Chapter 23
“One of my sisters is gone.” Draven shakes his head.
“How many did we lose?” I ask, patting his shoulder.
“Three demigods died in the battle,” Adrian says. “It’s terrible but it could have been a lot worse. I saw so many deaths but I’m glad it was only three. The reinforcements helped a lot.”
“It’s still terrible that we lost anyone.” I sigh.
“We rally and show our support by having the traditional hero burial,” Jayden says. “Adrian, do you still have the bag of coins for the ferryman?”
“Yeah, I kept them in my dorm since we went to the underworld just in case we needed to go back.”
“Good. We’re going to need some of them. Usually it’s an entire day process, but we don’t know how long we have before the queen comes back so it will have to be done today.” Jayden nods.
“Yeah.” I rub my eyes. “What do we need?”
“Kira, can you have the Hephaestus students work on some urns? We’ll need them for the ceremony.” Jayden turns to her.
“Sure thing. I’ll have them get started on them right away.” She turns and leaves the war room.
“Thad, can you go talk to the Dionysus students about securing libations?”
“What did you have in mind?” Thad grins.
“It’s for the funeral rites. You pour one out for your fallen comrades,” Jayden says.
“Like pouring one out for the homies?” I giggle.
“Yup, that’s a tradition spanning back thousands of years.” Jayden grins.
“I would have thought me saying that would irritate you. Like when I call Cerberus Spot.” I sit back in my chair, drumming my fingers on the table in front of me.
“Okay, smart-ass.” Jayden tickles my side.
“Jayden, stop.” I smack his hand away. “Okay, back to the funeral rites. What else do we need?”
“Draven, can you ask around the Hermes students and find some of your sister’s favorite things? We’ll need them for the funeral pyre.”
“We’re going to burn her favorite things?” I ask. “That feels wrong somehow.”
“It was a ritual so they could take those items into the afterlife with them and a show of love and respect. We’ll need to get a hold of items for the other two students as well.” Jayden leans forward, elbows on the table.
“I can find their friends,” Adrian says. “We’ll be ready by this evening, I’m sure.”
“This is usually a whole day, starting with the procession in the early morning. So I think sunset will work as well. We need someone to prepare the bodies.” Jayden glances around.
My stomach roils. “I don’t think I can do that.”
“You don’t have to. You have an important job. You too Raven.” Jayden glances between us.
“What could I possibly do for a funeral?” Raven asks, brows tipped down.
“In ancient times when a warrior died in battle, they were celebrated with funeral games before the feast. That’s what you’ll be in charge of.”
“What kind of games?” Raven asks, suddenly interested.
“Well, they were warriors, so think of some games with weapons. Whatever you want but keep the bloodshed to a minimum.” Jayden rubs the back of his neck.
“Cool. I can do chariot races finally.” Raven fist-pumps the air.
“Seriously? We were in a real chariot race just a couple weeks ago.” I roll my eyes at her.
“Yeah, but this time I can kick my brothers’ asses, not just some long-dead demigods.” Raven rolls her shoulders.
“What did you have in mind for me?” I turn back to Jayden.
“There was always an influential person who spoke the eulogy for the warriors at the ceremony and lit the pyres,” Jayden says so casually I almost think he’s joking.
“What? I don’t know them. How can I speak about them?” I rear back.
“You’re the most influential person in the academy. You rallied them all together to fight for their lives. It will raise morale for everyone.”
“Okay, I’ll prepare a speech or whatever,” I huff.
Everyone leaves to complete their tasks for the funeral rites this evening and all I can do is wander around the academy. What am I supposed to say about people I don’t know at their funeral? I wasn’t even here for the battle that took their lives.
“You look deep in thought,” Nereus hums next to me.
“What the fuck? How did you get here? Why aren’t you helping with the war in Olympus?” I ask and the ground shakes.
“I don’t take part in trivial civil squabbles among the gods.” Nereus waves a dismissive hand.
“Then why all the subterfuge? You took part enough to terrorize me and now you’re here and I’m afraid of what you’ll do next.” I turn to the old man of the sea.
“There’s a point in time where you realize everything is not your fight and some things are better left alone,” Nereus says. “You haven’t learned that yet, but you will.”
