Part 7: Tori's POV

My eyes start to droop but I keep them open. My body is just tired. But Jade's warmth next to me isn't making me feel any better. The scent of mint and coffee overwhelms me but I find it comforting. "Jade, why do you always smell like coffee and mint?" I whisper into her ear. Her lips stretch into a small smile.

She pulls me closer, pressing a kiss on my forehead, still grinning. "Why do you always smell like vanilla and strawberries?" the goth mumbles lowly.

I scrunch up my nose. "Touché." She laughs a silent, breathy laugh. My normal smile comes back on as I observe her. Gods, she's beautiful, I muse dreamily. How did I ever come to deserve her? I'm not worthy of such perfection. Laying my head on her shoulder, I find peace. Small bumps jolt the van, the noise of swaying trees and snapping twigs keep me awake. My eyelids are too heavy. My train of thought is frozen, my will to stay awake shattering.

Wait a minute. My overweighted eyes widen one last time. I can only mutter one thing before I black out.

"Hypnos."


"You are correct, Tori Vega," a deep voice acknowledges. The room is dark and...comfortable? A wave of hot heat hits me, the smell of warm milk filling my nose. I look around frantically, running towards an orange glow. It turns out to be a fire. Two large, deep velvet chairs stand before it. On one of the enormous chairs lies the God of Sleep himself.

Anger seems to boil in my veins. "Why did you bring me here?" I ask furiously, straight to the point. He chuckles sleepily, folding his hands over his lap.

Every second that I'm here drives me insane but immensely tired. Guess that's his power.

"Usually I don't present myself but I'll make an exception for you, daughter of Zeus." Hypnos rises from his chair, turning to me. I can finally see him.

The god is in pajamas, the color of grey. He's wearing a matching pair of night slippers and hat. Grey looks so glum on him. His hair is a full blond color, shaggy and uncombed. It's just how hair would look after sleeping all day. Hypnos's eyes are a pale blue, almost like a baby blue. His skin, of course, is pale, very similar to white. The aroma of warm milk and lavender radiate from him. His eyelids, though, are half way closed.

Bowing slightly, I grit my teeth from the drainage of strength as I try to stay conscious. "Why have you called me here, Lord Hypnos?" His thin lips pull into a tight smile. It looks...weird on him, to say the least. I'm guessing that he's never smiled that much.

"Why, daughter of Zeus, why do the mortals sleep if they're destined to wake up eventually?" My eyebrows knit together. What? "You heard me. I'm too tried to repeat it." I mouth the question to myself, still baffled at why the god would ask me such a thing. "Figured it out?"

Shaking my head, he chuckles. "Of course not, Zeus himself isn't so bright at times." Thunder booms outside. The God of Sleep just waves his hand. His weak eyes turn to me, unfazed. "Do you know that I sided with the Titans in the last Titan War? I think I've become to regret that choice but I'll always resent the ways the Olympians treat us."

Reaching for my side, my nimble fingers clutch at my sword's hilt. He sided with the Titans? He could still be a threat. I don't care if I'm dying today or not. I'm not going to let him loose, aiding the enemy, making my friend's sacrifices in vain.

The god's eyes flit to the weapon and frowns. "Now, now. I didn't call for violence. I'm not with the Titans this time. If I did ally with them, I'd be in Tartarus by now." That still doesn't make me feel better. I wonder how Jade is handling my unconscious body right now. "She's a ferocious one," Hypnos comments.

My eyes widen, my knuckles white on the blade. "How do you-?" I falter, remembering that he's a god and that gods sure like to barge into people's personal lives. "You better not lay a finger on her," I threaten, feeling hopeless. Even if I defeated the god, how would I return to my former body? I'd be stuck here for a while. This is Hypnos's domain. I can't interfere with that.

"And why would I do that when she's destined to destroy herself?" he inquires. My heart races, threatening to tire out and stop.

"You're lying," I growl in last defense.

The blonde's eyes lock on mine and I see pity, almost sympathy. "See for yourself." His hand gestures to the fire where the flames start to flicker. An image begins to form. Blood burns through my body as I view holographic Jade fall to the ground. She's covered in blood and ash. Her body trembles. The ground starts to shake, cracks forming along the ground. The goth's head turns up and Beck is holding out his hand, trying to haul her up. His face is urgent but hers isn't. From the look in her eyes, I can tell that she's tired of fighting. My stomach churns uneasily as I keep watching.

