Curse of flames: Awakening (Book 1)

Confessing is scary (Lin's P.O.V)

Kyla's face, what was originally a large grin from tricking Antaeus, soon became a frown. She sighed as she looked at me. "Lin, I want to tell you something, but you have to keep it a secret and not tell anyone, especially Beige or he would try to harm me." She was very worried and reached out to me. "C'mon, I want to show you someplace." She led me off through the maze and everything was just gone except her. We stepped through a door and we seemed to be in a bookstore only to look up and a sign read "Bookmans."

       "Why are we at Bookmans?" I was confused, concerned emotions were just flowing through me. We went to a table and sat down. "Lin, I want to talk to you because I know more about you than you think. I don't mean for that to sound creepy, but I really do want to get to know you better so we can trust each other more." I didn't know how to respond, so I just shook my head in agreeance and there was a moment of silence.

       I broke the silence: "Why did you want to bring me here though? Is this place important?" She sat there uncomfortably, but eventually told me, "I left my home at 6, I was always scared of being attacked every since my step dad threatened me for putting us at risk. This was the first place I went to and I kinda just grew up here reading books." A tear rolled down her eye. "My stepdad one day came here and saw me. He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to the car screaming 'It's because of you she left me'. Apparently, my mom had been murdered by a street gang and my step dad was drunk."

       She stopped talking and all I could do was hug her. "I understand you're pain." Those words slipped out of my mouth and she stopped crying and looked at me. I had never told anyone about my mom, never shown anyone the letter meant for her that I ripped up. I let go of Kyla and open my bag to pull out the card, my hand was trembling. "This was meant for my mom when I was 7, I woke up one morning to the apartment destroyed and sirens outside. It was on mothers day..." I went on explaining about my past, how my mom that morning ran away with drugs leaving me alone in the apartment. I told her about how I couldn't find a home and when I did some figure appeared burning it down saying you'll attend the curse, how no one- not even Notashino knew. She apparently never heard of camp Half-blood so I told her about that.

       I told her about the cabins and her half-siblings, how that burning building I was saved by Chiron and brought me to camp, how I met beige, Nota, never met my father and how most gods don't meet their kids but they try really hard. I decided not to tell her about beige meeting her dad as it might've been a little excessive. Letting all of that out felt nice but for some reason, something came across me and I felt pissed. I stood up and clenched my hands into a fist.

"Lin,what is this I'm feeling? I-I really want to strangle someone right now," Kyla was freaking out and I knew exactly what was happening. "Aries, show yourself! You have no business coming to us," A figure from behind Kyla approached and I pulled out an instrument tuner that turned into a one-handed sword. My friend Beckendorf made it for me before he died in the war in New York, it is a 3-foot, silver-colored blade, purple hilted broadsword that has electricity flow through it, in a sense to hurt people who come at me since celestial bronze can't hurt people.

        "Oh so the nerdy boy thinks he is tough, I'm not here to fight although I wish, I'm simply here to talk and ask a favor," Aries came out of the shadowy area. The muscular man had a vicious sneer, he wore black jeans, combat boots, a black leather duster, and a red muscle shirt under a bulletproof vest (why he wore that I did not know).

       "Look, I'll keep it short, that Beige kid is too much trouble for you guys. So I ask a very simple request and I'll help. I'll take care of him if you go mess with Hephaestus for awhile." He finishes speaking but I wouldn't fall for his tricks. "Really? You want me to distract him so you can go off with Aphrodite? I know you deal with enemies so you probably are just gonna give Beige to the enemy. I'm not stupid, like you."

       I realize what I said and look to see his eyes glowing fire red. "Kid, I can pop you like a balloon and then what? I'll give you once more chance: do it or else-" "No!" "What did you just say to me?"

        He asked in a very agitated tone. "No, I won't, okay? I just want to spend time with someone I love and if you can't get that through your dense skull, then you can draw your weapon and fight." I lost my temper and in a cold anger those words flew out of me, he pulls out a battle axe and says with a wicked smile, "As you wish."

His speed was impossible to deal with, but his attacks, were.... predictable. I was able to block every blow he attempted to hit me with. "Lin, we need to hurry and leave!!" A voice from behind pulled me from my anger and I realized what was happening, people could see us fighting, I'm fighting a god. I'm fighting the god of war.

       I couldn't pull away from the fight there was no way, so when he went for another blow I did what i thought would work. I jump and punched him in the head making him fall and I run outside. He smashes through the door yelling, "You're gonna regret that boy!"

       A voice inside my head whispered to me you know what to do. After all, you are my grandchild. Everything stopped at that point and I realized something, I never knew my mom or her side but that voice I knew it. It was Athena, she was my mom's mom. I knew I was a legacy of Athena but I never understood how.

       Finally the world came back to me, Aries storming at me sirens in the distant. I did know exactly what to do. I reached for my sword and realized I had put it away and didn't have time to get it out. Aries jumped at me and I rolled under him, a table he pushed over had that big umbrella. I grabbed it and when Aries howled and charged once more I impaled him. He fell screaming in agony and told me, "ENOUGH! I WILL HAVE NO MORE."

       "LIN, WE'VE GOT TO GO, HURRY!" Kyla grabs me by the hand and pulled me inside back to the Labyrinth and being lucky and totally didn't forget was Beige laying on the floor still out cold.

       We sat there no words spoken until Kyla mentioned what I had not realized I said. "Did you really mean what you said?" "What? I'm not sure what you mean?" I was very confused. "You told Aries that you wanted to spend time with someone you love.. did you... mean... me?"

       Her saying that scared me sent me into a slight panic attack. What would she say if I told her yes? I wanted to cry, but I eventually choked out one single sentence, "Yes, I did mean you." She looked at me, started to tear up, smiled and jumped to hug me. We agreed to see how long it would take Beige to find out that we are now together. Now the things I've always wanted, happiness and someone who truly loves me, is mine.