The Five Demigods Who Saved Olympus | Book 1, 2, & 3

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Noelle shut her eyes once more, remembering the day before when she saw Heath for the first time in two years. She remembered the bags under his eyes, the tiredness in his voice, and the sadness pooling in his eyes. She remembered just how broken and worn out he looked. How he didn't look like he had taken care of himself at all in the time she was gone. Noelle felt tears threatening in her eyes. She eventually turned to face him and saw the sad expression still on his face.

"I don't know what to say to you." Noelle said with a quiet voice. "Especially after last night." Noelle continued. Heath looked down at the ground, putting his gloved hands in his pocket.

"I take it that was you I danced with." Heath said. After a moment, he realized it most definitely was considering Noelle had barely spoken to him and had chipped nails. Noelle only hummed in response. Heath sighed, taking his hand out of his pocket and running it through his messy dark hair.

"You know where I went after we danced?" Heath asked.

"No." Noelle said though Heath knew her answer.

"I left to find you." Heath said. Noelle shook her head, not wanting to hear it. "I needed to find you." Heath said, the neediness in his voice becoming apparent as he stepped closer to her. Noelle backed against the railing.

"Please stop." Noelle said breathlessly.

"Why? We need to talk about it. I haven't seen you in two years, and haven't talked to you in a year and a half. Why Noelle?" Heath asked, now standing with barely any space in between them. His eyes began to water.

"I know we need to, but I don't want to." Noelle said shaking her head once more, not being able to meet his eyes.

"Why don't you?" Heath asked. Noelle slowly met his eyes, feeling a pang in her chest when she saw the brokenness within his eyes.

"Because then I'm going to think about how badly I've hurt you, and how much of a coward I've been." Noelle spoke with a broken voice. Heath let a tear slip from his eye when he heard the emotion coming from her.

"And how I could've kept all of this from happening if I had just agreed to come and see you." Noelle said as hot tears dripped down her cheeks. Heath took off his gloves and reached forward to swipe the tears away.

"You're here now though, Noelle. " Heath said in a quiet voice.

"I'm not staying, Heath. I'm helping out with this and then I'm gone. Then I'm going back home." Noelle said.

"Why? Why can't you stay?" Heath asked.

"Because I'm just not ready to be back in this world. To give up my freedom." Noelle said, using the lie that now so easily rolled off her tongue. Heath never knew before, but this time, hearing her say it in person, he knew she was lying to him.

"Noelle, I need you. I don't function right without you in my life. I've missed you too badly. Don't you want this? Don't you want this as badly as I do?" Heath asked, deciding to disregard what Noelle said.

"Heath, I-" Noelle started, but a loud noise just across the river was heard. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades exited the palace and walked outside to where Noelle and Heath stood. Poseidon spotted Heath touching his daughter's face and was quick to get in between the two of them. Persephone and Hecate soon followed outside. The seven of them all cautiously headed down the steps and to the river.

"Charon!" Hades shouted, but there was no answer. Noelle then stepped forward to walk in the water, but Heath wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back.

"Not safe." Heath said. She didn't want to obey him, but eventually accepted that if Heath said it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe.

"I can create a bridge for you all to walk across the water, but I will not be able to hold it for long." Hecate said. Hades nodded and with that, Hecate made an invisible bridge for all to walk on. Hades was the first to go, soon followed Zeus and Persephone, then Poseidon, and finally Noelle and Heath. Hades then realized Hecate wouldn't be able to follow, but Hecate motioned for him to go ahead. Hades walked over to where Charon would stand normally to help others cross the river, but Charon was nowhere to be found. Zeus and Poseidon walked passed a bare tree with a lantern hanging on the end of a branch. Noelle and Heath were about to follow when Hades spoke.