The Grace Curse

Chapter Fifteen

I REFUSED TO EAT ANYTHING. I was silent for the rest of the way. I looked up and Aaron and Zoe stopped us outside of D.C. to rest. I think it was safe to say we all had enough for one day.

"Chase, you need to eat," Blake urged. I didn't respond. Color was coming back to his face. He looked more like his old self now; fair skinned, good-looking, and most of all goofy. As for me, I seemed to grow more beastly, both physically and mentally. I tried my best to distract myself and thought of Blake. I always admired his ability to stay calm in tough situations. Back in Grace Memorial Preparatory School, I helped Blake through his sophomore year while trying to live through my own junior year. I remembered how I ran for Senior Class President at the end of the year and won. Blake was there to support me all the way through the campaign, he was my anchor; but now, when I needed him the most, he just couldn't help me with what I needed him to.

Aaron stopped in front of me blocking my path. "Blake is right Chase, you both haven't eaten in a day or two, and would you take that hood off you look horrendous,"

I glared at Aaron trying to intimidate him. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious. Don't speak to me," Whatever I did worked because he seemed to back down.

The son of Apollo just sighed and sat down. He brought out some Saltine's from his backpack and handed them to Blake. Zoe took the lead while fixing her blonde ponytail. I wanted to rip her by it and pull it off her scalp and watch her bleed in agony. What is going on with me? Why am I feeling like this? I want to hurt everyone. "The Labyrinth entrance is just beyond the end of the Potomac, there's a big temple to Poseidon just ahead," He continued. "I think we will be in the Labyrinth by nightfall,"

Blake laughed with food in his mouth. "Mhm, good crackers, Saltine's make everything better!" His eyes quickly widened as he brought something out of his back pocket. "Oh Chase, I forgot this is yours, you handed it to me when we landed," He handed me the mirror that Apollo gave me. I took one glimpse at myself and almost shattered it.

"I don't want it," I turned away.

Aaron's eyebrows rose. "Wait, is that...?"

Zoe went wide eyed. "Aphrodite's Mirror, how the hell did you get it? We looked ages for that thing..."

I bit my tongue. "Apollo," His name stung like a lingering wound. I looked back into the mirror and became even more depressed to see my current state. My eyes had stayed blue, maybe to serve as a reminder of what I once was. It was Apollo's sick joke to leave that quality behind. My skin however, looked chalky white instead of fair. Before I could get angry again and slam the mirror to pieces, an image flashed into it. A restless blonde girl; she was traveling through what appeared to be a tunnel running for her life. I caught a glimpse of her face before it dissolved, she looked fearful for her own life, as if she was being hunted by something.

"What did you see?" Aaron asked.

My head flared up with anger as I let out a hiss. "Back off,"

Aaron looked taken aback by my anger. "Look I get it, you feel hopeless. But it doesn't mean you should take it out on me. I didn't put a curse on you, Apollo did. I am your ally Chase, you should start treating me like one," I felt my insides grow infernal. I wanted to scream and tell him this was totally his fault but realized violence wasn't going to solve the problem.

"I promise you when I get the chance, I'm going to kill Apollo,"

Ferrum suddenly let out a laugh and spoke up. "Whoa whoa whoa. Chase what the hell happened to you?"