Indignation

  “You’re a very cruel woman, Annalisa. I would have never treated family like that.” His coffee brown eyes remain on the road before them.

  “Alyssa is not family. She was my temporary replacement until I found the Dagger of Selene.” She takes off her leather jacket and throws it to the back seat. Her chuckle sounds too dark when she thinks about Alyssa being stuffed in the trunk of the stolen Honda.

  “Julian will wonder where she is.”

  “Julian will wonder where I am, not her. I’ll come back to take my place beside him again.”

  Merlin’s arm flew from his grip on the sterling wheel. He may be a sorcerer, but he looks nothing like it. His buff arms are wide with the muscles he has. The tight black V-neck shirt he wears lets the outline of his abs show. His neatly tape cut dark hair seems too neat for his messy nature. He has the looks of a god. Julian will always win compared to him. Julian has something that Merlin will never have. That’s power and ambition. Merlin would be better off with simple woman like Alyssa, who expects nothing but what she gets. Annalisa wants more, so much more. She wants power and revenge. It’s something that she and Julian share. They both are meant for each other, created for each, and will be with each other. She will make sure of it.

  She looks out the window. She rolls her eyes at his jealousy. He might have been allowed in her bed several times, but he will never be anything more to her than entertainment. Julian is who she will forever want to be with even if she ends up killing him in the end.

  The downside of her schemes is that for anything to happen between her and Julian, she will need to have Merlin on her good side. He’s the only one who can hide them from Dias’s view. If she could do everything alone she would. If only everything was only so simple.

  She turns to him with a seductive smile. “You know I only want Julian to satisfy the curse, right? I will never truly love him.” She lies.

  “I know.”

  “I love you Merlin. Only you.” Her lies just seem to be coming out like a memorized dialogue. Her acting skill has always been her best feature.

  “I love you Annalisa. You’re the only woman who has my heart.”

  “And soon your soul.” She jokes. He laughs along with her. If only he knew that her plans involve her actually having his immortal soul.

  He holds her hand with his large one. His tanned skin contrasts her pale color. “Alyssa will never help you by threats and fights. She isn’t that type of girl who gives into her fear. You’ll have to have a different tactic with her for her to be more cooperative.” He smirks.

  “You mean like a sob story she just can’t refuse to say no to?”

  “Exactly. She will also be more willing to help if you convince her that Julian would leave her if he were to find out about you. Claim your undying love for him and make her believe it.”

  She loves that plan. Alyssa is too weak to refuse. She has observed enough to know that her sister would do anything for Julian. “Merlin, this is why I have you around. You never let me down.” She turns his face roughly towards her. Her lips connect with his in a passionate caress. She will have to get rid of Merlin soon, but why not enjoy his mind while it lasts?

  Message

  Julian angrily stomps to the living room of the Pike home where Alyssa has been kidnapped. A lot of Elims stand to take the barking orders from Dias.

  “I want my daughter found!” He threatens every single one of them. “She is the heir of my throne and you all have sworn to protect her to your deaths. I want all Elims form the continents to search. I want Hermes to send a message out to all the gods and goddess from the Heavens and Underworld to search as well. Everyone will search until she is found. If she if is found dead I will have everyone transferred to the Underworld to have your souls taken by Hades. Out!”

  All the Elims rush out to search except Miranda, Gabriel, and Nathaniel, the Head Elim Guard who is recovering from his head wound.

  Julian grabs the Head Elim Guard by the collar of his shirt. “What happened?”

  Nathaniel glares back at Julian. “She told me to cover for her because she wanted to go visit her house. I came with her. I heard things breaking inside. Then when I tried to come in I saw a sorcerer. He hit me with something and I blacked out.”

  Julian starts to shake the tough Elim. “I gave you orders to tell me everything that involves her. I specifically told you to have my men go with you whenever she is out. Now look what’s happening. You’re carless.” He throws him to the floor. “She better be alive, if she isn’t, what Hades would think of doing to you is nothing compared to what I will do to you.”

