God of Death

Chapter 19: Thanatos

Chapter 19: Thanatos

The questions burst out of my mouth as soon as Apollo left her room like the floodgates after a storm. "How is she? Is she alright? Will Lily l-?" My voice sounded odd to my ears. I couldn't pinpoint the cause. Did I overuse it or something?

"Perfectly fine. Healthy." He interrupted me, clasping a tight hand across my shoulder in his way for a comfort, but his touch was too warm and familiar form my taste. "Well as healthy as a person can be after what she's been through. Her speech response is a little delayed, but that could be simply from how long she was asleep or from disuse. Yes, she'll be alright now that I'm here to keep an eye on you."

"You don't have go through the trouble-" The words rushed out as I tried to shake of Apollo. He would not be brushed off so easily.

"Nonsense. It's no trouble at all. Besides, it's obvious her wellbeing cannot be trusted with you." That hit home. Hard. Almost as hard as Lily's punches, but it hurt all the same. He was right, unfortunately, but did he have to sound so smug and bright when he said it.

"But those answers of hers seemed..." Concern that's what it was. Concern was changing my voice. Why? She's only human. She'll die soon enough.

But do you want her to die sooner rather than later? Something whispered. A voice. It startled me, but it was different from the voices of the dead. It sounded like me.

I don't. Not yet. Not ever if possible. What an odd thought. Impossible. She will die eventually. Sooner if she keeps trying. I don't want her to become a spirit. I need her light still. I told the voice. It didn't say anything back, but something about it felt oddly smug like it won something. It was madness to be arguing with myself at any rate.

"Crazy? You're lucky she isn't. Being locked up in that room alone for so long. What were you thinking?" Apollo chastised brutally. He had the nerve to cuff me up side my head. I had not expected that. "But, you seem better. More intelligent. So, you did something right. Though if you want her to like you, befriend her."

Only Apollo felt confident enough in himself to believe that I would not retaliate against him for his behavior. I wouldn't not unless he gave me a greater reason to. The foolish young god was one of the few who did not fear my nature and abilities enough to not interact with me. But, he was mostly right. Why would I want to destroy a god? It was tiresome and mess, the process. "Easier said than done. She despises every fiber of my being."

"I would hate you too if I was treated the way you've treated her. Please, if you are not going to let her go, do not leave her all alone from now on. The living are different form the dead.

Now, enough about her. Let us focus on you. What in the Depths of Hades did you do to her?" His tone did not match his words. Apollo should have sounded furious. I expected it with those words. Instead, his voice was as light as ever leaning on teasing. His grip around my shoulders did tightened.

How is that not about her? "I haven't done anything to her. If anything, she's done things to me. Do you know how sharp her fingers and teeth are?"

"Really? Then, Than, how do you explain why she is terrified to be touched. Why she had decided to hasten her journey to the otherside? Why is it that you called upon me in a panic when she was ill?"

"Ill?! She was foaming at the mouth! It was red with her blood. She was dying!"

"You forgot 'writhing in an agony so great, she was screaming without making a sound'; she was hardly dying. Bleeding out, yes. But, she was hours away from dying. She didn't choose the best poison, did she? But, that is beside the point."