Jade doesn't want to live anymore. Why? My eyes squint at the flames and they widen quickly. There are tears pouring out of her eyes. She shakes her head and Beck yells, the ground falling apart, the daughter of Hades going down with the 'ship'.

The image fades, the only audible sound is the blood roaring in my ears. I fall to my knees, sweat dripping off my forehead. Breathing is difficult, my eyes wide as saucers. "Where was I?" I mumble to myself. "WHERE WAS I?" I scream in agony, feeling unworthy after watching my lover's death. My teeth are bared, my body spasming. "I-Is this real?" I demand shakily.

The god nods gravely. "It is but it can be stopped. Figure it out demigod. What is Jade West's fatal flaw?" I rack my mind, thinking of all the possibilities. In the image, she gave up, not trusting herself by grabbing Beck's hand. She was holding a grudge.

Oh my gods... I figured it out.

Hypnos smiles. "Well done. Now, what is it?" I shakily rise, my hand still curled around the sword.

"Jade doesn't trust herself. She's not sure what the right or wrong choice is. She holds grudges and she knows it. Jade isn't entirely optimistic about everything. That's why she doesn't trust herself or others easily. That's her fatal flaw." The room is silent. I bet that he could hear my rapid heart beat. "I want to go back," I mutter quietly. "Take me back."

His head tilts at me. A frown is curling his mouth. "You demigods are always so straight forward, never thinking of the possibilities or results. But nonetheless," he waves his hand, the room spinning, fading. "Heed my warning, daughter of Zeus. You will not receive second chances."

My dream fades, leaving me numb and confused. Will Jade die? Will I be able to save her? Is this another one of the gods' ploys? Probably. But now I must figure it out for myself. There are no second chances.


"Tori!" a husky voice calls out. "Tori, baby, please... Wake up." My eyelids tense as I slowly open them, everything blurry. That voice... I blink the haziness away. The first thing I see are a pair of piercing blue eyes. There is worry etched in them.

I quickly sit up and claim her lips with mine. She gasps in surprise but leans in. My hands cup her face, tears beginning to form in my closed eyes. I'm so happy that she's alive and by my side right now. The goth pulls back and states at me wide-eyed. "What was that all about?" she breathes.

Shaking my head, I keep my emotions in. "I just wanted to kiss you. Is that bad?" Her eyebrow quirks at me. I swallow the lump in my throat. Biting my bottom lip, blood eases through the cut. The iron taste fills my mouth and catches her eye.

Her fingertips rest on my cheek as she leans in, capturing my lower lip. I moan as she gently sucks on it. "Jade," I murmur, breaking the kiss. My eyes lazily trail up to hers. There's a small smile holding up her face.

The daughter of Hades tilts her head questionably. "Tell me later, all right? Later and no more." I nod, looking away quickly. How do you tell your recent girlfriend that you figured out her fatal flaw when she was dying from a fire a god lit up? 'Hey Jade. I know how you're gonna die and I did nothing to stop it!' Like seriously, who does that? Not me, that's for sure. Ah, gods. Why couldn't I battle a hundred Minotaurs instead?

Running a hand through my hair, I shiver violently. My eyebrows furrow together. That's odd. Why did I-?

"Tori!" a dark voice screams, pushing me out of the way before an enormous lightning bolt zaps through the van. We crash into a tree, the van starting to flame up. All of us rush out, coughing and hacking. My head hit the tree trunk, blood gushing out of my injury. How was I off guard?

Cold fingertips graze my forearm and I tense, relaxing into the touch. A low groan leaves me. All I hear is the sound of a furious fire and yells. My vision is blurry, not allowing me to see anything.

You will not receive second chances, they whisper in my head. This is it.

I rise to my feet shakily, leaning on the tree. Blinking away the wooziness, I start to see clearly. Cat and Robbie are rearranging our stuff while the two other guys are putting out the fire and building a camp. Jade is holding onto me, her eyes full of worry. "Tori, how did you not sense that coming? Your domain is the sky." Shaking my head, I shrug helplessly. I really didn't know.

But I did know one thing. That wasn't one of Zeus's bolts.

"Not sure," I rasp, digging my nails into the hard bark. It cracks but I also earn some splinters in the process. "I guess I was off my game for once," I joke weakly. A long sigh exits my nose as I trudge to our belongings. Pain trails up my head and leg.

