by VS Winters
I smiled to myself as we walked, wondering if that was Crius trying to show his softer side. To be honest, watching his large muscles and scowling face, I never actually imagined him with a sweet side. He walked up to the tire swing and he poked at it, jolting slightly when it moved forward and slammed back into him. I chuckled and walked in front of him holding the tire still. "What are we going to do? I see now how badly the corruption changes people. I see what my light is used for. We are just two, a mortal and a demigod…"
He tapped his fingers against the rubber of the tire and looked up at me with a light in those normally stormy eyes of his. His finger grazed across mine and my lip quivered as I stepped closer. The only thing between us was the rubber of the tire. The heat erupted all over again, but that time I felt as if it was swirling between the two of us, not just inside of me. As we both leaned forward toward each other, I knew for a fact he felt it too. It was as if our touch would ignite the light all over again.
As we drew closer, the heat emanating off of his body and bouncing against my skin, I began to close my eyes. I readied myself for the touch of his lips, but before they could get to me, there was a loud shout and the breaking of glass within the house. Both of our eyes shot wide open. We stared at each other before taking off and bolting through the back door. Several vines snapped as we shoved it open, finding Alecto inside of my bedroom, her sword pointed at the bathroom doorway. "He tried to get through. The vines got him though. They have him trapped. What would you like me to do? I can strike him down right now."
We looked into the bathroom, finding a tall thin creature hanging there, woven within the vines. Though his body was in the shape of a human, his skin flickered and flipped, changing his color and texture to multiple different things. He was like a lizard, shifting to blend in with his surroundings, only his fear was making it go wild. He changed into a tree, into a texture that looked close to the vines, something that made him look like the wood floors, and then the color chrome, like all of the fixtures in the bathroom. His jaw was clenched and he shook with anger as his eyes glowed bright red.
Crius put his hands on his hips. "Interesting. It's like the corruption cannot get anywhere close to you. The magic here in your home—it hasn't taken over just to run rampant, it's protecting you."
I stared at him for a moment and he looked over at me with suspicion. It was as if he was trying to figure out what else I could be hiding. As far as I knew, I wasn't hiding anything, at least not consciously.
Slowly I turned back to the creature caught in the vines. "What is it?"
Alecto walked up behind us. "He's a Masker. They blend in well and are primarily ordered as assassins. They do not think too much for themselves, as their fear clouds their minds. They do as they’re told. But there was another figure, and I tried to get it, but it raced out the front door and disappeared. I couldn't tell what it was."
Crius took a deep breath and pulled out his dagger. "We can deal with that later. Right now, this creature needs to go."
Without thought I put my arm out and turned to face Crius and Alecto. "No. We do not prey on the weak. This creature is used to being preyed on because it is weak. It is obvious from its eyes that it has been taken over by the corruption. Maybe it has answers."
I turned from them and walked forward, putting up my hands. As I approached, the creature began to move faster and harder trying to get free, but the vines tightened against him. I closed my eyes as I set my hands on his arms, letting the light explode all around me. It was the same experience as when I had cleansed Alecto, the heat showering over us, followed by the scent of purity.
When the light cleared, I found that I wasn't as dizzy or out of sorts as I was the first time. The creature's eyes had shifted to a deep brown and its face had dropped the anger and evil that I could see on it just moments before. Very carefully, as if the magic knew, the vines released it, letting him fall to the ground on its hands and knees. Immediately the creature backed up, putting up its hands, its skin shifting and changing to the surroundings even though I could see the brightness in its eyes as it spoke. "I mean you no harm. I was forced. It forced me. I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me."
I looked at Crius and Alecto and bent down next to the creature. "What is your name?"
It stared at my face for a moment and then looked down at my hands as if recalling the moment that it was released from the corruption. "My name is long and complex, but you can call me Harvey. That's what most of the people or other creatures call me."
Letting a smile drift over my lips, I patted Harvey on the arm. "How are you feeling now?"
He let the camouflage drop from his skin, revealing a deep brown tone to his flesh. "Tired. I am very tired. I have not slept in…I don't remember how long. The voice, it kept me up, kept me searching. But it's gone, I can feel it. It's completely gone because of you."
Harvey curled up in the floor within the vines and I stood up stepping back next to Alecto and Crius. We watched as the vines made a makeshift blanket and pillow over the creature and he closed his eyes as if he were a child out of harm's way.
Crius and Alecto looked at each other. Alecto took a deep breath and put her sword back in her sheath. "Like I told Kora, the corruption is like all of Pandora's box, all the bad soaked into you to the core, and there is a voice that overrides even your own, forcing you to do things. You can see and remember things but you have no control. You aren't yourself."
I shook my head. "I don't understand. What is this corruption, and why is it trying to stop me? It's tried to stop me before I even knew I had the light. In fact, I feel as if it would be easier for it to corrupt humans, but it hasn't touched them as far as we know. Instead, it's going straight for the creatures and the gods."
Crius lowered his head, and lifted up the edge of his white tunic. "Remember, even those infected don't fully understand. The corruption, it attempted to take me, and wounded me."
