Page 5 of Darkening Truth
“You knew she was there?” Reaper asks me, looking a tiny bit betrayed that I didn’t mention it.
“I saw her behind you,” I reply with a smirk, and then, looking at the Goddess, I add with a little wave, “Hey.”
“Erm, Farren, I think you should probably speak to her a bit more respectfully than that. She’s not like Hades,” Zev says, as he reaches for my hand and pulls me closer to him.
“It’s fine, we’ve met before,” I say.
“This is the Goddess who helped you?” Khaos asks, looking surprised,
The Goddess levels him with a look, “You look surprised, Khaos.”
Khaos shrugs, “I am. You’re not exactly known to be helpful, Verena, quite the opposite in fact.”
“He’s right, you’re particularly unhelpful normally,” Hades adds, with an unimpressed look. “Although I suppose it makes sense since . . .”
Hades' words are cut off abruptly, and he curses.
“I’m going to assume that means that there are still things that you aren’t allowed to tell us?” Rival summarises catching on before anyone else has the chance to realise what’s happened.
Hades narrows his eyes at Verena, “Apparently so, although in this instance I don’t know why.”
Verna frowns, but surprisingly, she answers Hades, “It is out of my hands, trust me, if I thought you could have said it, I definitely wouldn’t have gotten in your way.”
Hades' eyebrows hit his hairline, and he nods, “Good to know. Perhaps we should get back to the matter at hand?”
I know that there is no point in trying to ask questions about what just happened. Hades clearly can’t say anything, even though he wants to and judging from Verena’s words, she can’t either.
What power is strong enough to control gods and goddesses in this way?
It’s a terrifying thought if I let myself think about it for too long.
I decide to change the subject and get us back to the original question that Khaos asked, feeling the need to defend her. I say to him, “She’s been helping me for years.”
Verena grins, “Thank you, Farren, but they are right, I don’t normally help anyone.”
“Guys, I’m freaking out a little bit by how casually you are all talking, and practically insulting a Goddess,” Mayhem mutters, his eyes slightly wider than normal as they don’t move away from the Goddess.
I’m not sure if he’s watching her that closely because he’s fascinated by her, or because he sees her as a potential threat. When I see the tip of a blade ready to drop into his palm from the sleeve of his shirt, I conclude that it’s the second reason, and I find it unreasonably hot that he’s ready to take on Verena at a moment's notice. I really hope that it doesn’t come to that.
“Hades is a God,” Loki whispers back dramatically.
Mayhem rolls his eyes and smacks him, “I know that.”
Loki smirks, “Well, I was just making sure you knew that, since you call him a dick, and it’s pretty much the same thing.”
Mayhem rolls his eyes, “It’s not the same thing.”
“I’m sorry, but we don’t have much time. I’m not supposed to be talking to you, let alone bringing you here, but I didn’t really have a choice. My distraction won’t last for much longer,” Verena says, as she tilts her head to the side like she’s listening to something that we can’t hear. Which, to be honest, she probably is.
“Alright, shoot. What’s up?” I ask.
Verena smiles, “First, I am so incredibly glad that you’re okay. You were so brave. Anyone else would have been broken by what you were made to endure.”
I grimace and nod. I’m not comfortable with this conversation.
She seems to understand this without me having to point it out to her, because she moves on, “You should also know that you have changed fate.”
Zev nods, “When she killed the princes.”
