“As long as it takes.”
“But you said –”
“I remember quite well what I said. Your strengths have been restored. I would expect thanks and praise… not disrespect.” Ares snapped.
“I don’t mean to offend you, Father. I want her and I know that she wants me, badly. I’ve risked so much. I’ve risked what I had no right to and–.”
“You risk what you must in order to be victorious.”
“Evangelia could have been mauled to death.”
“She was not harmed. Perhaps you need to have more faith in her.”
“I nearly died by the teeth of Hades’ beasts.” I was seething by now. Ares stared down at me and narrowed his eyes. “I did everything you told me to do and I’m not pleased with the results.”
“You knew the risks. You came to me. You made a choice. You chose to risk your sister’s life. You nearly got yourself killed. You did it all because you were greedy for power and you wanted it all. Now you dare to find fault with me,” Ares bellowed and in a blink of an eye, he was in front of me, bearing down.
I couldn’t get any air into my throat. My legs flailed and I couldn’t feel the floor beneath me. The glass of bourbon crashed as it hit the floor. For the first time, I didn’t have to look up at my godly father to see his face. His hold around my neck was like a vice, and I felt weightless in his hand. We were eye to eye now. I looked into his eyes. The flames swirled, violently – far more violent than I would have ever expected. In his eyes, I saw the beasts he had killed as well as the mortals. I saw how he killed them and flinch several times. He murdered for sport. He wanted me to know this. I wondered if he was feeling athletic now.
“I have yet to understand why Zeus treasures you demigods. He always says that your prayers feed a gods will. Well I’m hungry.” Ares growled.
“I–” I could barely breath and was beginning to feel lightheaded, so it was nearly impossible to form words.
My body hit the concrete. My chest constricted for a couple second and then air filled my throat, finally. Landing didn’t hurt, but it was nice to be able to breathe again.
“Any more complaints?”
“N– No,” I stammered and then sighed and got to my feet.
Just as Ares vanished behind the hedge, I caught movement in my peripheral. The curtain in Lia’s window swayed and her hand disappeared from view.
Oh gods! She couldn’t have heard that.
I was in her room in an instant, but her aura – the scent of orchids and lime – had begun to dissipate. She was gone.
I had an idea as to where she went. I walked into Evander’s salon and there she was. Her head was in her hands and his arm wrapped around her shoulders, firmly.
It was too late.
Evander was consoling her the way only he could. She had run to the one person she felt she could go to and the one person who I least wanted privy to this ordeal besides Cordelia, of course.
“I trusted him all my life,” she sobbed, uncontrollably, and shook her head. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and wipe away her tears.
“Let me get you a glass of water,” Evander said. He looked up in my direction but didn’t see me.
I expected to follow him to the kitchen but instead, I followed him down the hallway and into his library. I slipped in passed him. The second the door shut behind me I was smashed into the floor, hard – the marble cracked all around me. I had to catch my breath from the shock of him being able to see through my veil. I laughed and jerked my body up into the air. I grabbed him by the back of his neck and slammed him into one of his bookshelves, and then into another, and another. The shelves split in half and all the fine leather bound classics cascaded to the floor. Evander used almost all of his strength and flipped around to face me. I was only using a fraction of mine.
“I knew you hadn’t changed. You didn’t fool me for one second,” he said, through clenched teeth.
Faster than the speed of sound, he grabbed me by my neck and flung me in the direction of the ceiling, but I caught myself midair. Instead, I landed on my feet smashing into the fireplace mantle, crushing it. I flipped forward and kicked Evader. He flew back from the impact of my wingtips on his face. I rushed toward him, catching him before he landed in the wall and tightened my grip around his neck, again. The icy whirlpool spun out of my hand and around, washing over me. My clothes were drenched and stuck to me. Evander fleshed back into human form and came at me.
“You don’t know a damn thing!” I exclaimed and I slammed my fist into his jaw, cracking it in several places.
Evander’s head swung back from the impact, but he was still standing and grabbed my head. My face was shoved into the undisturbed bookshelves on the opposite wall. I felt all my teeth chip away in my mouth so I spit them out onto the broken shelves. The heat within me was beyond the boiling point now. I used all of my strength and pushed my back into him. Then I reached back with my arm and flipped him forward. Evander landed on his desk, breaking it into two huge chunks of oak.
“STOP!” someone yelled from behind.
I grabbed Evander by the hair and picked him up to face me. I smashed my fist into his face, again, and again, and again at record speed, ignoring the bones that snapped in my hand. I also heard the pop of his skull shattering. It was like music to my ears.
“STOP! PLEASE! You’ll kill him!”
“That’s the plan!” I whispered to Evander. “Say good-bye to your betrothed.”
Suddenly, Evander caught my fist in his and crushed it. I was in the air one second and then wedged into the far wall the next. I thrust my body forward and pushed through the wood paneling that outlined my body, breaking it into splinters.
I flew up and slammed into Evander, pinning him down, but not for long.
He bounced up from the floor like a ball and we were both on our feet now and at each other’s throats. My hands were bleeding but healing fast. Evander’s face had never been prettier, smeared with his blood, and broken in too many places to count. I wanted to end him now, although killing Evander would only guarantee exile in the Underworld.
