The next morning I watched the sun wake from behind the Sierra Nevadas to meet my smile. I had faith in my warriors. They were resilient, brilliant, and resourceful. Julius, a fire spewing weredragon, and his sister, Hedea, a werevulture, led my winged warriors. They will lead their team through the maze of clouds, which they knew like the back of their hands.
The depth of the ocean would be trusted to Bethany. Thankfully, she knew her duties as a disciple and put her personal feelings aside to handle this task. Bethany, a water siren will led Portia, whose red hair sometimes reminded me of flames, and Delos, whose fins were the same hue as her eyes – beautiful, iridescent turquoise. The sisters were mermaids and descendants of the Nereid, Amphitrite, Poseidon’s wife.
Olympia, of the Leonidas family, led the last group, which will cover the Earth. She was an air shifter and tornadoes were her divine specialty. She will lead with the help of Betrand, of the Octavius family. He was a fire and metal shifter. They both were one with the Earth’s terrain.
I watched as twenty-one of my disciples prepared to depart on a mission that they understood was close to my heart. I was pleased that Nikolas was content with Bethany leaving. When they kissed, as they did now, I thought about the elder’s comments regarding Evan and I not being the right match in the eyes of the gods. I will fight for Evan. I wanted him more than anything. However, I wondered for the very first time since having my memory restored, if Evan would go to such lengths for me. I hated doubting him. I never have before learning that he had gone to the council.
“I have the Spiro boys watching over the elders for the first forty-eight hours,” Evan informed.
I smiled and nodded, not quite ready to confront him. I had to make sure that this mission went off without a snag.
“No one or thing will get past Patrick, Dmitri, and Heracio,” Nikolas said. “Hercules’ boys are unstoppable.”
“The elders will be fine. We’ve taken the appropriate measures,” I said.
“Yes, my love, we have,” Evan said, reaching for my hand. I took his hand and squeezed it lightly. I listened to his thoughts and they were of the warriors and their success in the mission.
“Evan may I speak to you alone?” I asked, sweetly.
“I’m about to take Christopher and Phoebe for their morning ride,” Nikolas said. “Those two divine little brats should be ready.”
“You will let them ride their own horses, won’t you Niko? They can’t ride on your back every time.”
“Oh, alright,” Nikolas sighed, faking sadness. I winced as his bones began to crack and he transformed into a centaur. “Maybe this time I’ll let one of the kiddies win.” Niko galloped away, disappearing into the air.
“You have me all to yourself now,” Evan said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close.
“Are we on the same side?” I asked.
“Huh, what?” Evan cocked his head to one side.
“Are we, or aren’t we?” I asked pulling away from him.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“It was my decision, Evan. You had no right to go to the council and turn them against Victor.”
“They didn’t need me for that. The elders’ minds were already made up.”
“Is this what you want?” I asked, throwing my hands up. “Division in the empire.”
“No but, I don’t think it can be helped at this moment.”
“It can’t be helped when someone is strategically trying to divide us.”
“Someone?” he asked.
“You.” I pointed my finger at him.
“I didn’t go to the council to turn them against him. I wanted to express why I thought we should wait a while longer before restoring his strengths. That’s all,” he said.
“That’s not all. You knew that I’d be up against a wall.” I tried not to let my temper flare up. Evan’s explanation, which wasn’t much of one, irritated me.
“You make it seem as though I was purposely trying to sabotage your plans. You know that that’s not true.”
“I don’t know that. It looks as though you were and guess what, you succeeded,” I huffed.
“Delia, they already had their minds made up before I got there.”
“You should have never been there. Not without me. It was my argument.”
“I didn’t see it that way. I was actually seeking their advice and wanted to see for myself where their heads were at on the matter. ”
“Admit it Evan. Your sole reason was to screw Victor out of getting his powers back,” I snapped.
“That’s not true,” Evan snapped back. “And I didn’t steer them in any direction.”
