FOUR YEARS AGO,
AUGUST 8th, 2017.
(MYRA'S POV)
Soft, green fields, bright blue sky, colorful flowers, sun shining on my skin, the feeling is bliss.
Her hand overlaps mine, and her hazel eyes meet mine with a smile.
We run through the meadow, skirts flowing with the wind as we laugh.
We then lay in the grass, and I look at her.
"You aren't gonna leave me, are you? I don't want to go back."
She frowns.
"All good things must come to an end, my sweet Myra. But we will see each other again soon."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
*****
My eyes shoot open, and I look around.
Still in this damn room.
I lift myself up off the bed, chains dangling from my wrists and my ankles that are attached to heavy ass metal balls on the ground.
They prevent me from walking anywhere...but thankfully I'm skinny enough to slide out of them because Bruce is too stupid to realize that since he doesn't feed me I'm gonna shrink.
I go over to the window, peering out.
I frown.
So many young wolves stuck here...they don't know what's coming for them.
A young girl looks up, seeing me through the window.
I immediately look away, shutting the curtains as I hear her voice.
"Mommy? Why did that girl have chains on her wrists? Why did she look so sad?"
A pause.
"That's what happens when you don't follow the rules. Don't look up there again."
Didn't follow the rules.
That makes me want to laugh.
I've done everything right but be a fucking prostitute for Bruce.
I'm a hunter. Not a property.
I wish I could stay with that woman in my dreams.
Whoever she is.
"Myra?"
I turn around, seeing Maeve, one of the lower class wolves.
"Hey Maeve."
"You've gotten so skinny, I'm sorry. I would sneak you in some food but if I was caught—"
"You'd get executed. I understand. I'm fine."
She nods quickly.
"Okay...get dressed. Bruce is coming up to see you. There's a dress in your closet that would work. Love you."
I give her an iffy smile.
"Love you too."
Maeve leaves and I roll my eyes, going back to the bed where I fit my ankles back into the chains.
I'm not getting dressed up for him.
I sit there for a few minutes before he comes in with a sour look on his face.
"Why aren't you wearing the dress, Myra?"
"I didn't feel the need to get dressed up for someone who refuses to even feed me. You're lucky I was born to an immortal. I have a longer lifespan."
"Haven't you learned to do what I say, Myra? You are a reckless little girl."
Narrowing my eyes, I look up at him.
"I may be reckless but I'm not a pushover or your prostitute, Bruce. Find someone else."
He scoffs.
"Suit yourself, Myra. You're stuck in here for another ten days without food or water. See how well that immortality will help you now."
He leaves, and I go right back to thinking about who the woman in my dreams is, and how I may never be free again.
********
PRESENT.
(ALEC'S POV)
We all watch as a massive man starts emerging from the vortex in the ground, and Stella's jaw drops.
"What the fuck. How—how are we meant to kill that, Alec?! Thanatos? Any of you?!"
Aiden turns around, eyes wide.
"I have no fucking clue, Stella. We have to shoot him in the left eye, heart, or throat. But to me that doesn't seem possible. He's like the size of Jack's beanstalk but times that by ten. We'd have to fly to be able to get up there. I don't think our arrows go that far."
I blink a few times, feeling something warm dripping down my nose.
I look down, seeing blood drip onto my hands.
Ugh.
"Woah—are you okay?!"
Ryder looks at me worriedly, and I wipe my nose, grimacing when more blood gets on my hand.
"Yeah—just a nosebleed."
"A big ass nosebleed. That much blood does not just exit someone's nose. Do you have an open wound somewhere?"
She looks at my arms, then my neck and face, before looking into my eyes again.
"What the hell is going on with you?! Your eyes are blue now."
I stare at her blankly as she does something to my nose, and shake my head.
"What isn't wrong with me, Ryder? Answer me that."
Thanatos looks at all of us, before Cronus arising from the ground.
"Yeah, children, I have to go—"
"What the fuck do you mean you have to go?!"
Aiden exclaims, and he smiles at her.
"I have to go somewhere, Aiden. Y'all are smart enough to handle this. I will hopefully see you soon. Bye!"
Thanatos disappears into thin air and I stare at where he once was vacantly.
Son of a bitch.
He wants us to die, doesn't he?!
I stand up, beginning to walk towards the entrance where Cronus's laughter gets louder and louder, when I feel someone grab my arm.
I turn around to see a wide eyed Aiden, who stares at me in panic.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
She cries, and I stare blankly at her.
