Chapter 30
THIRTY
I stare at the calendar while Mine takes a shower and prepares himself for his next mission. The last few days have been something out of a fairy tale, just the two of us without the threat of the demon hanging over our heads. The base, too, is back to normal, and much more lively and healthier.
Five more days. Only five days until I’ll get my powers back. What once would have been something I desired with all my heart, now it’s something I dread with my entire being.
What will happen to me once I get my powers back? What will happen to Mine?
I squeeze my eyes shut to prevent the tears from falling.
“You seem down this morning,” he mentions as he puts on his uniform.
“I’m always down when you must go on a mission. It’s dangerous.”
“While I appreciate your concern, my tiny darling, I’ll have you know I’m a damn good pilot. Nothing will happen to me in the air.”
“I know but?—”
“Give me a kiss,” he murmurs as he plants himself in front of me, his hair still a little damp.
I raise myself on my tiptoes and brush my lips against his.
“Come back to me.”
“Always,” he promises with a wink.
We walk together to his plane, and after a quick kiss, he’s off to the skies.
The other planes depart too, and slowly, the remaining people leave the runway and head back to their tasks.
I’m still standing in the same spot, staring at the now clear sky, a sense of doom unfurling inside of me. Then again, every time he leaves for a mission, I worry for him. He might be the most competent male I know, but he is still mortal and prone to injury and…death.
For the thousandth time, flashes erupt in my mind of him being hurt, of him dying and leaving me alone. If that were to happen, what would I do? What would become of me?
The more time I spent with him, the more irreplaceable he has become in my life.
I know my concerns are illogical since he’s bound to die at some point. All mortals are. And yet, the thought of that occurring fills me not only with an unspeakable sense of grief, but also with anger and a desire for retribution.
By the Source, if anything were to happen to him, I fear I would once more break the rules and rain hell on anyone who did him harm.
I take a deep breath and attempt to ground myself. These are all unfounded seeds taking root in my brain. Mine is alive. And he is mine.
I slowly turn to head back to our cabin when I bump into someone I didn’t expect to—at least for a few more days.
He’s dressed in his non-combat attire, a dark blue pair of pants and a matching tunic held together by a thick belt, with the family’s insignia engraved on the middle and encrusted with dark blue sapphires.
My sense of doom intensifies.
“Molokai, this is a surprise,” I say in a cold tone, pretending to be unaffected by his presence, days earlier. This can only mean something bad’s happened.
“Minerva. I see you’ve done well for yourself,” he mentions with a bored swipe of his gaze over my nurse uniform.
“I had to. You left me powerless in a foreign world.”
A twitch appears in his cheek, the only sign of emotion. Since he was a child, Molokai has always been quiet and withdrawn, rarely exhibiting emotion. He can be kind. I know it since I’ve been the recipient of that kindness on more than one occasion. But he can also be scathing in his indifference when someone disappoints him, and I seem to have done just that.
I’ve gotten used to his frosty personality over the years. It’s odd that out of all the offspring of the King of Cryos, Molokai is the only one who embodies the icy designation of our House. Our older brother is a pleasure seeker, which is acceptable for him being a male and the heir. I am bound by my gender and the expectations placed upon me, though I’ve always had a rebellious streak.
Not Molokai.
From birth, he displayed an unusual amount of spiritual energy despite not being the first born. In fact, it’s well known he is far more powerful than our brother. And with that power came the expectation for him to enroll in the military and gain recognition, paving the way for him to one day become the Cryos Supreme. He’s still young, at only six thousand years of age.
Most Supremes are elected into their position when they are well over ten thousand years old—though there is an exception to that, too. Lispera, the Ananke Supreme that sacrificed herself to seal off Tartareia seven thousand years ago, had been the youngest Supreme ever recorded, gaining her position at only five thousand six hundred years old. But Lispera is a legend. No one expects anyone to measure up to her, now or in the future.
But as the years pass, the expectations placed upon Molokai grow. Although the current Cryos Supreme is still strong, with the slow but steady stream of demons appearing everywhere and the possibility that the seal of Tartareia might break at any point, everyone is waiting for a war to break out.
