Hades’ Daughter (The War of Fate)

by Charlotte Carol

  “They are pretty annoying,” I say loud enough to catch their attention.

  “Oi!” Leo complains.

  “Everyone, settle down!” the principal, an African-American woman in her late twenties, commands loudly from where she is standing in front of a screen. Her hair is wild and curly, and her eyes are hidden behind a pair of glasses. I sit down in front of Jake and Hunter, and next to Tasha. Jake lets out a loud wolf-whistle, causing chuckles. The principal clears her throat before continuing,

  “Some of you may know the new teacher, who has replaced Mr. Jeff, Mr… Kyle. He has an important matter to talk to you all about today, so please give your attention to him.”

  My eyes fly around the space, trying to find Kyle. My eyes rest on him, and he seems to feel them as he avoids meeting my gaze. I watch as he swallows noticeably. What does he want to talk to us about? Is that why he’s been avoiding me?

  “Thank you, Principal Kimberly,” Kyle says, stepping forward. The principal’s heartbeat rises as blood rushes to her cheeks. I raise an eyebrow at the principal’s reaction and at what Kyle is doing.

  “I have been asked by the school and the police…” A murmur goes around the hall at the mention of the police. Why would Kyle be talking on behalf of the police? “…to let you all know about a situation which you may hear about in the news.”

  I narrow my eyes as he clicks a button. A situation that the police want us to know about is not going to anger me, and Kyle knows that. He clicks a button on the remote in his hand, turning slightly so he can look at his audience and the screen.

  I take my gaze off Kyle and look at the screen, only to let out a gasp when I see a face there. What the hell is he doing? Finally, Kyle meets my gaze to gauge my reaction. I show him a blank expression. I was wrong. The police have nothing to do with this.

  I feel Jake lean down to whisper to me, still staring at the screen shocked. “Hey, little devil, isn’t that the guy you know?” he asks.

  I nod, not able to get anything out as I continue to stare at Adrian’s face. How the fuck did Kyle get this photo anyway? Adrian was giving the camera a sadistic smile, and it looks as if this photo has been taken from a long distance away. This is all my dad’s doing.

  “The police are looking for this man, who they believe is going by the name Adrian. However, they believe this to be an alias. I cannot stress enough how dangerous this man is, so if anyone of you so much as encounter someone looking like him, you are to tell the police or any of us. We believe he may have reason to come to the school,” he tells us, looking directly at me as he talks. He ignores the murmurs traveling through the hall again as he carries on, “So, for the meantime, until he is caught, there will be security officers situated around the school.”

  I cross my arms. My dad won’t let me know what is going on, but he’ll have security placed around the school to make sure that I am safe.

  “What has this guy done?” I call out, not able to stay silent any longer, feeling the need to defend Adrian. Shouts of agreement come from other students. Kyle looks mildly surprised at me but answers my question in human-safe words.

  “He was arrested for first-degree murder and escaped last week.”

  An audible gasp sounds from the students.

  “There is no reason to be scared. This guy will be caught,” Kyle says loudly, his eyes traveling over the room before resting back on me. “The advice is to stay in…”

  “Why didn’t we hear about it in the news yet?” I ask, wanting to pick at the holes in his story, standing up. I don’t get why my dad has to include humans in on the search.

  “Ms. Hades, please sit down. The police did not want unnecessary panic. They are making it public knowledge tomorrow,” Principal Kimberly says.

  “Why are you telling us then?” I ask, putting my hands on my hips and staying standing.

  “So you don’t get scared if you see any of the security around the school, which will be put in place tomorrow,” she replies with a sigh.

  I fall back down onto the seat, a smile now on my face, happy that I’m not making it too easy for them.

  “Continue,” I tell them, waving my hand at them. But before they can say another word, someone else shouts out.

  “Who is this person after? You said that he had reason to come to this school. He was here the other day,” she says.

  Kyle’s posture shifts and he raises an eyebrow in false interest, already knowing the reason. “Really?”