"Something. I'm not going to have us all get squished by cronut. If you want to come, Aiden, be my guest. If not, you can stay here with them."
I motion behind her to Stella, Ryder, and—wait a damn minute.
Oakley isn't there.
"Where'd the damn incubus go?!"
I say right when I hear a sickening crunch and then a yell.
"Ow my ribs!"
I flip around to see Cronus squishing Oakley while cackling, and I roll my eyes.
"That man is a fucking idiot."
I turn back around, grabbing Aiden's bow and an arrow off her back before shooting the arrow and watching as it pierces Cronus's finger.
He lets out a roar, dropping Oakley who flies down and hits the ground with a splat.
I run out of the temple, looking back at them.
"What're you waiting for? I can't kill him myself!"
They all run out, and Stella begins flying, aiming her arrow and shooting at his shoulder as he's distracted.
He lets out another roar, stomping around while trying to grab us.
"Measly children! I will crush you! Feel my wrath!"
He throws a large rock from the sky, and we all dodge it.
"Holy shit! I'm going to squished before I can get a shot at him!"
Ryder's voice echoes through my ears, and I see Aiden from the corner of my eye running over to Oakley who's still laying on the ground.
"Oakley are you okay?!"
"Save yourself, Aiden! Me and my handsome face will Rest In Peace!"
"What in hell's name are you talking about this time?! We can help you! I just have to—Eek!"
"Aiden?!"
I turn around, watching as she slides out of way of another large rock just in the nick of time, going back to drag Oakley away into the trees.
At least she's okay.
I raise my bow, aiming up at his chest.
It won't be too hard to make the shot, right? Right.
Not a time to be doubting myself.
As soon as I'm about to release the arrow my vision blurs, and I get extremely light headed.
What the hell?!
My arms start to feel heavy as I raise them to shoot, and I curse myself in my head.
Not again...not now!
The bow falls out of my hands, and I pass out before anything else can happen.
*******
(DAVINA'S POV)
We all are standing before the vortex, and Hecate jumps slightly when it starts to rumble.
"Back! Move back!"
We all scramble backwards into the trees as a giant man emerges from the ground, and my wide eyes move from him to some people filing out of the temple on the hill.
I squint a little, and my eyes widen.
"Alec! Stella! Guys they're over there!"
I make to move forward and feel an icy grip on my wrist, turning around to see the witch.
She smiles at me.
"I wouldn't do that. You wouldn't want to get crushed by Cronus, would you? That guy is pretty hefty."
I ease back into the woods and she nods.
"I thought so. Now, Hecate, there isn't really anything I can do."
"What did you just say?!"
Her fiery orange eyes snap on Tempest who shrinks back a little, and she sighs.
"I'm sorry. But what did you just say?!"
"I said I can't really—"
"Oh I heard what you said."
Hecate says, lifting Tempest up by her throat.
"What I didn't get is that you can't fucking do anything! What did I call you here for then?! Why did you say you could, huh?! Huh?! Tell me you dumb sea green colored hair bitch!"
Tempest grips her hands, trying to pull them from her throat.
"She isn't letting her go."
I hear Adrienne say, and Rylan pulls Hecate off of her.
"Calm down, firecracker. Choking the witch isn't going to do you any good."
Hecate glares at him.
"I'll choke you next if you don't fucking distance yourself, Rylan. Don't take seafoam's side or I'm going to have to assume you're just as empty minded as she is."
She snaps her head back around.
"What do you have to say, huh?! You better be grateful that the deceiver saved your ass or you'd be rotting in hell where you belong, bitch."
"It's not my fault, okay? If you'd called me earlier I could've closed it. But once Cronus comes out you can't close it unless someone kills Cronus which might I add is pretty difficult. But—if someone was able to just kinda push him in that'd work too."
I grimace when I hear a crunch then a yell.
"Guys?! This is getting out of hand. We have to do something!"
Tempest smiles.
"Oooh! I think I found out a way to do this. I just might need something."
********
(THANATOS'S POV)
Yes, I left them.
No, I don't feel bad.
I said what I said when I said that I was was still evil.
I just need to find that damn british bitch.
I have no fucking idea where she went, but—oooh!
I just came up with an idea.
I'm about to save their asses.
Alec, son, you're lucky your dad is a genius.
********
(MYRA'S POV)
My eyes flutter open, and I let out a yelp when I see four sets of eyes peering over me.
"Jesus!"
Alaric grins before looking at Hazel.
"I told you she wasn't dead."
His bright eyes switch to mine.
"Do you need help getting up, babes?"
