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Zeus was regarded to be more powerful than all the Olympians put together.
This includes his brothers, Poseidon and Hades.
Knowing this, the other Gods and Demigods feared him.
They tried to trick him rather than challenging him.
•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
I knew our conversation was over the moment Zion turned in the direction we came. "We need to get going. The others might be worried."
His voice was clipped as he trampled down the path, pushing branches out of his way. I could barely hear my footsteps as I trudged along, feeling numb from the conversation we just had. The wind blew against my hair and I quickly tied it into a bun before slipping my hands into the red hoodie.
We got back to the group in time to see everyone had gathered. Liam had perched on a tree branch -- his knees bent in a squat. The moon reflected the smooth skin on his bare chest as his two tails swung from his position. The huge wings on his back were tucked at his side, posing a daunting aura. He cocked his head like a feline as his cat eyes glanced between Zion and me.
It didn't take a miracle to guess what he was thinking. He probably read my previous emotions like a book and was piecing the situation together. And like a call to announce his presence, the greek tattoo on my wrist thrummed to life. I glanced away from his piercing gaze.
Can he sense the other two sins? Did he have a conversation with them while I was with Zion -- defending him?
You think it's safer to be with Liam than with me.
I leaned by the blue Camaro as Eros swooped down, landing in Zion's path. The dried leaves fluttered around him from the influence. He still wore the black pants from Star-crossed inc. Not to mention the bunny flip-flops.
"Hello, your highness." The god of love made a bow and winked. His white feathered wing stretched to the side, displaying their flawless beauty.
Aside from wanting to touch them, how does he keep them clean?
"Long time no see. I missed our little chats." The god said.
I knew Zion and Eros had been messaging each other ever since Pedro's capture and our separation. It explained how Dimitri managed to contact Eros when Hunter and I went MIA.
Zion raised an eyebrow. "Are you mocking me or are you actually being serious?"
Eros gasped and palmed his chest like he had been stabbed in the heart. "I'm being quite sincere. Is it so wrong to acknowledge you by who you are and the god you carry?"
"I am not Zeus."
The god pulled a sad smile. "As I said before, as long as you bear the king of the gods within your mortal body, you are Zeus. The other greek beings will see no difference." He scratched his chin in thought. "I might be wrong, but it seems the aura around you has grown stronger. It's strangely familiar to our Thunder god when he's pissed off about something."
Zion sighed and gave a sideways glance at Liam. The sin smirked and waved back while wiggling his fingers. "I'm not angry. Just annoyed. And drop the formalities, we are friends."
Eros smiled and straightened up. "Will you still say that after I feed on your little brother?"
Zion's expression shifted into a glare. "What--"
"Zee!" Dimitri rushed for Zion with arms wide, ready to administer a bear hug.
Zion grabbed his face at arm's length, stopping him in his tracks. He pushed him back. "We just saw each other hours ago, no need to be touchy."
As if Zion's words went in one ear and out the other, Dimitri hugged the triplet from the side and rubbed his hair. "Still missed you though. So what's the plan?"
It was strange how everyone seemed to hover around Zion -- drawn by his presence. He still doesn't know that Hunter was nearly killed twice. And I was almost impaled by one of the Timories. At the moment, I was glad Dimitri kept that information away from him--anything to reduce the constant worry and anxiety on his shoulders.
Zion sighed, putting up with his attitude. "Where are the tracksuits?"
"Right Here." Hunter ducked out of the backseat of Zion's Camaro with two jackets in his hands. He tossed one at Zion and chucked one in my direction, slapping me in the face. "Dimitri managed to get just two. In other words, this is all we have."
Sending a death glare his way, I stretched out the material before me. I recognized the logo. It belonged to Wyatt's school.
Gevaldor highschool.
In the next few minutes, we all gathered to discuss the plan -- well, except Liam and Eros. They stood to the side but still close enough to hear. Zion laid down our roles and specified the real reason behind this mission; Persuade Wyatt's mom to disclose her son's location.
