by Lizzy Ford
“It’s not fair,” I muttered and leaned my head back to observe the night sky.
Banging came from the front of the villa. Cleon had dispatched his men faster than I expected. I only ever worried when Niko was leading the charge. Since those coming for Leandra were knocking, I assessed Niko was not among them.
I sneaked a glance towards Leandra, who was making her way through the gardens, then closed the doors to my balcony and retreated into the sitting area of my bedroom and waited, tense, for them to barge into my bedroom. The fatigue I experienced after playing with my power in the Oracle’s chamber lingered, and I snacked on the candy and baked goods Leandra always kept stocked in our room.
A few minutes later, the door opened, and four of Cleon’s elite military soldiers spilled in, weapons drawn. They didn’t lower their guns until they were certain I was no threat. No one spoke to me as they searched my room hastily. They tossed clothing onto the floor then upset my bed and yanked all the drawers out of my dressers, as if Leandra were small enough to fit inside.
While irritated, I said nothing, not wanting to draw their attention when Leandra needed as much time to escape as possible. At long last, the men ceased tearing my room apart and exited, unconcerned with the mess they left in their wake.
When they were gone, I rose. Every bone in my body wanted to check the gardens again to ensure Leandra had made it out without being caught, but I forced myself to remain where I was.
Cleon was … satisfied. The emotion was unusually strong, enough so, I had to pause to consider whose emotion it really was. I picked up clothing from the floor of the closet, waiting for Niko or someone to fetch me so I could be interrogated about Leandra.
No one came, and I listlessly straightened the closet before returning to stand in the middle of my room.
Without Leandra and Mrs. Nettles, it was too quiet. The comfortable room no longer felt welcoming, especially now that I had no buffer between the memorial sprawling across one wall and my thoughts. I crossed my arms, a little lost and a whole lot angry that I had been forced to send away everyone I cared about because of the chip in my brain. My power was not only isolating me, it was becoming a source for Cleon to commit evil. Would it have been better for everyone if I were on the wall next to Cecelia?
I shifted my focus to straightening up my room enough for me to sleep. The mattresses on the bed were askew, so I straightened them, welcoming the distraction physical activity provided. My thoughts went to the other places, the one-off realities, and how I was going to bring myself back when I didn’t know how.
Who was the woman in white? Would she help me? Were there more people in the strange world I hadn’t noticed during my first two forays into it? Could I communicate with the people in my world from there? Or was a nymph the only one who could contact me?
Another thought, far less pleasant, hovered in my mind. When I was in the state that allowed me to cross into a different dimension, my unconscious body remained defenseless. Recalling Cleon standing over me gave me the chills, and I didn’t know why. While I was under, so was he. It was one of the few times I was truly safe from him.
With a grunt, I gave the mattress a final hip check to push it into place and stepped back. Sweating from effort, I was tempted to return to the other dimension and find the woman in white but also afraid of not being able to return.
Turning off the lights, I sat in bed and gazed at the names on the wall opposite me. Some were visible in the pale moonlight originating from the windows on the east side of my bedroom.
It was just us now, the names and me. I owed it to each of the dead to try to use my powers and feared doing the same would place more lives in danger, if not through my direct actions, then because of Cleon’s ability to wield my power to harm others.
I had to do something. I was sick of inaction and fear. Without Leandra and Mrs. Nettles, I didn’t have to worry about anyone near me being hurt, since everyone who mattered to me was gone.
If I got stuck in some other dimension, and Cleon was, too, what did I have to lose? I was probably doing my world a favor by taking him off the streets.
My mind made up, I settled onto my back and drew deep breaths until I was immersed in the meditative state where I could slip out of my body once again and try to find the woman in white.
“You stood me up again.”
My heart jolted at the unexpected voice. My eyelids flew open, and I sat up.
Lantos was in my room, part shadow, and part man, standing in the corner.
“You need to leave,” I said quickly and leapt off the bed.
“Not until we talk.”
Crossing the room, I pressed both hands to his chest and pushed him back into the shadows. “Now, Lantos!” I said when he didn’t turn into a shadow.
He gripped my wrists and twisted them away without hurting me. I glared up at him. There was a time, when we first met, when I’d found Adonis’ best friend to be attractive. That was before I realized who he was and what he planned. But standing in the shadows of my room, with his solid frame so close to mine, I recalled who else I missed during the dark nights and grueling days here.
Lantos would never be Adonis, but his strong body and masculine scent reminded me of the man I was missing.
Cleon was thrilled, which I took to be a bad sign.
“I’m serious, Lantos,” I said and wrenched my hands from his grip. “I’d like nothing better than for you to be paraded out in front of a firing squad, but I respect Adonis enough to try to care about his friend!”
“I know you’re angry, but you need to hear me out,” Lantos replied.
Whirling, I walked away, arms across my chest. “Anything you reveal to me, Cleon will know.”
“Nice. So you’re on his side now?”
Even now, Lantos was trying to manipulate me. This game never stopped with him, and I was the least prepared to play it out of everyone I’d ever met. “That’s not what I mean,” I said, calming. “There’s a chip in my head, remember? The one you tricked me into letting him plant? He happens to be able to hear and see everything I can.”
