The Gods at War

Zila of Zopi

It had been a week since the ball. The night she had got home , her Mother had been waiting for her , and just like that , the terrors of the night were forgotten . Her Mother hadn't died. Zila had ran to her , unbothered by her muddy shoe prints on the marble floor

" I thought I lost you " Zila's Mother had whispered, still crying. Zila should have come immediately back to the palace. She would have if it weren't for Vlad. She needed to ask her Mother something...what was it? Vlad's Father. But as her Mother sat here in front of her , teeth chattering , she stayed silent. Maybe it wasn't any of her business.

Zila sat in their meeting place now , Vlad , Efi and Carissa all gathered around the coffee table .

" We shouldn't have ran , you know" she muttered.

" We know" Carissa replied, " no one got hurt , Zila . It was probably just a warning from the Dark Army"

" It doesn't matter" Zila buried her head in her hands, ashamed from the annoyance in her voice. It wasn't Carissa's fault. She had let Vlad pull her away too.

" Sorry."

" It's okay"

Silence.

" Z-Zila , how is your Mother?" She heard the words he didn't say. Is she alive? He should know that if she wasn't , Zila wouldn't be in this room.

" She is fine , thanks for asking Vlad."

Zila stood to make coffee, desperate for something to do with her nervous energy. She would have loved to have Aron here in this moment , ready to lighten the mood with a silly joke . Zila hoped he was okay. She had considered visiting him , but decided to let him have some time. It was at that moment , when the big brown door was pushed open , and in came Aron .

Zila turned. Already smiling , but it dropped when she saw him. His hair was messy , unbrushed and she could see dried blood in the long waves. It wasn't his hair that sent a shiver down her spine though , or his torn clothes , or even the bloody knife in his hand . It was his eyes. Drained of emotion ,and dark , deep circles under them .