Chapter Twenty-Seven

“That is true,” Phobos agrees. “When Zeus threw Mutt into Tartarus he forgot what was keeping the gods alive. When he sentenced Mutt into the pit, he lost the trust, the belief of all the demigods in Godville. As did all the other Olympians.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I demand.

“Because, you were made from a darkness,” Phobos says. “You have a darkness inside of you.”

I don’t answer, I wasn’t really sure what I could say to that. Instead I raise my head higher and glare at him.

“You strike fear into your enemies, you walk into battle with a smile. And you stare down some of the most fearful creatures in the world,” Phobos continues. “That kind of grace and confidence only comes from someone who knows their fear, and knows to be afraid of it.”

“What does my fear have anything to do with you?” I snap.

“Well, I am the god of fear. Yet, I do not know what you could possibly fear,” Phobos says. “In fact, I don’t know the fear of anyone in Godville. But you, so unlike the others. Your fear, you do not let it overcome you. You overcome it. Others would freeze in battle due to their fear, but you, your fear makes you stronger.”

“Let me ask you something,” I say, looking straight ahead.

I still couldn’t see anything, it was pitch black, and cold. I had no idea where Phobos was. But that didn’t matter to me.

“Do you know that feeling when you finally meet your hero, your idol?” I ask.

Phobos remains quiet. So I continue.

“And that person isn’t who you thought they were, not at all. In fact, that person is someone different, someone worse. And you realize that your hero is no better than a villain?” I ask. “That’s the feeling I got when I met the gods.”

Phobos was still silent. But my anger was burning through me, igniting every bone in my body, causing my blood to boil.

“My whole life, I was told about how great the gods were. How they were saviors. How they made the world better. But they don’t. They do the opposite,” I growl. “They destroy their children in the name of greatness! So you really wanna know what I fear?”

I heard a slight shift of movement to my left, so I immediately turn towards that movement.

“My name is Alexandria Drevak. I am the only known child of Thanatos, god of death. And I fear death. I fear that one day, I will not be good enough, strong enough, fast enough, and that I will be the reason someone I love dies. I fear that I will fade one day, and I’ll just be gone. I fear that I’ll have to endure the pain and the death, and the betrayal of ALL of my friends. All the demigods. All of Godville. I fear that that pain will tear me apart, and that I will not be able to stop it. And that I will die. And no one will care. No one will remember me. That is my fear.”

Almost immediately the room is flooded with light. Phobos was standing in front of me. He had dark black hair and black eyes. I had heard stories that if he wanted he could make you see your fear. I meet his eyes.

A door appears off to the right, it was simple, and black as night.

“Go,” Phobos says.

I narrow my eyes, sensing an ‘or’.

“Or?” I snap when he doesn’t say anything.

“Or don’t,” he says with a shrug.

“And what would benefit me?” I ask.

“Both,” Phobos says, turning and walking away.

“Clarify,” I say through gritted teeth.

“Right now you’re friends are searching for you-” Phobos starts.

“Obviously,” I interrupt.

“Do you mind?” Phobos snarls.

“Whatever, carry on,” I say with a yawn.

“If you leave then you can go, and help looks for the others, and you can all live your merry life until the enemy decides to try and go after you next,” Phobos says.

“Key word, ‘try’,” I say.

“Maybe you’re right,” Phobos says. “Maybe the enemies, considering the gods are now your enemy too, maybe they’ll never find Godville. Maybe you can continue to live your merry lives in peace.”

“What happens if I stay?” I ask.

“I can help you try and stop it,” Phobos says. “I can tell you what I know, and you can report back to your friends. You’re welcome to leave at any time. But if you do, you cannot tell your friends that I’m helping you.”

“What exactly do you know?” I ask.

“That mean you’re taking the deal?” Phobos asks.

“It might,” I reply.

“Wonderful, then let us head back to my palace,” Phobos says.

He claps his hand and suddenly everything fades. When the world solidifies again we were standing in a huge room. A conference table in the middle, a white board at the far end. Meeting room.

“Here,” Phobos says.

He hands me a folder that has a lot of papers in this.

“What is this?” I ask.

“All the demigods and gods that I know of that are are against you and the gods. As well as the ones that are absolutely with the gods,” Phobos answers. “Take that to your town. Tell them whatever.”

He waves his hand dismissively.

“Oh and here,” he adds, he holds out a simple black bracelet. “Use this to get back to my palace, if you wish to.”

“Why exactly are you doing this again?” I ask. “I’m just, a little confused.”

