Eyes: The Story Of A Blind Heroine

Chapter 17

"No! Please don't leave me alone! Can you sit with me for a while?"

I turned my head in the direction of Elise's frantic plea. Immediately, I knew what must be happening. Trauma is a terrible thing. "Okay," I said, resuming my seat next to her.

Elise, who had taken up residence in Chelsea's manor for a while, and I, were sitting in her new bedroom. I had momentarily gotten up to ask for coffee, but Elise's plea had me pausing. Now, I sat, holding her hand, trying my best to channel healing energy to her through my touchen It didn't take much effort. The thing with Apollo's magic is that it worked with emotion and intention. All you had to do was to intend for it to channel into someone and let your heart do the rest.

Lady Rhea, I called telepathically, hoping that I could, at last, get the hang of it, if you have some time, could you please have some coffee brought up? I would have come downstairs, but Elise is ... kind of unstable right now.

Do not fret about it, my dear, Rhea's deep, motherly voice came in return, "I shall bring it right up.

Praise be your kindness, I thought instinctively. Then I remembered. She had told me once before that sometime, long, long ago, she had been a goddess in her own right. "I have retired from that position," she had said. However, I couldn't help praising her. She still was a primordial being and besides, she "" an awesome primordial being.

From beside me, Elise whispered, "Thank you, Bridge. Your healing ability is really giving me life right now."

"I can honestly tell you that that is probably the best thing I've heard in a long time," I said with a chuckle. Then, struck by a nasty thought, I stopped laughing. "Uh ... if I may know, what were  their deal? Look, I know they tried to get to me through you and all, but that was extreme."

"Phoebus," Elise replied. I could taste the bitterness with which she spat that name out. "that absolute sack of pus ..."

I shuddered. "Gross."

"I know. All I've ever wanted was to get away from that crowd, from him, his asshole brother, just ... leave all of that behind. Being a demigoddess, I thought, maybe, if I prayed to my father for a semblance of ... help, of empathy ..." Her voice cracked. "Brigid, I ... I envy you, you know. Your father is warm and kind, if a little pompous at times ... Apologies, lord Apollo ... Just ... If you're the daughter or son of Zeus, you are on your own, unless ..." By this time, Elise was sobbing, "unless you reflect all that is admirable about him, and that's if you're a boy. If you're a girl, even worse. I was only supposed to be beautiful, you know. When I was down there, begging for my life, I prayed for my father to step in. In a way, I suppose. Bridge, why can't he just snap his fingers and make Phoebus, Percival and all those dickheads disappear? Why can't he just put his fucking younger brother into a slumber he can't wake from, or Thanos him into nothing? Why is all of this shit happening?" By now, she was full-on sobbing, inconsolable.

I leaned in and pulled my friend and fellow demigoddess into a tight hug, whereupon she proceeded to unload her sorrow into the cloth of my dress. I absorbed her sadness, a few tears rolling down my own cheeks in empathy. All the while, I sent out all the healing energy I could generate. She cried with so much sorrow in her voice, her cries sometimes rising to a despairing wail that made my heart feel as though it were being crushed. Her heaving shoulders and the desperate way she clung to me didn't help matters any.  I just held her until her sobs had somewhat subsided. She then lifted her head, took a shuddering breath and croaked, "Sorry ... I'm so sorry ..."

"Don't apologise for one second," I said, giving her a final squeeze before letting go. "I understand. You just underwent something that I'm not even going to try and comprehend, lest I have a fricking nervous breakdown, so it's natural. Just know, honey, you're safe here. Phoebus, Francesca, Percival, none of them can enter here." Or so I hoped, but I wasn't going to tell her that.