Bethany had plenty of secrets, and possibly Evan did too. What about Nikolas and their parents and…
I was at a loss. Damn Sacha. Damn her for putting abstruse thoughts into my head. I leaned my head back, and closed my eyes to clear my mind. The lace trim on my collar felt like barbed wire against the back of my neck, so I removed the pins in my hair, and allowed my hair to tumble down into the collar of my dress. It was the perfect cushion. I daydreamed of stuffing my hands into the pockets of my cozy jeans and padding around in my worn navy Converse.
I didn't hear Nikolas enter the room. It wasn’t until he spoke that I realized that I wasn’t alone, and that he was standing in front of me, a full glass of wine in hand.
“How was your first trip into town?” I always felt comfortable around Nikolas, but the subject made me uncomfortable.
“It was interesting.” I sighed. My mind was on the altercation. I wasn't sure if I wanted to reveal all that had taken place in town today.
“I know it must have felt strange, to you. It’s so different from what you've seen for the past two years.”
“Yeah.” Thanks to Sacha and her posse, I’d forgotten about the town's rebirth of the ruins I remembered growing up around.
“So what did you do exactly?” Nikolas inquired casually as he sat opposite me, and exactly where Bethany had sat.
“Bethany and I picked out the fabric for our ball gowns. Well, Bethany did most of the picking really. I tried to forget about the people staring at me all the while we shopped.” I tried to smile at Nikolas, and seem interested in what we were talking about. I think he bought it.
“Yes. Well you’ve been gone for two years. Everyone in town was probably surprised to see you.” I watched Nikolas, who I still was having trouble seeing in a suit since I was so used to him in jeans and cowboy boots. He sipped his wine, and didn’t gulp it as he’d done before.
“I guess.” I mumbled, absentmindedly.
“It was a rather short trip. I must say, I expected you both to be gone for a couple of hours.” Nikolas said, while he lit a cigar, which was stranger than seeing him in a suit.
Seeing Nikolas, my best friend’s once big brother who looked all of eighteen years old, act like a distinguished gentleman, was weird. I wanted to laugh, and almost did, but I didn't want to embarrass him. We were quiet for a moment, and I let my mind drift to what happened in town again. My expression may have revealed my thoughts, and I think Nikolas was on to me.
“Is something the matter? You look to be a million miles away.” There was evident concern in Nikolas’ deep and crisp voice as he puffed away on his cigar. Maybe I should drill him with questions. Perhaps he could fill me in on what Sacha might have meant.
“Well something strange happened,” I blurted, before I could stop myself. I needed to talk to someone.
“Really? What?” he asked rather coolly, but I had his full attention. Nikolas looked into my eyes with an unwavering gaze.
“We ran into Sacha, and some of Victor’s disciples.” I could tell Nikolas was alarmed at my reference to Sacha because his jaw tightened and he was no longer smiling. “Sacha seemed to have a lot to say. And then the Apolluon shadows showed up, and everyone ran, including Sacha and the rest of Victor’s disciples.” Nikolas’ face went ash when I mentioned the shadows.
“Where is Bethany now?” Nikolas asked, getting up from the chaise. My guess was that he didn't like the idea that Bethany had been confronted by one of Victor's disciples, so I spoke quickly in order to calm him down.
“She went upstairs to take a bath.” It worked. He sat back down in the chair.
“Are you alright?” I nodded a yes, and Nikolas seemed satisfied with that.
“What did Sacha have to say?” He demanded in a subdued voice.
I explained everything in detail, all that was said. Nikolas listened attentively, and appeared content with the fact that Bethany handled the situation, and no one got hurt. He then said the same thing I heard just minutes before from his girlfriend.
“You can't take anything Sacha says seriously.” I had been wrong in thinking that he would shed some light. Maybe there wasn’t anything to Sacha’s comments. Perhaps I was blowing it all out of proportion. But something was nagging me in my gut, and when I had a tugging feeling like that, I knew that it wouldn’t cease until I figured out what it was.
“Did the Apolluon smother Victor’s girl?”
Smother? I guess that’s what happened to the skinny disciple. “Uh… no, but the shadows did drag one of the disciples into the ground. I answered calmly although, I was shaken by the idea of being smothered by shadows.
