Meeting Aggie

21.

The walk to Apollo's room was quiet as I considered the new information the tree had given me. He opened the door to his room and stepped to the side to let me in first.

He walked in after me and closed the door behind him. I walked to the middle of the room and cast a soundproof spell. I didn't want anyone to hear what I would be speaking about with Apollo.

The walls could literally have ears, and I didn't want to risk it. I joined him sitting on the ottoman in front of his bed.

"Are you planning on speaking to me now?" He asked. "I don't mind you being quiet, but your aura shift scares me."

"Were you aware of the witches being the first targets in the eradication of all dark species?"

Apollo's eyes widened at the news.

"Are you absolutely sure? Who told you that?"

"The ancestral tree did."

I couldn't determine if it were adrenaline coursing through me all this while, but in that instant, the cumulative exhaustion from three hours of training engulfed me.

My body throbbed with relentless agony, and I longed for numbness to shield me from feeling it all.

"I swear to you, I didn't know. That's heresy."

"Is it only heresy when it involves the werewolves, vampires, and sirens?"

Apollo fell silent and gazed at me with a tinge of sadness, yet I harbored no anger toward him. I knew it wasn't his fault.

"Apollo. I need you to be entirely honest with me."

He nodded. "Anything, love."

"If you never met me, would you have been an advocate for the witches?"

Deep down, I already knew the answer to that question, but asking didn't hurt to see where his mindset was. At the end of the day, I needed to confirm that he would've been an advocate for the witches regardless of meeting me. As much as I wanted to trust my intuition, I needed to hear him say it first.

"I care about everyone equally. I mean, I have every supernatural creature there is. I never found it fair that witches were enslaved in a realm that was created for the supernaturals to be themselves amongst each other."

I gave Apollo a look for dodging what I was truly asking him. The remark about fucking supernaturals just made him sound like the whore I already knew he was. He sighed.

"Agatha, I sincerely apologize that my words came across that way. Witnessing Hecate's unwavering support for her children ignited a desire within me to stand by her side, even against the other gods. However, I found myself unable to act upon it."

"Why not?"

"Because that was how Hecate was cast out of Olympus. Banishment or death."

My eyes widened in shock. Was it really that serious on Olympus? As the days went on, my disgust for Olympus grew. Who was responsible for creating these idiots?

"That's sickening." I exhaled heavily.

Tears pricked my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. I had to keep my head up. My fight was not only for the witches but for all the dark species.

Me becoming the ruler would ensure their survival. I laid my head on Apollo's shoulder and closed my eyes.

"Don't you like your uncle? I don't think living in the Underworld would be too bad." I sniffled and sat upright.

Apollo's expression turned solemn as he shook his head. "Though the Olympian gods can explore various realms, our dwelling is limited to Olympus or the Underworld. As I reside on Olympus, my divine powers would gradually fade if I were to spend too much time in the Underworld."

After my conversation with Apollo, a newfound clarity washed over me. I possessed a profound understanding of my purpose.

In the days that followed, I immersed myself in rigorous training alongside Ares. With each passing day, my body and mind grew resilient, forging an indomitable strength within me.

"I believe our training is complete," Ares declared.

Our simulated battle concluded with Ares sprawled on the ground, while the tip of my sword hovered precariously close to a crucial artery in his neck. Extending my hand, I effortlessly lifted him from the ground, a display of my newfound might. We trained for six hours today. The sun set an hour or two ago and Apollo was fast asleep again, waiting for us to finish.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"You put me on my ass, and it's only been three weeks. You're an adaptive person, and your healing has accelerated greatly. I fear there's no more for me to teach you." He laughed.

"Thank you for being an excellent teacher, War God Ares." I bowed toward him.

"Prove to me that you've been a worthy pupil, Agatha. Defeat Prince Sven and save the realm from crumbling."

"What do I do next?"

"That's entirely up to you. You need to unlock your full forms." He said extending his hand for the sword.

"Everyone tells me that, but no one shows me how." I grumbled as I handed him the sword.

"Because it's different for everyone. Think of your other forms as quadruplets. They may look like you, but they have their own personalities and abilities within you."

"I see."

"No, you don't, you little liar. You look confused as shit."

"That's because I am! You can't give me more information than that?"

"How can I help someone who doesn't want to help themselves?"

As I prepared to speak, my words lingered unspoken. I realized that remnants of my damsel-in-distress mentality still clung to me, gradually resurfacing despite my best efforts.

"I'm here, if that helps," Isidore hummed.

"If it were up to you, dear girl, she would be smoked in an instant," Ares responded to Isidore.

Apollo started laughing behind us.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked as he walked up to us.

He threw his arm over my shoulder and kissed my cheek.

"Not sure, but it wasn't long. Like ten minutes or so."

"I trained you to the best of my ability, but without the unison of your other forms, you're as good as dead, Agatha," Ares said harshly.

Apollo gasped dramatically. "Aggie! You're really going to let him talk to you like that?"

Ares leveled a frown at Apollo. "You're supposed to be on my side, brother! Do you want her to perish?"

He shook his head.

"Nope. You're right. Agatha, do better."

I glared at them and slapped Apollo's hand from my shoulder. He gasped and held his chest. He deserved a trophy for the performance he was giving.

"It's about high time you all left. I'll see you at the battle," Ares yawned out.

I looked at him, appalled.

"I can't visit you before then?"

"Absolutely not. I want to see you at your best. Surprise me." He turned on his heels and departed from the arena.

"Who is training you next?" Apollo prompted.

"Not sure. Magic I'm obviously good at but unlocking my fairy and angel forms needs to happen ASAP."

"You should definitely go to the supernatural realm last—you don't want to risk running into Sven before you're ready. Either me or Hecate should be next. Those are your options for now."