Thea lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling as she listened to Hermes move about the apartment. A new ice pack was placed on her forehead and Hermes had rubbed some more cream into the area which had hurt like hell. Hopefully it would work as well as it had for her ribs. He hadn't said a word to her since they'd returned and she didn't know what to do.
The rational part of her brain had slowly took back control and she winced, remembering what she had said. How could she be so stupid to mention what Lissandre had done? Coming from her mouth it probably felt like she was digging at old wounds.
Hermes walked in from the balcony and moved into the kitchen. Thea sat up, trying to figure out how to apologise. She wanted to ignore what had happened but she felt she needed to apologise. The pain in her forehead had numbed from the ice and only hurt when she thought about it. Standing up, she made her way over to the kitchen, still trying to figure out what to say.
She hadn't taken two steps when Hermes intercepted her at the foot of the couch and pushed her back onto it. "Rest. We're heading off soon and you'll need your strength."
She grabbed his arm as he went to leave. "I'm fine, Hermes. I'm so sorry -"
"I know," he said shortly. "It meant nothing between you and Josh - you've mentioned it ten times now."
"No - I mean that is true, but I want to apologise about Lissandre and Aphrodite and what they did -"
"Shut up, Thea."
Again, her brain didn't hear the danger in his voice. "I didn't mean to bring it up. I mean I dreamed about it last night and I felt so awful -"
She squeaked as Hermes grabbed her shoulders and pinned her to the couch, kneeling above her. "You're right; it was awful. You can't imagine what it felt like to see Elpis in some monster's arms, knowing what type of man he was and yet she looked at him like he was her world. I still felt like she was my world and there was nothing I could do because of you and that bitch, Aphrodite!"
Thea felt fear crawl up her spine. His grip on her shoulders was painful but she didn't say a word. He was reliving something Lissandre had caused and saying she wasn't Lissandre wouldn't help.
"Hermes -"
"No. You don't get to mention what happened, ever. Just hearing you speak about it, with her voice, makes me so angry I want to strike something."
Thea flinched but he didn't notice and kept going. "So here's the deal: we are going to stop talking about this and never mention it again. We're going to pretend that you never brought it up and if we do, I might be able to handle looking at you again. I'm here to bloody protect you and I can't do that if I can't stand to look at you. Agreed?"
Too nervous to speak, Thea nodded. Hermes pushed off the couch and her shoulders throbbed. Standing up quickly, she walked around the opposite end of the couch from Hermes and made it to her room, rushing into the bathroom and locking the door behind her.
Covering her mouth, she tried to stop the tears threatening to fall. She had no right to cry; it was her fault for bringing it up. Her brain had tried to warn her but she ignored it, listening to her heart instead. She was starting to pick up on a pattern. It was about time she stopped listening to her heart and started listening to her brain.
The anger on Hermes' face had frightened her. She'd seen him angry before but never had it been directed at her and she didn't like it. The pain in his eyes told her something else too; he still loved Elpis, the girl who now had a name. The cruel prank had been played so long ago now, and his emotions were still so raw. It said how much he had loved her - still loved her- and it hurt Thea more than she thought it would.
She felt like such an idiot now, thinking she might have liked him. He was probably just teasing her to try and get back at Lissandre. There was no chance he had ever been interested in her. Sitting on the edge of the bath, she took a few deep breaths to try and calm herself down. She still held the ice in her hand and she threw it in the sink, watching the cubes fly everywhere.
Her hands still trembled and she waited for them to stop. Her shoulders were sore and she had a feeling they were going to bruise but she didn't care. As her breathing slowed, she started to block off her emotions. She had to pretend this had never happened. If this was what Hermes wanted then she would pretend the last twenty four hours hadn't occurred.
Looking over at her shampoo bottles, she started reading the label to try and distract herself. Normally she read a book to try and distract herself but she wasn't game to go out and get one.
She stilled as she read the label; peach scented.
