I Like It When You're Angry

Chapter 27

                                                                  Edgar's POV

Los Angeles was dreadfully hot, it almost reminded me of back home. Father would love it here, but that was the farthest thing from my mind - his feelings.I waited patiently, reclined in a straw woven chair by the cafe table as I watched the influx of pedestrians at the corner of the street. Finally, one stood out, he was hard to miss. Towering amongst the others, he had grey, ash colored hair that contrasted nicely with his strong jaw and broad shoulders. Dressed in black, the man approached the table with a stiff expression and sharp movement. I stood just as he was a few feet away, and bowed.

"Hello, Father," I spoke clearly.

Hades nodded, sitting down in the chair opposite of me with scorn. I followed, inhaling deeply as I watched him look at his surroundings. He eyed the palm trees that lined the sidewalks, and rose an eyebrow at the women that walked in tight, form-fitting athletic wear. I swallowed, noticing his usual decorative features were no longer in place - horns and daggers for teeth. Father could sense that I was scrutinizing his appearance and he cleared his throat.

"Had to blend in, I'm sure you know that."

I nodded, looking down at my fingers as I suppressed my emotions.

"Tell me, son, what have you been feeling?"

I shrugged my shoulders, pretending to brush off his words with a casual sway of my head.

"Son, I can feel your distress-"

"-Son? Since when am I your son? Tell me that, Father," I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to sit back as I noticed myself leaning into the table. His jaw clenched as he patiently waited for me to calm down.

"It's about that girl, isn't it?"

When I didn't respond he shook his head, "It is! You actually love that, that, thing!"

"SHE IS NOT A THING!" My fist shot out from my side, slamming against the feeble metal table. A few customers from the tables beside us turned their heads curiously, and I tore my gaze away from him, settling with the pavement. 

"Then why aren't you with her now?" He spoke slyly, egging me on, it was Hades's specialty.

I pressed my lips into a firm line, and he chuckled, his eyes flickering with amusement.

"She dumped you! Threw you away, discarded you like a piece of trash!"

"No, no she didn't"

"Oh please, explain to me!"

"...We both...let go."

I looked up to see Father staring at me blankly, his forehead creasing as he strove to understand me. And then it dawned on him, and he suddenly, smiled.

"Edgar, do you know why I came here?"

I shook my head, "No..."

"It seems, that this, Mina, will prove to be more useful than I had expected," Father gave another devilish grin, and a glimpse of a plot morphing gleamed brightly in his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                                                                          Mina's POV

A suitcase in my right hand, while a pair of sunglasses were held in my other. I slipped them on, standing proudly with a grin as I drank in New York City. It was just as stunning as the last time I was here, and pure joy coursed through my veins, shook my bones,  and jolted my heart. I was finally home. It was late autumn, and the trees were naked, their branches gnarled and twisted, growing upwards touching the sky. I walked beneath them, approaching the familiar street, which led to the familiar brownstones, which led to the doorstep of the Elders' home. I gazed on at the home lovingly, quite different from the times that I was so fearful, that I was afraid of the very door.

I sprinted up the steps and gave the knocker three heavy raps. It opened immediately, with Amius standing at the threshold in surprise. I dropped the suitcase, ignoring the concerning thud it gave out, and threw my arms around his thin shoulders. I buried my face in the folds of his cloak and held him in that warm embrace for what seemed like ages. Amius smiled softly, bending down to kiss the top of my head.

"Come, come, people are walking by..." He ushered my inside and into the living room where Vibius now stood. He crossed the room quickly, finally reaching me before he gathered me with one arm, rubbing my shoulders tenderly.

"It's so good to see you dear. How have you been?"

I withdrew from him, taking the two in as I sat on the couch across from the fireplace. It already had a fire burning away contently, and I grinned, knowing how the Elders liked warmth year-round, even in the blistering hot summers.

"I'm finally...happy. And it feels extraordinary."

Amius sat in one of the armchairs that were opposite of the couch, along with Vibius who leaned against the mantle with one elbow.

"...and edgar? What about him?"

I nodded, looking into the flames before answering Amius, "We both, ended it. We walked away, and I know that it's for the best. This whole mess, spanning over five hundred years, has caused nothing but trouble. But now it's over, and we're both moving on. I can start building my own life now."

Amius didn't reply immediately, and Vibius looked away from me. Something was off, and our little reunion quickly became an interrogation room. My gaze darted back and forth, trying to read their emotions, but they were too good at hiding them.

"Am I, missing something here?"

Still no reply. Vibius shifted uncomfortably from the mantle and towards the entryway to the den. He seemed vulnerable, and it was my opportunity to pounce. Amius could tell what I was about to do, and he stopped me before I could start questioning.

"Mina, how long has it been since you last saw Edgar?"

I stared at him curiously, "About two weeks, why do you ask?"

Amius looked over his shoulder to Vibius, shooting him an exasperated look. Vibius sighed and came to his aid, approaching me with calm hands.

"It seems, as though, you are hiding a secret Mina."

My eyebrows knit together in frustration as I tried to decipher what Vibius was saying. "I don't understand, please Vibius, just tell me!"

He exchanged one last glance with Amius before sitting down by my side on the couch.

Vibius took my right hand into his withered grasp, "Have you been experiencing any strange symptoms?"

"Symptoms of what?! Please, Amius, stop this nonsense and speak!"

"Mina, do you know how, we are able to sense you?"

I nodded. He swallowed, "As Elders, we are your guardians and are connected to you for your protection and well-being. This past week, Vibius and I were alerted by the Gods."

"Did something happen in Heaven? Is it Hades? I wi-"

"Ahem."

I choked back any incoherent thoughts and listened to him closely.

With one last, residual pause, he uttered "...you are pregnant."

The room seemed to slant on an angle, and the floor beneath my feet seemed to disappear. I was floating, a small insignificant speck in a vast unknown darkness. All sensation in my hands and legs disappeared, and my ability to see clearly vanished. I was lost, sucked into a black hole, and not even it's extreme force that crushed my bones could make me feel anything. I was numb. But most of all, I just wanted to pretend it was all a dream and if I pinched myself hard enough, I would be able to wake up. But this was no dream - it was cold, harsh, reality.