He steps forward without a care in the world, and I smile the moment he steps into the pentagram, and a violent tremor throws me back as chains cage the man before me, bringing him to his knees.
“What the…” he trails off as I stare at what I’m seeing.
There’s a huge form surrounding him. I can make out a man in a tunic, an oozing blue aura and darkness, his eyes glowing like blue fire as they turn towards me. My heart fills with fear as I realise what this is.
He’s favoured by a god! I’ve seen something similar around Skyla.
How? How did I never see it?
And this god doesn’t look pleased.
Favoured by a god.
When the rulers come into power, I can see it, too, but it’s different. I don’t see a god but a crown upon their head, and a brilliant aura. The glow is within them. For those who are favoured, it’s like a being surrounding them in comparison to it being within them, if that even makes sense.
I stare at the god as I step out of the shadows.
“Hades…” I whisper, making Theo’s eyes snap towards me.
“What the hell are you doing?” he asks, pulling at the glowing chain.
“You’re favoured by Hades…”
“That’s some mental bullshit, are you trippin?”
“I’m not. Are you- why have you hidden it?” I accuse. “I can see!”
He stills at my expression, his face almost serious. “Because it’s no one’s business, including yours.”
“It is, if I don’t know what side Hades is on. But if you don’t want to answer to me, I can just go call some of the professors, and perhaps call Uncle Leo, or Grandpa Ale-”
“Listen, Snitcherella, it’s none of your business.” He pauses for a moment, and I see the shadow behind him grow a bit stronger before it dissipates. He then smirks and drops to the floor as if he isn’t chained up. “Alright, swear an oath to keep my secret, and I’ll tell you why.”
Oh, I don’t trust him for a second, but he might just give me some information if I agree…
Returning to the present, I pause.
“Oh yes, one more thing. That oath you keep dangling over my head as a reminder, do you really think I was foolish enough to agree to it without a loophole? I always keep a wayout.”
He scoffs. “Yeah, sure, you’re talking shit now.”
“Do not goad me because I will go downstairs and tell everyone that I don’t know what side you’re on. Tell me, were you the one who almost killed Ares? Are you the traitor? The kin part does match.”
You should never accuse someone without proof, but I am running out of options. His eyes become milky white, and it’s the first time I’ve seen such anger on his face. The darkness looms around him as he walks towards me.
“Not finding it so funny now, are you?” I taunt, flicking my finger and making him stop in his tracks.
“I didnothurt my brother,” he says quietly.
“There’s no proof.” I shrug with a toss of my hair. “You clearly don’t want to help Jayce either. I mean, he’s a ruler, and if he continues to become a shell of who he was… Well, then that would not be ideal for the final battle.”
He chuckles. “You almost had me there, Blondie. Never realised you were a little scorpion wrapped up to look like an innocent little lobster.”
“That’s the weirdest analogy I have ever heard; you are so strange. I am serious.”
“And so am I. You might want to do things for the greater good; Sienna did too. But me? I honestly really don’t give a flying fuck as long as the people I care about survive. Who cares about the rest of the world?”
I stiffen at the words he’s spoken so… casually. “You don’tmean that…”
