Chapter 35: Midnight

Somehow, Adriana managed to find her way back to the guest apartments, where Davos may or may not have been waiting for her. She had no idea where he went after her sparring match, and had been disappointed that she hadn’t gotten a chance to rub her performance in his face. An evening out with new friends had lessened the sting, but he was still her oldest friend. Even if he was a bit of a coward and killjoy.

“Hey, watch it!” a young man with tusks grumbled at her after she bumped into him.

Adriana pointed at his face. “You got something there.” She burst out laughing and intentionally pushed past him again and up the stairs on the outside of the building. She heard a muttered curse behind her, but the beastman didn’t follow.

The guest quarters were actually a block of multi-tiered buildings where messengers and dignitaries had their own room. She and Davos shared the second floor of one, and she only remembered which one because it was marked 55, and Adriana liked symmetry. She pushed past the canvas blocking the door and went from the starlight night to just dim candles.

Davos indeed had waited up for her, but he wasn’t alone. Naturally, Cora was with him. They sat at the table in the middle of the room, with a candle between them. They looked up when she entered, knowing smiles on their faces.

“Have fun?” Davos asked, as if he knew what she’d been thinking before she broke off.

“Fun enough,” said Adriana. She leaned against the doorway for support and eyed them. “You two a thing now, or what?”

Davos grinned, and Cora laughed. “It’s nice to have someone to talk to who isn’t obsessed with power and fighting. My team are good people, but they could stand to enjoy life a little more, and maybe focus on the people more than the tasks.”

Of course a priestess of Deliana would say that. They were all about putting the unity in community, no matter what. They helped run larger cities and took care of people, if one followed their rules and played nice. Adriana didn’t trust them much, but Cora seemed okay so far.

“Still didn’t answer my question,” Adriana said.

Davos shrugged. “What do you want to hear? We fucked twice while you were gone and were going to go for round three if you spent the night elsewhere.”

Cora burst out laughing, but didn’t deny it. Davos’ smirk dared her to object. That was fine, she had no objections. “Fun, but as you can see, I’m here for the night. You’ll have to find time tomorrow.”

“Oh no,” said Cora, “A couple days spent on a boat being rowed by Hessiopolis’ finest sailors. Whenever will we find the time to enjoy ourselves?” She got up with a groan and kissed Davos’ forehead. “See you tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Davos slapped her ass. She squawked and swatted the back of his head and then sauntered away, nodding to Adriana as she passed.

She waited until the older woman was gone before she sighed. “Really, Davos?”

“What? I ain’t dead yet,” he said. “I’m not even forty. I have wants and needs, same as anyone.”

Adriana shook her head and joined him at the table. It helped stop the world from spinning. The fun part of being drunk was starting to end, replaced with a bone-deep weariness. “Got any water?”

“Yeah, of course.” Davos got up and grabbed a nearby bucket. He left the room and headed for one of the wells outside. He wasn’t gone long, and brought back a full gallon for her.

She brought the whole thing to her mouth and drank it greedily. The icy chill soothed her throat and her chest, and she couldn’t seem to get enough.

“So, congratulations on your draw. You took a couple nasty hits. How do you feel?” Davos drummed his fingers on the table. He had something on his mind, but Adriana was too tired to draw it out of him.

“Honestly? Like if I wasn’t a bit drunk, I’d be sore and want to nap for a couple of days. He hit pretty hard, and he went from slow to fast thanks to one of his powers. He…” she chuckled. “That’s what he said he gave me, before we split up for the night.”

The lone flickering candle cast shadows over Davos’ face, but it didn’t hide his quirked brow. “Wow, he gave you one of his powers directly? It must be serious.”

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Heat flooded her face. “It’s not. We both held back, had some fun, and now I made a stupid agreement to go to Hessiopolis with them. They want me to join their team, but I don’t know.”

Davos leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I think you should consider joining them.”

“You’re only saying that because you have a new girlfriend you don’t want to leave.”

His resulting chuckle made her want to throw her cup at his head. “You’re wrong. Cora’s great, but we both understand what this life is like. You find joy where you can take it, knowing the entire time it’s temporary. You enjoy it while it lasts and don’t try to draw it out too long. If you live long enough, you’ll understand.”

As much as she wanted to tease him for the sudden seriousness in his voice, something else bothered her. “If I did join them, would you join too?”

