Decisions of the Heart

by Florence, Jessica

  “You are an incredible man, Anubis. My daughter chose well.” She gave me a light slap on the cheek and handed me the vial. A chuckle slipped from my lips at her gesture.

  “Good luck.” She wished us luck, then disappeared. My hands gripped the vial. It was time to finally save my woman.

  Aphrodite’s blood churned in my stomach as we approached the wall surrounding Orion’s compound. It was located on a hill just outside of Athens. The country was beautiful. If things were different I would have loved to bring Thalia here. She would walk in the fields like she used to dream of. But the clock was ticking. Leander had already scouted the layout. A few demigods were stationed around the wall. I couldn’t feel Athena’s presence anywhere, so that was a blessing.

  I grabbed on Leander and flashed us against the wall by an open window. Orion must have really felt confident I wouldn’t find a way into his lair. Stupid on his part. We jumped through the window, and started to search rooms. I couldn’t get a read on where they were holding Thalia, she was lost in her own mind still.

  “We need to hurry,” I whispered to Leander. He understood. The first two rooms we checked were empty. The third room we checked had two demigods sitting at a table playing cards instead of watching the surveillance cameras like they should have been. Their faces were stunned with shock before Leander stepped in and took them both on. He was strong, and extremely skilled in fighting. They stood no match for him. I didn’t even need any assistance before they were both unconscious on the floor. I stepped over their bodies and looked at the screens. My anger flared as I saw Orion practicing his combat skills with another in the courtyard. I wanted to slaughter that boy.

  “Another time, Tristan. We need to get Thalia and hurry out of here.” Leander was right. Reining in my anger, I drew my attention back to the other screens. There were two men guarding a double door on the second floor.

  “There. She’s in there.” I pointed at that screen. Quickly we turned and took off towards the stairs. We ran into three more demigods, but I had no time to play with them. A simple flick of the wrist and they were ash. Up the stairs and three doors to the left stood the guards. They noticed us immediately and sounded the alarm. The first guard was dressed in combat gear. He smelled of fire, and had metal on his arm. A child of Hephaestus. His metal contraption clicked as gears moved and a sword came forth.

  “I’ve got him,” Leander said and moved towards the metal head. The second guard was walking towards me. I couldn’t get a read on his powers, until he lifted up a large table that was in the hallway towards me. Son of Hermes. Hermes always was freakishly strong. I gripped the table with one hand and tossed it behind me. His eyes widened, he was a demigod. I was a full God and he knew he was no match for me. Like the coward he was, he ran in the opposite direction. I huffed, that was depressing.

  While Leander was taking care of the other boy, I opened the door and my heart stopped.

  Thalia was lying on the bed, dressed in a white gown that was flowing around her. Her beautiful light brown hair fanned around her face on the pillow. Instantly I was at her side. She was here, she was alive. Frantically my eyes searched her body for signs of injury, and thankfully found none. But Orion had dressed her in a white gown where the swells of her breasts were on display. A large slit in the dress stopped right where her thigh and her hip met. Jealousy ran through me that he had touched her to dress her in such a provocative material.

  My stomach clenched and I knew I was burning off Aphrodite’s blood. We needed to leave now.

  “She alright?” Leander spoke quietly from behind me. I nodded and scooped her up into my arms. Her body was limp, and lifeless. I gritted my teeth thinking of the last time I had held her like this, when she had died in my arms.

  “She’s not yours anymore, Anubis.” Orion’s voice entered the room. We turned and looked at him. He had a bow and arrow in hand, pulled back and ready to be released.

  “She was always mine,” I told him as Leander put his hand on me and I took us home.

  Chapter 11

  I brought us back to her apartment. Once she woke up, I wanted her to feel at home and in her own bed. As soon as we appeared in her room we heard a scream.

  Lacey, Thalia’s red-headed friend and Leander’s lover was shocked by our arrival. She looked quite disheveled. I know Leander had talked with her briefly whenever he had the chance, but there weren’t many of those.

