I'll be here forever

chapter 59

"No, I don't, and I don't really want to," I scoffed. Lie.

"I- I can't-" she laughed incredulously, angrily, "I can't fucking believe this. You- you son of a bitch!"

Her eyes blazing, she pulled out her sword. I tried not to let my fear show on my face. I could not win against this girl in a fight. She was angry, and grieving, and I was injured and exhausted. It wouldn't end well for me.

I only had one option.

"Leo was your friend," she seethed, walking closer, slowly. Lie.

"He talked about you all the time. You, and the rest of the seven. I asked about you. And to think I- I loved you, once, I-" she stopped. Lie.

Lies. Lies, they're all lies. They have to be. She's lying. She has to be.

"You're going to get what you deserve," she said, face dark with rage, and then she charged.

If I was going to survive this, I had to do it. I didn't have a choice.

And I didn't want to do it. Not really. Stabbing someone was one thing- but this? It was a violation that I couldn't take back. I hated even the mere idea of it- and my brain, it rebelled against the idea with everything it had.

But my body, my body betrayed me. My fingers twitched in anticipation, almost expecting it. My heart started racing, and I felt that rush of adrenaline run through me. It was almost like I was readying myself. The pain melted away, and I knew it would come back, but not right now. Not right now.

And I craved it, that power, that feeling of someone melting beneath my fingers, the unbelievable rush it gave me. The knowing that I could end someone's life in just a moment, just a single touch. The feeling that killing the dragon had given me... I wanted more of it.

And she was charging toward me, and things slowed down once again. I knew this. I saw exactly what to do, exactly how I could beat her.

Her weakness, was that she was angry. She was angry, and irrational, and grieving. I was none of those. I was completely, devastatingly calm.

Everything sharpened to a point. I could feel my heartbeat, and I could feel hers. I could feel the blood rushing through her veins, and mine. And I could feel everything near me. I could feel the water in the trees, in the grass, in the dirt. I could feel Leo's blood seeping into the ground behind me. I could feel the last hints of dew of the leaves. I could feel the blood in the rabbit that was running as far away as it could from us, from me.

And I took a deep breath, and I smiled.

Time resumed to normal- the girl, Calypso, she swung her sword, her face contorting in anger. I dropped the dagger to the ground and ducked to the side, reaching out to touch her and-

There.

I placed my hand on her shoulder, the one she'd used to swing, using much more power than necessary in her anger, swinging a little too far.

In a moment, just a single moment; I felt everything, everything inside of her.

And I made it stop.

The rush was indescribable- it charged through my veins, lighting every last one of my nerves on fire. The same power that stopped her heart was the one that fueled mine, the same power that closed her lungs was the one that opened mine. It felt amazing, even better than it had the first time, or the second time. There couldn't be a drug in the world that gave me a greater feeling.

I giddily wondered if it would just keep getting better. I hoped so.

It was euphoric, and I was drunk on it, on whatever power this was. The feeling made me lightheaded. It was addicting, and I already felt like I wanted more, wanted to do it again, and again and again, to whatever I could get my hands on.

There was no pain, and there was nothing. Nothing but power, nothing but victory and triumph. Nothing, and everything. And everything was exhilarating.

And then, reluctantly, I let go of her. She fell to my feet in a heap, next to Leo. Dead. I could feel them both, their cold, dead bodies mirroring each other. Fitting, that they should be together even in death. I supposed they deserved it.

My fingers tingled, like they had pins and needles stuck in them, and my head spun, high on whatever this was. My body trembled, and from what, I didn't know. The world felt like it was in full color, the saturation turned all the way up.

And then I laughed. I laughed. Because what had I been doing before this? Why hadn't I used this power more than I had?

It was so easy. It was too easy. I could take on any enemy, any thing, in just one touch, one brush of my fingertips on their skin. And no one could stand against me. No one. Not when I could do this. I could kill them, I could kill them all, in just a touch.

I never had to run again. Never had to run in fear from any monster, any demigod, any of them that wanted to hurt me. None of them. I was so tired, so tired of running, so tired of hiding, and now I didn't have to. All it took was a touch. Just one. Just one, and I could have it all falling at my feet.