Today's update, as promised! (And later at night, just as promised.)
Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan. And so, accordingly, I do not own any works credited to that name. (Or to related names. i.e. Uncle Rick.)
Something cold splashed over me, and I bolted up, clutching the sheets to my chest, jolted awake from my sleep. Kiernan did similar, except he wasn't clutching at the sheets. I looked to the side to see Jay standing, holding a bucket and grinning. I glared at him, and he only grinned wider.
I pulled all the water that Jay had dumped on me and Kiernan away from us, formed it into a ball, and threw it at Jay. He realized what I was doing and just managed to get out of the room and slam the door before it could hit him. So it instead splashed against the door and fell to the ground.
"Well, that was a rude awakening." Kiernan said.
"I can't believe he did that." I muttered. "I'm going to kill him."
"You should spare him. Get him back some other time." Kiernan told me. I smiled at him. He leaned over and kissed me. I kissed him back quickly, before leaning back again.
"Kiernan," I started, anything, if not nervous, "I have something I need to tell you."
Jay entered the room again, but there was no longer a joking air about him. "The monsters have started to arrive. And they've broken the border in a couple places. Demigods are still being brought back, but they need help holding the borders. I'm going to help. Kiernan, you can too, if you'd like." With that, Jay turned back around and exited the room again.
"I'm going to go help. You can tell whatever it is after I get back, okay?" Kiernan kissed my forehead and got up from the bed, pulling on his clothes from earlier. Then he left the room, leaving me to wonder whether I should really tell him or not. I wanted to, but I was still worried. What if he didn't want the child, or decided that it was too much and left me? What if he hated me?
I slowly got up and put my clothes from earlier back on. Then I imagined myself in my room back in Ohio. Moments later, I was there. I went over to my dresser and grabbed a pair of flannel pajama pants and pulled them on. Then I went all the way downstairs, to the kitchen, and got a glass of milk. I don't know why, I just really wanted a glass of milk. I imagined myself back in my room at camp, and when I opened my eyes, I was there.
I laid down on my bed, pulled the sheets back over myself, and buried my face in the pillows. They smelled like sunshine. I realized that's why it had smelled familiar when my mother flashed away. That's what Kiernan smelled like. Sunshine. It was a lovely smell. I fell asleep, breathing in his scent deeply.
Rather than having water dumped on me, I was awoken this time by someone shaking me frantically. I opened my eyes and slowly sat up. Nikita was standing in front of me, a disturbed and worried expression on her face. "You need to come quickly. He has both of them, and he's demanding you come to the border." She told me. I was on my feet in an instant, my sword in my hand. I followed Nikita as she ran out of the cabin and toward the tree with the purple dragon.
When we got there, I saw that Tartarus had knives to the throats of Jay and Kiernan. Neither of them dared move, knowing he would kill them if they tried to. Jay shot me a panicked look, trying to tell me to get away, and Kiernan did the same. But I didn't leave.
"Let them go." I said.
"I don't think I will." Tartarus said. "Remember that oh so lovely hallucination?" My breath hitched.
"Yes, that was a fun gift, wasn't it? Well, now is the time. Choose." He ordered.
"No." I whispered. I fell to my knees in the grass, and my sword fell from my hand, disappearing back to the bracelet. Tartarus laughed. "No."
"You don't want it to really happen this time, do you? Choose." Tartarus said.
"I can't." Tears were falling freely. A gentle rain started.
"I'm prepared to make you an offer." Tartarus said. I looked up at him. "In exchange for their lives, you come freely with me, and you cooperate."
I stood on shaky legs. I barely heard Nikita screaming at me not to. She didn't understand. I couldn't let him kill them. I walked towards him slowly, and he released Jay and Kiernan, pushing them forward roughly. Both of them stumbled and fell to their knees. I walked right past them, and took Tartarus' outstretched hand. He laughed, and the sky turned blood red. Pain shot through my body, and I screamed. I could faintly hear Tartarus again speaking.
"Nikita, you know of her condition. Come, or I will kill her." Moments later, I heard Nikita scream.
Then I blacked out.
When I woke, I was lying on a bed. I went to move, but a heavy weight on my stomach kept me down. Opening my eyes, I realized it wasn't a weight, but actually my stomach. I was huge. "What the hell?" I whispered.
