Chapter 39
Freya
I jilted awake in an unfamiliar room.
What happened?
"Damon? Alaric? Cecilia?!" I called-out in a prestige king size bed with plush red covers and four golden pillars. The room was empty, but lavishly expensive. A sixty-inch-flat screen TV hung on the wall above a cherry wood desk that was covered with books, pencils, papers, and a laptop with two speakers on both sides of the desk. Above the desk in front of me were shelves of leather-bound books and decorative boxes. A large walk-in closet was on the opposite side of the desk.
On the furthest wall were floor-to-ceiling windows that gave an amazing view to the front lawn that could give the White House a run for its money. The moon was full and pale white in the night sky. The floor was covered in plush tan carpets and the ceiling was ornate with gold and cream covering the flat surface. My eyes found their way to the side table that had a picture of two boys smiling happily at the camera.
Is that... Damon?
I pushed the covers off me and stood up weaker than I expected. I wobbled under my own weight and I sat on the edge of my bed. Someone had changed me into a black tank top and shorts. Unable to take the dizziness anymore, I reached for the simple black picture frame to further examine it.
Yeah, this is definitely Damon.
My heart warmed. He was just a normal, happy little boy. The older kid must be Roman. They had to be four and six-years-old. It almost felt like I could hear them both saying 'yay' as they threw their arms up. They were both rocking those 90's windbreaker jackets that my mom told me was the height of fashion at that point. "One of the rare mementos of childhood," Roman said walking into the room with a tea tray. He was wearing a long sleeve white button-down shirt and black business pants with a leather belt and matching shoes. I was starting to think business casual was his everyday look.
"How do you have this?" I asked him genuinely curious.
"I'm assuming my mother took it, probably got it developed and it found its way into that picture frame," he stated, setting the tea tray on the nightstand.
"Smartass. That's not what I meant. If you burned down your parents' house, how do you have anything from that long ago?" I asked.
"May I?" He said gesturing to the bed to sit.
"Sure." I had no idea why I was here, but I was pretty sure this was Roman's house.
He sat down facing me, "Is that what he told you? It would seem I have become the villain in his story."
"Or he only knows one side. Clearly you two loved each other, it's evident in the picture. But something bigger had to happen other than illogical differences," I said holding out the picture to him. Roman gingerly took the picture and set it next to him, completely ignoring my last statement, "Where am I?"
"The Archon estate just outside of New York City," he said giving me his full attention.
"Okay, why am I here? Where is everyone?"
"Probably running home to Haven to tell the adults what happened. Since The Elders wouldn't help the last demigod, The Order was more than willing to assist," Roman gloated with a straight face.
"You know you don't have to lie to me. After our last encounter, I know for you to help it had to cost someone something," I said.
"You catch on quick," he said standing up and going over to the tea set pouring himself a cup.
"I pride myself on not being stupid. What did you take?"
"Nothing of importance," he said too quickly for my liking. "You needed to be pulled out of your seizure inducing coma, and The Order helped."
I would ask Damon what happened when I found him. "Thank you. Why?"
"Because you did promise at our last meeting to give our side a shot. Now seems to be the perfect time," he passed me the cup of tea he just made and I stared down at the green liquid suspicious. "Besides, with my brother's house destroyed, The Brotherhood and Haven not wanting too much to do with you-"
"You figured I was desperate?" I said putting the teacup back on the tray, "Well, you are right." That caught Roman off-guard, I saw a small victory lap gaze in his eyes, "I really don't care what The Brotherhood and The Order are fighting for, I care that very soon we will have a full-blown war of the gods at our front doorstep, and no one is listening to reason. Gaia had warned us, and neither side is listening. The Brotherhood won't work with The Order, The Order won't work with The Brotherhood and the gods couldn't care less about any of us." I stood up, feeling stronger as I stared up at Roman, "You're all about what you can get out of someone. Working with me gets you a future. Preservation of your life. Isn't that worth caving just a smidge?" Before he could answer, it hit me. I needed to learn from Ariadne, "What will it take?"
"For us to work with The Brotherhood? Nothing you could give. Hercules gets people to come to his table because he's offering Elysium. What can an untrained demigod give me? Or anyone?"