The two demigods watch me with sympathy as Cat walks up to me and says, "It wasn't your fault, Tori. None of us sensed it. Only Jade did." My eyes widen but I quickly hide my shock. I instead raise my eyebrows, nodding. The redhead perks up. "Do you want some of my medicated Skittles? They taste good and take care of your booboos!" A small giggle comes from the two of us as I agree.

The daughter of Demeter feeds me some of her 'helping candies' and I must admit, they were pretty good. "These are pretty good, Kitty," I compliment. She smiles proudly, dabbing the wound on my head. All the blood is wiped against the rag, my body healing.

My eyes land on the ashes that is our van. A scowl falls on my lips. I know that this is the Titans' fault. They really did want to kill us. Well if it's a fight they want, then it's a fight they'll get.

"That's not a pretty face, Vega," someone comments from behind me. Valentine is still dressing my head injury. Turning my head slightly, I smirk sadly.

"You have a pretty face," I mumble in awe. A small ray of the sun shines in her eyes. They sparkle with kindness. "You know," I start, "I don't think I've met anyone as pretty as you." A smile softens her features. I rub my arm, trying to get it to stop tingling. A small gasp leaves my mouth as I stretch out my arm. Dude, I'm so sore. I have to work out more and get my endurance back. "I feel so weak," I complain. "Maybe Robbie can beat me..."

My girlfriend snorts, sitting next to me, interlacing our fingers. "No one is weaker than Robbie," she confesses, grinning. We hear a loud 'HEY!' from across the camp. She snickers and I roll my eyes at her cruelty. "I think that you're a bit out of tune with yourself. Maybe we can spar?" I perk up at her suggestion. Yes. That's perfect.

Jumping to my feet, she chuckles. "What?" I challenge. "You know I get straight to the point. Now, let's spar before I lose my urge to." The daughter of Hades grins wickedly. She fetches me my sword. I examine it closely. The fuller of the blade shines in the sunny rays of the sun. The warm bronze color reminds me of my own skin. Rolling my shoulders, I position myself in a low stance. My vision sharpens as a steady flow of adrenaline courses through me. I can do this, I think, gripping the sword's hilt.

Jade crouches lower, digging the heels of her boots into the hard ground. "Ready to get your ass whipped, Vega," she taunts, a mischievous grin curling her plump lips. My own smirk curls my mouth. Adrenaline pumps through my heart.

"Ready when you are, Jade." we stare each other down before she throws herself at me. Her strength is amazing, I'll admit. She's improved a lot. Her blow nearly catches me off guard. Grunting, I push her off, swinging towards her side. The goth jumps to the side, flicking her wrist, making the sword hit the side of my thigh. The edge pierces my skin but I take no note of it. However, Jade stops when she realizes that I'm bleeding. She's about to apologize when I cut her off. "No. It's okay. This is what happens when you spar," I inform through gritted teeth. Being merciless, I stab my sword towards her bicep. The tip punctures a small hole, blood floating to the top.

Her lips curl, her canines becoming visible. It's tight in a growl. We meet halfway, our swords locking. Brown and blue green orbs glare at each other. My arms strain as my sword slips, making hers to point to my exposed neck. We're both breathing heavily. I release my blade, my bowed. "You win," I breathe. My chest swells up with pride. Jade has really gotten better. I've become a little rusty. Maybe it's because I'm straining my body too much. I'm just happy that my girlfriend is strong. Maybe stronger than me.

The daughter of Hades smiles at me and helps me up. She swings the sword over her shoulder, standing tall and proud. "You have to practice more often, Vega," she chides and I roll my eyes, kissing her cheek. That immediately shuts her up. I smirk and pick up my father's gift. Her hand interlaces with mine. "I love you, Tori."

My heart flutters, my pulse speeding up. I squeeze her hand. "I love you too, Jade. Don't forget that." Our foreheads press against each other's as she grins and I smile shyly. This is us. Something that is strong but breakable. But we won't let that happen. We can survive but we're not invincible. If we fall, we will rise up from the ashes victorious.

"Jade! Tori!" someone yells urgently. I turn my head, humming a reply. "We've located the base of the Titans. It's up near the Golden Bridge." San Francisco. My eyes snap open, and I grasp my sword. Beck's eyes meet mine and we know that it's time. This is why we traveled across the country. To destroy the Titans. "We have to move." The ground shakes, the hairs on the back of my neck rising. My eyes widen. "Everyone, grab a weapon and pray to your parents and to the gods!" The thumping gets closer as I brace myself.

