Chapter Two

Dancing was an art.

One was not born knowing how to dance. One does not simply learn dancing by studying it.

Dance was an art that was born in the depths of the soul. It was the ability to do more than simply running around a stage, jumping and twirling. Dancing came with agility, with strength, with the ability to tell stories. For that was what dancing was; a story to tell. It was complex and fulfilling. It was intense and raw, a beautiful display of a tale to be told.

Dancing was emotional.

Dancing was beauty.

It was what I'd poured my heart and soul into for words couldn't explain how I felt most days, but dancing was the perfect outlet for the overflowing emotion in my heart. It was the perfect routine for my anxiety, for my tired soul.

I felt as if my body turned to liquid and moved with the breeze, my legs twisting and turning with each step, each move, muscles contracting and loosening with ease. My hair was coming lose from its bindings so loose strands flew by as I spun and made the landing as I dropped down low on the stage and bowed my head, closing my eyes as I listened to the rush of blood in my ears, my heart pounding.

A second later, the loud crash of applause startled me from my moment and I blinked, lifting my head to look at a sea of faceless people all clapping and cheering, rising to their feet to provide a standing ovation. I stared at them blankly, searching those faces.

I could feel it again.

That tingling sensation on the back of my neck, the little hairs raising with alarm as my natural instincts sensed someone watching me intently. I bounced from face to face, seeking out the eyes that pierced my soul, but there was nothing, but admiration and benevolence. Nothing like the burning intensity I felt creeping along my spine.

Immediately bored and frustrated, I rose to my feet and faced the crowd, bowing down low, holding my arms out, taking in the feedback that came in the whistling and cheering. I rose to my feet and turned, exiting the stage in a breeze. I headed right for my dressing room, with Kodi moving from behind one of the theater curtains to join me at my side. He wasn't paying any attention, though; he was playing some sort of handheld gaming system where I could hear the clash of swords and battle cries.

"Must you play that so loud?" I asked, annoyed. Kodi snorted, turning down the volume.

"Must you be so pretentious?" He asked in a horrible mockery version of my voice. I turned my head to glare at him and he looked up, looked back down, then back up and then awkwardly averted his eyes. I continued to my dressing room with Kodi in tow, the door closing shut behind us as I went straight to my vanity in the corner.

I plopped down and faced the mirror, annoyed with my own reflection as well. Not that I was unhappy with my appearance; I was beautiful just like my parents, just like their parents. Long silky black hair that I endeavored to care for, skin softened by a routine I kept in place every morning and night, eyes an eerie shade of blue that was unmatched by even my own family members, save my grandfather, Hades. I was often compared to my grandfather, told my beauty was only matched by his. Some days I decided... perhaps I was more attractive than even he, and mostly because I went out of my way to ensure my beauty.

My grandfather didn't even shower every day, so.

Still, I found my reflection annoying because everything was annoying me in that moment. From Kodi's video game noises to the seams of my outfit digging into my skin to the way my ballet slippers fit my feet far too tightly because they were now swollen from the dance.

"Where's my meal?" I asked, reaching up to take my hair down from its style. Kodi looked up, then glanced at the clock.

"Yeah, it's kinda late. Lemme go see what the hold up is. Lock the door behind me," he added, tucking his game away and heading out. I watched him go, then turned back to the mirror to frown as I brushed my fingers through my hair, detangling it from the mass of little bobby pins that had held it up previously.

Why was I so irritated today?

My inability to determine who it was that was watching me? Was it just one of those days where I was overly sensitive to things, from the seams in my clothes to loud sounds? It was difficult to determine, so I finished undoing my hair and placed my hands on the vanity in front of me, taking a slow deep breath.

If it was the person watching me, what could I do without scaring them off? I didn't want to frighten them. Something told me if I pursued them aggressively, such as calling in more guards, they would disappear and never be seen from again. That wasn't my intention, which also surprised me. Why did I not want to frighten them? Why did I want to know who it was?

