The Protection of a God

“Okay, so I get that you have those magical powers going on, and that you want nothing to do with that creepy guy in the truck-“

Devon was interrupted by Damien raising his hand, “That man in the truck is Hades, my father.”
Devon huffed, “Okay, you want nothing to do with Hades. But what do you need me for?”

Damien was still sitting on the pavement from where he had collapsed after showing Devon what he was capable of. Devon was pacing back and forth in front of Damien. Her mind was racing about everything she had learned in the past hour and a half. David had called her cell three times now because she never ran for three hours and it was almost eleven.

“I have no place to go. I have no money. I have no person to trust. That’s why I need you,” Damien stood up and was looking at Devon again. With each word he said he came closer and closer to her. When he finished talking he was barely a foot away from her, a little above eye level.Devon breathed him in. He smelt like mint. Burnt mint. She glanced up at him and quickly began her pacing again.

“That’s also what I don’t understand. Why do you trust me? Why would you tell some random girl your big secret? Why me?”

When Devon asked this question she could tell that Damien didn’t know how to answer. That he was just as confused as she was, but he was the one who was in desperate need of protecting.

“Just forget I asked. Truthfully, I don’t want to know. You’re coming home with me,” Devon started to walk away. She only stopped to make sure Damien was following her; he wasn’t.

“Well, are you coming?” A wave of shock rippled across Damien’s face, but it was quickly wiped away by a smile. He hurried to catch up to her.

~~~~~~~

“David! Please, he has no place to go. His parents kicked him out of the house. He hardly had a chance to grab his clothes. He’s my friend and I help my friends when they need it,” Devon was pleading with her brother to let Damien stay at their house.

When Devon showed up with Damien in tow, David thought she was bringing a boyfriend home; a first on Devon’s part. But when she asked if he could stay, Damien was told to wait where he was and the two siblings fought in the kitchen.

The remnants of the chicken casserole that Devon had missed out on were still sitting on the stove. She really wanted this argument to be over so she could eat it. The smell that was leaking out of the container was making her mouth water.

“David, he can sleep in the extra room. He’s a perfectly nice person. And he needs somewhere to sleep. You can’t leave him out on the streets, have you seen the people who live in our city?” Devon knew she had won when she said that.

Their father had been all about helping others; going to soup kitchens to help the unfortunate and annually donating clothes. David admired the man so much that there was no way he could refuse Damien now.David wiped his hand across his face, much like their father used to do.

“Fine. Damien can stay here, but there are rules. One, you both will be in your separate bedrooms every night.” He emphasized ‘separate’.

“Two, this isn’t forever. He’ll have to solve his problems with his parents at some point. And three, you have to clean out my car,” the last statement David said with a twisted smile. They both knew his car was a complete and utter disaster.Devon smiled a big smile. One that David had not seen since their parents passed.

“Agreed, agreed, and I mean I guess, but if you get your car back with some extra miles don’t worry.” With that Devon skipped back to the foyer where Damien was still standing. He was looking at their family picture.

Devon cleared her throat and Damien turned around.

“You can stay, but there are rules and some of them are close to cruel and unusual punishment,” Devon was hoping to scare him a bit. Seeing how far she could push the son of Hades.

Damien didn’t say anything, but a wicked gleam seeped into his blue eyes and a twisted smile sprang up upon his face. Cruel and punishment were two of his favorite words.