“Hestia? You left her with Hestia…”
“Ah, there it is,” Apollo taunts me, “that fear I never imagined I’d live to see in the great Victor Faust.” He tosses his head back and laughs, then lowers his eyes on mine once more, and a grin spreads across his lips. “I’d say not to worry, but, well, you know how my sister is.”
I grab the bars and try to shake them, managing only to shake myself. “Apollo, do not do this! If we are to die here today, then just kill us! Just kill Izabel—torture me if that is what you want, but do not—”
“Wow, look at you”—he points at me—“this is fanfuckingtastic, bro”—he pumps his fists—“YEAH!”
But then his smile disappears and he steps up to my cage, places his fingers atop mine around the bars and squeezes; he is so close I can feel his warm breath between us. “Wait until you see her—my sister. I can’t wait to see it myself. There will be fireworks n’ shit. And I’ve got a front row seat.” He visibly shakes his upper body, demonstrating his excitement with dramatics. “It’s even makin’ my dick a little hard.” Then his fingers move from mine and he presses his face even closer, daring me to take advantage of it—I keep my calm, as much as I want to choke him to death where he stands. “And by the way,” he adds, “begging doesn’t suit you, either.” He steps away from the cage slowly.
I cannot find the proper words to say—there are none. Izabel would have been better off if I had killed her myself a long time ago.
Hestia and I have only ever spoken once; we have only been in the same room with one another on one occasion. But one time was all it took to make that woman despise the ground I walk on.
Hestia knew I was not with Artemis simply because I loved her—Hestia knew I was the one killing off her family members; she knew, by gut instinct alone, that I was using her sister to fulfill my contract. But she had no proof. And Artemis would not listen to her:
“Are you really that stupid, Artemis?” Hestia scolded—I was in the restroom listening through the wall. “Ever since he showed up, our family has been dying off one by one. There’s something about him—I can feel it!” Her voice was a whisper, but sharp and strong enough I could hear her almost plainly.
“You always do this,” Artemis snapped. “You just don’t want me to be happy. Hestia, please, just let me live my life—I love Victor! Can’t you see that?” It sounded like she was crying.
“Yeah, I see that,” Hestia came back, “and that’s what makes this whole thing so…fucked up. He’s using you! And you’re letting him!”
“That’s enough! Just stop!” I could hear footsteps stomping heavily across the floor. “I don’t see you for years and you waltz in here one day, out of the blue, and instead of spending time with me, catching up like long-lost sisters are supposed to do, you tell me how stupid I am—you’re just jealous, Hestia. You always do this!”
I heard glass shatter against the floor.
Wanting to prevent Hestia from hurting Artemis, I exited the restroom promptly, and made myself known once again.
Artemis was on her knees on the floor, carefully picking up shards of clear blue glass that was once a dolphin that sat on the coffee table—I never knew which one of them broke it.
“Is everything all right?” I asked, pretending not to have heard anything incriminating.
“Everything’s fine,” Artemis said, despondently.
I went right over and crouched in front of Artemis, proceeded to pick up the glass for her. “No, let me,” I insisted, taking the shards from her palm. “I do not want you to cut your hands.”
“This is ridiculous!” Hestia hissed. “Why don’t you tell my sister the truth? Tell her you have something to do with the deaths of our mother and father and—so far—two brothers. Tell her!”
“STOP IT! Please just STOP!” Artemis buried her face within her hands.
I shot into a stand and turned to face Hestia, stood toe to toe with her.
“I think you should leave,” I insisted.
She glared at me through eyes full of ire. (I thought it was such a shame I was not commissioned to kill her, too. At that time, I did not understand why only the Stone brothers and parents were the ones with bounties on their heads—all three sisters were off-limits. Until that fateful night fifteen years ago.)