Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 51038 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51038 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
“Don’t listen to him, Star.” This comes from Quaid. “If you give him those words, he’ll cross back over to Olympus and he’s gonna take you with him! Everyone you know on this side of things will be gone. Everything you have will be gone. You’ll be gone! And there’s no way back!”
I scoff at him. “That’s not even true!”
“Star,” Aric says, using that commanding voice again. “Look at me!”
“Don’t,” I yell. “Do not look at him! He’s putting a curse on you, Star! To make you sexually want him! Don’t you remember what you were doing last night when we got arrested? He had you humping his leg like a fucking dog!”
Aric’s laugh is hearty. “You’re jealous. Because that charm of yours is nothing compared to this.” He pans his hand to his dick again. Which is now hard.
I make a face. “Gross, bru.”
Poor Star. She looks like a deer in headlights. I wish I could just reach out and bring her into a great big hug. Mostly because that she wouldn’t be able to look at Aric’s dick or that weird flash in Quaid’s eyes, but also because women like tenderness in a stressful situation.
I’m the tender one. That’s me. Charming, easygoing Declan.
“Enough!” Star yells.
And suddenly, the whole place goes dark.
4 - QUAID
Istand still for a moment, wondering if Star’s anger is a source of power that has thus far been left untapped and she’s teleported us back to Olympus somehow, but no. It’s not. Because the emergency lights flash on and a voice comes on the loudspeaker. “This is a test. Lights will be back on momentarily, lady and gentlemen. So don’t get excited.”
“Test?” Declan asks, looking at me. “Bullshit. Something’s happening.”
He’s right. But I don’t admit it. The insides of my sunglasses are lit up with data, and it’s all I can do to keep up and make sense of it. Once the analysis is over, I withdraw inward so I can compile the information into something meaningful.
And then there it is. Meaning.
“Star,” I say. My voice a little bit panicked. “We need to go.” Immediately, Declan and Aric are protesting, each of them trying to get her to pay attention to them.
It’s funny, in a way, how they think they are so powerful and us mortals are so weak. But they’re standing inside mortal jail cells, desperately trying to siphon off Star’s latent magic to find a way forward.
And me—Mr. Nobody, a pathetic mortal—can pop open these cells with my mind. I’ve already hacked into the sheriff's station security network. That could be why the lights went out. But if it is, it’s a mistake. And I simply do not make mistakes.
So that’s not the reason the lights went out.
The reason is Helix Order—a group of Titan worshipers who think Star is the key to unlocking the gates of Tartarus, where the Titans have been imprisoned for thousands of years. And while I have never studied their cult documents, nor do I understand their motives—anything that opens the door between the mortal realm and Tartarus is bad news. The Helix Order will do anything to get their claws on this key she has. And if they’re close enough to be messing with the lights, they’re moments away from obtaining their goal.
I need a plan.
The problem was never the jail cells. As soon as I took over the station network, I could’ve opened them up. That’s no big deal.
But what I can’t do is get us out of this building.
If Helix is outside, we can’t get past them.
What we can do is…
Well, I hate to admit this, but Declan might be our only hope. As the demigod son of Hermes, he’s got traveling gifts. And while I don’t know for sure, I’m betting that means he could teleport us somewhere.
‘Could’ is the optimal word here. Because if it was that simple, he’d have done it already. And obviously, he’s still here.
I turn to him. “Declan, can you get us out of here?”
His side-eye comes with a sneer. “Us?” Then a scoff. “Who the hell made you part of my crew?”
“Listen to me. We don’t have much time. There’s a mortal Titan cult called the Helix Order coming to get Star.” I nod my head at her.
“What are you talking about?” Aric asks.
“None of your concern.” I turn back to Declan. “They’re here, Declan. And if we don’t get out of here right now, they’re gonna take Star. And I get it. We’re all here to take Star. But they’re different. What they do with her will be unconscionable. They’ll torture her—”
“What?” Star is standing up, her hands wrapped around the bars of her cell, staring at us. “What did you just say?”
I ignore her and keep talking to Declan. “If you can get us out of here, you need to do it now!”