The Supremes will be the first line of action then, the only ones able to go against the elite of the Son of Tenebreis. And if by any chance the Cryos Supreme is defeated, a new one has to be ready to fill that role. Immediately.
One brother is going to be king. The other is going to be a Supreme. To say I’m jealous would be an understatement since my only role will be that of a wife and broodmare.
Unacceptable!
“The possibility to return to Aperion was presented to you. You refused,” he points out.
I shrug.
“And what does that tell you? If I’d rather be powerless in a strange world than go home?”
He doesn’t answer.
I move past him. He follows.
With him on my trail, I cannot return to the cabin and risk him seeing I’ve been sharing a living space with another male. Instead, I head to the abandoned field a distance away where no one can spot us. The last thing I need is for someone to see Kai and think him the enemy in his strange attire.
Once we are far enough and with no possibility of anyone spotting us, I face him.
“What is the purpose of your visit?” I ask, still maintaining an otherwise calm appearance. Inside, however, I’m panicking.
Is he here about what happened in Aperion? About the death of the general? Have the truth diviners been called?
The death of a general, especially one in charge of a special unit, would be immediately noticed. Commander Azerius would be informed and asked to investigate.
Do they know I was there?
Molokai’s expression is clouded and inscrutable. I cannot tell what he’s thinking, but him coming to see me before my punishment is over can only be a bad thing.
Not only did I witness a demon—or whatever that creature was since it’s unlikely a Son of Tenebreis would not only escape Tartareia but would enter Aperion—I didn’t report it. The first thing I should have done was to ring the alarm and inform my superiors. Instead, I ran away from the scene. With a mortal in tow.
Molokai doesn’t speak for a moment, and my mind runs wild trying to count all my transgressions. If they know the full extent of everything I’ve done… Actually, the punishment for that would be nothing compared to what would happen to me if they even suspect I shared blood with someone, a mortal.
That has a definite punishment. Death.
A shudder goes down my back.
Truth diviners aren’t called as such for nothing. Part of the House of Psyche, their abilities allow them to reconstruct a scene or an event from any trace evidence.
I scanned my energy signature when I entered the military compound.
I squeeze my eyes shut and berate myself for having forgotten that little detail. If anything, the fact that it took this long for Molokai to come for me is a wonder.
I should have been arrested and sentenced immediately.
“I have heard what happened at the base,” he finally speaks.
I hold my breath.
“You’re here to arrest me, aren’t you?”
He narrows his eyes at me.
“On the contrary. Commander Azerius has decided to award you for your accomplishments.”
“My…accomplishments?” I ask with a frown.
He takes a deep breath. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have dismissed you so easily when you called on me. But you handled the greed demon spectacularly. Without powers, too.”
“The greed demon?” I repeat. “How do you know about that?”
“You mean to tell me you did not submit the anonymous tip yourself?” he asks with narrowed eyes.
“Anonymous tip? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I tell him, confused.
He continues to regard me with suspicion.
“Commander Azerius received a tip that you’ve successfully defeated a greed demon—something no one outside the special squad has done. You say you had nothing to do with that tip?”
I blink. Who would submit such a tip? Who would even know about the greed demon in the first place?
“I really have no idea about any tip. I vow it.”
He nods thoughtfully, his body relaxing slightly.
Is that why he was so frosty? He thought I’d sent an anonymous tip in about myself? I scoff at the thought but only because I didn’t think about it first and someone beat me to it.
Who?
“The tip was rather detailed about how you worked day and night to find a way to vanquish the demon and protect the mortals. You did this without the full scope of your abilities, too, and as such, Commander Azerius wishes to reward you.”
“He does?”
“He has spoken to the House of Moirai on your behalf.” He takes a few steps until he’s in front of me. Touching two of his fingers to my forehead, he neutralizes the shield he’d placed before. My energy returns with a vengeance, flowing through me from head to toe.
“Your powers have been returned.”
“That’s very kind of Commander Azerius,” I choke out, feeling overwhelmed from the raw power flowing through my veins.