"That's what I'm asking you," I said with conviction. I stepped closer to him trying to read anything on his face. The only way Roman would truly help is if he felt like he won in the end. So, how does Roman win?
Roman gave me a coy smile before turning away heading back to the door, "What if I stayed here semi-permanently? I can't give you spells or some legendary skill that sets me apart, but I can give you what The Brotherhood doesn't have. Call me what you will, but I'm doing pretty good for an untrained demigod. I can control all four elements, I'm a daughter of war, a God-Killer, I fought Zeus and Hercules yet I'm still here, I can teleport, and I held my own in Hades Playground. My story is just beginning I may not be on the level of Hercules, but one day I could be. And when they write my story it could be tied to The Order's story. That's my value, I'm a world of opportunity."
That made Roman stopped dead in his tracks, he turned to face me with the amusement in his eyes, "You would join us?"
"I never said join." I set the record straight.
"Then I'm not really getting anything," he said with a slight tilt of his head.
"Aren't you? I've been at Haven since February and they showed me their way of life. They prefer to keep to themselves, separated from man's world. They definitely showed me where I stand with them. Maybe now's time to see how the other half lives, and maybe by the end of this experiment I'll end up standing with you."
I could see every cog in Roman's head spinning at the speed of light. Wow, I made him speechless.
"What exactly do you want? We're not going to break down millions of years of prejudice with one person."
"I'm not trying to fix prejudice; I need an army ready to fight. If I fail in in the Primordial Realm, I'm going to need a hell of a lot more than twelve people to help me. If The Brotherhood won't take the first step to peace, I need The Order to take it. It's not even peace it's a temporary ceasefire."
"I can take your concern to The Ministry and see what they-"
"I'm not asking The Ministry, I'm asking you- the Archon, the leader, Roman Gideon. What. Will. It. Take?"
"I'd have to carefully think about that. Until then, feel free to call this your home. Whatever you need will be acquired. Every Wednesday at six The Ministry meets here to discuss normal business. Your presence would be greatly noted and appreciated," Roman announced, quickly changing the subject.
"I'll be here. I want to see my sister. Unless I'm a prisoner here?"
"Come and go as you please," Roman said formally.
I laid all my cards on the table for Roman, and I still didn't have an answer. And I didn't know if I had time to be playing these games with him. But first things first, I need to find Damon.
Without even thinking, I teleported back to Damon's house in the Maldives. The house was spotless, like nothing had even happened here. I stood in the living room confused, "Damon! Cecilia! Alaric!"
No answer. Damon? I cried out mentally. Nothing. Phone! I needed to find my phone! Then I could call someone. Anyone.
I didn't waste time walking, I teleported into my room tearing it apart looking for my cell phone. But it was nowhere to be found. Okay, okay, okay, they have to be at Haven. I'll just go there, and I will eventually run into someone I know. I teleported to Haven only to end up at the front gate. Not this bullshit! Not now!
I pushed against the invisible force field only to be shocked away, "What the hell?!" I pushed against the gate again only to be shocked harder this time. The jolt was so surprising I fell back and landed on my ass, "Oh come on!"
Why can't I get in? What's wrong with me?
I stood up and called up my elements. They still work, but I couldn't get into Haven. I knew the school was still there behind this fog of smoke and gate.
Damon? I called out as a desperate plead. I was truly kicked out. What do I do now?
"Anson!" I exclaimed. I'll just go who is house borrow his phone and... Do what? I don't know the number.
Shit.
I can ask him to deliver a message. But there was a chance it would end up getting back to Roman and I was trying to get him to trust me. Fraternizing with 'the enemy' wouldn't be a good look to him.
I needed someone who could bypass this barrier or send a message to Damon, someone who was bipartisan, who didn't care about The Order or The Brotherhood.
And then it hit me like a brick upside the head. I quickly teleported back to my room in the Maldives finding a pair of red and white Converse shoes, my wallet and a grey parka jacket.
God, I hope this gets her attention.
And teleported right behind Picasso's Coffee House. Here goes nothing. I quickly snaked my way around to the front of the building and made my way inside.
I slowly scanned the mostly empty room until I found him. Sitting at a small table with coffee in one hand and a tablet in the other. He had a chic lumbersexual style to him today with his blue jeans, white T-shirt and plaid shirt.
