Hellscape

Chapter 21: The Ouroboros

    Standing silently in the closet, Melinoe, Lazarus and Charon wait for Hades to leave the library before they exit the cramped cupboard. Melinoe hesitantly steps out first with a sigh, half relieved that her father wasn't able to hurt the pup, but half worried that he still might. Lazarus nearly falls flat on his face as he stumbles from the closet, stretching his arms high into the air. He groans as his muscles morph back into place after being smushed in the back of the closet behind both Mel and Charon. He exhales loudly, dropping his arms with a comfortable smile.

    "Spill it," Charon demands, crossing his arms over his chest and staring at his best friend with an accusing glare. Raising his eyebrows at her furrowed gaze, he insists, "go on. Tell me what you found out."

    "Why should she?" Lazarus loses his adorable smile almost instantly under Charon's demands. Scowling at the demon, he asks before Mel can part her lips to answer. Normally, she would be annoyed that someone had the audacity to speak for her but in this case, because it was him, she allowed it to happen. Lazarus scoffs, shaking frustrated hands through his blue hair, "you left. You abandoned her, you abandoned us. What makes you think you can just waltz back in here, demanding information?"

    "You might want to shut your mouth," Charon warns, spitting an insult he hopes will sting, "tourist."

    "Really?" Lazarus steps around Melinoe, puffing his chest and finally matching Charon's height. Impressively, he seems bigger somehow as he squares up and balls his fists at his sides. There was not a single soul that had ever stepped to the demon like this, most were too scared to even try, but it only takes Charon a moment to adjust to the humans bravery.

    "Really," Charon hisses, narrowing his cat-like eyes into slits. He looks the boy up and down with a smirk, "what are you gonna do, are you gonna fight me?"

    Charon throws his left hand open down by his side and his tattooed palm glows brightly. Lazarus relaxes his shoulders, grinning at the demon bravely, and shakes his head, "I'm not scared of you, Charon. Your little light show isn't going to spook me. But I'm also not gonna fight you, you're not worth it."

    The human backs away slowly from the demon and once again, does what no other soul has dared to do and he turns his back. Sitting in the leather chair beside Melinoe, he doesn't open his mouth to stop her from speaking to the demon but he doesn't take his eyes off of him either. If there was ever a moment where Lazarus trusted Charon, it was clear that that trust was gone.

    "How 'bout it, Mellie?" Charon asks, focusing his energy back on her. She had somehow remained quiet during the altercation with her precious human and he eyes her suspiciously, "are you gonna tell me what you found?"

    For what feels like the thousandth time, she finds herself questioning her instincts. Staring at the raven haired, strong jawed, and dark eyed demon she knows three things for certain; he struggles with expressing himself because he believes what Hades has said along — demons don't have souls, therefore they cannot feel. But the next thing she knows about Charon is that he claims to love her, which he has always proven — even now she can tell he loves her, despite his attitude. And the last thing that she's always known to be true is that Charon is extremely loyal, but to whom is always the question that plagues her.

    Melinoe finds herself wanting to believe that he is on their side, but Lazarus is right. Charon left, he walked away the second things didn't go his way and who's to say where he went or who he talked to. Her gut tells her that he wouldn't rat her out to anyone, especially her father, but logic seems to scream the opposite.

    Dropping her ear to her shoulder and biting her lip, she decided to tell him. With a sigh and the soft shaking of her head, she says, "my father isn't who he says he is."