“You were supposed to stand by me. You stood by me when I wanted to send the warriors on the mission and the elders opposed. What’s so different now? We can all benefit from Victor’s strengths.”
“I do stand by you on everything… but this.” Evan looked away from me.
“If we stood in front of them as a united front, as one will with one agenda, the elders wouldn’t have objected the way they did last night.”
“They would have,” he disagreed.
“Well, the elders stated that they trust your opinion, over mine,” I said, glaring at Evan.
“Come on Delia. The council is so transparent. You know how they feel on everything. They don’t even try to hide it. They feel that they are superior when it comes to knowledge.”
“Well, I’m glad you said that. Did you know that the elders declared, once again, that we are not destined to be together, forever? They went as far as saying that we are doomed.”
“Doomed?” Evan asked, laughing into a cough. “That sounds like Delilah.”
“Exactly,” I nodded. “She said unless we are with our matches, we’ll experience nothing but pain from the gods.”
“And what did you say?” Evan asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Did you tell them that we don’t care and that we will fight for each other, no matter what?”
“Of course,” I said.
“Is that what you still believe, Delia?”
“Yes, and you?”
“Yes, of course,’ he said pulling me close, again.
“Then why are you behaving like a jealous fool?”
“Are we resorting to calling each other names now?”
“You’re right, I’m sorry. Nevertheless, I want to know why you’re acting so insecure. You shouldn’t feel that way because I love you.”
“I don’t know. I just don’t want him to take advantage of your kindness.”
“Don’t worry, I can take of myself,” I said, sounding snippier than I had wanted to.
“I know that, darling,” Evan said, and then sighed. “Pain from the gods, huh?”
“Are you scared?” I asked as I brushed my hand tenderly across his cheek.
“No. Why would I be afraid when I have you to protect me?” Evan asked, laughing, but the smile never reached his eyes.
“That’s right. I’m here for you and I will protect you Lord Evander,” I said in a poor attempt to sound like a husky male.
“And who am I supposed to pair off with if you choose your match over me? My so-called match died with her parents’ years ago,” Evan said, contemplating the elder’s foreboding remark. He looked down at his empty hands as if he just realized that he had something in them.
“You wish Victor died along with his family too, don’t you?” I asked as I read the angry thoughts whipping through Evan’s mind.
“I never said that?”
“But you did think it,” I said, running my fingers through his silken, chestnut hair.
“Stay out of my head, Delia. That’s not fair,” Evan snapped.
“No, it’s not, but what you did to me last night wasn’t fair either.”
“Are we back to that? I’m sorry. You have every right to be upset with me,” He said, stepping closer to me. “We must stand together on everything from now on. We’ll show the elders and
the god’s, for that matter, that our bond is unbreakable. Do you forgive me, my love?”
“I will, eventually.” I said, walking toward the entrance doors to my home.
“But not now?” Evan asked following me.
“Not now.”
“Can I at least try to make it up to you?” Evan asked. “I still have the tickets to the opera.”
I whirled around to face him and caught the flirtatious way he raised his brow. He was truly irresistible and he knew that I loved the opera. Perhaps, an evening at the Whitney Opera House and dinner out was just what I needed, but I wanted him to squirm some more.
“I don’t know. I’m still pretty angry at you and I think it’s a little selfish to be out tonight while the warriors are on a mission,” I said, staring him straight in the eyes.
“The warriors are not in battle, Delia. They can handle themselves during a search. The elders are guarded and one minor excursion is nothing to feel even remotely guilty about. In addition, Lilith Blue, you’re favorite actress, is performing in ‘Love’s First Night’. You read the reviews in the Territorial Enterprise. Mr. Twain’s review was very promising and tonight’s show is the last. How does dinner at Delonore’s Hotel sound to you?”
Evan wouldn’t give up and he knew that I savored Chef Delonore’s Chicken Kiev. I enjoyed pretty much everything the Russian chef created.
