Ode to the Queen

Chapter 21

I fell headlong into sleep and didn’t wake again until the light of the morning shone through the double windows of my royal bedroom. I rolled against the side Aidan should’ve been in, startled to find it was empty. Sitting up, I looked around for any sign that he had been there but the room was the same. 

Recalling the events of the night before, Aidan had been extremely upset following Atlas’ admission that he had the power to draw my magic from me. Retrospectively I found myself a bit upset, as well, I had the distinct impression that Atlas had been reluctant to tell us and no doubt had hoped to maybe refrain from admitting such things. Why would he want to hide something so critical like that from us? What would happen if Aidan were to accidentally take too much and not even know what he was doing? Surely that was worse than being informed with the knowledge to avoid that. 

Pushing myself out of the warmth of my bed I made my way out into the living room and crossed directly into his apartment. I found it as bare as my bed had been and no sign of Aidan having been there before me. I hated to think that maybe he’d spent the night in the garden trying to practice his self control with the darkness. 

But then, maybe he had resolved to control it before we practiced together again. 

I settled down at the kitchen table with a bowl of oatmeal, taking my time and mulling over all the different changes that had occurred in the last few days. I still wanted to talk to Atlas about this prophecy. His reluctance to warn Aidan and I about the side effects of our powers made me wonder if there was something important about the prophecy he was neglecting to tell us about. 

I still really couldn’t pinpoint what side Atlas was on. While he was a Titan, and thus must feel some kind of kinship toward his reincarnated brethren he had also sworn himself to Zeus in this duty to return the Gods to power. Atlas was a tricky character, he didn’t let anything on that he didn’t believe was absolutely necessary knowledge which also left him somewhat untrustworthy. Something bigger was going on around us while we went through our days like they weren’t numbered, I could feel it in my gut. Something was definitely coming.

Cleaning up after myself at the table I quickly got dressed and decided to track down the elusive Titan and make him tell me what he knew. No more missus nice girl. At least that’s what I told my reflection as I did up the zipper of my dress. 

I hoped too that I might run into Aidan on my mission, having him there with me would certainly give the Titan pause to think about considering lying to me again or evading the question. 

Leaving the apartment I focused on my target and pushed through the closest door and stepped through. Trouble was, I hadn’t focused as clearly as I perhaps should have because I walked through the door into another hallway into which Aidan was stepping into as well. 

Behind him though, through the minuscule glimpse I caught over his shoulder, was Charlotte, lounging on a chaise in her apartment wiggling her fingers at me. Anger surged through me as my eyes flicked from her smirking face to his guilty looking one.

“How could you?” They were the only sensible words I managed to say before I turned, going straight back through the door I had gone through and back into the hallway I didn’t recognise. My brain was so jumbled from the scene that I couldn’t even think straight to escape.  

I looked for another door focusing on my desire to get as far away from Aidan as I could manage while embarrassment and hurt flooded through me. 

I knew something like this would happen. I had predicted it even. And Aidan had given me his word that he wouldn’t do it but here he was, slinking out of her room like the worthless excuse for a man he was.