  “Yeah, so who is this guy after?” the person asks again.

  “Who was he talking to the other day?” the principal asks, stepping forward, showing her concern.

  I stand up slightly, looking for the person who is talking. When I find them, I give them my scariest glare, tilting my head to the side slightly as if to say, ‘Try it.’

  She squeaks and answers in a little voice, “I don’t know.”

  “We can’t supply the details of the interested party, for their safety, but the security is just a precaution put in by the police. The person is aware and can take care of her—themselves.”

  By police, Kyle means my dad. I sit back, trying to take everything in. My dad must really want Adrian, and he must have something to go off if he’s willing to make it public. I feel a tap on my shoulder and shift to see Hunter’s face by mine.

  “Hey, is he staying with you?”

  “No,” I snap defensively. “Why?”

  “Because if he was, I’m sure Reid would be able to sort something out for him. But as he’s not…”

  I turn to look at him fully, getting a knowing look.

  “Ask him later. You have a date tonight, right?”

  ***

  As I drive home, I think about how my dad is getting what I assume to be some of his guards to come up and protect me, risking exposure, all for one person—Adrian. Doubts about my decision to harbor him run through my mind as I pull onto the drive. I put the car in park but stay sitting there for a moment, just looking up at my house.

  Do I believe Adrian? I trust my dad and Kyle and their judgment, but then again, I know when Adrian is lying. Would I be able to let go of what I have up here so soon if need be? I know at some point I need to leave Earth, but I’ve not even been up here for a month, and I have the threat of being exposed. I sigh and move it out of my mind; I don’t need to think about it yet. I put on a smile and then get out of the car. I walk up to the door and throw it open.

  “Honey, I’m home!” I shout.

  “I’ve missed you so much. Never leave me again!” he says, charging into me, his arms wrapping themselves around me. I tap him on the back, laughing awkwardly.

  “Okay, let me go now,” I tell him. “It’s getting awkward.”

  “No, it’s not,” he responds, not moving from his position. I take action and push him back. He joins me in laughing and moves back. His smile disappears when he sees my face.

  “What happened?” he asks, no sign of the joke we shared moments ago as his face goes serious.

  “Nothing,” I tell him, forcing cheeriness into my voice.

  “Scar, you can’t lie to me.”

  Can you, though?

  “I’m not,” I reply, moving around him, meaning I don’t have to look at him anymore.

  “Did your dad find out?” he asks.

  “No…Maybe…I don’t know. They’ve made the search for you public, meaning you can’t really go out without being found. Adrian…there must be proof if they are this desperate to find you. Are you sure that you have told me everything?” I ask, voicing my worries.

  He nods, but that doesn’t ease them. I look at him suspiciously for a second. Has he been lying to me the whole time?

  I move on. “I’m going out. I’ll be back later,” I tell him, walking up the stairs. I am halfway up the stairs when I hear Adrian call my name. I wait for him to tell me something he forgot or kept from me.

  “Scar, I know you don’t believe me fully. I haven’t given you a reason to, but I p
romise you that I will. I have always been, and will always be, loyal to you and your dad. You can trust me,” he says sincerely.

  I force a smile and nod, letting him know that I’ve acknowledged what he said. I continue up the rest of the stairs, heading to my room. I arrive in my closet and pick out a pair of shorts and a tank top, changing out of my clothes and into them. I pull my hair up to the top of my head, where I secure it in a messy bun. I grab a bag, stocking it with all the things I could possibly need and my phone. After pulling on a pair of trainers and slipping my sunglasses onto my nose, I walk back down the stairs. I find Adrian sitting in the living room, watching the TV again. I leave without saying goodbye.

  ***

  Driving to Reid’s, I blast the music on the radio, singing along to the ones I recognize and mumbling along to the rest. When I pull up outside the obvious gates, I lean out of the window, pressing the button on the box so I can enter. A buzz sounds, followed by a voice.

  “State your name and reason for being here,” a cold voice says.