Tartarus' voice filled the room, though he was nowhere to be seen. "Ah, yes. I've sped your pregnancy along. You'll be going into labour at any moment, now." He said cheerily. I felt like I might throw up. I noticed I was wearing only a hospital gown.
I tried to sit up, but I was having a lot of difficulty. Then, someone was helping me up. I turned my head to see Nikita. "Nikita?" I asked.
"He said that if I didn't come, he would kill your baby." Nikita told me.
"What?" I asked.
"I wasn't going to let him do that, so I went. That baby deserves to be born." Nikita said, determination in her eyes. "I'm also supposed to be your midwife. I'm all you have to help you through this."
"I wish he could be here." I whispered. "I was going to tell him, but then he went to fight. I didn't get to tell him."
"You'll get to tell him. You'll get to show him your beautiful baby. We're going to make it out of here. Don't you worry." Nikita told me.
I was going to reply, when I felt an immense pain. I leaned over, clutching my stomach. "Lyric?" Nikita asked.
"That really hurt." I said through gritted teeth.
"It's going to hurt." Nikita agreed. "I think that that was a contraction. Just lay back, okay?" I did as she said.
"How do you know what to do?" I asked.
"My mother was a prostitute. I had to help her through a pregnancy, once, when I was nine. She only got pregnant once after that, but she aborted it." Nikita told me.
"You have a sibling?" I asked.
"No, she thought he was a waste of space in the world. He was only two weeks old when she threw a glass bottle at him. He wouldn't stop screaming and crying, probably because she was a horrible mother and always abused him. I was left to take care of him for most of those two weeks. But a nine year old just isn't cut out for that kind of care, the kind of care a baby needs." Nikita told me quietly.
"Nikita," I said, "I want you to be my baby's godmother. I want you and Chelsey to be this child's godmothers, and I want Cyprus to be it's godfather. You've all already done so much for me and my brother, and Kiernan."
"That's not really how it works, Lyric. There can only be one godmother." Nikita said.
"Screw the rules. This world has about a million or more gods, my child can have three godparents." I told her. She smiled. Another contraction hit, and I winced.
"Alright, just try to relax, okay? That's going to be the best course of action for you to take right now." Nikita told me. I nodded. She held out her hand, and I took it, gripping it tightly.
Seven hours. Seven hours is how long I was in labor. It freaking hurt. But it was worth it, to be able my beautiful baby girl afterwards. Nikita had found a bin with things for after I gave birth. Scissors, a green blanket, a towel to clean her off with.
"What's her name?" Nikita asked softly. I kept my gaze on the little baby in the green blanket in my arms. She had these deep green eyes that held this fire, even as a baby, and a little tuft of green hair that was some shade between my eyes and Kiernan's eyes.
"Whitney Warren Ashton." I said. "My baby's name is Whitney Warren Ashton."
A door materialized on the opposite wall, and Tartarus stepped through. "What beautiful baby. Whitney Warren Ashton, born at 6:17 a.m., November 19th, perfectly healthy, if a bit small."
I hugged her closer to my chest, careful not to wake her, and Nikita stepped protectively in front of the bed. Tartarus stepped forward. "Hand over the baby, Lyric."
"Please, no." I whispered.
"We had a deal. You cooperate in exchange for the lives of your brother and your lover. Are you going to go back on that deal?" He asked. He took a couple more steps forward.
"She's just a baby." I said. He reached me, pushing past Nikita, and ripped my baby from my arms. Setting a hand on my forehead, he whispered something under his breath. I screamed when a searing pain shot through my head.
I recovered just as he left. Watching him leave, I briefly wondered why he was holding a baby, but it soon left my mind as I fell into unconsciousness.
When I again woke, I was on the floor, in a room that held only a clothing rack with a single white dress hanging on it. A piece of paper appeared in the air in front of me, fluttering to the floor. I caught it, and read it. Good morning, sweetheart! It's our wedding day. Get changed into the white dress, quickly, and meet your escort by the door. They'll be waiting in the hall. Remember our deal, you best cooperate. You'll not appreciate the consequences if you don't cooperate.
