“Alright then, Carter, Theo, Kataleya, and I will go with Jayce. The rest of you stay here and stay vigilant,” Dad orders once he’s shifted back. His suit is dark grey.
“I have Deimos blood, too,” Alessandra says in a gloomy tone. “And I know that place is probably full of age-old germs, but I still want to come, too.” She steps forward, hands on her hips.
“I don’t know. Stay with Dante,” Dad commands.
I look back at Sienna for a moment as she shifts back, and her eyes meet mine. She gives me the smallest smile.
‘Good luck,’ she mouths. I give her a small nod before casting one final look in her direction and then, turning, I step over the threshold. Power pulsates beneath me as I slowly begin the descent. Carter follows, and then Kataleya, but a blinding barrier blanches, and she’s thrown back with immense power. I turn sharply as Dad shouts out.
“Kat!”
Enrique catches her. “Are you ok, Mi Amor?” he asks, brushing a strand of her hair back. She nods, smiling softly.
“I’m fine.” She brushes her skirt and looks confused.
Dante frowns. “You lost any ability of the Deimos line when you came into power. I guess it doesn’t really mean just blood,” he says.
“So does that mean I shouldn’t risk being bitch slapped by aflight of steps?” Alessandra asks, making Sienna smile.
“That’s your choice. I’m all for you trying,” Theo says as he massages his jaw. “Mind if I just stay out here?”
“Really? You’re my son. You will be of Deimos blood,” Dad says with a frown.
“Yeah, but maybe I’m more like my mama, you know? I mean, I get my good looks from her.”
Dad shakes his head. “Do what you want, but this kind of behaviour on a mission won’t get you far.”
Theo grins and waves a hand in a dismissive gesture. “Ok, now, chop chop, Deimos Prince, you better get moving.”
Dad frowns as he steps past the threshold, and the three of us make our way down. The place is dark, sand seeping down the stairs, and the light from above soon disappears.
“Theo is an idiot,” Carter remarks.
“I do agree,” Dad grunts with disapproval.
“Well, I’m sure we won’t need him down here, and they might need him more out there if anything happens,” I say, wishing Sienna were with me.
“Let’s just hope they aren’t here, and we are in and out by the time they realise,” Carter remarks.
“And now it makes sense why they needed us. Only those of Deimos blood can enter,” I remark as the stairs fade away and we are on flat ground.
Torches on the wall suddenly blaze to life, spreading further down the hall. We all tense, readying for anything, but I sense nothing dangerous. Symbols and runes cover the walls that are now glowing in the light.
Carter takes pictures on his Schattensicht as we keep walkinguntil we reach what looks like what once was a pillared temple. Stone steps lead up to it, and I can feel a hum of power.
“We’ll hold back,” Dad says.
“Yeah,” I agree. Something tells me this is my journey from here.
The moment I place my foot on the first step, power blasts around us, the sconces on the walls of the temple erupting into fire, forming the symbol I kept drawing. Something very similar is also carved above the entrance.
I glance back at Dad and Carter before I keep walking into the temple. Pillars pass me, and time seems to shift in here. The feeling of something ancient and undisturbed fills the air.
There is nothing but pillars and engravings on every wall of this place. I look over my shoulder, but I can no longer see Dad or Carter, even though I know they are out there.
I keep walking, slowing down when I spot a huge statue of a man wielding a lightning bolt. It’s not Zeus… this statue is looking to the heavens, one hand crossed over his chest. But it’s the fact that it looks eerily like me that makes me observe it carefully. There are engravings along his right arm, and there on his nose is a ridge. I touch my scar.
The future isn’t set in stone, huh? I guess this part was.
