Chapter 63 : Vulnerable

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So, this chapter took me a while to write. I placed a lot of thought into it and had to re-write some parts multiple times, Lol😁. Thank you all for your patience.💜

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Among the seven sins,

Pride has a reserved spot.

It prevents us from loving our  friends,

And leaves us competing and comparing.

The other sins are deadly,

But pride is the deadliest of all.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

"Can you hold on for a minute," I said, my eyes never left the figure walking in the shadows.

"Hello?" A hand waved over my face. I turned to Phyllis who watched me with a hint of annoyance. "I'm trying to determine my mental state and this is what you tell me?"

"So you mean you've been acting weird ever since you met Liam?" I asked.

She stared guiltily at the twig in her hands. "I guess. He's great and all, but that's the thing. I always forget what we did the day after. Except for the fact that we had a great time."

She's more of a regular diet.

"Hold on to that. I'll be back." I got to my feet. The figure was walking deeper into the forest now.

I made a move when Gwen grabbed my jacket. "Where are you going? Zion said we should stay together."

"I saw something."

"So you're going to say 'hello'? What if it's a Crocotta?"

"I don't think it is." It didn't have the shape of a large dog. And even if it was a crocotta, Eros' men would've spotted it by now.

"I'll be back in five minutes, okay?"

"Let me go with you." 

She pushed to her feet but I stopped her. "No. Stay and cover for me."

"But--"

I was already making a beeline for it. My feet dug into the sandy terrain as I walked. The shadow had now split into two forms; Two human silhouettes.

That's why it looked weird at first.

I reached the forest front and hesitated before diving in. Pushing forward, I pulled tree branches out of the way. The figures had now paused in their tracks and seemed to be conversing. I pressed behind a tree trunk, peeking from the side. My sweaty hands clawed the rough bark in anticipation. They looked familiar now.

"...So they're after her?" Eros faint voice drifted through the cold stark night.

Is he talking about the Crocottas?

"Yes." Liam paced before Eros, his tone burdened and defeated. "I don't know how long I can keep this up."

"What do you mean?" Eros leaned against a tree. His arms folded as he glanced at his nails.

"Last night, I had a message from them." Liam tucked his hands under his sweatshirt. He looked troubled.

"Well, that ain't good."

"It isn't." The dry leaves crunched under his Nike shoes. "They said I have a few days to make it right or they'll come finish it themselves."

"They're losing patience."

"I don't know what to do." Liam ran a hand through his dark hair and released a deep breath.

Eros tilted his head. "You care for her." His voice had a controlled edge. A complete contrast to his friend.

Liam scoffed under his breath. "Absolutely."

Eros shook his head. "Not in that way."

When he didn't respond, Eros released a deep sigh. "Never let your feelings get in the way of your goals, remember that."

"But what if my goals are wrong?" Liam said in a barely audible tone, his voice regretful.

What are they talking about? I gasped when my feet accidentally stepped on a branch. The scion crunched under my weight.

Shit.

The forest fell silent. I looked around the tree, hoping I could spot them again, but they were gone.

A hand grabbed my shoulder. I spun around in alarm to find Liam inches away. I jumped back and collided with a hard chest.

"Well. What do we have here? Pepper is spying on us." Eros drawled from behind, his hands pushed me towards Liam.

Liam's eyebrows were raised as he observed. He looked slightly irritated. "What are you doing here?"

"I--I..." I unconsciously rubbed my arms. "I need to talk. About Phyllis."

Which was partly true.

"And this is where I take my leave," Eros said as he stepped away. "See ya later." He saluted us before disappearing into the shadows.

Liam faced me. He hooked his fingers in the pockets of his sweatshirt. "What about Phyllis?"

I took a deep breath as I picked my next words. "She's confused, Liam. About you and her feelings for you. She keeps waking up in an alley without a clue how she got there. Why do you steal her memories?"

Liam watched me for a still moment. "She'll be frightened by the real me."

The real you?  "You need to stop feeding off her. She thinks she's going crazy."

Liam bit his lip and glanced away. "I can't skip from one person to another like an insect, not like Eros. Either I gain strength from the main source, or those similar to it."

"Then feed from the main source."

"I can't do that."

"Why?"

"Because it's you." His tone had raised a bit, completely filled with apprehension.

I froze. What?

"You're the main source Gem. And I can't do that because It feels so wrong. Even if I did, Zion will kill me and Pedro will dance on my grave."

I fell back against a tree, trying to process his words. "But--back in the car...I thought you wanted to feed on me."

"I never planned on it."

I stared up at him. "How do you expect me to believe that?"

The corner of his lips twitched a bit. "You just have to."

His eyes were cat-like, as usual. Some part of me wanted to leave; get back to Gwen and forget this, but another part told me to hold up.

To understand.

"Ever since we met, I saw your conceited attitude as an annoying yet interesting trait." I shifted on my feet, trying to pick my next words. "But then I got to realize, that it was all pretense. You're worried, Liam. Constantly looking over your shoulder because you're scared something is out to get you."

His eyes widened in shock, his lips parted at my statement.

I continued. "Just know that despite our differences, Zion, Pedro and I are always willing to help."

Liam bowed his head. The cast of the shadows hid eyes and accentuated his sharp cheekbones. "You can't save me Gem."

His words took me by surprise. I stepped closer, pondering. "Save you from who?"

His throat bobbed. He looked afraid like he was opening up for the first time, displaying his vulnerable side.

He blinked. And Like a wall falling back into place, his emotions stifled down into a subtle smile. "You need to go before Zion finds out you're gone."

He was changing the subject. Had he said too much? "Which god are you?"

His eyes scanned mine. "I'm part-god."

It was one of his best confirmation. A giant leap on my part. It also confirmed Eros' words.

He's god-ish.

If he's part-god, and he isn't human, then what's his other side?

"That's all I can say for now Gem. For your own good."

I decided to use the opportunity to focus on something else entirely.

I took a deep breath. "My dad is sick and...the doctors said he might not live in the next few months." My thumb traced the greek mark on my wrist. "I need you to heal him...please."

His eyes darted to me in alarm. "He's sick!?"

"Yes. Can you heal him?"

He nervously massaged his neck. "My healings abilities only extend to you. And I can't heal anyone else at the moment, not unless I fully ascend."

I tried to bottle up my anxiety. "So what does it take for you to ascend?"

His cat-eyes gleamed under the moonlight. "I'm working on it."

"You're not giving me a straight answer." Especially since I know he needs me to ascend.

You know what, screw this.

I stepped away but he grabbed my wrist. "I'll convince Eros to heal him."

"Save your breath. He gave the same answer." My voice held so much conviction. I tried prying my wrist but it never budged.

"I'll send a message to Artemis. She might not agree, but I'll try to persuade her."

I stopped struggling. My eyes met his. The sincerity in his voice. Hypnos had predicted he'll ask for something in return. Maybe A kiss. But he didn't.

Or am I missing something? "I--"

"Penny!" Gwen came rushing towards us. She stopped to catch her breath. "Pedro said I should call you. It's time."

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How was the chapter? I made a lot of drastic changes to it and it'll be appreciated to know if it's okay.💜


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