by A Lonergan
Keenan nodded. “I have to protect my people but I forget that you aren’t technically my people. There are things I’m allowed to tell you, it’s just getting to that point. I don’t know how to open up to anyone.” He took a deep breath. He reached his hand out and brushed my hair behind my ear. “It’s been so long since I’ve had someone that I could actually talk to, someone that I could actually trust.”
I understood to a point. I had been alone and thrown into all of this without a choice, and the only person that I had been able to trust and talk to, even though I hadn’t, was gone. It was tearing me up and I knew it had to be tearing Keenan up as well.
“How about a fresh start?” I held my hand out to him. “Hi, I’m Jessa.”
“Keenan.” He smirked and took my hand in his. I couldn’t help but giggle at how childish this all seemed, but I felt like we needed it to get past whatever hurt or distrust was in our way. There were so many walls built up around my heart.
With the tension broken, Keenan took a step back but not before I noticed the way his eyes took in my bare legs and the thin t-shirt that was just barely covering my chest. He cleared his throat and turned to go down the stairs after giving me a knee-buckling smile.
I let out a sigh and half leaned, half fell against the doorway. I had never noticed just how knock-out good looking he was until that moment. I felt giddy and dreadful all at once. He was Crawley’s brother for goodness sake. There hadn’t been anything going on between us but he had always been there. It was too much to process. I slinked back into the bedroom and half tripped, half fell into the wonderful bed.
The soreness kept me in my room for the rest of the day due to my fear of climbing down the stairs. I had a hard enough time getting in and out of the bed. I tried to stretch and exercise a bit, and even tried to read a book before I gave up on myself and went to the top of the stairs.
I gave the bottom a dreadful stare. I couldn’t imagine just how pitiful I looked but I couldn’t help it; I could hardly bend my knees. Walking down the stairs was going to be an amazing feat. I grasped the railing with both hands and walked sideways down the stairs.
I use the term ‘walk’ very loosely. I bent my legs and quickly stumbled down the stairs. When I finally got to the bottom step, I almost fell to the ground in relief. My legs buckled but I made it to the couch just in time and collapsed, not worried about where I was going to land.
I heard the door open down the hall and Keenan was soon by my side. He fell down onto the couch next to me. There was a twinkle in his eye and it reminded me of Crawley. Sadness stirred within me but I kept it at bay. There was no way I was going to show weakness in front of him again.
It had been just a few weeks but I was starting to feel restless, everything had been quiet and uneventful. I wondered when I was going to get a taste of fresh air again.
I glanced at Keenan next to me. He had brought a book with him from the mysterious room down the hall. It was the only room that had been locked on the first floor. I had figured it must be his bedroom, but I had heard him in and out of the room right next to mine all night. I had heard him pacing, snippets of his phone conversations, and soft music playing until, all of a sudden, there was just silence and then snoring. I hadn’t realized just how close he had been to me or I probably would have kept my painful groaning a little quieter. I was too used to being alone now that Crawley was gone.
I looked over at Keenan and tried to turn my body toward him too. “So, what now?”
He gave me a strange look. His eyebrows pushed together and he seemed to be thinking about it for a moment. “I guess we need to get out of this cabin for a little bit. How does that sound?”
“Are we even allowed to do that?”
He laughed. “We can do whatever we want.” His ego was swimming around him. It was hard not to be drawn in. He was usually more reserved, but he seemed to be loosening up now. He was throwing caution to the wind. “I have a car parked outside – go put on something nice.”
I quirked an eyebrow. I didn’t know how it was even possible for a car to be parked out there. He folded the corner of the page on the book he had been reading and set it down, face up.
Hermes and Transporting
I stared at the title a moment too long. Keenan snatched it up and stood. He leaned his head side to side, almost as if he was trying to pop it, and narrowed his eyes at me. He had never given me such a suspicious look.
Then, all of a sudden, his expression changed and I was staring at his smiling face. He tucked the book up against his side. “Alright, well, go get dressed and we’ll leave shortly.” He turned on his heel and marched to the door he had come through earlier. I heard the lock click as soon as it closed.
Strange.
Fresh air was something I needed, though, and I made it up the stairs about as quickly as I had made it down them. I took a rest on the bed before I pulled on a semi-nice shirt. Every time I thought I had run out of clothes, more popped up. Shaskia had hooked me up with a fricken’ Mary Poppins bag.
I giggled to myself and straightened my black leggings. The only pair of shoes I had was my hiking boots. They would have to do. I gazed at my reflection in the bathroom before I set out on my adventure back down the stairs.
Not too shabby.
Chapter 21
I switched the five colorful shopping bags from one hand to the other, nervously. Keenan had walked some good ways in front of me holding the other ten, and I didn’t know how I was supposed to react to all the things he had bought me. How was anyone supposed to react to this much attention?
In the first store, I had flat out refused. I still had some money. It had been shoved into the bottom pocket of the never-ending bag. He flat out refused to let me spend a penny, though, and I skipped stores after that, hoping he would get the point that I didn’t want or need the clothes he was buying me.