  Dias glares at Julian. “I better not find out that this is your doing.”

  He turns to the God not bothering to keep the anger out of his voice. “I have a blood oath that binds me to protect her; I can’t hurt her even if I wanted to. Neither can my men.” He glares back.

  Miranda pulls away from Gabriel’s hold. “Julian, there’s something I need to tell you.”

  “What is it?”

  Gabriel pulls her back. “Miranda.” He warns her.

  She turns to Dias. “I never asked for anything in my life. Let me tell him.” She asks the God for permission. Dias nods with suspicion. Julian stays silent. The Adviser Elim’s clear blue eyes show the fear she has. “Julian, I know who kidnapped her.” She takes a deep breath before she cowards away from the revelation. “Annalisa has.”

  “What are you talking about?” He frowns with confusion. This is not a time for jokes.

  His need to find Alyssa is stronger than before because of his blood oath. He already has almost lost complete control a few days ago. His guilt has been eating at him, but he can’t let anything happen to her now. He wouldn’t forgive himself. He will also demand an explanation from her. Why would she lie to him in the first place? He knew this would happen if he keep suffocating her from his worries, but since she was announced the heir of Dias she has been in constant danger. It makes everything even harder for him. He doesn’t know where to start. Surely if Hades was the one who took her he would have known. The Underworlders would have told him in fear for their lives if he found out from someone else.

  “Julian? Are you listening to me?” Miranda snaps him out of his thoughts.

  He glares at her with so much spite that could kill. “This is not time to be joking. I need to go find her.” She stops him before he has a chance to leave. She pulls his arm away from her. “I don’t have time of one of your life lessons Miranda.”

  She yells out with frustration. “I know you want to find her, but damn it listen to me! I’m trying to tell you that Alyssa and Annalisa isn’t the same person!” She covers her mouth in shock.

  He scans the facial expressions of Dias, and Gabriel. “It can’t be true. They have the same eyes. They are too identical. You’re all mistaken.” He says it more to himself than to them. Somewhere in his mind he has toyed with the possibility, but it can’t be possible. He admits that Alyssa is much kinder, gentle, and fierce than the Annalisa he knew. Time changes everyone. He’s learned that from experience.

  The far corner of the room ignites with flames of fire. The flames escalate to create a form. No one panics or worries. They know whoever it is comes from the Underworld. They all better hope it isn’t Hades. He doesn’t know if he can control himself in the state he is in. The fire soon dies to be replaced of the form of Persephone.

  The goddess greets the Elims with respect. She gently lays a kiss on Dias’s cheek before she turns to him. His inner guard shoots up. He doesn’t need witnesses to see how he truly treats her when in the Underworld. Persephone seems not to care about the bystanders around them. She smiles gently at him while placing her hand on his cheek in a loving caress.

  “Julian.” She leans forward and presses her rosy lips to his forehead. The action probably confuses everyone, but Dias. Julian doesn’t want them all to find out his true relationship with Persephone.

  “Persephone.” He pulls her hand
away from his face and steps back. What is she doing? She knows that danger of everyone’s knowledge.

  “Does he know?” The Underworld goddess tilts her head to the side to Dias.

  “Yes, he does. My Adviser Elim has just told him.”

  She turns back to him with sad eyes. She has nothing to be sad about. “Julian, you need to save Alyssa from Annalisa. Annalisa will stop at nothing to get what she wants.”

  “So it’s true?” He asks the only goddess he respects.

  “It is. I have wanted to tell you for so long. It was not my secret to tell you that is why I have kept the secret for so long.”

  “I believed that Alyssa and Annalisa was the same woman. Why would you all keep this from me for so long?”

  Persephone holds his hand and kisses it. “Dias was only protecting his daughter. I would have done the same if placed in his shoes.” Her lime green eyes plea him to understand.

