Page 48 of Charmed By Apollo

“An equal sacrifice.” A heartbeat passed. “A human sacrifice.”

Geri’s blood froze in her veins. “What? But how?”

The priestess’s eyes flashed. “You know what I need and what you need to do. Once the deed is done, Mary Andersen will return to you whole, just as if she had never died.”

“But—no!” Geri screamed as a bright light blinded her vision. She heard Apollo shout her name, but when she reached out beside her, all she got was air.

“Apollo!” She staggered back, raising her hands to her face and then…

Nothing.

She lowered her arms to her sides, then blinked her eyes open. She was once again standing inside the cave.

“G-Geri?” Apollo’s hand darted out to grab her shoulder, steadying her. “What happened?”

“I…you were there the entire time, right?”

“Yeah.” He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. “Are you okay?”

She pressed her cheek to his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin and inhaling his delicious scent, which now soothed her. “You heard everything, right?”

He stiffened. “Yes, I did.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “Yumil’s price…”

“Terrible,” he said. “Don’t think about it now. You’re still shaking.”

A shiver ran through her. “Cold…cold…”

He kissed the top of her head. “Let’s get you out of these wet clothes and somewhere warm.”

Under the cloak of night, the Akumal beach lay bathed in the soft glow of starlight, casting a placid and mystical aura over the landscape. Geri stood on the balcony, her gaze drawn upward to the vast expanse of the nighttime sky, where countless stars twinkled like distant beacons.

The rhythmic sound of the waves crashing against the shore provided a soothing background melody as she contemplated the events of the day. Thoughts of their encounter with Yumil lingered in her mind, and the weight of the demand for a human sacrifice weighed heavily on her heart.

Looking out over the tranquil scene before her, she felt a sense of solitude and reflection wash over her. The beauty of the night sky offered a moment of solace amidst the turmoil of their quest, reminding her of the vastness of the universe and her place within it.

Lost in the stillness of the night, she took a deep breath. She knew that she must press on, no matter the challenges ahead.

The weight of their quest bore down on her shoulders, and each thought was heavy with uncertainty and doubt. The notion of finding a human sacrifice felt like an insurmountable hurdle, a daunting task that tested the limits of her resolve. Turning away from the expanse of the night sky, Geri leaned against the balcony railing, her gaze drifting out towards the darkened beach below. The rhythmic ebb and flow of the waves seemed to echo the tumultuous thoughts swirling in her mind.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Geri whispered to herself, her voice barely audible above the gentle rustle of the night breeze. “Finding a human sacrifice…it’s too much.”

But then, as if in response to her doubts, a flicker of determination ignited within her. She clenched her fists, the resolve in her heart burning brighter than ever before. “But I have to try,” she said aloud.

She felt Apollo’s presence behind her, and her heart skipped a beat, the warmth of his body encircling her in a comforting embrace. She leaned back into his arms, finding relief in him. “Do you like the view?” he asked softly as they gazed out at the star-studded sky above the Akumal beach.

She nodded, her eyes scanning the expanse of darkness punctuated by twinkling stars. “It’s breathtaking,” she admitted before looking up at him. “But how did you book this hotel? I didn’t see you with a cellphone to make a reservation or get on the internet. How are we paying for this?”

“First of all, I’m a god,” he reminded her.

“So, you stole this room? You didn’t pay for it?”

“What? No! I have a credit card. But, it’s a magic card, kind of. Works like the real thing and the hotel will get paid. And as for the reservations itself, let’s just say I have a little help from a magical electronic assistant.”

“A magical electronic assistant?” she echoed, her curiosity piqued. “Don’t those two things contradict each other?”

“You would think,” he said. “But, in a way, technology is a kind of magic in itself. And this particular assistant was engineered by none other than Hephaestus himself,” he explained. “I used my magic for such tasks in the past. Then, with the advent of the internet, things became easier. But now, this assistant works as an extension of my magic. It can handle all the mundane tasks I require, so I don’t have to be there.”

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