“But…why not?” I asked slowly, even though I was pretty sure I already knew the answer.
“I’ll have to fast in solitude for two days leading up to the night of my birthday, which is when I’ll be required to kill my brother; making me the new Prime. So, I’ll be taken somewhere to begin fasting October 31st; All Hallow’s Eve - or as everyone else calls it - Halloween.”
“I can’t do this without you,” I declared, as an overwhelming dread began to fester in my gut.
“You’ll have to Pasha. I’m so sorry.”
“But I don’t know anything about the Underworld! I don’t even know what to do if, by some miracle, I
“We have two weeks to prepare. I’ll make sure that you’re ready and my mother will be there that day to help you. She’ll be able to get you into the Underworld, but you’ll have to do the rest on your own.” As my own destiny began to fall through the cracks, I thought about the risks Finn would be taking.
“And what if your brother kills you first?” The festering dread had now morphed into hysteria and fear. “I can’t lose you, Finn.” I tried to push down the massive panic attack I could feel coming on.
“I can assure you that won’t happen. I’ve been working out.” He tried to make me laugh, falling short, “And that’s why I brought this with me.” He picked up the small black box and opened it carefully. He produced a bracelet of small black beads from the velvety lining inside.
“Give me your foot,” he instructed, and I stuck one leg out. Apparently what I thought was a bracelet was actually an anklet. He secured it around my left ankle as the beads glistened in the moonlight. The same pulsing warmth I had felt earlier from Finn’s beads began to flow up my leg; encasing my entire body and lifting my frenzy of emotions. Black onyx. “Since I can’t be with you, I wanted to give you something to remind you how important you are to me. I have no doubt you’ll be successful.”
“It’s beautiful, Finn.” Not to mention its protective energy was bringing my heartbeat back down to a normal speed.
“Just one more thing. We’re going to head back to Lorelei tomorrow, knowing how soon the date of your journey must be. However, we will begin preparing…tonight.” He reached for the bottle of liquid and I realized how old it looked. It was in the shape of a wine bottle, but had no markings or labels on the outside; just a single cork in the top. It had turned hazy with age and I noticed that Finn handled it with care. He shook it gently before uncorking it, filling the shot glass with the coconut milk, and handing it to me. Expecting it to have a milky quality to it and smelled just like well… coconut.
“The closer you get to your eighteenth birthday, the stronger you will become. The rest of your abilities will begin to show themselves and sharpen. However, we need to speed up that process.
Anything connected to your ancestry will help pull out your abilities and strengths. So coconut milk from the Fortunate Isle will be a part of your diet for the next month. One shot glass worth each day,” he instructed.
I’d never had pure coconut milk before, but I liked coconut, so it couldn’t be too different, right? I turned up the shot glass. It tingled my throat on the way down and steadied my nerves even more. It didn’t have much taste, except for a hint of coconut.
“Not too bad,” I smiled.
He took my glass and placed the bottle, shot glass and black box back inside the canvas bag.
He held the Tupperware container with his palm like a waiter, swept it in front of me dramatically and pulled the lid off; bowing his head formally. Hoping for dessert, I was disappointed at what I was presented with.
He just smirked and in his worst British accent announced, “Next on the menu for my lady: an exquisite course of fresh Atlantic seaweed from the Fortunate Isle.”
“I’m allergic,” I tried.
“And I’m British,” he snickered sarcastically; making me laugh.
“You couldn’t have brought some oranges or mangos? Maybe a kiwi or two?” I asked cynically.
“You have the strongest connection to seaweed…as did Thetis. So just like the coconut milk, you’ll need to eat some each day.” I inspected the slimy mass of green in the container.
“Why do I feel like I’m on ‘Fear Factor’?”
“The tarantulas and cow intestines are next,” he warned; his tone overly foreboding. I would have to keep my gag reflex in check around him. I wouldn’t last a minute on that show. I shoved his shoulder lightly and tentatively selected a short string of seaweed to eat. It was slimy to the touch and I had no idea what it would taste like. I tried to convince myself that it was no different than lettuce.
It didn’t work.
“Okay, here goes…” I closed my eyes and dangled it above my mouth dramatically; head back, eyes closed, and dropped it. The taste exploded in my mouth, but to my surprise I didn’t immediately spit it all over Finn. It was similar to collard greens, just a lot more salty. And uncooked. And cold. But besides that, it wasn’t terrible. I opened my eyes to catch Finn in the middle of a gigantic yawn.
“Leave some oxygen for the rest of us,” I teased him. He just laughed and spread out another blanket. Was he making a makeshift bed for us? When he pulled two pillows I recognized from the couch out of the canvas bag, I glanced up at him in surprise.
“We’re going to sleep out here?” I asked, trying not to appear too eager. Sleeping on the beach in the arms of the hottest guy on earth was exactly what I wanted to do.
“Of course.”
I quickly abandoned my towel cocoon and traded it for a pillow and blanket next to him. My emotions immediately went into overdrive as I remembered what we were wearing…or more accurately…not wearing. His arms pulled me to him and I tucked my head in the crook of his neck, breathing him in. My body recognized the safety of his arms and it instantly relaxed into them. I felt a new kind of vulnerability wash over me. But it wasn’t frightening and I didn’t try to fight it. It felt more like a freedom; a letting go. Our exhaustion stifled the fire that always erupted when our bodies were this close, leaving us with a more raw form of intimacy; made up of pure acceptance and unabated love. It was amazing. And just as powerful.
“Sweet dreams,” he murmured as we both drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 14