“Because the way the gods rule is unfair, but war, war is not the answer we’re looking for,” he says. “I only hope your town can prevent the war. And the death it is sure to bring.”

I casually flick open the folder, scanning some of the papers. After a moment I look up.

“Who says we want to?” I ask. “Maybe we want to go to war. Maybe that’s the only way any of this is going to end.”

“You’re willing to kill your friends?” Phobos says.

“What?” I ask.

Phobos snaps his fingers. A demigod comes in, she smiles at me apologetically.

“This is Mira, daughter of Apollo,” Phobos says. “Mira.” He motions to me.

Mira swallows and closes her eyes for a moment. Then she walks towards me, and she reaches out and touches my arm. Almost immediately she falls to the ground, dead.

“No!” I shout, dropping down beside her.

I reach out to touch her. To try to bring her life back.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Phobos says calmly.

I snatch my hands back, looking up at him with wide eyes.

“What? What just happened?” I ask.

“You didn’t know?” Phobos counters. “You are radiating death Alex. Anyone or anything that touches you is going to die.”

He snaps his fingers and Mira wakes up with gasp. Her eyes widen with fear when she sees me and she scoots back, pushing herself off the ground and backing away to the door. Then she was gone.

“You can’t stop it,” Phobos says. “There is a reason Thanatos doesn’t have kids.”

“Send me to wherever Lenzie Smith is,” I say, not moving from my position on the floor. “Now.”

Phobos nods once, and then my surroundings dissolve. When they come back I was kneeling in front of a campfire. Lenzie was leaning over a piece of paper. With her was Larissa, Ryan, Maya, Bat, and Jack.

“Alex!” Lenzie says, jumping up.

She runs towards me, like she was going to hug me. I jerk away, eyes wide.

“No,” I whisper. “Stay away from me.”

“Alex?” Larissa asks. “You okay?”

She wasn’t wearing her leather jacket, or her bracelet with the gold and silver skulls. It was odd.

“I’m fine, you just, can’t touch me,” I whisper.

“We’ve been trying to find you,” Jack says.

“Why can’t we touch you?” Lenzie demands.

“Because if you do you’ll die,” I say. “I’m. I’m death. Literally.”

“What do you mean?” Bat asks. “Is this about your father?”

“No,” I say. “Yes. I don’t know. Just.”

I stop talking, this wasn’t working. I run a hand through my hair. I look around, trying to find a way to convince them. Two meters away I see a rabbit. Slowly I walk over to it.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

Steeling my nerves I reach out and pet it. Almost instantly it was dead.

“Holy,” Maya says, backing away from me.

“Everything that I touch, and anything that touches me, dies,” I say, without turning around.

“Then we find a cure,” Lenzie says.

“I don’t think you can,” I say, standing and turning around. “I just came to give you this.”

I place the folder on a nearby rock and back away.

“Inside that is every god, demigod, goddess, satyr, what that is with or against the gods in this war. And no, I cannot tell you were I got it. So don’t ask,” I say.

Lenzie frowns and walks over to the folder, picking it up and handing it to Larissa who starts browsing through it.

“What are you going to do?” Maya asks.

“Where are you going to go?” Ryan adds.

“I’m going to go back to where I was. With someone who might be able to help me. Don’t worry, I’ll be seeing you,” I say, turning away from them.

I twist the bracelet and then I was fading.

“Alex,” Bat says. “Thank you.”

“It’s going to be okay,” Maya says.

“Hang tight,” Ryan says.

“And trust us,” Jack adds.

“We love you, you’re our family,” Lenzie says.

“We’re going to find a way for you to be able to come home,” Larissa concludes.

“I know you will,” I say. “I believe in you.”

Lenzie nods at me and I smile slightly in return. And then I was gone.

۝

Phobos was lounging on his throne, fiddling with something. He was sitting sideways so that his feet hung off of one of the arms, his head resting against the other. He was in his eighteen year old form. It took me a moment to realize that he was playing Flappy Bird.

“Wow. Really?” I ask.

He fumbles with the device, causing it to fall onto the floor and shatter. He rushes to turn around in the throne. He clears his throat and straightens his jacket.

“Oh,” he says. “It’s just you.”

I raise an eyebrow at him and put my hands inside my pocket. I shrug.

“Jee thanks,” I say.

He sighs and picks up the neglected device, “I was going for a record.” Then he frowns at me. “I didn’t think that you would come back.”

I spread my hands, despite them still being in my jacket pockets.

“I had nowhere else to go,” I say honestly.