What If Our Life Threads Bind?

Chapter 56

Have you ever endured the feeling when you are fiddling with something important one moment? Knowing it to be fragile like handling a mirror. You don't trust yourself and you know you'd mess up but you don't. You look at it and see how shiny and beautiful the mirror is. Fascinated, you look up and down, and from various other angles at the reflection. But then the mirror slips from your hand and it shatters into pieces, too difficult now to fix.

This is what happened.

I knew what was going to happen. Yet I fell in love. Willingly knocked onto danger's door and risked not one but so many more lives. Mine, Austin's, even my sisters for being related to such a disgrace to our world.

"What happened, Martha?" Uncle Zeus with a brown patchy beard that has started to turn white to the end, repeated his question in a stern manner.

My eyes trailed over the judges, Zeus, Venus, Hera and Athena. All looking down at me with a distasteful expression. Then I look back at Austin's sedated body, bruised and tied to a pillar. Anger swells in my chest and I dug my nails into palm tightly.

"It is my fault." I said and saw Austin's body twitch. I held my breath.

"I asked what happened. Would you care to elaborate?" He said and I heard a small moan escape from Austin's mouth. My body stiffened.

"He is a human but despite the charges against him, I confirm that he is innocent. It was my fault. My foolishness. My life thread was stolen and we had hired Augury and Cassandra for the business. But that wasn't much helpful. Then one day when it was time to kill Augury's friend, I passed out in the middle of the street. Austin, my friend helped me and agreed to take me for refuge till I was well. After that...."

"After that you fell in love, didn't you? You have committed a sin, Martha. Did you look at your eyes? They look like your eyes are made of coal. They are all black." He said and I looked at my feet.

"Yes, Uncle. I am sorry. I am fine with whatever punishment you have intended to imply on me but my friend, Austin is not guilty. He is an innocent." I said and his lips hardened into a straight line.

Out of my eye, I saw Austin's head lolling around with pain, his eyes scrunched close. "Martha." He moaned.

I quickly moved towards him when his eyes slowly opened and there were tears. Did I see a black eye? Anger raced through my veins as I took large strides towards him and began untying him.

"Martha? The decision is yet to be made!" Zeus said sharply and I flinched.

"But he is-"

"Tie the mortal. Tightly, this time." He ordered and I started to shake.

"You can't do this to him!" I was crying now. I heard a small moan escape his lips. He was calling me. Pain grabbed me harder than those boa constrictors as my heart sank and shattered into those million mirror shards.

"Oh I can and will do whatever I please!" He said spitefully.

Guards came rushing towards him. He struggled a little and someone slapped him. He moaned, a drop of blood running down his chin. I clenched my jaw and stepped between them, acting like a shield to Austin. I felt so helpless, I didn't even have my shears right now. I knelt down beside him and pulled him onto my lap, hugging him.

"Darling, this won't save him." Aphrodite said with an ugly smile. But I didn't move. Hands came at me this time but I clutched him tightly to my body, too afraid to let him lose.

"I'll be okay." He whispered to me.

"You will do nothing to him! I am the demigod of death and you all know what I can do! " I hissed at them and a few people shuffled from their places, afraid and anxious to move away. I smiled at Zeus. I didn't feel fearful anymore. At least not so much.