Wrath of the Gods [Legacy, BK 3 - Hiatus]

3.2 - Jett

I walked with Hunter back down the hall, and John followed behind us. Overwhelmed was an understatement. I didn't think that trying to find more of my family would lead me into the middle of a war. Was it worth staying just to figure out the magic? Did I need to know exactly what happened to my parents? There was a good chance they were dead. Long dead. And killed by witches.

"Don't try and figure it all out tonight," Hunter suggested.

We were standing outside a door and I realized I'd spent the walk here all lost in thought.

Hunter opened the way in, and let me in. John did not follow. I got the impression that he wasn't thrilled with my presence, or with anyone's presence. He instead, opened the door across the hall and disappeared into the room.

"What's his deal?" I asked. The room Hunter and I were in was simple. A twin bed, neatly made, a nightstand with a lamp. There was a chest of drawers with a couple of personal items on top. A book, some loose change, a tube of chapstick.

"John is complicated," Hunter said. He grabbed a mesh collapsable laundry basket and started tossing stuff in. Everything from the top of the dresser. Some clothes from the top drawer. "He's having a tough time with his magic, and on top of that, he's having issues with his family."

"He's still got parents? That's lucky." I couldn't stop all the sourness I felt from slipping through into my voice.

Hunter cringed, pausing in his quick packing to look at me. "Not really. It's a long story and it's not really mine to tell. Just don't hold his attitude against him. He's been through a lot these past few weeks and it's probably not going to get better any time soon."

I made a noncommittal noise and went to sit on the bed. "Are you sure it's ok that I take your room? I don't want to put you out."

Hunter's mood shifted quickly and he grinned at me. "Don't worry about it. This probably would have happened sooner rather than later. I spend most of my time with John, so this has become more like a big locker. I'll grab what's left and take it over, and the room's all yours for however long you want it."

He straightened. "The bathroom is down the hall, you can't miss it. The sheets on the bed are clean, and there are clean towels in the bottom drawer of the dresser. And, John and I are just across the hall if you need anything."

Oh, so they were a thing. Cool to know. "Thanks."

Hunter turned to leave. And I remembered that someone mentioned that he'd been thrown into learning all this as I had.

"Was it hard for you?" I asked suddenly. "To learn all this? To get used to it?"

He paused at the door, looking back at me. "I wouldn't say it was hard. It's different. Before I met Ezra and John, I was just another college kid. There was nothing really special about me other than what I could do on the football field, and even then, there was a bunch of guys that wanted to take my place.

"But I think, for me, a big part of why I stayed was the talent, the magic. Once they showed me how to use it, I couldn't see having it and not using it to help defend what we have and to keep all of us as safe as possible." He paused and grinned at me. "Well, all that and John."

That wasn't at all what I expected to hear from him. "Oh, okay."

Hunter grinned at me. "Get some rest. Where we're going tomorrow will be so different from anything you've seen before. You'll want to be ready for it."

He left me then, pulling the door closed behind him. I stared at it. Was I going with them tomorrow? The way Ezra had made it sound was that only a few of them would go, as few as possible. That would leave me here, right? As the newest and lowest on the totem pole. So why did Hunter make it sound like I was going with him and Ezra to wherever this temple was?