Awaken

by Kristen Day

  “Stasia.” He rubbed my cheek, bringing my focus back to him. “You are so much stronger than her in every way that matters. Don’t let her get in your head. Don’t let her win. Stay focused on what you have to do, and remember who you are.”

  “I’ll try,” I muttered, not at all confident.

  “This is your destiny, Stasia. This is what you’re meant to do. That’s more powerful than any spiteful, evil-hearted girl,” he proclaimed with such conviction that I began to agree. He was right. This was my destiny, and I wasn’t going to let her or anyone else take that away from me.

  “You’re right,” I said, attempting a smile, “This is what I was born for.” I thought about my mom and the tough decision she had to make so many years ago. My parents had risked so much just to make sure I would live. “I won’t let my parents or the Order of the Tydes down.”

  “No, you won’t,” Finn grinned at me. “Like I said before, you just don’t have it in you to fail. You simply don’t know how.”

  “You’ve never seen me try to cook,” I quipped.

  Finn chuckled, “I bet you can make a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich, though,”

  “Even that’s touch and go when it’s me holding the knife,” I scrunched my nose and Finn laughed again, pulling me close. The axes on the wall caught my eye and piqued my curiosity about his fight.

  “So what happens Friday? When you’re…taken and then fast for two days?”

  “Technically I’ll be taken Thursday night at midnight,” he clarified.

  “So do they just pull up in a dark van, throw you in the back, and then peel off down the street?” I asked, only half joking.

  “Not quite,” he snickered, “I just have to meet the car downstairs at midnight. Then I’ll be taken to the place I’ll spend the next forty eight hours in. I’m hoping it’s got a bed,” he wished aloud.

  “Is it here or in the Underworld?”

  “It’s actually not that far from here,” he divulged, but did not expound. I instantly wished I knew more about the area.

  “So you don’t get to eat or drink at all?” How did they expect him to fight after they starved him to death?

  “I can only have water,” he stated simply; resolved to the challenge that awaited him.

  “Wow. And then they expect you to fight and kill your own brother.” My harsh tone pulled a sneer out of Finn.

  “Yes, they do. But it’s part of my obligation as the Scion to find the strength within and earn my position as Prime.”

  “And then kill your brother,” I reminded him.

  “And then send my brother to the Underworld to serve under our father.”

  “By killing him,” I argued.

  “Only his body.” This kid desperately needed to learn the definition of kill.

  “All I know is if your brother…” I paused, suddenly realizing I had no idea what his name was.

  “Maddox,” he provided.

  “…Maddox sends you to the Underworld instead; he’ll have to answer to me.”

  “I’ll let him know,” Finn held back a laugh, “Or you can tell him yourself. He’ll be the one picking me up Thursday night.”

  “Well, good,” I retorted with contempt.

  “I was hoping you’d be there anyway,” he rubbed my hand and his face softened. “I was hoping you’d stay with me that night until I have to leave.”

  “I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” my heart warmed at his invitation. “Are you nervous?”

  “Not in the least,” he announced confidently, and then his shoulders sagged, “What bothers me is that I won’t be able to be with you on the most important day of your life.”

  “But you’ve done so much to get me ready! And knowing you’re thinking about me will be all I need to get me through,” I reassured him.

  “It’s not enough,” he seemed to say to himself, “it’s not enough,” he glowered as his eyes became slightly unfocused. I could see the wheels turning in his head. I got to my knees, scooted closer, and stole his gaze in an attempt to break him out of his own thoughts and bring his breathtaking smile back.

  “It is enough,” I told him emphatically, “And both of us are going to rock this. It’s what we do.” I shrugged my shoulders, as if taking fateful journeys was an everyday occurrence for us. My random thoughts seemed to distract him from his sullen inner dialogue.

  “It is what we do, isn’t it?” he chuckled, and my heart brightened instantly.

  “It sure is,” I said matter-of-factly. “In fact, we might just be a power couple like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie…minus the twenty kids. They’d call us Finnastasia.”

