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“Sorry,” he whispers for only me to hear.
He shifts, moving back to a respectful distance, and I’m able to see who interrupted us. Axel. Face like thunder, fists curled and raised, ready to strike. Hector’s pose becomes deferential, his massive form seems to shrink and his head is lowered in respect.
I have no idea what’s going on. Why Hector found me first, or why Axel is here, seemingly alone when I half expected The Trinity to save me.
“Hector? What did he call you?”
“What the fuck are you doing kissing a God, Odi?” Axel snaps. “What are you thinking?”
“What?” My head spins in confusion. What is Axel talking about? Why is he mad at me?
“Tell her, Heracles,” he grinds out.
“Why do you keep calling him that? His name’s Hector. He works in the gym.”
Axel laughs but it’s cold and humourless. The sound makes dread pool in my belly, hot and heavy, as ice slithers down my spine.
“Tell her, Hector, how Heracles is the Greek God of heroes, sports and athletes.” Axel scoffs.
“He’s also the divine protector,” Hector says, staring at me intently.
“I don’t understand.”
“Come, Odi. Let me get you home.”
Axel holds out a hand to me, and after a split second of hesitation, I take it. Because despite everything, he’s known. He’s lethal and terrifying but I know him. I know his darkness, his danger, his damage.
“Stay away from Odile, and tell the rest of the fucking Gods to do the same.”
Hector – or whatever the fuck he’s called – is a stranger to me, but Axel’s words slowly sink in. Part of me wants to insist he’s wrong, but…when has Axel ever been wrong?
Axel helps me to my feet with surprising tenderness, wraps his arm around me in a way that’s reminiscent of Kaiden, and leads me out of the prison where I had hoped to die.
“Odi, please! Wait! Let me explain! It’s not like that.”
I hesitate but can’t bring myself to look back at Hector. He’s one of them. One of the ones responsible for…this. It doesn’t matter that he was the first on scene seeming to rescue me, he was still involved. One of them. A God.
I feel so stupid.
This thing that was developing between us was so new. It wasn’t even a bud yet. More like the shoot of a seedling barely breaking the soil. But it was new, and exciting, and it felt so healthy to form a friendship with potential to be more that could thrive outside of manipulation and games and everything negative I’ve ever known to be associated with love.
I can’t look at him because part of me knows that if I see genuine remorse in his eyes, I might crumble and let him explain the pain away.
But I can’t do that.
I won’t.
If I’ve had to harden my heart against The Holy Trinity, the three boys I’ve loved as long as I’ve understood what the word meant, then I can easily turn away from what might have been with Hector.
Axel leads us along the corridor and into the lift at the end. I start shaking around the same time the doors slide shut. Axel squeezes me tighter and I’m transported back in time. I’m thirteen again, clinging to Axel and sobbing. No tears fall today, but the emotions are just as real and raw.
I keep waiting for…something. But nothing comes. Axel doesn’t say a word, doesn’t explode or react in any way. He just holds me like I’m precious to him and the steady thrum of his stone heart soothes me in a way that only nostalgia can.
The lift ascends and stops, pings our arrival. I’m starting to really hate that sound. If I never step foot in an elevator again for the rest of my life, it’ll be too soon.
We step out into that sumptuous hotel lobby I was brought in through and this time the woman who met us when I was here with The Gods races towards us, frantic with worry and remorse.
It strikes me that she seems ageless. She carries herself like a confident, experienced and wise woman, despite her panic right now, yet her unlined, youthful face could put her close to my age. Under different circumstances I might be curious to know more about her, but now that I fully understand her line of work, she can rot in hell for all I care.