A herd of furious hellhounds attack us. Before I could react, Beck and Robbie take the lead. Their weapons slash the beasts' throats but more emerge from the woods. There's a sinking feeling in my stomach. Something's not right.

Something freakishly fast whizzes past my ear, cutting part of the shell of my ear. The scent of iron fills my nostrils. I turn around, another spike going against my cheek. A cut forms on my cheekbone. More blood trickles down my face. My eyes widen as I realize what-or should I say whom-it is.

There's a wicked grin on his face. His eyes resemble mine and Jade's. It's lion body has a dark shade of tan, it's scorpion tail raised high. Green ooze is dripping down its tail. Realization slaps me in the face. This is a manticore, the Man-Eater. It's tail speeds toward me, but-thank the gods-my adrenaline rush beats him. Swiftly, I jerk to the side, not catching the end. My sword is out, stabbing a beast's throat. It disintegrates into ash. I flip around, catching the scorpion tail on the edge of my sword. My arm trembles as I hold him back. From the corner of my vision, I can see all of them, even Cat, fighting the monsters.

I turn my attention back to the Manticore and our eyes meet. His blue eye reminds me so much of Jade. He grins manically at me. "Like my eyes, spawn of Zeus? Aren't they entrancing?" Grounding my teeth together, I push harder, breaking the lock. He stumbles backwards as he glares at me. "So you're a fighter? Good. I like a meal that challenges me." I bare my teeth at him, swinging my sword with as much strength I possibly could. Thankfully, my powers seem to appear again.

Lighting courses through the bronze blade, entering the monster's body. His body spasms as an explosion throws me back. I slam against the hard, earth ground. My breath leaves me in a jarred gasp. As I try to recollect my breath, something wet and sharp slides against my cheek. My eyes widen in utter fear. He chuckles, his eyes bearing into my soul. "Why, Ms. Vega, I thought that I wasn't going to toy with my food. I guess I can make an exception for," he leans in, his tail pressing harder against the side of my face, "this." Swallowing thickly, I stare into his eyes, trying to escape. If I call out, he'll kill me and then I can't keep Jade safe. If I do nothing, he'll kill me anyway. Dammit.

An idea pops in my mind but I am reluctant to do perform it. If I do, I'll kill him but I'll end up weak. I'll save Jade...

Closing my eyes, I concentrate hard. My head pounds as I begin to pray. Please, father. Let me kill this foul creature and save the love of my life. Just give me another chance. I'll make you proud. He must be listening because the skies darken. The hairs on the back of my neck rise, power surging into my veins. I let out a fierce howl, an enormous bolt of electricity shocking the two of us. He stares into my momentarily blue eyes with terror. Our bodies separate and I take this as a chance to strike. Lifting my blade, I sink its length into his chest. He cries out, his body crumbling into dust.

My chest is heaving, my body trembling. I fall to my knees, exhausted. I am completely off guard.

To the side, I hear a scream. "TORI!" With my eyes closed, I turn to the sound but then hear a sickening slash. My eyes snap open, viewing an incredible sight. Cat and Robbie are standing near two clumps of ash, their weapons covered in slime. I am amazed. I shakily leap to my feet, capturing the two of them in a hug. My grim covered hands clutch their heads as their faces bury themselves in my shoulders.

"Never do that again," I croak. "I want you two to live. Don't die on me," I whimper, finally letting my emotions out. They cry too, grasping my tattered clothes. The tears stop but the ache never leaves. We part but I stare intently into their eyes. "Don't risk your lives for me. I'm supposed to risk my life for you, not the other way around. You deserve to live," I rasp through my dry throat. A violent cough shakes my body. I try to cover my mouth and something moist splatters over it. Looking at it, I see small red spots. My eyes go back to theirs and all I see is shock and fear. Cat tries to walk closer but I quickly step back. Holding a hand out, I shake my head. "I'm okay."

The petite redhead shakes her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "Tori, you're not okay."

Clenching my jaw, my lip curls slightly. "Cat, I'm okay." I state in a strained voice. I can't accept their help, they need it more than I do.

Her face flushes as she drops her dagger, grabbing onto the front of my tattered shirt. "Tori! You're not okay! You need help!" Her dark eyes stare deeply into mine, pleading. "Why won't you let us help you?"