  “That sounds like a foot fungus.”

  “Anafinn?” I tried again.

  “Sounds like a blood pressure medicine.”

  “Well, it’s definitely your name throwing it off,” I teased him. “’Anastasia’ has a slew of possibilities, but ‘Finn’ is pretty one dimensional.” I scrunched my nose at him in dissatisfaction.

  “I’ll show you one dimensional,” he said as he suddenly waged a full blown tickle attack on my unsuspecting tummy, causing me to instantly cave.

  “Okay, okay! I take it back!” I continued giggling long after his fingers had retreated.

  “We’ll just have to go with Awesome,” I decided with a smirk.

  “It has a certain ring to it; I like it,” he concurred, and then leaned back on the pillows with a sexy grin. He ran his fingers through his hair and then rested his hands behind his head with a happy sigh. Although I told them not to; my eyes drank him in as they slowly trailed over every part of his body. His t-shirt did little to hide the muscular build beneath, and the image of him standing on the beach in nothing but boxer shorts slammed into my mind; sending sharp pangs of desire through me. His legs were stretched out on the bed and his relaxed posture told me that he was completely at ease in his own space. I wanted nothing more than to run my hands over his stomach and chest; to melt in his arms and feel his soft lips on mine. A flash of heat shot through me and I told myself to get it together. It was a good thing he couldn’t read minds. It was then I realized he was watching me.

  “You look good in my clothes,” he stated simply with a hint of awe.

  “I was thinking about wearing them to class tomorrow,” I teased before realizing what I was saying. “I mean, not that I’m expecting to sleep over, I just…you know what I mean,” I grinned sheepishly. So much for getting myself together. He chuckled and I mentally smacked myself across the face. He leaned forward, took my arm, and pulled me down beside him; wrapping an arm around me. I rested my head on his shoulder and made the fatal mistake of draping an arm over his torso. Feeling the incredibly soft cotton fabric of his shirt against the hard body beneath was the tipping point. Suddenly, I wanted to touch every part of him, and not just through the fabric of his clothes. Passion spread through me like wildfire and control packed its bags, bought a one way ticket, and flew right out the window.

  I lifted myself up until I was looking him right in the eyes. What I saw in them destroyed any restraint I may have had left. Behind the confidence, beneath the intensity, and hiding amongst the darkness was an innocence so pure it almost blinded me. The wildfire condensed into a river of hot lava that flowed straight to my soul; feeding something even deeper and stronger then love itself. Destiny.

  I bent down to kiss him softly, but I should have known that would be a futile effort. He latched onto me with an urgency that was mirrored in my own movements. Instantly on top of him, the feel of his body beneath me sent a surge of longing that could not be silenced no matter how close I was to him. Somehow I managed to pull his shirt off and couldn’t resist kissing every inch of warm skin I could get to. He rolled us over so that I was now beneath his weight, causing every cell in my body to explode with need. As he buried his mouth into the crook of my neck he simultaneously thread his fingers through mine and pulled my hands above my head, securing me where I was. It was all I could do to not wrestl
e out from under his grip and continue touching him.

  Knees on either side of me, he sat up and tugged off the t-shirt I had been wearing in a split second; tossing it on the floor as I fumbled with the button of his shorts. Surprising myself with my own boldness, I unzipped them and practically ripped them off of him. He did the same with the already loose gym shorts I was wearing, and I watched as his breath visibly caught in his throat when he looked down at me. Watching me carefully as if I might disappear into thin air, he wrapped an arm around me; picking me up enough to pull back the covers beneath me. I scrambled under them and he slid in beside me; pulling the covers over us and bathing us with soft fabric and security.

