Skyler's pov:
I feel my hands being held behind my back with force.
"You can scream you know. It makes it that much more fun." Aphrodite cackled right next to my ear.
In front of me I see Persephone with an empty siringe and an evil smirk on her face. When I look down I see my right arm is slowly getting green lines all over it. The pattern of my veins... My vision gets blurry.
'Athena?'
My mouth moves, but no words come out.
'Athena?!'
Where did my voice go. I feel my body slowly turning limp. I can barely hold myself up.
'Athena where are you?'
I fall forward. If Aphrodite wasn't holding me I would have face planted into the ground.
"There we go. Good girl." Persephone said.
I feel the urge to cough, but I try to resist since I know what comes next. My body betrays me and I cough. A mixture of divine and mortal blood splatters onto the ground. From deep within my core a heavy pain builds up. I let out a scream that makes my throat soar.
'Athena?!' I try to say when the tears start rolling down my cheeks.
A warm liquid starts running down my nose. It's already up to there, it won't be long until...
Soon enough my sight becomes even blurrier. In fact I can't see anything as the blood stings in my eyes.
"Make it stop! Please make the pain stop!" I try, but my voice is hoarse from my scream earlier.
I feel another build up and I know that even if I try I won't be able to hold it back. As I scream in pure, raw pain, I sink to my knees.
The end is near now I feel it. One last time I try to reach out for Athena. She didn't give up on me did she? She didn't choose for herself did she?
I can't feel her and it's the most awful thing I've ever experienced.
Aphrodite forces my head up.
"Trust me. You are going to want to see this." She snickered.
From my mouth I saw a faint grey light rise towards the sky until it evaporated in the air.
"I hope you said goodbye." Persephone smirked.
She gave a nod to Aphrodite, who let go of me at that moment. I fell forward onto the concrete floor,it's coolness seeping into my body and running down my spine.
"Athena." I breathed.
The taste of blood was evident in my mouth. My body was getting heavy. Everything hurt. Slowly I closed my eyes. My only comfort was that if I died now, at least the pain would be over.
Athena's pov:
I don't know what happened to Skyler, but she's struggling. I can feel it. And even if I didn't it was quite clear as she screamed ly name through the entire cell block. I have to do something. I can't just leave it like this. Maybe I can-...
Gods she's probably going to hate me for this, but so be it.
I send a jolt through her nerve system so she litterly jolts awake. With a gasp my mortal host openes her eyes on the concrete floor.
"W-what?"
Her voice was groggy, but I suppose she sounded alright.
"Skyler are you okay?" I ask, wanting to be sure.
"Athena? Y-you're really here?" She asked in return.
"Of course I'm really here. We're a part of each other remember?" I said, a little confused.
"But Persephone and Aphrodite they-" She started.
"They never came near us. They only... They left after Astraea." I remembered her.
"Wait really? Cause I just-"
"You dreamt didn't you?" I ask.
Skyler nodded and slowly sat up. She looked around, I assume for Sam. The little kid was asleep in the corner. Maybe it was for the best. With the things he'd seen... I shuddered even thinking about it.
"So they never seperate us?" Sky asked.
"No never." I respond.
I felt relief wash over us.
"I would have found a way to kill a goddess if they tried." I grumbled beneath my breath.
Sam's pov:
I woke up in a white space. I was lying down, but beneath me there was nothing.
I placed a hand on the back of my head since it throbbed a bit. My hair was slightly crusty there.
'Right, that stupid cyclops hit me over the head.' I remembered.
I looked at my wrist. It didn't hurt. That meant Hestia wasn't with me. Then where was she?
Even though I didn't feel her within me, for some reason I wasn't worried. I felt safe in this empty space.
"Hestia?" I called out.
There was a bit of an echo in the emptiness.
An orange glow lighted up and suddenly a woman with hair, the color of flames, sat in front of me. She was warming her hands on a fire and she had a welcoming smile in her face.
"Yes Sam?" She asked.
Hestia gestured for me to sit down. I sat at the fire. The flames sort of hypnotised me. I liked the way they danced.
I reached out for the flames and a ball of fire, about the size of a tennisbal, leaped into my hand. The heat should've burned my hand, but it didn't. Instead it gave of the same heat a hot shower would've.
I let the fire ball roll between my hands. I glanced at Hestia. She seemed happy now. Not afraid or angry, like she has been every since I was left alone with Skyler.
"Why were you afraid and angry?" I ask Hestia, wanting to know if I could help her.
Hestia is quiet. She too takes a fireball out of the fire in front of her. She let's it travel over her arm, up to her shoulder and back.
"Was it the scary lady?" I ask.
"The scary lady has a name Sam." Hestia said, her smile never wavering.
"Her name is Athena. But yes she is the cause of those feelings."
"Why?"
"Athena is rather complex. One moment she is understanding and caring. The next it's as if you talk to a brick wall. The scary thing is, you never know which of the two you'll get. She's unpredictable and depending on the battle she's in untrustworthy."
Now the smile had disappeared. She seemed bitter. As Hestia talked the flames flickerd. As if the wind were trying to blow them out.
"I was angry with her for leaving. Now I'm angry with her because she thinks she can barge in and just take back what she had when she was still here. She can't run our group just because she's the goddess of strategic warfare." Hestia mutters.
"Have you told her how you feel about it? Amara always said people can only solve their problems if they try to understand each other." I tried.
Hestia looked at me and smiled. It was genuine, but there was sadness in her eyes.
"You're sister was very smart." She said.
I nodded. I missed Amara. But Hestia in a way, kind of reminded me of her. She was always kind and would never hurt anyone. Just as Amara.
"Remember when Athena and I stood in the common room at the base?" Hestia asked.
I nodded.
"I was trying to tell her then how I felt. But we were interrupted." She explained.
"Can't you tell her now?"
"Now? No. What if Oizys or her people hear? Then they'll exploit the fact that I don't trust her. Athena might not be my favorite deity at the moment, but that doesn't mean I wish to see her getting hurt."
I nodded and thought for a second. Then I had an idea. A shiver went down my spine. I hated it, but maybe it would help Hestia. Then she didn't have to be scared or angry anymore.
"Hestia? I might have an idea." I spoke up.
I concentrated on the fire ball in my hands. Slowly it grew. I put my fears into the ball. Fire was my friend, so maybe if it could channel my fear it wasn't all that bad.
"What kind of idea?" Hestia asked.
"Before I tell you there is something I have to know."
Hestia nods, a sign I can conintue.
"Are you sure that talking to the scary-... I mean Athena would help you?"
"Well I mean. I don't know for sure, but I do know it will be relieving to let it out. Then I can start letting it go." The goddess in front of me replied.
"So it would help?" I ask, a bit confused by the things she said.
Hestia smiles and nods. I sigh. For Hestia.
"Then I will tell you my idea." I say and start to explain.