Abandoned- a pertemis story Ψ ☑️

Speculations. Chapter 19

Ready for another Chapter? I bet you are, let's get on with it.

ΨPercyΨ
I laid down on my bed in the motel we'd gotten. Carmen and Alexus had gone out again so it was just Artemis and I.
Again.
It happened annoyingly often.
I stared up at the ceiling as Artemis slept on the bed next to me.
Thank the gods there were two beds.
The light was on because I was too Lazy to do anything.
"How could I be this tired?" I muttered to myself as I turned my head to look at the nightstand.
The notepad sat there, open with my name scribbled in and speculations all over the pages.
I groaned and flipped the notepad closed.
There was a sound at the door and the sound of it unlocking.
I groped for Riptide that sat on the nightstand next to the notepad as it had been used to write on it.
I put my thumb under the cap, ready to pop it off at a moment's notice.
The door pushed open to reveal Carmen who out the key down on the other nightstand.
He spotted me and gave a small wave before walking over and sitting on the foot of the bed.
"Are you okay?" He asked, looking at me as he took off his shoes.
"My body has been trying to die for the past two hours." I said loudly, putting my arm over my eyes.
Carmen nodded and slipped off the bed, falling to the floor and laying there without moving "I feel you."
I turned my head and shifted my body to look at him "are you okay?"
Carmen raised his arm flexed his hand "I can't... feel my arm. It's really- it's really weird. I can move it and everything but I can't actually feel anything." He kept staring at his hand and I'll be honest I couldn't stop staring at it.
"Ah. I'm sorry..." I said quietly.
Carmen sat up and looked at me "What for?"
I felt a little taken aback. I didn't expect that answer.
"If I'd taken the brunt of it? If I'd paid the price, you'd still have your arm." And your dignity.
Carmen sighed, setting his arm down "Yeah I would have. But you didn't pay the price because I paid it. You didn't make me do anything. This was my choice."
I thought about that "it doesn't make me feel any better."
"That's just because your a cool guy." He remarked and opened the Nightstand, taking out The Holy Bible and flipping to a page.
I furrowed my brow "why are you reading the Bible?"
Carmen kind of shrugged and closed it "for kicks. It reminds me just how much mortals affect the gods, and not just the Greek ones."
I nodded. I'd forgotten just how big the world was. Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, maybe even Mayan. There were many many cultures and gods that presently existed. It didn't matter what you believed to be true because, at this point, all of it is true.
"Where's Alexus?" I still had trouble thinking of her as Artemis's daughter for multiple reasons. One, Artemis looked maybe a year younger than me and Two, it just didn't sit right with me.
"We were looking for anything that may have helped with the prophecy and why the monsters have gone all haywire with their planning but she said that I needed to rest and get used to my arm." He huffed out a sharp breath as I snorted.
"She was all like your can't push yourself' and 'absolutely no fire' and 'one of us has to be worried for your health' and it's been the most annoying thing ever." He rolled his eyes and I chuckled a bit.
"You do realize she cares for you right? You two get along surprisingly well, it's amazing how you haven't realized just how nitpicky you guys are at each other's wellbeing." I remarked, remembering that they'd gotten into a weird dynamic over the past week or so.
Carmen coughed as though he was choking "okay first of all nitpicky is not a word and second of all she can't possibly care for me."
I ran one hand through my hair "why not?"
Carmen didn't seem to know to say "well... you know... I'm kind of a trashy person and she's, well, she's all 'pure' and 'noble' and stuff. It makes sense that she wouldn't want me to die because she's good but she doesn't really care about me. She doesn't get worried about me." The worst part was that he really seemed to believe that.
"I think you keep misreading us. You're so used to the Rouge Demigods and even your isolation that you keep thinking it's just like then where people work to keep themselves alive and help others only for profit." I thought I'd gotten it on point.
Carmen puffed once more and turned on his side "people aren't nice. It's almost impossible to find good people like you. But even you have a dark side..."
I closed my eyes and thought for a moment "that's mostly true. But have you ever considered the fact that you've never really spent enough time with the good?"
There I had him stumped. He didn't have an argument against that.
Carmen stood up with little difficulty and then went over to the couch "yeah, okay." He muttered quietly, taking off his jacket and draping it on the back of a chair.
