Daughter of Apollo

Kiana 22

Having Reese carry me was damn near magical. I mean, his arms wraped around my body made me feel so safe and loved it was ridiculous. But we were now two feet in front of this door that Ariadne claims the godesses reside behind.

Reese sets me down, but still holds me up slightly by my waist. The pain in my leg is still there buts about 1/100 of the pain I felt when I was slashed in the first place. Nickie still has a bandage on her throat and chest, I knew she was in pain as well. I mean, she had to fight like that.

"Well here we are." Thalia said. Zack snorted.

"Thanks your majesty." And rolled his eyes. Nickie slapped him arm lightly and he smiled down at her and they talked a little bit. Thalia narrowed her eyes at him. I assumed she didn't respond well to insubordinance. Especially from men. I decided to speak up.

"Okay," everybody looked at me and Reese. "here's the plan. we open that door and so what we have to to get Artemis and Nyx. Hunters, if he is in there find, disarm, and injure Kalona so he can't stop us. My group, we're going to get the goddesses." Everybody seemed pretty okay with that plan exept Nickie.

"Can I be part of your group?" she asked me. Zack pleaded silently with me. She wouldn't be a hunter much longer. Not with Zack in her life.

"Yes." Thalia looked furious.

"Who do you think you are telling MY hunters were they can and cannot go? Ordering this group around like you own it?" I stepped away from Reese holding my self up and walked silently over to Thalia.

"Which one of us got your little group this far? Which one of us could potentially go insane from being in this damn Labrynth? which one of us can glow? Which one of us was visited by Apollo to get this phrophecy in the first place? Oh yeah. Me. So if you don't like that I'm the chick running the show you can figure out how to get out all by yourself and abandon your goddess!" Her expression softened from anger and malice to regret. She hung her head and looked to the ground.

"I apologize. Continue." I turned around and saw Reese about three feet away. He was the only one that I knew I couldn't hurt when everything went bad. I wobbled over to him and he held me up a little bit to take some of the pressure off my leg.

Standing in front of the door,we looked for ways to open it. There was a cut out of an arrow in the top.

"Try putting one of your arrows into it." I reached into my quiver and the only ones in there were the celestial bronze and imperial gold ones that that girl had charmed. I put one of the bronze tipped ones in to the slot and the door began to open. It was extremely slow though. Reese turned me and kissed me deeply. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Nico doing the same with Laci. I closed my eyes. The door was about halfway open now. He broke the kiss and said

"Whatever happens in there Kiana I want you to know I love and I'd do anything to protect you."

"I love you to Reese. Were going to come out of this alive. I'm sure of it." Our fore heads were touching and we stood for our last moments taking each other in. The door was open all the way. There was a hulking man with intricate tattoos and giant black wings standing in our way. "Kalona. A pleasure to meet you." I said to him confidently. He laughed deeply

"Oh dear. The pleasure is all mine."