  He pulls his hand away with force. “I have to find Alyssa.”

  “No!” Persephone stops him. “Annalisa is dangerous. Selene’s curse is still placed upon her. She can kill you if she has the dagger.”

  Miranda steps forward to reason with him. “She does have the dagger. I saw her.”

  He looks at the two women without any remorse. “At this point I don’t care if she does.” He lies. Outside where the light still shines above, he calls for Hans and Yenta to accompany him on his hunt. He also orders Caledonia to take charge while he’s gone.

  Julian slips into his sports car and drives in full speed. He never would have thought that he would be hunting down the two women he loves.

  Alyssa groans from the motion of lifting her head. She feels so weak. Her muscles are sore, her head aches, her upper arm stings from the pressure she’s putting on it to stand up. She forces her eyes to open. The structure of the dim lit room is a mess. The wallpaper that covers the walls is torn from all sides, giving it a cheap look. The mirror on the far side has a large diagonal crack. The chair next to the small sofa bed has a small piece of tape covering the rip on the red fabric. She cringes when she notices the large stain on the carpet floor. Alyssa has always liked things clean and organized and this is far from it.

  Her head throbs from turning around to the door that has just closed shut. She points at the woman in warning. “Stay away from me.”

  Annalisa’s eyes wide in surprise. “Alyssa! I was so worried about you. I’m so sorry. He wasn’t supposed to do that to you.” She rushes to her to hug her tight.

  Alyssa is confused by the caress. “Get off me!” She pushes her sister off of her with too much force that she could push with. Her arm stings from the motion and her head spins.

  “Lay down. I brought water and some medicine.” Alyssa doesn’t have much force to push her away this time. Her sister pours a small plastic cup of water and hands her a small tablet. “It will make you feel better.”

  She shakes her head. “I’m not taking anything from you. Where am I?” She demands.

  “We are in a small town called Linbusus. It’s a city in the Immortal Realm. Only immortals live here.”

  Alyssa frowns. “I want to go back.”

  Annalisa shakes her head as an answer to question she didn’t ask. “I can’t let you do that until we find the transcript.”

  “I’m not going to help you find whatever that is. Not after you shoved me down the stairs.”

  “Do you want to see Julian die?”

  “What are you talking about?” Alyssa doesn’t want to stay anywhere with this woman she wants to find a phone and call Julian for help.

  “I’m cursed. Selene cursed me when she created me. I didn’t want to kill him. I love him, but the need to kill him is so much stronger. I can’t help it.”

  “You looked so proud when you told me that you killed him. What sick person would feel pride at someone else’s death?”

  “You don’t understand. You have it so easy. Our mother loved you. Our father has named you his heir. The only thing I have is Julian’s love and they cursed me to kill him. I was created to kill the man I love for their own benefit.” Annalisa’s eyes prickle with unshed tears. “The need to kill him is like a drug. When I go through a withdrawal I turn into this woman who doesn’t care about anything until she gets her fix. I want this all to stop.” She sobs. “I need it all to stop. For that to happen I need to find that transcript and break the curse that I have.”

  Alyssa doesn’t know what to think. Annalisa just seemed so cruel earlier that she doesn’t know if she should believe her or not. “Why did you shove me down the stairs?”

  “Because I saw you as a threat. After I spend centuries trying to find the transcript I came back thinking that I can handle my urge enough to tell Julian the truth. What I find is you taking my place. I snapped and the darkness I have within was let out. I took it out on you and I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. You’re my sister.”

  “How does everyone think that I’m you?”

  Annalisa shrugs. She wipes her fallen tears clean. “I don’t know. I remember you disappearing into the portals one day and then you never came back. I thought that maybe you were with our mother who disappeared as well, but then Dias announced her death. I thought that you were dead as well. I would have known if you were alive.”

  “How would you know?”

  “We are sisters, twins. We were both were created by the same powerful beings. We have a bond that only true death could tarnish.”

