I broke the kiss as he leaned back into my couch and I cuddle up next to him. I breathed in the scent of pomegranates and mint as I fell asleep.
When I woke up I was in my bed and Thomas was gone. I heard knocking at my door. I went down stairs and opened it. Before I could even see who it was they were hugging me. The familiar scent of dirt and poppies filled my nose.
"Jack!" I said.
"I've missed you so much, you've been gone too long." She said.
"Would you like to join me for dinner?" I asked.
"I was going to eat with Charlie."
"He is invited too. There are going to be a lot of us tonight, I could actually use your help."
"Of course." She smiled. "Actually though, I came by to ask you something. Would you want to go on a quest with me? I've invited a large party, it's gonna be really dangerous…." she trailed off.
"Umm of course Jack. I'd love to."
The smile returned to her face
"Are you going to tell me about this dangerous quest?" I asked, "Like, what's the prophecy?"
"All 13 shall have their place, a sea of monsters they must face, to find a plant that heals even Gods, the daughter of Demeter must beat her odds." her voice trailed off and her face turned white.
"You're not gonna die, Jack, you'll have 12 other Demi-Gods with you. Who have you decided to take?"
"Obviously you, Ben, Charlie, Thomas, and Grayson. I have to take Katie, Hera's Daughter. I was thinking Kayla and Allison. Kayla has gotten wickedly good at strategizing and Allison is deadly accurate with a bow now and she's Grayson's girlfriend. Afton James, Ares' son. Maybe Liam Valentine, Aphrodite's new son, he seems like the only one from that cabin willing to use a sword. Alexander Mason from the Hephaestus cabin, and Artemis is sending her lead Hunter, Emma Dare. I'm worried how many monsters that will attract though."
"A lot, but with 13 of us, it's nothing we can't handle. Besides 'a sea of monsters, they must face' seems like we'll be facing some monsters."
"I just know the affect your quest had on you. I don't want to push you away again. I don't think Thomas could handle that."
I knew what she was saying was the truth, Thomas still wasn't back to full strength, emotionally or psychically. Me leaving would send him into a dark place, he would end up like he father. Sad and angry at the world, and at me. I didn't need to cause him anymore pain than I already had.
"I'll be okay Jack, I'm not leaving again. Promise, but when is your quest?"
"A few days, I need to give Thomas some more time to gain as much strength as he can. He caught back up really fast. He came so close to death and he's almost back at 100%."
"He is the son of death," I said.
"Very true."
After we talked Jack and I started to get ready for dinner. While we were cooking a bunch of people showed up. First Thomas and Ben, who despite not knowing each other very well a year ago had become best friends. After them Allison and Grayson showed up followed by Kayla and Afton, they walked in arguing over who was the better warrior. After them Liam, Jaxon, and Alex Mason. Finally Charlie and Katie. I saw a little light of envy in Jack's eyes that quickly left when Charlie came over and kissed her. Everyone sat in the living room as we waited for dinner. I sat next to Thomas and he has his arm around me. I looked around the room and my heart swelled with happiness. A year ago when I came to camp I never imagined I'd have this many friends. I had shut myself down and was scared out of my mind. When Thomas, Ben, and I first came to camp people were scared of us but now thing were so different.
As dinner finished up we set my table outside, it was one of my favorite magic items I owned. The table would be a big or as small as you needed it to be. As we all sat down, Jack spoke up about her quest. As she invited everyone I couldn't help but see that Jaxon was feeling out of place and uncomfortable. Afton obviously noticed this too because he said, "Jaxon, I need one of my most trusted warriors to watch the cabin while I'm gone, you up for it?"
Jaxon eyes gleamed as he grinned, "Dude, yeah."
"Great, but seriously if I come back and any of my trophies have been moved I'll kill you."
We all laughed but I got the feeling he was some what serious.
"Well,' Jack said, 'We're gonna leave in about three days, Thomas I want to give you as much time to get all your strength back."
Thomas pouted and said, "I'm at 100%, Jack. I'm ready to go."
I scooted closer to him, "Thomas, just a few more days wont hurt you." I was pouring everything into my words, I hated using Siren's song to manipulate people but I couldn't risk losing him again.
"Fine." He grumbled, "No more than three days though Jack."
"No more than three days." she nodded.
After dinner, we sat around a fire pit in. Grayson and Allison shared a couch like bench, Thomas and I shared one, and Charlie and Jack shared one as well. Everyone else staggered in between us. Everyone went around the camp fire telling stories of their quests.
"Okay, okay. I can top everyone." I said.
"Whoa, no fair, you were a seeker. You've probably seen all kinds of crazy stuff." Afton said.
"Wait,' Katie said, "What's a seeker?"
"It's someone that goes out and finds half-bloods, brings them to camp safely, then leaves again to find more," Grayson said.
"Why would you leave Ab, your whole life is here?" Liam asked.
He saw the look on my face, "You don't have to.."