Her shampoo and conditioner were bloody peach scented. Was this why Hermes called her that, because her hair smelled like peaches? Sniffing her hair, she could smell the faint trace of peach.
Heart pounding in anger, she grabbed the bottles and threw them in the bin in the corner. Her brain was telling her to go and get different shampoo while her heart was telling her to confront Hermes. For once, she listened to her brain.
Feeling brave, she checked her reflection in the mirror before heading back out. The bruise was still fresh but not as big as it could have been. Untying her hair, she brushed it out and let it fall around her face to try and cover it.
Opening the bathroom door, she grabbed her sunglasses from her dresser and picked up her wallet before going into the living room. Hermes was sitting on the couch, watching the last episode of, Game of Thrones.
He didn't look away from the screen as she came out. "I'm watching this episode of Game of Thrones and then we'll head off. We should get to Poseidon's sometime tonight."
She nodded, heading for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To the corner shop, I need to buy some things before we go." Not waiting for his answer, she walked out the door. Running down the stairs, she slipped her glasses on and checked her reflection in the mirror in the main lobby. The bruise was completely covered.
She walked quickly to the corner shop a couple of blocks down, her frustration bubbling. She almost hoped a Titan would come out and try to attack her. At least then she could take her anger out on them. Instead she stewed, annoyed at her own stupidity.
He'd probably been laughing at her this entire time because she couldn't figure out the Peaches thing. Secretly, she had liked the nickname but now she didn't want to hear that name again; it would hurt too much. She had to bury these feelings and the first step would be changing her shampoo.
The bell chimed as she walked in the corner shop and the owner, Mrs. Frond, smiled as she walked in. "Hello, dear. You're looking very posh today with your sunglasses on."
She smiled. "Thanks, Mrs. Frond. Just trying a new look."
"Well it's working. You always look lovely, dear."
"So do you, Mrs. Frond."
Mrs. Frond chuckled and continued reading her magazine. Mrs. Frond was always kind to Thea and had helped her out when she first moved to St. Arlington, giving her free samples and food when she couldn't afford it. She hoped she didn't worry while she was gone; Mrs. Frond was used to her regulars and got worried when they didn't come in.
Thea made her way to the hair care section and grabbed the first bottle she found that didn't say peaches on the label. She bought apple scented shampoo and some plastic bags. She wasn't sure how they were getting to Poseidon's, but she imagined it would be wet and her back pack wasn't water proof.
Saying goodbye to Mrs. Frond, she headed back to the apartment. She had until the end of his episode to have a shower and pack her bag. Reaching her building in record time, she headed inside. Hermes was still glued to the screen and she headed back to her room closing the door and turning the lock.
Jumping in the shower, she quickly washed her hair, scrubbing it furiously to make sure the peach scent was gone. Once she was finished, she quickly got dressed and packed her bag. She only packed one spare change of clothes and a few essentials. Wrapping them in the plastic bags she hoped that would be enough to keep them dry. She then blow dried her hair and put on her hiking boots.
She wore green cargo shorts and a black singlet top. Her shoulders looked red, small indentation marks appearing from Hermes fingertips and she put on her light black cardigan to keep them covered. Tying her hair in a knot she checked the time; an hour had passed. The episode should have ended by now.
Walking out, she placed her bag near the door and checked all the windows and locks before coming back to stand near the front door. "I'm ready."
Hermes finished watching the credits and turned the TV off. "Alright, let's get going."
Picking up her bag she slung it over her shoulder and winced. Hermes didn't notice however and she looked at her hands, too nervous to look at him in case he was still angry. "So how are we getting there?"
"We have to go to Crete first. Poseidon is opening a water current which will take us directly there."
"You can't just teleport there?" She felt his eyes on her but continued to look at her hands.
"No, I can't. Poseidon is a bit paranoid and doesn't let anyone into his domain without his permission, Gods included. It's going to be a wet journey so I hope there's nothing valuable in that bag."
