They Lied (Liar Duology #1)

Chapter 5 / Atlas

Ready for some drama, mes amis?

DAY FOUR

"Where is Via? I felt her here!"

Shut up, brain. I don't want to hear it. I did a terrible thing to Via but she's not going to forgive me. If I'm not forgiving myself then why will she forgive me? But brain, you really gotta stop putting the girl in my dreams!

"The human speaks!" a voice said, and it took me a little while to understand that my lips hadn't formed the words.

My eyes darted open. At five am in the morning. And what I saw I will remember till my dying day.

A stunning platinum blonde woman with brilliant blue eyes was standing on my windowsill, wearing a blue shoulder-off dress that graced the floor with it's presence. She was maybe a few inches taller than me. Two white-feathered wings were folded upon her back and she carried a silver scepter with a pulsing blue orb topping it. She was the epitome of dangerously beautiful, a phrase I associated most often with Via, and the light, rosy glow of the rising sun increased the feeling. Her eyes were narrowed and she stared at me with the same fascination that I stared at her with.

I got out of the bed and tried my hardest to smooth my hair down as she stepped on my (slightly messy) floor and said, "You are Atlas, right? I'm Khione. My twin brother Apollo will speak to you later. I wish to speak to Via." 

Her voice was floatingly melodic, but had a subtle hint of assertiveness in it, which made it hard to refuse her. But, I did it anyway.

"I can't take you to Via," I replied, shaking my head and looking at the floor.

"That's too bad, but I think she lives in this house," said Khione the ice-princess.

"Why do you think so?" I asked.

"Her strongest feelings were in this place, and it's only logical she calls it home," replied the ice-princess, batting her eyelashes and smiling as if it was the simplest thing ever.

Yeah, right. Strongest feelings as in anger and hurt. Her home is far away, and it will never be here. Unless she marries me. Which she totally won't. She hates me.

Shut up, brain!

"Did you have a falling-out with her, Atlas?" she asked.

Yes! Yes! Yes! And it's all my fault!

"No?" I said, but I posed it as a question.

"Atlas Liam Matthews, I can read your thoughts," she said, angling my chin upwards so I looked right into her captivating eyes. Her fingers were cold, and they sent a shiver down my back. "Take me to her, and we have a deal on curing your sister. Okay?"

How can I trust you? was my first thought.

If I can trust you, then let's do this! I'm sure I can talk to her to cure my sister, right?

"You know you can trust me because I hand you my most valuable possession," she said, "The moonstone of Artemis. And, you don't have to talk to Via." 

She plucked out the blue orb from the top of the scepter without laying a finger on it and put it in my hands, after which it stopped glowing. It felt like cold glass. I cradled it softly and wordlessly took Khione out of my room and down the stairs. .

When I was in outside, I wondered something I should have thought of a long time ago.

Who is this Khione? And what does she want with Via?

If Khione could read my thoughts, she didn't show any outward signs of it. She took one ethereal step after another, following me. When we reached Via's street, I pointed at her door and refused to move. Khione understood I didn't want to accompany her, and she went to the Mason's and rang the doorbell. Mr and Mrs Mason practically pulled her into the house, and showed signs of seeing Khione before. When they glanced up and down the street, they saw me, and beckoned. In that moment, I really wanted to run away, like I always did, but when I blinked, I found myself on their doorstep.

"Come in, Khione, Atlas," said Mrs Mason, her sweet and gentle smile reminding me so much of Via.

"Hi, Bree," said Khione, hugging Mrs Mason, "You've been expecting us, haven't you?"

"I have," said Mrs Mason, welcoming us into the lounge, "If this is about Akantha, I'm sorry, but I cannot permit you to take Via with you."

The lights were off, so the rising sun cast a rosy glow on the room, and as I settled into the couch next to Khione, I wondered about what was going on.

Who was Akantha?

Who was Khione?

Who was Apollo?

Why did he want to meet me?

Why did Khione want to meet Via?

At five in the morning?

Did she want to take Via?

Where would she take her?

Why did she want to do that?

Why was Mrs Mason saying no?

Why do Mrs Mason and Khione act like they're long lost sisters?

And, the question that troubled me most of all. More than it should, actually.

Is Via in danger?

"Hush, child," said Mrs Mason, "She's fine."

What? Does Mrs Mason also have the brain-reading capacity?

"Call me Brianna, please," she said, "And, yes, I do have the brain-reading capacity because I am Khione's stepsister." 

"So, same mother or same father?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Mother," said Khione, while Brianna said, "Father."

They both stared at each other, while I stared at both of them.

"Well, isn't this precious?" a voice said, scathingly, and I turned towards the staircase to see the exact person who I was trying to avoid looking as beautiful as ever.

She wore matching clothes: black button-up shirt with black pajamas. Her black hair was messed up, and her eyes were rimmed with black, something she must have done after yesterday. But, the scariest thing of all was the fact that she held a small piece of the moonstone in my lap in between her thumb and pointer finger, mockingly.

"Care to explain, Aunt Katerina? Or should I say, Aunt Khione?" she said, her face the epitome of evil.

And still, I found myself loving the evil part of her.