okay, I'm here." His thumb rubs circles against the back of my hand, comfortingly. 

"Th-Thanks." My voice faltered, matching the trembling of my body. 

"You're freezing, are you okay?" He presses his hand against my forehead with his brow furrowed. I nod, just as a shiver goes over me. Ares sighs, running a hand through his hair. "You're an idiot, you know that? Now move over." 

I let out a small laugh, sliding over to the other side. He lets go of my hand, before laying down next to me. Pressing a hand to the small of my back, Ares draws me to him, entering his bubble of heat. The scent of pine captivates me and I'm pressed against his hard chest.

A content sigh leaves me and I snuggle closer to him, feeling the shivering slow down. "Aren't you tired?" I asked, shutting my eyes. My arms set off small sparks of pain, but I try to ignore it, feeling beyond exhausted.

"You've only been sleeping for about an hour, sweetheart. Also, I was made to last through centuries on the battlefield, I think I can survive one night without sleep." He rests his chin on top of my head, his fingers toying lightly with my hair. "Get some rest." 

"Mmm." 

⚔

I wake up to intense pain in my arms and I wince, biting my lip. "Awake again?" It felt like someone was dragging a hot knife against my bones or bringing a hatchet to them. I nod my head, feeling the agony rise up again. 

"It hurts," I say through clenched teeth, fully awake now. It was still dark and the digital clock said that it was 2 AM. I shift slightly, a pained breath leaving me when my shoulder felt like someone was trying to hollow out my bones. Oh... Oh my god, it hurts.