Chapter 34: Team

Once the match was over and Patropi left, their spectators dispersed and Markus firmly encouraged Adriana to be elsewhere. She and Lucas left with his arm around her shoulder, and she found she didn’t mind it so much. There was something to be said about punching the shit out of someone to get to know them better. The rest of the team swarmed them as they left the arena behind.

“That was incredible, Adriana!” Iris crowed from her other side. She was too close, but it was fine. For now. “You really held your own against him.”

“I could’ve won,” she said, nudging Lucas in the ribs.

“Sure,” Eva scoffed. “If he had his hands tied behind his back, maybe.” Once they had left the arena together, the blond girl had tried to get close to Lucas, but backed off when she realized Adriana wasn’t going to part from him.

“She’s pretty fast,” Tobias agreed. “I think I’d have a problem taking her out. Glad she’s on our side, honestly.”

“For now,” Adriana allowed imperiously. Lucas chuckled, and she laughed. For a minute, it was easy to forget how tense things had been and just enjoy her time with the Children of Stephanos. She wondered where Davos was, but suspected he and the team healer were still stuck on each other.

Much in the way Eva apparently wished to be with Lucas. While she had no interest in the man, he was pleasant enough to look at and a good fighter. If making friends with him meant irritating Eva, that was just a bonus.

The rest of them talked the fight up, Tobias in particular gushed about her Smoldersap and how irritating it seemed to deal with. They didn’t know the half of it, and they wouldn’t until they had to.

After a short walk, they made it to a part of the plateau Adriana hadn’t been to before: the local tavern. “I’m going to buy you a bunch of drinks,” Tobias promised.

“I won’t say no,” Adriana laughed and followed him in.

Like much of the plateau, it was a wide, sprawling chunk carved out of the mountain, open to the elements. A heavy cover hung on either side, ready to be pulled closed, but a place like this would have to rely on its customers’ honor. Wooden stools surrounded stone tables, and several kegs lined the walls. The place was about half full, and Tobias led them in to the large, reddish table in the corner.

For a second, she almost requested something less confined, but squashed the discomfort and took the stool in the very back; a seat of honor after her glorious showing today. Iris took the seat next to her, while Lucas and Eva sat on the outside of the table. Tobias went to the bar to start their night of revelry.

“Coming here after a good fight is something of a time-honored tradition,” Iris explained, brushing a long strand of hair out of her face. She practically bounced in her seat, eager to share everything. “The winner usually buys drinks, but…”

“I’m covering things tonight,” said Lucas. He hunched over the table, occasionally looking over his shoulder. It was clear he didn’t like being exposed any more than Adriana would have. “My treat. After the first round.”

“As it should be,” Eva said, “you get paid the most and threw a match you should’ve won.”

Lucas took a deep breath, but looked willing to just let it slide. Adriana was not. “So far, all I’ve heard from you is complaints. Seriously, what’s your problem? Just because you have a rare ability doesn’t mean you can look down on us.”

“Other than literally, of course,” Iris giggled. “On account of flying and all.”

“Thank you Iris,” said Eva. “Not my fault I see a lot to criticize. Besides, you have no room to talk. You’ve been looking down on all of us from the moment we bailed you out from that monster.”

“Hey,” said Lucas.”

“Not everyone,” Adriana said with a smirk. “Just you.”

“Enough!” Lucas’ jaw set. “If you two can’t be civil with each other, then there’s no point in spending time together. The next time one of you gives the other one shit, I’m walking away and you’re paying. Understood?”

Eva pursed her lips. “Yes.”

Adriana nodded. It was no skin off her back if she had to stop now. She’d won that exchange too. The blond girl radiated dislike, and so far Adriana had no reason to care about her opinion, outside of not entirely wanting to bother Lucas. He may have been the boss of their little team, but he didn’t seem entirely bad.

“You’re not leaving without giving me my prize though,” she added.

Lucas chuckled. “We’ll get to that. But first, a toast.” Tobias came back with a platter full of drinks. He set it down in the center and everyone grabbed a beer and raised them in the air. “Here’s to new friends, good fights, and to Hessius.”

The previous animosity disappeared, replaced with somber reflection. “To Hessius,” everyone, Adriana included, murmured, and took a drink.

