Restored (A Caleo Selection)

22 ~ A Passage So Dark

Leo announced the Elite that evening, eliminating Drew, Eliza, Kayla, Holly, and Ella. I saw it from the very back of the dining room, watching the present reporters scramble to write down the names and gauge reactions. I didn't dwell long on the fact that I'd made the Elite Ten of an Illéan Selection -- all of it seemed so trivial in light of what was happening behind the walls.

Piper caught my eye from three seats down, her smile nearly too big for her face, giving me a thumbs-up. I managed a small return smile, and her happy expression flickered with apprehension. I excused myself before she could catch me.

I did not speak to Opal or Madeleine. Kate had not come to My room ever since Leah's death, and Madeleine whispered to me that she had been relegated to the laundry room, still too much of a mess to be of any use as a proper maid. I doubted she would ever be the same Kate I had known again.

My father's office was dark and gloomy when I entered it that night. As my eyes adjusted, I studied the room carefully, looking for the little markings I had found as a young girl. The tiny squiggle of dripped paint in the corner, the dent in the leg of the desk, the scratch near the ceiling where I'd thrown a pen.

I was early, early enough to have several minutes alone with my thoughts. Somehow, the fear that had followed me all through the Selection had eased. Leo was no longer an option. I was about to face my family. What else was there to fear?

Rationally speaking, plenty. But none of it affected me so much anymore.

The click in the wall alerted me to another's presence, and the panel slid open soundlessly. One of my uncles -- Koios or Krios, I had never been able to tell them apart -- gestured me to follow him. I did so, with considerably more dignity than I had last time.

As Krios or Koios opened the door to the inner chamber, I counted four people already present. Once again, Hyperion commanded the head of the table, but this time, a silver-haired man sat at his side. Iapetus.

I refused to look at him, keeping my gaze straight on Hyperion. "You are a monster."

"Now, now, Calypso, insults aren't a part of good rhetoric." The side of Hyperion's mouth curled up.

I ignored the slight. "You killed dozens of people that night, including one of my friends. Not to mention the queen. And now you stoop to attacking my maids."

"Oh, yes, I'd forgotten about the maid." Hyperion leaned back carelessly. "We were going to keep going until you came to us. Who was next? That blonde girl, I think. Madeleine, isn't it?"

My nails dug into my palms. "Yes, well, it didn't work out quite as you hoped. I'm done."

Iapetus inhaled sharply. Hyperion only tilted his head. "I beg your pardon?"

"I. Am. Done," I spat. "I don't care who you threaten. I won't help you, I won't talk to you, I won't get anywhere near the prince. I'm through with you."

Behind me, Krios/Koios shifted, and I fought the urge to tense up. Hyperion leaned back in his chair, studying me for what felt like an eternity. "You're a fool," he said finally.

A surprised laugh escaped me. "I beg your pardon?"

"You never were as bright as your sister. A shame." Hyperion reached into his coat.

I dug my nails into my fists, but kept my mouth shut.

Hyperion removed a small knife from some hidden pocket. "We never needed you, Calypso. We wanted you, but that is something very different." He stood and approached me. "You're not relevant in the long run."