“Please!” A large ball of fire blazed into the side of my face. The flames engulfed my head and I stared into Evander’s eyes and fleshed out into water.
“If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought that ball of fire was meant for me, sis.” I stared at Lia, intently, and shifted back to my original form.
“You thought right,” Lia snapped as she transformed from glowing flames back to her human form.
I stepped back from Evander as he walked over to Lia. He brushed her hair back, tenderly, with his hand as she continued to smolder. He didn’t seem to care that I saw the endearing gesture. She touched the blood on his face that had already partially healed.
“Lia, I’m so sorry for what I’ve done.” I stepped closer to her, but she backed away, instantaneously. “Please hear me out.” I begged.
“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.” Tears streamed down her face and my heart twisted into knot.
Oh gods, what have I done? Not Lia. Please don’t take her away from me.
“I made a mistake. I had a choice and I made the wrong one. I shouldn’t have listened to Ares.”
“No you shouldn’t have.” Evander snarled. “You should have put the empire before your needs.”
“I’m talking to my sister, if you don’t mind?”
“No I don’t, but I think she does,” Evander retorted. I noticed that the bruising on his jaw had darkened to a deep shade of violet. It would take a couple hours for that bone to heal. I felt like breaking it all over again.
“Lia, please. May we talk alone?” I pleaded and then looked at Evander. “Please, let me talk to my sister alone.”
Evander pulled Lia close to him and whispered in her ear. She nodded and he walked out of the library, but not before, he glanced in my direction. The look in his eyes could not be confused with anything other than pure hatred. Perhaps, just this once
, I couldn’t blame him.
Twenty-Eight - Evander
Reprieve
“UGH!” I yelled once I was in the hallway.
“Lord Evander, is there something wrong?” Moon Rose asked, startling me.
“I’m fine. Leave me.” I demanded, lightly as I hid my face from her. Moon Rose nodded and walked away shaking her head. She knew better. She heard the commotion in the library.
He was stronger, he was faster, and I was forced to admit that to myself. Victor could kill me, although he’d have the fight of his life trying.
Damn him!
Damn him straight to the Underworld. Better yet, damn him straight down to Mount Tartarus. Let the Titans have him. That thought was soothing.
His own sister? Is there anyone he wouldn’t jeopardize in order to get what he wanted?
I felt terrible for Lia, in a way that tore my heart into shreds. She was so sweet and utterly divine. She didn’t deserve such a viper for a brother. No one deserved such a brother. Yet, I hoped that she could find it in her precious heart to forgive the bastard, or his transgression will tear her apart. She would never be happy, not completely, because he’s lucky enough to have her unconditional love.
Does he deserve to be forgiven?
Absolutely, not.
Should he be forgiven by Lia?
Yes.
Should he be forgiven by Delia? This question was the most important and the most impossible to answer.
When Delia had wanted to restore Victor’s powers, I was dead against it – so much that I had made the mistake of trying to sway the council. I had hoped they would block her from empowering Victor. I was certain that he wasn’t ready.
Unfortunately, I had been right.
It’s probably the one time I wish I wasn’t. I tried to see it her way after Delia saved Victor’s life and he regained his powers. I thought that, perhaps, she had been right. Perhaps, he should have his powers since we were facing so many attacks from the Apolluon. I had understood the importance of Victor’s power to the empire, but Victor thought he was the empire.
He may be in my library right now begging his baby-sister for forgiveness, but his biggest hurdle, maybe the tallest hurdle he will ever face in his entire existence will be trying to convince Delia not to banish him.
“Evan?” I turned to find Lia standing behind me.
“Are you alright?” I placed one hand on her shoulder and the other under her chin, raising her face so that she could look me in the eyes.
“Yes, but I’ve been better. We talked and…”
“You forgave him?”
Lia didn’t say anything for a few seconds and it felt like minutes. The usual sparkle in her crystal-like eyes had dimmed, considerably, making them appear like flawed diamonds.
“I want to give him another chance,” Lia said and sighed. I didn’t want to add to her burden.
“Of course, and you should,” I said and Lia gaped at me.
“That’s not the response I would have expected after watching you both try to kill each other.”
“He’s your brother and he made a mistake. As Ischero, we believe in forgiveness.” Lia nodded.
“I shouldn’t ask you this, but I have to.”
“Ask me anything,” I said utilizing all of my power not to lean in and kiss her passionately on the lips.
“Are you going to tell Cordelia what my brother has done?” I hadn’t expected that question, although I should have.
Even if she had just tried to torch his head in order to stop him from killing me, she was loyal to her brother. I guess I would expect the same from Beth, although I’d never put her in a situation to ask such a thing.
“Let me guess, you’d rather I didn’t, right?” She nodded. I adjusted my tie and ran my fingers through my hair.
“I hadn’t thought about it. But now that I have, I don’t think I could keep something like this from her.”
“She doesn’t have to know,” Evangelia whispered.
“Don’t you think the empress deserves to know?” I cocked my head to one side.
“Yes she deserves to know, but is it necessary?”
“Victor put you up to this, didn’t he?” I stared at her.
