You wanted to scream instead of laying in silence, but you knew better and what would come if you made the smallest sound.
You'd wake him.
Phobos. Who slept, partial nude under the tangle sheets of the bed, well. He was tired after all, in his word he needed to recharge. No one other than you and him in his room back on Meridian. Cedric was somewhere lurking about, so even if you could leave he'd catch you and bring you right back. Waking Phobos for...more marital affairs. A shiver ran down your spine, you held back. That would wake him too.
As you laid, partially nude as well if not for the sheets stare absently with boiling anger at the wall. A few feet away, your torn off clothes. Phobos said he'd get you something new. He always did.
With his arm slithered around your waist, a touch that made your skin burn, think of Julian. He was in his nursery. You manage a smile, albeit a little one. How you wished to hold him and kiss him. He was your son and no one else's.
No one.
Feeling Phobes's arm constrict around you and a shift in weight, shut yours tightly. Waking up Phobos adjusted himself, propped himself up, and leaned down close to your ear, whispering.
"I'm awake."
Your eyes snap open, a cold sweat ran through, you weren't back in Meridian. Thank goodness.
You were here. On earth. In detention. With Phobos!
"Oh what a ravishing look, I always do love that dangerous fire in your eyes," he whispered amorously.
Domineering over you, keeping you pinned against the door by both his arms on either side of you.
He leaned a little closer, stopping an inch or two from your nose. His warm breath creasing your skin, you just froze. He smirked enjoying the sight before him.
Submission.
He loved that look on you. Chuckling he moved in further canceling the remaining distance.
"There's a good, girl," he breathed, tilting and lowering his lips to yours. "give me a taste and I might be merciful enough to forgive you for the ridiculous stunt you displayed."
He was right, it was a stunt. Regaining your senses, drive your knee straight up into his torso. Knocking him back and the wind right out. He didn't know which to do first, hold pain in; snarl in anger, or stop himself from crashing back into a few seats.
"H-H-How..." he crumpled on the floor, holding his now bruised torso. His eyes burned with fury and pain at you.
Your face was steel as you stood over him. Unfazed. Your hands clenched tightly your knuckles turned white.
"Listen up and listen well," you assert calmly, "I am first and foremost, not your girl. You are only alive, for now, because I desire to get MY son back." Phobos grunted, staggering, as he tried picking himself up. He tried reaching towards you, but you simply kick it away. "Don't touch me."
You snarl. "I mean it. Don't you ever touch me. Not now. Not ever again. You will do as you're told by me and the others."
"Y-You insulant, wretch-" he seethed, finally standing though hunched over. Still holding his torso. He tried to speak only for his pain to silence him. He howled, "You nearly killed me."
You waved it off, "Oh, don't flatter yourself. If I wanted to, I would have done it. But why kill a worm when it's already beneath you."
"Shut your mouth! I will not stand your words!"
"Then go deaf for all I care." You step to him, he was taken back by the action and the knife-edge glare shimmering in your eyes.
He took a slight step back, you remained where you stood. His anger never left but smoothed itself out. He wanted to say something, oh he did, you could feel it from the hairs standing on end. Let him say it, so you had a good excuse to…Julien.
Julien, you needed to get him back. If you did that to Phobos then….biting back your own rage turn away and take a seat on the other side of the room. Phobos wouldn't prevent you from getting your son back, he wouldn't. He might have taken everything else, but he wasn't going to take your son.
If he did….
Well, let just say you'd be behind bars on the late-night news. Would you care….not really but you wouldn't be able to go back to your son or…Caleb.
Caleb, your thoughts drift to him. All these years…what did he even think of you really? You really hadn't gotten the chance to talk with him, there was no doubt some distance between the two of you…or was it a rift.
You could feel it, even without your new…powers. Touching the chocker softly, close your eyes for a moment, a single tear trickles down. Quickly you wipe it away, you couldn't shed a tear, not with…him in here. Sitting up straight you cut your eyes in Phobos direction. He stayed on the side of the room, still holding his torso, still fumed. As tempting as it was to crack a smile you wouldn't allow. Not yet. Not until he was back where he belonged.