Lantos was quiet enough I thought he left. Facing the corner, I glared at him when I saw he remained.
He appeared pensive, if not troubled, his green eyes on me. “You’re right. I can’t tell you.” He went to the balcony and threw open the doors, allowing moonlight to flood my room.
I started to relax, hoping he’d take the hint and leave for once.
“It’s a shame, really,” he said. He paused on the balcony and clasped his hands behind his back. “What I have to say would really help you.”
Don’t. Take. The. Bait.
Lantos, the king of secrets, knew I was desperate for guidance. “Bring back Adonis,” I whispered. “Or let me talk to him.”
“Not yet.”
I sighed.
“It’s for both of your highest benefits,” Lantos said.
Suspecting I’d already fallen for whatever game he was playing this night, I grudgingly joined him on the balcony. “I don’t believe you. You don’t do anything for others without a reason.”
“Adonis is my friend,” Lantos said firmly.
I rolled my eyes. “I’ve seen how you treat your friends. If you can’t tell me anything useful this night, then leave.”
“Aren’t you curious what the Oracle told me to pull me into this game?” He glanced at me.
“No,” I lied through gritted teeth.
“She told me my best and only friend in the world would die.”
My breath caught.
“I have the power to save him. What would you do to save Adonis?” he asked.
“Anything,” I said without hesitation.
“Considering she said you’re the one who will kill him …” Lantos lifted an eyebrow in emphasis.
“No. I’d never hurt him.”
“You aren’t you when you do it.”
I struggled with myself, always at a loss when it came to what
I felt for the elusive, enigmatic Adonis. “No. You’re wrong. I know it.”
“Your mind won’t always be yours,” Lantos said softly. “You’ll be corrupted, unless I figure out a way around it.”
The logical side of me was in denial, while my heart hammered and my palms grew sweaty. Lantos knew my fear – that Cleon would one day control my mind completely – and was trying to manipulate me into something. I had no way of knowing what.
Stepping in front of him, I peered up at Lantos’ handsome face, searching for some sign of the truth in what he said.
“The Oracle told you I’d kill Adonis, because my mind will no longer be mine at some point?” I asked, terrified of the answer.
“The Oracle says nothing directly, but she led me to believe this could be the case.” His response was as confusing as that of a god.
I would never hurt Adonis. But if the Oracle saw me losing control …
Cleon was agitated. How long before his emotion, and potentially his mind, became inseparable from mine? How long until he could not only control pieces of my power, but control me?
“What can I do?” I whispered. “How do I stop him from taking my mind?”
“Never stop fighting him. Don’t give him or anyone else the opportunity to wrest your power and mind away from you,” Lantos advised.
“No shit, Lantos!” I said impatiently. “But how? I can’t yank this chip out of my mind. I can’t kill him without damaging my power. So what do I do?”
“I’m working on finding a solution.”
“So you came here to what? To scare me more by telling me Adonis is in danger?” I asked, face hot with anger. “Everyone is in danger, if my mind is taken from me, Lantos!” I turned away, furious I’d let myself dare to hope this man might help.
Lantos was quiet while I fumed. “The truth is, Adonis is the one person who can save you. It’s why I won’t call him back here. I didn’t know that several weeks ago, when it might have mattered. I’m stuck with a puzzle whose pieces I’m not equipped to put together. I’m grasping at straws here, Alessandra. I’m doing what barbaric little I can to give you both a chance. I won’t put him in the position where he dies, but I don’t know what to do to make things right.”
Somehow, it didn’t surprise me to hear Adonis held the key to helping me. He had been in both of my visions so far, though I didn’t understand the importance of his appearance. I wanted him by my side – but not if it meant he was in danger from me, if I lost control, or Cleon, who now knew who the latest threat to his plans was.
“What are you really talking about?” I asked, sensing so much more than Lantos was saying.
He looked away. “A little while ago, I learned a secret. I should have known it came too easily. Secrets this large aren’t handed out willingly, but I chose to believe it, and I set in motion something I didn’t intend to.”
“Then you had a moment of clarity,” I said, recalling his words in Cecelia’s cavern.
“Exactly. Would you believe this player was played?” he winked. “That’s all I can say.”
Why did I have the feeling he knew something about my visions?
“Played by whom?” I asked.
“That is not for you to know now. Focus on your power, and on protecting Adonis.” His tone was firmer than I’d ever heard it.
Sensing Cleon’s interest, I began to think Lantos understood the limitations of what he could and couldn’t say better than I did.
“I shouldn’t have pushed you,” I said, even more frustrated with myself for forcing Lantos to reveal something I didn’t want Cleon to know. “You can’t tell me anything of significance ever again, if you don’t want Cleon to know.”
“I do want him to know something,” Lantos said with an edge in his voice.
I sighed and leaned back against the railing of the balcony, studying the man with more secrets and depth than I was capable of imagining.
“I want him, and you, to know that nothing will ever stand between you and Adonis. He will not allow it. He will destroy anyone who tries to keep you apart, including me. But you must not allow him into your life, until the moment when you feel all hope is lost.”
