Chapter 70

Darkous locks the door to the room that Elika is staying in, she wouldn’t be able to get out unnoticed. Not even if she tried to go through the small window she had. She was trapped.

She was exactly where he wanted her, and he wasn’t about to let her slip through his fingers. Not again.

He walked back into the living room, and decided to help clean the table, though after a few minutes he couldn’t deal with the stares from his men any longer.

It was driving him nuts.

“Spit it out.” He grunts, ready to throw something heavy at each of them.

He wanted to hurt them.

He hated it when people stared.

Michael was the first to speak, though Darkous could tell he didn’t want to say a word. “Watching you and Elika interact was strange… I never thought I’d see the day where you spoke to Atlas’ daughter like she was one of us.”

Darkous immediately tenses, if he was honest, he found it strange too, but a lot had changed over the time she was away. He had changed.

He didn’t want to be the person that he was to her, not anymore.

He had always known that she was different, but her attitude this evening solidified that knowledge. It made him decide that she could be one of them. Even if she was the enemy's daughter.

“She’s nothing like him.” Darkous says, dropping down into one of the chairs, “you all heard her, she’ll fight her father to protect her people. To protect all people, mystic or human.”

Joey sat down across from him, “your right, she did say those things.” He nods, “but it could have easily all been lies.”

“Joey is right.” Darren says with a scowl, “she could be trying to trick us so she can get away again.”

Darkous considers their words, “I didn’t say that I trusted her, I know that she’ll run at the first opportunity, but I don’t believe she was lying either.” He rubs a hand down his face. “She knows Atlas is a monster, we’ve all seen her scared flesh.”

“But he’s still her father.” Michael says, “and from what we know of his sons, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

Darkous sighs, “your right, her brothers are just as bad as their father, but Elika isn’t. She’s had plenty of opportunities to hurt others, but she chooses not to.”

“I still don’t trust her.” Darren snaps, walking off into the kitchen.

Darkous watches him go, wondering if he’s making a mistake.

They were right, she’s the enemy’s daughter, could he trust her?

Perhaps not.

But he could use her to get the ending that he wanted.

He could use her to win the war once and for all.

“We can make sure she knows the situation once she wakes up.” He says with a shrug, “it’s not like we will get much sense out of her whilst the sedative is still in her system.”

Michael sits at the head of the table, “I agree.” He says, “But I think we should also put a tracker on her, just in case she tries anything.” His eyes darken. “We’ve only just found her; I’m not losing sight of her again.” He crosses his arms, “this time she won’t get a chance to run.”

Darkous could agree with that.

They couldn’t allow her to escape again.

The war was spiking, people were dying, and she was the key to end it all, they couldn’t risk her getting away or changing sides.

She had no choice but to fight for them, they would make her if it came down to it, they already knew all her weaknesses.

All they had to do was get their hands on one of her brothers and she would do anything they wanted.

It’s not a tactic Darkous wants to use, he wants her to fight for them because she knows it’s right, not because he is threatening her, but he will do it.

He’ll do anything to win.

“Go back to the mansion.” Darkous orders Joey. “There is a collar there with a tracking device on it, bring it back, we can use that for now.” He turns to Michael, “As soon as she wakes up, I was you to train her, and he touch. She doesn’t have long to learn, and we need her to be stronger than she is now.”

Joey stands, “I’ll let Hades know we have her whilst I’m there.”

Darkous nods, smiling a little. “Maybe then he’ll get off my back.”

Joey laughs, patting his shoulder as he passes, “I wouldn’t count on it.”

Darkous almost laughs, it wouldn’t be funny if it wasn’t true. Hades always had something negative to say about the way Darkous did things. Even if he didn’t want to admit it.

There was a bang from down the hall, causing both the dark lord and Michael to jump to their feet.

They rushed down the hall, unlocking the door to the room the girl was staying in.

“What the fuck…” Michael muttered when he entered, stepping over broken pieces of wood.

Elika had destroyed the whole room, all the furniture was in pieces on the floor, and there was a hole where the window used to be.

She was sat on the floor, in the middle of all the mess, panting heavily as she held her head, rocking back and forth.

She looked broken and scared.

She looked like her whole world had come crashing down, not just the room.

The princess looks up with tears in her eyes, “I’m sorry.” She whispers, “I didn’t mean to do it.”

Michael didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even know how the hell she managed to destroy the room, let alone do it before they got down the hallway.

Darkous stepped forward, crouching in front of her, his voice softer than usual, “you lost control?” He asks.

The girl sobs, nodding her head. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

Michael looks around again, it looked like something exploded in the small room, just what kind of power did the princess have, and how strong was it?

“It’s easy to lose control if you don’t know how to manage your emotions or your abilities.” Darkous says gently, “it will happen a lot unless you learn how to harness it properly.”

He had seen it before, Hades lost control for years before he could finally control his power. But the girl didn’t have years to learn. She had weeks, maybe months.

She had barely anytime at all.

But Darkous had faith that she would learn, she had one of the best teachers to guide her, Michael had dealt with all kinds of powers.

He could draw them out, or he could bind them inside the person. He could also show someone how to channel it. How to use it rather than lose control.

“I don’t want this power.” She cries, “I don’t want any of this.”

Darkous could understand her pain, she would have to fight against the people she cared about to save complete strangers, it wasn’t going to be easy.

It might just be the hardest thing she’ll ever have to do.

But she does have to do it, and he’ll make her if she refuses. He might understand her pain, but he will never let his brother win.

All will be lost if Atlas takes over the realms.

“Your power is who you are.” Darkous says, trying not to show his anger.

He would give up his eyes for the power she has. But it isn’t his to bare, it’s hers.

She has to learn how to control it, even if she doesn’t want to. She could destroy this world without even thinking about it, all she had to do is lose control.

She’s the most dangerous one of all.

But she’s also the most useful.

She will either be their salvation or their demise, Darkous wasn’t sure which.

Elika looks up at her uncle her eyes red and swollen from the tears, “This power is why you took me from my home isn’t it?” She asks, anger in her eyes, “it’s why you spent all those months searching for me.”

“It’s also why I can never let you go.” He replies, no emotion in his voice. “It’s why you will always belong to me.”

Anger is replaced by sadness in her eyes.

She knows he’ll never allow her a normal life x maybe it’s time she accepted her fate for what it was.

Darkous needed her to accept it, because once she does, she will no longer run.

It’s time she obeyed and learnt, because that is one thing that they do not have much of. They don’t have much time.