“He requests your presence in Aperion. I am here to deliver you to him.”
“Me? He wants to see me?” I ask incredulously.
“Yes. We should depart.” He turns to leave, expecting me to follow behind him.
“Wait a moment! I can’t go right now!”
Kai half turns and narrows his eyes.
“You cannot go right now?” he repeats, his voice dangerously low.
Given my so-called accomplishment, you’d think Kai would have forgotten my small indiscretion. But seeing how cold he is with me still, it seems he has neither forgotten nor forgiven me for it.
Is it because it put a blemish on our family name?
“I have to say goodbye to people. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”
Mine will be home in the afternoon. I can’t just leave without saying goodbye, no matter how much harder that will be on me. Even now, my heart is heavy in my chest as I imagine the look of disappointment on his face when he finds out my time has come to an end.
I dread telling him that. But at the same time, I cannot possibly leave without letting him know. I must say goodbye to him and assure him this is not the end. That I’ll come visit him as often as I can.
“Minerva, no one makes Commander Azerius wait.”
“But—”
“No buts. He expects to see you shortly. Let us depart.”
Panic flutters inside of me.
“Wait! Can I at least grab my things? I won’t be long.”
He stares at me.
“You have five minutes. Not more. Be back here when you’re done.”
Knowing he will count the seconds down, I teleport myself to the cabin. There are very few things to take with me, but I needed this excuse so I can at least write a note to Mine.
I rummage through his desk for some pen and paper and then force myself to come up with the right words so he won’t be mad at me for leaving without saying goodbye.
He won’t be upset with me, right…?
“Damn it!”
He will be. I’m sure of it. He will be disappointed in me too, and the thought of seeing his expression change from one of love to one of disappointment cuts through me.
I never told him I loved him, too.
I stare at the paper. This isn’t the moment to say it, though. It needs to be uttered face-to-face.
Think, Minnie, think!
Words will be meaningless when he sees I am gone. But there is something I can offer him that might lessen the impact.
Grabbing the pen tighter, I scribble a short message, followed by a drawing.
My brother came to get me back. I am returning to Aperion. If you need me, call and I will come.
Leaving my sigil out here in the open is dangerous. Giving my sigil to a human is even more so. But I need Mine to know that he matters to me and that I did not abandon him.
I tuck the folded paper under his pillow and take a moment to gaze at the cabin one last time. Mine’s shirt catches my gaze in the laundry basket and before I can think it through, I grab it and hide it among my own clothes. At least I’ll have his scent to keep me going until I see him again.
My time is running out, so with one last glance, I teleport myself back to Kai’s side.
He takes one look at me and my meager bag of belongings and nods to follow him. He leads me to a portal nearby that takes us to Aperion. When we arrive, we teleport to the military base in Cryos where Commander Azerius is apparently waiting for me.
We walk down a long corridor before entering the War Room.
Commander Azerius is with his back to us, staring out his window. On standby near him are his two generals, Aethon and Cerenios.
“Commander Azerius,” Molokai and I greet him.
He turns, his face expressionless.
“Minerva and Molokai. Welcome.”
“I was told you wanted to see me, Commander?”
“Congratulations are in order for your deeds in Anthropa. I have heard of your bravery even when your powers were bound.”
“T-thank you,” I mumble.
“However, it is odd that the Sin Squad did not act when the greed demon started to get stronger, is it not?”
“I tried to communicate, but?—”
“The Sin Squad does not need any communication to sense if a sin demon makes its appearance anywhere in the universe. It is why they deal exclusively with sin demons.”
“Perhaps they were busy,” I add with a tight smile.
He doesn’t return the smile, merely staring at me with those dark eyes of his as if he could see through my very soul and unravel all my secrets.
“They were not busy. They were attacked.”
“W-what?” I whisper, feigning surprise.
“The Sin Squad was attacked?” Molokai inquires, his reaction genuine.
“Another odd situation of which we were only apprised days after it happened.”
“When you say attacked, you mean?”
“General Leotar is dead, as is his entire military base.”
