Deceiving the Devil

T H R E E

TW: Mention of abuse

A few hours after I had gotten to the library, the first dinner bell of the year went off. Everyone started getting up and walking to the hall. 

The hall was a big building, the school's old library.  Its ceiling was curved and had arches on the roof and above the windows. It was half five so the august sun had started setting, a golden glow shining through the panels.

My eyes skimmed the room until I found the fourth year table and walked over. The only spare seat was next to Quinn, which could be worse. She saw me walking over and warmly smiled. I saw her turn to Elijah and Xander and mouth be nice. Xander absent-mindedly nodded while reading a book and Elijah rolled his eyes but reluctantly nodded. I swung my leg over the bench and sat down next to Quinn.

"Hey, Amara, nice to see you," Quinn said cheerfully. I returned the smile and turned to the boys. I could see Elijah hiding a glare, Xander still had his nose in a book.

"I have decided to be the bigger and better person. I am sorry for my little outburst before, I should have stayed to sort things out," I apologized. I hate apologizing. He started it. He lost his temper. He technically attacked me first.

Quinn kicked Elijah in the shin. "Yeah. I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have laid my hands on you and I should have talked things through before getting angry." Elijah muttered.

There were a couple of clinks as Headmaster Cromwell stood up, getting everyone's attention. 

"Welcome everyone, back to a new year and a fresh start. And welcome to Lyceum Hemitheos, first years." Everyone looked very to the table of nervous first years, remembering what they were like in their position. "I ask the first years to stand and make a line along the side of the hall. We gather here today to find out your godly parent, it doesn't matter if you are already aware, you will be claimed today, you will be welcome into our school." The scared first years stood up and formed a random line at the side. "Now, you will come up and place your hand on the shield of Achilles. I ask you to state your full name and wait. A symbol will appear above your head and I will call out your God Parent. The Claiming may begin."

After several first years had been, I noticed Elijah smiling when a young girl, with golden hair like his and the rest of the Apollo demigods, walk up to the Shield. Once she said her name I understood why. It was Oakley Slora. She, of course, was claimed by Apollo, and with glowing gold hair, and a fading harp symbol she skipped back to the first-year table. Hugging a second year, who happened to be Vivienne Slora.

We got 37 new students today, none of the Hades students. This happens a lot. Children of the big three are rare. The last Hades Demigod, besides my brothers and I, left the school twenty-four years ago and was killed during his first mission. The last child of the big three left a few years before Aziel went into his first year and completely disappeared from our world. It was definitely a shock when there were six children of Hades, all from the same mortal parent, who had gone noticed by both monsters and demigods for so long.

"A few announcements you must know are, there is another combat teacher who will be taking years one to three. And there is a group of Harpies at the south end of the training maze. Professionals are working to remove them. If you go near them there is a risk of death. Thank you. The Banquet may begin. Sixth years." Cromwell called.

Immediately all the sixth years stood up and moved to the buffet bar. They filled their plates and then, one by one, moved in front of the Sheild that the first years had been claimed at. They said their thanks to their Godly parent and made their way back to their seats. This repeated all the way down to the excited first years. Some were a bit worried, thinking there would be no food left but that quickly changed when they saw how full the plates still were. They had a charm on them to make sure they never ran out. After the first years had settled down, the teachers got up to get their food and say their thanks. 

After an hour of students and teachers eating, catching up, and going back to get more food and dessert. The plates vanished, and people started to leave to go back to their rooms. Quinn linked her arm in mine and started dragging me back, trying to catch up with the boys. Elijah turned around to see us and glanced at our linked arms, then saw my face which screamed help and chuckled. I glared at him, it was not funny!

"Quin? Do you mind if I steal Amara from you for a bit? I need to talk to her." He asked, I breathed a sigh of relief to have my arm back. I followed Elijah to a bench that was just outside our apartment building, slightly hidden from the window I had looked through earlier. He sat down and I followed.

"Thank you for getting me away from Quin. I felt as though my arm was about to fall off."

He chuckled. "You're welcome. I know how Quinn can be. As soon as we managed to not argue for a whole lunchtime while sitting near each other, she immediately decided to try and adopt you." He fondly smiled. "But I feel like you should know something about Quinn." His smile dropped, and the air turned serious. "She transferred here to get away from her father. He wasn't away that her mother was a God. He was angry at Demeter for leaving him, and when he was made aware of who she was, and that Quinn would be leaving him for school, to become more like her mother, he took it out on her. Long story short, her mind blocked out the worst of those memories however she still has nightmares and panic attacks. Thats why she is so happy all of the time. She tries to cover up all the pain and trauma, but sometimes, just being there comforts her. Its also why she doesn't like arguing."

We sat there in a moment of silence.

"I just thought you should know..."

"Thank you for telling me, I'm sorry for trapping you in the hell-fire, and for causing arguments."

He chuckled, "I'm sorry for provoking you, and causing arguments. And the trapping in the hellfire... no big deal. That is actually how Xander and I became friends."

He stood up, so I copied, and held out his hand, "Friends?"

"Aquantainces." I respond and shook it. He gave me a confused look, "I don't really do friends."

And with that we began walking back to the apartment.