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Bland, white, and devoid of patterns, the ceiling offered no distractions. I lifted a hand and brushed it over the top of my head. Dad really did that. He showed me affection. I smiled. My hand slid down to rest on my chest. The door slid open, but I did not look over. I hoped it would be Dad. More likely it would be Mother or Father, but if I did not look, I could pretend it was Dad. 

"Percy?'

Every muscle tensed. I shot up to a sitting position. One arm crossed my body as I stared at Kaldur. His hair hung loose around his shoulders. The silky strands, so much like Mother's, swayed. He rocked on his heels. 

Shit. Why- Why is he-

I trembled. I was trembling, and when he took a step forward I bared my teeth. I'd bite. I would. Kaldur sighed and walked over. The mattress dipped under his weight. He did not look at me, did not even glance my way, only pulled the jacket he wore tighter around him. 

"Canary, she- um, she does not wish for me to be left alone at the moment." He pulled and twisted at his fingers long after the joints had popped. Idly, I noted it as his old nervous habit. Something he had not done for a long time. Something- No. I gritted my teeth. No. Do not waste concern on him. He continued, "So I am going to lay in here for the time being." Without waiting for me to tell him he was not welcome in here, he fell back. Crossing his arms, he tucked his hands under his armpits and sighed. "I do not blame you for hating me."

"You have no right to," I snapped.

"I was trying to protect you."

Terror crept around my chest. How did it get so bad that looking at him was doing this to me? Gods and monsters never had this effect "Do you think you did a good fucking job? Is that what you think?" My palms burned and burned and burned. 

"I am not perfect, sister, not even the gods are."

"You lost your right to call me sister. And not even Ares would attempt to twist torture as a way to protect someone."

Kaldur grimaced. He tugged his jacket tighter around his frame, knuckles white around the fabric. Taking a deep breath, he stared at his feet. One hand reached up to rub against the bandaging on his neck. Each second I sat with him pinned under my gaze, I wanted to hit him that much more. I wanted to strike at him and deal back some of the pain he caused. To make him suffer.

"The gods, they never help," he whispered. "Do you think the god of war would attempt to protect you? Do you think I did not try praying? That I did not pray to Soter and Soteria? One would think knowing that the gods are real would give me a greater hope of my prayers being answered. So tell me, how many times do you think I prayed before I gave up? How many times did you?" 

"More than enough to hope you would take mercy and kill me."

"That is interesting coming from someone too weak to follow the mandate both times." 

I bared my teeth again. Fury bubbled inside me, ready to erupt like an undersea vent. The ground rumbled. I wanted him dead. Everything he has done, it outweighs him being my flesh and blood. It outweighs every good moment from our childhood. Not matter how he might spin this to protect his own fragile self-image, I knew what happened in that cell. The horrors he was capable of committing, and how enthused he was to commit them against me. He was no better than the monsters that took us.

Kaldur kicked onto his feet, looming above me. "You speak of my wrongdoings, but you are the only one who has been spared a trial. I assume it is due to your importance as nothing more than a weapon. I mean, why else would your father care? Why else would you be spared from any threat of punishment now? When he was so willing to kill you then?" A lazy grin fell onto his features, and it only widen as I growled. "Struck a nerve?'

The door opened again. "Kaldur?" said Garth. Brisk steps carried him across the room, and he threw his arms around Kaldur. 

"Garth-"

"No. Let me hug you."

"Let go."

"I refuse to, so do not place wagers on it happening."

Kaldur struggled against Garth's arms, something desperate in his eyes. Despite how hard he struggled, he was never able to break free; Garth tightened his grip with every attempt. A whine slipped free from Kaldur's lips. "Please, let me go. Please, Garth."

"I can and will pick you up if you continue to struggle, my friend." 

Once again, the door opened. I did not know who to expect this time, but Mother stepped into the room, a welcome face. I opened my mouth, only to close it as she rushed to Kaldur. She pulled him away from Garth and into her own arms. Kaldur kept his face turned away. Mother sighed. 

"My little one," she cooed. A hand reached up, and she tapped his cheek. "This is not what we meant when we said we did not want you alone." The movement placed the softly glowing band in my view. My mouth went dry. I knew those bangles. Would she- No. She had no reason to put one on me. Then-

Kaldur. 

Garth sat on the bed next to me, and I pressed myself against his side, closing my eyes. His warmth seeped into my bones. I looked at Kaldur. It was not hard to find the bracelet around his wrist, nearly hidden as it was. Even under his sleeve, the glow was noticeable. Yellow. My lips pressed in a thin line. Yellow, yellow, yellow. That is... My canine dug hard into my cheek. 

He was using me.

Hello! I'm going to go to bed soon since I have school tomorrow, yay

But I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and comments are welcome and I feast on them as much as I do the screams of fire and niehks as I hurt characters. (You two will get extra pats tomorrow)

See yah

Aquagirl (Fem. Percy x YJ)Where stories live. Discover now