The Spirits of the Universe (PJO)

Chapter 26--Horses of the Night (Not Really)

Turns out, Aridne wasn't as mad as I thought she would be.

Instead, she was furious.

When we returned back to the inn at nightfall with horses laden with supplies and a dozen armed guards, she asked, "What the hell did you boys get yourselves into?"

"Don't ask me," Liam said. "It was all Percy's idea."

Aridne turned toward me, though her expression turned steely cold, as if she wanted to be anywhere but there. "Well?" she asked, and I shivered in the humid night air. 

Despite her deadly glare, I managed to stammer out an explanation. I didn't know why Aridne hated me this much, but I wasn't going to let it stop me from doing the right thing. I explained everything, from meeting the mayor to the strange events the man had narrated in the Great Forest to the prophecy guiding us to help. She listened to me with a straight face, betraying none of her emotions. 

When I was done, she took a moment to gather her thoughts. Then she asked, "Why can't we wait until the morning?"

 Now I winced. I couldn't exactly tell her about End taking control. Telling Aridne that I had two voices in my head would make her treat me even worse than she did right now. "Er . . . I was eager to get this over with."

Aridne just shook her head in disappointment. 

You're finally taking responsibility for your mistakes, End said as I stood awkwardly.

What's that supposed to mean? I asked.

But End didn't respond. Instead, the guards tried to defend me. One of the shifty men from the mayor's mansion nervously said, "Uh, miss, the Great Forest is usually the safest at dusk. That's when the spirits are the least active."

Aridne considered him for a moment, and he audibly gulped. Then in one deft movement, she hopped onto a horse. "Fine. Let's go."

That's how Liam, Aridne, and I found ourselves part of a late night expedition into the Great Forest. That sounded scary enough, but the "late night" part really got to me. Any rustle in the bushes could be someone watching us. A few twigs snapped in the distance, and, with the tall trees casting dark shadows on us, I didn't know whether I was shivering from the cold—or fear.

Ah, yes, the feeling of being vulnerable and exposed to enemies, End purred. Back in the old days, Jackson, nobody used to sit back in their castles. If you thought someone was going to invade you, you attacked them first. 

I really didn't know what was going through my head when I trusted End.

Order seemed to have the same train of thought. He told his sister, That's a horrible way to make friends in life.

Well, I can make friends when control the entire world, End countered.

And how did that go for you? her brother asked pointedly.

End went silent, which, in the creepy forest, was the last thing I needed. I looked toward the expedition members. The guards were scanning the surroundings, but given their non-athletic bodies, I had doubts they could defend themselves, let alone the rest of the party. Aridne was as unapproachable as in the morning. If she was unsettled, she wasn't showing it. Meanwhile, Liam was trying his best not to freak out, asking the guards plenty of questions: "So, these . . . spirit things, they're not going to disturb us, right?"

"They took out the last expedition," one guard said somberly. "I lost my best friend to nightmares."

"You said we would be safe at dusk!" Liam exclaimed, definitely freaked out.