He let me talk. Well more like ramble. The entire time I spoke, he stared at me with eyes swirling with so much anger, I almost gulped. I heard whispers of him being immortalized and when I saw this 19 year old kid, I knew that he was more dangerous than anyone would give him credit for. Long gone is the kid who seemed carefree and happy.
When I finished he didn't say anything for what felt like a long time.
"When did you figure out I did nothing wrong? When did you start teaching the youngest kids to look up to me like a hero?" He asked bitterly.
"What?" But I knew exactly what he was talking about.
"When?"
"Six years ago. Around the time we heard the Pit killed your parents." He punched me. Hard. I stumbled back but didn't hit him back. I just carefully tested the flesh around my eye, flinching at the bruise that was forming.
"I deserved that."
"You deserve a lot worse Grace. You apologize now when you could have apologized six years ago. But you didn't. Instead you painted this saintly picture. You stand there with the gall to apologize as if everything was a little mistake. You all decided I was a traitor. I begged for someone to believe me, down on my knees. You know what I got for that? Near death. They sent me falling for six hundred floors of a building. I got cheated on and instead of my brother backing me, he watches as I get pushed. You might as well have been the one to shove me. What did you think you could do? Apologize and get me to come in and listen to your father go on about this stupid war that you all can't seem to fight on your own?" He sucked in a breath. Then let it go.
"You tell everyone to leave except the gods. I want to speak to them alone."