Page 18 of Gods and Graves
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THEA
A pparently, we’re going to travel by portal.
By freaking portal.
Of course, I knew it was a thing, but to know it’s an actual thing and not just a thing that’s a thing… Well, I’m not sure I want to do the thing, because the thing is freaking portal traveling.
I’m just an itty-bitty, teeny-weeny bit nervous.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Zaid assures me for the one billionth time, his tone calm and placating—a direct contrast to the turmoil in my head.
“Why don’t you guys go on ahead. I’ll stay here. Hold down the fort, so to speak.” I flick my gaze towards Rafe, who’s currently using blood magic to open said portal.
Red drips from a wound on his palm in a steady stream, landing on the grass at his feet. A shimmering, garnet portal has erupted from the ground and hovers slightly in the air, roughly the size of Everett, if not bigger.
“I won’t hurt you,” Rafe promises in that gravelly, raspy voice of his that never fails to twist my stomach into knots. “Never.”
“But…” I take an automatic step away, only to ram into Krystian’s hard chest.
He immediately wraps his arms around me.
“Come on, love. It’ll be fine.” He lifts me off the ground and begins to walk us both forward, my legs swaying like a pendulum.
“No, wait!” I beg as we step through the light.
I wait for…pain.
Agony.
For my insides to be artfully rearranged or maybe even my skin to peel off.
None of that happens.
One second, I’m standing behind the motel with the guys. The next, I’m in what appears to be an apartment complex or a hotel, the lobby decorated in sleek leather couches and glass tables.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Krystian whispers in my ear, and a thrill shoots through me at his proximity.
Even if I’m pissed as fuck he dragged me through the portal without my consent.
I wiggle, demanding to be let down, and Krystian complies with another chuckle.
I whirl on him. “You asshole! What if I had died?”
“You wouldn’t have died.” He rolls his eyes like I’m being absurd.
“You don’t know that.”
“We portal travel everywhere, and I’m still in one piece,” he points out, gesturing down the length of his body.
His rather impressive body…
Focus, Thea! You’re mad at him!
“You… You…” I wag a finger in his face but can’t think of a threat strong enough to encapsulate my anger.
Instead, I storm away with a huff, moving until I’m leaning against a far wall.
The others have already arrived through the magical portal, and they’re all watching me with various expressions that range from wary to amused. The former is Zaid. The latter is, of course, Everett. Asshole.
The wraith takes a tentative step forward, holding his hands in the air placatingly. “We’re sorry we brought you through the portal without your permission.” He levels a glare in Krystian’s direction, but the light elf simply smirks and shrugs, unrepentant. “It won’t happen again.”
“I forgive Zaid and only Zaid,” I tell them primly, thrusting my chin in the air.
“I didn’t push you through the portal,” Rafe points out, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.
“Fine. I forgive Rafe too.”
“What about me?” Everett scowls. “I didn’t do anything.”
“You laughed,” I remind him.
“I did not fucking laugh.”
“You totally did.” I narrow my eyes at him suspiciously. “And…and you’re doing it right now! See?! You’re totally smiling!”
Everett works to compress his lips into a straight line.
“He can’t help but smile,” Krystian points out. “You’re just too freaking adorable.”
That wipes the smile straight off Everett’s face.
“She’s not adorable,” he growls out.
“She totally is,” Krystian counters.
“Enough of this.” Zaid moves to step between us all, effortlessly garnering our attention. “Do we have a plan? We can’t just barge into Aphrodite’s apartment and demand she tell us what she knows about Thea. For all we know, she had a part to play in it.”
“We need to hide Thea,” Rafe murmurs, contemplative.
“Wait…hide me? Like, put a blanket over my head?” I ask.
Everett stares at me like I’m dumb, which…fair.
“I’ll put a glamour on you, love,” Krystian says. “I won’t be able to hold it for long—at least, not one powerful enough to hide you from a goddess—but it should last for an hour or so. She won’t be able to hear or see you.”
Trepidation claws down my spine. “I won’t, like, fade away, will I?”
“No, sweetheart,” Zaid assures me quickly. “You’ll still be here. We’ll still be able to see and hear you. She just won’t be able to.”
“But she will be able to touch you, so make sure you’re not standing in her way,” Krystian adds.
“And then what?” Everett folds his arms over his chest and scowls. “We ask about Thea?”
“We pretend that we heard some new gossip about a reaper held hostage by Hades,” Zaid corrects. “You know Aphrodite won’t be able to resist.”
The guys all nod, and a solemn aura permeates the air.
We’re doing this.
We’re actually doing this.
We’re going to meet with a goddess, and hopefully, get some answers.
If not…
Well, I don’t want to think about that.
I won't fade away again.
I refuse.