'Do what you must...'

Up in White Ash

I gently placed my hands on the table and intertwined my fingers; "Are you both okay with the plan?"

The brothers sat beside me, their eyes meeting mine with a silent nod. I breathed in slowly and pursed my lips; "Will you manage alone?" I asked Hypnos.

The light-haired twin gave me a confident grin; "When she realises it's missing it'll be too late..."

We'd quickly devised an infallible plan. Thanatos, of course being the best at leading and formulating crafty strategies, already knew exactly what to do as soon as I'd said the words. We were going to steal the Aegis right out from under Nyx's nose.

Thanatos and I would accept her dinner invitation for the night; unfortunately, we were the bait. While we distracted mother-dearest, Hypnos would travel to her secret vault, where she kept all her toys and trinkets, and steal the one thing that could end all of this madness. Hypnos would replace the shield with a fake. No one actually ever looked at the Aegis, on the account that it could turn you to stone, so it was permanently covered- much to our advantage...

Of course, getting there, Hypnos had to use magic to get in and out, but if Thanatos and I played our part right, Nyx would be far too preoccupied to notice any magic being used in her domain.

And if by some strike of bad fortune she did catch us out- well, then let's hope she's more forgiving than she is loving...

"Remember; the vault is sealed with Blood magic. You'll need to-"

"I know..." Hypnos' tone was reassuring; Thanatos looked nervous. He didn't like leaving his brother to do these things alone, but we needed him to distract Nyx. Hypnos was right when he said that the only person Nyx would want so desperately to pay attention to her is Thanatos- her favourite.

Hypnos didn't seem to care much that he wasn't the apple of her eye. He seemed all the more grateful that he wasn't joining us tonight. I envied him.

Thanatos nodded absentmindedly; "Of course... Just be careful."

Hypnos looked to Thanatos with a wicked grin- his malicious side just as frightening as his brother's; "She so desperately wanted to create monsters- well, she got what she wanted. Leave it to me."

He stood up and clapped his hand against his brother's shoulder; the love they felt towards one another was stunning to watch. I smiled up at Hypnos as he swung an arm around my neck and pressed me into a hug. In my ear he whispered; "Look after him..."

I nodded my head; his musky smell familiar and comforting. I gave him one last look; reassuring him that I would do anything to keep Nyx from aggravating Thanatos too much- it wouldn't end well for both sides.

Hypnos left without another word. The door clicked shut and Thanatos' hands found mine- they were still covered in black, leather gloves, but the warmth was there. I looked down at our intertwined fingers; mine turning a strange blue around the cuticles. I'd taken off my furry gloves; the feel of the cold against my skin better at keeping me focused as we schemed.

"Tonight..." Thanatos began speaking, but his words faltered. I waited for them to start up again. "Don't let her get to you."

"The same goes for you."

He nodded once and shifted his eyes away from my knowing ones. I squeezed his hands; "We need her distracted; don't let her distract you. Don't play into her petty games."

"'Games'..." Thanatos' curt laugh was soft and dry; "That's a funny word to use for abuse..."

The table was decorated with all the works; Nyx's favourite gold-embellished candlesticks, the deep burgundy vases- one of which I broke by accident when I was young- and of course, mounds and mounds of food.

Growing up, there was one thing Hypnos and I were never short of- food.

'You need to eat, so you can grow big and strong like Zeus... Maybe even bigger.'

Nyx's voice sounded like glass scraping against the walls of my mind. I'd never wanted to hear it again, but this place brought everything rushing back in waves.

Whoever gave me emotions could take it back now- I grumbled in my head, until I saw Aurora walk up beside me; her blue eyes full of steel.

Never mind- I think I'll hang on to them a while longer.

My heart sped up even now as her hand hung next to mine, not touching, our close proximity torture. I wanted nothing more than to pull her into me and fly her away, but as Nyx entered through the opposite door, I knew my chances of wiggling out of this were zero-to-none.

Aurora smiled politely and it sickened me to see her pretend.

"Thanatos, darling! I thought you wouldn't make dinner..." Nyx tapped her claw-like nails on the back of the head chair; her wicked eyes focus on my face. Her smile was wide as I walked up to the table and pulled out a chair, but it quickly turned bitter as she realised that I was waiting for Aurora to be seated.

