“I guess that’s all the proof we need,” he said. I nodded.
“Did you see the way he looked at me?”
“I caught that,” he smirked.
“Do you think he knows what I am?”
“I couldn’t be sure, yet it’s understandable that you caught his eye. You are quite stunning,” Victor whispered into my ear. My cheeks grew warm. I looked away from him and couldn’t help smiling as I got into the car.
The location Bethany spoke vaguely of appeared to be in a totally different part of the city, but was actually still in Harlem. The place was drastically different from the Cotton Club’s ostentatious exterior, brightly lit marquee, and posh double doors. A silent man sat at the front window and yanked a long metal chain linked to a large bolt on the entrance door. The man never made eye contact before he allowed us in, but in we went.
We were led down a steep flight of stairs to a raw cellar. The concealed space was dank and didn’t seem large enough to accommodate more than a hundred revelers of all mixed races, but somehow nearly two hundred Lykanos were jammed in. I smelled their potent rancidness immediately, and assessed the crowd, which included at least a dozen packs. We all sensed them upon entering the room, even if the men were dressed in silk, striped shirts and gabardine slacks and the women wore bright hued, low-scooped neckline dresses.
They were gathered around two dozen or so wooden tables and squashed together. The packs sat on wire-legged or wooden café-styled chairs. They drank the lowest grade of bootleg liquor poured from bottles that displayed faux labels. The Lykanos filled the crowded dance floor dancing the Lindy Hop, wildly, and the Black Bottom to a fundamental three-piece band accompanied by a torch singer. The singer sang of unrequited love, something I was beginning to understand first-hand, under bright light bulbs.
The music continued to blare as the decimal rose. It was three o’clock in the morning and New York City’s mandatory curfew laws were being ignored. The packs drank, necked, and gyrated against each other as their eyes blazed in crimson with excitement, oblivious to the divinity that just walked into the room.
This many werewolves in one place meant that packs from all over the U.S. and Europe had migrated to Manhattan. The growth of numbers also meant that these werewolves’ litters have multiplied by at least three from their usual two to three pups per litter.
I had never thought the Apolluon vampires and the Lykanos could evolve as they have, but could they really be coexisting in the same city. If so, I wondered how it all would change now that we were here.
Twenty-Three - Cordelia
Visibility
It had been a long night and I fell asleep the moment my head hit my satin pillows.
I dreamt of violent things, carnivorous beasts, and peaceful giants. When I woke, the sunshine breaking through my filmy curtains was a welcomed sight, but I knew better than trusting the sunny outlook of the day. After the early morning sightings in Harlem, I had confirmed what I was already certain of– darkness always eclipsed the sun.
I called on the one person who may be able to give me some insight, although I knew she would leave me with a trail of puzzle pieces.
“You’ve made some discoveries.” Athena said as she glided into my room on a breeze.
“Now that you’ve found what you’ve been searching for, you mustn’t forget their love for you, divine sister.” Her eyes were focused on me and floated to the foot of my four-poster bed.
She was dressed in a gilded, armor breastplate over a flowing, white tunic. Delicate tendrils of her chestnut hair swayed from beneath her shimmering Attic and golden plume helmet in a gentle wind that seemed to surround only her. She laid her golden shield and spear on my chaise lounge as the bronze feathered owl fluttered around my room for a moment before it finally perched itself on the top of one of the posters of my bed.
“Do you mean my parents?” Obviously, she wasn’t talking about the new and improved Apolluon vampires or the Lykanos.
“Yes.”
“Athena, they’re hearts are gone,” I said and jumped up and marched toward her. “I thought that I was the only one who could see them. How could someone take them?”
“You and any deity of higher power have the sight to see their hearts.” She informed.
I had never known that my parents’ hearts were accessible to the gods, but it made perfect sense. They had access to us all at any given time.
“How can I get them back?” I asked as I gazed up at Athena. She had to be at least six foot eight inches tall.
“Don’t focus on getting them back. You will see them again and when you do, you must remember their love for you.”
“When will I see them?” I asked and clenched my medallion.
“You must accept the invitation.” Athena said, looking down at me. “It is how his work will be revealed.”
“Do you mean Zeus? Will he anoint me?” I asked, impatiently.
“It is not our father’s work that I speak of, but Zeus will anoint you once you have satisfied him with the course you take,” she explained, vaguely. My sister goddess always made you work for the clues.
“You mean I have to choose Victor in order to please our father.”
“You must always please him. The son of my brother is our father’s choice for you, although Victor is under the influence of the God of War.”
“Is that a bad thing?” I cocked my head to one side.
“Ares would throw his own children into the pits of the Underworld, sacrificing them if he felt doing so would guarantee a victory. Victor shares some of my brother’s most defining traits – the need to win, the lust for power, and being driven by desire.”
“I see.” I sighed. The description fit Victor, perfectly.
“You must govern this great empire with opened eyes. Once your eyes are open, you will be better prepared to make your choice.” Athena advised floated away from me.
“Wait!” I yelled, as she vanished in the breeze, which she churned. The goddess was gone and I was left alone. The pointed edges of the lightning bolt shaped diamond medallion piercing the flesh of my hand.
