Chapter 28

Opal was amazed with what one person could do. She actually looked forward to heading to school in the morning so she could start her day with Herry's smile. She liked talking to him. It became so easy to talk to him. What had she been doing all her life? School became infinitely more enjoyable when there was someone there to laugh with.

They didn't do anything again outside of school, and there was absolutely no way she would ask him on an actual date. That was the boy's job. She thought he was about to one day, at their lockers in the afternoon. He was going on about the beach and how promising the weather for the weekend looked, but then out of nowhere he got quiet, like he had someone whispering in his ear that made him reconsider.

That was okay though, Opal decided not to get too excited over the encounter and decided not to expect him ask her out anytime soon. She was happy with what they had going on, she never had someone to talk to like this at school and she began to realize how much of a mistake it was to isolate herself. He finally got that lunch with her.

Herry desperately wanted to ask her out, he was loosing sleep over it, but every time he summoned enough courage Cronus flashed his smug smile in his vision. He just couldn't expose her to that danger, he just needed to wait a little longer and then the God of Time would be back in Tartarus. Then, and only then, he could ask her out without worry. It didn't help that Theresa was always on his back about the matter, she had an arsenal of good arguments, for some blissful moments they outweighed his Cronus argument.

Laying awake in his bed while his alarm clock ticked closer to morning Herry had planned several different dates in his mind. They were always spinning around in his head. It started off with the average ideas, dinner and a movie, but the earlier the red numbers on his clock grew the more creative he became. One evening he even got as far to start pulling out his rock climbing equipment from his closet, spreading it around the floor to organize. Theresa and Neil came in with intention to launch another intervention on him. He decided this time he'd beat them to the punch, "Do you think I could take her climbing."

"No," They both exclaimed in horror.

"What, why?" he asked in complete bafflement.

"Herry," Theresa said gently, hopping over all the ropes and carabiners to kneel in front of him, placing her hands on his wrists she said, "You won't get a second date if you take her rock climbing."

"Dude, she's not the athletic type," Neil said.

"I donno," he mumbled to himself, "I think she'd be happy doing anything."

"That's not to say she wouldn't go climbing with you, actually I bet she would for like the tenth date once she trusts you," Theresa said, "If you want adventurous take her on a hike up a mountain."

"Yeah," Neil said, "It's still active, but easy enough anyone could do it."

"So," Theresa prompted with a beaming smile, "You going to do it? You going to ask her?"

"Ah," he wanted to say yes, he really did, but Cronus' gods damn smug face flashed on the inside of his eyelids. With a groan he shook his head and shrugged.

"Dammit Herry, you're impossible," Theresa huffed, getting to her feet to cross her arms over her chest. If he kept refusing she would have to take measures into her own hands.

Atlanta tromped down the stairs behind Archie and his new girl with arms crossed over her chest a sneer on her face. With a sour voice she said, "Why don't you take your shoes off Emma."

"I'm just more comfortable with them on," she spared a quick glance at Atlanta from over her shoulder.

"Atlanta, knock it off," Archie hissed, leading Emma into his room and slammed the door in the redhead's face. He took the blonde's hand and said to her, "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay," she flashed him a brilliant smile and tugged him over to the bed, "She's just jealous of what we have." He returned her smile and lied down on his bed when she pushed on his shoulder. She climbed on top of him and claimed his lips as her own. There was something intoxicating about her kiss, he didn't ever want to pull away. He slipped his hands under her shirt to feel her smooth skin under his fingertips. A sigh puffed from his lungs when she shifted her kisses to his neck. He leaned his head away to allow her better access.

"Archie?" she whispered, the humming of her lips against the skin on his neck a welcome sensation.

"Yes?" he responded.

"I heard something interesting about you," she told him.

"What's that?" he asked with a content smile on his lips.

"I didn't believe it at first," she said, "but now I am certain, I can smell it in your blood. It's been so long since I've had a hero's blood."

"What?" his eyes snapped open, tendrils of panic tickled his muscles.

A burning erupted from under her lips. The sudden pain jolted through him, he jerked his body in the surprise. He didn't understand where the pain was coming from, what would be causing it at such a moment. Archie let out a strangled yelp and out of instinct he tried to push away to assess the situation. Emma pinned him to the bed and hissed in his face, her eyes flicked with fire. Her hair became a white and gold blaze, curls transforming into flames, licking into the air. He could smell the burning and a glance to his shoulder confirmed its source. Beside the charred collar of his sweater was the bubbling of blisters on bright red skin.

"What are you?" he pushed against her, all of his muscles constricting in conjunction to his accelerated pulse.

"I'm Empusa," she told him with the sweet smile she had been flashing him for weeks. She held him firmly in place as easily as if he's been a kitten squirming underneath her. Leaning forward again she lapped up the blood oozing from his dark burn. Her body quivered on top of him as she let out a relived sigh, like she had just had a cool drink of water after a long day of work in the sun. Archie started to scream, but she clamped a hand down over his mouth. In desperation he clawed at her wrist and yanked on her fingers, but nothing detoured the rough lapping of her sandpaper tongue on his burn.