Aurora thanked me as I held the chair out for her. I pushed it back in as she sat down, careful not to get her long, blue dress stuck under the chair's foot. I pulled out the chair next to Aurora and sat myself down in between her and Nyx.

Nyx shook her head with a laugh; "Oh, come now." Her claws continued tapping; "You know very well that that's not your seat, dear."

I gritted my teeth; "I'm fine here."

"You sit on my right." She smiled, but it wasn't meant to display cheer; "Where will Hypnos- oh." She looked around, realising that her other son wasn't in the room. I shook my head in disbelief. I could get away with murder because I was Nyx's favourite, but poor Hypnos could get away with anything because she wouldn't even notice.

"Where is your brother?" Not 'where is my son'. No, that was never it.

"He's not well. I doubt he'll be joining us."

Nyx sighed dramatically; "Just like when he was young. You always were the strong one."

"We're both strong- in different ways." My voice was low and deadly. I felt Aurora's hand on my knee, trying to calm my rising temper. I continued to glare at her, but she didn't seem to care much as she lifted her chalice and signalled for wine.

Pathetic bitch.

"Thank you for inviting us to dinner, Nyx." Aurora said with a calm tone, not at all displaying any form of true gratitude. Nyx narrowed her eyes and grinned falsely, but turned her attention back to me.

"How is work going, dear? How are Hades and Poseidon?"

"Zeus is dead and you're asking me how Hades and Poseidon are?" I snapped, the knife beside my plate gleaming and screaming for me to take it.

Nyx's eyebrows shot up; "Well... Someone's a bit agitated."

If a knife in my heart could kill me I'd happily stab myself right now to end this misery...

Aurora chuckled in my head- Focus. Breathe.

I looked down to my plate and muttered; "I apologise."

"Excuse me?" She was pushing it. I glowered up at her, my jaw clenched.

Nyx decided to leave it and smiled instead; her sharp incisors glinting in the candlelight; "Now I know you want the Aegis, but it was a gift from Hecate and I'm not going to give it to just anyone..." I wanted to smack her as her eyes looked to Aurora in distain. "You understand, don't you dear?"

I blinked; "You could be helping the kingdom."

"The kingdom?" She laughed loudly. I felt Aurora's hand clench around my knee. "Honey, there is no kingdom! Zeus is dead. Poor fool, but at least this gives you an opportunity to finally get what you've always deserved."

I scoffed in disbelief and Aurora looked on in confusion. I mumbled; "You're crazy..."

Of course it would come to this. The only reason Nyx allowed Hypnos and I to be kept so far from her during long periods of time was because of one thing- opportunity.

"Oh, am I? Come now, where's the ambitious son I raised? The Underworld could be yours to rule with Hades on the throne. Strike a deal, do what you must."

Do what you must...

It was never a spoken thing, and I hadn't told Aurora about any of this, but Hypnos and I were raised to be a specific type of monster. Assassins. Not that Nyx ever used the word, but the purpose was there.

She never had to put a name to her intentions; all she had to do was wave the idea around.

I felt my hand snake up to the knife. "Don't fool yourself." I smiled at her, but it laced with venom; "You didn't raise me."

Nyx's eyes widened and her tongue flicked in her mouth like a snake's. She glared at me, her smile fading slightly. A chill ran down my spine as she shifted her accusing eyes to Aurora; "Is this your doing?"

Aurora blinked with confusion; "What are you talking about?"

"What have you done to my son?" Nyx hissed; "Did you hypnotise him? Use a spell?"

"Enough!" I bellowed, but she didn't care.

"Or did you just flaunt your pathetic body to get him to do your bidding?"

A slap sounded through the dinner hall.

The room hung in silence.

Like a hammer's drop, the noise echoed through the barren and cold chambers of my mind. I'd snapped...

Nyx slowly moved her hand up to touch her cheek; the imprint of my palm staining it red. I felt the breath being sucked out of my lungs.

Why did I do that? I've never hit my mother before? Why... I-...

Aurora was just as shocked as the both of us, her eyes were wide but she was the quickest to recover. She picked up a cloth from the table and stood up. As she walked around her chair and held out the napkin for Nyx to take, I felt a deep wave of shame overwhelm me.

