“Are you alright?” Victor asked as he leaned over to my right and tried to get a better look at my face. “I could take you home, if you like. We could have this meeting tomorrow morning.”
I turned to face him. His brow crinkled when I looked into his steel gray eyes. He wiped my tears away with the tips of his fingers, but didn’t utter a word. There was a change in his aura. He was in pain the moment he touched my tears, although he didn’t know exactly what was causing me anguish. Victor traced the curve of my jaw and Evan was just an old and faded memory. It was wrong and so right in so many ways.
“I want to tell you something.” Victor said, caressing by cheek.
“I know what you want to say.”
“Oh, do you now? Tsk, Tsk, naughty girl. Reading my thoughts, again?” Victor leaned closer and stared at my lips. He would give anything to kiss me.
No please don’t kiss me, I thought, or I’ll be yours forever.
“Sometimes… I can’t… help it.” I half-whispered and stammered.
“Hmm…bad habit,” Victor murmured, and he took another step closer. We stood about an inch apart. I tingled all over from his heat. “And an unfair advantage, baby.”
“I know.” I flushed. “I’ll try to stop, really.”
“What I wanted to tell you is that… I–”
“No, please don’t say it!” I exclaimed. I gently pushed his hand away and stepped to the left so that I could be free of his muscular frame touching my body.
“Hey, wait a second. I just wanted to say that… I will always be here for you.” Victor’s mouth curled up into the sexiest and most wicked smile I had ever seen. “Bad habits are hard to break.” He was trying to teach me a lesson.
Again, the muscles in my face failed me and I grinned.
“Let’s go inside.” I said. I knew what he really wanted to tell me, although he meant what he said.
“Wait, are you sure that you’re alright? I felt what you’re feeling and you’re really suffering, Delia.” Victor said as he grabbed hold of my hand and gently pulled me toward him. “Baby, please let me in. I can help. I want to know what hurts you so bad. I really want to…”
“Shh,” I reached up and put a finger to his lips, although I really wanted to throw myself into his arms in hopes that he never let me go. “No one can help me. I have to handle this one on my own, alright?”
Victor nodded and followed me inside. We walked side-by-side down the long marbled hallway, stealing glances at each other like lovers who had been caught doing what was forbidden. When I walked into the exquisitely decorated salon, I had to catch my breath. It was as if someone had reached into my chest and squeezed my lungs. In the far left corner of the spacious room, Evan stood next to Evangelia. They were deep in conversation and not anyone seeing them could deny the first thought that came to mind – a young couple in love.
“My offer still stands. I can take you home right now.” Victor whispered in my ear.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Evan. He hadn’t even noticed that I had walked into the room. After years of sensing when I was near, I was now a phantom – a forgotten memory. In the center of the room, sitting on the plush velvet sofa, Bethany and Nikolas followed my gaze to the shocking thing that had caused my face to freeze.
“Delia, you’re here. Wonderful! Now we can get started.” Bethany squealed in a desperate attempt to get Evan’s attention. I wish she hadn’t. I would’ve liked to see just how long it would have taken Evan to notice me.
It took Evan the longest four seconds of my lifetime to turn in my direction. The very moment he saw me, he tried, although reluctantly, to step away from Evangelia. Her crystal-gray were trained on me. I took a few steps into the room and focused on her. Her thoughts put me on edge. She wanted to put a claim on the boy whom the gods had proclaimed was hers all along. I looked away from her and back at Evan. As expected, he blocked me and I was shut out of his mind.
I hoped not his heart.
Evan leaned against the fireplace, looking just as miserable as I felt. All of a sudden, it dawned on me. What had I just been doing only a couple moments ago on his terrace? I was ashamed of how I had behaved and tried to ease the awkwardness. I smiled at Evan. His eyes brightened and his face relaxed. A smile crept across his face.
Everyone gathered around on three sofas and I started discussing my plan of action. We went over everything, and I couldn’t stop feeling hopeless about Evan and Evangelia’s interactions.
