The Family - Volume 2

Chapter 8

- You look tense, Joy," Zoé whispered in my ear. Is something wrong?

Zoé was exactly a few centimetres away from me - well, the so-called Zoé - it wouldn't take me more than a millisecond to skewer her. So why wouldn't my body move the way I wanted it to?

I couldn't believe it, I'd fallen into a trap, a trap that wouldn't have closed on me if I'd been more careful!

- Aren't you going to say anything more, Joy?" she said in a voice as soft as a chill.

- I...

Words were mixing in my head at a phenomenal speed and I didn't know which ones to use. I had to get out of here, my life depended on it. I tried to transform myself into a small creature to escape, but the magic didn't work. I couldn't use my powers anymore! Now it really sucked, even a little too much. Only my óplo was left to give me a chance.

- Come on, Joy," continued the fake Zoé, "you can tell me anything, you know.

I swallowed my saliva and tried to slow down my heart, which was racing a little too much for my liking. Maybe I was wrong? Maybe this Zoé was the real thing? Maybe nothing as serious as I'd imagined was going to happen. No, it wasn't possible, I was right and I couldn't leave any room for doubt in a situation like this.

Suddenly, memories came flooding back. It was she who had killed Arthur, she who had lied to everyone and played a double game. At the mere stirring of these thoughts, I didn't think for a second; everything happened automatically. In a gesture of exceptional speed, I took out my óplo, transformed it into two swords and skewered my target.

At least, I tried to, as fake Zoé was also endowed with impressive reflexes and had also unholstered her weapon to counter mine. The clash of our blades produced a sinister noise that echoed throughout the underground. I leapt back to a safe distance from my assailant.

We were in a corridor whose only exits were behind the false Zoé, where I don't know what awaited me, and behind me, where we'd come from. I was isolated from the outside world and in the company of one of the worst people to be alone with.

- It took you a while to recognize me," Tyna snickered.

She resumed her original form, in theory, because it was the one everyone knew; but who knows, it could very well have been a decoy, knowing her.

Tyna snapped her fingers and instantly hooded people from both sides surrounded us. How long had he been there? I didn't know. Anyway, I was in big trouble, with three mercenaries blocking my escape route and two others joining Tyna.

- As you may have noticed," said the latter, "your power is blocked and you can't escape. So I'd advise you to let it happen if you want a quick, painless death. I mean, that you suffer as little as possible.

Coming from his mouth, these words were even more frightening than those spoken by someone else. I didn't move unless it was just because I was terrified, but my swords were still held firmly by my hands in the right position. To my relief, no one had moved around me, so Tyna didn't want to fight just yet.

- What did you do to Zoé?" I asked, in order to gain time and provide information for my still unanswered questions.

She laughed.

- Nothing at all, I just went ahead of her to join you, but it didn't seem to bother you that much that I arrived so early.

I'd really been fooled in a childish way.

- By now, she's probably still running around the Colosseum looking for something," she continued, not suspecting for a second what was going on here.

So Zoé wasn't aware of the danger we were in? I should have taken her more seriously when she told me about her doubts, maybe everything wouldn't have turned out this way. I had to find a way to let her know what was going on, at least so she could get to safety. At the moment, however, there wasn't much I could do. At the slightest suspicious move on my part, Tyna's mercenaries would probably pounce on me, so all I could do was buy myself some time.

- What do you want?" I asked.

- The same as you," she replied, approaching me without taking any further precautions, "to find this boy and use him.

I backed off.

- And for what?

Tyna thought for a moment, as my question seemed to surprise her.

- So Emma didn't tell you what he was capable of.

She smiled.

- So I'm going to tell you in confidence, this boy can make me Nekrós.

Her answer confused me, and that's probably why I was so slow to react. One of the mercenaries behind me, whose guard I'd momentarily let down, took the opportunity to paralyze me. He held me so that I couldn't move, his two arms gripping me with incredible power.

I tried to struggle for a few seconds before stopping, there was no point in exhausting all my strength in a losing battle. I had to think, the thing that was disrupting my powers must surely be nearby, and if I got far enough away from it, I'd surely be able to transform and flee. But how could I get out of this hold?

Tyna moved closer, only to find herself a few centimetres away from me.

- You won't mind if I touch you?" she said with a psychopathic smile.

If she even put a finger near my mouth, I'd crush it on the spot!

Without waiting for my answer, she placed her terrifyingly cold hand on my forehead and closed her eyes, starting to mumble incomprehensible things.

- Η μοίρα σου είναι σφραγισμένη, Η μοίρα σου είναι σφραγισμένη, Η μοίρα σου είναι σφραγισμένη...

I wasn't sure what she was doing, but I understood that it wasn't right for me, I had to leave as soon as possible.

Just as I was thinking about drawing on my last resources to leave, Tyna removed her hand from my forehead with a satisfied look.

- There you go, I like it better when you don't move around too much.

- What have you done to me?

- If you're going to die, you might as well die in as much pain as possible.

- If I didn't move, I was supposed to suffer as little as possible.

Tyna raised her head thoughtfully.

- Oh yes, that's right... Well, forget I said anything, I've changed my mind.

How could a person change his mind so easily and quickly? What was happening couldn't be real! I was dreaming! Tyna was completely insane!

- Why do you hate me?

- How can I explain this to you, my dear... You killed the one I loved! Imagine your love dying in front of you, cowardly murdered by a filthy transformer. What would you have done in my place? Would you have stood by and done nothing?

It's true that if Rick were to die at someone's hand, I'd be mad as hell and try everything to avenge his death. But it was different with Nekrós, that monster was a murderer!

I'd had enough of being at Tyna's mercy without making the slightest effort. Since the start of the mission, I'd been going down one wrong path after another, and our quest hadn't progressed any further! All because I was so selfish! I had to do something. Without realizing it, tears had started to roll down my cheeks.

- You're pathetic," Tyna blurted out pitifully.

- Shut up! Just shut up! I don't ever want to hear another one of your damned words, or see your face!

I'd rarely been so angry, my incompetence, my fear, my despair, my shame, my rage all mixed together inside me and I couldn't control them. I felt a new energy invade me and, without knowing what had happened, the mercenary who had been holding me tightly fell to the ground like dead weight.

Tyna had a moment's hesitation, as did the men under her command, who had received no orders as to how to act.

I took advantage of this lapse of time to flee, waving my blades in front of me so that the mercenaries blocking my path would let me pass. Fortunately, they weren't very brave and quickly stepped aside.

I felt my power returning to me and didn't wait any longer, transforming into a she-wolf to flee.