Bitter Submission ✓

Chapter Fifty Five

| Fifty-Five |

|Luxinia|

"Strength isn't about just your physical capabilities. Most of the time, people categorize strength in the physical area. They correlate strongly with muscles and the ability to lift things that weigh a lot. However, strength requires so much more than just that. Strength is demanding, always wanting more than it should have. It takes your physical energy, and most of all, your mental energy. In order to be physically strong, you must be mentally strong. You must accept that you aren't always going to be the strongest. To be strong isn't what always is important. You need your wits too," I replied, staring at those in front of me. 

Alethea smirked, walking around the armory, touching things she shouldn't be touching. She's heard this from me before. 

The girls that sat in front of me were the ones that we had found at Bloodtrei's castle. Daemon felt that I needed to instill some strength in them and help them decide what they wanted in life. I was no therapist, and I sure as hell didn't think I would help any of them. I'm sure Daemon sent me down here because Jesse was preparing for his departure. 

Ah, Jesse. The elephant in the room. I wasn't still completely healed from our fight the other day, my ribs occasionally stinging. I barely remembered what we fought about and I felt the resurrection of his father was the catalyst for his outburst. I somehow broke the claim, our ugly feelings pouring into ourselves, breaking whatever connection we had. I didn't understand these powers of mine. Why couldn't I just break my claim to Dominick, the first and the second time? None of this made any sense.  

Perhaps it was for the best to be unattached. I felt like my thoughts were my own. And my brain wasn't muddled with trivial things like love. Jesse certainly was a distraction and we needed to prepare for the storm to come with Kano Drake. We couldn't afford to put our feelings into things. Lucky for me, Everen's blood was useful. 

If I wasn't claimed, I would be incapable of fighting. 

But what were we fighting for? Freedom? We had that here already. Why did we feel the need to go and push it? We rescued who we needed to rescue. What was the point? We're living in peace here and perhaps maybe we should just leave it so. 

I didn't even know what we were fighting for anymore.

I'd asked Everen how did she stay in control of her curse if she was supposedly the same way I was? She told me I would soon figure it out. I was tired of her speaking in riddles. She knew all the answers but didn't dare tell me any. Everen was too powerful for me to even face her head-on. The only thing she told me was that the solution to my problems was right in front of my face. She told me I had the power to supersede everyone here.

I didn't understand what she meant by that.

"Why can't we leave?" one girl asked.

"Would you rather be unsafe out there, or safe here?" Ale replied, her jaw set.

"There's a new head and we don't know what his intentions are. He can choose to perform the same way that Bloodtrei did. We are under the impression that he is worse due to past experiences. You are free to leave whenever you please. You just cannot give this location away," I replied. 

Tessa walked into the armory, her eyes wide. "I need you right now."

I frowned, looking at the succubi in front of me. "I'm busy."

"There's someone asking for you outside. You need to hurry up before Daemon or anyone else sees him at a threat," she said quickly.

I tensed, wondering who it could be. "Ale, could you talk to them for me?"

She nodded. "Okay ladies, it's time that you learn to grow some balls."

I laughed and followed Tessa outside into the garden. "Jamie and I were talking a walk and we found him scoping out the place. We tied him up in the shed. He was asking for you."

"Are you sure?" I asked, knowing that anyone who would ask for me would be here. I didn't know anyone else.

"Lux, I know we haven't been close lately, but this is something I wouldn't lie about," Tessa sighed. 

I nodded and followed her outside, watching Jamie pace in front of the shed. I approached him slowly, knowing that he and I were at a weird point in our friendship. 

Jamie stared at the floor. "Hey."

I smiled, finding it not quite reaching my eyes because I knew he would never be the same again after Dominick. "hi."

"The guy keeps complaining, I don't who this guy is, but he doesn't seem like he's all there," He replied, walking over to Tessa.

 I looked at the shed, hearing a man call out for him to get out.

"I can get out of here you know. I'm just choosing not to," the voice replied, followed by a loud thump afterward.

I frowned and opening the door, my eyes widening at the identity of the man. "Zeno?"

Zeno raised his head and smirked. He was tied to a chair in the middle of the shed. Despite him being tied up, he looked hot. His curly hair was tied up into a bun, aside from one singular dread tucked behind his ear. "Ah, the woman of the hour. You know, for such a nice place, I expected the people here to be much nicer."

I raised a brow. "It's not uh, every day that a cambion just comes waltzing into private property."

"Ah, yet I sense cambions here anyways," he replied, his eyes wandering up and down my body.

Tessa peeked in, her eyes growing wide. "Lux, who is this?"

"Some cambion Blair and I met at the bar where we found our information from. Why are you here Zeno?"

"I have some information that you would appreciate," he replied, "untie me."

"No? How did you get here? How did you find us?"

"You guys don't really keep yourselves hidden. Sanctuary for all! I just had to give a sob story of where I needed a place to stay and some people just gave me this address. Luxinia, half of the supernatural world knows about you. You're kinda famous now. You can't really pull the stealth mode," Zeno explained, easily breaking the ties, "now I think it's time you hear what I have to say."

I nodded, my jaw set. "Alright. I suppose I should."

"Good, I feel we're going to be great friends," Zeno smirked, walking past me.

Amid the suspicion I was feeling, I couldn't help but wonder if this was meant to be.

A/N; sorry for short update enjoy!