The Golden Prodigies

Chapter 3

I'm going to place a trigger warning here for this chapter. You may find yourself reading sensitive content. If anyone has been affected by something similar, there is a helpline at the bottom of this chapter.

- Sian

William observed his younger brother. He sat at the other end of the living room, giving Jacota space to lose himself in his thoughts. The room was empty apart from the brothers. Hunter had hovered close until Anthony distracted him with the Enchiridion, hoping to find a page about a God killing another God. For a while, the clock ticking on the wall ruined Will's silence until Sam entered, and the room was not silent again, but William didn't mind.

"Hey," Sam said, sitting next to the human, "is he okay?"

"I'm not sure." William moved his head closer so that he could speak quieter. "If I were him, I'd freak out."

"Me too." Sam couldn't look at William when he was so near; his heart hurt too much. "I just don't understand. I expected the Gods to come together for the war, not throw tantrums over power."

"Yeah, they have bigger things to worry about than who is the most powerful. They haven't even met my brother. It's just ridiculous."

"He looks pretty deep in thought," Sam said. Jacota hadn't blinked in a while. His eyes remained lost, and distance and the shine in them were gone. "Maybe you should leave him for a while. I need to change into my wolf for a bit. Do you want to throw sticks for me?"

"Sure." William climbed to his feet and followed the werewolf out of the room.

Jacota was then lost in his head for almost an hour until he felt someone touch his face. The scent of Hunter distracted him, and he turned to meet soft grey eyes.

"I was starting to get worried," Hunter smiled and brushed his fingers through his mate's hair.

"How long have I been sat here?"

"Almost an hour and a half. What were you thinking about?"

"I was trying to get in touch with the other Gods, but I can't."

Hunter wrapped an arm around Jacota's shoulders when tears appeared in his eyes. He hugged his mate tight.

"You don't have to worry. We won't let that God near you. If you can sense when she's close, that will help us to prepare."

"But you don't know what powers she has. She could hurt one of-"

"Shhh," Hunter interrupted. "I can feel that you're working yourself up. Don't panic about it; we'll figure things out."

Jacota nodded against his shoulder and blinked away the tears. "I don't want this."

"I know, and you never did." Hunter gently rubbed his arm. The madness doesn't stop. "Come on, it's lunchtime and you didn't eat breakfast."

"I'm not-"

Hunter stared at him like he was about to commit a murder.

"Don't you dare say that you're not hungry. England will fall if you say that, never mind heaven. Come on; I'll make you some beans on toast or something," Hunter chuckled, dragging him down the corridor and towards the kitchen.

Jeronah, Meloras, and Veronica stood in the garden, talking to each other and occasionally glancing through the glass.

"You don't think they're planning to run, do you?" Anthony asked Margo as they stood in the kitchen.

"No," she said, "they're wiser than that."

"Is it bad that I want them to run?"

Margo shook her head. "Yes. I want to get to know them. Having them in this world is really beneficial to us if they want to be on our side for the war."