Jake? Jessie? Shit, I didn't remember his name! Abort! Abort!
Before I could retreat, I made eye contact with the man Aphrodite tried to drag me away from. He smiled genuinely and waved me over to him, "Hey, come sit."
I shouldn't. This was stupid, there had to be a way for me to get into Haven or communicate with Damon somehow. I just didn't have any ideas at the moment. I gave him a small smile and waved as I made my way over to him, "Do you care if I sit?" I said pointing to the empty chair across from him.
"I never say no to a beautiful woman." I took that as a yes and sat down. "Will your friend be joining you?" With my luck probably not.
"She's running late but she's on her way," I prayed.
"Getting ready for a night out?" He said with a soft smile.
"No, just looking for some good coffee and music. I remembered you said one of your friends was in the band, I figured why not give them a shot." I said feeling uncomfortable with the way he was staring at me, like I was the only one in the room. His gaze was heavy. I saw raw, primal lust in his eyes.
"Yeah, they just went on break. But they should be back any moment now." There was an awkward lull in our conversation, mostly because I didn't know where to go with the conversation. I never learned how to flirt, and I didn't have to with Damon.
"Cool, soooooooo... " What to say? I needed something cool and witty.
"Everything okay? You seem a bit on edge?" Way to fucking go Freya.
I exhaled hard knowing anyone could see through my front. I wasn't a seductress type, I wore my emotions on my sleeve, and I spoke what was on my heart, "A little. Uuumm boy trouble really."
That wasn't a lie, I did have trouble with a boy. The only problem was I couldn't call out to Damon with our link, and I couldn't get into Haven because I was banned.
"I happen to be an expert on men, seeing as I've been living with myself for over twenty-five years," he said made me laugh. If only my problems were normal problems, "What's the issue? Other than it's Friday night and you seem to be alone?"
"Hey! So are you Mr. Popular, sitting alone at a table," I countered.
He pointed out a nearby window and I saw two hipster guys standing under a light post smoking cigarettes and having a good time, "Those two vaping cancer are my friends."
"Touche. Fine, I'll cave. I'm the loser on Friday night with no one." Even before I found out they were other Elementals, I would normally be alone. Either I would be at my apartment alone, or I would hang out with my mom. After college I didn't really have time for friends.
"You're too hard on yourself. There's nothing wrong with me time. And besides, you're not alone you're sitting here with me," he leaned forward like I was about to give him the cure for cancer "Go on."
"Well, it's kind of a long story." And I'm pretty sure I can't tell him ninety-eight percent of it.
"Place closes at two in the morning. I got nothing but time until then," he said earnestly.
"I've lost my not boyfriend but boyfriend, my phone's magically disappeared, I'm pretty sure this Elite school just kicked me out officially, I have no way of contacting anyone because I live in 2018 and I haven't memorized a number since I was ten, people are prejudiced assholes, oh, and the world's going to end," I vomited out.
"What?"
I told him too much! Clean it up, "You know because global warming and carbon emissions."
"Oh, that seems more like a global issue and not a personal one," he said taking a sip of his coffee.
"Still, something to worry about?"
"I guess so." Nailed it.
"So, you and this guy. You lost him, and you want him back?" He asked.
"Yeah." I said feeling a sharp pain in my heart.
"So just drive to his house and make him remember why you two got together in the first place," he suggested.
"It's not that easy."
"Yes, it is. If someone needs to apologize, they apologize and move on. Do something nice for him like buy his favorite beer and watch the game with him," he added.
"He's no like that," I said not knowing if Damon even drinks.
"He doesn't drink, or he doesn't like sports?"
"I'm not sure on both. You're probably thinking, 'Wow she must be the world's worst girlfriend', but hear me out. Damon's... like.... a military man? He lives and breathes for his team. He's the best that Hav- the military has had in a long time. And he works hard to keep that title... " I didn't know what else to say without revealing there's a whole another world where people can control the elements.
"So, what do you guys do for fun?"
"Uuummm..." hunt down Zeus's coin? Training? Assembling a crack team that I will lead into the Primordial Realm to fight two gods that are hell-bent on destroying the world and Olympus. "Parcheesi?"
