American Royalty

Part 17: Dark Secrets

Connor walked back to the common room with Valerie and Jason. He couldn't believe just how much the school had grown on him. He still hated it. A lot. But it wasn't unbearable anymore. When they entered the common room they found Will, Nico, and Annabeth all talking in hushed tones. When the three demigods entered their conversation stopped abruptly. Weird. Something was up. Connor dropped his bag outside the door to his room and rejoined the others on the couches. As he sat down Jason glanced at him as if trying to tell him something but Connor couldn't work it out. 
"Where are the others?" Annabeth asked

"Pretty sure they're heading back. I think they had herbology though so they may be awhile." Jason said taking out his homework. 

"Why does homework even exist??" Valerie said throwing her homework onto the table.

"It was initially created as a punishment and..." Nico trailed off noticing that everyone was staring at him 

"You mean to tell me that this was invented as a punishment?!" Connor said looking in disgust at his homework.

"Yes, and it is now used in everyday life." Nico finished

Jason was still shooting Connor glances as if trying to tell him something. Connor decided that he couldn't concentrate in the common room so he moved to the desk in his bedroom. Kit walked in 5 minutes later pulling off her tie and shrugging off her bag on the floor. 

"Hey," she said coming up behind him and hugging him.

"Hey, you ok?" Connor asked kissing her hand

"You know, glad I finally have Apollo off my back," Kit said sitting down on the bed. 

Connor let out a laugh. The last week Apollo had been popping up and checking up on Kit. It had started to become really irritating especially when he would just appear next to her while she was walking down the hallway and scare the living daylights out of the students around her. She, of course, had learned to completely ignore him so she would just keep walking until he could catch up and tune her off for 'not taking care of herself'. He was almost as bad as Will, mind you that's probably where he got it from.

Kit got up to go to the showers leaving Connor with his homework. 

Kit emerged from the bathroom in a sports bra and shorts, she had left her shirt on the bed. As she entered the room Connor looked up from his homework. His eyes caught something he hadn't spotted before. On her left shoulder was a scar that he hadn't noticed before. Demigods had scars, but Kit had a lot more than most. But the one that had caught his eye was different. It looked like tally marks drawn into her skin and just below it was a symbol that looked like a T that was burned into her flesh. 

The horrifying truth hit Connor like a brick wall. His heart pounded in his chest and his breathing felt laboured. He stormed straight out of the room leaving Kit glancing after him.

"How could you not have told me!" Connor said storming into Will's office.

Will looked up, mildly startled "What do you mean?" 

Connor closed the door behind him, "Who else knows?!"

"Connor! You're hyperventilating. I need you to slow down...and start from the beginning." Will said moving to the couches. Connor followed but didnt sit, instead he paced up and down. Will's eyes followed him.

"Earlier...I noticed something, a tally mark, and a symbol, it was burned...into her flesh. She was tortured...down there...by Him... that's why everything is worse...why the scars..."

"Connor, I need you to listen, there are only 6 other people who know this," He said indicating to him to take a seat, Connor did.

"When they were down there, Kit, Annabeth, and Percy were captured by the defeated Titans, Percy and Kit were tortured. I don't fully know what happened down there and neither does Annabeth, Kit spoke with Nico late one night but even he doesn't know what happened in detail. Apollo and Poisedon were the only gods that know" Will sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "Connor, you can't change anything, okay? Kit and Percy managed to escape by killing all the defeated, they found Annabeth who had been locked in a cell where she had only been able to hear them, they got out but they had been trapped and tortured for 6 days in Tartarus time."

Connor sighed, "And no one else knows?"

"No one," Will confirmed, "The twins don't want to make a bigger deal out of it, I mean, they are a part of the 4 demigods who fell into Tartarus and made it out, that in itself is just ridiculous to comprehend, to say they were tortured by defeated enemies as well? Well, that would just be crazy. They dont want to draw any more attention to themselves."

Connor tried to absorb the fact that his girlfriend, possibly his future wife, and her twin brother had been tortured. And by the Titans that they had defeated in the last war. 

"You need to tell her you know, Connor, you can help her," 

"Yeah ok, thanks Will," Connor got up and made his way back his room feeling just as nervous as the first day he'd asked Kit out.

Kit was sitting on the bed with Rocky lying on the floor by her feet. 

"Hey, come lets go for a walk," hearing the word walk Rocky jumped up and ran to the door.

"Well I guess that gives me no choice." Kit said getting up and moving to the door.

They walked out of the school and down to the lake. They sat close to the edge letting their feet dangle in the cool water. Rocky ran around the edge chasing flies. Kit's head lay against Connor's shoulder, they sat in silence for a while, just enjoying each other's company.

"You know, don't you?" Kit said 

Connor wrapped his arm around her pulling her closer to him. "Yeah," 

Kit leaned closer, and before she knew hot tears dripped down her face. The words started pouring out, Connor listened, to every word. When she'd finished they sat in silence for a while.  Kit eventually jumped into the lake leaving Connor standing on the side. 

"Do you think he's gonna ask her?" Piper asked

"Shhhh.." everyone hissed from their hiding spot behind the tree line.

Kit popped up out of the lake fully dry, Connor smiling down at her. They walked around to where they looked over the rolling hills. Holding hands just enjoying each other's company sating into the sun as it touched the hills. It was perfect.