Chasing Destiny [SYTYCW15]

Romania, 1941

"Piss and blood," Akantha swore. "What are you doing here?" She pushed him away, or tried to. He was solid as a brick wall and moved as much as one would. Gods below, why did he have to show up? He was the last person in the entire world she wanted to see.

He laughed and affectionately rubbed the spot on his cheek where she slapped him. "Thorny as always." Her temper and irritability had always endeared her to him. He loved that part about her, but he also knew from first hand experience that she could be warm and loving. He loved her from the first moment he saw her. She was young, naive and blushed easily.

"I invited him," Morana said. Akantha looked past Damianos to see Morana leaning against the door frame. There was a self-satisfied smirk on the immortal's face. Akantha would have hit her had she been closer. "You wanted help finding the spear and Damianos said he'd help you."

"I don't need his help," she insisted. "I just needed information on the Spear."

"Stubborn as always," he commented and a sardonic smile adorned his face. "But that's what I love about you."

She looked at him and her gray eyes narrowed. "I hate you."

"No you don't," he countered. He couldn't count the number of times she had said that she hated him and he didn't believe it each time she said it. At one time she had the right to hate him, but that had been over twenty four hundred years ago. Now she said it out of habit more than anything. "I know it. You know it. Yet you keep saying it. Don't you get tired of lying to yourself?"

"Help is help," Morana smirked.

"I asked for your help, not his."

Morana just shrugged. "You wanted help. Does it matter where it comes from?"

"I'm not that desperate."

Damianos laughed.

"Shut up," Akantha growled at Damianos. Over two billion people on the planet and the one she couldn't stand showed up. She couldn't get away from him soon enough.

He put on his best innocent face and smiled at her. Gods, he loved her and loved getting a rise out of her. It had been too long since he last saw her.

Akantha rolled her eyes and brushed past him toward the closet. She had fallen asleep as soon as her back hit the mattress and she felt more grimy than before. A long soak in a hot bath would be heavenly, but she had to get moving. The Nazis wouldn't take time off from their search. Clean clothes would help counter the grimy feeling until she had time for a proper bath.

"I'll leave so the two of you can catch up." Morana smirked when Akantha turned and glared at her. "Food is ready downstairs if you're hungry." She slipped out of the room.

They both watched Morana leave. "Why are you here?" Akantha demanded as soon as the other immortal was gone.

He sighed. Just once he would like to not have to verbally spar with her. It would be a nice change of pace. "Morana sent word the Nazis are after the Spear of Destiny and you were asking for help to find it before them. I was in the area, so I'm here to help."

"I don't need your help," she retorted as she pulled a white blouse out of the closet. "Matheus and I will find the Spear." She tossed the clean shirt on the foot of the bed and started removing the soiled one she wore.

"By Zeus' beard," he swore, "you are so...." He fell across the bed and watched her undress. A smile stretched his mouth as he watched her. His eyes drank in the sight of her. "Beautiful."

Akantha looked over at him when he stopped speaking. "Do you mind?"

"I don't mind at all," he leered. "It's not like I haven't seen your body before."