Chapter 9

JACK

The music is so loud that it vibrates through me and I find myself wishing I had earplugs in, my ears are going to be ringing well into tomorrow. But there's also something fun about it, especially with the slight haze of a few drinks buzzing around my system.

Rhea leans in so she's close enough to shout over the music. "You're right, your dancing is terrible."

"Like yours is any better!"

She laughs and pulls back, shimmying from side to side and waving her hands in the air. I don't think I've ever seen her like this, which isn't much of a surprise considering how we met. It makes me wonder what it would have been like if we'd met before.

But that's a useless thing to think about. We didn't know each other then, and we were different people. Sort of. I don't feel like I'm a different person since losing Mum, but I'm aware that I have a different outlook on life.

Rhea spins around, and one of her snakes slithers out of her hair, seeming to bop his head up and down in time for the music. I don't know if snakes have a sense of rhythm, but this one seems to.

I don't know what makes me do it, but I step forward and take her hand in mine, spinning her under my arm. She goes with it, a wide smile on her face. I love seeing it.

She breaks away from me and keeps dancing until something flies away from her. She freezes, panic written all over her face. It takes me a moment to realise what's happened.

Her glasses are gone.

She squeezes her eyes shut and doesn't move despite all of the people pressing in around her.

"Look at me," I say, though my words are lost in the crowd. I step closer to her, touching her arm. "It's me, Rhea." I don't know why I said that when she knows what I sound like and that I was right in front of her when she closed her eyes.

Her breathing is coming faster than I'd like, but I can understand how stressed she is right now. "My glasses," she whispers, touching her face as if it's going to make them magically disappear.

"I know," I respond, leaning in close enough that she can hear me and trying my best to ignore how good she smells.

"Jack..."

"I've got you," I promise. "Just look at me, don't look away."

Her eyes open and meet mine. My heart constricts at the vulnerability I can see in them.

"You can close your eyes again, I'm going to lead you to the sofas," I say, taking her hand in mine.

She nods and closes her eyes again. I carefully manoeuvre her through the dancing bodies, making sure not to bump into anyone or startle Rhea. I know her well enough to be certain she'd take it hard if she accidentally turned anyone into stone over this.

I get us out of the main room and into the quieter one with sofas dotted around. I'm not sure whose idea it was to do this, but I'm grateful for it right now, even if my ears are still ringing from how loud the music in the other room is.

"We're here," I say, pushing down on her shoulders until she's sitting. I reach out and turn her face to me, knowing she isn't going to open her eyes unless she knows it's safe. "You can look at me."

Rhea opens her eyes slowly and looks into mine. My heart aches to see the hints of fear within. "Did I..."

I shake my head. "No one's made of stone," I promise. "Well, other than me, but that's just a normal day."

She manages a weak smile, but I don't think she's fully relaxed yet. "I don't know what happened. I was dancing and then my glasses flew off my face." She touches the space where they should be as if expecting them to suddenly reappear. "That's never happened before."

"Do you want me to look for them?"

She shakes her head and covers her face with her hands. "What kind of idiot am I?"

"You're not an idiot, Rhea. If it's never happened before, then how were you going to know it would?"

"I should have taken the potion," she murmurs.

"What potion?"

"I can take a potion that does the same as my glasses. It's just...expensive to keep getting it, and I don't want to ask one of the witches to do it for me, and I didn't have any, so I didn't take it. I didn't think it would matter, especially when I wasn't planning on..." she trails off.

"Wasn't planning on?" I echo.

She clears her throat. "I wasn't planning on hooking up with anyone tonight," she finishes. "If I was thinking about that kind of thing, then I'd definitely take the potion because there's a lot more risk."

"Ah." Understanding dawns on me. "Can anyone get you the potion now? Maybe there's one in the vending machines..."

She cuts me off with a laugh. "Sorry, it's just that I don't think gorgon problems are quite common enough for anyone to have thought to stock a vending machine with anti-stone potion."

"Fair point."

She chews on her bottom lip. "I should just go home."

"I can go with you. We can get a cab, or walk, whatever you want."

"You should stay, don't let me cut your night short."

"Rhea, I came tonight because of you, I don't actually know anyone else," I point out, though in reality, I just know there's no way I'm leaving her like this.

"Oh, right. I didn't think of that."

I shrug. "There's nothing to think about. But it does mean that I can take you back to campus."

She nods. "Okay, let's go. But you're going to have to lead me out of here again."

"I'll be your eyes," I promise, holding out my hand.

She takes it and gets to her feet, her eyes closed.

"So, walk or cab?" I ask.

"Walk. It's easier to avoid turning people into stone that way."

"We can do that." Especially because it means getting to spend more time with her. "Once we're out of here, you should message your flatmates too."

"I will." She pauses, her eyes still firmly shut but overall she seems calmer now. "Can we eat and walk, because I want snacks."

I chuckle. "There's a chicken shop a few doors down."

"Oh no, I want fish and chips."

"I'm sorry, I don't think we can be friends any more."

Her laugh sounds much more carefree than I expect it to, but it's a great sound. "Over fish and chips?"

"It's such a weird drunk food," I respond, guiding her carefully through the club. "Now pizza, that's where it's at."

"All right, we'll stop at the pizza place too. Then we can both have the drunk food we want. But you're going to have to do the ordering."

"Worry not, I've got you," I promise, realising how true that is. I don't want her to have to worry about a thing, even if that's unlikely given the fact she's a gorgon away from home without her glasses.