“General Leotar? But he is a level nine. Who could have killed him?” Molokai asks, his jaw tense.
“That is what we are currently investigating,” Aethon replies. “Only another level nine or above could have done this. But there is something else amiss with this murder.” He pauses, glancing at Commander Azerius for confirmation. “His soul is gone.”
“His soul?” My eyes widen.
“Indeed,” Commander Azerius drawls dangerously, his eyes never leaving my face. “The souls of everyone present at the base are gone.”
“Only a demon could have done that,” Molokai states.
“A demon, yes. A regular demon? No. The soldiers present at the base were all levels six through eight, and the general level nine. A level twelve demon would have had a hard time defeating one level six soldier, let alone a score of them and a general.”
“What do you suspect, then?” Molokai asks.
I’m still silent, doing my best not to betray any knowledge of the murders, though I can’t help but feel Commander Azerius’ hard and probing gaze on me.
“A Son of Tenebreis,” Commander Azerius replies curtly. “An elite Son of Tenebreis.”
“Impossible.”
“So we said about their presence in Anthropa, and while we have not officially confirmed it, there are a number of clues that point to that being the case.”
“But they cannot get out of Tartareia,” Molokai adds.
“They should not be able to, no. But this can only mean one thing. The seal is weakening. And if these murders are any indication, whoever managed to escape Tartareia is incredibly powerful.”
“Have you called on the truth diviners?”
Commander Azerius’ lips tip up dangerously.
I hold my breath. If he has called on them, then he knows. And this meeting was only a pretext so he could apprehend me. If he has yet to do it, then he will know soon and I will be equally doomed.
“That is another odd thing. For some unknown reason, the truth diviners cannot get a read on the base. They could not detect any energy signature, not even the one of the deceased soldiers.”
“That’s impossible…”
“As impossible as me receiving a tip that a powerless goddess vanquished a greed demon outside of her area of expertise?” he asks pointedly as he raises a brow.
“I hope you are not implying that my sister would have been involved in this.” Molokai surprises me when he jumps to my defense. “As you said, someone powerful must have killed the general and his soldiers. Minerva is only a level five.”
“Is that so?” Commander Azerius flashes himself in front of me in the blink of an eye. “Then why is it that I feel more energy coming off her than a level five should possess?”
He looms over me, his height and proximity terrifying.
“I…” I take a deep breath. I cannot show him how afraid I am of him. “I could have tested for a higher level, but I was never allowed to.”
He tilts his head to the side, studying me. His obsidian eyes are two bottomless pits of apathy and despair, and I know that one wrong word and he will have my head.
“Azerius, she’s not a threat,” Molokai intervenes, pushing me back and placing himself between me and Commander Azerius. “What she says is true. Our parents forbade her from testing further because they arranged a betrothal for her. She’s always been a good soldier.”
That… That is high praise coming from my stiff brother.
Commander Azerius doesn’t move, his eyes on me still. He barely registers my brother’s presence.
“Perhaps I should test it out myself,” he muses, purple energy swirling around his palm and up his arm.
Sweat beads on my forehead as I realize I’m staring death in the face.
His arm moves. I await the blow.
“Molokai is right,” Cerenios finally speaks, flashing himself next to Azerius and placing his hand on his upper arm, stopping him. “Lady Minerva is unlikely to have had anything to do with this.”
Azerius momentarily backs down, though why he would stop at Cerenios’ request, his subordinate, is a mystery. But the suspicion doesn’t leave his eyes.
“Why don’t you tell us how you managed to vanquish the greed demon, Minerva?” Cerenios turns his attention to me.
His amber, cat-like eyes slide over me with indifference. He is of similar height and build to Commander Azerius, but whereas half of Azerius’ face is covered in ancient runes, Cerenios’ face is devoid of any mark.
Although Commander Azerius is terrifying, Cerenios is not far behind. They could pass for twins, and not only in appearance but also demeanor. The only difference is that Cerenios has emotions, albeit muted by intention. He has a family I’ve heard he adores, so he has a soft spot within him that does not exist with Azerius, although the commander would call that a weakness instead.
