Ch.6 Their First Face to Face Meeting... continued
879 Words
With a shaky breath, I asked, "Pardon? Help?"
"Yes, sir. This is 9-1-1 emergency services. You were hit by a car. Miss Lilly there witnessed the incident and called for assistance. Could you please confirm your name and location?" Maddie’s voice was measured, but there was an edge to it—a sense of urgency that only made the confusion gnaw at me more.
Her name was Lilly? Lilly. A beautiful name for a woman who was absolutely breathtaking. Wait a second... Lilly? Is that her full name? Or is it just Lilly? Focus, Damon. Car? What car? What sent me to Olympus? A car! Gods damn it, it was a car!
My mind spun into chaos, images of destruction flashing, the cold waves of Neptune threatening to break through my mortal form. My control was slipping fast, but I couldn’t let that happen—not now, not with her right there.
I glanced down at the phone, trying to steady my breathing. "My name is Damon Okeanós. I’m a professor here at Guadalupe University. I teach witchcraft, religion, and—" I stopped mid-sentence as I looked back at Lilly. Her face was pale now, her body trembling slightly with shock.
The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable, before Lilly spoke, breaking the tension. "Maddie, I don’t mean to interrupt, but I hear sirens. Do you need me to stay on the line until they arrive?" Her voice was tight, and I could practically feel the anxiety radiating off her.
"Yes, I’ll stay on the line until the paramedics take Mr. Okeanós to the hospital," Maddie responded without a second thought.
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at that. "Oh, there’s no need for that. I’m fine," I interjected, hoping to put an end to this ridiculous formality.
"Mr. Okeanós," Maddie persisted, her tone more urgent now. "At least let the paramedics assess you. There’s a high possibility you’ve suffered internal injuries or a concussion."
I couldn’t help but smirk, despite the situation. "No need to be so formal. Just call me Damon." My eyes drifted slowly, almost lazily, over every inch of Lilly’s frame before they locked onto her gaze once more. "And to answer your request, Ms. Maddie, I’ll let them check me over, but no further treatment unless they find something serious."
As the paramedics, officers, and firefighters swarmed the scene, I couldn’t pull my eyes away from Lilly. Every movement, every word she spoke, seemed to resonate with something beyond the mortal realm. There was a grace to her—an ethereal quality that was impossible to ignore. I would almost believe she was a goddess if she weren’t so... mortal.
But that didn’t quite add up, did it? If she were a goddess, I’d have met her ages ago. I’d have known her—eons ago, even. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was far more than what she appeared. The way she moved, the way she carried herself—it was as though the very air bent to her will.
Well, I thought, staring at her, whatever she was, I was certainly going to find out. But first, I had a feeling my unintentional car accident might have just become the least interesting thing about today.
I felt it—the gaze. Cold, suffocating. It crawled over my skin like a shadow that didn’t belong. My eyes were locked on her—on Lilly—but I didn’t need to look to know something else was watching me. Watching us. The weight of it pressed in, suffocating, and that laugh, low and raspy, echoed in my mind. The kind of laugh that crawls into your bones. I knew that laugh. Knew it too well. And I knew it was female. It could only belong to one being.
I dare not speak her name. No. Not yet. I wouldn’t risk it. Not after all these years, not after the seal—the one she had given us herself—remained unbroken.
A sharp jolt of panic sliced through me, tearing my focus from Lilly. I glanced down and felt my chest seize—Lilly was unconscious. What the hell was happening? The surrounding chaos started to blur, voices rising in urgency, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her. Focus! I told myself.
But then, the pressure of the world crashed down as I felt someone near me. I flicked my eyes toward the officer who had been talking to Lilly just moments ago. Something about him... something wasn’t right. There was a familiarity in his face, but it was wrong. Like an old ghost, a memory long buried.
Then I saw it. His hands—glowing. No, not glowing—burning. A soft, otherworldly light pulsed from his skin. I froze, panic roaring through me like a tidal wave. No. No way. That wasn’t just light. That was a godly glow.
Who was he?
My heart raced, my vision narrowed. Every instinct screamed at me to run to her, to protect her, but I couldn’t move. My legs refused to obey. I tried to steady myself, but dizziness hit me like a freight train. My pulse thudded in my ears.
And then, like a veil closing, everything went black.
- Writer