I hear the sound of boots crunching against the grass. My body stiffens as I sense her presence. "What's going on, Cat?" the goth asks in her usual deep, husky voice. I can feel her eyes boring into me.

The daughter of Demeter's hand releases me and she scoots back. My eyes refuse to meet either of theirs. "S-She's hurt and she won't let us help her," Cat whimpers. "Tori needs our help, Jadey." Something stabs my heart and then punches my gut. Guilt yanks on my conscious. I didn't want Cat to feel bad.

A pale hand falls on my forearm. My eyes tentatively go to hers and I lose my will of breathing. Her piercing eyes are as blue as the sky, green as the grass. Her lips are pursed. "Okay baby girl," she says lowly. "And why won't you let the poor girl help you, Vega?"

One of my nostrils flare but I quickly recompose myself. "I don't need their help, Jade. I want to help them," I answer in a thick voice. Her eyebrow quirks. I try to clear my throat but I end up coughing into my hand. A metallic taste floods my senses. My skin feels wet with my blood. Her eyes dart to the mess and they widen, a strike of fear hitting her. On instinct, I squirm away from her grip but she holds me close. "I'm okay, Jade. Let go!" I demand. She ignores it and turns to the demigods.

"Clean up the materials and bandage any injuries. I need a talk with Tori here." The perky girl giggles, dragging Robbie with her. He yelps, stumbling after her. The daughter of Hades redirects her attention to me and I tremble. Nothing scares me more than a frustrated Jade West. "Tori," she starts slowly. "What the hell were you thinking?"

I shrug, coughing again. Instead of covering it up, I let it out freely, a small trickle of blood going down my chin. I hold my throat and I wince. My fingers run over the rough patch of skin. It's a bruise, and a bad one at that. Our eyes and I witness fear and concern. "I don't know Jade. I'd rather die than let them die. I want them to live. Don't you understand?" The ravenette moves closer, dragging her finger up my chin, collecting the blood. She examines it, wiping it on her pants. Her hair ruffles from the wind. She looks so determined, so beautiful.

Her eyes meet mine again and my chest swells up. "I don't get it, Tori. You have so much to live for and yet, you want to give it all away." She turns her head away from me, blinking rapidly. The goth sniffs, swallowing hard. "I can't lose you. I just got you and now I have to worry that I'll lose you every time we face an enemy." I want to say something but nothing comes out. "Do you know how much that hurts?"

My body tightens, my eyes and jugular stinging. "I don't want anyone to get hurt," I whisper hastily. Jade turns to me, her walls down. She's vulnerable and all exposed to me. The rawness that really is Jade West. Once I set my eyes on her, the tears start to flow again. "I just don't know what to do."

The princess of the Underworld grabs my hands, interlacing our fingers. "You don't have to risk your life to save ours. I'm not going to let you die. I'm the daughter of Hades; I'll kill every beast until you're safe." She leans in, pressing our lips together. I melt into the kiss. The only thought that runs through my head is, How am I supposed to save Jade when she's going to risk her life for me? It doesn't work that way. She loosens her hold on my hands, wrapping them around my waist. I bury mine around her neck, pulling her closer. In that moment do I realize that it is worth living. But can I remember that throughout the rest of our quest? I really doubt it.

We part for air, my lungs taking bucketfuls. I grin at her, kissing her nose. "Well, I feel better." She snorts, smirking. "Thank you baby." Jade rolls her eyes and leads me to the small camp they made. Four pairs of eyes land on us, all full of amusement. Guess they saw our little moment. I stifle a cough and three pairs of eyes look at me in concern. I head towards the medical tent, grabbing the first aid box, which holds all of our emergency supplies. I take out a jug of nectar, pouring some into a cup. Eyeing it warily, I drink some of it but immediately begin to cough and spit it out. The gold liquid is sprayed over my shirt and chin. My throat clenched as I gag the godly food.

Taking a deep breath, I chug most of it down, pain injecting itself into my body. My body flinches violently. One of my eyes is shut tight, trying to keep the bile down. I swallow roughly, clutching my stomach. The cuts on my ear and cheek vibrate on my skin. The wounds hiss when I drop some nectar on it. The pain is excruciating. A small shriek leaves me without my permission.

