Hades Titans {BOOK 2}

XXXII. Copies of Evil

The word 'evil' is so commonly misused to describe things that are bad, but not evil. True evil isn't so common. A lot of things are bad. A lot of people are bad. Very rarely are they truly evil. Evil comes from within the rotten soul. Black, musty, hallow soul that is rotting inside the body. Why it's so difficult to distinguish the bad and the evil – because you can't see into other people's souls.

The room was aflame around me. It didn't matter where I tried to step, I was going to burn inevitably. She hadn't attempted to come closer. She knew I was stuck. There was nowhere that I could go to escape her. The room was tiny and there was no room to get out of her grasp if she decided to attack me. But she hadn't. She was calm and composed. Her smirk was still terrifyingly attractive. She was a beautiful woman. What a pity for that beauty to be lost in all that evil.

"Shall we wait for Hades or begin already?"

"What do you want?" She tilted her head with a smile like I was a child. Of course, I knew what she wanted. Me. My whole body was trembling. My mind was begging to be back at home, where I was safe. To be in Hayden's arms, where I was safe. Where we were safe. I figured no one was going to guide Hayden into the room to save me. If anything, they were going to lure him elsewhere so they have as much time as they can to play cat and mouse with me until they take me. What was the point? Just take me already.

"Starla already told me everything I needed to know about you. How naïve you are. How naïve you've made Hades. The effect you have on our senses. The value of your blood. She might have failed, but I don't intend to. Teo is waiting for you." She began to slowly approach closer. Star had somehow managed to pass on all her information to the other titans while in Tarus. Which meant there was someone down there that worked for Teo as well as Hayden. The value of my blood. The words made my skin crawl. There was nowhere for me to go, with the cold wall already against my back.

"If Teo is so desperate to find me and murder me, why doesn't he come for me himself?" She smiled wider, amused by my pretend confidence.

"If Hades is so desperate to save you, why doesn't he just come and kill Teo himself?" I swallowed the heavy knot in my throat as she approached closer. She removed her glasses, that had been sitting on her nose purposelessly. She reached for her hair with her free hand, releasing her flowing, shiny hair out of the tight bun. She still held the injection in her right hand. There was nothing good inside it and for all I knew, one little pinch and I would never awake again. What if it harms my baby?

I looked around me for something, anything at my disposal that might help me defend myself, but there was nothing but the wall behind me and the woman in front of me. There was no one there to save me and if I did nothing, I was going to die sooner than expected.

"I will come with you myself if you don't inject me with whatever that is." I offered the only thing that was potentially going to save me. She chuckled, shaking her head.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" She took another step forward, tilting the needle towards me. If she were to extend her arm, the needle would reach my neck. Despite the terrifying thought, I tried to stay calm and collected.

"No, no I don't. But I'm pregnant and if you inject me with that -" I wondered if they knew that I was pregnant. Surely not. Not many of the gods knew, let alone titans, unless Chase told them.

"You're pregnant?!" In her surprise she lowered her hand with the needle. My blood rushed to the surface of my skin, burning it so hot I felt like I was on fire. There was nothing in my chest, but pressure and it felt like nothing but a reflex when I grabbed her hand and stabbed the needle deep into her neck. She winced in pain as her eyes glossed over and she fell to her knees. I felt completely calm, stepping over her and walking towards the door. I noticed my reflection in a distorted piece of reflective glass in the door. My eyes looked smoky, and I watched the smoke slowly lifting, before a tremble in my hand had returned and my body turned cold. I closed my eyes as tightly as I could, convincing myself not to turn around and look back at what I had done. My hand landed on the door handle, and I shut it behind me without even a glance. I felt like I was going to collapse at the sense of relief and guilt all at once.