Chapter 14
Jay checked out of the hotel, he felt really happy that his surprise had gone off without a hitch last night. And the best part was that it seemed to really cheer Theresa up, which he knew that she desperately needed after she had to tell her Father that they were postponing the wedding. To be fair Jay's Mother had reacted pretty much the same way as Theresa's Father, but his Father had managed to keep her calm. However it was all up to Theresa to try and calm her Father down. After Jay handed the concierge back the key he walked outside, and back towards the school, he figured that by the time he made it there Theresa would be pretty much done her lesson with Persephone, and then they could drive home together.
While Jay walked he passed by a park, and when he looked inside the gates his heart sank as he saw a bride and groom standing there, it looked as if they were exchanging vows, Jay's eyes rested on the groom for a few moments, before they moved to the bride, she was radiant, she was smiling brightly, and her blue eyes were filled with tears, which she was wiping away with the free hand that wasn't holding her grooms' hand, trying not to ruin her make-up Jay assumed.
"I now pronounce you man and wife," Jay heard the priest say; the bride's smile grew even wider, if that was possible, "you may now kiss the bride." The bride and groom kissed, Jay sighed, his heart breaking, how he wished that that was he and Theresa. Even though Jay pretended to be OK with postponing the wedding, all he wanted to do was marry his one true love, and now he was wondering if he would ever actually get the chance to. In hindsight he probably should have asked Theresa to marry him years ago, but he thought that Cronus would never pose a threat ever again.
Sighing Jay walked away from the park after the bride and groom had walked away, and disappeared from sight, Jay knew that he had to stay positive; he and the others would defeat Cronus once again, just like they had five years ago.
Theresa cried out in pain as the mysterious girl twisted her good arm across her back.
"Shut up!" She hissed, looking around, the hallway was deserted, "so where is Odie?"
Theresa shrugged, "how the heck should I know?"
"Listen you," the girl hissed in her ear, "I will break your arm, and I can guarantee you that it will never be the same again, so if I were you I'd co-operate."
Theresa's heart skipped a beat at the thought of having her arm broken, but she really didn't want to tell the girl where Odie was.
"Ow, what happened?" Neil asked weakly, Theresa looked behind her gasping when she saw Neil trying to get up, but he was far too weak.
"I'll kill him." The girl warned.
"You're a monster!" Theresa said, tears falling from her eyes; the girl had already hurt Neil and Krista pretty badly, Theresa knew that she wouldn't hesitate to kill them.
"Well?" The girl hissed.
Theresa looked at the janitor's closet, "through there."
The girl led Theresa towards the janitor's closet; she tried to open it, growing angry when she couldn't.
"How do you open the door?!" She demanded.
Theresa closed her eyes wishing that this nightmare would end, "I have a special key which opens it."
"Then open it!"
Theresa went into her pocket, pulling out her pendant, she took a quick look behind her wishing that Jay would run through the door and save her. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Neil, his eyes were open and he was staring at Theresa, he looked so weak though.
"Theresa…" he whispered.
Theresa cried out in pain, as the girl twisted her arm once again, "open the door!"
Quickly putting the pendant into the door, Theresa's heart was beating out of her chest, after the door opened the girl smiled, and pushed Theresa, "move!"
Theresa took a deep breath before stepping through the doorway. And then started leading the girl in the direction of Odie's prison.
Jay parked his car outside of the school, and as soon as he got out Archie, Atlanta and Chloe ran over to him.
"How'd last night go?" Atlanta asked eagerly.
Jay smiled, "it was amazing, I managed to really cheer Theresa up."
Archie slapped Jay on the back, "good for you!"
"Thanks." Jay said, before sighing, "I really wish we didn't have to postpone the wedding though."
"Don't worry, Jay being married isn't all it's cracked up to be." Archie said jokingly, Atlanta scowled at him before hitting him in the stomach, "ouch!" Archie complained.
Chloe and Jay started laughing.
"Some things never change." Jay said shaking his head.
"What does that mean?" Chloe asked confused.
"It means that Archie and Atlanta are exactly the same as they were in high school."
"Well I've matured." Atlanta said proudly.
Archie wrapped a hand around her hip turning your head, "no you haven't," he said before leaning in for a kiss, "but that's OK because I love you just as you are."
Atlanta chuckled, "you're such a sap."
"But you love it." Archie said smirking.
Jay smiled shaking his head, "I'm going to go meet with Hera."
"Still trying to think of ways to stop Cronus from escaping from Tarturas?" Atlanta asked, although she knew the answer.
Jay nodded his head, "we're running seriously low on time, we need to stop him."
"Well we're heading to get some lunch, see you later." Atlanta said taking Archie's hand and walking away.
Jay hurried towards the janitor's closet, but as he rounded the corner he stopped dead in his tracks as he came across Krista and Neil lying on the ground, both of them had blood around them.
"Neil!" Jay cried, when he noticed that he was conscious.
"You… you… have… to help… Theresa…" Neil whispered.