“Alright, perhaps a night out would be nice.”
“Perfect,” He said, and walked out the double doors.
“Wait,” I yelled after him. “I will restore Victor’s powers tonight, once we return.”
I could see the blue of Evan’s eyes turn a deep turquoise, indicating that his emotions were darkening, but he remained composed.
“I will be by with Night Wind at seven,” he promised.
Six - Cordelia
Missing
I was at the foot of the stairs when Evan arrived. A smile emerged on his face when he looked up at me. My heart fluttered against my chest. He straightened his bow tie and I smoothed the front of my satin gown before descending the staircase.
Tonight was going to be wonderful!
“As usual, you will be the most beautiful woman at the opera, Goddess Cordelia,” Evan said, beaming.
He bowed and took my gloved hand. I pulled him closely by the neck with my other. I leaned into him, and didn’t give a damn if my dress got wrinkled. I pressed my lips against his. He opened his mouth slightly and kissed me passionately, leaving me breathless and hungry for more.
“We’re going to miss the first act of ‘Love’s First Night’ if we keep this up,” Evan breathed, slowly pulling away from me. I could still taste the sweetness of his kiss as the tingling sensation made its way down to my toes.
“So let’s miss it. We can create our own first act of ‘Love’s First Night’.” I pressed my face into his neck and feathered kisses on his neck, earlobes, and cheek until I found his lips once more.
“You and the gods know how badly I want to, but I promised you an evening out at the opera and I keep my promises,” Evan said, smiling.
He had to unhook my hands from behind his neck in order to stop me from kissing him again. I cooperated, although reluctantly. I would have been just as happy staying in this evening with him than going to see the show.
“Alright, alright,” I murmured, drunk on Evan’s kiss. He led me out of my house.
“Good evening, Miss Cordelia.” Night Wind opened the door to the carriage.
“Good evening, Night Wind.” I marveled at how Sun Paw’s brother’s long, lustrous, onyx hair shone in the moonlight.
The ride into town was bumpy as usual but we made it in time for the beginning of the first act. The beauty of the developing story of two star-crossed lovers, who planned to defy tragedy and betrayal to be together, mesmerized me. The lovers were willing to sacrifice everything to share their love for one another. I couldn’t help comparing them to Evan and me. Like them, we were devoted to each other and fought for each other. We’ve been betrayed and had been through horrific tragedies, yet still here we were sitting side-by-side and hand-in-hand in a reserved box at the Whitney Opera House.
I turned to look at Evan because I could feel him looking at me. His thoughts were wild and each notion was of how much he loved me and wanted to make love to me and spend the rest of his life with me. As the curtain descended, I smiled at him.
“That was wonderful!” I exclaimed. I hoped that the play’s intermission would be quick. I enjoyed the first half of the performance thoroughly, and couldn’t wait to see more.
“I’m so happy that you’re enjoying yourself, darling,” Evan said, and kissed my cheek. “Shall we go into the lobby to stretch our legs?” he asked, putting his arm around my waist and leading me out of our box.
“Yes, I need some air,” I said, beaming from ear to ear. My smile subsided when I caught a mortal pursing her lips at me and rolling her eyes. The woman conferred with another woman, who also gave me a dirty look. I moved toward them, as both women backed away a bit, to listen in on their thoughts. What I heard made my blood boil. They considered Evan and I to be heathens and children of their fictitious devil.
“Did you hear that too?” Evan inclined his head back. His words were muffled by a gruff sound. At first, I thought he meant the two gossiping women, but then I heard it too.
I couldn’t make out the shouting which seemed to originate from somewhere far from the opera house.
“My name?” I looked at Evan quizzically.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Delia! Delia!” The shouting continued and could only be heard by Evan and I.
I recognized Niko’s gruff voice. His words were shaky and that was very unusual for my fearless cousin. He always kept a level head, even in the worst scenarios. Something must be terribly wrong. Something must have happened. The first thought that came to mind was of Christopher and Phoebe. The second was of the warriors.
