The Amateur Archaeologist

Chapter 45:- Nathan

Nathan was in the backyard of his broken home. Lounging on a recliner sipping margaritas under the shade of a red umbrella which had a little hole around the corner.

"Hello Nathan," I said as sat down on the sand.

A groan escaped his lips as he put down his margarita. "What do you want now?"

"Nothing," I sighed as I soaked in the sun-ray, "you said it didn't you? That one day I would visit you because I wanted to and not out of obligation."

"I never thought you would take it literally."

I laughed, "Well here I am. What are you doing here alone?"

"I'm not alone," he pointed towards a small stone where the letter E was inscribed. "I'm with my brother."

"You're with what?"

He laughed, "I cremated him and buried the urn here."

I laughed nervously. We sat in the sun for quite sometime without talking. The sun rays were sharp and bright, earlier, I would've cringed and felt out of the place. But now, I couldn't help but sense that I was home.

"I met Alexis," Nathan said after sometime.

"Oh yeah?" I hummed, "what did she say?"

"Not much," he sighed, "I cleared Spencer's name for you... told her it was Ethan at fault and not her."

"Did you tell her he's dead?"

He nodded, "Told her they're both gone."

"How'd she react?"

He smiled, "She gave me her stuff and said that atleast they're together in heaven."

"That's... nice. How'd she know they are in heaven and not in hell?"

"Because you didn't know them like I did, Sugar-lumps." He took another sip. "Ethan was a good guy, a little flawed but a good guy and Spencer..." he chuckled, "ah! Crazy Spencer, I never saw a woman as strong willed as her."

A sigh escaped my lips.

"It's hard," his voice broke, "it's hard being the one that's still alive. Ethan is gone and Spencer lies beneath the ground."

"I know how you feel," I put my hand above his.

"Sometimes I still can't believe Ethan is... gone, I look over the beach and think that he's going to come any moment... any moment he'll ring the bell and immediately start complaining about the damn heat..." He sighed, "I chant... I keep saying Ethan is gone, Ethan is gone, Ethan is gone until I start believing."

"Does it help?"

He shook his head. "Sometimes... but then my eyes travel to our picture and..." he laughed, "I get lost in memories."

"Atleast you have them."

"That's true," he sighed, the glass of margarita fell from his hand and spilled on the sand. The wetness soon dried up under the scorching of the sun.

My hands travelled to Gravity who sat quietly beside me, I picked her up and gave it to Nathan who looked at me with the most puzzled expression.

"Why are you giving me this?" He asked.

"Well... I have no need for it," I answered, "it's yours."

Nathan sighed as he pushed it towards me. "It belonged to Achilles till the day he died on Troy, it was then passed on to Spencer through the Order, it's now yours Ivanka, you still have a long way to go."

"I don't think I do," I sighed, "She told me to find Atlantis... it's already been found Nathan, the reason I'm alive and not running is because they're already there... in Atlantis carrying out their plan. So at this point, why bother?"

Nathan was bewildered. His face was the exact copy of Amelia when I told that I wasn't going to search for Atlantis... that it was all for nothing.

"My mother died so you could complete what she couldn't."

Amelia had said coldly before she left the room.

I shook my head in dismay as I closed my eyes, soaking in the heat of the sun.

"You're Spencer's granddaughter," he sighed, "so I think you know your history."

I nodded.

"In any folklore... did the Gods ever ask humans for help?"

I shook my head.

"I assume you met some on your little adventure."

I bit my lip as I remembered Artemis's parting words.

"Your silence can only mean you did..." he sighed, "which one was it?"

"Artemis."

"Ah!" He smiled, "the Goddess of the Moon... ever since she was a kid, Spencer had wanted to be a part of the hunt. I'm going to be a Huntress! She used to say... the day you left for New York... I saw the same flames in your eyes that I saw in hers all those years ago. For the first time ever... I mistook you for Spencer."

"What are you implying, Nathan?"

"What happened?" He sighed, "there is something bothering you."

Of course there was something bothering me. There were loads of things that were bothering me. But I didn't want to share them with anyone, I wanted to push them down into an abyss until they started to eat me alive.

But looking at Nathan's stormy grey eyes, that abyss disappeared into the unknown.

"When I told my friend about what was going on... they agreed to help. It seemed like the right thing but then one got kidnapped and the other almost died."

Nathan looked at me like I was a lost puppy.

"Even then when I told them what had to be done, they agreed. Despite the complications... the road Spencer expected me to take is a dangerous one, Nathan. I cannot.... I just cannot."

'I want to help," Maya's image flashed in my mind, 'you're my friend, Mckenzie. If you're thinking that withholding information will stop me from helping you... you couldn't be more wrong.'

I closed my eyes and let the sun take me away.

"You heard about the prophecy then," he sighed, "Spencer was afraid of it."

My eyes immediately shot open. "How do you...?"

Nathan chuckled. "Spencer and her secrets, sugar-lumps. The prophecy was engraved on coffin... Spencer found the grave. It was Spencer who discovered the prophecy."

A groan escaped my lips. "Is there anything she didn't do?"

"Discover Atlantis," said Nathan, "she left the task to you... to destroy whatever evil the Order wants to lay their hands on."

"I... I want to," I remembered the smile on Artemis's face, "I want to but..."

"You're afraid."

I nodded.

"It's perfectly acceptable, surgar-lumps." His voice was calm and loving. "You've been so brave up till now, it's okay to feel afraid. It's normal to feel afraid, she will always be with you, Ivanka. To guide you and to lead you. So will the others, take the step, Ivanka. There are dangerous ahead but so wonders."

I closed my eyes and stood up.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Taking the step," I smiled as I bend down and kissed his forehead. "Thank you... for everything."

Nathan smiled, "Her things are in the box on the couch." He said, "I didn't touch them... you can take them."

I nodded as I stepped out. But before I could leave, I turned back. "Nathan," I said, "you aren't the only one left... I found another."