Apostolos I Summon You to Human Form

Chapter 08

In a panic, Acheron closed his eyesand reached out through the entire city, feeling for Accalia.Nothing. He felt his breathing quicken, and he tried to suppressanxious thoughts of her in danger, or of her suffering. He focusedhis powers to pinpoint the location of the necklace he'd given her,and instantly manifested himself in its location.

"Oh my god!" shouted a femalevoice, followed by a soft thump.

Acheron wheeled around and foundAccalia on her back on the floor, in her underwear. Her legs weretangled in her piano bench stool. His face mottled as he blushed andhe knelt down, offering a hand to help her up. She took it, and herose along with her. She cringed and looked down at her leg. Acheronfollowed her gaze. There was blood on her ankle, dripping from afresh wound.

"Aw, shoot, I guess I got cut when Itripped." She sat down on the chair she'd stumbled over and liftedher injured foot on her opposite knee so she could get a look at theinjury.

"Allow me," Acheron said softly,as he knelt again. He touched the cut gently, and within seconds, asharp jolt of pain shot through her leg, but it was completelymended.

"Oh wow, thanks, Ash."

His heart fluttered at her first useof his usual nickname, and he met her eyes. He wasn't wearing hissunglasses, so she could directly see the silver of his eyes. Thesmile in hers made his heartbeat quicken. Aside from his startlingher into an injury, she seemed perfectly fine.

"Welcome... your old apartment. It'scompletely bare."

She sighed, feeling a heavy weight inher stomach as she imagined how he must have reacted, seeing all ofher stuff gone. He'd expected her to stay safe, and then suddenly tohim, there was no sign that she'd even been around her old place.

"Yeah. I moved back home to Seattle.My dad was in a car accident and his pelvis was almost completelycrushed. I'm helping mom take care of him and the house while herecovers. The accident kinda happened out of nowhere so I had to pickup and go pretty quickly."

Acheron softened and stood up. Shefollowed suit. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"I wanted to," she started. Infact there was quite a lot she wanted to do involving Acheron. "ButI was thinking of my father, at first we weren't sure if he wouldcome out okay. He did, of course, and I hated being on the other sideof the country. I thought about using the necklace to summon you likeyou told me, but I personally wasn't in any danger, and I didn't knowif it would have made Artemis angry. So I felt it wasn't the greatestidea."

"You couldn't have messaged me?"

"I don't have your phone number...or email."

His face mottled again and he steppedover to sit on her bed. "At least one of us here still has a headon their shoulders."

Accalia sat next to him. His worryover her hadn't escaped her notice. The look on his face when he'dfirst arrived terrified her. He'd seemed so desperate and panicked.His blush now gave him such a cute boyish look that made her want tosmile, but in the moment it felt inappropriate. "I'm sorry, Ash. Iwould've told you if I knew how. Maybe I should've tried praying orsomething," she said off-handedly.

He smirked and looked to her. "Ishould be surprised you hadn't tried."

"I'm failing as a follower aren'tI?"

"You should step your game up,you're slacking."

She laughed and playfully shoved him.He was so big and muscular that he didn't move at all. Realizing herstate of dress, she quickly stood to finish dressing in her pajamas,pulling on a pair of pants and sliding into a large tee. She took herbra off underneath the shirt and threw it in the corner by herhamper. She knew Acheron had seen literally countless bodies over theyears, and he would be the last person she'd expect to make any kindof advance on her. She felt comfortable around him. "So whatbrought you to my old place?" she asked, crossing her arms casuallyand leaning against one of the posts of her bed.