The Hunt for Life (Fem Percy Guardian of the Hunt)

Chapter Twelve

Light from the rising sun seeped through the curtains, spilling over Dad's face in soft lines. I sat up slowly, making sure not to pull the blankets, and held my breath when his eyelids fluttered. Once he settled, I leaned over him and searched through his pockets. Eventually, my fingers closed around the knife.

Jackpot. 

I slid off the bed. Each step felt like a battle against a monster that raked claws down my back. There were places where it felt like my skin was coming off completely. I didn't care. I-- I needed to make sure---

I stumbled into the bathroom and eased the door shut. Didn't lock it. Slid down the wall. I flicked open the knife, half expecting it to not exist the moment I did. When the blade extended, I almost dropped it.

It would be better to live in ignorance, wouldn't it? But I had to know.

My skin dipped under the pressure, parted under the edge.

Gold splattered on the floor.

"No," I breathed.

Gold filled the cracks between the tiles.

"No."

I pulled the knife again.

Gold puddled. I wanted to throw up. I did. That puddled too. Gold coated my skin.

Dad knocked softly on the door. I covered my mouth to muffle my sobs. I'd been so, so sure he wouldn't do this, that he cared about me enough to listen to what I wanted--he didn't on Olympus, why would he here--so how could he do this?

The door creaked open, and he poked his head in before sharply inhaling. He stepped around the golden blood and my vomit. His presence was a balm I welcomed, soothing away that persistent burn; I clung to his legs like my life depended on it.

"Oh, little one," he mumbled.

 Something in me twisted, then I was smaller. Maybe four, maybe younger, maybe older. Dad scooped me up and cradled me against his firm chest where I settled like a newborn. There, like that, the burning was completely gone.

"You still aren't settled." He tapped my nose. "I'm the only thing keeping you together right now."

"Turn me back."

 "I don't think I will."

"Dad."

"Let's see those arms of yours, hm?"  He dropped onto the mattress and pried me away from his chest. Before I could grasp at the familiar Hawaiian shirt, he caught my wrists, tsking. "You really did a number on yourself. This might've been enough to kill you, you know."

"If I died, that would have been the point."

That didn't quite make him roll his eyes. But something flashed in them that made me shudder.

He kissed my arms, healing the cuts, before moving to my face and hair. Tender. Amazed. He muttered how much he loved me between each kiss. He rubbed my head and wove his fingers into my hair. Nuzzled me when he could. The soft words never ceased.

It reminded me of how Gabe would act really nice sometimes. Those moments always came before a bigger blow up.

I squirmed, wiggled, and even bit Dad in an attempt to get free. Nothing worked. In the end, I slumped against his chest. The pulse of his energy resonated with my own. Each beat of what he had--we had-- instead of a heart matched in perfect tandem.

"This isn't so bad, now is it?" His fingers brushed over my back.

"This wasn't the deal!"

"Your deal is with Zeus not me." --Loopholes I'd forgotten. Damn it--"And technically, there was nothing in the actual deal that this is contradicting. It's merely ensuring you reach the full one year. I can just as easily remove the immortality." Dad kissed the side of my head.

I sat, plucking at his shirt. The sun was fully up by then, the conch should've sounded. Artemis would notice I was missing and--

And what? She'd come looking for a person she didn't want to accompany her in the first place? Lead settled in my stomach. She wouldn't care. She wouldn't come looking.

"You're just so cute like this, you know?" Dad said. "You could stay like this forever. My little baby girl safe in her daddy's arms."

"You'd get bored of me eventually."

He laughed and brushed his fingers over my cheek.

I frowned. "You will." It was what all the gods did. They'd have their flings, get bored, and disappear, never caring about their offspring for more than a few fleeting moments. Why would that change with me?

With warm fingers, he tilted my chin up. "You're a sea god. You'll figure out exactly how possessive I am in time," he said, soft and assured.

His eyes were eerie, and I had the feeling mine were a mirror image. There were seams running through me, places where I could feel Dad holding me together. If they unraveled, so would I. The River Styx required a mortal point to tether the soul to, so that begged the question, where was mine?

I asked him.

"It's safe," he replied. "Normally it would be burnt away, but. . . I do want you to get an afterlife if you choose to die."

"And if I don't?"

"I'll burn it."

It was less than a year for an update this time!

Also I just have to turn in one last essay (which i have done but am waiting till closer to the deadline to turn in) so that should mean a little more writing time but my mom has surgery next week as well so, uh, we'll see how much time i actually have for writing

See yah