Chapter 26
Damon
I chased after Alaric hoping I could make him see sense. We would find Cecilia and Bash, but running head-first into a dangerous situation would only get us killed. Or in his case, only get a ceiling caving in on your back.
The ceiling caved in directly on Alaric and threw me back into a wall. I stood up and rushed over to the pile of debris and started to pull everything out of the way. He could still be alive down there. I just needed to lift harder. I needed-
"Need some help?" I heard Freya's voice say as I struggled to lift a metal beam. She came to stand next to me and with ease she lifted the beam.
Damn, she was a one-woman army in her silk dress. I don't know how she escaped Hades Playground, but I was relieved she was back at Haven, even if we were currently under attack by Darkness. I wanted to hold her in my arms and take her fears and stress away, but now wasn't the time. I was also curious to know how she got out of Hades' Playground.
"Alaric, you have got to stop getting your ass kicked when I leave you for more than a few hours," she said not breaking a sweat. I heard Alaric grunt, could he not move? "Can you?" Freya said turning to face me.
"Can you crawl out or do you need me to pull you out?" I asked still holding up the metal beam that fell on Alaric. "I got him," I said crawling under the beam and finding Alaric under a pile of bricks, I quickly moved them and pulled him to safety.
"Is he okay?" Freya said worried kneeling down next to me.
"What in Zeus's name do you think?!" Alaric said in pain.
"He's talking, so clearly he's fine," I said standing up. I pulled Freya with me. I held her by her shoulders just staring into her eyes. Now was not the time, but I had no idea if we were going to survive this night.
"Damon?" She said confused. I felt an urge to do something, to act. In a moment, I pressed my lips against her, I felt her body loosen and Freya let out a little whimper. I should have done this months ago. I pulled us apart and open our eyes. We stare at each other, deep into each other's eyes. Freya's face was flushed with blush full of wonder and love,
You took your time getting here. I said. Then we hovered right there, quite soundless for so long, simply feeling each other's presence. Freya?
"Eewwww can you two go make out somewhere else? We need to find Cecilia," Alaric said standing up with one hand on his back as he started to limp away.
"Alaric!" I yelled.
"What?!" He shouted still limping away.
What to say? What will communicate that... That, "You were right."
Alaric froze and straightened up, he spun around on his heels to face his eyes wondering up her body intensely, "Yes, yes I am."
"Guys what are you talking about," Freya said as I backed away from her. "We really need to find the others. Cecilia could be hurt." She looked in between Alaric and I as we shared a knowing glance.
"Right, lead the way," I said carefully reaching for my dagger in my back pocket.
"Looking for this." The imposers said in a deep man's voice with a dark smile holding up my dagger.
"You just can't keep your dick out of crazy," Alaric said rolling his eyes.
The imposer dropped the act of being Freya and her whole-body language changed. Her eyes were narrow in critical of us, the fake crossed her arms tapping her fingers on her skin. "I'll have to admit, I didn't think mortals could see pass my glamour."
She snapped her fingers and immediately my body felt too heavy like gravity itself became a thousand times heavier. I pushed against the force, only the end up on the ground, face first struggling to fight back. I heard Alaric cry out in pain as blood started to pour out of my nose and eyes, "Who... are you?" I struggle to say through gritted teeth looking up to the imposer getting closer. I felt her heel dig into my back grinding against my spine.
"I'll be asking the questions." She was going to break my back. "Where's the other demigod?" I said nothing. Even if I did know where Cecilia was, I wasn't going to tell whoever this was, "You're only hurting yourself. I have no qualms against you. I just need the demigod."
My vision was turning black but still I remained silent. I didn't care what happened to me, I wasn't going to put Freya or Cecilia in danger. Even if that means dying.
Freya
I crawled out of the giant crater I had created. Dirt covered my fingernails and dust powdered my body and hair as I stood at the edge of the crater and started down.
"That's one way to make it all end," I said to myself please by my work. Now that I was finally up top, I had control of all my elements, and I felt my strength coming back to me.
I never wanted to see this place again, I was ready to go back to Haven to deliver Phillip's letter and take a nice long nap. I still didn't know how to feel about Haven throwing people in Hades Playground. I wanted to give Haven and The Brotherhood the benefit of the doubt.
But...
After everything I just experienced, could I ever understand why? Even if they were using it as a jail, there had to be more humane ways. I thought The Brotherhood was supposed to be the good guys.