No son should ever hit his mother.

Not even Nyx.

Nyx grabbed the cloth from Aurora's hand; her eyes livid and full of humiliation. I tried to apologise; "I... I'm so sorry-"

"How dare you!" The chair screeched and nearly fell over as she shot up. I pulled Aurora back to her chair, behind me and kept my eyes trained on Nyx's furious face; "You little brat!"

"Don't speak to him like that!" Aurora snarled from beside me. I shot up from my seat as Nyx thundered forward, her claws in the air- aimed at Aurora's eyes.

"Stop!" I grabbed Nyx's wrist and forced her back.

I fucking hope this is the distraction Hypnos was looking for.

Aurora and Nyx glared daggers at each other. I kept myself in between them, my voice hard; "I am sorry, but you do not have the right to insult Aurora!"

Nyx scoffed and growled; "I have all the right! You're mine!"

"No, he's not." Aurora countered and for once I wished she would just back down and not fight; "He's not anyone's. Stop treating him like a slave!"

"Are you going to let her speak to your mother like that?"

I pushed Nyx away as she tried to get past me again; "She's right! I am not your possession to flaunt, Nyx."

"You will address me as 'mother'," She smacked my hand away, "And I will treat my son the way I desire! Now step aside!"

"NO."

We glared at each other, the tension in the room mirrored in the growing fire. It roared with large flames and licked at the mantelpiece. Nyx was angry, but so was I.

Slowly, she leaned in until her eyes met mine with an intense gaze. I tried not to show her my fear- the fear I'd acquired for her over the many years of mental and emotional torture. "What is that thing to you?"

I gritted my teeth at the word 'thing'. Aurora was most certainly not a 'thing'.

"She is my everything."

Nyx was taken aback by my raw honesty and the brutal truthfulness in my eyes. I didn't falter as she examined me; Aurora was quiet behind me, but her presence was more than supportive.

"No..." Nyx's gaze travelled from my one eye to the next, and then back. She was looking for some form of hesitation- some kind of doubt. I gave her none. "You're too good for a mortal."

"She's too good for me."

Nyx laughed, causing my ears to ache. I backed up a bit, closer to Aurora. I felt her comforting hand on the small of my back. My cloak hummed in response.

"What can this weak little girl give you that a goddess can't? Hmm? Oh, I see..." Nyx chuckled, but I knew that sound well. She was hurt and now she wanted to cut me up and watch me burn at the mere move of her tongue. And now Aurora was in her way too.

"You like the power- she's weak and easy. You like the way she worships you, but darling," I reared back, away from her touch; "You can have that with any goddess. You know how they all adore you. You don't need to stoop so low and force yourself on an insect like that."

If it weren't for Aurora's clenched fist ripping me back, I might've snapped Nyx's head. I would've enjoyed it too. Too much.

So instead of following my natural instinct to murder- I leaned in until I felt the hot air of my mother's breath on my face and threateningly whispered; "Aurora is more of a goddess than you'll ever be."

Nyx's smile broke.

I enjoyed watching it fall to pieces as I figuratively ripped out her heart and dangled in front of her face.

"I hate you." My rage was colossal; "So much."

Aurora gasped softly, but didn't dare try to drag me away. The glint in Nyx's eyes faded until there was nothing left. I wondered what it felt like then- to have your favourite child hate you so much, after you thought you'd always have their affection. Maybe not love, but a soldier's devotion.

But instead of halting my words, her pain fueled me on. Finally seeing her suffer was addictive. I wonder how much I could hurt her until she would literally start to bleed.

"You disgust me." I took a step forward; "I'd rather die than be anything like you."

Nyx looked like she was about to cry. I wanted to laugh.

"You wanted a monster..." I leaned in until I could see my own reflection in her eyes; "Here he is."

"Get out." It was soft, but we all heard it. Nyx's voice sounded raw- inelegant and strained. I'd finally broken that perfect facade.

"Get out and never come back. Ever."

I smiled, my fangs frightening.

"Gladly."

Damn...

More on Nyx later in the story 

NEXT UPDATE- 22nd of October