The lost Auras

Chapter 12

Hydra's sudden outburst takes me aback. I look around hastily to see if it drew any attention, but the chatter is so loud in the bar that no one seems to have noticed. Signing in relief, I lean towards Hydra.
- Who's dying, I ask.
- Hercules, Hydra says.
- Wha, I say. Layla muffles my mouth before I can finish shouting. I glance at her and she puts a finger to her lips. Nodding, I move her hand off my mouth and whisper.
- What, I whisper. Hydra's eyes roam over the report quickly.
- While working on his godly tasks, Hercules was poisoned during his fight with, Hydra says, he abruptly cuts himself off.
- With, I ask.
- Me, Hydra says. He pauses, taking in that information.
- Hercules must be acting more reckless because he's on a time limit, Hydra says.
- Maybe he actually needs the extra Auras to prolong his life until he becomes a top tier god, Layla says. I nod.
- So he's desperate. Hydra, I say. I prompt him but he doesn't respond. He stares at the report in his hands, mumbling to himself.
- This is all wrong, he says.
- Does he think his sense of justice is flawed now, I ask in my head. Hercules expressly went after Hydra to strip him of his Aura.
- He was going to kill you. Even if he was poisoned, you were acting in self-defense, I say.
- This doesn't change anything for me. I still believe in Hydra, I say in my head. Layla nudges me and whispers.
- Is he okay, she asks. Bruno comes back from the bar before I can answer.
- Are we good to go now, Bruno asks. Layla glances at me and I nod, reassuring her.
- It's fine, get out of here. You've already done more than enough. Thank you for all this, I say. Layla gets out of the booth and grabs Bruno's hand.
- Let's go, Layla says. Before she leaves, she squeezes my shoulder.
- Just be careful, Kira. Please, she says.

When we climb into a taxi later, Hydra is still silent. He stares out the window as the city passes us by.
- This isn't anything new, but, I say in my head. It's different from his usual silence, where it's him being quiet simply because he likes the quiet. No, this silence is unnerving because he hasn't talked at all since we left the bar. He's deeply troubled by what we've learned.
- I just want him to smile, I say in my head.
- Hope this ride goes better than our last time in a taxi, huh, I say. My smile drops and I place my hand on his arm. He's obviously in no mood to talk. 
- But I still want him to know I'm here for him, I say in my head. I wrap my arm around his and very slowly, lean my head against his shoulder. He tenses and I wait for him to pull away. Instead his tension eases a moment later. So for a while, I simply rest against him, providing whatever comfort I can. I try my best but minutes go by and he still doesn't say anything.
- This is really bothering him, I say in my head. I don't know what to say, other than..
- I believe in you, I say. Somehow, in this delicate atmosphere, the words seem empty. Though to me, they're anything but. Hydra doesn't meet my eyes.
- Thanks, he says. We sit in silence for the rest of the taxi ride to Hydra's apartment.

