"Seriously?"
Am I truly the only one in Rosethorne who forgets to bring her school-issued umbrella?
The professor raises a brow at me from under the dark shelter of his umbrella. "Well? What are you waiting for?" He already has his fingers around my wrist before I can even think of refusing, and a memory of the professor's tongue thrusting inside of my mouth flashes in my mind as he yanks me close.
Shit, shit, shit.
I quickly mutter an apology as I jerk away, and I determinedly pin my gaze straight ahead as we resume walking.
"Are you alright?"
"Why shouldn't I be?" I ask airily just as our shoulders brush against each other, and it's all I can do not to recoil from the contact.
O Bella of Forks, help me!
I hate the way my body seems hyper-aware of the professor's nearness, but more than that I'm ashamed of it, and I just wish there's a way for me to get rid of this crazy connection I seem to have with him.
When I finally catch a glimpse of Dark Rose House, I nearly sigh in relief, but this quickly turns into dismay when the professor doesn't show any signs of slowing down. It takes me a while to realize where he's taking me, and my unease grows. How high up is the professor in the order that he's also aware about the location of the god's hidden cabin?
The moment I see the wall of mist that magically keeps the god's property from view, I nod jerkily at the professor and mutter an awkward goodbye under my breath. The less we have to do with each other, the better...but the professor clearly believes otherwise as he suddenly captures my wrist and prevents me from leaving.
"Leave him, Halyna."
The harshly spoken words come out of nowhere, and it takes me a moment before I can recover from my shock and try yanking my wrist out of his hold. "I don't think—-"
"Leave him." The professor's grip tightens. "Leave him, and choose me. Be with me. Relationships between humans and gods rarely work—-"
"Hades and Ever—-"
"Is an exception," he bites out. "A one-in-a-fucking-trillion exception, and do you really think you and our god are that? Choose me, Halyna. With me, your life will be normal. And if you're worried about how he would react, I can tell him myself—-"
It's this last phrase that wakes me up, and I quickly yank myself free from the professor's hold. "Are you crazy?" I hiss under my breath. "Have you forgotten he's a god—-"
"I don't give a fuck—-"
"Then you should!"
The professor has always been coolly rational and composed, so I don't get why he's suddenly proving to be insanely unreasonable at this moment?
Our god is my lover.
A full-blooded ancient god who's starting to make Olympians look like teenagers. And the professor surely knows this, too...so why is he saying things that are guaranteed to piss my god off?
"Choose me, Halyna—-"
"No!" I finally manage to wrench my wrist out of his hold, and my heart aches at the way his jaw clenches. "It's too late," I say jerkily. "You're too late—-"
"You've only known the god for days—-"
I look at him incredulously. "And that makes him different from you how?"
I see his lips tighten, and I know I've made my point.
"Your life will never be easy with him," the professor says quietly. "You know that, don't you?"
"I do." It wasn't something I let myself dwell on, but the thought has always been there at the back of my mind. "And for the record: I never thought it would be easy—-"
"Then why, for fuck's sake? Do you crave for power? Immortality? Is that it?"
I wish I could be furious over the professor's words. I really wish that. But how can I when all I see in his gaze is this fierce need to make me his alone?
"I'm sorry, professor."
It's all I can think of saying in the end, and the ache in my heart sharpens as I turn away and feel his gaze still pinned to my back even though I'm already well past the mist and no longer visible.
Just keep walking, Halyna.
Don't look back.
You've made your choice, so stick to it.
And somehow, I make it.
Even though my heart still aches, and my eyes itch every so often, I manage to walk all the way up to the god's cabin without looking back. I even start thinking I'm okay, and I almost convince myself of it...until the cabin's front door suddenly swings opens, and another set of memories flood my mind as I find myself staring at a massive leonine beast.
All at once I'm reminded by all the things a certain god has lied to me about, and I hear myself ask, "Could you switch to your other form?"
Of course.
I put my hands out as soon as the beast disappears from view, and I hear my god grunt when I almost end up poking his eyes.