Knowing I had no other choice, I quickly changed from the hospital gown I was wearing - weird - and put on the wedding dress. I had nothing on under it, as I had nothing on under that hospital gown.
Done with changing, I went to the door and opened it. It opened inwards. Outside the door, a woman with a giant snake for a bottom half stood, waiting. She grabbed my arm roughly and practically dragged me down the hall. We stopped outside two gigantic doors, and she let go of me to open them.
Inside was a huge ballroom, set up for a wedding. There were as many guess as could fit, and all of them were monsters. Except for Nikita, who stood by the side of the arch, wearing a red bridesmaid dress. She had a pained expression on her face. Tartarus stood directly in front of the arch, a cruel smirk on his face as he looked at me. A girl with a metal leg and a donkey leg, and fiery hair and red eyes, stood under the arch, acting as priest.
I walked slowly down the aisle, stopping in front of the arch, at Tartarus' side. I forced an all too cheery smile onto my face and made myself suffer through the ceremony. Luckily, it did not last long. The moment it was over, Tartarus' grabbed my arm and the ballroom disappeared around us.
A bedroom flickered into view in front of us. It was lavish, with candles and flower petals strewn about around the large four poster bed. Tartarus' pushed me down onto the bed, and I didn't struggle. I couldn't go back on the deal. I had to cooperate. I knew he could easily get to them. If I had to suffer for them to be safe, then so be it.
As soon as he was done, Tartarus' left the room. The moment he was gone, a pile of clothing appeared on the pillow. I quickly pulled on the large black sweatshirt. Any clothing was better than none. Also better than that wedding dress that still lay on the floor.
The next time I woke, someone was carrying me over their shoulder. I didn't open my eyes, for fear of whatever it was that was happening. I didn't open my eyes when I was laid on a bed. I didn't open my eyes until I heard speaking.
"Why hasn't she woken up yet?" It was Nikita.
"I don't know. That was a really long Pegasus ride. What did he do to her?" It was Kiernan. Somehow, it was Kiernan.
"I have no idea." Nikita whispered. Her voice sounded broken. I knew what Tartarus had done to me, but what had happened to Nikita?
I tried to open my eyes, but found that I couldn't. I couldn't move any part of my body. I soon fell back to sleep.
This time when I woke up, it was finally for real, and I didn't fall back asleep right away again. I opened my eyes slowly, looking around to find myself in my bedroom.
Wait. My bedroom? How was I here? Memories filled my blank mind. Someone carrying me, the voices of Nikita and Kiernan. Kiernan. How?
The door opened and Nikita came in. She came over and sat beside me, quietly explaining the current situation. We would stay here, our safest decision at the moment. Mom was going to the farm tomorrow, and Maddie and Lydia would stay with Chelsea, who had come back to keep everyone's minds from exploding with everything that had been going on.
When I asked what had happened to get us here, she told me Kiernan rescued us. Jay would have come, but Kiernan had snuck out of camp at night, leaving Jay behind. That didn't really make sense, but if she wasn't telling me the truth, it was probably for a good reason. I wanted to know my brother was safe, but if he wasn't, I didn't think I could take the stress right now.
The door opened, and Kiernan came in. He came over and sat next to me, putting an arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him. Nikita got up, saying she was staying in the house she and Cypress had used, and left. I caught a look in her eyes, a look that seemed like fear, but that couldn't be right. What was she to be afraid of here?
"How are you doing?" Kiernan asked in a soft voice.
"Better. Tired. Stressed. Sore. But better than before." I replied.
"Better is good." He said, kissing my forehead.
"Better is definitely good. But I think I want to sleep again. I do not feel well." I said. It was true. I had a little bit of a headache, I felt a bit nauseous, and I still felt tired.
"Alright. But when you wake up again, you need to eat something. You haven't eaten since yesterday, at least, not once I got you guys out of there." He said. He almost seemed to be bragging about getting us out. Why would he brag? I brushed it off.
I moved to lie down against my pillows, and Kiernan moved to lie down next to me. I curled into him, and fell asleep.