“We have to track my parents. I want to find them as soon as possible – hopefully before they’re buried.” I informed.
“It can be done,” Victor vowed.
“But it must be done, carefully. No powers on display for all to see. If the Apolluon are here, I really don’t want them realizing that we’ve arrived in this city,” I said.
“Well, I know that they will be buried in the tomb before June 5th. That date sticks in my head for some strange reason,” Bethany added.
“That leaves us four days. Do you have any idea where their bodies are now?” I asked Bethany.
“Bertrand felt their aura in the cemetery. Perhaps, we should start there,” said Bethany.
“I want to go there now,” I said, standing up.
“I think we all should go,” Evan said and walked over to the French windows. He watched the sun begin to cast an orange and pinkish glow across the sky. Just another drastic departure from the gorgeous sunsets against the Sierras in Nickel City.
Everyone nodded in agreement, except Victor. “Lia, are you up to this?” He turned to where his sister stood.
“We’re not sure of what the city holds. The Apolluon may not be our only threat.” I said to Evangelia. “Perhaps you should stay behind.”
“I agree.” Victor added. “I’ll take you home.”
“I’m not afraid. I’d like to help if it’s alright with you, Empress Cordelia?” Evangelia’s voice was as sweet as a lullaby. Who wouldn’t trust her?
I didn’t. I’d already been in her head.
“I admire your dedication. Call me Delia,” I said as I walked toward her. She stood poised next to her brother who watched over her like a warden. “I just thought you’d feel more comfortable once you have mastered your power.” I added.
“Yes, the whole empress title fits best when we’re in full council.” Bethany added, with a sly smile and a wink in my direction. I don’t think she trusted prism-eyes either.
“Shall we teleport?” Nikolas asked.
“No. I don’t want to appear in a place we’re not familiar with,” I said as I headed for the for the elevator. “Who wants to drive?”
“Delia, ride with Victor and Evan in the Phantom. I’ll take Beth and Evangelia in the coupe. Betrand can meet us there,” Nikolas instructed and grabbed his jacket and a bottle of wine for the road.
“Yes, Lord Niko.” Victor saluted, drunkenly.
“It’s the wine. I’ve become more assertive,” Nikolas said, as he got into his blazer and mashed the button for the elevator. “I’m ready to take this city by the balls. Who’s ready to ride with me?”
“That depends. Wheels or hooves?” Victor asked, chuckling and slapping Nikolas on the back.
“You heard the lady, no magic.” Nikolas neighed, loudly and shook his long ponytail in the night air.
Once outside, I descended the stone steps of the building. I noted the luminous full moon hidden behind a thin veil of fog, making the moon’s glow appear fuzzy. The air was thick, muggy, and warmer than it had been earlier in the day when we first arrived.
“Who’s driving?” I tossed the car key into the air. Victor was the faster of the two most powerful, male demigods in the Ischero Empire. He snatched the key and opened the car door for me. “No powers!” I scolded, lightly.
Once I was settled in the back seat and Victor was about to shut the door, Evan slid in beside me. The corners of Evan’s mouth curled upward and his eyes brightened to a pale blue. Victor’s eyes narrowed and his lips
formed a straight line across his face.
“I can always order you to sit in the front.” Victor advised.
“You could, but you won’t because that would be immature. You’re a deity, the second most powerful demigod, and a descendant of the gods would never behave in such a childish way.” Evan snickered.
I shook my head and tried not to smile at their rivalry. Victor was sensitive and would be hurt by it, although it was kind of amusing.
“You will address me as Lord Victor from now on.” Victor shot a mischievous look at Evan in the rearview mirror.
As Evan began to say what he believed would be a clever retort, but Victor started the engine and the brougham came to life. The automobile rumbled loudly over Evan’s words and silenced him as Victor had intended.
“You see old boy, I’ve already won. I feel no need to bicker with you,” Victor yelled over his shoulder as the engine quieted a bit. Perhaps, Victor hadn’t meant to be cruel with his choice of words, but I doubted it and the message was clear to Evan.
