we grow closer, and encouraging us to connect.
The other good thing is that we hadn’t seen any signs of this great evil that Persephone’s lover spoke of. Even though we’ve all been on high alert since. Part of me is hoping the strange woman was wrong.
Today is like every other day. We’ve been walking in the dark tunnels for so long that we’re all searching for any signs of a place to rest for the night. Orion is behind me, and Blaise is in front of me.
At the beginning of all our “days,” we talk a lot. They tell stories about the surface and how much it's changed since I was imprisoned, telling me wild stories that are hard to believe, and I tell them about Hades and Andros in the Underworld, and even my daughter. I even finally feel comfortable enough to tell them about her parentage, and about how I secretly fear what consequences being half-demon will have for her on the surface. To my relief, they neither seem to judge me nor my daughter, which is necessary if we have any hope of being together.
Because once we get to the surface, all of us will be a family, including my daughter. If they can’t love her too, then nothing real can ever be between us.
But near the end of our days, we’re all quiet. Breathing hard. And solely focused on climbing. Like now, when my mind keeps going blank, and my feet seem to drag as I stumble. I keep telling myself the resting place has to be just up ahead, but time drags on and there’s nothing to indicate that we’re going to be able to rest any time soon.
Suddenly, I stumble and I fall back. I hit Orion’s chest like a brick wall and fall down, my chest and belly hitting the dirt. Panic rolls through me as I grasp my stomach, my heart racing.
“Are you okay?” Orion asks, kneeling down.
Blaise turns and comes back to me.
“I’m fine,” I say, but I know they can hear it in my voice. I’m not.
“Hecate?” Orion sounds worried.
I finally look up at him. At first I’d subconsciously just not talked about the baby. But as time passed, I was scared to mention my pregnancy. I know how precious pregnancies and babies are to the gargoyles, and I don’t want Orion’s feelings to be influenced by it. But now, I know I have to tell him, and I’m scared for so many reasons.
But mostly because I need the baby to be okay. I don’t even feel pregnant yet, but I love the child growing inside of me.
“Hecate?” Orion touches my cheek.
“I’m fine...but I hit the ground pretty hard. And...and the baby.”
His eyes widen.
He says nothing. Blaise says nothing. Silence seems to swallow us whole.
“You’re...pregnant?” Orion finally manages.
I nod. “I wasn’t sure if I should tell you. I didn’t want you to feel...stuck with me.”
A strange look comes over his face, and he slides me into his arms and stands. I look at Blaise. There’s uncertainty in his face, but as Orion starts forward, Blaise is forced to continue walking.
The silence between us now is charged, but I’m not sure how. Is Orion angry with me? He seems angry, and he won’t even look in my direction. And Blaise? He keeps glancing back as if concerned about Orion, so I know I’m not the only one thinking this isn’t a good sign.
Still, Orion continues to carry me through the tunnels, neither slowing or stopping. I look between Blaise’s back and Orion, trying to gauge how they are feeling. But after a time, I feel too damned tired. Resting my hands on my baby, hoping and praying that the child inside is safe, I let myself drift off to sleep.
When I startle awake, I have no idea how much time has passed, but we’ve reached another resting place. They undo my cloak, and Orion gently sets me down on top of it. I sit up, strangely wide awake now, and feeling lost and confused.
“Are you upset?” I blurt out.
Both men look surprised.
“Andros and I didn’t plan this. It just happened.”
Orion hesitates, and then says, “And you’re certain the child is my brother’s?”
Fury unleashes inside of me. “Are you suggesting I was with someone else?”
“Gargoyle pregnancies are rare. And given the circumstances, almost impossible in this situation.”
I’m blinded by rage. I stand, grab my cloak, and say, “I’ll finish the rest of the journey alone,” before marching toward the tunnels.
Blaise blocks my