Scattered

31

A Dance With Death

'Four years ago? That is impossible.'

Thànatos said evenly, the only hitch in his demeanor so far been the few creases between his brows that had appeared after the news was delivered. Keres watched his twin closely over the rim of his whiskey glass. His eyes were narrowed in displeasure. He understood why; Olivia was cornerstone to their end goals. And they needed to make sure that the trivial quarrel in Olympus didn't affect her security and by extension their meticulous plans.

It vexed Keres to think that Typhon was somehow playing a game that he was unaware of and they had no clue of it until the little fireball decided to come barreling though his door, accusing him of playing foul. Keres' mind flitted back to the woman in question.

He nearly did a double take when he looked up from the ancient tome. She looked so damn decadent that he had trouble reigning in the urge to leer over her, almost like she does to him when she thinks that he wasn't noticing. Her eyes looked like two glowing moonstones when she passionately pushed her case and his eyes kept moving down to her exposed midriff.

Not that Keres would take an action based off his physical attraction towards her; the heart that was beating frantically in her chest reminded him that she was very much mortal. And like any mortal like her, death was a curious attraction to them. It was mysterious and enticing; clouding her rational thought with lust for him who was death himself. And he would be damned before he let any woman touch him because they saw him more as death rather than Keres. He had experienced it beforehand with his death-fates and has no desire to repeat history.

'Are sure it wasn't a mortal?' Thànatos asked interrupting his train of thoughts. Keres shook his head.

'I had thought of that instance as well. But there is a strong reason to believe that the snitch is from our realm. She spoke ancient Greek with the man who was directing her. The chances of having a mortal speak our tongue as means of communication and not some research is too much of a coincidence.'

Thànatos nodded gravely. 'I understand, brother. But if Typhon already knew who Themis was then why wait till last week to make a move to eliminate her, especially after you had your death-fates surrounding her?' Thànatos poured more wine from the decanter to his glass, the deep frown on his face intact as he thought over it.

'I hate to say this but we are far behind on the game he is playing.' Keres said as he gripped his glass tumbler with white knuckles. 'If he had managed to reach Olivia four years before us, I have a feeling that we might be dancing around his bobby traps.'

'That is not what concerns me.' Thànatos stood up to move over to the desk. 'Typhon is an impulsive fool who believed that he needed nothing more than brawn to defeat a man who won the Titanomachy war. Since when has he started showing such extensive signs of patience like waiting four years to kill someone?'

'What are you coming at?'

'We had suspected a possibility of other immortals that are helping him from the inside, especially from Gaia's Clan. It can never be Typhon's own discretion to devise a plan that does not involve brutal death. Besides, it is impossible for any being to escape Tartarus without having an inside help. There might be a connection in Shaw's files and see if we can find someone who might have any connection to Typhon. Then we get rid of all of them permanently, including Typhon.' Thànatos said with a sip of his drink, glancing over at Keres who sat on the bar counter.

'I agree.' Keres nodded. 'And then there is that woman. Could she be a mortal who is working for Typhon and the traitor?'

'Could be. If she were Goddess, Themis' human friend would have picked up on it.'

Thànatos stated and turned his attention over to his garden as usual. Just like the lust and morbid attraction humans felt around him, different Gods had different auras that a mortal can potentially pick up on. They might not suspect any supernatural element at play but would feel uncomfortable and confused around them. If such was the case, the human friend would never have asked the woman out. Humans would rather get away from Gods than go nearer.

Unless... some form of magic was at play.

'How did the meeting with the Pantheon go?' Keres asked, breaking the spell of silence.

'Zeus needs to see her. I could tell that he is skeptical of us, not that it was unexpected, and I told him that the Pantheon can visit her sometime in the near future.'

Keres hissed in displeasure. He hated that his words were ever doubted, even if he didn't have the most glamorous track record. But diplomacy was needed for the Gods were a sensitive folk. Not that he cares but unfortunately, if Zeus loses then Gaia wouldn't bat a lash before giving away the reigns to Titans. And that wouldn't sit well for their plans. There was a hard knock on the closed door to his study.

'Come in.' Keres replied gruffly and the door swung open. Nosos' multicolored hair came to his vision and he nodded when she bowed her head in respect.

'What is it?' He asked his death-fate.

'It is Themis, Master. Dike and other Goddess are here to meet her.'

'Bloody hell.'

NEXT UPDATE: 23 August 2019