Triton stormed into the tiny cottage in a fit of rage. "We're fucked! The lot of us!"
Adella jerked against Arei's loose hold at the sound of her father's bombing voice. Yuri, who had been knitting by the fire sprang up and ran toward Triton. Instinctively Arei clutched her tighter against his chest, clasping a massive hand over her ears. He knew whatever had his brother this upset was most likely because of him. He rested his lips against the top of the girl's soft hair as he whispered. "Go find your sister. The two of you pick a nice basket of wildflowers for Miss Yuri and Miss Ursula, ok? I'll come to find you once your father and I have a word, alright..."
Worry was written all over the little girl's face as she lifted her bright blue eyes to his. Her tiny hand spread across his cheek and her bottom lip trembled. "But pappa is mad... probably at you, uncle..."
Arei forced a reassuring smile. "I shall be fine. Fret not, Addy." He sat the girl off his lap and ruffled her auburn locks. His gaze shifted quickly to and from Triton as he continued yelling near the doorway, unsettled by whatever Yuri was currently saying. Arei gave Adella's tiny hands a firm squeeze. "Run along and go play. I'll find you in a bit." He waited as the little girl quickly fled from the cottage before he pushed up from the floor and turned his attention to Triton and Yuri's conversation.
"You can not blame him... besides you have no way of-" Yuri was trying to say but was interrupted.
"I can and I will. As will Zeus, if he finds out!" Triton bit out. His angry eyes landed on Arei as he approached. "You must leave at once. My girls will not be safe with you here." He pointed to the door. "Leave at once!"
Arei's brows furrowed. "What... what's going on? Why the sudden demand?"
"Why?!" A muscle twitched in Triton's clenched jaws. "There will be a trial. Everyone involved in the coup against Zeus will be tried and punished. You, as well as myself if I'm found harboring you!" He shook his head. "I didn't ask for this. My family didn't ask for this." Arei tried to interrupt him, but Triton stopped him. "No, I'll not hear it. You mean to avenge one daughter by endangering two others? No! Leave now!"
Arei swallowed hard. "I never meant..."
Some of the anger faded as Triton studied his brother. "I know you didn't... nor did Athena... but now you must be held responsible for your actions." He stepped over and clasped Arei on the shoulder. "Though I hope you can avoid such hardships... I doubt you can outrun the judging eye of Themis...."
Arei slowly nodded. "I'm sorry, brother... I really didn't mean for this to happen..."
A sad frown curved Triton's lips. "Run... run as far away as you can go. Father is being held as a co-conspirator. He'll not sell you out... just pray that your fellow conspirators will do the same."
***
Current time
"Father took on the punishment that should have been Arei's. Triton was forced to take on father's responsibilities… Triton blamed Arei and punished him in his own ways, forcing him to carry out the hardest of tasks. His cold demeanor didn't make life easy for anyone around him. Triteia was the first to leave, going to live with the Amazonians, followed not long after by Adella… causing Triton to resent Arei even more…"
Jos frowned; her brows scrunched painfully tight together. "But Arei wasn't alone. There were several others involved… What about Athena? She was equally involved…"
Before Chary had a chance to answer movement caught both girls' attention.
"I wasn't aware you were so caught up on what happened back then." Arei interrupted his sister's story as he pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against.
Chary shrugged. "More or less... I've picked up details here and there throughout the years." She nodded to Jos. "I was just trying to paint the full picture of why our darling brother can be somewhat of a cold ass... most of the time."
Arei let out a heavy sigh as he walked toward Jos. "It's not really your story to tell... now is it..."
Chary shrugged again. "It's not... but we're all tied together because of the same events. So, it might as well be mine as well."
Arei nodded. "Far point." He lowered a squat by Jos's chair. His eyes searched hers. "How about we make a deal? If you'd like to hear the rest of the story, you accompany me back to the island and be my date to Lord Puppy's coronation and wedding."
Jos's brows knitted as she thought it over. "This has to be some form of extortion..."
Arei chuckled. "Perhaps..." He reached out and brushed a few stray hairs from her face. Instead of releasing her face once the hair was in place, he gently caressed her jaw. "Say you'll come back home with me."
Chary cleared her throat as she stood. "I'm going to go find my wife now... I'll give you two some privacy." She looked around the open bottom floor. "Um... well... yeah... I'll be back in... say an hour?"
Jos nodded, not taking her eyes from Arei's.
"Alright, then..." Chary's gaze moved to the floor overhead. "I'll just be out there..." A chill sent shivers through her body as she moved her focus out to the cold north Atlantic waters. "Ya know... just out there..." When neither of them looked away from the other, lost in their own world, Chary blew out another huffed sigh and dove back into the pool. She broke the surface at the far end of the pool, but Jos and Arei still hadn't taken their eyes from one another. "Shit..." She muttered before diving back under the water and traveling through the tunnel that would lead to the cold ocean outside.