I immediately stepped forward. "I thought you were healed. Let me see it."
I thought he would argue with me, but he didn't. He peeled back the bandage, showing a dark and cracked place in his skin. It was moist from the coverage and tendrils of the black spun off from the main area as if they were creeping farther over his body. "It's trying to take you over."
"I'll be fine," he said gruffly trying to get the bandage to stick again, but it wouldn't.
I shook my head. "Why don't you let me banish the corruption? I could've helped you from the beginning."
His eyes shifted to mine and then back down, unable to keep my stare. He shook his head. "I've been fighting it off just fine by myself."
There was more to it than that, and I could see it on his face. He didn't want me to know him. For some reason he was keeping me at arm's length. But he was one of the only people that I could trust, and I couldn't bear to see the corruption trying to take hold of him. It struck me harder than I would've ever thought that it would have. I felt the pain as if his were mine. I could not continue to let him be taken over. But I knew it wasn't going to be easy to convince him.
Chapter Ten
What happened next, I hadn't even thought about. I just acted. Looking back, it was probably stupid, but the worry over that wound scared the crap out of me. I lunged for him, bringing my hand straight toward his wound.
Before I could get there though, he gripped my wrist and moved me back, pressing me against the wall. Our faces were just inches apart, and our eyes were locked. My breath was heavy and so was his, but it wasn't from the wrestling. I wanted so badly for him to lean in and kiss me, for our bodies to touch more than just the strength of his hand against my wrist.
I could see the tension in his muscles, and his stomach shudder from the pain of the wound. I clenched my bottom lip between my teeth, keeping his stare, not wanting it to break for even a moment. The intensity between us was hotter than the light moving within me. With every deep breath, my chest pressed harder against his, and I could feel the beating of his he
art through his hand gripping my wrist. He didn't let up or loosen his grip, but I didn't want him to either. I wanted him to take me, to take control of everything between us.
From the corner of my soul, though, I could sense the corruption attempting to seep further into the Titan. This pained me, and I knew I couldn't just let him stay that way. I had to do something. The bravery in me was astounding, more than I had ever felt in all the days I struggled to survive the wars. Very slowly, I moved my other hand up between us, careful not to brush his skin or alert him to my movement. I leaned my face farther forward toward his. We were so close that I could feel the tip of his nose brush against mine. As he let out a jagged breath of want, I pressed my palm to the wound.
The light was immediate, blinding both of us. I gasped, feeling our bodies intertwine, the weight of us relieved as if we were floating through the air. The only sound I could hear was the beating of his heart. As the light began to recede, I felt my feet touch back down, but it wasn't the reality we were in before. We both blinked wildly, and he looked down at my hand against his stomach.
His jaw clenched and he moved back from me, looking around the room. My eyes stayed glued to him until I could see his expression change to confusion. Within me I felt that tingle again, that intertwining of souls as if someone else were part of me. My eyes shifted, realizing that we had somehow been transported back to the same dream world that I was in that first night. It was the same room I had been looking for the picture in. There was a haze over the whole scene, and I blinked wildly trying to get my senses to sharpen.
Crius was there, I could see him, but everything was playing out like a movie, fogged and slow. When he looked at me, it was as if he could see straight through my skin, as if he could see everything inside of me. "Crius…"
When I said his name, it trickled off my tongue with ease and it felt as if it belonged to me, as if it had always belonged to me. His eyes were dark and stormy, and his movements were mysterious just like they always had been. But there was something different, something surging from that other person, that other side of me that I could not figure out. It was as if suddenly I knew everything, yet nothing at the same time. I knew that Crius was not a perfect person, and I knew that I was not either.
Memories trickled through my head, bits and pieces of things that I couldn't fully make out, but I had a strong and deep feeling that whatever they were, they had brought us to that moment. The two of us, together, we had been through so much, and we had done a lot of things to keep each other safe. The bond that surged through my chest toward him was so strong it nearly took my breath away. When he looked at me, it was as if he felt that too, but neither of us could speak. The emotion was too strong, and it filled me from head to toe.
I reached for him, and as if I were pulled without my ability to stop it, my feet moved instantly toward him. He turned to me, opening his arms and embracing me. As soon as they closed tightly around me, the same rushing feeling hit us hard and we snapped straight back out of the dream world. I could smell the vines and flowers all around us, and the spice emanating from both Alecto and Crius, but I kept my cheek strongly pressed against his chest gasping deeply.
He no longer held my wrist and I no longer pressed the wound. Instead, he gripped his arms around my body and his face nuzzled into my neck as my hands tightened against his skin. We stood like that for several moments before I was able to catch my breath. Still, we did not move. I lifted my chin just slightly and breathed in the cool, clear air. "That wasn't so bad was it?"
I chuckled, but he only squeezed me tighter. There was a pain that I could feel surging from my chest to his and back again. It was as if we were sharing our emotions. His pain was unbelievable, but it wasn't physical pain, it was emotional pain. My knees felt weak, but I didn't let go of him.
