Claimed by Twelve

9. Truth

      "You almost killed him!" Reyna shouted at me from across the room. I refused to answer her. My arms were uncomfortably bound behind me with rope; my legs tied to the wooden chair I was sitting on. Somewhere deep inside I knew I could get out if I wanted. I buried it. That feeling was the same one that I had almost killed Jason and Percy with.
"You have nothing to say?" Reyna's voice was a growl. I kept my head down, my eyes closed. Reyna scoffed and muttered something under her breath. Her footsteps rang through the room as she walked up to me. A golden dagger under my chin forced me to look up at her. "Nothing?" I didn't meet her eyes. She moved the dagger. I let my eyes find the floor once again.
      A whistle pierced the air. I flinched as Reyna's two dogs, Aurum and Argentum, padded into the room. The dogs sat on either side of her. I forced myself not to shift under their gazes. "Did you do it on purpose?" I opened my mouth. I closed it again. Had I? Part of me, yes. But I wouldn't have.
      Reyna took a step forward. I didn't let her get any farther. "I don't know," I muttered. The dogs shifted but stayed quiet.
      Reyna gave me a confused look. "Yes or no?"
      "I don't know."
      "Pick one."
      "Yes." A low growl echoed through the room.
      "So you did do it on purpose?"
      I decided to test my luck. "I didn't attack them on purpose." Another growl echoed throughout the room.
     Reyna paused. "You don't know."
     "No."
      Reyna gave me one last glare before stalking out of the room. The dogs followed her. I could see the two Roman soldiers standing guard outside. I let my head hang once again, my matted hair still sticking to my forehead.
      I had almost killed them. It wasn't me, I repeated this in my head over and over, even though part of me knew it wasn't true. I shifted as the ropes started to itch. The rough binds scratched me, drawing blood. Good. I needed the pain. I shifted a little more. I could hear the blood dripping on the floor now.
I rolled my head back and forth. What would they do with me now? They wouldn't make me fight; I had already proven I could take down Jason and Percy. I was still uneasy.
I hadn't known I held that power. Even now when I thought about, I'm positive I don't hold it. I couldn't have taken them out.
But you did.
The door scraped the ground as it opened again. I risked a glance up and internally groaned. Jason, Percy, Annabeth, and Piper stood in the doorway. I leveled my eyes at the ground again. Footsteps approached as I squeezed my eyes shut. This couldn't end well.
Suddenly, Piper's dagger, Katoptris, was under my chin. I yelped as she pushed the chair backwards. My heart jumped in my chest as I met her eyes. In them, there was nothing but rage.
"I should kill you for what you did," Piper's voice dripped with venom. Jason shifted behind her; he wasn't fully on board with this.
I gulped. "Just let me–" The dagger pushed harder against my throat. "–explain." Percy and Annabeth scoffed at the same time. "No! I didn't–"
"Mean to?" Piper pushed the chair back farther. I knew if she let go I would tip.
"It wasn't–" I struggled against the dagger.
"You?" Jason spoke for the first time since he entered the room. Piper hesitated with the knife against my throat.
I closed my eyes. "It wasn't me." I whispered.
Jason gave a pointed glare to Piper, who scowled and set the chair back on the ground. The knife stayed in place. "But you knew what you were doing?"
"Yes."
Percy inhaled sharply. "Khione." My eyes jumped to his, startled. "It was her, wasn't it? She told you to–"
"Yes."