The Immortal Defenses Series - Destined

Chapter Fifteen

The inside of Hector's house was old and clearly not safe to live in. Cracks ran down the walls and the whole house stunk of mold and dust. It was dark and damp in the small kitchen where the group was cramped into, sitting on old wooden chairs. Alexia hoped that being in the house would bring back a rush of memories, but there was nothing. When she had shaken Hector's hand, she had also expected images to flash in her mind of their times together, but again there was nothing. She had never expected she would be introducing herself to the person who had given her life.

She didn't know how to act around him. Did he expect her to hug him and cry? Did he expect her not to care who he was? There was no right way to go about this awkward reunion. Turning to Demetri, she gave him a pleading look to get the conversation going. He nodded and was the first to speak. "Hector, I don't know if you know this but Amarantos is coming after Alexia. He wants to kill her to punish Roman and me. He never wanted the games to end and thinks we should be punished forever. We think there is a way to beat him, but we need your help."

"How can I help?" his voice was harsh and rough. "There is nothing I know about Amar or his plans for Alexia."

"You see," Alexia responded, "there are things that I can do that most Immortals can't do. Basically, I am really good at the first and second defenses. I can get mad on command and, without ever having used the second defense before, I was able to make a human believe what I wanted him to believe."

"People say that, when your defenses are frozen for a long period of time, power builds up inside of you." Hector sounded like he was trying to convince them all that there was nothing special about Alexia.

"That's not all, sir," Cheri said. "She can use the second defense on Immortals, too."

Hector laughed. "That is impossible. Nobody can use the second defense on an Immortal."

"I can," Alexia insisted.

"That's beside the point," Roman began. "We came here because we know Amar told you something about Alexia. If you want your daughter to survive, you have to tell us."

"I don't know anything." He looked away, avoiding looking them all in the eye.

"Why are you lying to me?" Alexia had been under the impression that this man would do anything to help her. She thought he would be ecstatic to see her again, but truthfully, the man looked nothing more than sketchy and uninterested. "You should want to help me."

"I have nothing to say," he maintained. "I don't know anything."

"I know you're lying. Don't lie to me because I can make you tell me the truth," Alexia threatened him, preparing to lock in on his eyes and make him tell her what she wanted to know.

"Why do you think I know something?" he asked in annoyance.

Roman answered for Alexia. "I remember Amarantos telling our father something about Alexia and I know he would have told you what it was."

Hector scoffed. "How could you remember something that happened so long ago?"

"A good memory," Roman responded.

The room went silent and you could almost see the gears turning in Hector's brain trying to think of a lie. "I... I never knew anything. Your father never told me anything."

Alexia was sick of it. She was sick of the man who had once upon a time played with her, watched her grow, and taught her how to swim in the salty ocean. He was lying to her face about the one thing that could give her a chance of beating Amarantos. This was no father figure; he was a monster. Trying not to lose control of her anger, she pushed the rage back down inside her chest.