"Your eyes, they're gold." Evan's voice came from the side. I gasped. Gold? I shook my head. That was a problem for us to discuss later.
"We've got to move." Evan urged again. I nodded and rose to my feet, brushing ash and soot off of the tattered remnants of my dress.
"We have to go back to the mansion." I said, turning on my heel. Evan grabbed my arm and shook his head.
"No, you can't go back there. That's the first place vampires and hunters will look for you. It's only a matter of time before the new Ares returns to take over his fresh territory." He spat, clearly disgusted with the ascension of a hunter to the position of god.
"We need to go back, regroup, get weapons, then we head out somewhere else." Alec said. I nodded in agreement. Evan sighed and raised his hands.
"Fine, but in and out." We turned on our heel and walked toward the car that was waiting in the parking lot. Alec got behind the driver's seat. I sat in the passenger seat. Evan sat between us in the back.
We made it back to the mansion in short time; I stormed my way through the front doors up to my room. Immediately I went to my closet and threw a duffel bag on the bed. I reached to the back of my closet and flipped through a hidden wooden compartment. An assortment of daggers, a long sword, and throwing stars were stashed there. I grabbed an armful of the weapons and threw them into the duffel bag. Reaching back into the closet, I tossed a couple of daggers at Alec. He caught them in the air, strapping them to his thighs.
"Wait," I said, pausing. "Alec, won't you be expected to serve the new Ares? Evan, won't you be expected to return to your hunter cell?" I asked the obvious questions. They both paused, biting their lips.
"Elysia, I have been sworn into service to you since you were a child. I serve you." Alec's voice was firm. My cheeks heated, and I nodded. Evan rolled his eyes at the sentiment and stuck his hands in his pockets.
"As far as anyone knows, I'm on a hunting mission. They won't look for me for a while." He said, shrugging his shoulders. I raised a brow, but nodded. I threw some clothes, my cell phone, wallet, and essentials into the bag. When I was in the bathroom, I looked into the mirror over the sink. My eyes glowed a pale gold, with red veins threading out throughout. My eyes were a mix of the gold and red. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.
As I finished throwing things into the bag, we heard commotion downstairs. Vampires were returning, flooding into the mansion. I picked up the bag and threw it over my shoulder. Running to my window, I threw it open and threw my leg over the sill.
"Let's go, boys." I jumped.
I stared at the dilapidated ceiling and sighed. The battered ceiling fan made whirring noises as it continued its relentless cycle. Cheap lights barely lit the room in a dull glow. The tattered bedcover crumpled under my weight as I sat on the edge of the rickety bed. Alec sat in a chair in the room's corner, next to an old wooden work desk. Evan stood on the other side of the bed, examining the weapons I had brought in my bag.
The cheap motel we had found was a temporary solution, a place for now where we could lie low. The conditions were disgusting, but it wasn't a place where vampire or hunter would think to find us. I pulled out my daggers and examined them, cleaning the edges with the edge of my shirt.
The last few hours had all been a blur. The ceremony, the aftermath… My eyes filled with tears at the thought of my father's lifeless body on the ground. All the vampires that had lost their lives tonight. The burning remains of the building, devoid of life inside. I took a deep breath and ran my fingers through my now messy locks. I had since changed into a pair of black leggings and a cream off the shoulder sweater.
I felt a hand on my back. Looking up to see Alec sitting on the bed beside me, I smiled softly and leaned my head on his shoulder. He rested his head on top of mine.
"He's gone. And someone else has the power." I said, staring down at my hands. My father had always ingrained in to me, since I was little, that I would be the one who had to end his life. His final moments he mouthed to me 'it must be you'. I clenched my fists, my long nails dug into my palms.
"There was nothing you could do." Alec said soothingly. I sighed.
"We need to talk about what happened to you. What was that?" Evan said, raising a brow. He pulled a chair out from the corner of the room and turned it backwards, straddling it.
"I don't know." I said honestly. It had all been such a blur, I just felt the anger.
"Balefire." Alec whispered. We both turned to look at him. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"It's a fire that was wielded by certain war gods only. A demonic, possessed fire that burns hotter than normal flame. It can burn and kill even vampires. The caster can only extinguish it." Alec lectured. I took in a breath. Demon fire? How was I supposed to control it?
"No one has wielded balefire since before the reign of the titans." Evan scoffed, staring in disbelief.
"I know." Alec said. His tone grave. "Another reason for you to be a weapon for them." I frowned. I didn't even know how I used that power. It just welled out of me. I thought about it, the gift from my father. Tears welled in my eyes again. I stood up, placing my daggers in my belt.
"I need to get out." I said, suffocating. It felt like the walls were closing in on me. Alec stood up and grabbed his daggers. He placed them in his belt.
"I'll come — "
"No, I need to go alone. I need some space." I said as softly, but firmly, as I could. Alec stopped and bit his lip, clenching his fists. I knew he didn't want me to go out by myself.
"It's not safe out there." Alec argued. I placed my hand on his arm.
"I appreciate your concern. My father is gone, his orders no longer stand. I will be fine by myself." I went to the door and turned the knob.
"I'll be back before dawn." I said, and exited the cheap motel.