She shook her head. "No, just a spare change of clothes."
"Well, let's go then."
She held out her hand, knowing she had to touch him so they could travel but she didn't want to get too close. Hermes grabbed her arm and yanked her, causing her to stumble into him. She tensed, ordering her heart to stop pounding.
"Thea."
"Hmm?"
"Look at me."
She looked up and made herself meet his eyes. "You're terrible at pretending."
Looking back down, she tried to move away but he held her chin, stopping her.
He opened his mouth to say something but stopped, looking confused.
"Your hair," he muttered.
Be calm, she thought. "What about it?"
She thought she saw something in his eyes but the wall went back up. "Nothing. Let's go."
Her stomach lurched and she looked away, proud she'd overcome her first barrier.
* * * *
Landing in Crete was like stepping into another world. They appeared in a small alley and Thea could see people walking down a main street ahead. She immediately stepped away from Hermes only to have him reach out and grab her hand.
"Stay close," he warned and she frowned. That was the opposite of what she wanted to do.
Walking out of the alley, they stepped into a small street. People walked down the washed out cobble road, many carrying fresh water and food. The tsunami had been nearly three months ago but they were still rebuilding. The cream coloured buildings were tainted with dirt and many objects now lay on the sides of the street, broken and forgotten.
Every now and then, a person in a bright coloured vest walked past and Thea guessed they were relying on relief aid. She hadn't thought there were any relief workers remaining. The news of Crete had faded after the first two months and it made you assume that everything was fine and back to normal. It was just the effect of the media though. Once it was out of sight, it was out of mind and people stopped thinking about it, forgetting that something horrible had happened to these people.
Reaching the waterside with her hand still in Hermes, she eyes widened. The sun was low in the sky and the sea sparkled, the water still creating a picturesque sight. Everything looked so calm, as if nothing had happened three months before to destroy these peoples' lives.
The path along the waterside had been cleaned and many people were walking along, couples holding hands and heads bent close. Feeling awkward, Thea pulled her hand away from Hermes.
"So where do we need to go?"
"We have to walk around to a little cove on the other side of the cliff." Hermes pointed to the cliffs on her left. "The path will open there."
Nodding, Thea started walking that way. There were a few stalls set up along the water and she couldn't help but look at their wares. She loved these types of stalls and could never resist their quaint charm.
A woman selling silver chains caught her eye halfway down the street. Glancing over the chains, one stood out in the centre of the table, a fine silver chain with a flower in its centre. Each petal linked with the other and a small hole was at its centre. Leaning over, she brushed her finger along the petal, strangely drawn to it.
"Eísai ómorfi̱."
She glanced up at the lady who was smiling and motioning to her. "I'm sorry. I don't understand."
"She said you are beautiful." Hermes stood beside her.
"Oh. Um, thank you. How do you say thank you?"
"Sas ef̱charistó̱."
She repeated what Hermes said and the woman smiled. She motioned to the necklace, saying in broken English, "You like?"
Thea nodded. "I love it, but don't have any money, sorry."
The woman smiled in understanding. "Come back soon. I keep for you."
"Oh, I couldn't ask you to -"
"Sas ef̱charistó̱ kyría mou tha epistrépsei se mia stigmí̱ gia na agorásei."
Hermes nudged Thea away and the woman glanced at her warmly. "Farewell."
Hermes kept moving her away and she snapped.
"Stop pushing me!"
"Just keep walking, we don't have time for all your window shopping."
Rolling her eyes, she stormed off, missing the small smile on Hermes lips. When he acted like a bastard it was easy to forget about the last twenty four hours. As long as he kept doing it then she would be fine.
Unfocused, she reached the end of walkway and turned to ask Hermes where to go next. Anger faded to panic when she saw he wasn't behind her and she glanced around. She hadn't been walking that fast, where had he gone?
"Are you looking for me, Peaches?"
