Revelations [malexmale]

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

"Father!"

It took every ounce of strength in my being to resist from curling my lip as I watched Michael run across the room to grab Yhwhwa in a hug. Michael, who never touched anyone, who loathed the idea of filth sullying his precious vessel, threw his arms around Yhwhwa. And instead of retreating or maintaining a calm professional facade, Yhwhwa held Michael to him and even lifted him off his feet for a moment.

My skin crawled with a combination of disgust, jealousy, and anger. Even more so when Michael stepped back and Yhwhwa gave him a kiss on the forehead, then his cheeks before they embraced once more. I glanced sideways at Rowan, who watched them before turning to murmur something to Yiuwa, who inclined his head before departing from the room. I watched the ancient being go before looking back to Rowan in time for Xiphrus to come over to him and give him a kiss on the head.

Rowan looked entirely uncomfortable with the show of affection, but he didn't turn Xiphrus away and just looked up at him. There was a look on Rowan's face, though, one that adored Xiphrus, one that said he wished Hades would love him as much as he loved his own father, or Michael loved ours.

And bitterness swept over me, watching Rowan and Xiphrus talk, Michael and Yhwhwa catching up, even going as far as to join together in a collection in the middle of the throne room. I felt literally closed out from the circle. Most of the time, it didn't bother me and I barely noticed, but today, there was no Hades to catch my hand and remind me that I was important to someone. There was no Hades to make snide remarks. There was no Hades to take up the childish part of me so I could remain civil.

I quit the room, not wanting to spend another moment around them. I retreated to the dungeons to once again begin working on Drekari, who hadn't spoken much in the past few hours. Frustration was setting in. I wanted to scream.

Damn it to hell, we still had no idea where Hades was. If he was alive or... No, surely the universe would be quaking were Hades gone. I would know it. I would feel it. My world would come undone.

He wasn't dead.

But gods above, there were worse things than death and Hades had already experienced so much of it. My heart bled as to what could be happening to him in that moment. Was he being tortured? Was he torturing? Was he lonely? Was he thinking of me? Was he safe?

Stress was creating knots in my muscles along my back and shoulders, but it was nothing to deter me from advancing on the prisoner once more. Only, upon arriving in the corridor where Drekari's cell was, I was surprised to see Yiuwa standing outside of it, opening up the bars.

I cursed, approaching quickly as Yiuwa started to go in, only to pull up short when he noticed me.

"What are you doing?" I demanded. Yiuwa frowned.

"Rowan has requested I move him. Yhwhwa suspects what you've both been doing here and it will become a mess should Yhwhwa discover what we've done with his survivors," he explained. I let that settle in before immediately getting angry and throwing Yhwhwa's cares to the wind. Rowan was thinking logically right now. He had a point.

So I said nothing as I watched Yiuwa go inside the cell to get Drekari, who was curled up in the corner, shivering in his nudity. He was half-turned, thanks to electrical impulses we'd shot him up with. His ears had morphed into pointed wolf's ears lined with dark fur, his tail curled up around him and his claws extended.

When Yiuwa approached, Drekari snarled and bared his fangs, cramming himself further into the corner. Yiuwa stopped for a moment, then knelt down and waved his hand over Drekari's face. Drekari whimpered a little before his eyes rolled up in his head and he slumped to the floor, but Yiuwa caught him before he could hit his head. I frowned, watching Yiuwa hoist the wolf into his arms once Drekari had fully morphed into a large black furry beast.