He removed his glove and stared down at his metal arm, looking out of place and uncomfortable.
He tore his eyes away from it and pulled out a bed from the couch, putting the pillows and sheets in their appropriate places.
He laid down and gave me a curt nod "I'm out. Get some sleep." And then he conked out like a light.
I stared down at him for a moment. Will he be okay? Will any of us be okay?
One of the prophecy lines echoed within my mind.
None will come out the same.
Wether it would be a good or bad change was yet to be seen. I kinda wanted to keep it that way.
Artemis stirred and sat up, rubbing her cheek and spitting out a strand of hair.
"What time is it?" She asked as she stretched and yawned.
I checked the clock "about ten pm."
She laid her head down on the edge of her bed and closed her eyes again "I need more sleep then."
I smiled a little "yeah. You need all the rest you can get now that your mortal, huh?"
Artemis bobbed her head slowly "yeah." She muttered sleepily.
I watched her unsuccessfully try and get comfortable "come here. I'll give you some of my pillows." And she ever so slowly got up and shambled over, plopping down on my bed.
"Thanks." She yawned and out her face into my pillows, tugging on the blanket and pressing her cold feet to my bare leg.
I tried not to flinch away (holy Hades were her feet cold) but I was also super confused.
"Artemis? Why are you- why are you in my bed? Just grab some pillows and go back..." it's not that I didn't want her in my bed. I wanted to be alive when I woke up, not murdered by Alexus or Artemis herself.
Artemis shook her head "too far of a walk. Your warm. I don't really care..." she muttered this, already half asleep.
"Don't you have a thing against sleeping with guys?" I asked, grasping at straws.
She shook her head and tugged on my hoodie that I was sleeping with "not you. Your warm and I'm cold. It's fine for now... I won't turn you into a- into a-." She yawned and started to fall quiet "-Jackalope..."
I could almost hear my heart pounding. Artemis, miss goddess of virginity and the whole swearing off men tribe, was curled up next to me in one bed, not because she was forced to but because she wanted to. I didn't know if sleepy Artemis was more lenient or just more irrational but either way woke Artemis would probably kill me.
I won't turn you into a Jackalope. She'd said.
I thought about it.
Technically she actually couldn't seeing and she was no longer a goddess.
However she was very capable of stabbing me in a multitude of ways and in a verity of integral organs.
I went against my better judgment and put an arm around her, feeling her supernaturally soft hair against my fingers.
I put the blanket over us and settled into the bed, snuggling into the pillows.
It's probably better I do what she wants for now... you never know.
I closed my eyes and let sleep take me, the dreams covering my mind like a thick blanket.
——
Eyes that circled with every color of the rainbow peered at me from the dark gloom.
I couldn't see where I was, all I could see where those eyes and the outline of women.
The outline was the same color as her eyes, oddly enough.
I found that I couldn't move my body, I was incapable of speech and any sort of anything.
I couldn't feel my heart and I didn't seem to be breathing.
The lady stroked my cheek with her hand, carefully and soft.
Her hand felt oddly warm and caring but occasionally she'd press a little too hard and her hand would burn me like a furnace.
When that happened she would make a sound and apologize in a smooth silky voice.
"It's about to begin, my little hero. You've come so far, and become so powerful!" Her face split into a wide smile, revealing sparkling white teeth.
"You've attracted so many powerful beings, defeated them too, but there is always a bigger fish. You like Star Wars don't you?" She tucked a piece of her hair behind an ear "nothing can really get Chaos's attention, least of all a demigod, but he certainly noticed you. That's why I'm here. Sorry your not important enough for even an actual glance from chaos. He is the thing that created all the other things you know. Don't be so sad."
The women smiled with what looked like affection. What exactly did she want from me? Why was she talking about chaos?
She stroked my head and patted my arm "the hard part is coming, Hero mine, so you'd better prepare. The pain will come and try to tear you apart. Please don't let that happen... I'd like to see what the fates have in store for you."
The lady leaned in and pressed her lips to my forehead which made it feel like it was being submerged in lava.
My vision blacked out with pain but her voice rung within my mind.
Oh my darling, the trials will be hard but I've got faith in you. After all, the cosmos fate teeters on your finger!