In the morning Hydra woke me up to tell me he's going to see Cassandra again. Immediately, I asked to come with him.
- Not that I planned on staying beyond even if he said no, I say in my head. I think to myself as Hydra charms the secretary into ignoring our presence. Hydra hadn't spoken at all the night before. So it was actually a relief to wake up to him speaking to me.
- There's no way I'm leaving his side now, I say in my head. Our last encounter with Cassandra is not far from Hydra's mind.
- We're doing this without my hypnosis, he says.
- Got it, I say. We enter Cassandra's office together. Like last time, she abruptly stands up, infuriated at the sight of Hydra.
- What the hell are you doing here, Cassandra asks. She reaches for her panic button.
- Don't, Hydra says. Hydra's cold tine stops her. Even I want to freeze in place from its frigidness.
- How dare you show that disgusting face of yours here, Cassandra yells.
- Hey, I say in my head.
- Is Hercules really dying, Hydra asks. The question temporarily takes the wind out of her sails, but Cassandra recovers quickly. She glares at Hydra.
- Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call security to kick you out of my building, she says. Hydra glares right back, standing his ground.
- Answer the question, Hydra yells. Cassandra crosses her arms and narrows her eyes angrily, refusing to speak.
- Cassandra. Is Hercules really dying, Hydra asks.
- You have some nerve showing up here, she says. She tosses her hair over her shoulder, looking at Hydra like he's some kind of bug to be squashed.
- You act like you're the hero, trying to right the wrongs that you think my husband committed. But you are the terrible one, Cassandra says. She jabs her finger in his direction.
- You're the one who poisoned him. You cursed him to an early death if he doesn't act quickly. You are the one hurting us, Cassandra says.
- Your jewelry, it's like mine, isn't it, I ask. My voice breaks through her tirade as I eye her accessories. They are the same ones she was wearing last time. I glance down at my own ring.
- I don't know what you're talking about, she says. She tries to discreetly cover her bracelets.
- Don't deny it. Hydra's hypnosis never worked on you, I say. Cassandra turns her venomous glare on me.
- What is a scrawny thing like you even doing here anyway, she asks. Hydra fumes, marching close to Cassandra.
- What's the real truth, Hydra shouts. He gets up in her face, glaring at her.
- Tell us what you really know, Hydra says. Cassandra straightens up and puts her hands on her hips.
- Make me, she says.
- We're not going to get anything out of her, not unless Hydra can really use his hypnosis, I say in my head.
The door to Cassandra's office bangs open. Hercules barges in, takes one look at Hydra and Cassandra, and snarls.
- You. Don't you hurt her, Hercules yells. In the next moment, his Aura flares to life in blinding hues of gold. Hercules's Golden Stallion strikes at Hydra.
- Hydra, watch out, I shout. Hydra jumps away before the Stallion Aura can touch him, his own blue snakes blazing up in response. Hydra backs up closer to me, making sure to stay between me and Hercules. The stallion ends up crushing Cassandra's desk instead. Cassandra lets out an indignant gasp. But when Hercules looks at her in concern, she runs over to him, weakly exclaiming.
- Oh, darling. Thank you. I was so afraid they were going to hurt me, Cassandra says. I try very hard not to roll my eyes as anger wells up inside me.
- We wouldn't do that. You're the one who tricked us, I yell. Hydra doesn't respond, so angry that he just snarls. Hercules growls right back.
- What, you're so weak and pathetic that you decided to go after my wife, Hercules asks.
- You never could read a situation right, Hydra says.
- And you never learned your place, Hercules says. Hercules lifts his arms and the lion and boar Auras join the stallion. Hercules's Aura starts to glimmer different colors, growing with power just as it did during their last fight. Except we're not out on the streets. I can feel the power of Hercules's Aura, the heat of it overwhelming the room.
- This is not good. Not good, not good, I say in my head.
- Hydra, I yell.
- Stay back, he yells.
- But, I say. Something green starts coiling around Hydra. It starts to take shape as its tail wraps around my waist. I yelp as it deposits me in the far corner of the office.
- Don't count me out just yet, Hydra says. The Water Serpent raises its head next to Hydra's five-headed Serpent Aura. They merge together as Hydra's Aura begins to flicker in hues of blue and green. The temperature drops several degrees relieving the room of the near unbearable heat of Hercules's Aura.
- Nice trick, Hercules says. He punches towards Hydra and the lion charges at him. The office leaves very little room to maneuver. Even though Hydra manages to dodge, the lion still clips his side. Hercules bumps his fist together, and I jump at the sound of a thunder crash.
- But it was mine first, Hercules says. The boar barrels forward to join the lion. Hydra throws up his arms and his blue snakes crisscrosses in front of him, as the water serpent tries to stop the assault head-on. It ends up getting thrown back by the dual attack and Hydra is shoved up against the window. The glass starts to fracture.
- Hydra, get away from the window, I yell.
- Don't worry. I've got him, Hercules says. Hercules smirks as the lion digs its sharp teeth into the water serpent. The lion tosses the serpent over its shoulder, knocking it against the wall. Hydra is dragged away from the window by extension and is flung in Hercules's direction. Hydra manages to protect his body by coiling his snake around it, but the stallion's hooves still manage to bring him down, hard, to the ground. I wince. Hydra groans loudly. He jerks forward as the boar and lion both sink their teeth into the water serpent. It dissolves to pinpricks of green light as Hydra's Aura dwindles to only blue.
- I'll take that, Hercules says. Hercules strips Hydra of Ladon's Artifact. What sounds like a rack of lightning echoes through the room as Hercules cracks his knuckles. He lifts Hydra up by his collar, his feet dangling in the air.
- Stop, I yell. Hercules pays no attention to my pleas and punches Hydra, sending him flying across the room. Hydra lands near me with a loud crash and I scramble toward him.
- Your Aura is next, Hercules says. I rush to stand up, holding out my arms in front of Hydra in a protective stance.
- You'll have to go through me first, I yell. Hercules laughs darkly.
- No one's going to stop me from taking what should've been mine already, Hercules says. I scramble backwards towards Hydra and take his weakened body in my arms. I hold him close and shield him from Hercules. I can feel the oppressive heat of Hercules's Aura closing in.
- I can't let this happen, I can't, I say in my head. A warmth encompasses my finger, beaming brightly. I look down to see my ring glowing a soft golden color.
- I have to protect him. Gods, help me, I pray in my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Hercules reach out to us. I tighten my grip on Hydra and just as I feel him clutch at me in return, my ring explodes with power.