Olympus Drive Book 5: Situation Normal

Chapter 58

Ari

"Bad boyfriend, worst boyfriend. Ever. Let my boyfriend get lost and die and throw bricks at his head—"

"I didn't look for my brother for two days. I feel awful," Hyp sniffles.

"Will you two stop crying? It's fine. We're gonna find him," Thyme says, stopping short. For somebody who is dyslexic he's quite good with maps. And I of course have a map of the Underworld. I bribed Than for one to give to Ev for their last birthday since they spend so much fucking time down here.

"It's not fine! What if he's mad at me?" Hyp sighs.

"Little sleepy dude, you spend entirely too much time worrying about people being mad at you."

"I know! That doesn't mean I can stop."

"Why are you so worried he's mad at you? You two don't fight," I say, frowning.

Hyp shrugs, "I don't know. I just—I sleep all the time and I figure people will get sick of me."

"People don't get sick of me and look at the way I am," Thyme says.

"People absolutely get sick of you," I tell him.

"Shut up," he says, cheerfully, shoving my arm and just knocking me over. Wait, maybe it was on purpose. Yeah. Definitely on purpose.

"No, Hyp really. We like you the way you are. Nobody is going to get sick of you," I say.

"Wait, you go into people's dreams right?" Thyme asks, spinning a full circle before walking the direction he originally was Lucifer help us.

"Yeah," Hyp says.

"What has my grandson been dreaming about? Anything that might explain why someone would try to kill him?" Thyme asks.

"Um---who is—,"

"Little kid, purple eyes, black hair," he puts his hand entirely too low to make the gesture, "Answers to Lee Rhea?"

"He took his mom's name?" I say, frowning.

"Yeah," Thyme is eating something now and feeding it to the puppy he's had stuffed in his vest. "Why?"

"No idea, does not matter," I sigh. Would be simpler if fewer of us took the last name Rhea. No, never mind, these people aren't smart enough to remember more names.

"Um—yeah. I remember him," Hyp says, frowning, "Um---no nothing helpful. Like if he has nightmares, and I try to stop those—it's just—like, people grabbing him and stuff."

"Grabbing him?" Thyme frowns, "Never mind. When we get back up I'll ask him who killed him."

"Yeah, definitely," I say, nodding, "I'm sure Luna's already killed them by now."

"Yeah probably," he scoffs, studying the map, "Okay, onward towards the pit. That way."

"He hates it there," Hyp sighs, twisting his hands.

"Why does he hate it there?" Thyme asks.

"Our dad lives there," Hyp says, lowering his chubby face. He does look like his brother, but a good thirty pounds heavier, well maybe less since Than is lean with muscle where as it's flab with Hyp. But even so. He's sad a looking thing, sadder than his brother if possible.

"The Titan who is your parent? Do you talk to him?" Thyme asks.

"No. He's scary. I don't like him. He likes me because I'm Sleep and he wants me to send him more people-- but me, I like bright and happy dreams," Hyp says, quickly.

"Oh," Thyme shrugs. "Well, that's where Than went according to the notes and the map."

"Right, well, let's get going," I say, fixing my t-shirt which is Zephyr's t-shirt because SOMEONE (I don't know why I say it like that, it was me) sorted the laundry incorrectly. It would help if we didn't both wear black all the time.

"Yeah, no time to be wasted."

"I just want to apologize," Hyp sighs.

"Me too," I say, giving him a hug. He freaking loves hugs. He's about as good at them as Penny.

"I just want to be able to kill in peace again without my little brother showing up and thumbing his nose at me---what?" we're both staring at him. "That's a great reason! I'm helping aren't I?"

"Yeah," I admit.

"He is helping," Hyp admits.

"So come on then. We all have our goals."