  “You found her!” She shrieked and ran to us. Then she stopped. Her face paled when she looked at Leander. I turned to look at him to figure out what was her deal when I saw it. Orion’s arrow was lodged in his right shoulder. I transported Thalia into her bedroom and gently laid her down in her bed. She was still completely stuck in her head. Leaning in, I placed a soft kiss on her pink lips. I would tend to her soon, but first I had to look at Leander. Thalia would be pissed if she woke up and her best friend was hurt. I walked out of her room as Lacey was helping Leander to the couch.

  “Let me see.” I sat down next to him. Lacey took a seat on the uninjured side. The point of the arrow was coming out the back. It would suck, but it was going to be easy to remove. Thankfully the arrow hit him in between his pec muscles and his shoulder joint. No major organs had been damaged. A deep breath released from my lungs, he would be ok.

  “I’m going to pull it out. Hold this.” I handed him a pillow that he wrapped the other arm around, veins showing in his forearms from squeezing the pillow tight. Lightly I pressed my hand to his back pushing him forward so I could reach the front of the arrow. He started taking heavy breaths, preparing himself. Real quick, I grabbed the wood of the arrow and pulled it out at Godly speed. A guttural yell came from his chest and it was over. Lacey ran to the bathroom and came back with materials to clean the wound. I looked at them and a smile crossed my lips. He was well tended to now. She was worthy of him.

  “I’ll be alright,” Leander said hoarsely. He gestured his head towards Thalia’s room. I just simply nodded and walked back towards my love. She still hadn’t moved from where I placed her. She was still so beautiful, she looked just the same as when I first met her. Just as enticing as ever. I sat next to her on the bed and ran my fingers lightly over the curves of her face.

  “Love, I’m here. I came for you. I’ll always come for you. Fight for us Thalia, break free from your mind. Focus on my words,” I whispered at her. Willing her to come out of her coma-like state. Nothing changed. My decision became clear. If she wasn’t able to come out of her head, then I would go in and get her.

  I closed my eyes and focused on her breathing. Using my powers I searched through her mind for where she was. I finally found her, and it broke my heart to see her like this. My beautiful Thalia was lying in the fields of her home. Much like the many other times I’ve met her here. It was her favorite place to go in her dreams. She was curled into the fetal position.

  “It’s ok love, everything is alright.” I fell to my knees in front of her curled form. She did not move to see me like I thought she would from my voice. She just cried harder. My hand drifted over her sweetly. Her head finally lifted to see I was there.

  “Anubis?” She sounded so distraught.

  “It’s me, Thalia, I’m here.” I opened my arms for her and she flung herself into them.

  “I’m dead,” she sobbed into my chest. My arms tightened around her, relishing the feel of her against me.

  “No my love. You’re not dead. In the past you did die, but you came back to me. This is all in your mind Thalia,” I voiced, pulling her back to cup my hands on her cheeks so she was looking directly at me. I had to get through to her.

  “My mind?” She questioned, her tears were slowly drying up.

  “Yes, You’re safe with me in your apartment. Leander and Lacey are there too. Come back to us Thalia. Wake up,” I pleaded. She looked at me in confusion. It was hard for her to accept it, understandable.

  “You had won love. You had destroyed the blade and lost your life. But the Gods
rewarded you with reincarnation. They brought you back. You remember? Boston? Dance central competition? You kicked our asses? Come on love, let go and come back to me so I can kiss your lips, and feel your love burning in your soul again.” I leaned in and kissed her. She gave in and melted against my lips. Kissing her had always been the greatest feeling in all of existence. She put her whole heart into every kiss, lighting the fire to more passionate feelings.

  “Help me,” she whispered against me. I didn’t know what she needed me to do. My silence led her to continue speaking.

  “Help me come to the present.” I nodded and pressed my lips back against hers. I willed us to exit her mind. Transporting us out. I started to leave, but she was still stuck.

