I told them almost everything.
That is, except for what Belladonna threw at my face, and the whole your-soul-is-damaged stuff she spread on my face. But Oliver was still kind of suspicious, and waiting for it.
Why are you looking at me like this?
{"You are hiding something!"} He frowned.
Can we talk later about this? I pressed my lips together.
{"If that's what you wish, yes. But you will tell me everything!"}
As if I could hide it from this arsehole, Deal.
{"Before or after I eat you up, you decide!"} He can't help it.
Not now, Oli. You're making me feel weird.
His hand went to my lap and up to my thigh, {"I like that."}
Taking a deep breath and acting as if nothing was happening, as he brushed his finger too close of my panty, I looked at the shocked faces of everyone. "Any questions?"
"Hel," Nevena gasped, haunted. "We might actually have to go to hell? Like, literally hell? Worse place on the world?"
"If your ancestors hid the Crown in there!"
"And they told you to find a phoenix?" River asked eye-wide.
"It was the last thing they told me, yes. They said her name is Sunna and that I should look for her. But I have absolutely no idea where to even begin," sighing, I passed my hands through my hair.
"Could there…" Rio gulped. "Could there be a possibility of Grand Duchess Melina's daughter surviving, Hel?"
At the mention of her, my heart clenched. "I want to think she did, but I have a terrible feeling that she did not. I would love to actually have another kid form my kind to help me on this, but the probabilities are almost null." I gulped, uncomfortable. "Melina would be devastated, if she knew that Lilith didn't make it."
Rio turned pale, "But what if she did? What if she's in the Pit?"
A shiver ran down my spine, "Fuck, I hope not. If the Crown is in hell as grandpa feared it could happen, and on the Pit at that, I'll have to go in there and get it. But I need to be totally sure about this, because if I am wrong, I'll never get out of there and we'll be doomed."
"I'm still trying to absorb that Mia is… the Crone!" Noah groaned.
"Did she confirm this to you?" Elsa asked me, haunted.
A nod, "Oliver saw it. She deleted our texts, or I would show you."
"We were already suspecting it," my mate said, his hand still on my inner thigh. "Hell and Jack had a feeling this would be the case, and when she called her the Crone, Mia didn't even deny it. It's like she was waiting for Hel to realize that."
Sabrina sucked on her cheeks, "What does that make Abellona?"
I tilted my head, "A demigod vampire? I mean, I'm going to her before the lair and before Emerald Sky City, because I want to talk to her about this. She won't lie to me."
Felix passed his hands over his dark hair, "And you two are going to meet with the Maden… Annabelle Bluebonnet, who was the one who sent Nacht after you in class? This is insanity, Hel."
"You've gotten into contact with two of the three Goddesses so far," Yuliana whispered. "What's next? The Mother?"
Sigh, "Mia told me the Mother might get in touch with me, if I'm in a near death situation. Like, so fucked up, that my kind my very well go extinct again. However, I need to get those damn earrings my grandparents told me about, and I think I might get it with her. Now I have the mirror," I pointed at my necklace and ring, "The necklace and the ring, which mom made with her witch friend, who's Mia, aka the Crone."
"We might get word of where to find the sword and daggers with Annabelle. Maybe that's why she's calling us there. She did fool Meredith to get Hel in the emerald coffin and shackles instead," Oli pointed.
"Or," I looked up to the ceiling, "she might want to fool around. We never know with those Goddesses, they are never direct. Mia said Annabelle is the most playful, she takes stuff as jokes. I highly doubt she will just tell us where to find it," then to them again. "She might have hidden it just to play with us!"
"So… green witches are a thing," Savannah mumbled.
"Pegasus, phoenixes, magical dwarves, real elementals, nine-tailed foxes, and a… tree of life," Priya counted in her fingers. "Places that might have been protected and can only be accessed with the Crown of Chaos!"
