"I don't come to campus often. God duties and all." Apollo babbled away.
God duties? I thought all the gods did was sleep with each other and start conflict between the creatures they created.
Apollo accompanied me on my walk home. He offered to since he had "nothing better to do anyways" and "wanted to get to know me better."
If I were a normal supernatural being, I would have been flattered. Given the circumstances, I remained cautious. I asked the same questions. Can I trust him? Will he rat me out? How long until he switches up on me?
But then again, I didn't have friends anymore. Who better to have as one than a god?
"A witch, angel, and fairy. That's different," he mused.
I looked over at him and shrugged. "I was hidden my whole life in the human realm. Once you're here, no one finds you unless they're sent after you."
"That's true, but you're different. I think I may have heard of you from the fates once or twice." Apollo remarked.
I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "Do any of the gods actually listen to them, though? Or do you guys only seek their guidance when your supposedly 'perfect' godly lives are falling apart?"
Apollo playfully rolled his eyes, dismissing my question. His carefree demeanor contrasted sharply with my guarded nature. Throughout my life, I had grown accustomed to keeping walls up, shielding myself from others.
Opening up was a rarity for me, even with the friends I once held close. Yet here was Apollo, a virtual stranger, baring his soul and sharing the intimate details of his life during our entire walk.
As he spoke about his birth, his traumas, and his deepest secrets, I couldn't help but feel a mixture of curiosity and skepticism.
The fear of revealing too much about myself lingered, but I found it intriguing that Apollo would expose himself so openly.
It was as if he were deliberately inviting me into his world, extending an unspoken invitation for me to do the same. A glimmer of trust began to emerge within me.
The light part of me believed that if Apollo had any intention of betraying me, he would have done so upfront rather than opening up and making himself vulnerable.
"Can you confirm one thing for me?" He asked, peering over at me.
I nodded my head, signaling for him to ask his question.
"Please correct me if I'm wrong, but is it possible that you're the rumored firstborn of Empress Iridessa?" Apollo's gaze remained fixed on me. "There's a familiar scent about you reminiscent of hers, yet I've never laid eyes on you until now."
I paused, realizing I had lied to myself. He figured me out sooner than I expected. Taking a slow breath, I closed my eyes and then reopened them, revealing the glistening tears that welled up in my baby blue eyes.
While I usually excelled at concealing my emotions, my fairy side had a knack for revealing them through my ever-changing eye color.
Each emotion I felt would manifest as a different hue. It was one aspect of being a fairy that I despised—heightened emotions were nothing but bothersome.
"So, I was right," he said, his voice laced with regret. He reached out to me, his hand hesitantly extended. "I truly didn't mean to upset you. I apologize for prying into your personal matters. It's been weighing on my conscience since that incident in the library."
My barrier went up, and I backed away. Apollo looked hurt but dropped his hand to his side.
"I promised to be your friend, Agatha. I'm a god of my word. It's okay if you're not ready to tell me anything about it. I have all the time in the world to wait," he cooed at me in a comforting manner.
I truly did want to tell him about myself, but I wasn't ready to talk about the life I lived due to my mother's mistake. This was something I wouldn't mind sharing with him later down the line.
As the weight of my silence became unbearable, I summoned the strength to break it. I locked eyes with Apollo, a mingling of uncertainty and determination reflected in my gaze.
"I'll tell you one day," I assured him, my voice trembling slightly. "But for now, you can call me Aggie."
He blushed and smiled at me with his gorgeous, pearly white teeth.
"Okay, Aggie."
Apollo gave me his number after he walked me to my apartment complex. He told me it was for "campus purposes" but said if I really wanted to talk or needed him, I could just call out his name.
He promised he would come to me in an instant by teleporting. This was an offer I wouldn't mind taking up, especially given the recent circumstances.
I sat on the couch in the living room and turned on the television. I never actually watched anything, but it made a great crystal ball.
"Show me my mother's kingdom." I cast on the television in Greek.
I observed my mother's restless pacing within the confines of the throne room, her nerves betraying her as she traversed the space with an uneasy energy.
When my mother gave me away at birth, she relinquished her angel half, unbeknownst to her. When angels abandoned their kin, they relinquished one of their unlimited powers. The fates took away her longevity.
From that moment on, she was considered a fallen angel. The sole reason she managed to sustain her existence long after her fall from grace was attributed to her lineage as a fairy.
In the midst of this contemplation, my younger brother and her eldest son, Sven, entered the throne room, their presence interrupting the solemn air.
"Mother," Sven said with a hint of impatience, his voice laced with ambition. "Why do you withhold the crown from me? It is my rightful place to be crowned emperor."
She stopped pacing and snarled at my brother. Her eyes were pitch black, and she gave him the deadliest look. She let out a maniacal laugh.
"I can't give you a throne that doesn't belong to you, boy. The fates would end you before the crown could even touch your puny little head."
Sven looked terrified at the sight of his mother. He was afraid not because she was starting to look hideous but because she was still capable of breaking him in half.
He slowly backed off but stood his ground. He composed himself and spoke again, though he couldn't keep a pompous tone out of his voice.
"I fail to comprehend your meaning, mother." Sven responded with a mix of confusion and defiance. His words reflected his belief in his entitlement as the eldest, the natural heir to the throne.
Amidst his protest, laughter escaped my mother's lips before she gracefully settled into her regal seat upon the throne. From her elevated position, she commanded Sven to stand before her, her voice carrying an air of authority that tolerated no resistance.
"Come, my son," she beckoned, her tone both alluring and authoritative.
Sven, compelled by both familial duty and an undercurrent of magical compulsion, obeyed his mother's orders and stood before her, a tableau of submission.
"Kneel, boy," she commanded, her magic surging forth to enforce her will.
Ensnared within the relentless grip of her formidable magic, Sven felt his body succumb to its power, compelling him to his knees.
Trapped in a state of speechlessness and immobility, he could only cast a helpless gaze upon his mother's commanding figure. Her words, like daggers, pierced through the air, shattering his illusions of entitlement.
"The rights to the throne belong to your eldest sister, Agatha Youngblood," she declared, her voice laced with a cruel satisfaction. "Born one year before you, precisely at the witching hour on December twenty-fifth. If you truly desire the throne, my son, then you must eliminate her to seize the title from her grasp."
With a contemptuous sneer, she released him from her magical hold, the sudden liberation leaving Sven reeling.
Her voice dripped with disdain as she dismissed him with a cutting command. "Now, get out of my sight!"
Sven scrambled out of the throne room, and the empress' eyes returned to normal.
"Those damn, stupid fates." Mother cursed as the television faded out.
A heavy weight settled upon my heart, sinking deep within my chest, as the full gravity of the situation washed over me. It became painfully clear that my own mother had conspired to send my own brother on a treacherous mission to end my life.
And yet, I couldn't ignore the stark realitythat I hadn't even fully unlocked all the depths of my true potential andpower. The odds stacked against me seemed insurmountable, threatening to engulfme in a wave of despair.