Chapter One
Skylar
"We're here." The words I'd been dreading since this entire car ride started seeped into my ears, despite the loud bass of the music album I was listening to through my headphones. I shut my eyes momentarily before I paused the song, tilting my head to the left. " Skylar?"
" I heard you the first time, mom." I snapped and regretted it immediately. Something flashed on mom's features, before they disappeared again.
" I know how you feel." Mum cooed as she cut the ignition, bathing the car in a moment's worth of silence. I almost chuckled at her sentence. Did she though? I doubt she understood how I felt after my whole life had just been pulled from underneath my feet. " But I promise you, it's going to be okay."
"What's okay about moving into the middle of nowhere?" I hadn't been able to shake it off since mom spread the news. I secretly prayed it would be some kind of prank, but as I stared at the many students that swarmed in and out of the community campus, I knew my life was doomed. " Literally nothing!"
"My hands were tied, Sky." I wanted to feel bad, but I just couldn't bring myself to do so. " We had to move and you know this."
"Why don't you tell that to my anxiety." I muttered, a bit too loudly too. As if on cue, my eyes slid down to my fingers resting gently on my lap. Only, they weren't resting, I could feel each tremble as they snaked up my arms.
"It'll be fine." Mum's fingers intertwined with mine. She gave a small smile as she nodded, urging me to do the same. " I promise."
I said nothing as I took a good look at the woman in front of me. I was a splitting image of my mother, or a more younger version if I was being honest. We shared the same hazel eyes, tan skin and heart shaped lips. Right now, hers was smeared with a light nude color while mine, a ruby red shade.
"Did you do something to your hair?" Mum's question broke through my thoughts, bringing me back to earth. "Sky…"
"I promise I woke up this way." I ran a finger through my luscious locs. My hair was flawless, and it stopped just a little about my waist, but there was just one problem; it's color. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake off the red color that stuck to it.
Prior to this morning, I'd bathed in an unhealthy amount of black dye, just to wake up to red tips in the morning. It was exhausting to be honest but there was nothing I could do about it.
Yet.
"We'll find a solution to it." Mum sighed. " Now get going or you'll be late. " And without a word I slipped out of the car and turned my back to it the moment mum zoomed off. A sense of dread washed over me as I stared at the huge sign hung above the entrance.
"West high university." I read out to myself. It sounded strange as it rolled off my tongue. "What kind of… Owww!"
The rest of my sentence hitched in my throat as an intense pain shot up my back. I reeled forward for a moment as I watched my life flash before my eyes until a strange surge of energy wrapped around my waist, pulling me backward.
Eyes wide and with a thumping heart, I spun on my heels just to come face to face with the last person I'd expected.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." I mumbled at the sight of the frail old woman in front of me. "I'm sorry if I bumped into you."
"It's you." Her voice was a silent whisper as she stared straight at me. Crystal clear eyes held my gaze as she spoke. A shudder ran down my spine as I took a good look at the woman in front of me.
Long silver hair framed her face before snaking down to sweep the top of the earth. Tiny and bone-like fingers snaked around the top of the staff she was holding. If I was being honest, she looked like she belonged in a hospital and not here. I wondered how hold she was.
"You've finally come!" I jerked up at her loud octave. I creased my eyebrows in confusion as she let on, her voice going higher and higher. " It's you!"
"I think you're mistaken." I mumbled as my eyes darted around. Fear creeped up my bones as slowly a crowd began to gather around us. A million and one eyes latched onto my body, each pair slowly ripping me into pieces. My hands trembled at the attention and I exhaled loudly.
I needed to get out of here. Fast.
" I'll just go…"
"No!" Her hands latched onto my wrist immediately. For a frail old woman, she was freakishly strong. I wiggled my wrist against her grasp as I tried to break free. It went on for a while until a sharp sting pierced my skin, followed by the slow gush of something warm.
Blood
" Let me go!" I was yelling, the crowd around us growing and increasing. Ohs and Ahs filled the air as I watched a wide array of emotions play out on their faces. " Please, let me go…"
"You'll bear two curses and will be the bridge between both worlds." My skin oaled as her eyes glowed an ethereal white, her lips moving like she was in a trance. "Just like the prophecy said! Life and death you will bring and it'll be up to you to restore peace or burn down the earth!"
"Let me go…. You're mistaken and I…."
"That's enough!" I don't know why but I froze immediately at the sound of that voice. It was new, but not without a huge aura of authority attached to it.
Time seemed to slow to a halt as I tried to figure out where it came from. I didn't have to search too much, as the crowd hastily made way for a man to stride forward.
No, scratch that, a Greek god.
"What the hell is going on here?!"
