The Thousand Year Curse (The Curse Books) (27 page)

We start walking in a comfortable silence holding hands. A constant heat wave travels around my body from his touch. Every once and a while I sneak at peak at him admiringly but this time, he catches me, winking. I blush crimson before facing forward and focusing on the boring walk.
 

Everything is rock. Every direction you look there is rock on top of rock on top of rock. They aren't even cool rocks—dull brown and grey.
 

"20 questions! Please." I beg him, breaking the unbearable silence, wanting to talk. I elongate the e's whining like a three year old who wants to get their way.
 

"Do I have to?" He asks me exhaustedly, using my own begging techniques. The puppy dog eyes almost get to me but I don't let it. I want to know about Ari and pass the time. I'm sick of looking at the same landscape over and over.

"I'd like you more!" I exclaim, hip checking him. He slides me a mischievous glance and after a couple of long seconds, he finally nods, letting go of my hand and shoving them in his pockets. I stride a couple paces away from him before turning to walk backwards. Finally, we get to do something fun.
 

"Let's see, we'll start easy. What's your favorite color?" I ask him, trying to keep it surface to begin.
 

"Black. What's yours?" He asks back, monotone.
 

"Green." I say not thinking. We need to work our way up to the harder questions so I think of an easy one. I have twenty, I have to make use of them all. "What's your favorite season?" I ask question number two.

"Winter. Yours?" He asks back.
 

"Fall." His one word answers aren't starting up a plentiful conversation so I think deeper. "How are you immortal?" I just blurt out the first thing that comes to my mind.
 

"Well, my parents both are full Gods. They aren't crazy powerful or popular like Orpheus'. They weren't into arts either. We were big into animals. My father was actually a bee keeper and my mother loved animals. Anyway, I was born around the same time as Orpheus but our lives couldn't be more different." He explains to me.
 

He doesn't ask a question back so I blurt out another thing that's been plaguing my mind. "Tell me a story of when we first met?" I know it's a statement but I say it like a question, hoping he'll let it slide.
 

He opens his mouth to answer me and then shuts it, his brows knitting together as his eyes meets mine. They are a deep green. "That's not a question." He states, shutting down while averting his gaze to the ground as his fingers knot together.
 

"Please. I want to know about us. Tell me a story of when we were together and happy." I stop, walking backwards grabbing both of his hands. I trace circles on the backs of them reassuring him that it is okay to open up to me.

"This isn't the first time but it's one of my favorite lifetimes." He pauses to collect himself, his pulse picking up in his wrists. "I met you May 1813. I was in the Navy at the time. I know it's cliche and all but you were a nurse.
 

"We were on the USS Essex in the Atlantic. We had lost a ton of guys to another ship, the HMS Alert that night. I was caught in the shoulder with some shrapnel. Obviously, I'm immortal so I wasn't really in any danger—a good nights sleep and I'd be okay.
 

"Meeting you was complete luck. I didn't feel you at all. You came over to my bed in the infirmary on the ship and I knew it was you. I felt like you knew me as well. We had this crazy connection right off the bat.

 
"The chemistry between us was palpable. I told you I loved you that day and you felt my head for a fever. You laughed at me but you came back to my bed more than any other sailor on board.
 

"After our ship was hit, we went back to port. I lived on base and you stayed nearby as well. We dated and built a real relationship. I told you everything, the whole story of our cursed lives—at least my side of the story.
 

"You never once doubted me. You listened to me. You understood why I am the way I am. Basically we lived happily ever after. You died when you were forty which was old back then. We were so happy in that life. You accepted me and helped me get through everything before and after for a while." He laughs under his breath, looking me in the eyes. I can see tears threatening to spill over making his green eyes glassy but he ignores them. I feel myself start to get emotional but stop it before it starts, not wanting to upset him, too.
 

He opens his mouth and starts to talk again. "You want to know the best part about that whole life?" He ask and I nod needing him to continue. "Orpheus never showed up."
 

CHAPTER TWENTY

river of pain

"What do you mean he never showed up?"

"He has to ruin every fucking lifetime!" Ari lashes out, dropping my hands and jogging forward leaving me in the dust. I finally catch up to him and grab his hips from behind, twisting him towards me. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pull him down to me, hugging him with every fiber of my being.
 

"Thank you." I say to him. "Thank you for sharing that with me. You have no idea how much it means to me." I hold him longer, wanting to make him understand how much it really means to me that he opened up.
 

He lets go of me, turning towards the path refusing to meet my gaze. "We have to keep going." He seems a little shaken by story time as we walk in silence but I get it. I'm sure it's hard for him to remember all the times I've died.

We walk until we reach a dead end where the shadows stop, creating a line in front of us, blocking our vision. Looking in each direction all I see is more blackness. I hold onto Ari's hand tighter uneasy by my blindness. He kicks a rock forward, and as it skitters, it clinks down what seems like a cliff, loudly landing at the bottom.
 

"What the hell are we supposed to do?" I shriek, realizing we've reached a dead end that crushes my hopes. I look over the fifty foot cliff and my stomach flips. I jump back, clinging to Ari.
 

"Relax, Eury, we're at the first obstacle. This is Akheron." Ari explains very calmly.
 

"What's that?" I ask not understanding what he said.
 

"It's one of the five rivers we're going to have to cross." He further explains.

"We just cross a river?" I ask him. That doesn't sound so bad. Of course to get to the river we have to jump down this cliff of doom.
 