Athena gave me a lot to think about. The heat within started to boil as I wondered what was meant by Victor being influenced by his godly father. Ares was deceitful and couldn’t be trusted as an ally. He was known to sacrifice anyone or anything in order to win. How did this apply to Victor? As I thought about what Victor may be up, I couldn’t ignore the clenching in my chest. It was as if my heart was being twisted into a knot.
Athena’s words about my parents were nagging at me as well. Her message had been strange and confusing. Of course, I remembered how much my parents loved me and always would. That wasn’t a question, but why wouldn’t my parents remember that they had loved me? Athena said that I would see them again. I hoped she meant they would be alive again. I had no idea of what invitation she spoke of and whose work would be revealed.
If Athena hadn’t meant Zeus’ work, than perhaps she meant Hades’ work. I shuddered at the thought of him.
I didn’t care for riddles of any kind and Athena only spoke in them. She took our godly father’s rule of not interfering seriously. That way she couldn’t be blamed for revealing too much.
I dressed in a simple pale blue chemise – loosely belted at the hip, leather T-bar heels and a low-brimmed, light-blue, crochet cloche hat. I closed my eyes and summoned Evan. Within a few seconds, I heard the elevator doors slide. I couldn’t believe how badly I needed to see him and how quickly he had come, but that was Evan – devoted. Nevertheless, it didn’t excuse his behavior last night.
Evan strolled into my sitting room dressed casually in a heather gray linen suit, and perforated wingtips. His turquois paisley tie made the blue in his eyes appear brighter. I could see that his deep auburn hair was slicked back behind his ears beneath his straw boater. Although the corners of his mouth curled upward the moment he saw me, he also began blocking my intrusion into his mind. I had no idea what he was
thinking. I’ve never felt the need to confirm if he really wanted to be near me, until now. As I gazed at him and searched his face, my heart tightened and the pain felt foreign, but not nearly as severe as what I just felt when I thought of Victor.
“I’m sorry if I interrupted you. I needed to see you.” I said and looked into his clear blue eyes.
“There’s no need to apologize.” Evan said and cleared his throat. “I was just speaking to Victor about training Evangelia on how to teleport.” Evan said and looked away from me.
There was that tightening in my chest, again, but now it was accompanied by an arctic chill. Her name alone sent icicles down my back. Why would he train her? Couldn’t Victor train his own sister?
The stifling blaze crept through my soul. Block by fiery block, the heat continued to build within me as I thought of her.
Damn it. I hated feeling jealous.
What I hated even more was the nauseating feeling that came along with the possibility of losing Evan. I wasn’t even sure if I still had him.
“Oh, you’ll be training her? I would have expected Victor to. I mean since she’s his sister and all.” I was rambling and I didn’t know what to do with my hands.
“Victor gave me the order to make training his sister my first order of business.” Evan said walking over to the French doors and peering out onto the terrace.
The air was caught in my throat and I couldn’t disguise my shock. Immediately, I knew what game Victor was playing. This is what Athena must have meant.
“He ordered you, huh?” I got up and paced the floor.
“Yes.” Evan said and took a seat on my sofa. “Kind of wish you had left things the way they were, right?”
“What do you mean?” I stopped and stared at Evan. He just shrugged.
“At least he could be controlled when he was powerless. Now he’s on a power trip.”
“I can handle Victor.” I snapped, while clenching my jaw.
“Atta girl. But would you prefer that I didn’t train Evangelia?” Evan’s eyes pierced through mine and this time it was my turn to turn away.
The idea of overriding Victor’s command was excruciatingly tempting, but I couldn’t allow Evan to see how jealous I was.
“You have the power to overrule him,” Evan added as he stared into my eyes.
“Train her. It doesn’t bother me at all.” I said turning away from his gaze.
“Are you sure? You seem a little… annoyed.”
“I’m fine with you training her. That doesn’t bother me.” I faced Evan.
“Really? Alright, then what is bothering you?” Evan stood up and walked toward me. He wrapped his muscular arms around my waist and I forgot all about what had transpired between him and Evangelia at the Cotton Club.
“I just don’t like Victor ordering you around.” I leaned my forehead onto his.
“He knows that I have to answer to him, Delia. He’s wielding his power. You can exert yours and order me to not work with her.” Evan smiled.
Evan acted as if he really wanted me to overrule Victor’s demand, or was that what he wanted me to think. I looked him in the eyes and knew that something was brewing behind them. He was still blocking me from finding out what it was. Maybe he was afraid of what might happen if he trained her. Why did I doubt him? It was obvious that Victor was setting him up. I’d never doubted Evan before. Not until last night.
“No, I think it’s a good idea. Evangelia could benefit immensely from working with the fastest teleporter of all the Ischero.” I forced the corners of my mouth to curl up.
What the hell was I doing? Why was I throwing her right into his arms? I’d much rather throw her into a wall.
Those aching and desirous feelings that Zeus embedded in all of us were inevitable and nearly impossible to overcome. Would Evan succumb to them or would he fight for me? Maybe this was the only way to test him. It was wrong, but I had to see how well Evan would fair against the desires that even I was struggling to control.