  “I’m with you Thalia, come with me. We can finally be together again.” She said nothing and I tried again. This time she closed her eyes and kissed me deeper. Letting go of all of her fears. It was like a cord snapped and I pulled us out of her head.

  My head snapped back and my eyes opened to watch her still form on her bed. She had come with me, why wasn’t she awake. Just as soon as I spoke her eyes flew open and she gasped for air.

  A rush of relief flooded my veins. She was out, and she was alive.

  “Oh, Thalia.” She came back to me. And she was aware of everything, there were no secrets between us.

  “Tristan!” She sounded relieved, but didn’t attempt to move. A smile ghosted over my face while I ran the back side of my right fingers over the curve of her face. Pushing her hair back.

  “I’ve missed you,” I confessed. A sad smile appeared on her beautiful face. She finally understood.

  “I’m sorry.” Tears were glistening in her beautiful eyes. I knew what she was sorry for, but it was I who should have been sorry. I wasn’t there to help her, protect her. And in the end she fell and I could do nothing.

  “No love, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not being able to save you. But you’re here now, you came back to me. I waited like I promised. You are my life, Thalia.”

  Her sad smile started to turn into one of happiness.

  “I’m sorry I took so long,” she joked. My Thalia was back. My fierce warrior.

  Chapter 12

  “How are you feeling?” I inquired. She looked ok on the outside, but everything on the inside had to of taken some kind of toll on her. She made a grimace, which automatically made me concerned.

  “It’s weird, I remember my life here in the present, but I also have my memories from my past life. The past me is uncertain, and kind of scared. The present me is elated to be home, but I’m a little confused on my feelings about everything,” she answered honestly. It was understandable again for her to be feeling that way.

  “Anything I can help with?” She just shook her head no.

  “It’s just a lot to take in. I do have questions but I’ll ask them later.” She looked down and blushed.

  “You didn’t by chance put this on me did you?” She murmured. A small chuckle slipped from my chest. It was either laugh about it or get pissed that Orion had changed her. It was my turn to shake my head no. She brought her hands to her face and laughed.

  “Gross. Ok, can you help me change out of this? Then I’d like to go see Leander and Lacey if they are still up.”

  “Of course.” I helped her up and went to grab a shirt and some sweat pants, wanting to make her the most comfortable. I helped her change as gently as I could. She was still very weak, so I scooped her up into my arms and carried her to the living room. A smile graced my lips as we walked in on Leander stuffing his face with pizza. They must have ordered some while I was trying to get Thalia out of her head.

  “Ove!” He said in his food speak. Maybe I didn’t feed him enough while we were trying to find her.

  I set her down in the chair next to him and brought the other one close so I could be there if she lost her balance.

  Leander finished swallowing, then got out his chair to kneel in front of her and wrap his arms around her waist. They had a deep bond of friendship. I could never truly repay him for keeping an eye on her while I was not able to. He pulled back and I saw his eyes glisten. The love he had for her was written all over his face.

  “You were right, Leander,” she whispered while choking up with tears herself. Both smiling like fools.

  “Right about what dove?”

  “I was a bad ass, I mean you should have seen me. I fought off a whole tribe of men,” she exclaimed. I had heard the story of her journey to the cave. Many had talked about it amongst the Gods. She had saved the Gods from the threat of the blade, she was still in their good graces. All but Athena, who for some reason still had a problem with Thalia, even after all of these years.

  “I’ll have to spar with you sometime, see if you still got it,” Leander laughed as he sat back up in his seat. A squeal came from Leander’s room, and a flash of red passed by me and launched into Thalia’s arms.

  “I missed you! Are you ok?” radiLacey was in tears, overwhelmed by Leander and Thalia’s arrival. Everyone was an emotional bunch as we ate dinner and talked about things that had happened in the world while Thalia was under and Leander and I searched for her. Nothing to do with Orion or any horrors she might have faced. I welcomed the peace. Hours later I could see Thalia getting tired. I scooped her up and we bid everyone goodnight.

