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Cerberus

Chapter 9: Labels

Sneak Peek

Flynn sank down into his body, the last thing he remembered before he left Hecate’s prison was that warm family hug. He blinked, the world still coated in red from the glasses he wore, Damian’s talisman.

“You fucking bitches,” a deep, angry snarl filled the room before the kitchen table was shoved to the side, some of the contents spilling onto the floor as Cerberus pushed himself away from the table, turned, and stomped his way out of the kitchen.

“Cerberus,” Hemala scolded him like a child, but Kamila put a hand on the nightingale’s shoulder.

“Let him go,” the barn owl instructed. “He can’t go far, and he’s being forced to help in a task he wants nothing to do with. The least we can do is give the mutt some space.”

“I do have some questions for you though,” Flynn narrowed his eyes and looked at Hemala. “You said you guys have a cure for a hellhound bite, but then when we were with Hecate you all made it sound like you needed to still figure that one out.”

“True,” Hemala smiled and put a hand over her beak. “We do have a traditional cure, one that would work, but you wouldn’t really be you afterwards.”

“What?” Flynn furrowed his brow.

“In order to remove a hellhound bite,” Tiahna spoke up. “The only way currently is to either carve out the flesh that’s afflicted and heal it as fast as possible, or remove what it’s burning.”

“It’s burning me, though, right?” Flynn cocked a brow. “How would that work?”

“It’s not burning you,” Kamila spoke up. “It’s burning your mana.”

“So you’d have to remove me from my mana? Wouldn’t that kill me?” Flynn was getting confused.

“The hellhound bite burns through people and scorches their entire magical network,” Tiahna shrugged. “Leaving them a husk, but if we were to sever your connection to magic, the fire would burn itself out.”

“Like snuffing a candle,” Hemala added. “The rest of the candle is still there, but…”

“It can no longer burn,” Kamila finished.

“So, if I didn’t join you, you were going to make it so I couldn’t cast magic at all?”

“You would be the one to make the choice on that,” Hemala answered. “You’d give up magic forever and you could return to your normal life. You’d just have to switch careers. People do that all the time.”

Flynn thought about that for a minute, the family he just found seeming very sharp and calculating. Flynn may want a family, but he wasn’t about to switch one viper pit for another. He trusted the three sisters in the sense that they needed him, but how deep did this sisterly bond really go? He wasn’t ready to throw caution to the wind and move into their guestroom just yet.

“I think I should check on Cerberus,” Flynn stood up.

“Brother, what did I just say,” Kamila’s brown eyes glared at Flynn, the wolf pausing. Clearly the barn owl wasn’t used to people not taking her words to heart. The three sisters didn’t have a leader, but they sure as hell knew who was in charge. Flynn didn’t want to upset his new family, but he also didn’t want to be a pushover anymore. He had been jerked around from hellhound to hellhound, from dealer to dealer, from demigod to god. He wasn’t about to let that trend continue.

“He’s my responsibility,” Flynn spoke firmly and glared right into Kamila’s eyes, refusing to back down. The owl glared back before standing up with a sigh.

“Do as you wish,” she waived the wolf off. “We’ll get working on a proper talisman for you. Just don’t upset him more than he already is. We need him focused and sharp for the trials ahead.”

“Thanks,” Flynn’s shoulders relaxed as he made his way after Cerberus. “I shouldn’t be long.”

“We needn’t start our hunt today,” Kamila answered picking up dishes and moving them to the sink. “Take all the time you need. We’ll be here when you get back.”

“I’m just going to talk to Cerberus,” Flynn cocked a brow.

“You have an entire life outside of these four walls,” Hamala smiled and helped clear the table. “Go back home, sleep on this, and come back when you’re ready. You have plenty of loose ends to tie up before we get down to business.”

Flynn was going to protest, but then he remembered his sister’s clairvoyance. Maybe he should just go home and figure things out.

“We’ll call when we have your talisman ready,” Hemala reassured him.

“But…I don’t know where my phone is,” Flynn shook his head. “How will you call me?”

“Don’t worry,” Hemala smirked. “It’ll find you.”

Flynn wanted to know more, but he also didn’t want Cerberus to get too far.

“See you all soon,” Flynn reassured them and went to catch up to Cerberus.

***

Flynn never caught up with the hellhound. He didn’t want to tug on his leash either. Sure, the guy was an asshole, but Flynn knew what it was like to feel helpless. Even though the majority of that helplessness over the past few days came from that frigid asshole, he could relate all too well. And in the end, he wasn’t a monster.

Flynn decided to take his sisters’ advice and go home for now. He shuffled the streets in his airy clothes, and despite the crispy breeze, he didn’t feel cold. The glasses must be helping him a lot with his innate ability. He took the glasses off for a brief moment, and sure enough, mist started to roll from his lips, and when he put them back on, his mouth warmed back up to normal temps. Flynn gave a deep sigh as he got to his apartment.

He pulled the spare key from their hiding space behind the fire extinguisher and opened the door. He entered the apartment and closed the door behind him, his home feeling cold and foreign to him.

But he quickly realized he wasn’t alone.

