All the breath was forced from me as Jackal's gaze pinned me down, his words forming a tight knot in my throat. Perhaps it was my imagination, but every small sound in the restaurant became audible. The scraping of knives and forks against plates, the sound of poured wine sloshing in tall glasses, someone coughing on the other side of the room – everything was too loud as Jackal stared at me patiently, enjoying my internal struggle.
My entire body was frozen, yet my mind told me to run. I felt a chill run down my neck, half expecting more guards to pop out of nowhere.
I was wrong about Jackal, I thought. This entire night was a set up. I looked around frantically for Alek, but he was nowhere in sight. With my heart in my throat, I knew I couldn't remain alone with Jackal any longer, staring down the barrel of a gun waiting to be fired.
"I have to go," I muttered, standing up abruptly. The legs of my chair squealed against the floor as I threw my napkin down on the table.
Jackal leaned forwards and grabbed my hand, holding it against the table.
"Let go of me," I growled, trying unsuccessfully to pull my hand free.
He didn't let me go.
"Serena. Please sit down. I'm not going to turn you in," he implored.
I scowled. "Oh yeah? How can I trust you?"
He watched me for a moment, contemplating. He let go of my hand, causing me to stumble backwards under my own momentum, but someone appeared behind me and caught me.
Alek.
"What's going on here?" he demanded, looking between us. But Jackal kept his attention on me.
"Sit down," Jackal said through a forced grin. "You're drawing attention."
In my peripheral vision I noticed other guests staring at us. The vacuum of noise I'd been hearing from the room died down, until I was able to solely focus on the man in front of me. He had a desperate look on his face and by his body language, it certainly looked like it mattered to him that this attention disappeared.
"Serena?" Alek asked quietly, placing a hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong?"
I didn't remove my eyes from him. "Jackal knows who I am."
Alek stilled, but he didn't freak out like I did. Instead, he and Jackal glanced at each other, a message passing between their eyes. It looked like they were coming to an understanding about something. Alek nodded and squeezed my shoulder.
"Jackal isn't going to hurt you," he promised.
I took one look at the trust and confidence in Alek's eyes and the desperation in Jackal's, and sighed, sitting back down. I crossed my arms as Alek slid into the seat next to mine.
Jackal shuffled in his seat. "I found out last night. A message has been sent to all the gods and goddesses in the Underworld. I can't imagine how many people would know of Serena by now."
"What was the message?" Alek asked, strictly business.
"A young girl and man on the run from Sloth City. Although Hades is only really interested in the girl being found. Word has gotten out that she supposedly has a stunning pair of eyes," he said, meeting my gaze.
"I added the stunning bit," he continued. "By the way, you really should buy contacts."
I flinched. I didn't even know the Underworld had eye contacts. Neither did Alek, apparently.
"It didn't take long for me to understand exactly who these people were when you two turned up on our doorstep. Serena had so much dirt on her it couldn't have been clearer she was on the run."
"Do you know how much effort they're putting into to finding me?" I asked.
He nodded. "The Crown Guard have been sent out to all of the cities in the West. They will arrive in Greed City by tomorrow night. From the sounds of it, they're sending at least twenty guards here."
"We need to be out of here before then," Alek concluded grimly.
Jackal nodded in agreement. "I want to help you both, but I need you to trust me, Serena. Why does Hades want you? He doesn't put this much effort into tracking down anyone. Ever."
"I can believe that," I murmured, feeling the sudden urge to curl up into a ball and cry. I looked to Alek for help, wondering whether I should tell Jackal the truth, but he just looked at me with a steady gaze, one that said it was my decision.
There was a part of me that was hesitant to tell Jackal the truth. He was the son of the God of Greed, after all, and my capture and delivery would be rewarded with a hefty monetary prize.
"How do I know you're going to keep this to yourself?" I asked, my eyes narrowed in on Jackal.
He pushed his food away from him and a servant suddenly appeared over his shoulder to clean up the table. We waited in awkward silence as they collected our empty plates, Jackal's gaze heavy on mine. I found it difficult to look at him with an equal intensity, but I squared my shoulders as I waited for my answer.
"I may be a demigod of Greed, but I am also a man of honour. Alek has been a friend of mine for many years. I'll always treat his friends as my own. Alek would know if I was a threat to you, or him. You trust Alek, don't you?"
I looked into Alek's eyes, intense and certain. The truth was, I'd definitely been hesitant to trust him at the start when I'd only seen the side of him that was egotistical and arrogant, but things had long changed since our first few encounters. Despite our disagreements, he'd saved me countless times and proven through small acts of protection and tenderness that he cared for me. Those were the moments that called out to me.
"I do," I whispered softly, something passing between the two of us. Alek's shoulders relaxed and he looked downward in what I assumed was relief.