I turned away from the giant crater I just created and walked out of the forest. I stared up at the sky. Today the sky is nothing at all. It's like a child began to draw on it with a pencil and then erased it in a way that smudged and spread the grey. And all the while the rain streaks down, invisible until it hits the sodden ground.
I closed my eyes and breathed slowly and deeply. I let my tension flow out of me. For a few seconds, I felt pain in my back, but it disappeared just as quickly as it showed up. I opened my eyes as if I awoke from a deep sleep.
Okay. I'm ready to go back to Haven.
I needed to talk to Damon anyway. I had to know if he knew about The Elders throwing people into a pit of murderous demons. If people knew, they would have done something right? No one would just kill women and children so easily.
Right? I teleported back to Haven. Well outside of the Haven.
Damn, shields. Wait. Why are the shields even up?
Damon I called out. Nothing.
I put both of my hands on the force field and tried to push through it. The harder I pushed the more I felt my bones shaking at their core. Until my hand slowly phased through the invisible force field, I threw all my weight onto my hands. I can break through this. Just a little bit more! I felt my face stretch back like someone had placed a plastic bag over it. Almost there!
Made it!
I broke through, only to run full speed into the front gates of Haven. Jesus Christ, it was dark! Like I couldn't see five feet in front of me dark.
I pushed the gates open I turned back around to see the outside world had some light. But Haven was completely shrouded in darkness. I lit my entire arm on fire and held it out in front of me trying to break through the inky void that lay ahead of me.
"HELLO! HELLO! IS ANYONE THERE! HEEEELLLLLOOOOOO!" I shouted as I made it to the water fountain. Where the hell was everyone? And why was it so damn dark?
I was getting nowhere stumbling around in the dark. I concentrated hard and tried to picture The Brotherhood mansion in my mind.
Ouch! God, my back was killing me worse than any period cramp I had ever had.
Damon! What are you doing? I winced in pain. No response. Damon?
I was worried now. I focused as hard as I could on Damon. Maybe with my newfound God-Killer abilities, I could teleport exactly where I wanted to be.
"Damon," I said closing my eyes and focusing on him. Just above a whisper I repeated his name again. As soon as I open my eyes, I was standing in the basement of the Brotherhood mansion, in the lab. Something had ripped across the lab. Everything was destroyed from TV screens shattered into a million pieces to cracked tables. A tornado of papers had been thrown onto the floor.
"Oh shit," I said tripping over something. I landed hard on my knees on the concrete floor and as I turned my head back, I saw Vanessa passed out on the ground. I went to her and shaking her I tried to wake her up. "Vanessa, Vanessa! Wake up, Vanessa!" It probably wasn't a good idea to shake an unconscious person. I gingerly put her back down on the ground and I heard a cry echo out from upstairs. A cry that sounded all too familiar, it was laced with pain and agony. Standing up, I pulled my dagger out and quietly made my way up the stairs. I turned myself invisible as I walked up the stairs ready for whatever was up there.
".... nowhere. Just tell me where the demigod is at and all will be forgiven," a man's voice said, "Is she really worth dying for?" I heard more screaming.
"Where is she?!" The other voice demanded.
As I continue to climb up the stairs, I saw the roof had caved in.
Was that?
I saw a vent that was barely still intact that had... Cecilia and Bash hiding in it. I made it to the top of the stairs staring up at them only to see Cecilia in tears covering her mouth trying to suppress a scream. I froze at the top of the stairs as my eyes came down to normal level. Damon was on the ground as a copy of me dug my heels into his back. It looked like his hands were broken and this imposer was working on breaking the rest of him. A rage burned through me like the hottest flame. I felt heat dry on my skin, scorching, ordering me to step forward.
And I did.
My posture was square, my heart was beating like crazy, I was ready to fight. My walk turned into a jog and my jog turned into a sprint. The flame inside of me was burning, edging me on and when I finally made it to the imposer, I was ready. I raised my dagger high and sunk it into the nape of her neck dragging it all the way down to her calf. She fell in pain. But I wasn't done with her. I straddled her then I started to punch her, over and over again, until her face look like raw meat.
I felt alive. Like a live wire in a puddle of water ready to kill anything that stepped in my way.
"Ouch!" I yelled out as my fist made contact with the floor. The girl had disappeared and with her the darkness started to dissipate.
Pity.
I kind of wanted to finish her off. I stood up feeling good, like some blissful feeling overtook my body that made my brain feel fuzzy. A warm sensation started to bubble in the center of my body. It spread in waves like an earthquake of pleasure that was filling my body with the best energy ever.