I blink a few times before shaking my head.
"I'm fine."
The four of them take a step back as I sit up, wincing.
"What happened?!"
"An arrow shot you."
Pandora says, holding a blood coated arrow.
I grimace, opening my mouth to say something when I hear footsteps.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I thought you were my target! That was an accident..."
A gentle female voice floods my ears, and I turn around to see a woman coming towards us holding a bow and arrow.
When her face comes into view I gasp.
What in the world?!
That's the same exact girl from my dreams.
********
(AIDEN'S POV)
I stare down at a bleeding Oakley who's head is resting in my lap, slapping his cheek lightly.
"Hey. You good?"
He jolts awake, brown eyes meeting mine.
"What the fuck?! Why does my—ow!"
He flops right back onto the floor when he tries to sit up, and I grimace.
"Cronus squished your ass. Stay right here, alright? I'll handle everything else."
I hand him my jacket.
"Use that to stop any bleeding anywhere. I can't take it past myself that I'm helping someone who literally tortured me...but the past is the past. Don't die, Oakley."
He looks at me suspiciously, before shooing me off.
"Go..." he looks away. "And don't die either, Aiden."
*******
I run back out into the open, careful not to slip and fall into the sinkhole in the ground.
Bow and arrow in hand, I raise it, aiming to shoot when I immediately lower it, seeing a body in Cronus's line of sight.
That's Alec.
What is going on with him?!
I run as fast as I can to his body, attempting to drag him backwards when I hear his booming laughter.
"Another one! It kills me to see you children trying to take down someone like me! Give up! You already know you're going to be my meal!"
I slide out of the way of another rock, heaving Alec's body away in a different corner where I stare over him, holding his face in my hands.
"Alec can you hear me?! Are you okay?!"
My heart thumps in my chest and I can't help but feel awful that I wasn't here to help him before.
What in the world is happening to this guy?!
Second time he's passed out.
Fuck.
My left hand glides to his neck, feeling for a pulse.
He's still breathing...then what's going on?!
*******
(ALEC'S POV)
The world becomes less blurry, and they focus on a woman sitting on a rocking chair, sewing something.
Her eyes move to mine and she smiles.
"Alec, sweetie, you're awake! Come."
I focus on her face, my eyebrows furrowing.
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
She smiles at me, motioning I come closer.
"I don't bite, hon."
I stand up, walking closer to her.
"Sit."
I sit in a chair across from her, and her violet eyes bore into mine.
"You've gotten older, too bad I'm not here to see you grow. Thanatos hasn't been treating you badly, has he?! I'll haunt him if he did. I see you met Alaric...I didn't mean for you to find out about him."
"He knew about me?"
"Yes. He visited me, you know...unlike a certain someone. But don't worry! I'm not mad at you. I could never be. You're my favorite little boy. Except you aren't too little now. Nineteen, aren't you? Forgive me. My memory is bad. Bad enough that I forget my own son's birthday."
"Yeah I'm nineteen. You aren't real, are you? I'm just in a dream?"
She holds my hand, smiling.
"I'm always with you. But you are dreaming. I'm still here though. You're actually talking to me. I hope you didn't miss me too much, Alec. You were always closer with Thanatos anyways."
"We drifted. He's an asshole."
She rolls her eyes.
"Of course. The girl. Aiden. You like her a lot, don't you? I can see through your eyes. I can see her face. She's beautiful."
I stare into her eyes. Violet.
That's why my eyes were purple.
Nyx was there.
"She is. You'd like her, mom."
"I'm sure I would. You have to get back now...somethings about to happen and you need to be there. Good luck, son. I love you."
I frown slightly as she fades away, and Nyx blows me a kiss.
"I love you too, mom."
********
(AIDEN'S POV)
I feel someone's hands over mine, and look back over to see his green eyes staring into mine.
"Alec! You're awake! What happened?! Your eyes are green again."
"I just passed out. And talked to my dead mom. I know that sounds weird."
He sits up, and I stand up, sighing.
"I don't know how to get rid of him—Stella's been shooting at him this whole time, so has Ryder. But each shot misses or doesn't do shit."
"I can help. Come on."
Alec stands up as well, and we both run back to where Cronus is, raising our bows when he suddenly lets out a monstrous roar, falling backwards into the hole.
I let out a screech when I fly backwards from the force, and Alec tries to grab me as I fall into the ground with Cronus.
I try to get myself out, only for the ground to close up as I continue falling into the abyss.
Oh no.
This isn't good.
I'm trapped.