  “I missed you Tristan,” she whispered into my neck. I pressed my lips to her forehead as my answer. She would truly never know the extent of how much I missed her. Thousands of years I waited, and I would do it all over again if I had to. But this time nothing was going to take her from me. There would never be a need to be apart for any long amount of time.

  I laid her down in her bed and crawled in next to her. She pulled the covers up over us and snuggled in close. Her sweet scent surrounded me. She would always talk about how she loved my smell of cinnamon, but she forever smelled divine. Like sweet Jasmine. My beautiful flower. I breathed her in as she fell asleep quickly. She was exhausted, but she was home. With me. I closed my eyes with her in my arms and drifted to sleep.

  Thalia’s screams woke me from my slumber. He arms flailed as she panicked in her sleep.

  “Thalia, shh. Love, you’re ok,” I murmured calmly.

  Her eyes flew opened as she jack knifed into a sitting position. She looked around frantically then settled her gaze on me.

  “Anubis? Where are we? What’s going on? The last thing I remember was Orion, and the cave,” she pleaded for my answer. I was confused as to what was going on.

  “No love, we are back in the present. In your apartment. You’re safe. Orion isn’t here.” I wrapped my arms around her. Trying to comfort her worries. She stayed there for a moment then pulled back. I used my powers and turned on the lamp near her bed so I could see her in some more light, other than the moonlight shining through her window.

  “What is that torch? I haven’t seen anything of the sort. Are we in the underworld?” She sounded stressed still. I watched her as she took in the room again. Not recognizing one thing. The gears in my head started to turn. I was a fool to believe she would come back from her mind unscathed. Past life Thalia was breaking through, and she was out of her time. I sat there unsure how to continue. I could tell her everything, but then she might panic even more and not believe me. But things are not as they were, there would be no way I could convince her she is still in the past. I was at a stalemate.

  “Anubis, where are we?” She requested of me again.

  “We are in your quarters love. I need you to listen to me, I need you to trust me.” I stared at her, hoping to convey the seriousness of what I was about to say. She looked nervous, but she was waiting for me. A deep breath filled my lungs as I made my choice. The truth. I would handle whatever happened after that.

  “We are not in Egypt, Nor are we in that same time love. This is the year two thousand fifteen. You died in that cave, the Gods were thankful for you destroying the blade and they granted you reincarnation as you were.
And as a punishment to me it would be over two thousand years until I could see you again. I know this is hard to understand. Athena forced your past life memories on you before your time. You mind is fighting with itself. Past self and Present.” It was a lot to swallow but she didn’t look like she was going to run away. But I had that thought too soon. She jumped over me quickly and ran out of the door. Looking around. I was by her side instantly.

  She looked like a frightened animal.

  Chapter 13

  “Stop screaming at me.” She gripped her hair and pulled harshly. Her eyes closed and her face turned into a mask of pain. Concern flooded my veins. She needed some sort of help, but I didn’t know what to do. Leander came running out of his room after hearing her scream. He stopped short and looked at her. His face switched to mine, trying to get a read on what was happening.

  “Past and present Thalia are colliding,” I told him on a whisper, but even my soft voice broke through Thalia’s struggle and she stopped and looked at Leander.

  “Dove, everything is going to be ok. We will figure this out.” He took a step towards her with outstretched arms. Ready to embrace her and calm her. She was not having that. She gripped his wrist and threw him over her shoulder.

  “I don’t know you!” she said as she pressed a knee to his throat.

  “Dove, you are a bad ass,” he said on a rough breath. Something in his words made her gasp.

  I walked closer and saw her staring at Leander with blank eyes. I reached down to touch her but stopped. She scrambled away from Leander as fast as she could until her back reached the wall.

  “Leander. I’m sorry. I don’t…” I was holding her before she could finish. My present Thalia was back and thoroughly traumatized. She cried in confusion. Her soul was crying, feeling helpless. Leander sat down next to us. Just being there for her. Just then a strong power rippled off her I didn’t recognize. I pulled back to see what happened and was stunned.