Eternal

I was once again sitting in Marcus’s basement; he had wanted me to study a little more before he took me to some unknown location to really test my powers. I hadn’t yet informed Mihaela of my latest developments, and truthfully, I wasn’t too sure why I felt the need to keep it hidden from her. I think a part of me may have been scared of what her reaction could have been, and another part of me had grown so used to keeping my life a secret that I didn’t know how to break the pattern.

Anyway, while I had my nose firmly stuffed within one of his books, I still managed to notice the moment his spine stiffened and the glance he took at the ceiling.

“Marcus what’s wrong?” I asked, wondering what stoked such a reaction in him.

“Kat’s upstairs, I have wards in place in my home and they let me know when somebody appears within my abode. And before you ask, she does not know of this place. If she did she would already be in here,” He replied in such a matter of fact way that I wasn’t sure what I should say in response.

“How many people have you brought here Marcus?” I asked, already suspecting what his answer would be and he did not disappoint.

“Just you Unya, you are the only other person besides myself that is aware of its existence, please excuse me for a moment.”

And with that said, he quickly vanished before my very eyes, I hate to admit I was very curious about what they could be talking about when I saw the ceiling above me shake on its very foundations.

Z

I was basically pacing the floor; I had no idea what was going on up above me and I had no idea if Marcus was even ok. I knew that Kat wouldn’t harm him, but I also knew that something had come undone within herself and that made her unstable and definitely more dangerous.

I ripped book after book off of his shelves as I tried to find one of the incantations that he had explained to me only briefly in the past. It was supposed to create some kind of window so I could basically spy on someone no matter where they were, and they should have been none the wiser. I had never tried it before and Marcus had never shown any indication of wanting to teach me how to do it either, but I knew that I was a quick study and now was the best time to at least try to learn. I kept trying to convince myself it was only to make sure that he was safe and not because my own curiosity was getting the better of me.

The saying always said that curiosity killed the cat and gods help me if Kat had hurt Marcus in any way I would go at her so hard, even if I couldn’t end her, I would make sure I left a nasty and rather permanent mark. No body messes with my friends, even if Kat had become a friend to me as well.

I somehow managed to get the incantation to work for me, even if it was rather sloppy and all it gave me was a keyhole view, the one thing I did not counter on was the fact it would also allow me to hear whatever was said between them. I must say Marcus was definitely not hurt, even if he did have a couple of bruises marring his rather lovely face.

“I promise you right now Kat, the wards are very much still in place. I can’t believe you would even doubt that, just because you ended what we had, does not mean that I would become some petty child who would remove all the protection I had offered.”

“What else was I supposed to think Marcus; you said Hades wouldn’t be able to reach anyone who was under my roof, so how did he manage to hurt Lawson. I know myself and that boy have issues, but I still could not stand to see him in such agony. I genuinely feared for his life in that moment and now we know even our dreams are not safe from him.”

I tried not to gasp audibly, not knowing if I had somehow created a gateway where they could hear me as well. It’s just hearing news of Lawson being hurt did something strange to me. I had nothing to compare it from the rather bleak life I had survived through, but it was as though something twisted deep within myself. Maybe I should have questioned that, but I chose not to contemplate what that could mean and honed back in on the conversation that was going on between the two ex-lovers.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me he had ways to manipulate dreams, I never counted for that when I placed the wards in the first place and I would have to physically remove the old ones to even include it now. I really don’t think that would be a good move, especially with how hostile he is being towards his golden boy,” Marcus said it with such conviction but I couldn’t comprehend the words, surely he couldn’t have meant that Lawson was Hades golden boy, that just did not sit right with me.

“Give it a break Marcus, Hades doesn’t care about Lawson in the slightest, he only keeps him around because of what he can do. Maybe there is more to it than that, but I can’t fathom what that could be, we are all expendable to the ‘Great Lord’ we are as meaningless to him as his word is to us.”

The disdain that she portrayed held me utterly riveted until Marcus seemed to stare straight at me. I wasn’t sure if he knew I was watching, but I wondered if I should stop until it dawned on me that in my haste, I hadn’t even checked for a way to reverse what I had done. I noticed a slight quirk to his lips, but it faded fast as he closed some of the distance between himself and Kat.

“I can enchant some jewellery or something for you, I would do anything to keep you safe Katherine, no matter the cost to myself.”

She turned her gaze away from him, as she sucked in a deep breath.

“Why Marcus, what does my well-being even matter to you. Eventually I’ll be gone and you’d soon forget I ever existed.”

“How dare you even say such things to me, I could never forget you Katherine, you are burrowed within the very being of myself and I wouldn’t trade that for all the power in the world. You must know what you mean to me, it was never just fooling around for me,” he stated, his voice breaking on his words.

“You never told me though, you didn’t even try to fight me when I finished it with you,” she stated, clearly torn by what he was saying to her and I felt that I must have been a truly horrid person to watch such a private moment between the two of them.

“I didn’t fight you, because I knew I couldn’t have won, you are too stubborn for your own good Kat and I wanted to respect your wishes. But if you honestly believed I wanted any of this, I truly didn’t just ask Unya if you don’t believe me.” I saw the moment he realised he had un-wittingly dropped my name and I also knew he would have done anything in that moment to take it back.

Kat’s eyes darkened and the dull red of her eyes became brighter under her barely contained rage.

“What the hell does Unya have to do with any of this?” She screamed at him, the anguish bleeding out of her in streams.

“She caught me stalking you, I’m not proud of it but I was at such a loss, you wouldn’t see me and I had to attempt to even steal a glimpse of you somehow. She made me realise it wasn’t healthy and we’ve been helping each other. And before you freak out there is absolutely nothing going on between us in a romantic sense, she’s just been helping me to deal with the broken heart you left me with.”

Marcus had definitely lost his cool now, as his own anger dripped out from his lips, like honey from a hive.

“So, pray tell, how exactly have you been helping her then?” She asked, clearly trying to reign in her emotions.

“She somehow found out the truth about herself, and before you ask, no I do not know who told her but in all honesty, even if I did, I would not repeat it. I would refuse to ever break your trust and it is the same for her. Anyway, I have been helping her to harness her abilities, she’s strong Kat and I swear to god if any harm befalls her, I will hold anyone associated with the culprit accountable. Like I said I will never break your trust, but maybe you should re-evaluate where your loyalties lie, regardless of you and I.”