“No.” Lia said as she rolled her eyes. Then she let a smirk creep onto her face. “I guess it would make sense if he did, but he didn’t. In fact he was ready to fly over to her building and tell her what he had done in order to win her favor, but I stopped him.”
“Why?”
“Because… Cordelia will banish him. Victor doesn’t deserve to be banished. His intent wasn’t to hurt anyone. He made a mistake and listened to our godly father. His only crime was being foolish, not malicious. I don’t want to lose my brother. He’s all I’ve had for so long…” Lia’s words trailed off.
“She may not,” I replied, but as I said it, I didn’t believe my own words.
“Please Evan, it would mean a lot to me… and the empire.”
I said nothing. Instead, I let Lia’s words flip around in my mind. The only conclusion I came to was that Victor might be better skilled at manipulation than I figured.
Twenty-Nine - Cordelia
The Elements and the Truth
I placed the telephone receiver down and took a deep breathe. Then I thought to pick it back up again, but thought better of it. Instead, I sent Bethany a message, telepathically.
“Evangelia just called me and asked if I’d accompany her to Lord & Taylor’s. She wants me to help her find a suitable dress for the Gala. I’m meeting her in my lobby, in five minutes. Can you come along?” I asked.
“Seriously?”
“Beth, don’t make me order you.” I demanded, lightly with a chuckle.
“Sure, doll. I’ll meet you in the lobby.”
Evangelia was already waiting for me. She was chatting with the doorman when the elevator boy pulled back the gate and I stepped out of the elevator.
“Hello Cordelia.” Evangelia said, sizing me up in my silk chemise.
“Hello Evangelia. And it’s Delia, please.” I corrected her as I opened my clutch and took out my car key.
“Lia then? Evangelia smiled and I smiled back at her.
“Benny, could you bring my car around please?” I asked the doorman.
“Certainly, Miss Tieron.”
“Oh, we can take my car.” Evangelia chirped.
“That’s alright, Benny’s already gone.”
The huge glass doors swung open and in walked Bethany. She looked annoyed. “Where’s Benny?”
“Oh gods forbid if you have to open your own doors.” I chuckled and Evangelia tried to smile.
“If the gods knew, they would forbid it.” Bethany said and gave Evangelia an icy once-over.
Benny pulled up to the curb with the Phantom and held the door for each of us to step in. We rode in silence and I’m sure Evangelia wished she hadn’t planned this little shopping spree. The sales girl greeted us the moment we came into the dress parlor. Evangelia chose a few gowns to try on while Bethany and I shopped for accessories.
“Why do you suppose she invited you? She barely said a word in the car.” Bethany peered at me and picked up a pair of satin gloves to try on.
“Perhaps she feels we should get to know each other better.”
“I guess the more time she spends with you, the less time she’ll spend with my brother. But then you’ll spend less time with him too.” Bethany smirked. I hadn’t thought of that.
“Is that what you think it is?”
“I don’t know. You’re the one who reads minds. What she been thinking?” Bethany leaned over the glass case that enclosed the clutch handbags.
“Believe me I’ve tried to get into that head and I’m afraid she’s been well trained in walling off her thoughts.”
“Something about her irks me. I’m still trying to figure out what took her so long to get to the mine, the day you revealed her to… the elders,” Bethany said solemnly. “Everyone knows that we
have a minute to appear in council. Where was she?”
“I don’t know. I thought it was strange too, but figured that she wasn’t used to the whole assembly thing.”
“I don’t get it.” Bethany shrugged, but kept her eyes on my face. “The first day she – the long lost daughter of the Ischero, who just happens to despise our empire for banishing her parents, arrives for council, for the very first time – late, and somehow the Apolluon turn up there for the first time as well.” Bethany concluded.
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at Beth.” I said dropping a sapphire broche back onto the velvet tray and staring at Bethany, who stared right back. “That was a coincidence.”
“You and I both know that in our world, there are no such things as coincidences.” Bethany said knowingly.
“Are you saying that Evangelia had something to do with the Apolluon finding a way into the quarry?” I asked with shock lacing my voice.
“Don’t you find it just strange that they found a way in?”
“Of course, but–” I began.
“It makes perfect sense. She hates our empire. She wants revenge. She lures the Apolluon in. The elders are smothered. Perfect plan,” she said slapping her hands repeatedly as if she just finished a hard day’s work.
“Alright, let’s say you’re right, which I doubt very much that you are. How could she have known that the Apolluon would go for the easiest target?”
“I don’t think she knew they were. I don’t think she cared who was dragged away to Hades’ realm. I doubt that the details mattered. She would’ve been happy if everyone perished,” she said angrily. I let the notion swirl around in my head for a minute.
Could Evangelia have alerted the Apolluon? I played the events of the meeting again in my head for the thousandth time since losing the elders that awful way. Every member had been in the mine for at least five minutes before she arrived. Why hadn’t she shown up when Victor had? Surly, he would have escorted her. Moreover, how could she alert the Apolluon and not be smothered herself? There was no way that she could have exhibited her power in public and escaped the shadows. She would have been smothered, instantly. The Apolluon would never wait to be invited into a mine.
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