  My hands, seemingly of their own volition, unclasped my bra and tossed it somewhere, leaving me completely bare and vulnerable. Finn’s body instantly stilled as he met my gaze; his eyes shining with astonishment and shock. Lying very still, I watched in anticipation as his now shaking hands cupped me softly and a low moan escaped his throat. The feel of his hands on me sent waves of pleasure down to my feet and enveloped my every thought. Craving those lips, I pulled him back down on top of me. His hands were everywhere at once and I felt helpless to fill the intense crushing need that had taken over my body. At the same time that my hands grasped the waistband of his boxers; fully intending on pulling them off, he hooked his thumb on the strap of my underwear and we both froze. Breathing hard and filled with something neither of us could seem to control, he gazed into my eyes with restraint and I smiled warmly back at him. When I let go of his boxers and instead rubbed his cheek, he did the same and simply wrapped his arms around me. We lay that way for a long time, allowing the fire we were consumed in to simmer and cool.

  Eventually, he propped himself up on his elbow and regarded me with a big lopsided grin on his face.

  “You’re amazing,” he murmured with adoration, and then glanced down almost shyly. “You know, I’ve never had a girl in my bed before.”

  Honestly surprised at his admission, I couldn’t help grinning back, “Well no worries, your track record is still spotless; I’m not a girl, I’m a Goddess.” The second I said it, we both collapsed into a fit of laughter. Albeit true, it sounded like a cheesy pick up line from a movie. After several minutes, Finn was able to quit laughing long enough to flash me a wicked look.

  “And that, Pasha, is the understatement of the century.”

  Chapter 24

  Thursday: October 30th

  “Where do they take him?”

  “Phoebs, she already told you she doesn’t know,” Carmen answered for me with annoyance.

  “I know, but what if it’s somewhere awful? Like a dungeon or a cave? Or what if it’s somewhere really amazing like a Spanish castle or The Hilton?”

  I snickered at Phoebe’s imagination, (along with her belief that a Spanish castle and The Hilton were remotely on the same level) as I placed my valise on the coffee table in our living room; surrounded by my roommates. After the fastest two days known to mankind, I was awaiting Finn’s text message to tell me he was home so that I could head over to Rostrum and stay with him until midnight.

  “I seriously doubt it’s a Spanish castle or The Hilton. He said himself he was just hoping it had a bed, so I don’t think he has any idea either,” I responded absentmindedly. As I carefully lifted the valise lid, I took a deep breath; inhaling the leftover lavender scent from The House of Thetis, or I guess technically, my house. The fact that I had a house was still beyond my comprehension.

  “I just don’t know if I could go two days without eating,” she professed in horror.

  “They give him water, right?” Willow asked; concerned.

  “I’m pretty sure he can have all the water he wants, just no solid food,” I explained.

  “And then he has to fight for his life…” Carmen thought out loud, shaking her head in disgust. I was ready to talk about something else. Thinking about Finn starving and then fighting for his life was quickly bringing on an anxiety attack.

  “Okay you guys,” I surveyed my roommates, “Here’s everything she left me.” I cautiously pulled out each item from the valise and laid it on the table for them to see. We had inspected the items before, but never from the perspective of what, if anything, I should take with me on my journey to the Underworld.

  “Hello?” A deep voice from the kitchen called out, making us all jump except for Phoebe.

  “Come on in, baby!” she called to him. Ian continued into the suite as Phoebe jumped up and hugged him.

  “What is it with Sons and their inability to knock on a door?” Carmen hissed under her breath. He just flashed a smile at her and sat down across from her on the loveseat with Phoebe. He was wearing snug gray jeans and a bright orange shirt that matched his black and orange wayfarer sunglasses. Somehow the orange of his shirt outshined his diamond studded earrings.

  “Did ya’ll go on a treasure hunt?” he asked, squinting at the items spread out on the table.

  “We’re trying to figure out what Stasia should take on her journey with her,” Phoebe informed him happily. “This is all of the stuff Thetis left her.”

  As everyone began to pick up objects and investigate them, I stared at each one, trying to figure out why in the world my mother would have left them for me: three skeleton keys, a dark stone, a piece of rope, a conch shell, and a beautiful aquamarine, diamond, and pearl encrusted dagger. I had also been keeping my jewelry and the moonstone I had found at the shipwreck in the valise as well. Ian, of course, was instantly drawn to the dagger.