"No,' I said. 'It's alright. A year ago, Aggy brought Me, Allison, Ben, Kayla, and Thomas to camp. We were here maybe a week, then Thantos, someone working for the people we're going to be at war with, took Allison,' when I said that Grayson held her a little tighter, 'then Kayla. After that they offered me a quest, to go find and retrieve the half bloods that hadn't left willingly. I traveled with Jack, Charlie, Grayson, Ben, and Thomas. We went to Death Valley, at the time that was Thantos' head quarters. When we got there, I could smell all different kinds of half bloods, even though I was only looking for a select few. But I had to take care of Thantos first. Charlie, Jack, and Grayson were busy fighting off Harpies and a giant Cyclops, so Ben, Thomas, and I confronted Thantos. Thantos is a master of black magic, he shot some sort of dust at me and Ben, I don't really know how it affected him but me, I heard a voice telling me…..telling me to kill Thomas, that basically he was a traitor and the one to blame. I stabbed him, I…I almost killed him…" I trailed off.
"Then there was a trial,' Ben said. 'Hades, he demanded justice for Thomas, any god would do the same for any of their children, but I took Abby's place. The black dust affected me by not letting me move. Thantos knew that if I could have reached her I could have stopped her. What happened to Thomas was just as much my fault as it was hers."
"At the trial,' I picked back up the story, 'the gods argued, but they all agreed someone needed to take responsibility. Ben took my place and served an 8 month sentence in Tartarus. After I came back to camp the next morning I had to leave, it was just too painful to stay. I knew I couldn't help Ben or Thomas. I could help others though and that's what I did. But Thomas is awake and Ben is back. It's time to kick some Titan butt."
Thomas kissed my cheek and smiled.
"She's basically on house arrest cause she's a flight risk," Kayla said as she laughed.
"I am not. I came back didn't I?" I said.
Thomas kissed me again, "Yes, yes you did."
After everyone left Thomas hoped in the shower as I sat on the couch, he came out of the bathroom in a towel. I studied his muscles as he said, "Are you gawking again?"
"A little, also making sure they're the same size as they were last year."
"Ab, I'm back at 100%, really. It doesn't take long for a son of Hades to get over almost dying."
"I know, I know. But I can't come that close to losing you again. I guess I'm not waiting for you to be back to 100, but for me to be."
He studied me for minute before sitting down next to me.
"I'm sorry Ab. I had no idea how this would affect you."
"You're sorry? I almost killed you and you're sorry?"
"I forgave you the moment it happened. I'm never for one minute been angry at you for what happened it wasn't your fault."
"But it was. I knew what could have happened, I'd been dreaming about it for weeks. I should have been smart, confronted Thantos alone. I shouldn't have put you or Ben in that kind of danger. I was stupid.."
"What happened, happened. I'm over it but you aren't. That's okay, but I don't want you to continue to blame yourself, to continue to be sad and upset. I still love you even Thantos can't change that."
He got up and walked up stairs. I went outside and sat on my dock. As I waved my hand in the water, it shimmered and my mom appeared before me. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her deep brown eyes shone against her peach skin. She wore deep blue jeans, flats, and a white blouse. A silver tiara sat atop her head.
"Why such a sad face, darling?" she asked.
"I almost killed Thomas and he's sorry." I said.
"Abigail,' she said as she sat next to me, "you're being self destructive again. A year ago you were the happiest I'd ever seen you. Now, you can't seem to put the past where it belongs. In the past."
"I almost killed him mom, how am I just supposed to push past it?"
"Like you would anything else. You cannot continue to be angry at yourself, because all you do it take it out on someone, despite all that has happened, loves you unconditionally. I'm not Aphrodite Abby I can't tell you how love works, but love is what makes this messed up world worth living in. If you continue to self destruct, he can't take it forever."
"But.."
She interrupted, "No buts Abigail Del Mare. You need to go up to your room and apologize to him, once and for all. Tell him you're sorry, not only for what happened but for holding onto it for so long. If you don't in time you WILL lose him."
She stood up, "I'm serious Abby." and with that she dissolved back into the water.
I sighed as I walked back inside and up to my room. Thomas was sitting in a chair facing the window reading.
"Uh hey." I said.
"Hey." he said with out looking at me.
"Can we talk?" I asked
"We are talking."
"Look, I'm sorry okay? For everything for what happened, for holding onto it for so long, for shutting you out, and constantly bringing it up and getting down on myself. For running away from the problem instead of talking about it, for being self destructive and taking everyone out with me. I'm just overall sorry okay."
He laughed, "You done?" he said as he turned to face me.
I frowned, "Are you laughing at my pain and my apology?"
"I'm not laughing at you pain, but I am laughing at the apology because I've been waiting for it. Not because I needed one but because you did."
"What?"
"You need to hear yourself say sorry and mean it. But like I've been saying, I forgive you."
He got up and walked over to me, he wrapped his arms around me before kissing me.
"I love you, Seaweed Brain."
"I love you too, Corpse Breath."
After that we went to bed and for the first time in a long time I didn't have any dreams.