“They must have thought he had potential if he was only dragged to the Underworld.” I had no idea what Nikolas meant. “Potential for what?”
“To track us as a shadow at day break, and roam as an undead, preying on the breathing at night. Hades appreciates mortals who turn to evil. He thinks that their malevolent acts pay homage to him.”
“And if they thought he didn’t have potential…”
“The disciple would have been devoured and his soul would be sent to Tartarus, the realm beneath the Underworld where a soul is never to be returned to earth as the undead or as a shadow. Tartarus is the ultimate imprisonment, and is entirely inaccessible to all, but Hades himself. It is Hell, Cordelia.”
“Oh my god,” I said, catching my breath.
“Gods,” Nikolas said, correcting me.
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” I shook my head, agreeing.
“But Sacha got away.” Nikolas’ dropped an octave, clearly disappointed. “At least one of them was taken. The important thing is that you weren't hurt.
Bethany is a force to be reckoned with. She would have never allowed that to happen.” Nikolas said, very matter of fact.
“What does he… Hades do to us, the Ischeros who are sent to the Underworld?”
I thought of my real parents who were prisoners there now. Did he make them into the Apolluon shadows? Did my parents have the horrible fate of being forced to hunt for blood in the dark?
“We are trophies to Hades. Therefore, our souls are allowed to roam his dominion for eternity under his control. Our imprisonment, he believes, is proof that he will eventually conquer his brothers.”
“Has an Ischeros ever been busted out of the Underworld?” Nikolas looked at me as if intrigued at the notion.
“No. But a demigod did escaped once. He is our distant relative. He defeated Cerberus. He is the only one to ever get passed that nasty pooch. I speak of Hercules. The Spiro family are his descendants, and are the strongest Ischeros there are. Do you remember them?”
“Uh… no, I’m sorry, but I don’t.”
“Well you did strength training with them when you were about twelve or thirteen, if I remember correctly. You showed a lot of promise when you threw Heracio, the eldest in the family around.” Nikolas smiled at the memory that was as foreign to me as vacationing on the planet Mars. “I’m still unable to lift him.” Nikolas laughed a hearty laugh.
“Nikolas, I don’t remember anything. I’m afraid that I may never recall a thing.”
I said, holding back tears. Having the ability to read minds, and sporadically unleash deadly bolts of lightning without any control, wasn’t enough. I wanted to truly know, and understand what it meant to be an Ischero, a demigod, and more importantly, an empress.
“Of course you will.” Nikolas said out loud, but in his mind he said, ‘I’m extremely worried to, we all are, but I am here for you.’ Then Nikolas got up and patted me on the shoulder, and excused himself. I sat on the sofa for a while, and pondered the day’s developments. The gods had enlightened me with their presence, and their magic. I had no other choice but to believe that I was a part of something pretty huge. I’m a demigod. I just wasn’t sure that I could handle it. What would it take to make me remember?
Evan came to mind. Beautiful, handsome, patient, and strong willed Evan. I thought about the way he had made me feel today in the gazebo. I was beginning to want to get closer to him, and wanted to know him inside out.
Besides the chance to escape death, Evan was one of the biggest reasons I wanted my memory to return. The intimacy I felt with him this afternoon was something I had never known. It was bliss, and I had to admit, I didn’t want it to end. I’m not even sure where it all began, but I was beginning to feel an emotional connection to Evan. But could trust him? I couldn’t help wondering what secrets he held.
And then there was Bethany – an enigma. The more time I spent with her the more I realized how little I really knew her. I knew without a doubt, that for as long as I didn't have any memory of living at this time, I would never know the truth. My best friend was keeping secrets from me – a secret that was tearing her apart. It was the major secret that she was faced with today, when Sacha called her out on it. Bethany and Victor had been lovers. She had betrayed Nikolas, the entire family, and the entire empire. How could she sleep with the enemy? I replayed her thought in my mind.
‘... He had looked exactly like him. How could I have known?’
‘...It was not Nikolas… Victor must have told her… he and I made love.’
There had to be a good reason why she would do such a thing. How could I get her to confide in me?
Then there was the Apolluon and their power to smother anything breathing mortal or immortal. The idea of this plagued me, but my mind was racked with one question in particular. What if Victor isn’t found in time, makes a deal with Hades, and then takes over and allows Hades to imprison us all in the Underworld? That would be pointless. Who would Victor have left to rule over?
