IX. Thunder

Evelyn's P.O.V.

"Chase – " His tall statue had casted a shade over the bedroom. Over me. My heart began to tremble, and my belly began to cramp. My whole body began to fight against him, despite him standing a couple of feet away. My mind knew that he wasn't the monster that Star was, but it wasn't enough. "what are you doing here?" I asked, finally able to breathe in. I lifted my frozen body, sitting up against the headboard of the bed.

"Don't be afraid daisy, I'm not here to hurt you." My mind was racing. His voice was ever so smooth, but it only reminded me of the times we had spent together. I felt sorry for him once, but that feeling was long gone. He was still a titan and still a threat to me and my child. I couldn't be selfish and mindlessly wonder around the Underworld without Hayden, let alone be in a room with a titan.

"Why are you here? I thought – I – I didn't think you were allowed to travel. You can't be here." My belly continued to cramp. It wasn't just my anxiety; it was a real pain. Like the baby knew the treat Chase was posing us, by just being here.

"I had to leave. I broke dozens of laws while trying to save you and now..."

"Now what?" His sad face didn't make me feel sorry for him. I died. Nothing that happened to him compared to me losing my life because of him and Star.

"I can't go back there. I tried Earth but they found me and made me leave, I have nowhere left to go." I was cautious. My instincts making me glance around the room for a weapon just in case. He seemed sincere, but I couldn't take any chances. "I came to tell you that there is somebody after us. They were the ones who killed Mihai." He stepped into the dim light. His hair longer than I had ever seen it and his stubble messily overgrown.

"Who?"

"Teo. A titan, but not like me or Star. He's a lot more powerful and he has people of his own. Titans and creatures like Mihai. He's coming for us." His eyes glistened in the light, which made him look harmless. A little puppy at the end of my bed, desperate to save me one more time. My heart sank at the thought that somebody else was after me. It wasn't just me anymore, I was responsible for another life and I couldn't possibly let anything happen to it.

"Why?" I felt my chest tighten and my cramps sharpen.

"The gate. He wants to finish what Star started and he needs you to be able to do that. He will kill you and anyone who tries to protect you. He will turn the Underworld upside down if he has to, but he will come after me and then you." He leaned on the edge of the bed, with a seriously fierce look on his face. He was telling the truth. I could see it on his face. I was in trouble once again. I hunched over as my cramps seemed to only fuel with every piece of information Chase was feeding me. "Are you okay?" He turned, coming to stand closer. As I lifted my head to assure him that I was okay and that it was just minor cramps, I noticed another shadow behind him. As the shadow stepped into the light, I realised it was Hayden. His face was furious, and he swung his hand back until a sharp blade appeared in his grip. He rushed towards Chase, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him into the wall, before pushing the blade through Chase's shoulder. The room trembled with the slam of Chase's body, making the glass of water on the table echo through the room.

"Hayden stop! He came to help!" I jumped out of the bed, rushing to peal Hayden off of Chase. Deep red blood had already soaked Hayden's hand and the peeking sleeve of his white shirt. He opened his fist, letting Chase fall to the floor with the blade still poking through his shoulder. "Chase?!" I kneeled down in front of him. The deep, red river began to run through our wooden flooring as Hayden knelt down, yanking the blade from Chase's shoulder. A freeing breath came from Chase's lungs as he inhaled sharply, holding onto his wounded shoulder.

"How can he help us?" Hayden's tone was less than pleased. I felt his hand wrap around my upper arm as he pulled me back to my feet. His expression was cold and protective. He stood in front of me, shielding me from Chase.

"Ahh." I hunched over, holding onto my belly as it cramped even more than before. It felt like that same blade was stabbing me. My chest tightened up at the thought that there was something wrong with the baby.

"Eve? Are you okay?" Hayden's warm hand landed on my back as I rose back with the pain lessening. His worry some expression only urged me to reassure him, despite being worried myself.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." I exhaled a heavy breath of relief, only to feel the overwhelming feeling of another stab.

"Argh!" I screamed out, hunching over again. The shattering of a glass that had fallen off the bedside table followed. I looked over in surprise, remembering the rumble of the glass when Chase hit the wall. If he hadn't managed to knock the glass over with his body rumbling the floor, how did my voice manage to?

"Eve?" Chase's foggy voice followed after Hayden's.

"Don't move. There's glass everywhere." I heard Hayden say as I held my belly with the pain slowly lessening as it had before, but I knew it wasn't for long. My eyes began to tear up as I waited for the next hit. "Eve? Talk to me. What's going on?" Hayden spoke loudly as he rushed from the kitchen with a broom to brush away the shattered pieces of glass that surrounded me. Chase was still crippled to the floor, rising to his knees. Before it even hit, I could feel the pain coming. The air seemed foggy and time lingered in the air before I hunched back over.

"Arghhhhhhh!" My scream drifted through the air as it echoed inside my ears and the room began to tremble. I heard a heavy thundering sound hit the walls and as I turned around both Hayden and Chase fell to the floor. It seemed as if the blast had come from me and it wiped them straight off their feet. My heart quickly sank, the sinking feeling bringing me down with it before my body went numb. The sound of my body hitting the floor, echoed inside my ear.