“Alright, since Lia’s instruction has been decided, we can talk about what you wanted to talk about.” Evan said.
He took my hand and led me back to the sofa. His touch was soothing as always but for some reason, the idea of him shortening her name made their relationship seem more intimate, which made it extremely hard for me to focus on his caress. I felt like chunks of me were breaking away from my soul.
“My parents’ hearts are gone.” My voice cracked.
“What do you mean by gone?” Evan’s eyes widened. “You are the only one who has access to them, right?”
“Me and the gods,” I said and laid my head against the velvet sofa.
“Only one god comes to mind.” Evan said with a sneer.
“Hermes.” I declared, knowing the God of Thieves reputation as well as Evan did.
“He’s the only thief, Delia. Only the Gods know what he has done with them. I doubt he’s taken them to Mt. Olympus, darling.” Evan meant the exact opposite – the Underworld, where Hermes was a constant messenger.
“How I miss the council of elders right now.” I said, somberly. “I hope that my parents haven’t joined the ranks of the Underworld as well.”
“I do too.” Evan agreed. “But we can handle this.”
“I was just visited by Athena.”
“What did the Goddess of Wisdom have to add?”
“Another riddle – one about accepting an invitation which will reveal the workings of someone. I think she meant Hermes.” I didn’t bother mentioning what she had said about Victor or Ares. It didn’t make any sense to since I wasn’t certain of what she had meant by it.
“Hmm,” Evan murmured. “What else did she say? Did she leave any clues this time?”
“Well, she told me that I would see my parents again. She also said that I mustn’t forget their love for me, although they may not remember.”
“That doesn’t sound very promising. If they have been taken to the Underworld, how will we go about avenging them and the elders? And are we supposed to?” Evan asked.
“What do you mean by that? Of course, we’re supposed to. We can’t let Hades win this war.” I jumped up from the sofa and stared at Evan.
“I know, but how can we fight Hades when we can’t enter the Underworld?” I sighed, deeply, and tried to get my thoughts straight. Evan was right.
“That’s what I have to figure out,” I said.
We weren’t allowed to enter Hades’ realm, even if we could find it. It wasn’t as if we could jump into a roadster or on a train and head down there. Only one God could lead us in, and he may be the one who stole my most treasured possession.
Twenty-Four - Evander
Strategy
Evangelia arrived for her first lesson on teleporting and I felt my mouth become dry. I was stunned by her raw beauty and wanted more than anything to block what I was feeling.
She’s just a girl. I love Delia, I told myself. This was just infatuation, nothing more. I’ve never felt any physical or emotional pull towards anyone other than Delia. This wasn’t even a feeling, just the gods trying to gain control. I’d rather be damned to the blazing cobalt fires of Hades’ realm than to let the gods have control of my heart. Some choices were meant to be made without intrusion.
“The first thing you must remember is that you must project yourself where you are destined to be. See yourself where you want to go and you’ll be there.” We were standing about three feet apart, but I could smell her – orchids and lime. Her aura was intoxicating.
“I understand.” Evangelia nodded.
“Take a deep breath and harness your power. When I teleport I pull the ocean’s body of water at my finger tips and picture myself where I want to be.”
Evangelia stood very still in the center of my ballroom. My skin began to heat up as her temperature rose. The flames engulfed her body from within, and then outwardly. After a few seconds, the flames fizzled out. The dark misty smoke thinned out and finally dissipated.
<
br /> “I’m still here. I didn’t go anywhere, did I?” She asked with her head cocked to one side.
“You won’t go anywhere unless you concentrate really hard. Let your mind see where you want to go.”
“I want to be back in my room, at home.” Evangelia eyes pierced right through to the core of my soul and I was afraid that she could sense what I was feeling – desire for her.
“Alright,” I said, and cleared my throat. “I will follow you. Try again.” I nodded.
Evangelia was gone. A split second later, she re-appeared and slammed right into me. I grabbed her by her arms. Her body was pressed up against mine. Her chest rose and fell rapidly and I trembled from the heat rising within me. I didn’t know how much longer I could conceal the trembling. I clenched my jaw and fought not to give in, but her crystal-like, gray eyes drew me closer. I felt a desperate need to hold her close to me for a few seconds longer. I released her and stepped away, rather abruptly. The awkwardness was like a blanket wrapped tight enough to smother us.
The lure of Evangelia’s aura was like waking up to a deliciously ripened nectar after starving for years. Everything about her woke something up in me that I didn’t know was asleep. Those clear, crystal eyes, that creamy, milky skin – which I was dying to touch, her jet-black, wavy hair – which found a way to brush against my face, and the scent of her – wild orchids and fresh lime, left me yearning to wake up to her every morning.
Here I was trying to teach her the basics in teleporting, which she was failing miserably at, and all I could think about was kissing her. What am I doing? I’m engaged. Get a grip!
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I can’t do this,” Lia said, and started biting her lower lip.
“It’s alright, really,” I said. “It takes a bit of practice. You’ll get it.” I couldn’t help gazing into her eyes. My body was warming up. It felt like she was pulling my entire body towards her.
Sacrifice Page 16