UnTamed [Book 3]

We Head to the Doors of Death

Sorry to keep y'all waiting- I've gotten back in the habit of updating the stories in a specific order so I don't end up not updating a story for a year or something like that (which has happened twice I'm very sad to say...). But for you Lukyn shippers, you get some fluff :)

Chapter Quote:
"I try not to think. It interferes with being nuts."
~Leo Valdez, Mark of Athena
  ____________________________  

Chapter 34: We Head to the Doors of Death

Silena and Derek were more sleep deprived than they realized because they slept for ages, not even waking up when a drakon came to attack Damasen. Luke, on the other hand, did, and the first thing out of his mouth was Bryn's name.

Bryn couldn't help but smile at the sound of his voice, partially from relief that he was okay and partially from hearing him say her name as if he cared about no one or nothing else but her.

"I'm here," she replied, getting out of the chair that was way too big for her. Luke struggled to sit up but Bryn stopped him. "Take it easy. You had some nasty curses put on you. Last time I saw you awake, blood was coming out of your nose and eyes."

"Really?" Luke blinked in surprise.

"Yeah." She stroked his hair back, trying to entice him to lay back down. It didn't work though. He sat up (after a lot of effort) and leaned against the wall.

"Gods it's good to see you moving and talking," Luke said, giving her a smile. "I thought I'd never hear your sassiness again."

Bryn chuckled as sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm not letting you off that easily."

"I wouldn't want you to." Luke kissed her on the head. "So where are we?"

"Have you ever heard of the giant Damasen?"

"Yeah, he was supposed to be the bane of Ares or something."

"This is his place. He's giving us shelter. He's out right now. You'll meet him later." The two of them fell silent but Luke picked up on the turmoil in Bryn's mind, as he usually he did.

"What's bothering you?" Luke asked looking at her.

"We're stuck in Tartarus. Pretty sure that's a good enough explanation," she replied. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't everything. How was she to bring up the topic that Luke had pretty much killed the arai by controlling their blood? It wasn't exactly an easy thing to bring up.

But whatever thoughts were about to run through her head disappeared when Luke kissed her. His hand cupped her face, pulling her closer. When they broke it off, Bryn whispered, "What was that for?"

"To remind you that whatever is going on with you, no matter how big or small it is, I'm here to help you," he replied. "Also I just really wanted to kiss you again."

Bryn sighed, unable to figure out how to bring up what she wanted to talk about. Finally she simply asked, "How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"The arai. I know you were the one that killed the rest of them. I couldn't because I was paralyzed, Silena was blind, and Derek was being viciously attacked by an arai. So how did you do it?"

"Why am I getting the feeling you already know?"

"Because I want to hear it contradicted. If you did what I think you did... that's a dark path to go down Luke."

"I couldn't think of anything else, Bryn," Luke said, cringing. "You were about to die, Silena was about to wander off to a place I wouldn't have been able to see her, Derek was being mauled by an arai... I couldn't think of anything and I'd rather risk going down a dark path if it meant saving your lives than staying on the good path and letting you die. I already got you killed once and damn it, I'm not doing it again."