A nod, "For what I gathered, yes. Though Holy Sky-City of the Nine-Tailed Foxes of Dusk, Sky-City of the Phoenixes of Andromeda, and Cloud Sky-City of the Pegasus of Faye, might all be empty like Emerald Sky City and the six Grand Duchy Mounts, given how these are the races that went to war. In fact, if this female phoenix Sunna was in the war too, she might be on the Pit," I closed my eyes, hating the idea. "Lydia did told me that those who couldn't die were imprisoned in there."
"I feel sick," River groaned, and Dorothy held his hand.
"Hel," Kalisha gulped and I turned my eyes to her. "If what you said is true, doesn't that mean you aren't the last winged serpent?"
I tilted my head, "It means I'm the last black winged serpent. Still doesn't change the fact that I'm the only one who can do all this shit, and carry all this overwhelming weight on my shoulders. Plus, if what Melina said is to be believed, those remaining children are frozen in their eggs. And probably on each of the Mounts. Which means, I will have to go to each of them to find them and bring them to Emerald Sky City," sigh. It's too much, too much responsibilities for me.
{"I'm here with you, beautiful. You have me, remember!"}
I know, Oli, but it's still too much. If… if it all goes south and those people die, I won't know what to do. I was raised to be a assassin basically, maybe a warrior if you may, not a Queen.
{"You will still do amazing, beautiful."}
I looked at his ring, That might be a Royal jewel, too, by the way.
{"What?"} He looked down at his finger.
Uh, I have a feeling mom made it for that reason.
{"What reason?"} His eyes met mine, expectantly and surprised.
Blushing, I looked away. I mean, grandpa had my ring. Grandma had one just like yours but not with ruby. I'm just thinking.
{"Hel, you're giving me hope, babe."}
I can literally feel that. I'm just trying to understand.
{"The fact that you might have proposed without knowing?"}
I gasped, "I did not!"
"You might have!" He grinned. {"My answer is yes."}
"Stop. I didn't do that," I glared at him. Don't do this.
"What am I doing?" He played innocent.
"What's happening?" Rio got in the middle. "What is it?"
"Don't give us a half talk," Felix groaned.
"Yeah, spill everything!" Yumi pouted. "Come on."
I was going to stay shut, but Oliver had other ideas. As usual. "Hel might have proposed to me without knowing!" He beamed with that smile that makes me lose my mind, then he showed them his ring again. "She told me this is a Royal ring, and that her grandma had it, while she has the one her grandpa was using."
Glaring at him, I punched his shoulder. "I didn't propose. And I said that it might be. I'm not sure. Don't let it go over your head."
"Too late!" He grinned mischievously.
"I. Did. Not. Propose!" I groaned.
"Yeah? Keep telling yourself that!" The bastard mocked. {"My answer is still yes, babe. It'll stay as a yes for as long as I live."}
"Stop saying that, Oliver!" I gasped, overwhelmed by his love.
"Can't be helped," he winked. {"If you don't propose, I will."}
I gulped, Stop. Don't do this. "Why are you all staring at me?"
"Maybe because you're strawberry red?" Rio mocked.
"Shall I paint you black, then, vampire-Lazarus?"
He flinched. "No, thank you. And why are you calling me that?"
"His personality happens to be just like yours. And you know what? He's a blue winged-serpent. How ironic, uh? Seems like blue is the official color of annoying infuriating overbearing arseholes," I scoffed.
"So, I have the personality of a winged serpent?" He beamed.
I rolled my eyes, "You're impossible."
"Look who's talking!" They all exclaimed.
["You are doomed."]
Tell me something I don't know. "Bloody bastards. And what's up with you now, Jack? Are you what? The mascot? Yours still remember who's your bond, right? Because you're acting like this group's mascot now, basically. Where's your grandiosity?"
["I'm the familiar mascot, alright? And it's grandiose to be in this position. After all, you'll be saving the world, will you not?"] He smirked.
That got me scowling, "What are we? The Avengers?" I mocked.
"More like the Revengers," Agost chuckled and then all joined.
Shite. I'm surrounded by dumbarses.
{"And you are the number one of them!"}
I glared at him. Hah, giving up your position, aren't you, bloody jerk?
{"Nah, this spot has always been yours."}
Arsehole!