“You’re talking about the war between the shifters?” I ask.
“Yes, that’s one conflict I see you being a part of but it’s not your fight. After this is over, you deserve to rest. We have put a great deal on your shoulders, little godling. More than should have ever been put on one person.”
“You really just came here to tell me I don’t have to take on more responsibility? That’s not like you at all.” I narrow my eyes at him. “What’s the real reason you’re here?”
“Just checking on my favorite demigoddess.” Nereus grins. “Do you know what you’re going to say at the funeral?”
“Not a clue. I’ll probably just keep it short, reminding everyone that they died warriors, and their memories will live on at the academy for years to come or something.” I shrug.
“They died warriors fighting for all of humanity that should be celebrated and mourned in equal measure.” Nereus nods.
“I’m going to steal that line.”
“You can have it. Glad I was able to help instead of terrorizing you more… but Beth?” He shifts from foot to foot. “A choice will have to be made. Are you strong enough to make it?”
“I knew you came to terrorize me. I thought the choice was already made when Jayden stayed behind to help mitigate casualties,” I huff.
Why couldn’t it be easy? I don’t want to make that choice again. I’m not even sure I’m capable of making that choice again.
“You and Jayden together are a powerful force, even more so now that you’re both blessed by the gods.
A choice like the one you made together for the greater good of the academy was admirable but it’s not the choice you must make.
If the world is wiped out of existence, will you still be together?
That means there is no choice. I know you’ll do what’s right. ”
“Why do you guys continue to ask more of me? This is such bullshit. It’s almost over but will the world even be worth living in if he isn’t here with me?” I throw up my hands.
“That’s a decision for you to make. It will shape everything in your life to come. Especially whether you have one to live anymore.”
“I get it. Okay? I know that everything is riding on me. It always does.” I run a hand through my hair.
“It won’t always be your responsibility unless you make it yours,” Nereus says and disappears.
“Fucking cryptic asshole,” I grumble. “Why can’t they just stop forcing me into terrible situations? Impossible choices that will fucking break me in the end.”
“There is no choice.” Jayden wraps his arms around me from behind. “If it’s me or the world, you choose the world. You have to.”
“It’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one with your death on their hands.” I turn in the circle of his arms.
“I’m sorry this falls to you, baby. It’s not fair but I doubt anyone else could have succeeded the way we have, repeatedly beating the queen and her minions. It would have ended in disaster.”
“Yeah, but still, they expect too much from me.” I shrug. “I’ll do what needs to be done. I always do. We will win whatever challenge we face next.”
“Yes, we will, and then we have the opportunity to rest.” He raises an eyebrow at me.
“Right, rest until the next time something goes terribly wrong.” I lean my head back, squeezing my eyes shut tight.
“You don’t have to be a part of the next challenges, love.”
“No, I don’t but if the shifters need assistance and ask me for help, then I’m going to help. We’re friends and that’s what friends do. Also, Aggie had a warning for Kira when we were at the gas station. I think Kira is the ‘chosen one’ for that particular conflict.” I sigh.
“Dammit,” Jayden growls. “Now I’ll never force you to rest instead of helping one of our best friends.”
“It’s inevitable.” I shrug.
“Kira won’t contact you unless it’s an absolute last resort, though, because she’s seen the stress and how many times the gods have put the weight of the world on your shoulders. That’s the only solace I have in this mess.” Jayden pulls me into his chest.
“It’s getting late. We should get to the courtyard for the ceremony.” I lean my forehead against his chest.
“Do you know what you’re going to say?” Jayden asks.
“Not exactly. I don’t know them so I can’t say anything other than honor them as heroes for dying in battle.” I shrug.
“That’s enough, baby. You don’t need to know them to honor them.”
“Maybe you should do this. You were basically the general in the battle. I wasn’t even here until the end.” I grip his shirt.
“No, you are the one who is constantly saving them and protecting them. Even if they don’t like training, you’re the reason we had very few casualties. You made them put their differences aside and work to survive. They want to hear from you, not me.” Jayden rubs my back. “You’re their hope.”
“Fine. I still think you would do a better job at this. Our friends tried to get you to hang back during the battle, but you refused to be anywhere but at the front, stopping as many monsters as you could before they got to the others.”
