Rising Heroes Book Four: The Sands of Ouroboros

Chapter Fifteen: Love and Loss

Disclaimer: I don't own HOO or VE

Chapter Fifteen: Love and Loss

The Sea of Monsters, sometime in the past

As they approached the island of Polyphemus, Adrian pulled Skye to the side. "Can we talk?" he pleaded.

Adrian had been in love with Skye for pretty much his entire life. She had always been the strong one, but also the kind one- the one who knew what the right thing was and wasn't afraid to do it. Growing up with a mom full of wisdom, Adrian could appreciate that.

And then he had lost her. It had hurt so much he couldn't stop himself from turning bitter, from trying to be upset. But he could never hate her.

Now here she was, as beautiful as ever. Her blonde hair, pale and soft and corn silk, flew in the wind. Her eyes were the color of the sea.

"Talk about what?" Skye asked.

"Our son," even the word felt strange to him. Their son. "Chase."

"What's there to talk about?" Skye tried for a miffed look, but Adrian could tell she was rattled.

"You know I would never pressure you to do anything." Adrian ran a hand through his hair. "But clearly... I mean, clearly something changed in the future. That doesn't make you reconsider anything?"

"I can't talk about this right now," Skye said stiffly. She turned to go, but Adrian grabbed her arm.

"I know I was unfair," Adrian said. "You were... are... my best friend. If you really don't want to be together that's ok. But I can't watch you detach yourself from everyone because you think you don't feel enough for them."

Skye flinched. "Addie told you about that?"

Adrian sighed. "It's ok if you don't love me," he said. "But don't loose everyone else because of that."

"You don't get it," Skye said. "Watching you be captured by the government... almost losing you... it was the hardest thing I've ever gone through. And I still couldn't love you after that! Now we're lost in time, and we might lose everyone because of me. Because I broke that stone. I'm supposed to be this leader, the granddaughter of Jupiter, the bridge between camps... and I'm useless."

Adrian took her hands, and she didn't pull away. "You're not useless," he said. "We've all made mistakes. I mean..." he laughed. "I told the general where the camps were! We all do the wrong thing when we're trying to do the right one. But everyone- everyone, Skye, loves you. Even me. Especially me."

Skye let one hand go, but held on with the other. "Can we stay like this for a minute?" She whispered.

Adrian nodded. "I won't let go," he said.

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Callie swung her feet off the side of the ship, watching the island grow closer in the distance. "Can I sit?" Addie asked, approaching her.

Callie nodded.

"How... how did you get that power?" Addie asked.

Callie snapped her fingers, and a small flame lit up between her fingers. "I have this, too," she said. "But near as anyone can figure, the shapeshifting is just a morph of Grandpa Frank- I mean, your dad's- abilities."

"Huh," Addie said. "And the future? Is it... good?"

Callie shrugged. "Dad and I- well, Ryan, we run a mechanic shop. You're this savvy business guru- totally badass." she laughed. "And I'm your first of four- triplet brothers, all 15. They're a handful, but you dropped them off at New Rome and they got whipped into shape."

Addie smiled. "And... how are you here?"

Callie's smile faded. "Rhea," she said softly. "I guess originally, you guys defeated her without going back in time. But Rhea found a way to escape, and she killed you all. But Chiron used a way to use the Immorties, and he went back in time to hide them. But one- the Aphrodite stone- became damaged. When he came back to the future using the Kronos stone, things had started to change. We came back in time to kill Rhea and stop the new future. That way you guys will go back to your original timeline, the future is never jeopardized, and everything is normal. And you aren't dead."

"But if you kill Rhea, Chiron will never go back in time to start with and the stone will never get damaged," Addie said.

"Just because a potential future is erased does not mean the actions made from that future, in the past, are erased as well," Callie quoted. "Think of our actions as trapped in amber. Whatever happens to the future, these versions of ourselves will always exist in the past."

"Did you use the Kronos stone to go back?" Addie asked.

"We did," Callie said. "But the one that arrived with us wasn't the one we used. That must have been from Gale and Gabi."

"They went back with the Immorties," Addie said. "So that means another group went back in time too- and that there's another Kronos Immortie floating around somewhere."

Callie stood and offered her hand to her mother. "Maybe that's how we'll get home," she said. "Or we fix the Immortie that came with us."

"I hope so," Addie agreed.

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Gabi tried to resist the urge to jump into the water as they approached the island. Ever since she'd gained her tail, she'd been drawn to salt and water like a mother to a flame.

Gale squeezed her hand. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Gale, unlike her brother and Skye, was actually her platonic friend. Gabi nodded.

When the boat was anchored and they had rowed themselves to shore, Adrian turned to Gabi. "We're going to talk later," he told her.

Gabi sighed. "If it's about the tail, it's nothing. It developed when I turned older, that's all."

"Did it?" Adrian asked. "Or did it develop because of Triton's curse?"

Gabi pulled his arm, hard. "Not here," she hissed.

"Fine," Adrian lamented. "But later. You're my little sister, Gabi. I'm not going to let you spend the rest of your life underwater."

That was the least of Gabi's worries as they approached the cliffs; but she couldn't help but feel relief at his words. Maybe she could stop Adrian from becoming the brooding, disinterested older brother who had let her get cursed in the first place.