"Are you sure you want this guy?" He said honestly.
The two guys from the street came back inside putting on black fedoras.
M'Lady.
They were both wore black pants and a button-down, white, long sleeve t-shirt that had been rolled up to their elbows with matching red suspenders. One man sat down at the piano and the other sat on a wooden box.
Soft music started to fill the small coffee house with a sad but familiar tune.
"Of course. I know what's important. Damon is a gentleman, honorable, and respectful, he would do anything for his teammates and for me. So I may not know what beer he likes, but I know his character." Damon wouldn't just disappear unless Roman did something to keep him away.
This wasn't working. I stood and said, "You know what? I am going to talk to him." I knew he was at Haven. I just had to get inside. I needed... Athena's book. "Thank you... you."
"You don't remember my name?"
"What? Of course, I know your name Jooonnn?" His face twisted, "I'm joking! Ha, ha, ha...Jace? Jace! Your name is Jace."
"Very good guess," he clapped.
"I try."
"Let me know how it goes with Damon. If it works out, you owe me dinner" He said standing up. "Let me walk you to your car. You never know who's out there."
"Aww thanks. But, I... " Teleported here? "Took a Taxi."
"I can hail one down for you," not accepting no for an answer he took my hand in his and led me outside to the Cobblestone sidewalk. All around us people were having normal Friday nights drinking, laughing celebrating a new weekend.
With a rippling whistle, Jace held out his hand hailing down a cab. Jace was so nice I couldn't help but feel in the pit of my stomach he wanted something from me. Or maybe he's just a nice guy trying to do the right thing. I wanted to believe the latter, but men have a strange way of letting you down. The taxi pulled up to the side of the street and Jace immediately opened the door for me to get in. I slid into the back seat thanking him politely but before he shut the door Jace asked, "Can I have your number? I know you lost your phone but when you do find it you can text me and let me know how it went with Damon."
"Uuummm sure." What was the harm in giving him my phone number? I quickly gave him the number and with a grin he put it into his phone.
"Goodnight Freya," he said in a melancholy tone, like he didn't want me to leave.
"Night Jace," he closed the door firmly and my taxi started to pull away. I couldn't help but look out the back window to see Jace watching the car disappear down the street, and with a small wave he watched us disappear as the car turned a corner.
"Where to, Miss?" The overweight taxi driver said, smelling of smoke.
Where did I go? I knew we needed to go to Haven but I didn't have Athena's book. I didn't have a plan. So where do I go when I have nowhere else to go to?
"Wentzville," I said with a smile. I gave the man my home address and after a silent thirty-minute drive, he dropped me off at the front of my house. I paid him and gave him a nice tip. As soon as he had his money, he was off. I stared up at my childhood home with a pit in my stomach. It just wasn't home without my mom and grandparents. But at least it would do for the night/morning. I knew I could go back to Roman's mansion, but I really wanted an answer from him before I started staying there. I walked up the dirt road. Wintry air swirled around me taking every lick of warmth it could. I wrapped my arms tighter around myself, pulling my cardigan closed and tucking my chin downward into my tank top. I teleported into the house, landing in my room, and screamed. Something in the corner caught me completely off-guard.
"What?!" Damon said rushing over to me wrapping an arm firmly around my waist.
"You! Why are you sitting in the dark! Give me heart attack why don't you?!" I exclaimed placing my hand over my heart. I used my air element to flip on the light switch.
"I was waiting for you to show up," he said with worry and his eyes. He looked disheveled, like the few hours I had been asleep had aged him.
"I went to your house and Haven looking for you. What happened? Why did I wake up in Roman's mansion?"
Damon completely ignored my question and cupping my face in between his hands he gently ran his eyes over my face, as if he was trying to examine me, "Are you ok? What did he do?"
"We both can't be asking questions."
"What happened Freya? You've been gone for almost two days." He said with a little bit more force in his voice.
"Two days!" Why the hell didn't Romans say anything?! Speechless, I sat on the side of my bed staring off confused. I lost two days of my life with Ariadne and Theo. Damen knelt so he was in my line of vision, taking my hand he gently tried to console me.
Wait.
"If I can't read your mind, how do I know you're really Damon?" I said.
My Damon.