"So, Alek trusts me, and you trust Alek," Jackal stated simply, as though that was a solution to all of our problems.
I sighed and glanced around, checking no one else was overhearing, before diving into my tale right from the moment I arrived in the Underworld. I talked about finding Alek and how he was willing to help me reach the North Gate. I included Alek's theory about my being a descendent of Persephone, and how this might be Hades' reason for wanting me.
Jackal's jaw was slack by the end of the story. He ran a hand over his beard, a weary look in his eyes. "Wow. Just wow. I didn't even know the North Gate was real."
My stomach tingled. "Artemis told us it is, and Persephone has confirmed it for me in a dreamwalk."
"Wow," he repeated. "Are you even getting paid, Alek?"
I scrunched up my face, feeling guilty.
Alek snorted. "Trust your mind to go straight to the idea of payment. There are more important things than wealth."
"Like what?"
"An escape," Alek answered, his serious tone followed by silence.
"Egh. We can agree to disagree."
They grinned devilishly at each other, and I knew that Jackal would likely keep our secret. He needed Alek's help to find Cleo after all–
Oh wait.
Cleo.
"What about finding Cleo?" I voiced. "If we need to get out of this city by tomorrow night, will we have time to find her?"
"I will have time to find her," Alek corrected, his gaze icy.
"But I'd be able to help."
"No, you couldn't," he replied, voice threatening.
"Perhaps I could if you just taught me how to fight," I quipped.
The effects of the alcohol were beginning to dissipate; the bubbliness and enjoyment slowly transforming to frustration. I frowned as Alek shot me a look. Across the table, Jackal leaned back in his seat, sensing the tension.
"We can help each other, Alek," Jackal said cautiously, breaking the silence. "We should go tonight, though. You're both rushed for time."
Alek agreed and both of them stood up from the table, preparing to make a move. I sat there and watched on incredulously.
"Come on Serena, it will be safe for you if you stay in the hotel room," Alek ushered.
Seriously?
Feeling dejected, I stood up from the table, causing the chair to once again squeal against the floor and capture the attention of other diners. I didn't care that they were looking at us. All I cared about was shooting Alek the deadliest glare I'd ever given. As I headed past him, I stilled and leaned in close.
"I'll go back to the apartment now, but don't think for a second it's because I'm giving in."
I gave him a warning glare and then walked out of the restaurant; the memory of his troubled expression ingrained in my mind.
Outside the restaurant, I pushed past the people dancing and chatting with each other, not caring who I bumped into. If I couldn't be out in the city helping look for Cleo, I wanted to be upstairs, snuggled in my bed sheets for a good night's rest before tomorrow.
I could hear hurried footsteps behind me – Alek.
"Ser-Sabrina!" he called, pushing through the crowd to catch up. "Wait up!"
I ignored him and took the stairs two at a time. Despite my attempts to escape him, he caught up with me halfway up the second flight of stairs. Damn his speed. He grabbed my upper arm and drew me to a halt, making me flinch mid-step. His fingers, strong yet soft, splayed across my skin. I drew in a sharp breath.
"What?"
He looked taken aback by my reaction. "I–" he fumbled, seemingly lost for words. His expression fell and he looked away, his hold loosening. "I don't want you to get hurt," he said, voice soft. "And not just because I consider you my responsibility."
He opened his mouth to say something more, then closed it and had a sheepish look on his face, a brief reminder of how normal, high school boys acted.
My entire being froze. I watched him closely, surprised by the rawness and vulnerability in his declaration. It was the first indication that he truly cared for me – not as his duty, but as something more...
Alek noticed the quiet tension between us, and his gaze flicked to his hand on my arm. His Adam's apple bobbed and he dropped it faster than my eyes could follow.
"If you did, then you'd teach me how to defend myself," I replied sadly, shaking my head.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just...let me escort you back to our apartment. Please."
Too exhausted to disagree, I nodded and started to hike back up the stairwell, all too conscious of Alek trailing a few steps behind me. After a minute of silence – and me trying to hide how puffed I was – we finally reached the top level.
After the past few weeks of physical exertion, climbing the stairs made my limbs scream with exhaustion. I almost cried with relief when I reached the doorknob and twisted it open, dreaming about the idea of throwing off my heels.
I'd taken two steps into the process of doing so when Alek interrupted.
"Wait," he said, alarmed and frozen in the doorway. "I locked this door."
"Really?" I asked, not registering any immediate threat. "The doorknob must be broken."
I could tell Alek didn't think so and this made me panic. His gaze darted around the room, his body taut and ready to pounce. I followed his gaze to the coffee table that he'd placed his weapons on before leaving the apartment and found it empty.
