The Circle

30 | Power

The speedboat cut through the sea effortlessly, gracefully gliding over the azure water of the Mediterranean Sea. It was a beautiful vessel, carved out of sleek wood with chrome details over its body. It wasn't the largest of his boats, but Luc thought it was a jewel in his collection.

Luc was going to arrive late. His fiancé had detained him at his house in Corsica with plans for the upcoming wedding, and he left late for the meeting. Xander would not be happy. Luc pushed the speed lever further and forced the boat to move faster towards Nice.

The shore approached rapidly, and Luc steered the boat towards the D'Aplièse villa. The long, white pier was finally in his line of sight, gleaming under the French sunshine.
A boat hand helped dock the speedboat and Luc leaped off the deck, nodding his head in thanks. He straightened his pants and button-down before heading towards the steps that cut through the rocky shoreline and led to the villa standing proudly above.

Luc crossed the carefully manicured garden and walked on the gravel until he reached the large, shimmering pool. He ran a hand over his ruffled golden hair, frowning as he felt his sticky forehead. It was sweltering hot even though they were in the fall. He wished Xander would have left him alone.

"Où est-il?" Luc asked a servant fluffing up a lush sunchair at the pool area.

"Monsieur Deveau! Je suis désolé, je ne t'ai pas vu," The girl looked frazzled, her cheeks burning red. "Monsieur D'Aplièse est assis à la table du jardin."

"Merci," Luc said and walked towards the side of the house.

He heard voices and walked onwards. On the left side of the house, there was a wrought-iron table where the family usually had breakfast and dinner on hot summer days. The table was shaded by a canopy of lavender that dangled down below and perfumed the air. Luc approached the seated man and pulled a chair, flopping down directly in front of Xander.

"Comment ça va, cousin?" Xander looked at Luc with his too-blue eyes, not a hint of amusement in his face. Luc knew that look wasn't good.

"I'm well, thank you," Luc smiled politely.

Xander was his first cousin from his father's side, yet both men had little sympathy for each other. Nothing between them was alike, not their personalities, not the coloring of their features, nothing. Not even the God they were descended from.

"Why are you late?" Xander asked in his deep voice, his eyes piercing. Luc tried to shake off the feeling his cousin's eyes gave him -- that tightness in his chest. Xander's eyes were used as a weapon. It seemed that they could look straight into one's innermost thoughts.

"Mathilda held me back. Plans for the wedding," Luc replied.

"Oh yes. The happy couple. You look positively in love," Xander's lips quirked up, his smirk sharp as a knife's edge.

"What did you want to discuss, Xander?" Luc asked, his voice pained. He wasn't one for Circle duties. He technically was second in command but nothing about his position pleased him. He wanted nothing more than peace and to live happily with Mathilda, away from all the bloodshed that the power struggles between demigods brought.

"There's a council meeting scheduled in a month's time," Xander said breezily. Luc raised an eyebrow.

"Why? You already had one this year. Problems in Greece?"