“What is it Niko?” I asked telepathically.
Evan and I were in the lobby now and he pulled me aside and into a corner where a large potted fern stood. His brows furrowed because he could no longer hear Nikolas since I was communicating with him.
“I’m sorry to… interrupt your evening, but… I knew that… you would want… to know this.” Nikolas stammered. Now I was nervous, hearing him sound so shaken up.
“Know what?” I asked.
“Victor’s missing.”
I tried to stay calm for two reasons, although I couldn’t help feeling my temperature begin to rise, again. One reason was that Evan and I were in public. We couldn’t just to teleport and disappear into the thin air. The second reason was that Victor considered himself to be a prankster and may just be playing a silly game to ruin my evening out with Evan. On the other hand, maybe it was his way of reminding me of how much he hated having a guardian and being sequestered. Victor could behave like such a child at times.
“He must be somewhere in the house, Niko.” I hoped.
“He’s gone. I’ve searched the entire grounds. I’m so sorry Delia, but I have no idea where he is.”
“Oh for the god’s sake. We’ll be there in a moment,” I said, dismissing Niko. I turned to Evan and his sour expression mirrored how I felt.
“We must go. Victor pulled a disappearing act. I don’t want to blow this out of proportion.”
“He’ll do just about anything to spoil our time together,” Evan said, and I watched his mouth form a thin line across his face.
“This may not be about us. Victor is complicated.”
Evan was about to help me into the carriage as Night Wind held the door open, but stopped abruptly and asked, “Are you excusing his selfish behavior?”
“No, not at all. I’m just saying that Victor doesn’t like to be under anyone’s thumb and he feels that he’s under everyone’s.”
“What a fool,” Evan muttered, shaking his head. “Well, I doubt he’s gotten very far.”
I couldn't blame Evan for being annoyed. We would miss the end of the play and I’m sure the last thing he wanted was to have to search for the person he least liked. Victor's actions also supported Evan’s position to wait on restoring his powers.
The moment we sat in the carriage, I brought my temperature up and the lightning exited my body, teleporting both Evan and I to my house. Night Wind realized that we weren’t inside with the sudden decrease of weight in the carriage. When we arrived at my home, we found Niko waiting in the sumptuous parlor.
“He’s probably having a drink at one of his favorite taverns,” I said to Nikolas as I pulled my gloves off.
“The Bucket O’ Blood, possibly?” Evan asked.
“More than likely, but I hope not. The Lykanos enjoy a good drink as much as Victor and I do, and one of their favorite spots is the Bucket,” Nikolas noted. “There is no doubt in my mind that the pack would be there tonight.”
“If that is where Victor chose to pass his time then not even Matthias can protect Victor from those mutts, even if it is his saloon,” Evan added.
“Could Victor really be that reckless?” I asked, shaking my head as I held it in my hands.
“Yes.” We all said in unison.
“Let’s go, Niko,” Evan said, and vanished.
“Stay in our heads, and we’ll let you know just how much trouble dragon-boy has gotten himself into,” Nikolas said and disappeared.
Victor had under minded my attempt to keep him safe. My knuckles paled as I clenched my fists. Flames ignited in the fireplace and blazed out of control, tumbling into the parlor and climbing all the way up to the ceiling. I hadn’t realized how angry I was until I nearly torched all the furnishings in the room. I closed my eyes and sent the flames back into the fireplace, extinguishing them.
Our empire needed him. Victor’s powers were superior and necessary in the fight against Hades and his Apolluon. Why was he risking the safety of the Ischero by being selfish? I would have gone to search for him myself but I remembered my father’s advice. My strengths must be saved. Evan and Nikolas could handle searching for him. They have to find him… alive. I sat down on my sofa and didn’t bother to fluff out my gown. I held my head in my hands and hoped that the god’s would spare Victor for this reckless act.
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