"I've missed you too," he said with a soft smile. He kissed the palm of my hands and I felt a warm rush run over my body centered itself along my soft spots.
No one has ever given me an orgasm but I'm pretty sure I was close to one. Damon's element felt that good on my skin. Fire looked across my neck breasts and thighs like the sweetest caress. And I wanted more. "More," I moaned.
Damon leaned forward so he was in between my legs whispering in my ear, "Are you sure about that?"
In a lust-filled haze I eagerly agreed. He leaned forward and briefly kissed me separating too quickly for my liking. He stood in front of me and returned to his original question, "What happened?"
Did he just turn me on to get answers? Maybe. Did I really care? Hell no.
I told them everything I remembered about the beach house. That Alaric saw something and a black ball exploded on me sending me back in time. I told him about Ariadne and Theo's love story, how I woke up in Roman's mansion and our little conversation about working together, "He's already got enough, don't offer him anything else. The Elder's won't keep you banned from Haven for forever." Now it was Damon's turn to tell me what happened. Apparently I was having seizures and no one could wake me up, like Sleeping Beauty- go figure. And they came up with some idea about a cup that would wake me up, but Damon had to trade his ring to save me.
I stood up taking his hand in mine, "Thank you, really. I don't know what to say..." I really did, he shouldn't have given up the ring for me. Damon earned that by being the best. And Roman just destroyed it.
"It's okay. It's not like I used it any way. You being safe is the only thing that matters." He kissed the side of my neck making me want to melt into him. "You don't have to stay with Roman." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a sealed envelope with a cursive RSA wax seal. "Congratulations!"
"Yes, only the best and brightest get envelopes," I said sarcastically, breaking the seal and finding a handwritten letter in the fanciest cursive. I read the letter out loud:
Dear Freya Donovan,
It has reached The High Council's attention that Haven Boarding and Education no longer has the resources to support you. We would like to send our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience and misplacement. We would like to invite you to the Royal Sanctum Academy. We feel it will better serve you and your needs. The High Council looks forward to making your formal acquaintance.
There were about ten different signatures at the bottom. With a roll of my eyes, I let the letter fall to the ground. It wasn't worth the paper it was written on, "Hey!" Damon said picking up a letter and holding it like it was a frail infant, "The Academy wants you."
"And you know what I want?" I said throwing myself on my bed staring up at the ceiling, "Gareth to keep training me, Hercules not to be a dick and Erebus and Nyx to piss off. But we don't always get what we want."
"Freya, this is an amazing opportunity. Only a select few people can even get it. They've trained-"
"I like Haven, I like my teacher and being around you guys. Being with you. Besides, I can't be in two places at once. I know you said don't give Roman anything else but honestly, but he may be a key factor in getting everyone to work together. Can this Academy do that?"
Damon climbed on top me softly cupping my cheek, "Yes, these are the High Elders. The ones have been alive for millennia. If they're inviting you to the academy, they could want you to sit on the council one day. You'll live more than a few thousand years so playing nice with them will help you in the long run," Damon said making me shoot up.
"What do you mean? I'll live more than a millennium. Doesn't everyone get a good ninety years if they're lucky?"
"No. You do know after you turn twenty-five you'll stop aging completely? Freya, if you never became the God-Killer you would live for maybe ten thousand years? Now, since you're a God-Killer you're basically immortal. Not to say you can't be killed, it's just age won't be the thing that does it." I was completely dumbfounded. I was going to live forever. But all of my friends and family...
"What about you?" I said in a small voice. Not to sound like a High School Musical song but, what about us?
"Descendants have longer lives. For us it's more like 800, 900 years old." My heart ached has he spoke. What was a few hundred years in the face of eternity? Would I go crazy with grief? Are we supposed to always be together? Elder Favian said in the garden if one of us dies the other would follow.
"You can't die," I said looking into his warm brown eyes.
Damon chuckle with a boyish charm, "I can't stop that."
"Yes, we can! There has to be some spell or something! You are going to live forever with me and we're going to be that couple everyone is jealous of." My mind was set in stone. People cheat death all the time in ancient Greek mythology!