There was a crash. All of a sudden the demon on top of Archie had vanished. He lay on his back gasping in surprise and pain. Managing to prop himself up on his elbows he found Atlanta glaring at the monster on the ground with her wrist mounted crossbow at the ready. Empusa hissed at the redhead standing over her. She tore off her boots and her pants. Under was one leg completely fashioned of bronze, the other had a hoof rather than a foot. She sprung off her mismatched legs and lunched for Atlanta with her nails curled into claws, the hot swoosh of flames accompanied her movements.

"I don't think so bitch, that is my man," she fired a bolt into her chest sending her crashing back to the ground at the foot of Archie's bed. The monster wreathed on the wooden floor, joints popping and twisting as she staggered to her feet. Hands flexed to optimize the exposure of her claws Empusa launched herself for Atlanta. Archie struggled to jam his hand into his pocket for his whip.

"Atlanta," he wheezed and tossed over the weapon. She snatched it from the air and unleashed the whip to tangle around Empusa, ripping her nails away from her throat just as she felt their sharp tickle. The demon screeched and struggled against the bonds, her screams causing a pitched ring in Atlanta's ears. Empusa thrust herself into the hall with her arms bound against her side, dragging Atlanta with her.

"Aghh, what is that hideous thing?" Neil tripped over his feet and backed himself up against the hallway wall with a thud. His eyes wide in surprise he yelled, "Hold it still Atlanta."

"I'm trying," she shot through clenched teeth, digging down her heals to keep the monster in place.

"What is it doing here?" he demanded, scuffling further away down the hall, using uncoordinated hands to help guide his way on the wall.

"Do you know who I am?" she hissed at the blonde, flames licked up from her mouth.

"I don't want to," Neil stated, his face contorting in disgust.

"She said she was Empusa," Archie said with a rigid voice, leaning against the wall just outside his doorframe, one hand holding the arm of his burned shoulder to his side like a vice.

"Empusa," Neil's face lit with sudden realization, sparking with excitement, "You're like a vampire. I know how to deal with vampires."

"Not a vampire," she yelled through clenched teeth, the flames escaping her mouth reaching all the way up her face. She surged forward, causing Atlanta to stumble forward a footstep.

"Ahh," he screeched and scrambled for the stairs, tucking himself around the corner.

"Why are you here?" Atlanta asked, yanking back on the whip.

"Cronus wanted me to find out where you lived, but I couldn't do that before I finished having my fun with you," she told them, "It's been eons since I've had hero's blood."

"Cronus," Atlanta said with a sneer and looked to Neil, "I'll take her upstairs, we need to get her to Hera's prison under the school. You go find Athena."

"Damn right we need to get her out of here," he nodded and turned to fulfill his task. The goddess was quick to transport them to the school. She instructed Atlanta to take Archie to Chiron and took Empusa to Hera. Atlanta walked along with Archie, pressing her hand into the small of his back.

"I'm sorry Atlanta," he said through gritted teeth as he walked on scuffling feet, "I don't know what was wrong with me."

"Don't worry about it," she told him, "Don't talk right now, save your strength."

"You know you're the only one for me Atlanta," he told her.

She flushed red and her hand stiffed on his back, but she owed it to him to say, "I know." She wished she had the courage to add, 'There's no one for me other than you.'

"I'll wait for as long as you need," he said as they entered Chiron's office. She bit her lip as he was whisked away to the centaur's medical table. She stood in the doorway while Chiron smothered a burn ointment on Archie's neck and shoulder. She came over after he had dressed his wound. Sitting beside him on the bench she took his hand and squeezed. She wasn't good with words in situations like this, she could think of nothing meaningful to say, but Archie seemed more than satisfied with her holding his hand. He sent her a warm smile and squeezed back.

Theresa had snuck up on Opal several times in the past. She was starting to get more use to it. After all Theresa was one of Herry's friends. She looked up to the redhead expectantly, the only time she ever came over to bother her when she wanted to say something. Herry's face turned to horror the second he realized she wasn't there to talk to him.

"So you're going to hike Mt. Rustan? Cute date idea huh?" she said.

"What?" Opal asked in confusion, her eyebrows knitting together.

"Oops," she covered her mouth with her hands and looked to Herry, "You haven't asked yet?"

"Theresa," he muttered warningly under his breath.

"You were going to ask me out?" Opal asked him with eyes that would be better suited on a puppy. He smashed the palms of his hands into his eyes and groaned, how could he say no to that?

"Would you want to hike a mountain with me?" he asked.

"Yes," a broad smile stamped itself on her face. The expression made her beam and the way Herry's stomach started fluttering made him feel like he had accidently swallowed a small bird. It only took a moment, not nearly long enough moment for her to realize its presence on her face. She bit down on her lip to subdue her grin. A smile of his own had wormed its way across Herry's face without his knowledge.

"You're welcome," Theresa whispered to him as she brushed her way back down the hall from where she had come.