I wanted more. I was hot.
Everything became fuzzy, then I saw nothing at all. My consciousness was floating through an empty space filled with a thick static. Throughout the inky space, my heartbeat pounded loudly, echoing in my ears, alongside fading pleas for help. Feeling in my body drained away until, finally, all was black.
I awoke to soft sheets, and the morning light trickled in through the blinds. My eyes were still shut as I soaked in the warmth of my covers before letting my grey eyes see the sun's rays. Slowly and reluctantly, I blinked, closing my eyes, and blinked again. Streaks of sunlight penetrate the window and blind me. I sat up, dragging my feet off the bed, and rubbed my knuckles onto my eyes. I stretched my arms above my head and yawned. I watched as my legs dangle above the off-white polyester carpet. "Damon?" I called out still half asleep. I looked around my new surroundings and found I had never been in a room like this before. Everything was so pristine, white, and clean. Whose room was I in?
I look down at my body and saw I didn't have any clothes on except my panties and bra. I'm naked?
"Hello?" I stood up, taking a blanket off a nearby chair and wrapped it around me. I still had Phillip's letter tuck safely into my bra strap. "Damon? Alaric? Cecilia?! Anyone?" I walked out the large bedroom and ran straight into a shirtless Damon wearing black jeans barefooted.
"Hey," he said quickly stepping away from me. Almost like he wanted to put distance between us. His hands were wrapped up in gauze and there was a purple black bruise on his cheek. I reached out to touch him, using my air element to cool my hand, only for him to flinch away.
I dropped my hand, "Hi, where are we? What was happening at Haven when..." he wouldn't look at me. Damon kept his eyes focused on the ground.
Okay?
"Where are we?" I asked again this time kneeling so Damon could actually look me in the eyes. He didn't seem to like that and turned around frustrated.
"Vaadhoo in the Maldives," he said.
"Okay? Why are we in the Maldives?" I asked going to stand in front of him.
He turned around again, "Because The Elders don't want you on campus. With...with..."
"With?" I said crossing my arms and tap and him on the shoulders, "Look at me. Are you mad at me or something? Because I went- ''
"You're a God-Killer, Freya," he said snapping his head to me. Damon said it was such disgust and disappointment.
"Yeah, I guess I am because I didn't let some dirty God with a scythe rape me," I could feel myself starting to get upset.
He doesn't get the judge me. It's not like this wasn't going to happen anyway. Since Poseidon put me on this track there was only one way it ended, and it was with me becoming a God-Killer. Either way, I would have to kill Erebus or Nyx or anyone else that got in our way.
If Damon, or anyone else had a problem with who I was, that was just that, their problem. I pushed past him and walked back into the room I woke up in. I slammed the door in his face. If he couldn't even look at me because I was so repulsive, I didn't have to stay here. Besides, I have a letter to deliver. I leaned against the door and pulled the letter out of my bra strap holding it in my hand.
"Freya, please. I could feel every emotion you just had. I don't care if you're a God-Killer. Truly I don't, I do-''
I swung the door open wanting to know exactly what he was trying to say, "I do what?"
Again, he wouldn't look at me. He stared up and coughing he said, "You are naked."
What?
"No, I'm not." He wasn't embarrassed because I killed a god, he was embarrassed because I was half naked in front of him. And I had a sheet on.
Yes you are. He said.
I dropped the sheet and stood proudly in front of him. His eyes slowly came down to my level. I couldn't help but smile. After everything we went through, he was trying to protect my honor? Virtue? "You don't want to look?"
He could do a lot more if he wanted to. "Of course, I do," he said with a gruff in his voice.
I stared up at him, "Then don't fight it." Look at me being bold!
We kind of stood in silence, I was just happy to be here. And I liked the way Damon's eyes almost seem to roll off my body, like there was a clear hunger in him for me. I just needed him to act on it. He knew I liked him. I wouldn't mind dating Damon, but he had to make up his mind about me.
"The Elders don't want you at Haven because they fear the wrath of the gods. It won't be long before everyone in Olympus knows about your...transformation," he said pointing to his eyes.
"Oh," I said rushing over to the vanity. My eyes were still red, not as vibrant as what they were in Hades Playground but still inhuman. The triangle claw mark was still on my cheek. The tattoos had faded away I guess that's a good thing?