Returning your thoughts back to your brother, all you could see really…was little Caleb over and over again. The boy who tagged along with you. The boy who would practice swordsmanship. The little boy who you carried on your shoulders so he could feel…strong and tall like…his sister.
"Caleb," you muttered, staring out the window enduring your sentence until it was time, keeping a fist ready should Phobes try anything funny.
Surprisingly, Phobes didn't and detention went rather…smoothish. Ms. Knickerbocker came punctually, as always, her eyes scanned for any trouble. It was a good thing Phobes stopped holding his torso and by a sharp look from you held in the pain. Pleased to see this, she allowed you both to leave, with her escorting you two out.
"Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't kill him," Irma said, taking a sip of her drink in Hay Lin's family basement.
All eyes and head turned her way. She looked up. "What? I'm just saying, we all were thinking it. At least, I was." She muttered the last part.
As much as Phobos wanted to say something, Will took over, "Anyway, disregarding that, we need to talk about what to do about Nerissa."
"And Julian," Caleb added before you could.
"Yes, Julian too, sorry. We don't know where she is at the moment, but we know one thing right now and that is-"
"The idea of my wife trying to kill me is well…" Phobos scoffed, tossing some hair over his shoulder, "utterly ridiculous. She wouldn't stand a chance."
Your blood boiled, but you remained. Caleb set a hand on your shoulder helping. You didn't have the time nor want to waste energy on Phobos, right finding Julian was important.
"Please Will, continue," you tell her.
She was stunned for a moment at your calm response but saw the rage in your eyes. Cold rage.
"Y-Yes, ummm….finding Julian and Nerissa needs to be our top priority. Since..well…since what happened it doesn't surprise me she's in hiding."
"But, she'll have to come out soon, right?"Hay Lin pointed out, "Eventually, she's going to learn that she doesn't the heart."
Taranee spoke, "Doesn't she all ready though? Since Rose, man that still feels weird to say, sorry," she looks your way.
"It's fine."
She continued, "Back at the swimming meet, Nerissa isn't stupid. I hate to say this, but it wouldn't surprise me if she was just holding Julien just so Rose can come to her. You know as sort of an exchange."
The room fell silent.
Irma shook her head, "Did you really have to say that?"
"Sorry. I didn't mean to. It's just…" Taranee tried to fix her past words but found no replacement.
All eyes fall on you, you felt them and kept calm. Despite the urge to shoot up from your chair and lash out. The tears were coming, you could feel them, you had to hurry this up.
Turning to Taranee who keeps her eyes low, bitting back the tears in your throat speak calmly, "You might…you might be right."
Her eyes snapped up, widening at what you just said. You didn't force a smile…you couldn't. But your voice came the assumption of it.
"If there is a chance that is her plan of action, from what I've been told…my…correction our mother," Caleb squeezed your shoulder slightly, Phobos's eyes narrow at him, "she's power-hungry enough to steal her own grandson. I haven't fully understood these powers given to me, as the guardian. But, is there a possibility that she might…" oh you hoped so, "she might just release him?"
Before anyone could say anything, Phobos did, "Release him?" He scoffed, pinching his temples, "why would she release him? What an idiotic thing to say?"
The girls and Matt glare daggers at him, he paid them no mind.
"He is a child of power, whether he has his heart or not, he is of my bloodline. Meaning he is of some use. If anything she'd siphon off anything he has left. And need I remind you, we," he gestures between you and him, "are needed together to find him. We are."
Cornelia had enough, "Oh can you just shove it! Honestly."
"Shove what?" Phobos arched a brow, "Do you mean dig? Oh girl that is beneath me. I don't bury things."
"I'll bury you," Irma mumbled heated.
He looked her way, dismissively. "Your powers are water, right? I believe you mean you'd drown me. My son's fate rests with you? Wonderful."
"You know, your words aren't helping," Hay Lin spoke, trying to keep the peace. "We're trying to figure this out and you just keep making it worse. Rose was just saying a possibility. Nerissa's plans change. Who knows what she'll do."
"I know what she'll do. We all do. There's no reason for this talk. She's going to keep my son held captive, take what little power he has. Most likely turning him into a husk an-"
You stood, quieting the room, knocking the chair over, and leave. Shutting the door behind you, ignoring Caleb's pleads to return.
