I got home and dropped Cristy's keys on the table. What a night. I could see the sunlight begin to peep through the curtains.
"Can you please tone it down, you're hurting me. Badly." I grumble at Athena.
I hold my arm in a ninty degree angel because it hurts less.
"It's not me. I left you alone remember?"
The moment she speaks the pain flares up. I grab the table to stay upright, as it took me completely by surprise.
"Then where does it come from?" I asked, forcing myself to stand back up.
It didn't help that my head kept throbbing loudly.
"Remember what Raymond said? 'the transformation took a toll on you'."
"Yeah, what did he mean by that."
"I'll explain after you rested. Now go to bed and sleep." Athena said in a motherly tone.
"But.. I have work." I argued.
She made me take out my phone from my pocket and made me call work.
"Hello? Skyler?" I heard my boss ask.
"Hello sir. I'm not Skyler, but I call about her." Athena said.
"I call to inform you that she recently fell ill. She suffers from a bacterial infection and won't be coming to work for a while."
"Urm.. Who are you exactly?" My boss asked, probably wondering if this is a scam.
"My name is Athena. I'm her sister." She lied smoothly.
"Why have I never heard of you?" he questioned.
"I live in Europe. We weren't on the best of terms when I left, but that doesn't mean I don't care about her."
I could tell she was getting bored. Just when I thought my boss would never fall for it, he responded:
"Alright then. I'll be missing my top dog, but I hope she recovers fast. Tell her she can take as long as she needs. Her health comes first. Thank you for informing me mss. Sawyer."
With that Athena hung up the phone and made me put it down.
"There you go, no work for you the upcoming weeks or months."
As soon as her voice left, my mouth dropped open.
Athena made me walk to my room.
"Now change and go to bed."
I didn't argue with her anymore. There was no point in it. I made sure I was comfortable with my shoulder and slowly dosed of to sleep.
Cristy's POV:
I woke up in the middle of an alleyway. I looked around and didn't recognize where I was.
"Rise and shine." A voice said from my left.
I looked up and saw an asian man. He seemed to be in his early thirties and his eyes were hidden behind glasses.
Something about him felt familiar.
"Who are you again?" I croaked.
My voice was a little hoarse.
"I'm the guy that's supposed to take you home." He shrugged.
Wait, what now? I gave him a confused look.
"I'm also the guy that took you here. Well, not really but-.."
His body started shifting and morphing right in front of my eyes. Right there stood a completely diffrent man.
I swallowed and crawled back a bit. Was he going to hurt me?
"..-I am." He said in a completely different voice.
Then it started to dawn on me. Those eyes with flames reflecting in them (even if there weren't flames around).
"Y-You're Ares..." I manage to say.
He smirks.
"Right you are lady. Now come on, my bike is running I don't have a lot of time."
Ares gestured for me to follow him. Scared of what might happen if I didn't, I followed him.
Right around the corner stood his motorcycle.
It was an Indian motorcycle in all black, with red accents. I swallowed. It was indeed running.
He handed me a helmet and put on his own. Where did he get that from? But then again, apparently I rode with him before. I don't remember though, but his face does look familiar.
He patted the space behind him. I did as he said and sat down behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and he rode off.
~line break~
After a while of riding he stopped in front of my house. I got off and took of the helmet.
"Here.." I said, wanting to give him back his helmet.
He held up his hand.
"Trust me, you're still gonna need it."
I swallowed and took a step back with the helmet still in my hands.
"Thanks for the ride." I say, kind of awkward.
"Anything for the big boss right?" he smirked, but it was cold and I could tell he didn't mean a word he said.
Without any other words he left. After standing there for a minute I go up to the door to find that the door is unlocked.
Skyler probably forgot to lock it last night when she came back.
I close it behind me and enter the kitchen. I spot my keys and Skyler's phone on the kitchen table.
I walk past them and straight to my room. God I'm exhausted and my right leg is hurting.
I fall down on my bed and close my eyes. It doesn't take long before I'm sound asleep again.
Skyler's POV:
I woke up around noon. I got up and my headache and shoulder pain were still there. Not as bad as yesterday though.
"Oh good you're awake." Athena said.
"Are we gonna have an actual conversation?" I asked.
"Aren't we having one already then?"
She made me raise a brow. I just sigh and go to the chair that is still standing in front of my mirror and sit down.
"Okay, continue." I said.
"With what?"
"You said last night that you would explain what is hurting me so badly, after I rested. Well I rested. Continue."
I saw my reflection roll it's eyes. The golden rim around it lightened up.
"You know how I told you that having a god inside you was hard for your body and that young kids like Pan don't live very long?"
I nod.
"Well that god inside you slowly destroys your body. Inside out. You may have noticed that Raymond limps?"
Again I nod.
"That is the price he paid to have Hades inside his head. You're body slowly stops functioning. At one point he won't be able to bend his knee anymore." Athena said.
"The pain in your shoulder will stay and eventually you won't be able to lift your arm above your head anymore."
"Remember the boy who held Kronos?" She asked.
"The skater boy?" I replied, searching my memory.
Athena made me nod.
"For him the process will go double the speed it goes for you. The stronger the deity in your head, the faster they'll destroy your body."
I remember he had this peep in his breathing. As he'd been smoking for twenty years. Even though he couldn't have been older then fifteen.
"How long will it take until I can't handle you anymore?" I ask, trying to hide the tremble in my voice.
"Hard to say, it's diffrent with every mortal. Some last only a couple years others a decade or five."
"So they never become very old?"
"It all depends on the mortal. How old they are when the god takes over their body. How strong they are mentally, physically and emotionally." Athena explains.
"Athena.. Am I strong?"
She stays quiet for a bit and I fear the answer.
"Not yet.." Is the answer that eventually leaves my mouth.