“Yes, but by default. She chose to love me. As for you, she’s being brainwashed by the gods.” Evan said leaning toward the front seat so that Victor didn’t miss a word.
“It’s obvious that the pickings were slim in my absence, therefore it’s understandable that she was confused and chose you. Now she has come to her senses.”
“Lord Vic, even if she did love you, you’ll always be fighting for that huge chunk of her heart that will always belong to me.” Evan said as a broad smile divided his face into two.
“Please stop!” I said, practically yelling and cutting off Victor’s words. “You talk about me as if I’m not here. Only I can speak for myself.”
Unexpectedly, Victor pulled over onto the side of the street, cut the engine off, and both he and Evan jumped out of the car in the blink of an eye.
“This can only end in one way, mermaid-boy.” Victor snapped and foot-long flames blazed out of his mouth and nearly torched Evan’s beautiful face. “She’s mine.”
“In your dreams.” Evan said as he sprayed water from his fingertips at the flames.
“Well, she certainly isn’t in any of yours.” Victor snarled.
How could he know what I’ve just recently figured out?
“She’ll always wish that you were me.” Evan yelled and charged at his opponent.
Victor sliced through Evan’s body and exited out of his back, without cutting him. Evan’s face emerged where Victor’s face used to be and he had become everything that made Evan gorgeous. Victor’s shell may have been Evan, but it was Victor’s personality through and through. He was a genuine show off. He fleshed out into water and duplicated his competitor’s power. He spun around in the middle of the street and manufactured himself into a whirlpool of water. Meanwhile, Evan stood as still as a statue next to me as we were both caught in the funnel of Victor’s tornado.
Neither Evan nor I could have foreseen the depth of Victor’s power. The entire empire was aware that he had the rare power of the Chameleon – as his father Ares has, and as our notoriously evil uncle possesses, yet to see it was mind blowing, even for an Ischero.
The passersby on the sidewalk and the onlookers crossing the avenue ran for cover. They screamed and panicked, seeing a tornado in the middle of Manhattan.
“Victor, get behind that building and regain yourself, now!” I ordered. I hoped the witnesses thought I was speaking to Evan.
Victor spun into a nearby alley, leaving Evan standing stiff as pillar. I put my arm around him and it was as if I was holding a statue. I tried to convince the mortals that Evan was acting normally. Maybe, they thought he was in shock from seeing the tornado. Suddenly, Evan began to reemerge. He turned around just in time to see Victor making his way toward us. The broad smile on Victor’s face was met by Evan’s powerful fist. Victor flew upward several feet and came down hard and fast, becoming one with the cobblestone paved street. He shook off the impact in less than a second.
“Bastard!” Evan wasn’t through, and marched toward Victor with the intent to kill. I glided in front of him, at an accelerated speed, preventing him from getting past me.
“Don’t.” I said and motioned to the spectators who watched with wide-eyed curiosity as well as astonishment. “You have an audience.”
I sped up to each onlooker and informed them that they did not see anything out of the usual tonight. The Glamour took effect and erased any proof that gods walked this earth. I stepped off of the curb and caught something dark slithering in my peripheral. I was prepared to ignite my bolt, but the dark slithering thing floated upward in the breeze and turned out to be a silk scarf.
I turned my attention back to the two, tiresome brutes. They stood watching me, but said nothing. Then they faced each other, glaring.
“If you think that I’m just going to stand back and watch the two of you fight over me like two little boys over a toy, than I’m afraid you’ve got it all terribly wrong.” I hissed as they stared at me and then at each other. After reading both of their minds, I knew they wanted to end each other’s lives. “I swear I’ll banish the both of you and live the rest of my life alone, if you don’t put a stop to it. Now, if you both don’t mind, we have somewhere to be.” I stepped over the crushed cobblestones where Victor landed and walked back to the car.
