AllFreeNovel
Share Us
At the sound of Chiron exiting, Ov pulls the chair close to the bed. The wood squealing along the stone floor like nails on a chalkboard, I flinch at the hideous sound.
“Thank you for saving my nephew.” Ov’s voice is flat. Like he isn’t truly happy at all.
No.
I must be reading too much into it.
Of course, Ov’s happy to see that Apollo’s alive… Right?
The man then states, “Fortunately, you even survived.”
An uneasy feeling spreads through my stomach.
“Yes, I don’t get it either. I'm thankful that I was able to assist Apollo.” Even though it turned out to be a one-way ticket to the infirmary. I could’ve been in Marium by now.
“Now, let’s not talk about our little conversation at the tea house. Apollo does not respond well to treachery. His actions are assured to be quick, deadly, and fierce, understand me?”
I nod.
“It is good to have you back in the castle, Pandora. I'm happy you didn’t leave,” Ov says as exits the infirmary. Slamming the door behind him.
“Happy to be back.” Tipping my head back, I gulp the liquid down my throat. The pleasant taste of lavender fills my senses as my eyes flutter. The lights dim around me.
Arista whispers, “Watch out for that one. Bad news follows in his wake.”
I smile reassuringly at my friend. She’s always been a bit easy to frighten.
Groggily, I contemplate waking up. But my eyelids feel too heavy. Too exhausted.
Throughout the night, my eyes would only open when Chiron would perform his rounds. Other times, dreams whisper along the edges of my mind. Nothing immersive.
The sudden feeling of being buried by rocks steals the last bit of air in my lungs.
My peaceful dreams vanish. Instead, I'm in a river. Dark and inky liquid surrounds me. Water flooded into me. Pressing against my chest. Throwing my eyes wide, I gasp. Blinking several times. I couldn’t figure out what was going on.
Artemis presses her face into my shoulder. Laying on top of me, she hugs me tightly, so tight that my eyes water.
I spit out the silver bobbed hair that found its way down my throat, as she blurts, “I thought you were dead.”
“Me too,” I gasp.
Broodingly, Apollo stares at me from his position in the doorway to the infirmary. Hands bracing at the top of the door, I glance away from looking at his impeccable biceps. “Chiron is the best healer in the land. If anyone could have saved you, it was him.”
“Sir, you're too kind,” Chiron replies as he extends his front hoof and tucks the other behind him. Bowing as low as a seven-foot-tall centaur could.
Striding over, Apollo moves toward me. Holding his head high, his attention is off of Chiron. Eyes locked on me. Through the corner of my eye, Chiron rises from his kneeled position.
Pinching my face, Artemis snaps my face in her direction, staring at me intensely. “Don’t pull this shit anymore. You just about gave Apollo a heart attack.”
“I doubt that.” I chuckled. “It was probably the quicksilver.”
Snorting, Apollo grins. “Good to see that you are still you.”
“Apollo, stop being such a poser,” chides Artemis who’s curled next to me on my bed. “You should’ve seen him these past three days while you’ve been here. He has been insufferable. Terrified. He sat in a chair beside you. We practically had to drag him away for court business.”
I hear a grumble from over my shoulder.
Artemis chuckles at her brother's annoyance. Gripping onto me like the fates may choose to rip me away from her any second. “I think you're forgetting something.”