Gasping, she spun around, legs buckling and he grabbed her shoulders to keep her upright. Her gasp turned into a hiss and she shoved his hands off her shoulders. The pain had numbed from her backpack straps but whenever they got bumped, she was reminded that they were sore.
Hermes eyes narrowed. "What have you got in there for your shoulders to be so sore? Take off your back pack."
"Why?" she demanded, moving away from him. "We haven't reached the cove yet."
"Take it off, Thea or I'll make you."
"I'm not taking it off -"
Hermes grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him. Her heart stuttered and she turned her head away from him. "Let go."
"Take the bag off, Thea."
"If I do, will you let me go?"
"Yes."
Shoving away from him, she took the bag off trying not show how much it hurt. Hermes took the bag and dropped it on the ground. He took a step toward her and she stepped back.
"Show me, Thea." His voice was gentle.
Knowing he wasn't going to let it go, she took her cardigan off so he wouldn't try and grab her again. Small bruises had formed where his fingers had dug in earlier on. She heard his breath sharpen and he ran a finger along the marks on her left shoulder causing her to shiver.
"I'm sorry, Thea, I didn't mean to -"
"Didn't mean to do what?" She stared at him, determined to prove she could do this.
He looked pained. "Your shoulders, I would never hurt you -"
"You didn't," she interrupted again. "This was caused by my bag. The backpack is heavier than I thought and it left marks, that's all."
She knew he was confused, but she was doing what he wanted; she was pretending that nothing had happened and the bruises on her shoulders were included.
His eyes softened. "I can't pretend -"
"Yes, you can," she said, her voice sharp. "This was the deal and everything that happened before the agreement is part of what never happened. Therefore, you did nothing. It was just my backpack."
"Your backpack?"
"That's right."
He was silent for a moment before he nodded and picked up her backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. "If it was so bloody heavy why didn't you say so? How weak are you?"
Thea smiled in relief. "I threw you across my living room, remember?"
"That was nothing," he muttered, "a light shove at best."
Happy he was playing along, she looked around. "So where do we go from here?"
"Follow me."
Thea followed him down to the beach and they trekked through the soft sand until they reached the cliff. The water crashed against the rocks and Hermes started manoeuvring the rocks with ease. Thea followed cautiously and Hermes helped her over the more dangerous areas. Water splashed against the rocks, hitting her legs and seeping into her shoes.
"Why didn't we just land in the cove first?" Thea complained.
Hermes answered with his back to her."I thought you would like to see Crete before we left. We didn't get to see much but still, better than nothing, right?"
Unsure how to reply to that, she kept silent, focusing on the rocks. Once they were out of sight from the town, Hermes grabbed her hand. "Now we can fly."
Grinning at the chance to fly again, Thea let her feet leave the rocks and floated beside Hermes. They flew around the rest of the cliff and entered the small cove.
Beautiful yellow sand twinkled in the setting sun and the water lapped gently on the shore. The noise quietened and it felt like they were separated from the rest of the world.
Landing on the sand, Hermes released her hand. "You're getting better at flying."
"It's fun. I hope we get to fly again soon. How long do we have to have to wait for the tunnel?"
Hermes looked at the sun. "It should be open in about half an hour."
"How long does it take to reach Poseidon with this water tunnel?"
"About fifteen minutes, if I remember right. It's been awhile since I've been down there. Not much of a fan of water and Poseidon isn't a fan of guests."
Sitting on the sand, she waited for the tunnel to appear, curious to know what it would actually look like. Hermes sat beside her and she tried now to move away.
"Do your shoulders hurt?" he asked quietly.
"No, they're fine."
His eyes raked her face. "The bruise on your eye has faded."
"That cream does work wonders."
"Did you bring it with you? I could rub some on your shoulders -"
"No!" she said hurriedly, even though the cream was packed at the bottom of her bag. "I left it at home. They'll heal in their own time."
