Hades Titans {BOOK 2}

XXXI. Naivety

"Evelyn! Go!" His scream was piercing, making my heart jolt as I watched the titans wrap their chains around his neck and hands and feet and waist. Every part of his body to have full control of him. "Go!". Though I could tell he was weak, he continued to fight with all his might. My hands were covered in deep red and black blood. The knife I had been holding had left a cut on my thumb from holding it so tightly. A knife was not a match to a titan, but I had managed to do some damage according to the blood on my clothes. Hayden's clothes were soaked too, only in his own blood as opposed to the titans. Perhaps a mix of both. But the deep stab wounds in his chest and back had soaked through any titan blood that was there before. I could hear grunting and yelling, and my name being called by Hayden. He'd been demanding for me to run before the titans got to me too. I wanted to run; I did run. But every direction had a titan or a monster or a barrier. I had nowhere left to run. I was winded and tired and so terrified. But also, furious. My powers were nowhere to be seen. Rory had previously said that they were seeping through, so surely, they are more sensitive than ever. Yet there was nothing. Of course not. When I need it the most it's nowhere to be seen. And suddenly there was only blackness.

I looked up to the grey sky as the rain began to wash down on us. Hayden and Dorian standing beside me. Hayden and I were drenched in blood, leaving drop after drop behind us. Paving the way from the scene of their attack to the front of the hospital with several black soldiers in front of us. Though we were out, and we had survived, there was no relief. The cold droplets of the rain hadn't relieved me in any way. I felt numb, my vision was blurry, and I could only see the grey sky above me.

I felt Luca's hand land on my belly before he looked up and smiled at me.

"He tried to warn you." His beady eyes sparkled as I recalled anything that could have been a warning. Wait. He?!

A sharp pain made me lunge forward. My mind was still swirling with the images of my bloody hands and Hayden's bloody clothes. Just a bad dream. Just a bad dream. Just a dream. I felt a sharp kick, running through my every organ. Making me wince in pain. After a second of it slowly drifting and disappearing, I felt the baby kick. Am I still dreaming? Is it really kicking? I laid my hand on my stomach, but within my touch, it was gone. My heart jumped at the thought of it. Which was the first time I had gotten so excited about the baby. It finally felt like it was a part of me. And with that, there was sadness that the kick was potentially completely made up by my tired brain.

"Hey, is it kicking?" A drowsy, deep voice startled me as Hayden's hand landed on my stomach.

"No," I shook my head, placing my hand on top of his. The heat coming from him had tamed my worry and the pain had drifted to the back of my mind. He'd always managed to make me feel at peace.

"Are you okay?" He turned, leaning closer, but keeping his eyes closed to be able to return to sleep, which I wish I had done also. His heat was comforting enough to encourage me to lie back down.

"Yeah, go back to sleep." I placed a soft his on his cheek. He seemed to have already drifted off before I had even said anything. I hoped my presence had given him the same amount of bliss and comfort. I lied beside him, watching his chest rise and fall slowly with his hand comfortably placed on my tummy. He's going to be a great dad.

I'd managed to get back to sleep, with little fuss. There was no more pain or kicking. The sun had risen and filled the room with warmth. Somehow, I was still cold. I reached for Hayden, but he wasn't there. I was alone. I could hear a murmur coming from behind our bedroom door. Intrigued, I forced myself to get out of bed. I made the bed and brushed my teeth, staring into my reflection in the mirror. Am I skinnier? I look pale and grey. My body was slowly dying. The images from my nightmares, though a lot vaguer, were on a lagging loop in my head. My bloody hands. Hayden's bloody clothes. A little boy inside my tummy. I felt exhausted. I smiled at myself in the mirror, placing my hand on my belly. But it's all worth it. Most of us will die eventually, at least I will leave a piece of myself behind.