The Forest Gods' Reign [Published]

Chapter 18: Countdown

.

It was still dark in my head, but I slowly started to regain feeling in my limbs, and the first thing I felt was my arms tingling from the warm touch I knew immediately was Alec's. My heart started to race as I concentrated, trying desperately to hear and see the world again.

"What did you do to her?" I heard Alec hiss angrily, probably directed at the untrustworthy Jason. As my eyes struggled to flutter open and color slowly returned in place of the blackness, I just barely managed to channel enough energy to squeeze Alec's hand to let him know I was fine, and he instantly returned his focus to me.

His blue eyes lit up as they met mine, but his eyebrows were still knit together with worry as he carefully helped to sit me up on the grass, keeping his arms around mine for protection. I stiffened, knowing that letting him get that close to me was a bad idea in the long run. (Perhaps my leaving of the camp would also be a good time for Alec and I to spend some time apart and hopefully to let his feelings towards me cool down a little bit.) I could also tell that Alec was still wary of Jason, who just gazed at me in bewilderment.

Finally Jason seemed to wake up from his trance, and he ordered to no one in particular, "Get her a drink." Then Jason scratched his head and asked, "Are you okay, my lady? What happened?"

Alec shot him an annoyed glance and looked back to me before I answered quietly, "I have to go now. I knew I should've left sooner."

Jason raised his eyebrows and smoothed down his light brown hair before protesting, "But you just passed out! Surely you need to rest?"

Alec glared coldly at Jason and said curtly, "If she says she has to go now, then she goes now." Unlike Jason, Alec knew better than to argue with me at a time like this...well, at any time, actually. Brushing a few pieces of grass off of my white tank top, Alec leaned down towards me and asked again, "What really happened?"

I sighed, then whispered only into his ear so no one else could overhear. I didn't want to worry these Knowing people any more than they already were. "Aphrodite," was my one word explanation, but Alec nodded in understanding because I had told him about my dream early in the morning.

Jason gave the two of us a confused look, as if he wanted to know what was going on as well, but he didn't get the chance to press it because just then, the Knowing's nurse Jan rushed over, holding a glass of lemonade with ice. She carefully handed it to Jason, who then gave it to me. Slowly I took a sip, then started coughing in shock over the taste. The surprised Alec quickly sat me up straighter and started to rub my back, trying to end my little coughing fit. Alec gazed at me with a questioning look, but instead of a spoken answer, I handed him the lemonade. Alec raised one eyebrow at me, and I nodded as a sign of approval and encouragement.

Alec shrugged and took a huge sip of lemonade from the tall glass, while the people that were crowded around us gasped in shock, and I knew what they were thinking. What just happened? Did Alec really just drink from the same cup as a goddess? Was that even allowed? Good grief, was it really that crazy of a thing to do? I sure didn't think so; it's not like I had a disease or anything, after all.

After swallowing the sip of light yellow lemonade, Alec made a vey unpleasant face. Jason, looking terrified, sputtered worriedly, "Is-is something wrong with the lemonade?"

"It tastes terrible," Alec said, shoving the glass back into Jason's hands.

Jason's face turned as white as a sheet of paper in horror and embarrassment. "But," he started, "it just came from the regular batch of lemonade. What could be wrong with it?"

Alec and I both glanced at each other sheepishly. Because truthfully, there was nothing really wrong with it - both of us knew that. But when you're used to enjoying the very best lemonade in the world, lemonade-flavored powder mixed with water just can't compare, and it comes as quite a shock when you're not expecting it.