Azerius is all alone. All powerful, but all alone.
“It was by chance actually,” I start, telling them how without my powers and my allowance I had to resort to becoming a nurse in the military. “The greed demon had attached himself to one of the soldiers and he’d started influencing everyone on the base. I realized that the more greed he consumed, the more powerful he became. But the reverse was also true. If someone was kind to the demon, his power decreased.”
“Interesting,” Cerenios mentions with a nod. “So you killed the demon by being kind to him?”
“Yes.”
“And without her powers, too,” he says, this time addressing Azerius. “I believe that deserves a reward.”
The commander doesn’t speak. Suspicion is written all over his face. He knows something. He just doesn’t have the evidence to back it up. Otherwise, I would already be dead.
“Cerenios is right. Minerva should be rewarded for her achievement,” my brother agrees. With how curt and icy he’s been with me, it comes as a surprise that he would so readily take my side.
“I am nothing if not fair,” Azerius relents. “What do you wish for, Minerva?”
I blink. That was even more unexpected. My first thought is to ask for Mine, but that is impossible. So I ask for the only thing that can bring me closer to him.
“May I continue my work in Anthropa? I believe there is more to be done there. The war is escalating and with it the number of casualties.”
“That is all you desire?” He raises a brow.
I nod.
“Your parents reached out when you disappeared. They would like you back.”
My heart stops in my chest.
“I promised them I would return you, and I do not break my word. But I would also not disregard your wish.” He pauses.
A tremor goes down my back.
“You will go home to your family and you will grace them with your presence until the end of the Skya. After that, you may continue your duties in Anthropa should you wish to do so.”
“Until the end of Skya? But that is months if not years in Anthropa time,” I whisper. Skya is the eleventh month of the Aperite calendar. A tendril of telepathic energy slithers out and I find out today is the tenth day of the month of Ananke. That means I will be stuck here for almost three Aperite months. I’m not entirely sure what the conversion rate is to Anthropa time, but it should be close to a year if not more.
“Indeed. But according to my sources within the House of Moirai, the war in Anthropa will not end for at least another two years. In fact, the bloodiest of the battles are yet to come. You will not lack for work.” His commanding voice leaves no room for negotiation.
That is so much time, though… What will Mine think? He will assume I abandoned him.
I open my mouth to argue, but one look at Azerius’ unyielding expression and I know it would be in vain. His word is law, and if I want to be smart at this so I can eventually see Mine again, I cannot argue with Azerius.
“Thank you, Commander. I will do as you say.”
He nods and turns with his back to us, thereby dismissing us.
“Come. I will take you home,” Molokai says as he grabs my arm.
“Molokai,” Commander Azerius’ voice rings out. “I have need of you. Minerva can find her way back by herself.”
“Yes, Commander,” he immediately agrees.
With a nod, Molokai leads me to the door.
“Mother is furious with you. Take care.” With those words, he leaves me to the wolves.
Although the last thing I want to do is go home, if this is the price I have to pay to return to Mine, then so be it.
I teleport myself to my room in the palace.
My energy signature will have triggered the defense mechanisms of the palace, thus alerting my parents of my presence.
I quickly shower and put on a new dress befitting of my status before heading out to greet them—and I brace myself for the battle ahead.
Servants hurry up and down the hallway, barely sparing me a glance. The opulence around is almost blinding after months of living with the bare minimum, and I find that I would rather be destitute and barely surviving than endure a lifetime of pain and regret.
Oh, Mine. You’ve probably seen my note already. Are you mad at me? Disappointed? Will you call on me?
If he uses my sigil, I will be bound to go to him in an instant. I will not need a portal or even conscious teleportation. I will simply be carried away to where he calls.
I hope he won’t hold a grudge for too long and he will call on me. If I see him even for a few brief minutes, I will be able to withstand anything that comes my way.
Lost in my thoughts, it takes me a moment to recognize a foreign energy signature in my proximity. I stop and look around.
“Theron,” I spit out the name of the last person I wanted to see right now.