If we find Wyatt, we find Pedro.
It looks simple but I knew it's way more complex than that. Soon after, we broke apart with our assignment handed to us. I slipped my arms through the jacket and straightened it over my shoulders.
Zion was about to do the same when Liam stopped him. "Don't you think you should sit this one out?"
Zion scrunched his nose at the statement. "And why is that?"
Liam crossed his arms and leaned against a tree, one knee propped up. The muscles around his waist tweaked seductively at the movement.
I stole a glance at the black jeans hanging low on his hips and caught a peek of his boxers plus the v-shaped cut below his abs. A line I had traced when we kissed under the shower. I turned away feeling my cheeks burn.
"You're our trump card. With the power you have, it'll be wise to intervene when things don't go according to plan. And if this turns out to be a trap, we'll still be able to salvage a victory."
The two stood face to face, trying to omit a dominant aura.
"I could agree with that," Eros said as he twirled his phone between his fingers. "Besides, if Zion were to join us, this mission will end quicker than I thought. And that doesn't sit well with my ego. It's high time you leave the fight to us and go sit on a throne or something."
Zion frowned but sighed. "Fine." He tossed the jacket to Dimitri and sauntered closer to a nearby tree. "Hunter, let's go."
Hunter pursed his lips, seeing his friend slip on the jacket. "You're keeping me out of it. Just like last time."
"Not necessarily," Eros said as he slipped his phone into his back pocket and cracked his knuckles. "Liam and I would be scouting the skies while you and Zion will watch for any movement close to the ground. Isn't that awesome?"
Hunter nodded but his eyes still held a sign of disappointment. Dimitri cleared his throat and walked towards the back of the car. "I have something to tell you."
The triplet's eyes were still downcast. "Will you stay out of it too? At least that will be nice. We could play video games."
"Not exactly." Dimitri pulled up the car trunk and reached in. "There's a surprise gift at home. Maybe if you cooperate, I'll show it to you."
He tossed Hunter a gamepad and triplet caught it without flinching. Zion glanced at the two friends and sighed.
He ruffled Hunter's hair. "Cheer up. We'll deal with this after the mission."
Walking towards a nearby tree, He reached for a branch and pulled himself up the cedar tree with ease. Hunter clambered after his brother -- Dimitri's words already seemed to pacify him.
After they'd successfully settled high up in the trees Dimitri activated his abilities, masking them better as more leaves sprouted around their figures.
"This night keeps getting stranger." Eros turned to me and winked. "See you later, Poppy."
He took to the skies, stirring the dead leaves at his feet. Liam hesitated, watching me with a calculated gaze. He leaped off the ground and soared through the air in seconds, leaving me with Dimitri. My heart dropped, wishing he had said something.
Anything.
Dimitri exhaled and shut the car trunk. "That went well. What do you think?"
I shrugged. "Aside from the fact that Dionysus tried to kill me, everything is splendid."
He nudged my side as we walked down the path into an open area. "Sorry about that. Dionysus can get quite crazy when it comes to Hunter. He swore to protect him just as I did."
I decided to remain quiet as we treaded up the small hill, heading in the direction of an isolated building.
Who builds a house in the middle of nowhere?
The house looked more like a cottage and was well lit, indicating someone was home. And I slowly grew antsy as we walked closer by the second. On reaching the threshold, Dimitri rapped his knuckles on the wooden door. The next second, we were greeted by a woman in her 40s.
She wore a messy night coat and slippers to match. Her hair looked like a rat's nest with odd jewelry embedded in them. Her tired eyes glanced at us before moving to the jackets we wore. She frowned. "Are you Wyatt's friends?"
I guess our plan is already working.
I put on my sweet face. "We wanted to know if he's home. It's urgent."
The woman tightened her coat around her waist. "He's not home. You'll have to come at another time."
That's what we were hoping for.
"Can we rather talk instead? It might be valuable to you as well." Dimitri spoke up and flashed a polite smile. One that could melt any cold heart.
