The Grace Curse

Chapter Twenty-Three

I WAS PRETTY SURE AT THIS POINT I WAS COMPLETELY LOSING MY VOICE. My screams echoed against the silver vents of the air system. I was tumbling into the complete unknown paths of the vent. "OW!" I collided violently into wall after wall creating obnoxious loud banging noises. I really hoped Apollo wouldn't be at the bottom. I spied a giant black hole at the bottom of the chute. No! I pushed my legs on either side of the vent; it looked like a long way down. A rush of wind rushed up from the darkness below, I nearly tumbled down. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead, I was beginning to slip unable to maintain my grip any longer. I needed to descend slowly, or I wouldn't end up in one piece. I breathed heavily and strained my muscles. Something was crawling around in the vent behind me. I stopped breathing; I couldn't alert anyone of my presence. I waited, and waited, and...I saw someone looking over me. It was Artemis.

"APOLLO! I FOUND—!" CRACK! Something wacked Artemis in the head. Whew! That was too close.

Bethany appeared hovering over an unconscious Artemis. "Was I just in time or what?"

I nodded carefully struggling to hold on. "Thanks,"

Bethany noticed I was still stuck over the pit. "Whoa! Easy there! Here let me get you out," She reached a hand over and helped pull me out.

"What's down there?" I asked trying to recover from my tight situation.

Bethany frowned. "Your one-way ticket to the Underworld,"

I froze. I did not want to fall down there. "What do we do with her?" I asked looking down at Artemis.

Bethany shook her head. "Nothing, just follow me. We need to get the hell out of here," She pulled me in the opposite direction. "Where is Andromeda?"

"She's still up there," I said.

"And Zoe?"

I looked away. "Next to Aaron's corpse," I felt no guilt. Nothing. Aaron was a monster, just like his father. My actions were in my own self and completely warranted defense. Aaron deserved it as much as I would never wish death on someone. He had betrayed me, and us all for that matter. I put my trust in him, knowing full well he could betray me; yet I did anyhow. I stopped thinking.

Bethany led me down another pathway. I struggled to keep up. A loud noise sounded above us. I looked up and could see cracks in the floor. I leaned my head towards it hesitantly.

I looked through the vent holes and saw Hecate standing against Apollo. "I will not tell you where they are!" She yelled defiantly.

Apollo laughed at her. "Look Lady Macbeth, just tell me where they are before I push you out a window!" Hecate didn't laugh at his joke. Dionysus was the God of Drama, I'm sure that wasn't Apollo's joke to say.

"I'll never tell you!" She screamed. Hecate had a magic orb in hand; she looked towards the direction of the crack in the floorboards. She nodded one final time to me and mouthed a single word, go as my mother once had. A loud explosion shook the building. Bethany grabbed me and pulled me through the vent.

I clunked my head on the ceiling part releasing a loud groan. A blaring siren sounded. "ATTENTION! VENTILATION ERROR! VENTILATION ERROR! SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY IN VENT SYSTEM A!" I cursed to myself. Apollo would know where we were now. Bethany crawled with the speed of light as she dragged me along. I didn't know where the next turn in the vent would be she was pulling me so ridiculously fast. I couldn't even comprehend what was happening. Light streamed up ahead.