My heart flipped in my chest. I believed him about Adonis knowing no restrictions on what he’d do. Everyone in the political sphere understood how lethal the former head of SISA was. To this day, I didn’t know what rumors were true and which ones were embellishments on the truth, because I, like everyone else, would never know exactly what Adonis was capable of.
“All hope is lost?” I asked cautiously. Allowing myself to believe in anything, especially if led to hope by someone like Lantos, was dangerous. But I wanted to believe in Adonis, and our potential future, with all my heart.
“You endanger him otherwise,” Lantos replied. “He loves you. He will do anything you ask, and so, you must be the one who asks him to leave.”
Love?
I looked away. I wasn’t completely surprised to hear this word, and to accept something this intense existed between my Mismatch and me. I was also scared of what it meant to care for someone in a world in which I could envision no scenario where we all survived. I was happy Herakles and Adonis were outside the wall, far enough away not to see what was happening to me, and outside Cleon’s reach.
“I won’t kill him or let anyone else try,” I said softly. “If that means I have to send him away, I will.”
“Be careful, Alessandra. Believe it or not, I’m here to help you, when you need it. I’ll be close. The shadows are my domain. If you need me, whisper my name into the darkest corner you can find.”
Was the man who betrayed me to Cleon, and who betrayed the Silent Queen, seriously offering to help me?
Lantos shifted away, out of the moonlight, and retreated to the darker interior of my bedroom. I watched him until the shadows swallowed him and became still again, indicating he was gone.
Unable to shake his claim I was going to kill Adonis, I remained on the balcony and rested my elbows on the railing. Moonlight dusted the flowers and plants in the garden below, outlining everything in silver. I was somewhat comfortable in the other dimension when it came to creating but not quite as confident in my own world. I wanted to pursue the woman in white, to talk to her, but I also feared leaving my body exposed for too long.
I couldn’t possibly sleep after the discussion with Lantos and dragged a chair onto the balcony. Rather than return to the other dimension, I began practicing the creation of inanimate objects in this one.
“Shoes,” I whispered and gazed expectantly at the place before my feet. A tingle went through me, as if the magic were trying to work. When the sensation faded, I thought hard about how I was able to create in the other dimension. It seemed … easier there. Unwilling to leave my world when Adonis’ life was in the mix, I focused on creating a picture in my head of a pair of shoes, without closing my eyes.
Fibers from the ribbons suspended over everything around me peeled off and coalesced in front of me. They slowly materialized. Intrigued by the process, I lost focus at the last second. Instead of shoes, a tiny statue appeared before me.
“Mismatch,” I murmured sadly and plucked it up. My mind was clearly on Adonis. I had first met him in his grotesque form when I was five, the day I awoke him and named him Mismatch. He came to visit me afterwards, flying from DC to the suburbs where my family lived, drawn to me by the connection we shared. I never knew he was a man during daylight until a few weeks ago. “I won’t let anyone hurt you,” I vowed.
To protect him, I had to become stronger. I had to listen to Artemis over Cecelia. I had to make a choice to risk everything in order to protect my Mismatch.
Determined to master my power, I held the statue and tried again.
Chapter Seven: Grotesque Prince
Menelaus wasn’t healing well or fast. With a glance towards the horizon, and the sun dipping towards it, I lowered the axe and gathered my last armful of wood for today. I entered the small house belongin
g to my elderly host and placed the timber in the hearth before crouching to start the fire.
“You don’t have to care for me like this. I am old. If it is the will of the gods that I die, then I die,” Menelaus said from his place lying on the couch.
“I enjoy defying the gods’ will. Don’t you?” I replied and tucked loose newspaper around the logs.
“Some days. And some days, I feel too old to commit the effort.”
“I’ll leave when you’re well enough to care for yourself.”
“This is a young man’s world. You should be out in it, not stuck here with me.”
I paused. “You’ve seen my wings. Would it surprise you to learn I am not as young as you think I am?”
“Only if you claim to be older than I am.”
Smiling, I returned to my duty of lighting the fire before I left the house to transform into my monster form. Menelaus had turned out to be a good companion. He asked for little and possessed a dry sense of intelligent humor I rather liked.
“Why do you stay when you don’t have to?”
“You’re insistent tonight. Do you not want my help?” I asked with a glance over my shoulder at the man reclining on the couch. His eyes had turned whiskey hued again within the span of a few seconds. This change occurred often enough I’d stopped noting each time it happened.
“I am curious. I barely know you, and you don’t know me,” he replied.
At times, he also had an odd way of speaking. It reminded me of how the gods spoke in riddles. For twelve years, I had protected an animated stuffed animal belonging to Alessandra. When Mrs. Nettles was possessed by Artemis, which happened on occasion, I noticed the same enigmatic speech patterns.
It was possible Menelaus and I spoke different dialects of Greek, and this was what I heard, but I wasn’t ruling out anything after all I’d seen of the world.
“I came to find something that’s not here,” I replied. “I want to ensure I don’t overlook anything before I leave, and yes, I do want to help you.”