"Justice!" hissed Baulder as he grabbed her by the arm, pulling her away from Riley.
She reefed it back out of his grip. "Let go of me."
With a hand on her cheek, tears had sprung up into Riley's eyes. She stared at Justice, eyes wide and afraid.
"It's not my fault," she said. "I'm so sorry."
"We know it isn't," said Baulder with a kind voice and a purposeful look to his warden.
She shot back a glare full of daggers. "Yes, it is," she said, whipping back to the young girl.
Riley held her hands up in surrender. "Please, I know what my mum did was wrong. All I wish is that I was dead, and your friend was alive. I'm so sorry."
"Her name is Wynn. And, she was the nicest person you would ever meet. She, she's..." tears started down her face and she was barely aware as Baulder dragged her from the hallway, into the closest bedroom.
He swung the door shut and grabbed both her arms, pushing her against the wall.
"Shit, Jay. You can't slap a kid like that. Pull yourself together."
"Wynn is dead because of her."
"You know that's not true."
She pulled his hands from her arms, "I don't care. Wynn is dead and she's not coming back." With a sniff, she wiped the back of a sleeve across her nose and attempted to duck around the prince.
Strong hands captured her, pulling her into his firm body. He wrapped his arms around her tight and Justice fought back. She pounded against his chest and he held her tighter, saying words she couldn't hear through her crying. Dammit. I'm crying again.
"It's okay," he was repeating gently.
Eventually, her muscles felt like jelly, all the strength disappeared, barely able to hold herself up. Baulder's tight embraced loosened, one hand slid into her hair and held her head against him.
With all her fight gone, Justice sobbed until the feeling passed. And, as it did, she groaned in annoyance at herself.
"I'm so sick of the crying. It makes me feel like a weak idiot."
"No, it's normal."
"Really? Because all I want to do right now is rip off your head and then Riley's, and I can't, because this thing comes without warning and before I know it, I'm crying. Damn crying. It's useless. It does absolutely nothing. I'm sick of it."
He rubbed a hand on her back. "I know. It's gonna take a while to pass."
"How are you fine?"
"I'm not."
Justice pushed back from his chest and looked up at her warden's face. His eyes were laced with tears. She pursed her lips together and this time slipped her arms around his middle and hugged him back.
"It's not fair," her voice cracked and dropped to a whisper. "It's not fair."
"No. It's not," he replied in a similarly soft voice. There was a pause and then he continued. "But it's also not fair on the girl out there."
She stiffened and swallowed, not wanting to move. A long, slow exhale and she ground her teeth together. Her anger wanted a focus, and Riley was an easy target. To throw all the hate and hurt and anger at a person she could see, and touch, and tear apart. The young girl appeared in her mind, and she saw her tears and hands held out in surrender. Justice groaned at the internal war which felt as though her insides were turning in on themselves.
"Why do you have to go and say these things?" she complained.
"Because it's the right thing."
"Please," her voice cracked. "I don't know if I can handle this anymore."
"Yes, you can." He slid his hands up to her shoulders and pushed her back, capturing her eyes in his. "You're stronger than this."
His was gaze was intense, eyes boring deep into hers as though he was willing strength into her.
It was too much, and she dropped her head. She stared at their shoes and breathed out another long sigh. Words teetered on the tip of her tongue and bringing them forth felt like dragging a ten-kilo sack of potatoes. And, when they finally did, it was soft and broken.
"I know..."
Baulder's hands squeezed her shoulders.
"It's not her fault," she continued. "It's just, I don't know if I can forgive her. Even though I know there isn't anything to forgive. I just..." She looked back up the prince and grabbed onto his arms, pulling them from her. Released, she straightened her back and strengthened herself inwardly. "I'm sorry. It's not her fault. And, really, with her mum taken away, we should probably be helping her."
A soft smile curled up the edges of her warden's face and Justice put a hand on his chest, pushing him away.
"Don't be all smug. This wasn't you."
He raised his eyebrows and took a step back holding out his arms in mock surrender. "It was all you."
"Damn right."