“You guys ready?” Kira jogs up, juggling three golden urns with the most beautiful filigree designs on them along with their names in flowing script across the sides.
“Those are beautiful, Kira. You guys outdid yourselves on the metalwork on these.” I grab one with the name Lily on it.
“My dad helped us with them. He showed us the designs that they used in Ancient Greece so they would be fitting for heroes.” Kira beams.
“They are truly fantastic.” Jayden nods.
“Let’s get this started, then.” My hands shake as we get to the courtyard.
I’m not good at heartfelt speeches. If we need to rally people around a battle, I can do that, but a heartfelt speech sending people off to the underworld? Not so much.
The courtyard is buzzing with activity as we make it over to our friends. Three stretchers sit around them with the bodies of the fallen all draped in flowing tunics, eyes closed as if they were sleeping peacefully.
“This sucks,” I choke out the words.
“It will be over before you know it.” Jayden rubs a hand down my back. “The pyres are set up across the courtyard. It will be a short procession, and then we light the pyres and you give your speech.”
“Okay. Do we have everything we need?” I glance at the stretchers again. Only the bodies lie there. “Where are the items they would want to take to the underworld?”
“We’ll place them on the pyres with them.” Jayden squeezes my hand.
We grab the stretchers, and the crowd of students falls silent as we begin the procession to the pyres. A few of the girls are openly crying and tears streak down my own cheeks. We lay them out on the pyres and Draven steps up next to me.
“We just lay the objects around her on the wood?” he asks.
“Yeah, all except the coin. That goes over her mouth so she can pay Charon to ferry her across the river.”
Draven reverently places the items on Lily’s pyre and positions the coin over her lips, then steps back. I glance at Jayden, and he nods to me. I take a shuddering breath and turn to the crowd.
“We were victorious in our battle against the monsters again but with every great battle comes the aftermath. We must pick up the pieces and send our friends to the underworld with a hero’s ceremony because for warriors, there’s no greater honor than going out in a blaze of glory.”
People stare at the bodies on the pyres, some nervously shuffling their feet.
“Make no mistake they did. They aren’t just students or demigods here at the academy. They were warriors, friends, sisters, and brothers and they will be missed, but most of all, we will honor their sacrifice.” I turn to Jayden and nod.
The pyres light with Jayden’s hellfire burning and growing in intensity instantly. I place my fist over my heart and bow my head to each of them as their souls are released to the underworld. We watch the pyres burn in silence as Jayden steps forward and gives them the same warrior salute as I did.
“Now if everyone who wishes to compete follow me to the chariot course where we will have games and a feast in honor of our fallen,” Raven shouts over the crowd.
A cheer goes up that doesn’t fit with the somber occasion but now is the time to celebrate their lives and send them off in style.
“C’mon, B, let’s go show them how a real chariot race is done.” Raven grins.
“No maiming anyone before battle.” I laugh.
“We aren’t using real blades. Chiron wouldn’t allow us to.” Raven’s expression is pained.
“Good man,” I say.
“Killjoy.” Raven sticks her tongue out at me.
“Whatever. This is a damn funeral. We don’t need to have another funeral so soon after this one if we can help it and you’re bloodthirsty half the time so there would be blood.”
“Fine, we can pretend it’s a real chariot race, then.” Raven pouts.
I thread my arm through hers. “Did you recruit Draven to drive for us again? He did good last time.”
“You know I had to get the team back together. We are chariot race gold together.” Raven tugs me toward the clearing.
The chariots form a line along the clearing. Draven is perched in the one on the end closest to us with the reins held loosely in his grip.
“You guys ready for this?” he asks, grinning.
“I was born ready. I’m going to wipe the floor with my brothers. It’s going to be epic.” Raven bounces on the balls of her feet.
“No maiming,” I say. “We need your brothers’ weapons skills in the coming battles.”
“I’m not going to maim anyone. They will all heal just fine from any injuries.” Raven grins.
“You’re terrible.” I hop on the chariot and grab a wooden sword.
It’s perfectly weighted in my hand.
“Racers to your marks,” Raven bellows.
The race is about to begin and if I know Raven, there are going to be more than a few battle injuries. Hopefully they aren’t too banged up to fight when the queen comes back to destroy us.