Azure Rose [l.t]

27.

Niall eyed his mother from his seat on the white leather couch, but stayed mute. He would never tell a word of his sisters decision. He watched as his father, Apollo, and Hephaestus tried to calm her down. This resulted in handing her numerous goblets of wine to make her deafening whining stop. "Everything I tried to avoid for her...it's coming true."

Niall furrowed his brows in confusion and leant forward, placing his hands on his knees. "Mother, what do you me-"

"Would her friends happen to know where she is?" Zayn asked quickly, interrupting the blond lad. He had been sitting on a cherry wood dining room chair facing the velvet colored colored wall of the living room.

"No," Niall answered before anyone else in the room could, "all her friends were here."

"Well," Zayn mumbled in a matter of fact manner, "I can tell you who wasn't here."

Niall's throat immediately went dry and he could feel a bead of sweat start to form at the base of his forehead. He was trying to side eye the raven haired young man without looking suspicious.

Zayn slowly stood up and turned to face the group. Niall took note of how smug and relaxed he looked for someone who was left at the altar by someone he 'loved' so deeply. "I always found it suspicious how she clung to his every word and how he would be everywhere she was."

Niall watched as his mother clung to Zayn's every word. Her blue  eyes were wide and they held a certain fear in them that Niall couldn't comprehend - almost as if she knew something.

Zayn quickly began walking towards Aphrodite and knelt down before her, grabbing one of her hands in his. "Aphrodite, I know where she is and who she's with."

Niall could feel intense heat all around him. He was sweating profusely. How could he know? He couldn't possibly know? It was a well kept secret. Louis and Zariah always covered their tracks. Niall began to think that it may have been common sense. Zariah had been gone and Louis was nowhere to be seen on the premises of the wedding venue. When Zayn and Zariah were out, they also bumped into Louis multiple times, causing bad blood. Niall chewed on the inside of his cheek, keeping his eyes trained on the sneaky boy speaking with his mother. After all, it shouldn't have been hard for Zayn to put two and two together.

Aphrodite looked up at her would-be son-in-law, eyes lackluster with color and so deeply frightened. To Niall, it felt as though she already knew who Zayn was going to mention. But she couldn't possibly....could she? "Who, my dear?"

"In the Underworld, with Louis."

Niall quickly jumped up from his seated position. "What?! That's preposterous!"

"Oh, shut up you idiot." Zayn mumbled. "Don't play the fool."

Niall scowled, slowly stalking over to the brown eyed young God. "Excuse m-"

"Niall, that is enough, dear boy." Aphrodite chimed in. She ignored all aspects of Niall knowing about Louis and Zariah, and turned straight to Zayn."

"Let's go get them."

"How on Gods name are we going to get to the Underworld? You need an Underworld native to lead you to hell." Apollo scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I have one. Her name is Mana." Zayn smirked and motioned for the others to stay put, before walking down the long corridor to the front door. He had wondered how in Zeus' name he would convinced the white haired girl to help him. He knew that she was trying to get through to him but that she also didn't like Zariah in the slightest.

A deal must be made.

                                    ++

Zariah lightly plucked the deep red rose from the dirt, a thorn lightly stabbing her in the thumb, causing a small amount of blood to trickle down. She winced lightly and lifted her thumb to her lips to suck away the blood, leaving a red essence on her lips.

Louis crookedly smiled down at his little beauty. "You can stay here with me, you know..." He watched as Zariah's eyes remained glued to the dark rose; she chewed on her blood stained lip. "You don't have to go back up there. We can live the life you deserve, the life of a queen. My queen." He took her free hand in his rough one and gently squeezed. "You don't have to deal with your mother controlling your life and who you love. We could be down here problem free."

Zariah slowly turned her head up to look at her blue eyed lover. "Louis...I don't know. Leaving my family? I don't think I could stay down here forever."

He chuckled a bit and then caressed her cheeks. "Not forever love, you know I'm up on Olympus everyday. You'd just be bound to here and not up there." Louis was hopeful. He was very hopeful. He knew that Zariah had enough love for him to stay in the Underworld. He also knew how much she wanted her own freedom - away from her mother.

"What're you saying exactly, Louis?" She asked, her bright azure eyes boring into his, curiosity and wonder flowing through.

"Marry me."