  Alyssa doesn’t know what to think about everything. Annalisa’s eyes seem so sincere; her tears don’t seem to be fake. Julian has lost control because of his dark side over power; it’s possible that Annalisa has the same darkness. “This is so confusing.”

  “I know it is. After centuries of searching I know exactly where the transcript is. All I need is our blood to go in. I don’t want to live like this. I don’t want to kill Julian. If we get the transcript then we will be able to break the curse and free Julian from danger. That’s all I really want.”

  She observes Annalisa. Her sister’s warobe matches the dangerous look Julian pulls off. The heavy black eye linear makes her dark purple eyes be exposed. Her pale skin matches hers. Alyssa knows that Annalisa looks too much like her, but they are also so different. Alyssa prefers to put little to no makeup to give a natural blend to her skin. She also likes to be comfortable in her clothes so sweats, jeans, or plain shorts is what she would usually wear on a daily basis.

  Alyssa narrows her eyes at her twin. “What did you bring me?”

  “Because you’re in danger.”

  “Apparently I’m always in danger. Tell me what else is new.” Alyssa can’t help, but snap back. Annalisa still has kidnapped her and brought her to this awful place. No matter her reasons for doing that it wouldn’t be enough for her to forgive her, especially since her head still throbs from the blow she got.

  “No.” Her sister shakes her head. “I mean that you are in danger. When Dias named you his heir there are many who have been watching you carefully and not all of them are harmless.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do know that Dias has other daughters, the ones that actually go by their Greek name?”

  “No, I didn’t know that.”

  “Think of Zeus’s daughters. They are almost the same.”

  “I was never big on mythology.”

  “Dias has Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis, and Hebes. He actually has more daughters, but those are the only ones he really recognizes. He also has sons. There’s also Hermes, Apollo and Ares. Those are the main ones he keeps close to them. They don’t like the way he named you his heir. They are older than you and more prepared for the role. They will never accept the fact that you will one day rule the Heavens.”

  Alyssa frowns at the possibility of having more siblings. Will she have a brother or sister that doesn’t want to either harm her or kill her? Or has already done so like Annalisa? “I don’t want to be his heir. I never asked for it. He s
urprised me with it himself.”

  Annalisa nods. “That’s doesn’t change anything. That’s why I took you away.”

  “Was the hit on my head necessary?”

  “Actually that was Merlin. He’s sorcerer who’s been helping me. He thought that you were going to harm me and he made sure you didn’t. Sorry about that. I’m really sorry.”

  Alyssa raises her eyebrow with suspicion. “Did he not see how you attacked me?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “This is getting overwhelming.”

  Annalisa grabs her hand to hold it between hers. Alyssa is shocked by the intensity in her eyes. “I need your help. Please. I will do anything you ask.”

  “Answer me this.” Alyssa sits up straight to observe her sister well. “When we were created did Julian ever meet me?”

  Annalisa lowers her eyes in sadness. “Yes he had.”

  Alyssa frowns at her sister’s reaction. “What happened?”

  Her sister meets her eyes. “I was in the village. I lost track of time. I just wanted to shop and be outdoors. When I returned to the castle I ran to Julian’s chamber to tell him of my arrival. I saw him with you.” She confesses. “I saw you giving yourself to him and it broke my heart to know that you would do that to me. I considered you a sister. I wanted to hate Julian so much, but I couldn’t. He didn’t know that it was you. He thought it was me. I let you both finish your deed. That night I confronted Selene knowing that she was behind it. You know what she told me?” Alyssa nods for her to continue. “She told me that I deserved that and so much more.”

  “Julian cheated on you with me?” Her twin nods in confirmation. “When exactly was this?”

  “That was the night he crowned you as his queen instead of me. You both celebrated in secret. He gave himself to you thinking it was me.”

  Alyssa looks away. “I can’t believe it.” She whispers to herself. She turns to look back at her crying sister. “Selene did that to you? I did that to you?”