  He sounds like fun!

  “Father Christmas, and I’m here to give you coal for being a bad boy,” I reply in the same tone of voice, trying to hold in my laughter.

  “Are you taking the piss?” he asks, getting angry.

  “No, I’m taking all your presents,” I say back, struggling to keep my laughter at bay.

  “Okay, please leave, or we will make you,” he threatens.

  “I’d like to see you try. I’m just joking with you. You know a joke? They usually make you laugh,” I say.

  I get silence in response. I was right—he’s a bundle of joy!

  “You still there?” I ask, worried that he disconnected. In response, I get the same silence, but then it’s followed by two words.

  “Yes…Unfortunately.”

  “I’m Scar. You might know me…I’m the big guy’s girlfriend,” I explain.

  “Come in,” he says, returning to the cold voice.

  “Great talking to you. I can’t wait until the next time,” I call out as I start to drive up to the house. I stop the car outside the front door, pushing the lever to put it in park. As I get out, I see that the grass is similar to the first time I came, scattered with people out enjoying the sun.

  “Who’s the guy that answers the gates?” I ask anyone who is listening and willing to answer.

  “Why?” a girl asks, stopping on her way into the house. She wears a pair of shorts and a white crop top which contrasts against her mocha skin. Her eyes were dark, but her hair, however, was carrying shades of purple. It suits her.

  “He needs to learn to take a joke.”

  She laughs, walking back down the steps to stop beside me.

  “That’s Clive for you,” she tells me with a shrug. “I’m Bianca, by the way.”

  “I’m…” I start, going to introduce myself, but she beats me to it.

  “Scar, I know. I was there yesterday. It’ll be fun to have another girl who will give Reid a hard time. We can’t let him get off lightly,” she says with a wink.

  “Do you know where he is?”

  “I don’t, but I don’t have anything else better to do. I’ll help you look,” she says, walking back toward the house ahead of me. I follow behind her, a smirk on my lips. I like her already.

  Chapter 26

  Gang Leader Vs. Maze

  As we walk around the house searching for Reid, we exchange facts about each other. I learn that she is nineteen and has been with the gang for as long as it has been around. We pause outside the stairs down to the gym, having too much fun to go down yet. Bianca has started telling me about some embarrassing moments in Reid’s life, and I don’t want them to stop yet.

  “One day, about four years ago, there was a fair in town, and some of us decided that we wanted to go. Reid tagged along, and deep down, I knew he wanted to go as much as the rest of us. We arrived, went on a couple of rides, and were having a great time. At some point, Reid saw that they had a mirror maze, but this one was mostly clear panels. Reid, being Reid, decided that we should all go through to test our ‘navigation skills.’ I think this was just an excuse to show off. So, anyway, we all went in,” she says, stepping forward and opening the door leading down to the gym.

  As we start to descend the stairs, she continues with her story. “All of the gang went through with ease, and then it came to Reid and me. We entered and started off at a fast pace, however, when we got to the middle, we got stuck. I’m not sure what happened next, but I think it was because we had our backs to each other, looking for the gap. I found it and continued on, thinking that Reid was behind me. I exited the maze and looked back to find that Reid was still stuck in the same place. He looked around to find me, confused, and when he found me, I could feel the embarrassment and anger coming off him from behind the many partitions of plastic. He was stuck there for about two minutes more, still trying to find the gap. He was the last one in the maze, and no one would go back through to help him, so we all just watched laughing.”

  I let out a loud laugh, imagining Reid stuck there. “To make it even worse, a girl who could have only been eight probably saw him struggling and decided to rub it in even more. She entered the maze, walked through it with ease, Reid trying to follow closely behind her, and exited walking off without looking back. However, at some point, Reid must have not seen where she went because he got lost again. He was so close to the exit but couldn’t find the gap. At this point, I had tears streaming down my face. Reid was shown up by a girl twelve years younger. Eventually, the attendant saw what was happening.” She stops as we get to the door of the gym, her laughter stopping her from talking.

