Chapter 11: ten
"You did what now?" A harsh voice greeted Theo early the following afternoon.
"I lied to Ryan about my whereabouts as well as our plan to speak to Aphrodite today. No biggie." She retorted, casually adjusting the laces on her boots as if it truly was no big deal.
"No biggie?! First of all, he's bound to find out soon enough and I'd rather not be on the wrong end of a god's crazy temper. Second of all, in case something goes wrong it would be pretty smart to have at least someone aware of our last known location, especially someone as powerful as him. Lastly, he could've been a huge asset!"
The tumultuous pair had yet to so much as even begin their journey to Aphrodite. It was only when Theo subtly danced around the fact that she lied to Ryan that the already flimsy plan began to fall apart.
"Look, we can either get this over with or sit here as you list every way in which I've failed so far. Now I'd much rather chase a lead on the person who's constantly trying to take my life. What about you?"
"I can do both. I'm an excellent multitasker." Cass ultimately decided before storming out to the awaiting car.
Theo could only shake her head at her unbelievably dramatic partner before following suit, painfully unaware of a nearby presence carefully examining their every move.
"So, idiot, any reason you're keeping things from lover boy? Trouble in paradise already?" Cassandra then asked sometime during the drive.
"No offense, but now is not the time for sudden road trip bonding. Last time I checked, you hated my guts and this mission doesn't change anything." Theo replied.
"I never said I didn't like you. Plus, we were competing. Did you expect me to wanna have sleepovers and paint your nails?"
"Just because I was a bit competitive did not mean I never liked you or respected the work that's gotten you where you are today. Aside from all that, I have no problem with you and I apologize if I ever made you feel that way all this time." She said, continuing to surprise Theo.
"Are you dying?" The ever confused girl asked.
"Nope. Just tired of being the bad guy in everyone's stories. Plus we have a common goal for once and it would be better met if we were at least amicable. Also, I'm curious by nature and I still fail to see the reason we couldn't bring Ryan along. He could have been pretty helpful."
"I know that," she sighed, "and I still don't completely understand why I lied. He asked and at that moment I guess I was coming to terms with having this new presence so willing to protect and care for me. No one's ever done that before, never so fast, and never with such devotion."
"And the problem is?"
Silence was all that followed and soon Cassandra worried Theo would never answer. But one glance at the quiet woman told her all she needed to know. For Theo was stuck in her own head trying to put the strange feeling into words for the first time.
"I've spent a lifetime wearing my big girl pants and cleaning up my own messes. I didn't need anyone to swoop in and save the day and I don't need anyone now. You don't want to be the bad guy, and I don't want to be the damsel."
"Makes sense."
"Well, now I've confessed something that up until now I haven't had the strength to admit to myself. Satisfied?"
"Good enough for me. It's moments like this that solidify the foundation of an awesome friendship."
"Speaking of, I never really hated you either. Despite your competitive nature, you were easily the most dedicated of us all and it's nice to see that hasn't changed." Theo quietly admitted before turning to admire the scenery just out the window.
Cassandra was all too grateful for the distraction that kept her from seeing the slow smile that graced her features. For a moment the two reveled in the peaceful silence before Theo's cautious mind stirred up more concerns for the plan.
"How do you plan to ensure she will even speak to us?"
"While you were off doing god knows what last night, I reached out to her."
"How?" Theo asked.
"Shortly before her sudden departure from the limelight, Aphrodite's multifaceted career was handled by one person, and one person alone. I reached out to her and blabbed on about a deal she couldn't resist and made it clear that she'd need to hear it directly from me and once I got her ear I simply told her the truth."
"And she's onboard just like that?"
"Renatta might just possibly be the one person who's destroyed her life in ways she never could have imagined. Wouldn't you have done the same?"
"I guess so."
"Anyways, she arranged for us to meet her somewhere not far from the city as she didn't trust us enough to see her home, which is completely understandable."
"Isn't she scarred? Where would she willingly be seen in public?" Theo then asked.
"Some abandoned building that once housed a rooftop bar and long before that it was just a plot of land destroyed by a wicked meteor. It was one of the only places that weren't destroyed in one of the recent earthquakes years ago and have been said to house spirits. Locals have feared it long since and they even speed by when they see it. So trust me, no one's going to find us here."
"That's not ominous at all."
"It's nothing more than a story to make this place interesting. Besides, I doubt she'd want to meet us there if it wasn't safe." Cassandra reassured her as she slowed to a stop just outside the desolate building.
"How long ago was this place frequented by people?"
"No more than a decade ago. Then everything happened at once and it's kind of like a bad omen in a way. Most of the disasters in the most recent months have kind of been suspiciously close to this place. Some have even stretched back years yet it's still standing. So technically, we're safer inside than anywhere else. Any more questions?"
"No. The more I know, the more I fear for my life." Theo answered, only half-joking.
"Awesome. Grab a flashlight and let's head up."
"A flashlight? The sun's only just beginning to set and I doubt we'll be here long."
"The less you know, the better. Now let's be quick, please. This place is actually starting to creep me out."
With the essential tool in hand, Theo followed close behind Cassandra's painfully wide strides into the building that looked as if it belonged in a horror film. Amidst the shadows that loomed over them were just a few shattered windows that could make one imagine seeing the slightest shape staring back at them.
Theo herself swore she saw a flash of light just before she and her partner in crime were submerged into the unnaturally dark building that appeared as its own environment altogether.
And perhaps it was just the ominous tale that kept her far from being at ease and the slightest bit paranoid, so much so that underneath the chilling winds she heard whispers that came from neither one of them.
"Did you hear that?" She asked aloud.
Cassandra briefly turned an ear to listen but shrugged nonetheless.
"Nope. But it's probably just a drifter seeking shelter for the night. So our best bet is to hurry in and out."
Her logical answer calmed Theo just enough for her to quietly jog up the stairs after her until they returned to the cool air on the rooftop. And standing not far from the pair was a lithe figure leaning oh so patiently over the rails that stood along the edge of the roof.
Long, voluminous midnight waves were all that Theo could admire before she was stunned by Aphrodite's flawless smile once she turned around. And if she were ever scarred, there wasn't the smallest indication upon her moonlit skin.
"I was wondering if you'd have the balls to show up." The goddess smirked, beckoning them to where she stood.
"Didn't really have much of a choice," Theo said.
"Were you followed?" She then asked.
"Not at all. And for someone who survived a near-fatal attack, you look perfect." Cassandra inquisitively commented.
"I suppose you want me to explain where it's gone. You must be the investigative Cassandra." Aphrodite replied, still failing to answer the insinuation.
"And as curious as I am, I didn't come to discuss your beauty routine. I want to know anything and everything about the day you were attacked."
"It was a day like any other, really. After a press event for my makeup line left me a bit tired of the life I've led since I made myself known here. All I wanted was one walk alone like a normal human being. But unbeknownst to me, I was just the first of many targets used to make a name for the group that held some strange vendetta against my kind."
"So you were just a message," Theo commented.
"Precisely. One moment I was enjoying the peace and quiet I hadn't known since Olympus and then a flash of light passed before my eyes and there was so much blood. I never got to see a face but he or she slashed a scar in my face that never healed and changed my life forever. I don't know how, but my powers haven't been the same since."
"How so?" Cassandra asked.
"Let me put it in simple terms. I'm the first god to be harmed by man-made weapons and soon, I'll be the first to die."
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