Was I still human? Yeah, I still felt human. Physically, my body may have changed but I'm still the same old Freya. "Would you like a moment?" Damon said still in the doorway.
"No," I said staring at myself, "I'm good."
I turned around to face him crossing my arms over my chest and leaning against the white vanity set, "I had Leo order you some clothes. They should be here by the end of the day. Until then..." He pointed to a nearby dresser drawer, "Feel free to wear whatever you like in there."
"Who else is here? And why the Maldives? If I've been kicked out of Haven, you could have easily just dropped me off at home." Sure, I didn't have my apartment anymore, but I could always go back to my mom's house. It would always be home, I guess. Would it really be home without my grandparents and my mom there?
No.
"Leo, Cecilia and Alaric. They went into town to get food and supplies. To be honest, I think Leo ditched them and ran straight into the water," he said rolling his eyes.
He walked inside of the room crossing the white fluffy rug and walked over to the window wall opening the blinds. Jesus, I could work my entire life and never afford a view like this. The sky was an iridescent blue. The sun emitted wave upon wave of heat from the center of a pale blue sky. Golden sand extended at a gentle slope unlike anything that I ever imagined. Soft dunes tumbled to kiss the briny water. Each wave was laced with foam and all the more gentle for the subtle green hues.
In the distance, I could see Leo bobbing in the water. "Yup, he probably made a beeline for it."
I won't be.
"Since you were knocked out, I made a judgement call and brought you here. Freya, I know you want to go back to the normal world, but don't you feel like you belong with people like us? God-killer or not, you belong with other Elementals," Damon said closing the blinds back up. He leaned against the wall staring at me.
"The Elders don't think so, and who knows, by tonight I could be dead," I said shrugging my shoulders and walking over to the dresser. Once Zeus finds out, who knows what will happen to me. That was something I had to take care of on my own. I found an oversized t-shirt and slipped it on. It was more of a dress on me but would get the job done until some clothes my size made it here.
"Don't say that," I heard his voice slightly break.
"It's the truth," I said. Whatever was coming for me, I felt like I could take on. This time if Zeus tried to kick my ass, at least now I have the confidence to know I could put up a real fight. I wanted to change the topic, "So what was going on at Haven when I found you?"
"Erebus, looking for either you or Cecilia. Luckily Bash had the foresight to hide her and you... I have no idea what you were trying to do. If Philip was down there, there's no way-"
"He's dead," I held up his letter to Daniel, "Did you know The Brotherhood throws people down there too?"
"Yes," I stood up straight at that.
He knew that people we're being sent to their deaths! It wasn't a peaceful way to go out to be hunted down and eaten alive. "I know what you're thinking but hear me out-"
"It doesn't matter, you can't do it anymore. I destroyed the playground. All the little monsters you were feeding are dead." I couldn't be the odd one out here. What The Order and The Brotherhood were doing was awful. Despicable. But everyone just accepted that. I kill one rapist and I get kicked out of Haven and have a target on my back.
"I know it has to be hard to understand, but not everyone-"
"Deserves to live? Because that's what you're doing when you send people down there. You're saying their life doesn't matter, has lesser value than anyone else's. You could do a hundred and one other things, but you choose the cruelest thing. There were women, children, babies all piled up down there, like they were nothing more than trash. How can you stand by and let The Elders do that?"
I knew in my heart Damon was just following orders. He wasn't personally and solely responsible for what was happening down there. But he was complicit, they all were. They knew what was happening and no one did anything.
"We have to protect ourselves. And some people threatened everything we've been working to achieve. Some people are dangerous and... The Elders have to protect our society and sometimes that means-"
"Killing? You told me once The Elders don't take children. That they work something out with the parents. Are you sure they're not stealing children and killing their parents?" Because that's what it sounded like in the first letter I read.
Damon's face fell, "Yes, and after everything they've done for you, you should give them the benefit of the doubt. You've only been at Haven for a few months. The Elders have been protecting us for thousands of years. You think you know best? You think you can do better?"
Well, this conversation flipped. I hit a nerve with Damon, and I wasn't ready to back down. Why does he so blindly trust them?
"Whatever. If you can't even talk about the possibility of The Elders making a mistake, this conversation isn't going to go anywhere. I don't care if I've been banned from Haven, or if the gods themselves want to throw down with me, I have a letter to deliver. And I guess since I've been officially kicked out of Haven, I'm not your problem anymore." I should have let Erebus kick his ass some more.
"Freya don't-" too late, I was already teleporting away.