"This one is called the river of pain if I remember correctly." He confesses, my face instantly falling. We're screwed, totally screwed. I'm guessing by the cliff that Hades wants us to jump straight into the river which in turn causes us pain and then we die.
 

"Got any ideas?" Ari asks. I shrug my shoulders in response and offer up jumping but he shoots that down real quick. He assures me I will feel no pain. He devises this crazy plan that, if it works, we'll be okay.
 

Walking to the very edge of the cliff, I jump up on his back—piggy back style. Since there's a high possibility of death, I lean over and kiss his neck, sending rows of goosebumps across Ari's back. He looks back at me, surprised. "Good Luck." I whisper into his ear, praying that he can do this.
 

"Ready?" He asks. I'm afraid if I speak then my emotions will run rampant so I don't. I'd rather stay quiet and pretend we are just jumping in a lake. Ignorance is bliss. "One... two... three!" He says and it all happens so fast. He jumps and I shut my eyes, too nervous to watch the fall. I completely rely on Ari.

Next thing I know, I'm being tossed around violently. I open my eyes, now face to face with Ari. He must have flipped me completely around mid fall.
 

Before I comprehend what's going on, he grabs me under my arms and tosses me aside, landing me directly on a hard rock. I tuck and roll but my shoulder takes the hit, making me cry out in pain.
 

I hit my hand on a boulder when I finally stop moving and struggle to stay conscious. I don't think I black out. I try to stand and get my bearings but wobble a little, holding onto the wall to dust myself off.
 

Where is Ari?
 

A blood curling scream turn my attention to the river. While flinching from the loud crying, I follow the sound getting louder and louder with pain. The screaming stops completely and I fear the worst—he died.
 

I run as fast as humanly possible to get to the riverbank when I see Ari's limp body floating. I gasp at the horrific image.
 

He's close enough to the river bank where I can touch him but I'm not sure if I'll be able to pull him out, without falling in myself. I don't care though. I have to try and save him.

Slowly I bend over grabbing onto his shirt. I pull him until he's at the edge of the water. I try to get him fully out but he's heavy and my fingers slip, dropping him back in so his body submerges completely.
 

My fingertips graze the water causing pain to shoot through my entire body. That brief touch is excruciating. I feel like every single bone in my hand has broken over and over again, never stopping the cycle.
 

Clutching my hand to my chest, I lay back on the rocks letting heavy tears roll down my face. The pain hurts so bad that I can't even feel it. I cry for a second more before I realize that Ari must be feeling this pain as he lay in the water. I muster up as much strength as I can and reach for him again, taking him by the neck.

I drag him until he's completely out of the water. I fall back from exhaustion, his limp body landing on top of mine. I want to get us as far away from the water as possible.
 

I crab crawl back with Ari in my arms towards the wall, wanting to lean against it as a crutch. There's a small cave like nook that looks like a good place to stay until Ari comes to, so I move us there. It's dark but I can see Ari clearly—his face blank, yet oddly peaceful.
 

I lay Ari's head on my lap and start stroking his hair soothingly I don't know how he's feeling and I don't know how to make this better, but I want to help. I rub his head and play with his hair, hoping he feels comforted. I lean down to listen for breathing and thank God, he is.
 

"Don't leave me now. I need you." I admit to him, burying my face in his damp chest. I cry into him and although he isn't awake, just having the warmth and comfort of his body makes me feel better. I'm not sure how long we lay there, Ari passed out and me crying into his chest.

Ari's chest moves as a long breath comes out and I pop my head up, staring down at his face. I want him to wake up so badly that I fear it may just be my imagination playing tricks. A small smile spreads across his face signaling that he's coherent. His eyes stay closed but his arms cling onto me tight like safety. Finally his beautiful eyes open and they stare straight into me with admiration.
 

I can't help the joy I feel when he finally wakes up. I grab him, hugging him tight, never wanting to be scared like that again. He makes a gurgling sound and I realize that I'm hugging him too hard. I losen up a little bit and then question him.
 

"What happened back there?" I ask, my voice betraying me by shrieking.
 

"I had to save you." He whispers.
 

"You sacrificed yourself for me?" I ask, not understanding why he would do that.
 

"Always, Eury." He states giving me a duh expression, like I should already know that. I blush at his admission.

"Thank you." I say, not knowing how else to show him how much he matters.

"You can repay me by never letting me swim in that damn river again. Shit hurt." He jokes, returning back to his old self. I smile down at him, touching the side of his face as I run my hands through his thick hair.
 

"I touched the water when I was saving you and it killed. I can't imagine what you felt. I'm so sorry." I apologize, guilty that I took so long to save him.

"You think we can just rest for a little. My body's still hurting." He says, grasping for words.
 

"Of course. I'll keep you safe now." I claim as he closes his eyes. He curls up on his side, tucking his head into my stomach while he wraps both arms around my body.
 

I must have drifted off to sleep because I wake up with a start, jumping when I realize where I am. I push Ari aside wanting to progress in our mission. I make sure he is comfortable and then get up noticing the change in weather. I'm not sure how long we were asleep but the area is now really hot—my hair matted down with sweat.

Ari wakes up behind me, with a panicked look on his face. His head swivels, taking in his surroundings until he spots me and relaxes. He walks over to me and places both of his hands on my face, staring at me to make sure that I'm okay.
 

"What's the matter?" He asks. I get the feeling of de ja vu when I know this is that dream I had a couple nights ago! The cave, the worry—oh my god, the kiss.