  Once she was calm, she continues, “And he walked into the maze from the exit, putting his hand through the gap Reid needed to go through. I could barely stand with how much I was laughing. It was his idea to show our ‘navigational skills,’ and he failed miserably as he walked out with a murderous look on his face. The attendant chuckled as well, with Reid getting madder before he stormed off—”

  “And I remember after that telling you to never speak of it again,” Reid says from behind us, his voice hard.

  I try and stop my laughter but fail as I turn to look at Reid, not wanting to make it worse.

  “Aw, was the big bad gang leader embarrassed?” I ask him in a baby voice.

  “No,” he responds, crossing his arms. I move back around, looking around the training room to find that it’s empty apart from two people using the apparatus around the room. Reid’s arms wrap around me from behind as he rests his chin on top of my hair.

  “Are you going to allow me to kiss you today?” he mutters, squeezing his arms tighter around me.

  “Hm…Maybe,” I say as if I am thinking about it. I turn around in his arms, looking up at him. He leans down, hesitating as he gets closer like he is expecting me to pull back from him. When I don’t do anything, he continues down. I mentally cross my fingers, hoping my dad didn’t lie to me.

  His lips reach mine without a cluck, not even a small one. I smile, kissing him back eagerly. I rest my arms on his shoulder, losing myself in the kiss, forgetting everything around me except Reid. As our lips begin to move faster and the kiss becomes more passionate, my hands going into Reid’s hair, Bianca interrupts us, making us pull apart.

  “Okay,” she says, extending the vowel sound. “At least wait until you’re alone to rip each other’s clothes off. I don’t want that vision imprinted in my mind for the rest of my life.”

  I detangle my fingers from his hair, moving back slightly from Reid, but he pulls me back to him by the hips, his lips going to my neck.

  “We’ll finish this later,” he mumbles before placing a small kiss there. He lets go of me and pulls back completely. I turn to Bianca to find her looking at her phone.

  “I should go, but come find me later?” she asks, aiming it at me.

  “Of course,” I tell her, smiling. She returns the smile.

  “I’ll tel
l you some more about Reid,” she says with a wink.

  Reid exclaims out at her, warning her not to.

  “Later,” Bianca calls over her shoulder as she starts back up the stairs. I can already tell that Bianca and I will be great friends; she reminds me of myself.

  “You ready for your ass to be kicked?” I challenge Reid, walking backward to the mat in the middle of the room. He grins, moving after me.

  “Don’t you mean ‘mine’ when you said that?” he counters.

  Dream on, Reid. Dream on. Even without the extra strength and speed I have, I could beat him. I’ve been trained my whole life by the best people in the universe; Athena was even one of my mentors for a short while. If he thinks he can beat the training given to me by the goddess of war strategy, then he has another thing coming.

  Chapter 27

  Don’t Hold Back

  Now both on the mat, we face each other. I throw my bag and sunglasses to the side, stretching my neck and other muscles, trying to loosen up.

  “Shall we start with hand-to-hand combat?” Reid suggests as he shakes his arms out.

  “Yeah, sure. Then we can move onto the weapons.” I look at the wide array of weapons on the wall with a grin. Reid’s eyebrows rise, but he doesn’t object.

  I wait for him to make the first move, but a minute has passed, and he still hasn’t. I sigh, knowing that he’s hesitant because I’m a girl. It’s useful sometimes, but not right now when I want him to fight me. I swing my arm through the air a lot slower than I am used to, trying to connect with his face, but he moves back, evading.

  When he steps toward me, his right hand moves forward in a weak punch. I chuckle, bringing my hand up to block it, swinging around, kicking him in the side much gentler than I do at home, not wanting to seriously injure him

  “I guess I don’t need to go easy on you then,” he comments, following it with a quicker, stronger punch to my stomach. I bend over as if in pain, causing Reid to stop his assault and move toward me in concern, asking if I am alright in a worried tone.