Betrayal in Elysium [malexmale]

Chapter Thirteen

"Abel, I know you want to hope for him, but don't. Cain is cold and he's cruel. Everyone knows that. Even Hades doesn't like to get involved with him. You'll just be signing yourself up to get hurt again." He said gently, but firmly. I grimaced, but didn't say anything, just walked away. Malachi decided to leave me alone, much to my relief. I needed to be alone, to think.

Half of me was urging me to try again. Maybe it would work this time. Maybe Cain had learned from his mistakes. Maybe there is a part of him that loved me still. He was worried about me when I was sick, and when I left the palace to look for Alexion on my own. He still kissed me like I was the greatest thing in the world, the only thing in the world.

But another part of me was scared. What if I did forgive him and he turned around and killed me again? What if he cut my throat or threw me in the river Acheron? What if he used me as a shield against Alexion? What if?

The questions were bouncing around in my head, racking me with depression. I wanted to crawl back into bed again and just lay there while the world passed me by, but there wasn't any time for my personal feelings, no matter how much they bothered me.

First, we find Alexion.

Then I can worry about Cain.

But even with that thought in mind, I was still sick to my stomach with grief. I didn't want to eat anymore. I didn't want to sleep. I didn't really want to do anything, actually.

I had to know.

I had to know why Cain had killed me in the first place. I had to know if Cain really loved me. I was so tired of living day after day without knowing. I was tired of his generic "because" answers. I had to know or I was going to go insane. I had to know what I was doing wrong. Maybe if I knew, we could fix this. If I knew, maybe Cain wouldn't kill me anymore, wouldn't hate me anymore.

I found myself actually wanting to talk to someone and the first person that came to my mind was Jahlia. I teleported from Malachi's palace to the whorehouse that Jahlia worked at with the blinking neon sign that was about ready  to give up its fight of light. I walked into the lobby, frowning at the stench of sex, cigarette smoke, and booze. It stung my nostrils. I made my way to the front desk to find a very irritated Madame Ritz, her black eyes narrowed on me in disgust.

"What do you want?" She demanded. I gave her a pointed glare.

"I'm looking for Jahlia." I responded tightly. Madame Ritz scoffed, making me frown as she folded her arms over her chest and looked down her nose at me.

"Well, thanks to you, Jahlia no longer works here." She informed. I blinked, looking at her surprise.

"She doesn't? Where is she?" I demanded. Madame Ritz curled her lip in repungence.

"I'm not telling you," She said rudely, "She went off on her own with some man. Her and her damn baby." My eyes widened and I almost choked on my breath.

"Baby?" I asked in disbelief. Madame Ritz cocked her head, giving me this smug look.

"Oh, you didn't know? She quit because she was with child. Said something about not wanting to repeat a mistake."

"Tell me where she is."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll rip your innards out and strangle you with them like my brother did with your other whore." I sneered venomously. Madame Ritz stiffened, but still looked hesitant to tell me anything. I took a step toward her and she jumped back up against the wall behind the counter, holding her hands up in surrender.

"She lives in the apartments a few blocks down. The Zirph Apartments, room 806 on the third floor." She stammered. I nodded, then flashed from the lobby and to the Zirph apartments just a few blocks down. I frowned, cocking my head at them. They actually looked relatively nice, especially compared to Jahlia's old apartment. It was a large white building with tall black street lamps surrounding it and even a nice little courtyard with a children's play set. It didn't look like Jahlia's kind of place, but if she really was pregnant, she'd probably want this place best for a child.