I woke up from a nightmare. I hadn't realized I hadn't had one in awhile until I had one again. I sat up, breathing hard, tears streaming down my face and sweat glistening on my forehead. Kiernan was still asleep beside me. I quietly got out of the bed and went downstairs to the bathroom. The clock said it was one o'clock. My guess, it was probably Sunday the twentieth, still.
Once I had calmed down, I rubbed a cool wet cloth across my face, wiping away sweat and tears alike. I left the cloth by the sink and went downstairs to the kitchen. I did need something to eat. But I wasn't very hungry, so I only had a granola bar.
I exited the kitchen to find Jay and Kiernan by the front door, just stepping in. I stopped, surprised.
"Jay, I thought you were at camp. And Kiernan, I thought you were upstairs. Asleep. And wearing a different outfit." I blurted.
"We both just got here from camp." Kiernan said slowly. A realization dawned on me.
"That's what she was so afraid of. She knew." I said slowly. Neither of them knew what I was talking about, so I just said "Stay here for a moment."
Imagining Nikita, I found myself in her room in the blink of an eye. She was staring at the wall. I grabbed her arm, and imagined myself back in the foyer of my house.
"Okay, I'll be right back again." I said. This time, I imagined Chelsey.
I appeared, right in front of three guys and two girls from school. Chelsey jumped up. "Lyric?" She asked. She was more surprised to see me than the other kids were. Made sense. I had been basically kidnapped by Tartarus.
"There's two of them, I need your help. This can be fixed later." I told her. I grabbed her am and then we were back with the others.
"Is that really him?" I asked, pointing at Kiernan. Chelsey looked at him, looked at me, and nodded. She looked like she thought I might be crazy. I turned to Nikita. "Then it's Tartarus upstairs, isn't it?"
She nodded. "I wanted to tell you, but he threatened to kill her. He threatened to kill Whitney." She said.
"He threatened to kill mom?" Jay asked.
"I can't say anymore. He made me swear on the Styx. I can't tell you or anyone until you remember. If you remember." Nikita said. A tear fell down her cheek. But her eyes said he didn't threaten to kill our mom. No, it was someone else. I wondered who.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Worse things than death await those who break an oath on the Styx." Nikita said.
"Why don't we go upstairs and figure out how to get rid of the guy we all hate?" I asked.
"That sounds extremely dangerous." Jay announced. "Let's do it."
So, it was all a trick. Why you gotta be like this, T? (Fun Fact: In writing out my plans for fics, I make a list of short sentences, ranging from very in detail to an entire week with only one short sentence. I also abbreviate character names to one or a few letters. Tartarus was T.)
Also, will Lyric ever tell Kiernan about her baby? The world may never know.
What the world will know is that I have decuded I hate driver's ed. Not for the teachigs or boring learning stuff - because if this pushy and annoying instructor. He repeated the rules like seventy times to us today and in a tone like we'd all already broken all of them. He was getting people signed up for driving times, and he kept going on and on about "you guys signed up for this, you need to be able to make these!1!1!1!", "you guys HAVE to do these", and "SOMEONE must be ableto do this time" (it was just the one night for later in the evening like calm down dude). Also he got a bit huffy when one kid couldn't do any driving times this week because he had said he was just finishing training for his job and he needed his work schedule first, and then another girl needed her schedule. He told them we should be coming to driver's ed class prepared, IT WAS THE FIRST FUCKING DAY TODAY, MAN, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO BE PREPARED FOR.
On another note, I should have signed up with the lady instead but she was only taking some of our class and I was not quick enough to volunteer because I was trying to finish my questions from chapter one.
On another other note, the little brother of the guy that asked me to prom is in my driver's ed. I doubt this kid knows who I am, but I know who he is. (I'm doing driver's ed much later than usual because I'm already sixteen and a junior, but the kid is a sophomore and probably somewhere around fifteen and nine months like the class requires you to be. His brither asked me to prom last year, but I declined. And no, there wasn't huniliation from some big promposal or anything, he asked me over text if I wanted to go after not so subtly hinting at it, and I responded with "Like as friends right?" He said yeah but I still said no because I'm awkward and my brain at the time decided I needed that clarification, however untrue, to be able to ti function.)
Thank you to anyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited! You are not inclined to do any of those things if you do not wish, but it would be much appreciated! I send my love to all of you!