“Nathan?” Flynn cocked a brow as he looked over into his roommate’s room to see the ferret packing an overnight bag.

“Flynn?” Nathan stood up and came to his door, leaning on the frame. “Was wondering if I’d even be able to find you before I came back.”

“What do you mean? I live here,” Flynn chuckled, though Nathan didn’t seem amused.

“We can talk when I get back from my parents’ place. My dad is being discharged and I want to be there to help my mom with some of the housework while he’s recovering.”

“Oh my god, that’s right, your dad,” Flynn had completely forgot that he had been hurt in the line of duty, but at least now he knew he was okay. “I’m glad that he’s okay.”

“Yeah, sure,” Nathan rolled his eyes and turned back to packing his bag.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Flynn cocked a brow.

“Nothing,” Nathan was short as he zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

“No, that’s not nothing, what’s happening?”

“Why don’t you check your phone,” Nathan huffed. “It’s on the table.”

“You had my phone? How?” Flynn was very confused, but he went to the table and sure enough his phone was there, the screen full of hundreds of notifications. Flynn was sure most of them were from Aaron, but that didn’t explain how his phone made it to Nathan.

“I’ll let you know if anything changes with my dad,” Nathan’s tone was dry.

“If your parents need extra help, I’m willing to come and—”

“No!” Nathan snapped. “No, you’ve done enough already.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!” Flynn stood up. “Do you have any idea what kind of shit I’ve had to deal with these past few days?”

“Cut the crap Flynn,” Nathan spun around, his eyes glistening with angry tears. “I know you went to your old drug dealer, Damian!”

“I…What?” Flynn blinked. “Nathan, it’s not what you think.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard it all before,” Nathan huffed. “I’m not dealing with you right now.”

“No, seriously, Nathan, it’s not what you think!” Flynn stepped forward and put a hand on Nathan’s shoulder.

“Don’t FUCKING touch me!” Nathan shouted, spinning around and slapping Flynn’s hand. “Do you know why I had your phone? Because Damian came to the library looking for you! He attacked Aaron! I had to taser the fucker to get him to stop!”

“Damian…came to…you tasered him?” Flynn’s mind was reeling. “When did you get a taser?”

“The day after you had that fucking freak in our apartment!” Nathan huffed. “Flynn, just leave me alone. I don’t feel safe around you right now, and I’m not going to bring your bullshit with me to my parents’ place. I don’t have the time or energy right now, and if dad ever found out you were using again…please, just try not to fucking overdose before I get back.”

“What the FUCK!” Flynn snarled. “I’m trying my fucking best right now! I was drugged, nearly raped, and you think I wanted all that!”

“Fuck off Flynn! I’ve heard it all before,” Nathan stomped his way to the door. “Save it for the hotline people who are paid to give a shit. I’m not going to sit here and listen to your bull!”

“No,” Flynn snarled. “No! This isn’t bullshit! You have to listen to me Nathan, I didn’t want this, I didn’t want to do any of this! It’s Cerberus and Damian, and all the other stuff!” Flynn was so mixed up in his own head he couldn’t articulate his thoughts. “They’re hellhounds!”

“Really?” Nathan paused, half out the door. “Give it a rest Flynn. Next you’re going to say you shared a blunt with bigfoot. Why would demon dogs give a shit about some junky?”

“Junky…?” Flynn squeaked, his heart pierced by that insult.

“God damn it Flynn!” Nathan took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean…I’m not going to argue with you right now, I can’t,” Nathan closed the door.

“Nathan?” Flynn felt like he had just been sucker punched. Every fiber of his being wanted to scream, to yell, to shout, but his lungs couldn’t pull in enough air. Once he finally did, a sob broke his lips. “Nathan…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” Flynn collapsed onto the floor, holding his phone to himself as he shivered in anger and regret.

It really wasn’t his fault. This all happened because of some twisted, fucked up sense of luck. It wasn’t because he wanted to be a…a junky…

The glow from his mother’s revelation and Cerberus’s heads all felt so surreal compared to his real life issues. There was no way he could convince Nathan…unless he made Cerberus confess to him, but who’s to say he wouldn’t just freak out. Flynn felt trapped. It was like no matter how hard he tried, no matter what angle of explanation, it would all just seem like a desperate junky trying to explain away his addiction.

“Cerberus,” Flynn mumbled into his knees. “I know you don’t want to be here, but…could you come over here.”

He felt the hum tingle across his connection, the order gentle and wanting. Flynn didn’t know who else to turn to in that moment, and he knew the headless hound didn’t want to see him, but Flynn had no one else to turn to. He waited a few minutes before there was a knock at the door. Flynn sniffed and got up, walking over to open it up, hoping to maybe force a conversation with Cerberus.

“I know it’s kind of fucked up,” Flynn was still looking at his feet, his head hung low. “But…I really don’t want to be alone.”

“Oh honey,” the voice that came from beyond the doorway wasn’t Cerberus’s. Flynn’s eyes shot up and there, before him was a pitch black Great Dane. “You know I’d always come when you call.”

“Damian!” Flynn tried to slam the door shut, but the hound slammed his shoe between the frame and the door before forcing it open, making Flynn fall back on his ass.

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