"That was a wonderful thing you did for her," Artemis spoke on my actions a few hours prior regarding Hope.
I shrugged my shoulders in a nonchalant manner not wanting to talk about it. "I still love her, sister, and I genuinely don't think that will change."
"Even though she is destined to wield the sword that will kill you?"
"Even then," I sighed, overlooking the garden.
After Hope finished her painting and bid me a good night, Artemis and I decided to come back to Olympus for the night bearing the Salvatore School could stay out of trouble. We've been in the garden ever since, admiring the different plants and wildlife.
"I'm proud of you, sister."
I gave the goddess a questioning look, saying, "You already told me that. Now I'm really thinking you're dying."
She rolled her eyes, slapping my shoulder with a grin on her face. "The Thalia situation—"
"I've already apologized to your lieutenant." Interrupting my sister earned me another slap on my shoulder.
"It wasn't ideal but you took initiative for your discretions which is why I'm proud. You'll be an excellent ruler of Mount Olympus."
"Granted I even make it to the blasted throne."
"You'll make it, Alexius." She looked at me with a sparkle in her eye causing me to laugh.
"With you by my side, Artemis, I have no doubt."
࿊࿊࿊
"Hey Alexius, you have a minute?" Zoi, one of the citizens on Mount Olympus, asked me and I nodded my head following her to the lab.
"Good evening, Zoi," I said, sitting down on one of the many rolling chairs in her lab. "You finally have the results?"
"I do but the reason they were taking so long were because of my findings," she admitted. "Wherever you got it from needs to be housed here immediately."
"What do you mean?" I asked her and she exhaled deeply before speaking.
"The blood you've given me seems to belong to a phoenix."
My eyes widened at her words and the force at which I stood up pushed the chair back enough to create a hole in the wall behind me.
"I had the same reaction."
"You know I would normally laugh at your way of trying to enlighten a tense situation," I told her and she chuckled.
"I know but my findings are true, Alexius. You've somehow come across a phoenix."
"The big fiery bird who regenerates. That phoenix?"
"Do you know any other type of phoenix?"
"At this moment I wish I did, Zoi. I trust you've kept this quiet."
"Of course I have but I have to ask where did you find it?"
"At my ex-girlfriend's boarding school."
࿊࿊࿊
"Dr. Saltzman, we need to talk. Immediately," I urged the headmaster whose visible stress level rose with my words.
"Alexius," he sighed. "Now is not the time."
While he spoke I took in my surroundings and gasped at a bloody MG lying against on a tree and Kaleb holding his hands.
"What happened?"
Before anyone could talk, leaves crunching turned our attention to the werewolf and tribrid walking through the forest.
"Hey. Dr. Saltzman?" Hope questioned the scene.
"Oh, Hope, thank God you made it," the headmaster sighed again and I bent down to put a comforting hand on MG's shoulder.
"What-What's going on?"
"MG has a werewolf bite," he told her making her eyes widened. "He doesn't have much time."
As MG's whimpering increased, I noticed Rafael agitated state and a look in his eyes as if he remembered something.
"Rafael, if you have to share now would be time to do it," I spoke up causing everyone to look at him.
"Oh, my God," he gasped. "I bit you."
"What?"
"This is all my fault," MG admitted making me look at him but he kept his eyes on the werewolf. "Raf, I'm so sorry."
"What, sorry? What are you sorry for?" Kaleb wondered. "He's the one that should be sorry. He's the fool that bit you." He stood up, aiming for Rafael but Dr. Saltzman held him back.
"Hey! Hey," Hope called out to the werewolf but he had his gaze set upon on the trees. "Hey, what's going on? What's wrong? What's going on? What?"
"I remember now. The elixir. His face. Being back here." He took a deep breath before speaking, "I remember who the monster was. I did it. It was me. I'm the monster."
"When you finished your turn, y-you got loose and bit MG. Watching Landon die was too traumatic, too human, so you reverted back and scrambled your memory," Dr. Saltzman explained the situation.
"I don't want to remember any of this," Rafael cried out then began to walk away but Hope called out for him again.
"Raf, where are you going?"
"Away from MG before I finish the job," he admitted and it looks could kill he would've been struck done by Kaleb's glare.
"Hey."
"Landon's body is out there. I'm gonna go find it."
His words reminded me of the reason I was truly here. I need to stop getting distracted so easily. Before I could speak up, the werewolf had stomped away further into the forest and everyone's attention had been brought back to MG.
"I was so mad," he murmured. "I wanted to h-hurt Landon. I didn't want his blood. I needed it. I needed all of it. 'Cause I'm not a monster. I'm a demon. So many demons in hell."
"I've dealt with my fair share of demons, MG, and you are the farthest thing from one," I tried to soothe the vampire but he seemed adamant on him being a demon.
"Dr. S.?" Kaleb whispered and we all knew he was asking about Hope who turned around with her hands covering her face trying to muffle her sobs.
"Just, just give her a minute," Dr. Saltzman told him.
"But what if she won't—"
"She will. She will."
"I need your knife," the tribrid suddenly said, standing on the other side of MG. She held her hand out and the headmaster handed her the knife.
"Allow me," I mumbled, raising to my full height and taking the knife from her. Using the hunting knife, I sliced a small horizontal incision on her arm and placed it on MG's lips.
When he was finished, Kaleb and I helped him stand up and he looked at us with thanks.
I patted his shoulder, smiling, "You'll be okay. And I promise you are not a demon. You are MG all knower of comics."
"Thanks, Alexius," he grinned.
"Where are you going?" I asked Hope, noticing her walking away from our formed circle.
"To find Raf and Landon," she replied not meeting my eyes.
"Dr. Saltzman, we really do need to talk," I told the man but he only had his eyes set upon Hope.
"After we find the boys, Alexius," he told me but I finally snapped.
"He's a fucking Phoenix!" I shouted out exasperated. "Oh my Zeus, the mop head isn't human. We've been if he's supernatural, he is. He's a Phoenix."
"The legend of Phoenix?" Dr. Saltzman asked me a shock look on his face.
I nodded my head and repeated him, "The legend of Phoenix. He should be regenerating by now."
"Let's go," Hope said the first words since the revelation.
Following the tribrid, we quickly found the werewolf who was overlooking his friend's body, tears falling down his cheeks.
"He's dead," he murmured.
"Give it a second, Rafael," I told him and he gave me a questioning look which I ignored.
Soon enough the regeneration process began. I have only heard stories of the Phoenix from Athena so I was watching the sight in front of me with an unknown excitement. Landon's body was suddenly entombed with hardened ash and little spouts of smoke erupted. The cracking of the ash didn't start until after another minute of flames coming from his body. His hand shot up causing everyone to gasp and take a step back. I wish I was recording this right now for the twins and Athena. The entire case of ash shattered allowing Landon to fully stand up and face us, shocked.
"Where are your wings?"