The Mortal who Stole My Heart

Chapter 1- The Fates Pull Some Strings

I looked down at my phone, rereading Melody's text: Columbia Lions Party tonight. I think the soccer team is going to show up! Wear something sexy in case any of the boys play for your team <3

I didn't know how she was already getting invited to big parties and it was only the first month of our freshman year of college, but I wasn't complaining. I replied to Melody's text saying that I would meet her at her dorm and started changing.

I didn't know if a college athlete party was going to be much different from the parties we'd been to in high school, but I dressed as Melody advised: sexy. I knew that I wanted to wear my black skin-tight leather pants for the sole purpose that they made my ass look good. I threw on a white tube top, thankful that while I was genderfluid, I was still, DNA-wise, a boy and thus didn't have to worry something would pop out. I put on a black choker, my designated "party" shoes, and rushed out the door.

I knew the real reason that Melody wanted me at the party was the soccer player, Lane. Before she'd even moved in, she'd done a comprehensive analysis of all of the athletic teams and scoped out the best candidates. She needed a wingman and someone she could easily fall back to should it not go the way that she wanted. My phone buzzed.

Melody: You should prep in case you have sex ;)

I rolled my eyes and rushed back into my house. I made my way to my bathroom, douching and using some wipes before heading back out the door. I hailed a taxi and soon enough I was off.

♡

Melody greeted me with a warm hug. We had somehow dressed very similarly, though she was in a black top and white pants, the opposite of me. She grabbed my wrist, looking at the bronze bangle I had gotten from Kiera. It concealed a bronze replica of the Aegis shield wielded by my mother, Athena, and I prayed that Melody didn't accidentally set it off.

"Cute! Where'd you get it?"

"It's from a friend," I replied, causing Melody to sigh.

"You have a new best friend now?" I shook my head.

"Nope, no one's replacing you any time soon." We both laughed.

"Alright let's get there before all of the drinks are gone." She dragged me down the street, before we found ourselves at an apartment building. She buzzed what seemed to be a random apartment. The front door unlocked and we headed upstairs. Surprisingly, the apartment's door was unlocked, revealing a plethora of kids our age, a can or cup in everyone's hand. No one seemed to notice us as we walked in, but heads started to turn as we made our way to the drinks.

"There she is!" A deep voice boomed as a 6'5 black man walked over to give Melody a hug.

"Hi, Ambrose!" She was dwarfed in the hug as Melody was about a foot shorter.

"Who's the plus one?"

"My best friend, Josh."

"Nice to meet you Josh." Ambrose extended his hand, which I shook.

"Nice to meet you too." Ambrose brought us to the bar, allowing us to get some drinks before he went back to milling around the party. I poured us shots of vodka, before downing the liquid without making a face. Melody wasn't as tolerant as I and stuck her tongue out in disgust after the alcohol went down.

"I don't know how you do that so well." She chased the vodka with a Sprite as I poured us another round. I was putting down my third shot when I felt a hand on the small of my back and turned to see someone I thought I would never find again. Standing to my right was the boy I had seen once in the San Francisco International Airport around two months ago, right after my friends and I had rescued the goddess, Iris, from Lelantos. His beard was a little more full now, though still a little thin in places. His medium-length wavy blonde hair, now styled, still perfectly framed his warm brown eyes.