As he nuzzled tighter into my neck, I felt the warmth of a tear trickle down my back and I realized that he was crying. I didn't say a word about it though. Crius was far too big and strong to point out something of that emotional magnitude. Instead, I let him hug me tighter and I clung to him as if finally, I understood that our connection was deeper than just to souls trying to help others. We were brought together for a reason, and we had been together before. I didn't know how or why, and I wasn't sure who the other soul was connected to me, but it didn't matter to me anymore. The only thing that mattered was him. I needed him to be close, to feel secure, and to know that he was safe. I never felt anything like it before, but I knew in that moment, his life was just as sacred to me as my own.
Talk about a heavy few moments.
Chapter Eleven
Everything seemed to move quickly after that, and without my control. Unlike before, when I was unsure of Crius, I no longer felt as if I had to fight him on everything. I felt as if I understood him even if he didn't fully explain.
The depth of worry that I had for him had expanded and was taking me over. Never had anyone in my life been so important to me. Suffice it to say, when he announced that he was leaving, that he had a mission to go on, I argued to go along with him.
I expected him to treat me as a child, but he didn't. He told me he understood and that he would feel the same way, but that he had to do it alone. His mission was secret, and he couldn't tell me anything about it. I stopped fighting him. I suddenly felt as if his mission may actually have more to do with him than with me. Quite possibly because of the dream, he was going back to the underworld to find something out about himself. I didn't want to agree, I wanted to fight him until he took me, but there was a trust between us that hadn't been there before.
When he was leaving, he had cupped his hand against my cheek and stared at me lovingly. I had to fight the urge to kiss him, hoping there would be enough time for that in the future. Alecto stayed close, and she didn't question what happened to us in those moments after I touched him. She only stayed to protect me. I appreciated her not wanting to talk about it. I wasn't even sure what I would say to her.
The hours passed slowly, and every time I looked at the clock, the fear bubbled up further in my chest. I understood that wherever he had gone would've taken a while. After all, making a trip to the underworld wasn't like going down the street for a gallon of milk, but that only made it worse. I knew that if something happened to him, there would be no one there to help him.
I found my place, feeling comforted in the bathroom, checking on Harvey as he slept, his skin changing color every few minutes. I wondered if his skin changed depending on where he traveled in his dreams. There was a peacefulness to him, one that let me know that what I had done for him was the right thing, and that there were others out there I could help. At least, I hoped that I could help them. I still was unsure of everything, even my connection to Crius.
"Kora," Alecto yelled from the hallway.
I jumped up and hurried out, stopping and staring at a smaller creature wrapped tightly in the vines like a cocoon. Kora poked at it with the tip of her sword. "Found this hairy little bastard trying to get through the vines in your fireplace."
The creature was covered in black fur, its eyes shimmering red and its fangs dripping with saliva as it rabidly bit at the vines. I walked closer, finding myself comforted and secure in the magic that wrapped through my house. Its one paw stuck out the bottom and the pink of the pads on its foot took away any hesitation I had. I reached up and touched its paw, letting the light do its thing. I would never get used to the floral smell and purity that radiated through when a cleansing was done. It was far too beautiful.
The vines unwrapped and the creature, now completely different than before, dropped into my arms. Its fur had shifted to a bright blue color. Its eyes matched and its nose sniffled and wrinkled as it whined. It curled into a ball, rolling against my chest. Like that, it was no bigger than a cat.
"Hey," I whispered. "It's all right. You're safe now. Come on out."
The creature untucked and glanced over at Alecto, who narrowed her eyes at it. "A Thistle. The lit
tle bastard is one of the most annoying things in our world. We think one of the gods created them as a joke. They steal everything not nailed down."
I chuckled as it stuck its tongue out at Alecto. "Oh yeah? A little thief, huh? Well, the only thing you have to steal here are vines. I have a Masker in the bathroom, would you like to meet him?"
"Oh yes," the creature said, bouncing up excitedly.
His voice was quite a bit lower in tone than I expected. He jumped down and rolled into a ball, bouncing down the hallway beside me. As he entered the bathroom, Harvey opened his eyes. "Chatter!"
"Harvey?" The Thistle scurried over and jumped up into Harvey's arms.
The Masker's skin changed to the bright blue color of the Thistle. I sat down on the floor and looked at them both, letting them get through their reunion. Harvey shook his head. "I had no idea they had gotten you too."
Chatter jumped down and sat next to Harvey, his little elbows on his little knees as if he were a grown man. "They know we're able to get in small spaces. Whoever they are…I couldn't stop it."
I wanted to give them time. I could only imagine what kind of trauma they were going through after the corruption, but at the same time, I needed answers. I sat there just listening to them, taking in the little things here and there that they talked about. It helped my restlessness. With Crius on a mission and me having no idea how he was doing, I needed something to take my mind off of it and I knew it was best if I continued to research what was going on.
As the day progressed, we found ourselves capturing several other creatures attempting to break into the house. It almost became a flow, a natural rhythm that I felt I had been missing even though I had never really been a protector or fighter. With each capture, I cleansed the creature and added them to the room. By the time I was ready to talk to them, they were up to five. Harvey and Chatter knew each other but none of the others did.