What would I even do with all these clothes?
Cart them around too?
Nope. It wasn’t happening. They would probably just end up collecting dust. I didn’t have a place to call home, and I wasn’t about to give myself a sore shoulder trying to bring them with me wherever I went. I just needed the necessities.
After I refused to enter another store, he had gone in without me and started picking out clothes that he thought were my size. I made up my mind that if he was going to buy clothes no matter what, I might as well like them.
He made it to the small Audi before I did and popped the trunk. He gave me another guilty smile over the top of the car and loaded up the bags.
He drove quietly, not paying me any attention. But I didn’t mind; I was stuck in my own thoughts, too consumed with my fears and insecurities. He pulled into the large driveway in front of a run down looking cabin. I imagined it was a glamour put up to ward people off if they found it.
Keenan turned toward me and I felt my stomach drop.
How did he expect me to repay him?
I gulped and hoped it didn’t sound as loud as it had to me. He gave me a thoughtful look and leaned on the steering wheel.
“Thank you for letting me do that for you. I’m just so used to taking care of the people in the valley, I figured it would help and make you feel better.” I looked at the rest of the bags spilling over the back seat and didn’t know how to reply.
When I looked up at him I was instantly confused. I tried to keep my expression blank but didn’t know if I was being successful. The man in front of me was shifting.
I cocked my head to the side and tried to keep my face straight. Keenan’s face started to glimmer and I knew something was off.
“Are you alright?” My voice sounded too happy, too fake.
“Of course. Why do you ask?” He wrinkled his brow at me.
“You’re giving me a funny look.” I cocked my head to the side.
“It’s because you’re so beautiful.” When he spoke his eyes flickered different colors. I was pretty sure they had been brown before but now they
were blue.
Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.
I needed to stay calm. I started with my breathing. I needed it to stay under control or I was going to lose it, and I couldn’t afford that right now.
I took a deep breath and looked at the floor of the car, playing shy and coy. “Thank you, but I’m not that special.” I sighed dramatically.
He barked out a harsh laugh. “You sound so mundane when you say that.” His smile turned to a sneer and I knew I wasn’t talking to Keenan anymore. Chills took over my body and fear ran rampant in my mind.
If I’m not talking to Keenan, then who am I talking to?
“Let’s hurry up and get inside, shall we?” He rolled his light eyes, confirming my suspicions. I gave him a wide smile and got out of the small vehicle. I grabbed my bags from the back seat and went around to the trunk.
Something cold and hard pressed against my neck. I could smell the old blood on the knife against my throat. Nausea churned in my stomach. I tried to take a deep breath but the blade pressed harder into my skin.
“Little cousin, it’s been awhile.” The feminine voice sounded oddly familiar but I couldn’t place it. “You probably don’t remember me. Shame. Shame on that awful mother of yours who took away your best memories. What a witch.” Her breath tickled my ear and she giggled mischievously. “You’re certainly plainer than I remember, but at least your hair is pretty. Ha! That’s probably the only thing you inherited from Artemis because you sure are stupid.”
I let her continue to ramble on as I assessed the situation. The poor girl was letting her pride get ahold of her and was underestimating her opponent.
“It was so easy to get a potion made and kidnap Keenan; he’s about as stupid as you. Taking on his form was a lot harder than it usually is, though.” The harsh giggle she let out made me instantly remember her.
“Little cousin, little cousin.” A mean giggle was getting closer and closer to me as I hid in my mother’s flowerbed. My body was trembling from excitement and fear. I had never played hide and seek with someone so good before. I peeked out of the bushes for a second and Gemma was on me in a flash. She pounced like a tiger.
I let out a squeal and tried to roll her off of me. I didn’t understand why Mother didn’t like me playing with her. She was really nice and exciting. Plus, she always made up the silliest games. At least, she was exciting until I felt a sharp pain on my shoulder. She had bitten me! I cried out and bucked her off my back. She landed in the mulch around the flowers.
Gemma looked up at me and growled, “That wasn’t nice! I was just playing!”
“That really hurt.” I rubbed the back of my shoulder and gave her a dirty look. I knew my mother wouldn’t approve of it but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t believe she had actually bit me!
She rolled her light eyes at me and stood up, brushing the dark red bark from her clothes. “It’s probably better if we don’t play anymore. I’m sure my mother wouldn’t like me hanging around the likes of you anyway. You’re mortal trash.”
Her words hurt my feelings and I felt tears filling my eyes. I blinked them back, not wanting to show this girl that I was weak. I had thrown her off of me, which had to mean something about my strength, after all.
I sniffled and frowned at her as she marched away. I went inside, slammed the back door, and made my way to the fridge for a snack. I couldn’t help the tears that spilled from my eyes. I couldn’t believe I was crying over something so stupid. That girl was stupid.
“Jessa, are you alright?” My mother’s concerned voice filled the kitchen. I tried to wipe the evidence of my weakness from my face before she saw. I blinked twice and turned around.
“I’m fine!” I gave her a big fake smile.