The thought of him rubbing her shoulders made her flush and she looked away. Hermes grunted and she felt his arms move around her as something shiny appeared in front of her face and her breath caught in her throat; it was the flower necklace from the stall.
"I told the woman I would come back and buy it. I know we're pretending nothing happened but the guilt won't go away, so..."
He clasped the necklace at the base of her neck and she felt his thumbs rub her skin along her hair line.
"Hermes, you don't have to give me something out of guilt -"
He turned her around, his hand still on her neck and his fingers moved into her hair and her brain struggled to keep control. "I didn't buy it out of guilt, Thea, but it's easier to say that's why I brought it. So just go with it."
She nodded, unable to speak. She knew she should look away but her brain had been overthrown again. His eyes lowered to her mouth as she released a shaky breath and she saw them darken as he moved closer.
A loud crash of water interrupted them and Thea moved away, her heart trying to smash its way out her chest and she hoped it would, traitorous organ that it was. A few feet out, the water was bubbling and a small light glowed in the air above.
"That would be our ride," Hermes muttered, looking unhappy as he rose.
"What's wrong?" Thea asked, standing up. "Don't you like using the water tunnel?"
He glanced at her, eyebrows raised. "Yeah, let's go with that reason. Come on."
She followed him into the water, it felt cold on her skin but she didn't mind, her body acclimating to the temperature quickly. They stopped before the bubbling water and Hermes grabbed her hand. Feeling nervous, she didn't try to pull away.
"Ready?"
"I think so."
Stepping into the bubbling water, they were immediately sucked under and Thea shrieked before her went below the surface. They were moving at an incredible speed and hesitantly, she opened her eyes.
The water sped past them and Thea discovered she could see clearly under the water. The ball of light travelled with them as the water slowly got darker until all she could see was the light and Hermes.
His eyes were closed and he seemed to be holding his breath. Thea's eyes widened as she tried to take a breath; she could breath underwater.
Laughing, she poked Hermes. "I can breathe! And talk! This is so cool."
He nodded and Thea wondered if he was all right. Maybe he couldn't breathe underwater?
"Hermes, can't you create air to breathe?"
He shook his head.
Panicking, she let go of his hand moved in front of him. An idea popped into her head and she hoped it would work. Cupping her hands together, she tried to create a ball of air. It was difficult in the water but she kept at it. Slowly, a ball the size of her fist formed and she moved the ball so it was over Hermes nose and mouth.
She was too focused on the ball to take notice of his eyes opening. She felt some of the air move from the ball and knew he had taken a breath. She kept putting air in the ball so he could breathe and didn't react as his hands moved around her waist. One hand moved up her back and pressed her closer to his chest as the other wrapped tighter around her lower back.
Their heads were close together but she remained focused on the air, finding it difficult to keep it together in the water. She felt the water start to slow down and then it vanished completely and they were falling.
Thea gasped at the sudden change and Hermes took control. His grip on her tightened and they slowed, hovering for a moment before landing gently on the sand. A crab scuttled past them and she looked around in awe. They appeared to be in a large dome, though there was no glass and the water simply hung in the space above them.
Small lights lined the dome and she saw outlines of fish swimming above. It was eerily quiet save for the sound of the creatures swimming above. Turning, she saw a large building behind her, columns outlining the front. A large statue of a man stood before it in ancient armour, a large spear in his right hand. A similar one stood on the other side though its head was lying on the ocean floor.
"This is incredible," she whispered.
Hermes moved behind her, his hand trailing around her waist. "Welcome to the home of Poseidon."
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A/N: Hello everyone. So I am letting you all know that I will be updating this chapter weekly from now on. I think this is manageable and fair to my friend Keev who looks through my chapters while focusing on her own writing. She has her own life and stories to create! So the next chapter will be updated next Friday, the 5th of July. I hope you are all happy with this system and don't forget to let me know what you think of the chapter ^_^