Flames {Book One: The Deadly Dream}

Part Fourteen: My Dad teaches me about the art of Soul Reading

"What?" I said. "Dad, this is Fernando we're talking about."

Apollo grabbed my arm and stood up. He dragged me along following Fernando, which must have looked weird to the other people sitting nearby, for they couldn't see Apollo.

"Yes, I know we're talking about Fernando," Apollo said. "I know he might not hurt Thἀvma, but I have the feeling that he's the spy. He's just a little nervous about doing anything yet, so I believe Chaos is going to try to persuade him to do what needs to be done. But he's the spy. I'm pretty sure of it."

"Well, you've been wrong sometimes before," I mumbled, but Apollo kept dragging me along.

We saw Fernando look around nervously before bolting into the woods. We followed after him.

Apollo looked nervously at the trees. "I don't like the woods," he mumbled.

"Let me guess," I said. "Grove of Dodona?"

He nodded. "I had some troubles with that fifteen years ago."

"Yeah." I remembered what had happened in that book Thἀvma had read. I had managed to read it in my free time. "I had some troubles with that too. Accidently found it and almost went insane."

Apollo let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, no kidding. Still have nightmares about that."

"Gods have nightmares?" I said, slightly surprised.

He nodded. "Rarely, but we still have them."

We ran through the woods. I remembered the voices that had banged against my skull, and Thávma's magical words that had saved me. I didn't even realize that Apollo had stopped, and I almost ran into him.

"Hey!" I whispered. Apollo quickly shoved me behind a tree.

"There!" He pointed toward Fernando, but it was so dark I could barely tell it was him. Fernando sat on the ground, his head hung low, up against a tree. He was muttering a few things like his father Hades when Chaos was talking to him.

"No, I won't do it." Fernando said in a stern yet sad tone. "I-I can't do it."

Apollo looked at me as to say, what did I tell you?

Fernando sat there in silence, looking at the sky, like a voice was speaking to him that we couldn't hear. Then he looked at the ground, and I could barely see his face because of his shaggy hair.

"You lie," he growled in so low of a tone it could have been someone else. "You want her dead!"

I literally jumped in surprise. My heart was beating fast, cold sweat rolling down my head. Apollo looked at me. He mouthed, are you okay?

I nodded and went back to watching Fernando.

In truth, I did not feel okay. What Fernando had just said, what was happening right now, is what I had saw when I spoke the mini prophecy and saw the images. Talk about deja vu.

Sure, I found out that I could see the future a while ago, but it is still a weird feeling when you see something in a dream or a vision and it actually happens. You freak out a little.

I watched Fernando look at the sky, like Chaos's voice was coming from above him. He sat there in silence for a minute. Then he jumped up so suddenly that I took a step back in surprise. He unsheathed his black stygian sword and held it ready like to attack Chaos.

"Like you're any better!" he shouted. "You took Thἀvma! You may have created the earth, but now you plan on tearing mankind and this planet apart!"

Cold sweat continued to roll down my face. I looked over at my dad. He looked pale. Maybe he could hear Chaos talking to him like he was to Fernando.