“How many of you met or knew him?” she had to ask.

Everyone looked at Lucas. “He was my great, great grandfather,” he sighed. “I am one of the few heirs that he claimed.”

Her stomach dropped. This entire time she’d treated it as a sad death, but it had been impersonal. No one she knew actually knew the Gods personally. “I’m sorry,” she said. “If it helps, he was…it was weird. He was at peace, and when he died, it was with a smile on his face.”

Lucas stared into his beer. “It does help, thank you. We weren’t close, but I did train under him and met him a few times. He was…good.”

“Wow, this got depressing,” said Tobias. “How about a change of subject? How much were the two of you holding back?”

“A lot,” Adriana lied. She hadn’t gone for her secret skill that would’ve blown him up, but everything else she had pushed herself. It felt good.

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“As much as I usually do when sparring,” said Lucas with a shrug. “It was a good, friendly match. Your sticky fire is annoying, and I’ll admit, I was scared when you turned the heat up.”

“Yeah, what’s that like?” Iris asked. “I’ve never seen an ability like that before.”

Eva chuckled and took a prim sip of her beer. “Of course you haven’t. It’s her signature ability, from her True Divinity. All real Gods have them. It seems like that’s what Hessius gave her. No wonder she’s being hunted for it.”

Lucas eyed her, but it didn’t cross the line he’d set for them. “Yes. If I had to guess, Divinity that pure gave you a lot, even if it will take much, much more to reach your full potential. I can’t wait to run you through your paces and see what you can do as part of our team.”

“Let’s not get carried away just yet,” said Adriana. “I agreed to go to Hessiopolis and meet your Hierophant, but I’m not looking to tie myself down to any one city.”

“That’s the beauty of it,” said Tobias after coming up for air from his drink. “We spend most of our time traveling, fighting, and sampling the best food of every city and village we come across. It’s never boring. There’s enough space for another Demigod of the Sun.”

“Maybe. I’m not agreeing to anything yet!”

Adriana let herself relax and be a part of the team. It wasn’t easy. Every time Eva opened her mouth, she wanted to hit the woman. Iris and Tobias kept wanting her attention, for very different reasons. The archer’s interest was about as subtle as Adriana herself, and she had no time for it. Meanwhile, the teenage girl seemed to want a big sister who wasn’t Eva. Understandable, but the only family she had was Davos.

Another few drinks and the sun set entirely, and with it her connection to more energy. Fatigue caught up with her, but a few people from the outpost had gathered outside the tavern with a lyre, some pipes, and a drum. Tobias pulled Adriana outside to dance. She resisted at first, but gave in and let the movement invigorate her.

Lucas and Eva followed, though their leader looked uncomfortable with the lack of distance the tiny blond insisted on. Of course, Adriana figured if Eva could, Lucas would be inside her. Knowing the truth was probably true of Tobias, she threw her head back and laughed while she let go and moved to the music.

The beer flowed like water, and one by one the Children of Stephanos lost themselves to the drink. Iris was the first to get silly, and she began singing along to the music, out of key, with words she made up on the spot, complete with images. A kitten with bat wings flew around the dancers as she crooned, “Fly high, fly high, for tomorrow we’re to die! Tonight is for joy, so grab your girl or boy, and dance dance dance!”

Eva was next, her size working against her. She decided to listen to Iris’ lyrics and danced in the air above everyone else. Each twirl and loop de loop was impressive, until the motions got to her and she tumbled out of the sky. Lucas caught her before she hit the ground. A second later, the contents of her stomach tumbled out. That was it for her, and Lucas took her to her apartment.

Which left Tobias and Adriana, neck and neck and determined to outlast the other. After five beers, Adriana’s head swam and the world stood at a permanent angle. Every wild dance move grew sloppier, and she ended up stumbling to the side. Tobias cheated by using his ability to lighten his weight to stay up.

“You’re doomed,” Adriana taunted him. “I see you, you faker! You’re not even a little bit sober!”

“Yeah? Well, neither are you! I can at least avoid hurting myself.” Tobias stuck his tongue out at her. A second later he swayed to the side, and kept moving at a jog until he hit the ground.