The woman responded by tucking a hair behind her ear. She stepped back and held the door open for us. "Alright. Please ignore the mess. Visitors don't come here often."
We walked in and were greeted by cats. They lay spread out on the sofa wardrobe and floor, making it difficult to walk in a straight line. Cat sounds littered the air like a musical. The woman shooed a few kittens off the sofa, directing us to sit. We did, adding a polite 'thank you.' I slipped off my jacket, suddenly feeling warm.
"Let me get you coffee," she mumbled, walking into the kitchen at the far end of the room.
I glanced at the Tv which had a telenovela on display. "She seems nice."
It's quite different from the angry mom on the phone.
"I know." Dimitri sagged against the comforter and spread his knees wide, getting comfortable. "Nevertheless, we have to keep our eyes peeled. Who knows, Wyatt could be nearby."
A cat nudged my thigh and pet it, finding it hard to hold myself back. It reminded me of Liam and his bright green eyes. I wondered if the sin will allow me to pet his jaguar form.
"There you go," Wyatt's mom -- Mrs. Fisslebadger --walked in with two mugs of coffee. She laid it before us and sat on the opposite sofa. "So what do you want to talk about? Is Wyatt in trouble?"
I bit my lip, wondering how we were going to make her disclose his location. If she proves to be stubborn, we'll have to force her hand. Something Zion planned to do from day one.
We definitely didn't think this through.
"Mrs. Fisslebadger, Wyatt has been doing drugs," Dimitri blurted out and I had to reign back the unexpected shock. He leaned forward, trying to look serious. "My friend and I are part of the DAC."
The woman sat back and darted her eyes between Dimitri and me. She scrunched her eyebrows. "And what's that?"
"The Drug Advisory Committee. It's a program we have in school."
Yeah, that's not a thing.
Mrs. Fisslebadger, however, seemed to buy it. "So you're Drug advisors?"
Dimitri scoffed and sniffed his coffee. "Yeah, I mean...everyone knows Marijuana is cheaper than--"I elbow his ribs and he grunted. "What I mean is, we are people who strictly obey the no-to-drugs rule. Being his classmates, we would like to help Wyatt in his current vulnerable state. I would gladly appreciate it if you tell us where he is."
Smiling to myself, I rose the mug to my lips. I barely had a sip when Dimitri slapped the cup from my hands. It crashed to the floor, splintering into many pieces. Wyatt's mom jumped at the shattering noise and I turned on him. "What was that for!?"
His irises were bright purple. "It's freaking drugged."
I raised an eyebrow. "I think your acting role is getting to your head."
He glared. And for a moment, I felt Dionysus was speaking through him. "I'm the god of wine, don't you think I'll know when a drink is being poisoned."
"Yeah, but you scared her--" I turned in the woman's direction and came inches away from the face of a smiling Manticore.
Crap.
In her partial form, Wyatt's mom had a mane with rings adorning it. Her skin was covered with golden fur as she squatted awkwardly on the small table. Her back arched at a freakish angle with claws extended out from her paw-like fingers. I could smell rotten flesh from her breath and nearly gagged.
The Manticore displayed a ghoulish smile with prickly canine teeth. "Surprised?"
A scorpion tail rose behind her and lashed straight for me. Dimitri shoved me off the sofa in the nick of time. The sharp tip of the Manticore's tail pierced his shoulder, embedding into his flesh.
I fell to the floor with a grunt. My back came in direct contact with the broken ceramic pieces. I held back a whimper as it gashed the skin.
"Annoying gods. Always getting in the way." The manticore growled, forcing her tail into Dimitri's shoulder and pinning him on the couch. He cried out from the pain but managed to stretch out a hand, activating his abilities A purplish forcefield smacked her face, throwing her back against the wall with a loud 'thud.'
I couldn't believe it. Among all the possibilities of things going wrong, this was the last thing I expected.
Wyatt had deliberately turned his mom into a man-eating creature.
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