I just can't keep hanging on, to you and me
I just don't know what is wrong, with you and me
-Hanging On , Ellie Goulding
Ava [Athena]
Now you wanna steal Athena from me too?
What?! What was Patrick talking about? Since when was I his?
Hunter let go of me and raised his hands in defence. "Patrick, it's nothing, we were both upset, it was just a kiss-"
"Just shut the fuck up man!" Patrick yelled, striding forward, his face in Hunter's. "It looked pretty goddamn passionate to me!"
"Look, I know you're insanely in love with her but-"
"WHAT?" I choked out. Patrick loved me? What? Did everybody know this? Was this even happening right now?
"I'm not insanely in love with her! I just-"
"You so are, don't fucking deny it."
Patrick shoved Hunter into a locker. "Fuck you man."
"Guys, please don't fight! This is so stupid!" I tried to reason. But it didn't work. "My feelings for you are stupid?!" Patrick shouted at me.
"What feelings?! Since when?"
"Pat, maybe just calm down?" Hunter said. Patrick whipped round to look at him. "Don't call me Pat. You aren't my friend."
"I never wanted to be."
That set it off. Both boys were on the floor, punching and shouting at each other.
"Guys, stop it, PLEASE!"
I grabbed at Patrick's shoulders, trying to pull him off Hunter. He was hitting at Hunter's face and I could hear each thump and crack of bone. "STOP IT!" I screamed. I could hear the students in the canteen asking what was going on outside. I'm surprised nobody had even come out to see the noise yet. "Patrick, get off him!"
He wouldn't listen. Neither of them would. "Fuck it," I decided. "See you assholes later." I stormed away, hoping my sudden departure would cause some impact. It took a while but as I neared the school exit, I heard Patrick call out my name and tell me to stop. No. I wouldn't stop. He has feelings for me? His feelings can go die. I had enough on my mind right now – and getting Piper back was the main priority. Not some high school shit. Piper was now bait. The Adficio knew I would react. I was leading the others into the snakes pit with me.
That night, I had Adam over to discuss the plan. He rocked up in his ripped baggy jeans, smelling of weed, and with a mumbled 'Sup', he entered my house. He had the decency to take his shoes off.
"Nice place," he said, looking around at the high ceilings and paintings hanging on the walls. "You don't get this kinda shit in Brooklyn."
"Thanks I guess… want juice?"
"Nah, I'm cool. Let's just get on this."
We traipsed into the living room which was cosily heated thanks to the roaring fireplace. The coffee table was covered in my battleplans and mindmaps.
"Dude, when are we getting Piper? It's not like we can plan it properly. I mean, what if they do shit to her? We're kinda on a time limit."
I was surprised at his sincere side. "You care about this?"
He shot me a withering look. "Of course I fucking do. A girl got taken from us, we can't exactly sit back-"
"Who says I was gonna sit back?!"
"Your mind maps kinda give that hint!"
"If you want, you can fucking leave."
He stared at me, not breaking my gaze as he sat down. "I'm just saying… we don't have time to sit and think of strategy. Do you know where the Adficio's headquarters are?"
I was about to speak when my father's voice entered the room. "Surely you both would know that?"
We turned to look at him. He laughed and opened his whiskey cabinet, before picking a bottle and pouring him a little drink. He offered Adam a glass but he declined.
"How would we know exactly?" he asked.
Father sighed. "Think back to your roots. Don't tell me centuries of living on earth has robbed your of your knowledge of the old world? Think."
I was at a blank. I couldn't remember. I just had the screams and sound of flames burning in my mind. Father took out a book from the bookcase – I had seen its spine many times but it had never interested me enough to read it. Now I wish I had. The book had geopgraphical maps of Greece. Drawings of the Gods. Adam took it and absorbed the pages – causing my father to raise an eyebrow. "More intellectual than he looks, isn't he?"
Adam raised his head. "Acheron."
What the fuck? How had he..? WHAT?
"They reside around Acheron, don't they? At least that's the start of their trail," Adam said quickly. His eyes were earnest, filling with energy.
Father noticed my confused look. "Ava, the Acheron River is one of the five rivers leading to the underworld. It's known as the River of Pain to some. This river is the one that carries the ferry of souls to Hades-"
"Why would we be needing to go to the underworld? I thought the Aficio had broke out after Hades locked them up?"
Dad sighed and took a swig of his whiskey. "They find it ironically hilarious to reside in one of the realms of the underworld. Can you remember which?"
"Dad, quit making this a history lesson. Just tell me."
"If you enter the Underworld, you will identify this realm thanks to its flaming lava. It's a wasteland. The Adficio reside there because it is the only place fit for them."
"DAD-"
"The Fields of Punishment."
Hunter let out a hollow laugh. "Man, they're original."
"Hunter, why that location? You lived in the underworld, you should know!"
"Ava, has your greek mythlogy brain slid out? It's so obvious! The Fields of Punishment are where souls are imprisoned if they committed crimes against the earth or on the Gods themselves. They're forced to have an eternal punishment – hell, the condemned women didn't have it easy, y'know they had to fill buckets of water with no bottom? Constant bucket filling."
"So they've made that their base, throughout all these years?"
"Yeah. They're an enterprising lot."
So that was our destination. We had Hunter to guide us to the Underworld and beyond. I knew he would come in useful. I had called him round after Dad had told us about the Adficio's whereabouts – let's say Dad wasn't tooo impressed with the dreadlocked stoner and the leather wearing, long haired one sitting in our living room.
"So our plan?" Adam ventured.
"We'll use Dad's jet to fly out tomorrow," I answered.
"Your dad has a JET?" Both of them were pretty shocked. I don't know why, my dad's a senator, that kind of transport is expected. Right?
Adam let out a breath. "So fly out, find this river and Hunter's old house-"
"HEY. That death lair isn't my house."
"I'm just sayin'… fine, we go to Hunter's old lair-"
"HEY!"
"Ohmygod guys," I cut in, exasperated. "We fly out, find this river and Hades' underworld and these Fields… and hopefully we'll find Piper along the way."
I noticed Hunter swallow a lump in his throat. His eyes were suddenly downcast, his fists clenched together. "If we can't find her along the way, Ava… I'm going to find her myself."