He maintained an insufferable straight face and Justice turned on her heel and headed to the mirror to check her appearance. She wiped away smudged mascara and fixed her hair. "But, I'm still going to see dad about all of this."
Baulder grunted but said nothing.
Once she felt sufficiently back to normal, Justice went in search of Riley. She found the girl in the bedroom next to hers, sitting crossed legged in the middle of the bed. Upon seeing her tear stained face, Justice felt another pang of guilt.
She clasped her hands in front of her body. "I'm sorry, Riley."
The young girl looked up at her with a wary look.
"I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry." Justice didn't expect Riley to forgive her straight away and the young girl seemed at a loss for what to say. "Everything has been so messed up. And all of it started with my dad. I'm going to go find out what's going on. I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with either of us, and we shouldn't have been thrown in the middle."
"I, um, actually have to go see him in the next twenty minutes."
"You do? Well, then I'm coming with you."
"Umm..."
"Look, I know you have no reason to trust me. But, I really am sorry, and the least I can do is come with you to find out what's going on."
Riley nodded and Justice smiled at her. When the young girl returned a small smile of her own, a sense of relief passed through her. Whether Riley had forgiven her or not, she wasn't sure, but it seemed that at least she wasn't harbouring hate.
——
The three teens made their way to palace and through the twisting corridors. High ceilings arched over them and rows of white marble busts occupied alcoves in the walls. Justice walked with a brisk determination, turning over in her mind what she might say to her father.
Baulder easily strode alongside her, at Riley took quick short steps in an effort to keep up.
"Where are we?" asked Riley as she looked at one of the statues they passed.
"What do you mean? The palace or Olympus?"
"No..." Riley, faltered, "Is this heaven?"
Justice laughed and slowed her pace.
"No. This is ether. It's a real place in Athens, but it's sort of laid on top of it, or existing in the same space of the mortal world there."
"Oh..." The explanation seemed to have gone over Riley's head, but Justice wasn't sure how to explain how one hundred hectares of the Haven of Olympus existed on top of modern-day Athens.
Sensing her loss for words, Baulder jumped in. "Fairies, witches and a Gemini set, made it centuries ago as the request of my father. They created Olympus as a place for us to live away from the mortals since it could be dangerous for some. And since he liked to appear as Zeus before the local Athenians, he called it Olympus, more as a joke. It stuck and it's been that ever since."
Riley looked at Justice who shrugged. "A stupid joke, if you asked me," said the older girl.
Baulder continued. "Another twelve Haven's existed across Europe before the plague but with our numbers so low, we were," he ground his teeth together, "attacked, by some of the supernatural races. All of those havens fell and many immortals and supernaturals retreated back here, or to the Land of the Dead in Egypt."
"The Land of the Dead?" asked Riley with a funny face.
"It sounds better in ancient Egyptian."
"So, what's a Gemini set?"
Justice paused for they were now at the door to her father's office."I can tell you all about Gemini sets later, if you like. They're almost as important as the King." Riley nodded. She knocked on the dark timber and gave Baulder a pointed look.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" he asked.
"No. I'm more than capable of fighting my own battles. You go do your stuff and I'll meet you later tonight."
He nodded, and duffel bag slung over his shoulder, the dark-haired prince headed off to the other end of the palace where his residential suite was.
Justice looked at Riley and gave what she hoped as a reassuring smile.
"Leave the talking to me."
With a deep breath, she pushed on doors and entered into a round antechamber. It was a small room, markedly cozier than the stark corridors they'd come through. Persian rugs on the floor and an assortment of dark oil painting adorned the walls. At a small desk to the side was an old man in a worn brown suit. He looked up from between piles of haphazard papers and beamed as his eyes fell upon Justice.
"Young, Miss Edwards," he said with enthusiasm. "How, I've missed you. Too long since you last visited? Here for your trials, no?" He came out from behind the desk with his arms wide. "Give an old man a hug. You've grown up so fast." Justice grinned and bore the old man's exuberant embrace and rambling sentences. "Ah, everything is so fast nowadays. Time moves faster the further you move through it, eh? Just like your father always says."
