TAMING APOLLO | completed

18. a pre death-day celebration

G A Y L E

18. a pre death-day celebration

❝A MORTAL AND AN EX-GREEK GOD WALK INTO A BAR, both completely power and weaponless..." I narrate as the stairs creek beneath our feet.

Apollo flashes me an annoyed glance and my heart beats faster. "What? Humour. It's how I cope." I explain with an air of nonchalance I'm surprised I can obtain at the moment.

To be honest, I'm freaking out. We have no clue on what possibly could have happened Thalia and Hercules, and our only lead is this bar that just suddenly appeared in the middle of nowhere.

Now, I don't know about Apollo but that sounds like a trap right out of the handbook to me.

Apollo's hand grasps onto the handle, he spares me one last look before slowly pushing it open. There's light coming from inside, telling us that there's definitely somebody in there.

We both remain still for a few moments in silence, having a mute argument with our eyes until he finally works up the courage to open his mouth and speak. "Ladies first." He motions for me to go inside, opting to throw me into the lion's den.

I scowl at his words, shaking my head vigorously. "I'll be lookout." I think on the spot and come up with a valid reason to not go inside.

He frowns. "Lookout?"

"Yeah, who knows what sort of unforeseen dangers are lurking out here... It'd be better to have somebody monitoring the outside as well." I whisper in an eery sort voice, the type they use in horror movie trailers.

Apollo then shakes his head, not buying my act for a minute. "If it's so dangerous out here then I'll be lookout." He counters, pursing his lips as one of his brows arch innocently.

There's only one thing to do in situations like these, when you're cornered with nowhere to turn and no excuse to look into;

"Rock, paper, scissors?" I suggest with the shrug of my shoulders, holding out my already shaking fist for Apollo to take the bait.

He mulls it over for a second and nods, holding out his fist for us to play. "Fine. Loser has to check and see if those two dimwits are in there." He challenges and I nod with an air of determination.

I smirk deviously, knowing deep down that I am the champion and that I've never been beat in a single match. If Thalia were here, she'd probably tell him not to do it, cause I never lose.

"Rock, paper — " our grudge match is interrupted when a deafening shriek cuts through the air from inside the bar.

It sounds like it's come from Thalia and even though she's my guardian I find myself with the overwhelming need to protect her.

I push past Apollo and jerk those old creaky wooden doors open. The only defense I have against whatever kind of beast is hurting my best friend is my fists, but that's the last of my worries once I've rushed to her aid.

My worry slowly begins to fade when I realised that all my urgency and worry was all for nothing, and that Thalia and Hercules are absolutely bloody fine.