Bruises of Risk

Demigod Tendencies

Important note: I changed Damen's father from the Greek counterpart of Mars, to the Roman one because it makes more sense.

Also, the picture is of the spear that Mars left behind!

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter Thirteen

Demigod Tendencies

"so perhaps we do want happiness

but we also desire to keep the

pain close, close enough to destroy

and close enough to make us feel

a little less cold."

- r.m. drake

This makes so much sense now. I figured I should be more surprised, but for some reason, it just pulled pieces together more than anything. Mars was known for being argumentative, moody, and difficult. And angry, so angry.

His natural fear of showing feelings because he thought they were weaknesses, to put up a front every time he felt something, was another puzzle piece, paired with his fear of admitting them, to himself especially. It also made sense why he seemed to have two powers, shape-shifting and super strength, two powers that didn't have much to do with each other. Animalistic power could only give him so much strength. Over the years I'd seen him break everything from wooden blocks to stone walls. It also explained why he didn't feel guilt or remorse in harming his opponents after he'd won. He was a born warrior.

It made me wonder. I had two distinct powers, too. I was a Seer and a Controller, something that had been a bit of an enigma to my earlier trainers, but it had never surprised my parents. Was I a demigod, too? Professor Star's lecture entered my thoughts. When she had said that the gods had sent four demigods to help fight the war, I'd figured it was because of the circumstances, the abruptness in which they had been sent, which caused them to be demigods. Damen, Ophelia, Van, and I have been training our whole lives for this (albeit unknowingly). My breathing came in quick succession and my heart was ready to make an escape through my throat.

There was just no way that one of my parents wasn't my real parent. There was just no way. There had never been any indication of any sort, never any suspicion that had made me entertain the thought of being adopted for even a full minute. There weren't even any physical hints; there were traits I got distinctly from my dad and traits I got distinctly from my mom.

Inhaling deeply and pushing the air out roughly, I forced myself to focus on the task at hand, simultaneously reminding myself to take each obstacle one step at a time.

Damen was sitting back on his heels, absorbing the crucial information thrown at him. His face was a mask and if I hadn't gotten so good at reading his body language, the slight increase in wrinkles around his eyes, the tightness of his skin around his jaw, the way his shoulders rested a little higher and his fists clenched a little harder, I wouldn't have been able to tell how hard it was for him to hear this tidbit in the first conversation he'd had with his mother in years.

He also took a deep breath, a slight desperation in the way his chest heaved for air. "But you didn't cheat. You guys were broken up, and had been for a little. He can't possibly blame you for that," Damen spoke, his voice firm as he assured his mother that he didn't blame her.

Ann's face falls into her hands, "I wish I could've stopped him. I wish there was a way I could've returned him to who he was before-" she stops, abruptly, as if remembering herself, and looks up at Damen, tears shining in her eyes. "I was always proud of the way you fought back," she places a hand over his heart, "You are so strong. I guess you get that from your dad."