"Hey, didn't you–"
A small cry fell from my lips as he closed the distance between us and wrapped his arms around my waist, using the momentum to throw us both onto the ground and rolling his body so that he took the impact.
Just as we rolled behind the safety of the couch, a loud firing noise reverberated through the air, then the sound of something ripping. Alek rolled us over so that I now had my back to the ground. At any other time, I would've been conscious of our high level of body contact, but right now my adrenaline was on a whole other level. I gritted my teeth as more gun shots sounded, piercing the couch we were hiding behind. The firing was so deafening that when it stopped, and all I could hear was a loud ringing, I thought I may have lost my hearing.
But there was a high-pitched cackle, making a chill grate against my bones.
Alek's body was taut, but I could tell every cell in his body was attuned to the threat around us. He lifted a single finger to his lips, telling me to be quiet, and I nodded in understanding. His lips formed the shape of a word: Aplista. My hands clenched by my sides.
He slyly brought one of his knees forward so that his calf was flush against my thigh, and he tugged at something in the heel of his shoe.
A knife!
Lucky for us, this meant we weren't completely unprotected.
Unlucky for us, I could hear more sets of footsteps than one. I listened closely, trying to detect just how many people were in the room. From the sounds of it, there were about four. It was clear they'd been hiding down the hallway when we walked in.
"Come out, Serena," one of them called when the firing had stopped. I could hear their footsteps approaching. They were slow and teasing, revelling in their advantage of surprise.
Alek leaned in close to me to whisper, "When I give you a nod, you run. Okay?"
"Alek–"
He cut me off with a pleading stare, so all I could do was nod. Our intruders were coming closer and closer.
And we both knew I couldn't fight. Yet.
Alek's body seemed to instinctively relax when I agreed. He hung his head with relief, briefly allowing our foreheads to touch. Then, he shifted his body away from mine, a hint of a smirk showing on his face.
He enjoyed this, I realised, registering the glinting anticipation for a fight in his eyes. He eased himself into a crouched position, placing his hands against the back of the couch.
Right as I heard the footsteps slow a metre or so from us, Alek gave me a nod.
I had no idea what he was about to do, but I wasn't willing to hang out to find out, either.
I sprinted from behind the couch, heading for the open door as Alek used all of his strength to push the couch forwards, knocking our intruders into a heap on both the couch and ground. I could hear their shouts of surprise as bodies crashed into each other, then focused on getting out of the room alive.
If I could do that, I could get help.
I'd just stepped past the threshold when the door on the opposite side of the hallway opened, and the man with the scar stepped from his apartment with a raised gun. I stopped so suddenly that my arms pinwheeled in an attempt to not collide with him.
"My day suddenly got a whole lot better," he drawled with a broad smile. "Who would've thought that the exact same girl Hades is sending out a search for lands on my doorstep."
My jaw dropped, my stomach plummeting. My eyes went wide as he cocked the safety switch, training the gun on my heart. I heard the commotion behind us come to a halt, but I didn't dare look. The gunman's eyes darted to someone over my shoulder, to who I knew without a doubt was Alek.
"Don't move," the gunman threatened, clearly enjoying the power he had over us.
"If you hurt her, you'll regret it," Alek replied, his voice controlled and steady. "I'll make you regret it."
The gunman laughed, the scar and shadowing casting a demonic effect across his features. "I'm not going to hurt her...yet. I just need her. So, you can either fight my men, who will kill you–" his gaze flickered over to his 'men', who had now stumbled back onto their feet and were attempting to regain their dignity despite sporting several injuries. The disappointment in his expression was palpable.
"–Well, I'll kill you," he continued. "Or, you can step aside and let me take Serena. It's your choice."
"I choose neither," Alek growled.
A mask of confidence fell over the gunman's expression.
"Option C it is then," he replied cockily, moving the barrel of the gun to my right and firing. I let out a scream and turned in time to see a dart – not a bullet – lodge itself firmly in Alek's neck. Just before his eyes glazed over, I saw how much his expression promised retribution.
"Alek!" I shouted as he fell down onto his knees. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he collapsed, narrowly missing the edge of the coffee table.
"Leave him," I pleaded. "Please. He has nothing to do with Hades."
"In the alternative," the gunman drawled, "rumour has it he has everything to do with Hades."
Without wasting any more time, the gunman raised the gun once more. A loud bang sounded, and I felt something puncture my chest. I looked down in shock to see a small dart protrude from near my collar bone. A warm, calming sensation spread through my body, making my limbs weak and my vision blur. My shooter grinned, although as I started to lose focus it looked more like a dozen smiles.
At first I tried to fight the feeling of bliss and calm, but whatever was in the dart was too powerful. My eyes flittered shut and I embraced the darkness, forgetting about what might be on the other side.