Jos could read the worry in Arei's beautiful stormy eyes. She leaned her head against his massive hand that was cupping the entire right side of her face. "There's something else isn't there? Just say it."
Arei frowned. "There is..." He searched her pinched expression. "Tri is standing by his decision regarding your evaluation, but I've convinced him to consider referral for a different position instead of complete elimination."
"E…elimination?" Jos stuttered over the intimidating word.
Arei nodded reluctantly. "Yes... If he convinces Father that you are too much of a liability and the position is revoked, the council... or current ruling parties... could reinstate your original sentencing or even insist that you be imprisoned."
Jos's frown deepened. "But I was doing the job... I... I..."
"You took things too far. You botched the investigation."
Jos's lip trembled as she tried to plead her case. "But... but Chary and Scylla..."
"Were only there to act as backup in case things got too out of hand... which they did." When she was about to interrupt again, he gently stopped her. "Yes, you were able to quickly bring the purps true colors to the surface as planned... but instead of getting the vital information, you chose to punish them yourself." He shrugged. "It wouldn't be a bad thing had you gotten the information we needed about the other victims' locations... but you didn't. And now we can't get that information from either of the purps." He brushed a tear away with the pad of his thumb. "I don't blame you. It's father's fault for not fully explaining the trial portion of the job."
Jos swallowed hard. "Then... what now?"
"Now? Now we talk to father, and on the way, I shall tell you every single detail of the story Chary started."
Jos frowned. "That would be an easier promise if you hadn't already kept so much from me."
Arei let out a heavy sigh. "Let this be the first step in rebuilding that trust." He stroked her cheek with his thumb, his eyes pleading with hers.
Jos nodded, tears burning her eyes. "O...ok..."
He forced a reassuring smile. "Alright. We'll let Chary know what we're doing. I'll book us a flight. That should give us plenty of time to talk." He could see the clouds of doubt just behind her glistening aqua eyes. "Would you like to go rest while we wait?"
Jos shook her head. "No..." She squeezed her eyes closed, not wanting him to read the fear and worry in her eyes. "I... I think I'll just wait here for her."
Arei nodded. "Alright... Are you hungry? I could go make you something."
Jos shook her head, fighting back the tears that burnt her eyes.
Arei's forced smile fell. "Alright... Well, I'll at least go make you some tea or something." He waited for her to reply, but when no response seemed to be forthcoming, he blew out a sigh and headed toward his brother's kitchen.
Jos had barely had time to rest her head against the headrest of the chair before sleep was overtaking her.
Hypnos set on a lounge chair in his usual dark but elegant cavernous home. His arms and legs were both crossed. "You know, had you wanted more information on that particular front all you had to do was ask... Unlike your dear darling lover and friends, I will not lie or keep details from you." He watched as she walked through the room as if she were now perfectly familiar and at home. He arched a brow when she seemed to ignore him, flopping down on the edge of his bed instead. He watched her in curiosity for a few minutes as she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. "Are you paying attention? You... realize where you are... right?" When she still didn't acknowledge him, he shifted his form to fog and circled her body before settling on the bed beside her. He stretched his body out across the bed, his head beside her thighs, and his fingers clasped under his neck. He studied her from his reclined position. "Still nothing?" He made a tsking sound as he shook his head from side to side against his hands. "You're an odd one, Miss Decker..."
Jos squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she fought against the tears burning her eyes and throat. "I might as well be here... I'm a prisoner regardless of where I am..."
He rolled onto his side and studied her more closely. "I'm not sure I follow. You seem perfectly free to me... perhaps freer than you should be considering."
Jos shook her head. "No... I have no choice. It is, be with Arei or be in prison... There is no in-between... there has never been..."
Hypnos's brows knitted. "Seems to be a heavenly prison to me... being with the one you love, that is. I would gladly take such a punishment."
She finally met his curious violet eyes. "You don't understand. Love isn't love if there isn't a choice."
He stared at her in silence for several long seconds before a serious expression fell over his ethereal features, and he replied. "No, you are wrong on that one. Love is still love regardless of circumstance... however it doesn't take long for other emotions to build and often begin to outweigh that love."
Jos tilted her head, studying his sad, distant expression. "Other emotions?"
He nodded. "Resentment, regret... hate..." His sad eyes held her, watching as realization dawned in their aqua depth. He reached out and brushed away a tear as it slid down her cheek. He studied the tear droplet on his finger as he whispered quietly. "You cannot hate someone you did not first love..."