  “You should definitely take this,” he suggested, looking it over.

  “Definitely,” I agreed, “I just hope I don’t have to use it.”

  “I don’t think I could stab anyone,” Willow doubted.

  “I bet you could if they were trying to kill you,” Carmen speculated.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be able to hear the ocean in conch shells?” Phoebe held the large shell up to her ear and listened intently. She gave up and handed it to Carmen; already moving on to the piece of rope.

  “I think this stone is a hematite,” Willow told us from behind her laptop. She held up the stone and examined it further, “Yep, definitely hematite.”

  Carmen got up and peeked over her shoulder at the screen, “Does it say what it’s used for?”

  “It says that it absorbs negativity. Gives optimism and courage. Calms the emotions, and treats hysteria,” Willow read out loud.

  “Hysteria?” Carmen nodded her head in consent, “I could see that being a strong possibility in an Underworld filled with evil queens and rivers of fire.” I fought the urge to heave.

  “Oh and it helps maintain the balance between body, mind, and spirit!” Willow added. “I definitely think you should make sure you have this with you for the journey.”

  “Okay…here’s the ‘taking’ pile,” I advised. Willow placed the black stone in the space I had designated, along with the dagger. I picked up the conch shell and eyed it closely for any sign that it may have a specific use.

  “See if you can hear the ocean, Stasia,” Phoebe recommended. I held it up to my ear, and then almost threw it across the room. My shocked look immediately caught everyone’s attention.

  “I heard…somebody’s…in there…” I spit out incredulously. Carmen snatched it from my hand and covered her ear with it.

  “I don’t hear a thing,” she shrugged her shoulders and passed it to Willow, then Ian. No one else heard anything but silence. Ian handed it back to me as I stared at it; waiting for a troll to come crawling out. When it didn’t explode or sprout legs, I held my breath and put it to my ear again. Just as before, I heard it immediately. A…mumbling. The sound of someone talking, but it was as if someone had pocket dialed me and I could only hear a muted version of their conversation. I listened harder. There was only one voice; a male voice.

  “I swear I hear somebody talking or mumbling something,” I interpreted, hoping that I didn’t sound too crazy. “And you
guys didn’t hear anything at all?” They shook their heads and I stared at the shell for another moment before carefully setting it down on the table. If that shell was talking, I wanted it as far away from me as possible. Shells were not supposed to talk.

  “What does it sound like?” Willow asked; poking the shell with her finger apprehensively.

  “It sounds like a guy mumbling. Kind of reminds me of a pocket dial,” I offered my example. Carmen bolted upright, suddenly getting an idea.

  “Maybe it’s a portal! But only a sound portal! It could even be a different realm or even a different time that you’re hearing,” she surmised thoughtfully.

  “I guess it’s possible, but I’ve never heard of anything like that before,” Willow countered.

  “And why am I the only one who can hear it?” I asked; not enjoying that particular aspect. I didn’t need even more reason to think I had a couple of screws loose.

  “Maybe it’s linked to your family, somehow,” Willow speculated.

  “I don’t think I’ll be taking that with me,” I muttered as I transferred it to my newly formed ‘NOT taking’ pile on the floor.

  I was still perplexed and slightly disturbed by the shell, when my phone vibrated in my lap. Finn was back at Rostrum. I didn’t want think about the fact that tonight would be the last time I’d see him until after his fight. Or possibly the last time I’d see him.

  “Finn?” Phoebe asked gingerly. I nodded as I wrote him back to say I’d be over in a minute. “Tell him we’ll be thinking about him.”

  “I will,” I smiled at her; suppressing the agonizing desperation that crept into my bones at each moment’s passing.

  ~~~~~

  “How will I know?”

  “You won’t until afterwards.”

  “I can’t live with that,” I pleaded. “Could I come to the fight if I’m back from the Underworld in time?” Finn was emptying the cabinets and refrigerator with more cans, boxes and containers than an entire army could eat.