She laughed and nodded, "Yes, Mr Beattie."
He stood back and beamed at her. "I am so looking forward to your personal trial. I bet you are going to come out with at least five abilities. There aren't many who are going to be able to rival your bloodline. Except of course that prince of yours. You two, power couple, eh. I don't think anyone is game to bet against your team. And I'd know. I put the teams together, ha." He clapped his hands eagerly. "This is going to be the most exciting round of tournaments since the last pair of Gemini twins.
"I don't know about that, Mr Beattie," said Justice a little embarrassed. "I mean I do want to win though."
"Oh, yes, the Winner's Choice." He waggled his eyebrows at her in a knowing way. "I'm not surprised you're determined to win considering who your father has lined up for you if you don't."
Blood drained from her face. She hadn't been thinking about who her father had in mind for her and just like that, everything she'd fought so hard to push from her thoughts rushed back in double time. She opened her mouth, unsure what to say.
Mr Beattie suddenly looked just as stricken as Justice felt. "You don't know? Of course not. What was I thinking? I'm so sorry." He took her hand and patted it. "It's okay, my darling. It won't be all so bad as that."
"You know who it is?"
"Of course. I haven't worked for your father for my last three lives in the dark."
Justice wanted to ask, but she knew there was no point. She didn't want to hear it from him anyway. She wanted to hear it from her father, so she could fight and challenge him on it. Not that he was one to be challenged. She deflated.
"Is he free now?"
The man shook his head and was about to respond when the door her father's inner office opened and a middle-aged man exited, immediately followed by a younger teen. The first was a brawny man with close-shaved blond hair and bright blue eyes that cast over her and Riley in disinterest. The second caused Justice's eyes to widen and her heart leap. Her age, tall, with messy blond hair and blue eyes, which widened in shock as they met hers.
Justice stared at Anton in disbelief.
His step faltered and he ran a hand through his hair, cheeks reddening as they both shared a wordless look of incredulity. With several quick strides, he broke away from behind the older man and came to meet her with a smile.
"Miss Hero," he said in his rough Slavic accent.
His voice sent tingles through her skin, but at the same time, she felt her face warm. Seeing him again, far from Ibiza, and outside her father's office no less, made her feel unfamiliarly self-conscious.
"Anton," she stammered, "I never thought I'd see you again."
"Me either," he said with a nervous laugh and looked over his shoulder. The two older men were watching them interestedly now.
She searched her mind for what to say, but it was running at a million miles an hour as she tried to figure out what his presence here meant.
He's immortal?!
A smile broke out on her face at the thought. "I mean, it's nice. It's great." A nervous laugh escaped her as memories flashed through her mind. Memories of his naked body atop hers beneath a warm starry sky.
Anton nodded a bit and so did she, wondering if the same images were in his thoughts. A heat crept back into her cheeks and the silence started weighing heavier and heavier on her. She was hyper-conscious of Riley standing beside her and the young girl shuffled her feet.
"Are you—" she started.
"Are you here for the trials?" He said as he beat her to it.
She nodded stupidly and grinned, as the vision of wishing Anton could be her Winner's Choice flashed through her mind.
"Yes. Are you—"
"Justice?" came her father's calm voice from beyond the other room.
She frowned in annoyance.
"I have to..."
"I know." Anton lowered his voice conspiratorially, "Edward Edwards isn't one to keep waiting. He's kinda scary."
"He's my dad."
His eyes widened. "Oh..."
"Justice," came the voice again. It was firm with a tinge of impatience. She sighed and Anton gave her a lopsided smile.
"We'll have plenty of time to, catch up," he said with a wink and just like that, the young man from Ibiza resurfaced.
She bit her bottom lip and felt her body falling back into natural ways. A coy smile played across her mouth, and she twirled a piece of hair through the tips of her fingers.
"Umm, yes that would be nice," she said with a giggle and turned to look at Riley. "Quick. We better head in." Looking back to Anton, "It was so nice bumping into you."
He gave her a little wave. "You too."