“No, you aren’t. I can see that you’ve been crying. Tell me what happened or I’ll find out on my own and I won’t be too happy if I have to do that.” She crossed her arms over her chest and I knew she was going to win one way or another.
“One of my friends wasn’t playing nice and now she doesn’t want to play with me anymore.”
“What friend? Maybe I can go talk to her mother?”
I shook my head. “No, she’ll always hate me if you do that.”
“Why would she? We won’t be in this town for much longer; it won’t matter soon enough.”
I nodded my head aggressively. “Yes, it will! Family will always be around!” Mother frowned at me and turned her head slightly to the side. She usually did that when she was thinking hard on something. “She called me little cousin, that means we’re family, right?”
Mother’s eyes got big; she dashed to the back door and looked out before closing the blinds. She gave me a scared look and rushed to my side. “What did this girl look like? What was her name?”
I shrugged again. “She had yellow hair and really light eyes. I wish I had blue eyes like those, but not if it means I’ll be mean like her. Her name is Gemma.”
“How was she mean to you, Jessa? What did she do?” She grabbed my shoulders and shook me slightly.
“She bit me.” I pulled the top of my shirt down to show her where Gemma had hurt me. There, right above my shoulder blade was a deep, bleeding mark.
“We have to leave right now; I can’t believe he found us so soon!” Tears were streaming down my mother’s face as she grabbed backpacks out from under the sink. She grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the house to the little beat up car in the garage.
I tried to pull out of her grasp; I needed my dolls and my special blanket! I fought to get back to the house but Mother had me in the car and down the road in just a few short moments. When we made it to the end of the street, I looked back to find the house covered in smoke.
I blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the sunlight assaulting me. I was lying on the ground and a woman was standing above me with an arrow poised at my chest.
Her white hair was cropped just below her ears and her turquoise eyes were gleaming. I could feel her lust for death wafting around us. “I didn’t peg you for a fainter.” She rolled her eyes. I didn’t give her the satisfaction of replying. “But it is great to see you again. It’s been so long. My father has been asking about you lately and I can’t disappoint him. He wants your pretty little head, and what better way for him to get his prize than through his only daughter?” She let out a deep breath and circled me. “Maybe then he’ll see that I’m just as useful as his sons. So many damn sons too. How could a girl even compete?”
“You must be Apollo’s spawn,” I said. “How fitting. It’s amusing that he sent you of all people to come after me. Didn’t you lose me the last time?” It was my turn to laugh.
“You little wretch!” She grabbed me by the front of my jacket, her face inches from mine.
“If you kill me, he’ll be angry he didn’t get to do it himself, don’t you think?”
“He doesn’t care either way!”
“What would make you think that? The last time I spoke with him, he seemed very interested in getting his hands on me. I wonder what that could mean.” I gave her a wink and watched her grow even angrier at my insinuation. I needed her angry; angry people were sloppy.
I could smell her breath and tried to turn my face away from her just an inch. She pinched my cheeks in between her fingers. “Do you want to live?”
I shrugged my shoulders hoping she would get confused by me not submitting to her. She seemed like the kind of person that usually got her way.
“I might just let you live if you let me in that cabin. I need you awake and willing. Trust me, I tried to do it while you were passed out.” She gave me a wicked smile and I remembered the way her teeth felt when they had pierced my skin. I could hear Crawley’s voice as he had fallen in the sinkhole. I could still see his smile and revenge coursed through my blood like a powertrain. I pictured Cloe’s heart being ripped out and it fueled me even more.
“Of course,” I said.
She gave me a surprised look, raised her
blonde eyebrows, and shrugged her shoulders. “Well, that was easier than I thought.”
“But I want something in return.” She lifted an eyebrow at me and smirked. I hoped she would take it to heart. “I want you to go to the darkest, most awful part of the Underworld and rot.”
I shoved my hand straight through her chest. I felt her skin give way to my fingers, and wetness coated my hand as I pushed further into her chest. I didn’t pause when I got to the bones and felt them crunch. I kept pushing until I felt the large organ that had been giving her life.
I wrapped my fingers around it and tore my hand free, with her beating heart twitching in my palm. She let out a scream but it didn’t hit my ears; she started to slump on me as blood ran from her body. I shoved her away from me and tossed the wretched organ to the dirt.
A laugh escaped my lips and my body started to convulse. I looked down at the blood covering my hand and wiped it on my jeans. I was still laughing hysterically when I turned to look at what I had done. I couldn’t stop. The shaking was getting worse and I wondered if my body was going into shock.
Gemma’s empty eyes stared at the heavens. They had once been the color of the sky, but were now pitch black. I hoped she found herself in the darkest depths of the underworld like I had told her to.
I lifted my face to the sky. “I told you, Apollo. I told you I would take something from you. I told you that I would get even. I hope you can visit her in the underworld where you both belong!” I let out a shriek until my throat was raw. I picked up the bags of clothes on my way into the run down looking cabin. I didn’t bother with the car. I didn’t care and I didn’t need it.
Chapter 22
When I opened the door to the cabin I could feel it moving through another portal. I knew that someone would find her body and the car but the cabin would be gone.