Jay's heart sank, "what's wrong with Theresa?" Jay asked.
"She's… been… taken…" Neil said pointing to the janitor's door; Jay looked at the door and gasped when he saw that it was wide open. Jay stood up taking out his PMR, "Herry, Archie, Atlanta get to the school now!"
Jay didn't wait for a response; he put his PMR back into his pocket, running into the janitor's closet.
Theresa eyes filled with tears as she led the mysterious woman to Odie's prison. When she saw Odie laying on the ground weak she gasped running over to him, completely forgetting about Theresa.
"Odie!" She cried.
"Who… who are you?" Odie asked confused.
"It's me, Anna."
Theresa gasped as she recognized that name from the nights that Odie had attacked her.
"You look so different!" Odie said surprised.
"Cassandra put a spell on me to make me mortal for the time being, now let's get you out of here!" Anna said banging on the glass.
"It's unbreakable," Odie said, "believe me I've tried, you need a passcode."
Anna looked on the wall before looking at Theresa, "what's the passcode?!" She demanded.
"I don't know." Theresa said.
"Well you'd better figure it out!" Anna screamed.
"I helped you find Odie," Theresa said taking a step backwards, "I am not helping you get him out."
"Theresa!" Jay yelled, making Theresa's heart skip a beat.
Anna smirked, "oh I think you will help me."
"Jay stay away!" Theresa yelled but it was too late, he ran right into the room, Anna quickly grabbed him and held a knife up to his throat.
"Jay!" Theresa cried.
"Figure out that passcode," Anna said holding the knife closer to Jay's throat, "or else I'll kill him." She warned.
Theresa and Jay's eyes locked, tears started falling from Theresa's eyes.
"Don't worry about me, Theresa," Jay said, his voice was strained, and Theresa knew that he was holding back tears.
"So what's it going to be?!" Anna demanded.
Theresa sighed, "I'm sorry, Jay, I can't lose you…" she said turning to the passcode.
"Theresa don't!" Jay begged one last time, "I'm not worth it."
Theresa turned to Jay, a tear escaped from her eye, "yes you are, I'm sorry but I have to do this…" She said turning back to the passcode, taking a deep breath she touched it and a vision of Hera typing the passcode in came to her.
"What's the code?!" Anna demanded after a minute.
Theresa turned to Anna, who was still holding the knife against Jay's throat; she sighed, and typed the code in, the door to Odie's cell opened.
Anna threw Jay away, he fell to the ground, Theresa ran over to him.
"Are you alright?"
Jay turned to her, "none of us are alright if we don't stop Odie and Anna!"
Theresa and Jay both jumped up just as Anna ran out of the cell, Odie followed her but he was weak, he could barely stand.
"What have you done to him?!" Anna demanded.
Theresa and Jay looked at each other, neither one of them sure what to say.
Anna shrugged, "Well one of you is going to give him the strength he needs," She said glaring at Theresa, "and I think I know which one of you it will be."
"Stay away from her!" Jay warned.
Anna laughed, "And who's going to stop me?"
Jay took out his sword, "I am."
Anna was just about to take a step towards them when a portal opened up.
"That doesn't look like one of our portals…" Theresa said nervously.
"Just stay behind me…" Jay whispered.
"If I could only transform…" Theresa whispered back.
"I called for backup, so hopefully the others will be here soon."
Theresa took Jay's hand, as the portal opened completely, a girl walked out of it, neither Jay or Theresa knew who she was.
"Here you guys are!" She said relieved.
"Cassandra!" Anna said happily.
"We have to get back, Cronus is looking for you and he's angry!"
"Cronus?!" Jay asked anger filling his voice, "you're working for Cronus?!"
Cassandra looked at Jay and Theresa confused, "who're they?"
Anna also looked at Jay and Theresa and smirked, "hostages."
Cassandra smiled, before waving her hands in Jay and Theresa's direction. They both fell to the ground unconscious.
"Quickly," Anna said, "let's grab them and get out of here I can hear footsteps and they're coming this way!"
Cassandra grabbed Theresa, and Anna grabbed Jay, they threw them into the portal.
"Quick, give me a hand with Odie!" Anna demanded.
Cassandra and Anna both picked up Odie and then they both jumped into the portal.
Atlanta, Herry, and Archie ran towards the prison, Giselle, along with Tim, and Chloe had stayed with Neil, Krista and Taylor.
"Come on guys hurry up!" Atlanta said running faster.
When they made it to Odie's prison they all stopped dead in their tracks as a portal closed.
"Someone try calling Jay!" Herry said.
Archie took out his PMR, pressing the button.
"His PMR's on the ground." Herry said picking it up.
Atlanta bent down picking up another PMR, "and here's Theresa's…"
"We were too late…" Archie said sadly.
"We have to go see Hera!" Atlanta said before running away, Archie and Herry quickly followed her. They were running out of time, Cronus was going to be escaping from Tarturas in just a few days, they had to find Jay and Theresa and fast.
End Chapter 14.
I don't own COTT.
