100 Fast cars and fallen tears (1/2)

The car glided across the interstate as smoothly as a shark through water eating up the miles in a flash. It zipped around other vehicles as if they were standing still. Arei chuckled. In comparison they were. They simply blurred into the background of the signs, railing, and trees as it all became one jumbled streak against the horizon of his rearview mirror. None of it mattered. All his mind wanted to focus on was the road the woman beside him and getting as many miles between her and the mess they'd left behind.

The cold damp nose of the wolf's small head brushed Arei's arm. He glanced down to see that she'd rested her head on the arm rest beside Jos's sleeping form. He smiled down at the creature. ”You must be Shelly. Jos has told me quite a lot about you.” Big wide wolf eyes met his and he smiled wider. ”She loves you guys, you know that right?” His hand involuntarily moved over to rest on Jos's bare thigh.

The wolf let out a low threatening growl and bared her fangs. Her angry eyes moved from his face to where his hand rested.

Arei let out a husky laugh. He gave Jos's thigh a light squeeze before releasing it and holding the hand up in front of the wolf's face in surrender. ”Alright, alright.” He arched a mischievous brow down at her. ”You realize she and I have a history that spans back before you were even born right? Hell, before your grandparent, Nay, their grandparents were even born.”

The wolf sat back in the seat on her hind legs and gave him a questioning stare through the rearview mirror.

Arei laughed, ”What? don't believe me?” He laughed again when the wolf shook it's head. ”It's true.” He gave her a sideways grin. ”You know it would be ten times easier to carry on a conversation if you were in human form, right?...” When the wolf gave a low growl he laughed again. ”Just saying...”

A low moan brought both their attentions to the passenger seat. Jos shifted in the seat but didn't wake up. Her already pale skin grew whiter and beads of cold sweat broke out on her forehead. Arei reached across and placed his hand across her brow to check her temperature. A cold nose nudged his arm and the wolf wined. He frowned, ”She's burning up.” He moved his hand down to rest on her cheek then her chest. The wolf looked back and forth between Jos who let out another pained moan to Arei. He ran his hand down the length of Jos's exposed arm. ”She has chill bumps here... It's a fever...” The words had barely left his lips when his cell phone in the compartment above the gear shifter rang. He glanced back at the wolf hesitating to take his hand away from Jos to answer it. The wolf nodded in understanding. He pressed the button to take the call as he watched her straddle the center console so that she could rest her head across Jos's shivering body. ”Hello?”

[Arei?! Where are you right now?] Orion shouted from the bluetooth speaker of the car.

Arei glanced down at the built in GPS. ”Just crossed over the Tennessee state line. The wolfs ears perked up and her head lifted to look at the map on the screen. Her head jerked back in surprise before she leaned over to look at the speedometer. Arei laughed as her wide, shocked eyes met his. He laughed harder when she gulped and turned back to Jos, pulling on the seat belt to lock it into place. ”What about you? Shouldn't you be wearing one too?”

[Who are you talking to? Is Jos awake?] Orion asked concern heavy in his voice.

He turned his attention back to the call and the road. The smile on his face faded. ”No, she's not doing too well right now... I think she has a fever.” He said glancing over a Jos as she let out another moan.

[It's the water! She can't be too far away from the ocean!] Orion's shout filled the car.

Arei exchanged surprised glances with the wolf. ”What do you mean?”

[She's not like other demigods. She's more like Calypso or one of Calypso's other creatures.] Orion tried to explain.

Arei's eyes widened as he shot Jos another glance. ”Shit!” He started pressing buttons on the built in GPS. ”Alright, I'm programing in the nearest hotel. I'll text you the address once we stop.”

Orion hung up the phone and handed it back to Russ who was staring at him blankly. ”What?”

”You... said she's not like OTHER demigods... She's...” Russ stumbled for words trying to put his own thoughts together as he thought back over the things he'd been told and the many strange things Jos herself had said over the years. He glanced over his shoulder to the back seat meeting Raven's guilty eyes. ”She's a siren, right... or like a siren...”

Raven cleared her throat and turned away from Russ's questioning gaze. ”I said she was like a siren...”