VenatIO (Book I Of The IO Series)

XXXIV

"No," I whispered, I didn't even know what I was saying no too. He shook his head, his eyes filled and instinctively I pushed myself onto my knees and hugged him. His hands tentatively, curled around my waist.

"If you feel it is your fault," I whispered, "It is mine as well, we both knew something was wrong."

He didn't respond. The grief still welled up in me, curling in my stomach. He pushed his face away and looked at me.

"I don't know what to say to Michael," he said, his voice no louder than a whisper. His voice was raw, and I felt the pain. I looked over my shoulder. Michael was sitting with his back leaning against the wall, at the very far side of the hall. His gaze directly focused on Alex's body still on the floor.

"Just go sit next to him," I said and hugged him once more, "Just go sit next to him, you don't need to say anything."

He didn't respond for a moment, just allowing me to hug him. He, then, nodded and stood up. I folded my legs and sat back on the floor, encasing my head in my arms as I watched him walk over to Michael. I remembered the piece of paper, Alex had given me and fished it out of my back out. I fumbled with unfolding it but as I did, the paper dropped out of my hands and to the floor.

Tell my mum and dad I love them no matter how wrong they are.

Tell Paul I love

I hope you forgive me but one day in the future you shall understand.

Don't tell anyone this, obviously Ty will know but do not tell anyone else, Promise me that Sapphire.

I did not know what to think but I quickly stuffed the paper back into my pocket. Tyler was alive in my head, having understood what I was thinking. I put my arms back into my head and sat in silence for a while thinking of the situation.

'Do not think of that,' Ty's voice choked. I shook my head; I made my mind up when I was hugging Eli.

'She made me promise Ty, on Gaylord, I feel the binding, can't you?"

'You cannot do that, the last time I took away your pain, you didn't feel anything,'

'Yeah, but we've practiced after that, we're better at it, just remove Alex from my mind and then second the venatio's over bring my memories back,' I said.

'It'll be too much; you'll probably double over and faint.'

I looked up to where Ty sat, Jaz next to him. Both their faces were covered in tears and I pursed my lips before responding, 'it'll take us all a long time before we can heal Ty, but I have to do this for her.'

'I'll do it for Alex,' he responded a few seconds later. I nodded and then motioned to him to do it now. He shook his head, but my sad-stricken glare was enough to change his mind.

I felt his hand probing in my mind, through all my thoughts and memories, weaving from one to another. And then slowly, I felt memories begin to be latched up with locks. Covered in grime and casted away from my head. Memory after memory disappeared like wise and then the heaviness in my heart slowly began to dissipate. He needn't ask me if it were working, because I could feel the energy return back to me. It felt alien, not normal but I no longer felt a weight riding on my shoulders.

He left two memories free in mind. The first one of Alex making me promise that I would finish the hunt and one more memory that I wrestled away from him. I couldn't bear to part away from that one. It was off her fighting as we descended into the portal to find Athena.

She looked beautiful, her skin gleaming with sweat and her brown eyes glinting dangerously as she heaved the sword in the air. It smoothly sliced off the head of one of the stone soldiers, before she turned to me and smiled. Her teeth glinted in the low light of the museum. I couldn't part with that.