My body temperature plummets, my teeth chattering uncontrollably. Goosebumps spread all over. Shivers crawl along my skin. I fall onto my butt, hugging my knees. The room spins, my stomach queasy. I know what's the cause of this and I hope that I'm wrong. "Andre! Jade!" I call out from the tent. My voice is weak. I feel like a hammer is pounding against my head.

In less than a second, the son of Apollo and the daughter of Hades barge in, Cat trailing behind. There's a frown on her usual happy face. Their eyes land on me and they enlarge almost immediately. Jade rushed to me, holding me in her arms. Her semi warm skin burns mine. She must've used her powers for something. I squirm away from her, holding myself tighter. "No, don't do that," I warn. "I'm too sick for warmth." Andre takes out a thermometer, sticking it in my mouth. The cold metal makes me tremble but I try to stay still.

After an eternity, the stick beeps and the dark skinned boy gently takes it out. He examines it, his eyes as wide as saucers. "Jesus Christ, girl," he mutters, looking up at me. "How are you even alive?" I weakly grin.

"Have I told you that I'm very hard to kill?" Jade snorts and plays with her leather jacket's sleeve. I cough but this time, no blood comes out of me. My teeth are still chattering like jackhammers. I try to say something without biting my own tongue off. "Isn't there anything you can do?" I whisper.

The darker teen steps forth, holding the back of his hand to my sweaty forehead. I close my eyes, a sound rumbling from my chest. His hand feels so cool and refreshing. He chuckles at my cat-like reaction. "Jeez, Tor. Did a cat take over your body or something?" My nose scrunches up as I glare at him. "Oh, I'm sorry, Cat Woman." Rolling my eyes, I bite his finger. He lets out a small yelp of surprise. Andre retracts his hand, inspecting it. "Hmph. Feisty cat at that." A smirk twists my mouth. "By the gods," he whispers. "Did you get a Jade disease?"

My girlfriend then smacks his arm. A snicker escapes me. Her hand buries itself in my hair. She pets me, messaging my scalp. A purr like moan is what she brings out in me. A faint smile is on her expression. The goth leans in, pecking my forehead. "How knew that Tori Vega was a feline? I'd always pictured her as a dog, most likely, a puppy." The other two demigods laugh. I just end up scowling.

"Can you stop teasing me?" I whine, my teeth chattering again. "I'm not a dog or a cat! I'm not even fully human." The redhead moves closer, holding both sides of me face. Her eyes are determined. "Cat...?" She leans in and I become nervous, her hands becoming like ovens on my cheeks. I hear a sharp inhale from Jade. My bottom lip quivers anxiously. Our eyes lock and she grins a Cheshire grin. The ditzy girl kisses my cheek; a sisterly display of affection.

"Andre, you need to create a broth of soup since your father is the god of healing. Jade can stay here and comfort Tori while I go find the right ingredients for the medicine." She pauses then giggles, skipping out of the tent, leaving us more bewildered than ever.

"Since when did Cat become smarter than all of us," I mumble. The half bloods shrug and Andre grins at me. I look up at him quizzically.

"Well, I'll go and make you your food. I better get a tip!" he teases, leaving the tent. Snorting, I turn to Jade with a happy smile, even though I feel like a sauna. There's a deeply etched frown on her face. Her arms are folded across her chest.

My lips puff up into a pout as I gaze into her entrancing orbs. "You know, instead of staring at me like that, you could be next to me and I could be cuddling into your side," I inform persuasively. Her eyes brighten and she shakes her head, a small smile falling into place, like a jigsaw puzzle. The raven haired girl kneels next to me and I pull her into a tight hug. My arms strain. I shove my head in her neck. She grunts in surprise but allows me to hold on. We fall on our backs, my arms around her torso. I give a soft purr, snuggling into my fellow demigod. "Your cool skin is so refreshing," I murmur against her collarbone.

"And yours is overwhelmingly warm," she remarks, keeping a strong arm around me, keeping me close. "But very comfortable." I giggle, kissing her neck. She exhales deeply, probably savoring the moment. After a long pause, she quietly speaks up. "Tori, how come, no matter how much I try, the monsters always find a way to harm you?" Her voice isn't vulnerable; it's filled with a need to know.

Frowning, my brows knit together. "I thought we went over this, Jade. I'm the daughter of the King of the Gods. It's no surprise that I can be in so much danger at once." Her hand tightens on my rib cage but I don't mind it. I'd feel the same if the roles were reversed. I just can't bear the idea of living with Jade in my life. She makes up such a big part of it, that I'd just lose part of myself. I would never be complete.