It was just in time for Lucas to return. “Seriously?” he groaned. “Of course it falls on me to play babysitter. Can’t have a damned night of fun.”

“Hey,” said Adriana. “I’ll help drag his ass.”

“Hah! You smell as bad as he does.” Lucas paused. “That isn’t a no. Where’s Iris?”

“Left like twenty minutes ago,” she answered. “I think she got a bunch of water and sobered up.”

“You should do that too,” he pointed out. “We’ve got a ship to catch, remember?”

Oh, she remembered. Now that she’d agreed to go, everytime she thought about being stuck with them, her skin itched. “I remember. Which means you owe me my Divinity!”

Lucas lifted Tobias up in his arms like an oversized baby. The archer snored fitfully, but otherwise seemed okay. “I remember. After we drop him off?”

They walked in comfortable silence. Adriana took every step with intense deliberation, desperate to appear more sober than she was around him, though she couldn’t say why. With the sun down, much of the plateau had quieted down and shuttered for the night, though some business would stay open all night. Guards patrolled the streets, but with Lucas there, no one harassed them.

Her poise ended when they reached the bottom of the stairs up to Tobias’ apartment. Right as she was about to make a mistake, Lucas spoke up. “Hey, wait here, I’ll only be a minute. Going to make sure he has water and is on his side so the idiot doesn’t die in his sleep.”

“Of course,” said Adriana magnanimously. “Take your time.”

After he left, she collapsed on the stone steps and enjoyed a moment of peace, quiet, and drunkenness. The stars twinkled above, and she wondered if there were any particular Gods watching her that moment from atop Mount Ouranos. If the Children of Stephanos sought her, and Synto and Mykos did as well, who knew how many other Gods might come for her? It occurred to her that the Sun Temple might be worth it, if only to protect herself against the rest of the world.

“Sorry about that,” said Lucas as he came down the stairs. “He’s safely stowed away. How are you feeling?”

“Ready to get more powerful,” she said, cursing the hiccup that followed.

“Right. Give me a second, this is still new to me.” Lucas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. A golden glow gathered around his chest. He put a hand over it, and drew out a small, golden orb of Divinity. Adriana had nearly forgotten that Demigods could give a sliver of their power, just as the Gods did.

“This contains barely any power at all, but it should be a new ability for you,” he said. “Use it well, and be careful. It’s very easy to overdo it and waste all your energy. Short, quick bursts when you need it, understand?” He favored her with a crooked smile.

Adriana rolled it around in her hand. “Thank you,” she said. “For everything, so far.”

“You are quite welcome,” he said.

“I reserve the right to take that back if Hessiopolis tries anything.”

“Naturally.”

Adriana popped it into her mouth and swallowed. The pain wasn’t intense this time, but heat washed over her like experiencing the short life of a sunburn, there and gone. When her awareness returned from that momentary, dreamlike stupor, she became aware that she was now at eighteen percent Divinity. It wasn’t too far off from being a Demigod, and only a little bit more until the fourth level of ascension.

Even more, her perception of her inner pool of power changed. What had seemed like so much power seemed small in comparison to this new ability, her Inner Fire. It craved the sun’s touch, and she didn’t dare try it out while she was drunk.

“Don’t try it out while drunk,” Lucas added.

“I wasn’t going to! You might be everyone else’s team leader, but you aren’t mine!” Adriana grinned and shoved him playfully. Or tried. Her hands went to his chest and he didn’t budge. She didn’t either.

Lucas looked down, a slight flush on his face. “Not yet, anyway. Give it a few weeks, and I think we’ll make a great team. I’d rather have you than not.”

The words lingered in the night air. Adriana pulled away from him. “I’ll think about it. And see you tomorrow, I guess.”

“Of course. Would you like me to walk you back to the guest quarters?”

She hesitated. If he did, then she would be tempted to do something very stupid, and it would just complicate things. “No, I can make it,” she said. “See you in the morning.”

Lucas started to say something, but Adriana walked off as fast as she could without tripping over herself.

“Um. The guest beds are the other way,” he called after her.

She reversed her course and ran. Her face burned with embarrassment, and her head clouded with uncomfortable thoughts.