Chapter forty two

"And I don't want that." She pleaded desperately. Sybil then freed her hand and took good use of his momentarily daze to leave the room. Suddenly a loud blow erupted from the midst of the halls, putting Sybil and Solomon on edge.

"What was that?" Sybil asked.

"I don't know. Considering our new friend is the only person who happens to be awake at this time. I don't think we should be too worried." Solomon commented but his words were quickly forced down his throat when his nose caught the scent of something coppery. It was blood.

Sybil seemed to notice the drastic shift in his demeanor. There was a tingle down her skin and she immediately threw the question! "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I think I smell blood."

That was all it took for Sybil to bolt out of the room. Roman took over Solomon's legs before he could react and he followed her closely. The scent was getting stronger as they darted further into the halls. Whoever was bleeding, It was bad. It had to be a dire situation. Solomon's gaze trailed Talia's room where the smell seemed to be coming from. The coral blue doors were gone. There were scattered pieces of the door spread across the floor. It looked like they were forced apart by a cannonball. His mind flooded with panic. Was it Talia's blood? Just as they were about to reach the front door, A bright blue light seemed to burst out of nowhere and fill the halls, seemingly blinding them. Roman once again took hold of the situation. Solomon's sight returned. While Sybil scrambled on the floor, chanting a spell to return her sight, Solomon was able to stride into Talia's room at a deceptively quick speed. He wheels his sight to the point where the overpowering scent of blood was coming from. Oba was on the marble ground, pieces of the shattered coral doors were sticking out of him like it was part of a grisly masterpiece. He was limp, alive but unconscious. There was another figure in the room. Someone that wasn't supposed to be there. The night was pierced with a bone-chilling howl and Solomon relinquished control to Roman, becoming a full wolf.

"Who are you?" Roman demanded, flexing his massive paw.

  Persephone turned to face Roman. The eight feet creature of mass destruction seemed ready to attack. If the mareel ritual had not converged, She might have swatted him like a fly but sadly, she was cornered.

"Take control of your wolf or be prepared to lose your moon ring," Persephone warned, pushing past the enormous beast to reach Oba. Solomon obeyed and reverted to his human shape. Persephone dropped on her knees, her white gown soaked in the blood of Oba as she cast her hands over his unconscious body. Her hands ignited a bright pink light that immersed the limp body in front of her. The pieces embedded in his body slid out and the cuts began to seal up. The glow eventually died out. Solomon saw Persephone look at him from over her shoulders. The look on her face was lacking something. It was lacking many things. Solomon had questions but he wasn't sure the goddess his life was tied to was keen on answering them. Roman kept pestering him to speak but that was the difference between him and his spirit guide. There was always going to be reckoning for his actions. So instead of demanding answers, he waited for the goddess to deem it fit to give him one. There was intense silence between both parties before Persephone dropped a conversation starter.

"How did you manage to escape the demon's hold?"

It felt weird that she would start with that. She did not give an explanation on how she escaped the sleep demon, How a demigod that was perfectly fine minutes ago was presently in a comatose state, and more importantly, why the entire kingdom was enveloped in a dark blue light.

Solomon's finger strayed his jean pocket. "I was not asleep."

"Good for you."

Solomon wasn't so sure. The life of his honorary pack members, many other students, and subjects were on the line. Queen Persephone was acting creepy chill at a dire time like this. Solomon did not know how god chemistry worked but a sense of dread slowly began creeping up his spine. Roman did not even have to spew the words this time.

"How are you awake?" Solomon asked. There was a funny theory forming at the back of his mind. Could Persephone be under the hold of the demon? It was wild but there was a chance the demon was pupetting her body.

Persephone's face was blank but she answered "I made a bargain with a demon. Murmur let me go on account that I kill Talia and just when I almost succeed, The mareel ritual falls upon us." She then got to her feet before continuing. "Now I have to choose between letting the trident go or letting that girl peek into my son's head and figuring it out." Persephone's eyes grew wide. Solomon saw a shard of blue fly to her hands as she willed it to be. Solomon's eyes narrowed. There was tension in the air. He wasn't sure what her intentions were but they couldn't be good.

"Your Majesty..." Solomon called, "You should not do anything reckless."

It was more of a plea. Roman tore through the seals Solomon had put up. He was ready to attack a god to protect his friend. Considering Roman never liked Talia, It was a bit surprising. His defenses heightened when Persephone clutched tight to the knife and made a dart for Talia. She barely took a step before she slumped to the floor, unconscious. A glowing aquamarine light seemed to encase her body.

"That was close." Sybil nervously laughed.

Of all the strange things to occur that night, the strangest had to be Sybil giving her very best to save someone she despised. Solomon wasn't sure if it was something he said but he was glad Sybil still had some morality.

***
Talia woke up to the loud chattering of children. Her eyes flinched at the bright light emanating from all four corners of the room. Where was she? She pondered on the possibility that her spell might have failed. She was seated on a velvet red chair, just behind a man who seemed to be the only one aside from her inside the theatre. She stood up in an attempt to ask the man questions about where they were when a set of bright lights came on and a brilliant red curtain in front ripped open to reveal a castle. Then a voice said; "My puppet friends are here to tell you a story. A tale about powerful gods, forbidden romance, and tragic endings. Are you ready?"

A loud yes erupted from the room even if there wasn't anyone speaking. It was just the two of them and Talia was certain the man in front of her was just as perturbed as her. She was still in the demon's machinations but at least she was not gasping for air.

The narrator continued; "Once upon a time, there were two brothers who fell in love with a titan's bastard. Their names were Poseidon and Hades. Hades fell madly in love with the maiden Persephone. So much that he bargained his place as the firstborn to make Persephone a goddess. He wanted her by his side forever." Talia watched in awe as puppets skillfully acted the scene. "But Persephone was never in love with Hades. So on the night of the choosing, she chose Poseidon in Hades place. Betrayed, Hades promised to bring hell to his beloved brother and the love of his immortal life. With the support of the old ones, he took his brother's firstborn and fashioned him to be a pegasus: Servant of the god Zeus. To protect the sanity of his wife and their happiness, Poseidon gave up a treasure more valuable to him than Persephone. He gave Hades his immortality and Hades promised peace for as long as he lived. But this promise was kept on shaky grounds as Poseidon was killed in the great war by the mad son of Ares and leaving his wife for the second taking and a failure of a son to protect her."

Failure? It somehow made sense now. The man in front of her was no man. The person in question was the one being told the story and if that had any truth in it. The negative aspect was what the demon threw his way to drain him. This made Talia walk up to the person and her hunch was right. It was Denys.