by Kristen Day
“So, what happened today?” he prompted me gently. I sighed and propped myself up on my elbows; allowing myself to be captured by his endearing concern. The whole confiding-in-others-thing was still relatively new to me. A hazy cloud fell over my heart as I began to re-hash the events of the last twenty four hours. After divulging the details of encountering Nadia and her ghostly camouflage in my reverie, Bianca’s visit, and my second antiquity experience, he shook his head with chagrin and frowned.
“I wish you would have told me all of this sooner. It’s exhausting to keep it all inside like that.” He reached for my hand, “That’s what I’m here for.”
“I guess I’m just used to keeping my abnormal problems to myself. I wouldn’t want to put that burden on anyone else. Especially not you.”
He laughed and rubbed his finger over my trace, sending tingles up my arm. “Neither you nor your abnormal problems could ever be a burden to me. Plus, I happen to have a masters degree in abnormal,” he smirked at me.
“There’s one more thing,” I began, really not looking forward to rehashing my most recent reverie involving Priscilla and Nadia. “I purposefully had a reverie...and I found Nadia.”
Expecting a lecture or disappointed look, I was pleasantly surprised when Finn leaned forward and excitement flashed in his eyes.
“Did it work?” he asked eagerly. I felt a smile creep over my face, anticipating his reaction when I told him it had indeed worked.
“It worked a little too well, actually,” I eluded to the disturbing details to come.
“Nice! I knew it wouldn’t be long before you were gallivanting all over the world in your reveries.” He was grinning at me with pride. I inspected my hands closely and took a deep breath.
“Finn,” I glanced up and watched his smile fade at my serious tone, “What are you not telling me?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, furrowing his brow.
“Not only did I find Nadia, I found Nadia and Priscilla,” I explained, and his eyes began to grow stormy as he continued to listen, “Nadia eluded to the fact that there was something I didn’t know about - a sacrifice? And that you hadn’t told me something. What were they talking about, Finn? What aren’t you telling me?”
Chapter 23
His jaw muscle flexed as he gritted his teeth and collected his thoughts. “Was there any way that Nadia knew you were there?” he questioned me. I deliberated for a minute.
“She did say something right before I figured out how to end the reverie.”
“She could have been messing with you. I have no idea what kind of sacrifice she could have been talking about,” he squeezed my hands. I desperately wanted to believe him, but I didn’t think Nadia knew I was there until after her and Priscilla’s conversation. But Finn wouldn’t lie to me.
“She said something about Natasha too, that she hadn’t said anything to me either because she’s been busy preparing things for your birthday,” I told him, and his jaw flexed again.
“I don’t know what Nadia’s up to,” he sighed and I noticed the muscles in his arm tighten as his eyes darkened ever so slightly. “But it looks like she’s doing everything she can to curb your focus and make you vulnerable. That’s why it will be important for you to keep your head down and concentrate on what’s ahead of you.” He held my gaze and his tone lightened, “As the future Prime and the future Leader of the Tydes, we have a duty to make sure we are successful in both of our journeys. There are a lot of people depending on us. We have to keep reminding ourselves what’s really important.”
“What if she’s planning something? What if she is in the Underworld during my journey?” I could feel the panic rising in my chest. I wanted more than anything to be successful, but I felt grossly inadequate to be able to ward off Nadia on her own turf.
“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 wrestle 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.
