Son of Perseus ✓

Twenty-Four

(Trigger-warning for brief transphobia and brief ableism.)
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Zephyria, Hadley, and Athanasia held their breath. They barely dared to move the slightest bit.

Volrath was outside the door. He was bound to barge in at any moment and torture Zephyria more. "Hello? Anyone home?" Volrath questioned on the other side of the door with an asinine tone.

Athanasia swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Her violet gaze slowly drifted over to Hadley. The Swedish demon mouthed, "Go."

Hadley nodded, knowing what she had to do. She prepared herself to go through the tunnel and into the backroom.

Athanasia shook her head.

That confused Hadley.

Athanasia rose a hand, closed her eyes, and just concentrated.

A rift started to form, red outlining it.

Athanasia whispered to the young siren, "Go through."

"Why? Why can't I just go through to the backroom?" Hadley asked Athanasia in a low-tone.

Athanasia sighed. "Hadley, he'll know you're in there."

"But, Valmog didn't know I was in there," Hadley protested.

Athanasia sighed. "Yes, but Valmog is... well, he's Valmog. And Volrath's no idiot. He'll know you're there even if you don't make a single peep."

"Okay," Hadley sighed, hanging her head in defeat and approaching the rift that Athanasia had opened.

"I'll look for you after I deal with Volrath, okay?" Athanasia explained to Hadley.

The young siren nodded. "Okay." She then gave Athanasia and Zephyria one last look and headed through the rift--it closed behind her.

Athanasia's gaze drifted over toward Zephyria.

"You need to go too," Zephyria insisted. "It's not your shift to interogate me and Volrath knows it."

"I think he knows the schedule a little too well," Athanasia growled.

"Please, Athan," Zephyria pled. "Please."

Athanasia froze in place. It almost seemed like she was going to pass out. Did Zephyria actually just call her 'Athan'? Had she really just earned a nickname from the Siren Queen? The last person who had called her Athan was Druid Ausonius.

Had Athanasia loved Druid? Yes, yes she had--but in a different way than she loved Zephyria. But, alas, Druid was dead.

Athanasia swallowed once again. "Okay, Zephyria-"

Zephyria smiled a little. "Call me Zeph."

Athanasia's heart fluttered and skipped a beat.  "Okay, Zeph. I'll go."

As Athanasia started to move, Zephyria grasped her hand. For a moment, time stopped around the two--their eyes locked with each-others. Neither of them could look away. It took Volrath knocking on the door once again to pull the two apart.

Athanasia pulled her hand away from Zephyria. It seemed like the Siren Queen was still holding her hand out, waiting for Athanasia to re-grasp it.

"That's it, I'm not playing nice anymore," Volrath growled from outside the room.

Athanasia rushed to the corner of the cell, held her breath, and let herself go invisible.
It took so long for her to finally master that skill.

Just then Volrath kicked open the door and approached Zephyria. "Ready to tell me where Luka is?"

Zephyria spat. "Never."

Volrath inhaled deeply as he backhand slapped Zephyria across the face. "Where is Luka?" He raised his voice with anger.

"I don't know," Zephyria responded, deadpan.

Another slap.

Volrath laughed a little. "Okay, then where is she?"

"I told you, I don't know where my son is," Zephyria explained.

"No, I'm not talking about her. I'm talking about her. You know, our daughter," Volrath said.

Zephyria's white-ish silver eyes grew wide. "How- how do you-" She cleared her throat and then composed herself. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Mr. Silreden."

Volrath scoffed. "You must think I'm stupid. Well, I'm not! I'm sure you'll find I'm quite intelligent." He was grinning, evilly.

Zephyria wanted to slap that smug smirk off Volrath's stupid face. No. She had to be civil about it. Her gaze drifted over to Athanasia, in the corner.

Volrath then turned around. "What the hell are you looking at? I don't see anything... Are you hallucinating or something? I mean, I know you were bat-shit crazy, but I didn't think you were this fucked in the head."

Fuck being civil, Zephyria thought. Right then, Zephyria kicked Volrath in the back of the leg to the best of her ability--after all, she was tied down to a chair.

Volrath fell forward, shouting. The scream hadn't been of pain, but rather the fact the demon general had been startled.

"Get out of here before I make you regret it, bitch-boy," Zephyria hissed at Volrath.

Volrath growled and grumbled under his breath, heading back to the door, exiting and slamming the door shut behind him.

Athanasia didn't start breathing again until she heard the tapping of Volrath's shoes on the stairway up.

Once Athanasia took a big, wheezing breath, she became visible and collapsed to the floor. She held a hand to her chest as she tried to catch her breath. Finally, she slowly stood. "Nice insult, Zeph."

Zephyria smiled at Athanasia. "Thanks."

"I do have a question though," Athanasia began to say.

"Shoot," Zephyria responded.

"Volrath mentioned a daughter. What does he mean by that?" Athanasia inquired.

Zephyria sighed. "Actually that was what I was going to talk to you about."