"It still doesn't make sense, Tori. I care about Cat too, and maybe the others. Why don't they try to take them from me?" Her voice is wavering, filling the edges with desperation.

My hands clutch some of her jacket. I inhale slowly, digesting the facts. "Jade, they know that if you lost them, you'd pass through the grief faster with me by your side. If you lost me-"

Her body goes rigid. She brings me face-to-face with her. Her pain stricken eyes gaze into mine. "No. Don't say that. I won't lose you. I'm not going to let that happen." The pale girl's tone is flat and flooded with weak determination.

I shake my head, cupping her face. "We will never know. That's one of the faults of being a demigod; we'll never live our lives in peace. We will always be on the edge of our seats, just waiting for the monsters to attack and one day, there'll be nothing we can do but that day isn't today. We'll get through this." Swallowing hard, I let my hands fall back to my sides. "Besides, the Titans know our weaknesses. They know about us. They know that we can't live without each other and it makes it worse that we're both children of the Big Three. You know what they say," I grin, "Love's full of ups and downs."

Her blue green eyes fall to my neck and then to the ground. "This demigod thing's never felt so real until you see people getting hurt and losing their lives. It's not fair though."

I sigh heavily. "Life isn't fair but as long as I have you, I'll be fine." The tattooed girl smiles. We both lean in, her hot breath dancing on my face and she presses her lips against mine. My eyes flutter close. The kiss is slow but meaningful. I feel like I'm floating and there's nothing I can't do. My fingers lace through her dark locks, bringing her closer to me. Even through my fever induced fog, my brain still manages to tell me that I crave more of her touches, her lips. She tastes like fresh coffee and mint; the best combination humanely possible. I'm like the addict and Jade is my drug. The more I've taken, the more I need to get the same effect.

We part for air and she trails kisses down my jawline to my neck. I tilt my head to the side, giving her more access. My mind was blank, the only thing being comprehended is the feel of her lips on my hot skin. I wrap my arms around her neck, getting as close to her as I could. "Jade," I breathe. She hums a reply, her hot mouth still on my throat. An appreciative moan leaves my parted lips. A crazed beast is slowly clawing up my being.

Without wasting anymore time, I yank her lips back to mine. She smiles against me. My mouth moves feverishly on hers. I just didn't seem to get enough of her. Was it a punishment that I couldn't enjoy all of her at once? I pull back, leaning my forehead on hers. "What do you think is making them take so long?" I ask her, licking my lower lip. The action immediately catches her attention. Her stare is intense, almost intimidating.

A loud thud occurs outside. I jump, scared out of my mind. Both of us leap to our feet but then a sharp pain indulges itself into the back of my head. A groan escapes me and she looks at me warily. I swallow and shake my head. "No," I state firmly. "I'm fine. We have to know what happened outside. C'mon." I pull her hand and drag her out of the tent.

What we see surprises me more than Zeus in his underwear. Sea green eyes lock onto mine, a goofy smile spreading on his face. He waves at me, motioning for more people to walk out of the thick shrubs. Starling grey eyes and piercing blue eyes meet my own, along with deep brown ones and other pairs of exhausted ones. They all smile at me genuinely.

"P-Percy?" I sputter. "Annabeth? Thalia?" I blink twice, trying to wrap my mind around it. "Nico?" There were a few others that I didn't reconize right away; like Grover or Clarisse.

The fierce and strong demigods grin at me, the spawn of the sea walking closer. "You didn't think that I was going to let my best friend fight this war on her own, did you?" The others chuckle. "We're here to help and I think that you'll need a couple of spare hands, eh?" A stupid smile curls the corners of my mouth. Jade, along with Cat, Beck, Robbie, and Andre stare at me in bewilderment.

Thank you, Zeus, I pray. Moving in closer, despite my illness, I stand up to my newly made best friend. Our eyes twinkle, smiles almost identical. I guess that I have some of my uncle's spirit in me, after all. Percy just ignited it. I let my hand out and he grips it in his own. We shake on it, the other half bloods cheering at the sight. "Lets go fight us some Titans," I inform coolly.

I think that, for once, the gods are actually listening. Maybe the odds are in our favor. I don't think we realized it till now but man, does hope feel good. I could get used to this.

Hope, the only thing stronger than fear.

End of Part 7