tears. The support from them means the world to me, and the fact that they're both here by my side tears me apart. I never thought that I even deserved forgiveness, but the fact that they support me means so much I can't even put it into words.
We enter the student center. Unfamiliar faces stare back at me. Ari stands beside Cristos, speaking to a group of men that I don't recognize. They're huddled beneath a basketball hoop, Ari leaning against the brick wall. I look between the two new faces he stands with, both dark and shadowed, but friendly nonetheless.
My eyes travel to Ollie. Dimitri stands behind him in the back of the room near the far bleachers. It's almost like he's afraid to bring Dimitri anywhere near me, with the way they huddle in the back. I shake my head at Dimitri, even though he's not looking, wanting to get a rise out of him.
Professor Onassis sits on the bleachers, in what seems like the front of the room. A few women speak with her in hushed tones, laughing. Their demeanor throws me off. They seem like they're at a high school reunion, whispering and giggling. Not a war recruitment meeting.
I look behind us as we stand in the doorway and notice that the guys aren't here yet. The three of us walk towards the middle of the room. I look around, trying to understand why these people came to help when my eyes catch Professor Onassis. She waves, her trial hand in the air. I excuse myself from the girls and walk over to the bleachers.
"Darling, I'd like for you to meet my sisters, Mimi and Lee. Girls, this is Eurydice, the wonderful young girl I've been telling you about." I look between the three women. It's painfully obvious that Cece is the oldest.
The two other women don't look a day over twenty. It's clear that they haven't begun to age yet. They share the same violet eyes, filled with worry and passion. They also share a small stature. I can tell by their warm eyes that they're friendly. It's the same type of feeling I got when I first met Cece, not too long ago.
"It's great to meet you both." I hold out my hand and shake both of theirs. They smile at me, quiet, but reassuring.
"We're honored to meet you, Eurydice. You have our support."
"Thank you," I say, cutting my eyes to Cece. She nods, a proud smile on her face.
"I have a little surprise for you," Cece says, smiling like she'd holding onto a big secret. "Go into the hall. Be back in ten minutes, because I'll introduce everyone."
"A surprise. What?" I mentally try to figure out what it could be.
"Just go, dear."
I nod, lean forward to hug her, and run into the hallway. I push through the metal double doors and look both left and right. I see him standing against the wall of windows, just a few feet down the building wall. I jump into his arms, and he easily catches me, grunting with my weight.
"I missed you so much, baby girl."
"I missed you too, Dad. What are you doing here?"
"Your lovely professor may have called me and told me what was going on since someone hasn't called in over a week. So, I thought I'd come for a visit and we could talk."
"Thank you. I needed this," I tell him as he leads us over to a bench. We sit side by side; for a moment, we're silent. I bask in his presence, his comfort, his familiarity. I don't want to have to go back inside.
"What's going on in that head, Ryder?"
"I don't know. I'm so confused. I know that this is the right thing, but it doesn't feel right."
"What feels wrong?"
"I'm leading these people to their death."
"You don't know that."
"Don't I?"
"Listen," he says, grabbing onto my shoulders and turning me so I face him. His wrinkled eyes are full of love. They always are. "These people love you and support you. They're making the choice to go into the Underworld with you. That's on them. If I could, I would go with you."
"I wouldn't want you to."
"But I still would," he says, a knowing look on his face.
"I've killed demons."
"Were they attacking you?" I look
We enter the student center. Unfamiliar faces stare back at me. Ari stands beside Cristos, speaking to a group of men that I don't recognize. They're huddled beneath a basketball hoop, Ari leaning against the brick wall. I look between the two new faces he stands with, both dark and shadowed, but friendly nonetheless.
My eyes travel to Ollie. Dimitri stands behind him in the back of the room near the far bleachers. It's almost like he's afraid to bring Dimitri anywhere near me, with the way they huddle in the back. I shake my head at Dimitri, even though he's not looking, wanting to get a rise out of him.
Professor Onassis sits on the bleachers, in what seems like the front of the room. A few women speak with her in hushed tones, laughing. Their demeanor throws me off. They seem like they're at a high school reunion, whispering and giggling. Not a war recruitment meeting.
I look behind us as we stand in the doorway and notice that the guys aren't here yet. The three of us walk towards the middle of the room. I look around, trying to understand why these people came to help when my eyes catch Professor Onassis. She waves, her trial hand in the air. I excuse myself from the girls and walk over to the bleachers.
"Darling, I'd like for you to meet my sisters, Mimi and Lee. Girls, this is Eurydice, the wonderful young girl I've been telling you about." I look between the three women. It's painfully obvious that Cece is the oldest.
The two other women don't look a day over twenty. It's clear that they haven't begun to age yet. They share the same violet eyes, filled with worry and passion. They also share a small stature. I can tell by their warm eyes that they're friendly. It's the same type of feeling I got when I first met Cece, not too long ago.
"It's great to meet you both." I hold out my hand and shake both of theirs. They smile at me, quiet, but reassuring.
"We're honored to meet you, Eurydice. You have our support."
"Thank you," I say, cutting my eyes to Cece. She nods, a proud smile on her face.
"I have a little surprise for you," Cece says, smiling like she'd holding onto a big secret. "Go into the hall. Be back in ten minutes, because I'll introduce everyone."
"A surprise. What?" I mentally try to figure out what it could be.
"Just go, dear."
I nod, lean forward to hug her, and run into the hallway. I push through the metal double doors and look both left and right. I see him standing against the wall of windows, just a few feet down the building wall. I jump into his arms, and he easily catches me, grunting with my weight.
"I missed you so much, baby girl."
"I missed you too, Dad. What are you doing here?"
"Your lovely professor may have called me and told me what was going on since someone hasn't called in over a week. So, I thought I'd come for a visit and we could talk."
"Thank you. I needed this," I tell him as he leads us over to a bench. We sit side by side; for a moment, we're silent. I bask in his presence, his comfort, his familiarity. I don't want to have to go back inside.
"What's going on in that head, Ryder?"
"I don't know. I'm so confused. I know that this is the right thing, but it doesn't feel right."
"What feels wrong?"
"I'm leading these people to their death."
"You don't know that."
"Don't I?"
"Listen," he says, grabbing onto my shoulders and turning me so I face him. His wrinkled eyes are full of love. They always are. "These people love you and support you. They're making the choice to go into the Underworld with you. That's on them. If I could, I would go with you."
"I wouldn't want you to."
"But I still would," he says, a knowing look on his face.
"I've killed demons."
"Were they attacking you?" I look
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