We rode in silence. They each had let off enough steam, and for their own sake, I hoped that they had gotten my point. This had to be the end of it. I meant it when I said that I would be willing to live the rest of my existence without the grace of either of them. I watched Evan as he drove us down the avenue. He was furious and his pride had been injured. Victor had gotten the best of him.
Evan was well aware of the fact that Victor was stronger and had more capabilities, but he had figured that he was the smarter of the two. He thought that he could outsmart Victor. What troubled Evan was that Victor had taken what was his – his power. Evan hated the possibly of having to give me up, but what he couldn’t live with was Victor taking his strength at will. He couldn’t and wouldn’t consider it for a second.
While in the backseat of my brougham, Victor’s aura had become overwhelming, and I was in tuned with his thoughts. I had expected malicious thoughts toward Evan but that wasn’t what littered Victor’s mind right now. It was a well-known fact, amongst the Ischero and the gods, that he could only Chameleon someone if he had physically hurt them. What happened tonight was a revelation. Victor couldn’t understand how he had been able to steal Evan’s strengths without ever injuring him.
Twenty - Cordelia
Tomb
Finally, we arrived at the cemetery. Evan parked the Phantom behind Nikolas’ Cadillac coupe. I spotted Bertrand’s Imperial 80 – the numeral eighty for the Chrysler sports car’s peak maximum speed, and was glad to know he had arrived. The street was dimly lit by a few streetlights. If I focused hard enough I could see a few hundred feet ahead of me and fortunately, no one was in sight. I didn’t expect to see any mortals, this late, anywhere near a cemetery, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a few immortal beings showed up. Right now, there weren’t any in plain sight but I never underestimated the veil of a fog.
Through the mist, I could make out Bertrand’s, Nikolas’, and Bethany’s furrowed brows and pursed lips. They were annoyed. Evangelia – the only happy face of the group – smiled when she noticed Evan walking toward the cemetery’s entrance and quickly saddled up next to her brother.
“What took you so long?” Bethany asked.
“At one point you were following me, and then when I checked the rear view mirror again, the brougham was gone.” Nikolas added.
“Just a little detour,” I said shooting a quick glance at both Victor and Evan. They played along and appeared aloof.
“Thank you for being here.” I said and walked over to the demigod of metal and fire.
“I’m here to serve you, empress.” Bertrand said.
“Lead the way.” I instructed.
Ber
trand led us through the tall iron cemetery gates that were conveniently unlocked. There weren’t any sounds of any kind to be heard as we walked down an oak tree lined path littered with broken branches. The fog dissipated and various sizes of ghostly white tombstones and statues covered in vines came into view.
“A little further.” Bertrand said over his shoulder as we followed him in silence.
After a few yards, I began to sense an aura. It became stronger with each step we took toward a large mausoleum. The mausoleum had several Doric columns in front and reminded me of the Parthenon.
“I can sense it. It’s not very strong, but I can see why you were lured here, Bert.”
We stopped in front of the concrete structure. By now, the aura was intense and I was certain that it was of a divine Ischero. The vast cemetery was still and there wasn’t any other presence detected for the moment. Bertrand stepped up to the ornate steel door of the mausoleum. His index finger lengthened and thinned out into a metal rod. The tip of his finger curled into the distinct shape of a skeleton key. Betrand and his younger brother, Sebastian, had the rare ability of transforming into all metals – solid and liquid. They could also project fire as well as ignite into a flame.
With his self-made key, Bertrand unlocked and pulled the heavy door open. He transformed his finger back to its original shape, flicked a flame from the tip of it, and lit up the darkened tomb. The walls were of shimmering white marble. Two marble altars which sat side-by-side, shone as if they had just been polished. I stepped in beside him and Bertrand stepped back and allowed me a better look. I was consumed by the aura. The presence was the same and I was positive that it belonged to my parents. I realized something else. My parents were near. They weren’t in the cemetery but they’re bodies had to be somewhere close or their auras wouldn’t be this forceful.
Sacrifice Page 14