He shrugged. “I’m not a Demigod of the sun, and I never will be. I fight when I have to, but I do it to get by. If you join up with them, I suppose that means I’ll have to find something to do, somewhere to go.”

Her blood froze over. “You mean we’d split up?” Once upon a time, she hadn’t thought they would last long. Now, the idea of losing each other filled her with an inescapable dread. Adriana didn’t need Davos. She didn’t need anyone. That didn’t mean she didn’t want some people around.

“Well…” he grabbed her bucket and took a drink of his own. “The way I see it, you’re not the feral girl I met years ago. Now you’re only semi-feral, and you might have a good group of friends who can help you finish growing into the person you’re meant to be. I’m glad to have been a part of that and got you here, but…”

“But?” Adriana pressed.

Davos got up and paced. Their room wasn’t big. Just two beds on opposite sides of the room in their own little nook, a table, a couple of chests for the possessions they didn’t really have, and a closet to piss in a hole down the mountain. He had maybe four or five paces before he had to turn around. Less as his thoughts raced and his feet picked up the pace to match.

“I know I haven’t talked about my past much. I don’t see that changing. I’ve seen and been involved with things I don’t want to even think about. But…I don’t really stick in one place long. If ever. I know you don’t either, but that’s at least partially because of me. If you join up with them, then I’ll know you’re in good hands, and you have a path to follow, while I…”

“Run away?” she supplied.

He laughed. “Yes, Adriana. That’s exactly what I’m doing. I’ve spent the last eight years running, and I don’t see that changing. The day I stop running will be the day I face my death with open arms.”

She didn’t know how to feel. It stung, but she couldn’t blame him. It was in his nature, just as fighting was in hers “What about Synto and Mykos?” she asked.

“Ahhh, right.” He stopped and put his hands on the back of his chair. He took a breath and blew it out slowly. “I doubt they care about me. They’re after you, and…you’re right. That’s a responsibility I can’t leave behind. We have to deal with them first. Luckily, you’re now friends with a bunch of Demigods and are about to go to one of the safest cities in the world.

“I assume we’ll deal with him before too long, but I don’t think he’s stupid enough to attack a larger group of more powerful people. Not without a trick or two up his sleeve.” He thought about it, then nodded. “Okay. I’ll stick around long enough to help you deal with Synto, and then I might disappear for a year or two. Might even come back, who knows?”

Adriana guzzled more water. “Did the Children of Stephanos or this outpost ever go after them after the ruckus they caused? They were more interested in hearing about Hessius than Synto.”

Davos nodded, laughing bitterly. “They said that the incident was muddied, as you started the damage to Apollo’s place. I’m more worried about him, honestly. He has resources and connections that won’t dry up anytime soon. I’d honestly suggest getting some rest tonight, and prepare for the worst tomorrow.”

There was logic in his words, but Adriana couldn’t get past the idea of him leaving, or that she might join up with a rigid, structured group with rules and demands. “Do you really think it’s a good idea for me to join? There’s at least one bitch there I can’t stand, and what if that ends up another Synto situation?”

“Ah, of course. And what if the Maw showed up tomorrow and took a shit on us all? You can’t plan for every possibility. Synto was and is a ruthless bastard who we only joined up because no one else would accept us. I think this group looks a lot more promising, don’t you?”

Adriana couldn’t argue that. “I don’t know if I trust them yet. I don’t know if I want to. But…I made an agreement to give them a try. I can’t get out of that now, can I?”

“You could,” Davos said with his most unserious grin. “Just as they could take offense to that and hunt you down. But if there’s any chance they could help you get stronger, protect you from those who want your True Divinity, and help do good in the world…Why not?”

She didn’t have an argument. “I’ll try, I guess. I’m going to go to bed.” After one more big cup of icy cold water. Gods, it was soothing after her long night of drinking and dancing.

“Good night, then. Will you be alright if I slip off somewhere, or do you want me to watch over you while you sleep?” He fluttered his eyelashes.

“...Stay?” she asked, not meeting his eyes.

“Okay,” he said, without any ounce of joke or judgment. “Get some sleep, Adriana. We don’t have to figure out everything tonight. Sometimes, you just gotta go with the flow and take the path of least resistance until you’re ready to go where you’re meant to. This could be one of those times.”

It gave her something to think about. Adriana climbed into bed, and got comfortable. The last thought she had before sleep claimed her was how wonderful it had been to fight Lucas, and that maybe more chances to do that could be fun.