Damon pressed his forehead against mine and in a soft tone he said, "Freya, you'll have many loves over your lifetime-"
I covered his mouth surprising him, "I don't want to hear that bullshit. We haven't even got to do the fun stuff! Dating, vacations, saving the world from eternal darkness, buying a house together!" Children? How would that workout? Would they be immortal like me? Or would I eventually outlive my children? Grandchildren? And great-grandchildren?
Damon pushed my hand down, "If we can't do all that in 800 years, there's something seriously wrong with us. Just look at the Academy, it's in Italy," he said as if that was going to change my mind. I've never seen Italy before.
"In Rome?"
"Treviso, Veneto. It's about twenty miles away from Venice." So not even the touristy part.
"What about you? And Cecilia, Alaric, Leo, Milo, Bash, and everyone else," I questioned, "You guys can't come?"
"Cecilia may be able to come but they didn't invite her, they invited you. We are fine at Haven. This could be good for you. And it's not like we'll never see each other again." Why did it feel like that then? "I don't ever want you to turn down an opportunity just because I didn't get it, or Cecilia wasn't offered. Freya, you deserve the best. Let the Academy give that to you."
"I'll think about it," I said, making no promises.
"Thank you," he said as I laid back down hoping he would join me. But he climbed off me stretching, heading towards the door.
Sitting up on my elbows I called out, "Where are you going?"
"To get your things and maybe some food?"
"Or you could come lay down with me?" I said making room for him on the bed.
"Are you trying to tempt me?"
"Only if it's working." I confessed using my air element to nudge him back to the bed. I sat up on my knees in front of him, "Is it, working?"
He leaned forward as if he was going to kiss me, I close my eyes ready for the sweet taste of his lips on mine. Only to feel a kiss on my forehead. Oh.
"I'll be back soon," and with that said, he was gone. I threw myself on the bed frustrated.
Why was sex even on my mind? It's not like I didn't have a thousand other things that needed attention other than my neglected coochie.
"What, in The Underworld was THAT?!" Aphrodite appeared next to me wearing an almost see-through white gown with her hair in a pile of beautiful curls on her head. She said primly next to me with her legs crossed and her hands folded delicately on her knee.
"Why are your nipples out?" I asked.
"Why aren't your legs in the air?" She responded.
"It's not from a lack of trying," I mumble to myself. I knew Damon and I having sex would mean a world of different things. But I couldn't help it, I was attracted to him.
"Rule number one, never throw yourself at a person. It should be a slow seduction, like a well-choreographed dance. He should think he's leading, when really, you're in the driver's seat sucking him off," she said with a roll of her eyes.
"I'll keep that in mind for the next time he turns me down." I quickly changed the subject since I had her here, I had a couple of questions, "Aphrodite you said you made this connection that Damon and I have?"
"Correct, star-crossed lovers going back to the beginning of time," she said with pride in her voice. I don't think she should be proud we keep dying.
"Can you tell me about Ariadne and Theo?"
Aphrodite whipped her head in her black eyes bulged out of her head, "Why?"
"Because I just spent two days in her body. And I've seen them in my dreams. What happened to-"
Aphrodite's stood up quickly moving away from me shaking her head no,
"Never say those names again! Do you want the whole of Olympus to come down on you?"
"Haven't they already?"
"I wouldn't get involved with anything having to do with Ariadne. She died thousands of years ago. The Gods made sure no one knew her name. How did you find her?!"
"I didn't, she finds me. And Theo finds Damon sometimes. All I want to know is why do you keep bringing us back to life only to die horrible deaths?"
"I'm a goddess of love, beauty and desire. I have nothing to do with that or any of the sadness that befalls you or your beloved. Ariadne did that to herself. If you don't want to end up like her trapped in some purgatory, you won't bring up her name again," she warned.
"Okay, okay I'll drop it." No way in hell was I going to let it go. But it freaked Aphrodite out enough to let me know what I was signing up for.
"You better. You don't want to follow in her footsteps, and you definitely don't want to open up old wounds." Okay, now I was a thousand percent curious. What did Ariadne do to make the Gods even remember her?
"Okay, geez I'm dropping it," I lied.
"I mean it girl. You're in for a world of hurt with the big three if you don't leave this alone."
"What?Never hear of them," I said sarcastically.
"Good, now let's get back to your drier than the desert pussy."
Wonderful.