AN: As requested by Cynder2013, a demigod who fought on the side of the Titans, and a daughter of Iris! Thanks for the request. They always seem to have great stories! Let me know what you think!
Sara flipped her hair and smiled at the jock. "Actually, I could use your help with something." She had seen enough to know that he had some godly blood in him somewhere, a descendant of Apollo, most likely, given his excellent aim and golden-blond hair, and blue eyes. They weren't the usual magnificent blue that the Apollo kids she had met had, but they were still pretty darn good. She appreciated color, as a daughter of Iris should.
The jock in question, a college student named Anthony, studied her a moment then set aside his book. "What?"
"Can't explain here, silly." Come on, fall for it. She had picked him because he always seemed willing to help people, so what was this hesitation she was seeing? Surely it wasn't her, she had studied his habits, the girls he checked out, the people he hung out with. She had to be smart, smart enough to avoid monsters and still stay under the radar so that she didn't receive further punishment for fighting on the side of the Titans.
He reluctantly got up, grabbing his phone and book. "Fine, as long as it doesn't take too long."
She found herself hesitating. "Hot date?"
He shook his head. "Work."
She smiled as sweetly as she knew how to and led the way out of the coffee shop and down the street. Now to feed him the story. "You see, I was at a party last night and I left some stuff at the place." Come on, work, mist, work.
He stopped dead in his tracks.
She turned, giving her best confused look. "What?"
He blinked at her. "Why do you need me?"
She winced a little. "The party was at the old hospital."
His gaze darkened. "No."
"But—"
"Cut your losses. Whatever you left there, forget it. You wouldn't find it even if you did go back. Everyone knows that." He turned on his heel and started walking away.
"But it was my mom's!" She grabbed his arm. Like it or not, she needed someone stronger than her to get through that place and retrieve the feathers. Maybe that would help her mother forgive her. It was close to the truth.
"Then I'm sorry, but it is what it is. If you have any common sense, you won't go there ever again. No. If you had common sense, you wouldn't have been there in the first place," He snapped. There was an unusual amount of hostility in his gaze as he looked at her. It definitely wasn't the Mist keeping him away like the other mortals. It wasn't fear, not exactly. It was more like dread, anger, frustration, and pain. So much pain that Sara could almost feel it herself.
Time to play dirty.
She drew her knife and had it at his throat in a couple seconds. "You're going with me, blondie. You just have to choose whether it's willingly or at knife-point."
He gazed steadily back at her, then looked toward the town. "I get off at six. Can't get in until the evening anyway." His voice was quiet. "You may have nothing to lose, but I have a lot. My family, my friends…why'd you have to pick me? If the police catch us, this will go on my record. My nice, spotless record."
"If it's so spotless, then how do you know that the hospital is so dangerous?"
He met her eyes again, and she could see the depths of his anger and pain. "Because someone I cared about went in there, and it wasn't the same person that came out. You better seriously consider if it's worth losing your mind or dying before you lead me to my death."
She moved the knife away from his throat. "Be ready to go when your shift ends." She had to get the feathers of Arke. She had to redeem herself, at the very least to her mother. She wasn't made to be on her own. She wasn't strong enough. After the war, she had relied on a couple of other demigods to help her, but they were slowly separated from each other or killed. She could still see the gore when Ares struck down his son that had been with them.
Yes. She had to go to that horrible place and retrieve those feathers at all costs, before she was next.
Anthony frowned down at her. "And if I'm not here?"
She looked up at him and arched an eyebrow. "Like you said, you have a lot to lose. I have nothing."
His jaw set. "You're threatening my family."
"I'm threatening everything you are and hold dear, I will hunt down every friend you had in High School if I have to."
His eyes narrowed and he looked furious. "I should be ready by six-thirty."
"Six fifteen." She turned and strode away, calling over her shoulder. "And bring a weapon." If she played it right, then he would take the brunt of it all and she could get through without a hitch, get the feathers, get out and prove to her mother that she was trying to earn her forgiveness. It had to work. It just had to.