Then it hit me right when the headache began. Maybe Victor’s sites aren’t really set on ruling the empire. Perhaps, he wants something else entirely. If so, then what?
Twenty
Meetings
On my way up to my bedroom, I decided to see what Bethany was up to. When I got to her room, I rapped on her double doors a couple of times, but there was no answer. Did she know that it was me, and didn’t want my company? I stood in the hallway for a moment before deciding to try the doorknobs. The doors were unlocked, to my surprise for a girl who kept secrets, so I stepped into the elegantly decorated sitting room and bedroom. The lavender and cream colored rooms, which were nearly identical to my own except for the choice in the colors, were empty. Bethany was nowhere in sight. For some unknown reason, I wasn't surprised that she wasn't there.
I left her room and decided to search for her around the house. I did something I couldn’t resist. I sat on the railing of the long staircase, slid, and descended in one quick swoop. I felt like a kid. Sun Paw met me at the foot of the stairs. I wasn't expecting her, or anyone to be there. We both looked at each other shocked for a second, and then she giggled. Her laugh was infectious, and I couldn’t help but join her. She had caught me being normal, and I think she appreciated it.
“Dinner is in an hour, Miss Cordelia. Shall I draw you a bath?” She asked, trying to stifle her giggle.
“Oh…yes, please. I will be right up in a moment.”
I planned to continue looking for Bethany. Sun Paw nodded and headed up the stairs. I resumed my search the moment Sun Paw was at the top of the stairs. I walked into each room. In the kitchen I found Moon Rose and her mother preparing dinner. It smelled delicious. I realized then that I was actually very hungry.
The children had already eaten, and were already stowed away in their bedrooms. I knew that Thaddeus and Alexandria were upstairs preparing for an evening out. They will be dining with another couple who were also elders, powerless. I shook my head and thought how unfortunate they were.
I found Evan in the library but I didn't allow him to see me. He was talking to someone in a hushed tone. It was probably Nikolas. Nikolas must be telling him about the trip into town. This was my chance to find out as much as I could. I stood behind the slightly cracked doorway, and strained to eavesdrop on their conversation. A bad habit I’d developed, but what was a girl to do when she was left in the dark. I mean really, how the hell was I ever going to uncover anything that may lead me to the truth, or jog my memory?
“I couldn’t petition Ares, since he is unwilling to punish one of his own descendants. But we have his word that he won’t come to Victor’s aide if Victor calls upon him to fortify his strength.” Nikolas said.
“Ares has great respect for his father, which I hope will overpower his desire to see bloodshed.” Evan commented. “ He’ll never defy Zeus.”
“With advisement from Athena, I’ve dispatched the Octavius, Leonidas, and Hepolis families to uncover Victor’s whereabouts.”
“Are you sure that is enough?” Evan asked, sounding a bit skeptical. “We are severely pressed for time with the ball approaching. Victor will surely strike by then.”
“I understand that. There is twentyeight between the three warrior families.” Nikolas said. “They’re all shifters as you know. Therefore, they are the best for night combat against any werewolves, werepanthers, and the undead. They are to report to me in the morning. Is there anything else that you need taken care of?” Nikolas asked Evan.
“Bethany, did you speak with Hermes?” Evan asked.
“I have. Hermes will not interfere, but he believes that Charon may be willing to deliver a message to Hades if Victor should request it, for a price of course.” Bethany informed.
“Of course,” Evan said, and sighed. “Niko, have you contacted Matthias?” I had forgotten about the head vampire, and Evan’s desire to talk to him about the night his wife … the night I killed her. Evan sounded very eager to meet with him.
“Yes I have sire –” Evan cut Nikolas off midsentence.
“Please, don’t call me that.” Evan demanded gruffly, but not angrily, more like frustrated.
“What… you mean, Sire?”
“I don’t feel very much like an emperor these past couple days.” Evan explained, sounding every bit as a teenager should sound and feel – exasperated as I’m sure he had to be, with the load he carried. The way they spoke to each other proved the magnitude of their positions.
“Fine, Evander, I stopped in at the Bucket o’ Blood, and made arrangements for you to meet with Matthias there tomorrow evening.”