Well, they'd been watching me for weeks now, firstly. Secondly, there was something in their penetrating stare that stood out from the other eyes watching me on stage. There was no fascination or beguiling to it. It was just intense. As if they wanted to know me. As if they wanted to get to me and quickly, but were unsure how to go about it.

Perhaps I was looking too deep into it. Perhaps it was simply another crazed fan hell bent on trying to possess me. I'd run into quite a few such fans over the years. When I was young, I'd had at least three attempted kidnappings, all of which were thwarted thanks to my parents. By the time I was old enough, however, I was stopping my own kidnappings. It happened often, unfortunately. Usually by insane fans or gang members looking to make a name for themselves. It never went anywhere.

Still, something about this new stranger felt... different. There was a connection there. Something raw and intense. Something alluring. Yet, I couldn't quite grasp it because I couldn't figure out who the hell was watching me.

It was frustrating.

How to catch a mouse when the mouse just wouldn't hold still?

The sound of the door opening and closing behind me interrupted my train of thought. I looked up in the mirror.

It wasn't Kodi.

It was a muscular male, beefy, jacked, with a strange residue on the underside of his nose, his pupils dilated, his breathing a bit heavy. I recognized him from the crowd, having seen his face a few times in concert. I knew exactly who he was, why he was here, and what he planned to do. Speak of the devils and they shall appear.

"Good morning," I greeted calmly, picking up a hairbrush and sliding it through my hair, "May I help you?" The male took a step forward, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Yeah, actually," he said, his voice thick with a French accent, "I am here for you."

"And what can I do for you?" I asked, brushing my hair. My nonchalance seemed to annoy him, because he curled his lip and took a few more steps forward until I put the brush down. That seemed to stop him.

"You don't recognize me?" He demanded, clearly offended. I turned in my seat to face him.

"I'm afraid I have quite a few people at my concerts and I do not recognize everyone," I answered, even though that was a lie. It seemed to frustrate him.

"I always sit in the third row," he said angrily, "Every concert since you started back when you were eight. I've always sat in the third row. I sold my house to get tickets to your concert."

"I appreciate your dedication. However, I've not asked you to do such a thing."

"You don't have to," the male went on quickly, looking proud of himself now as he puffed out his chest and seemed to size me up, "I'd do anything for you." I slowly rose to my feet and he seemed to pause for a moment, like he hadn't expected me to be taller than him, even if it was only by an inch or two, but he quickly recovered and maintained that macho man facade.

"I'm honored," I replied, "May I ask, how is it that you came to find my dressing room?" My dressing room was never labeled with my name, none of the others at the concert were either. It was to maintain anonymity to avoid situations like this.

"Edame's," the man breathed, taking a step closer, and I didn't move, didn't flinch, simply watched him, watched the muscles in his body flex tight, watched his wipe at the dust under his nose, "I know it's your favorite restaurant here in Styx. I go there every day and get the same food you always get. I heard one of the guys saying he was delivering to your room today."

"Ah, so you followed him."

"Yes, but I'm afraid he met with an unfortunate accident," he explained, making me narrow my eyes, "Don't be angry. He's alive. Just in a bit of pain. It will pass. Unless, of course, you do not come with me. Then I'm afraid his condition may worsen." I inclined my head.

"I see. Unfortunately, I cannot go with you anywhere as I do not want to," I replied. The male stiffened at that.

"If you don't, I'll hurt your delivery boy."

"No, you won't."

"Fucking-- Are you listening to me? He's just a kid. I've already broken his arm and he's probably got a concussion. If you don't come with me, I'm going to kill him," the male snarled, and reached into his pocket, whipping out a knife, "And I might have to mark up your pretty face too."

I watched him, bored. He wasn't one of the more entertaining ones. He played the game, but once it got to this point, he was going to start aimlessly swiping at me with his knife. On top of that, I wasn't afraid of a silly little needle.

"I am not going," I answered coolly, "And you'll have to direct me to where the delivery boy is so that I may escort him to the hospital."

"Are you fucking insane," the male demanded, "I said come with me, or I'm going to hurt you!"

"No, you are not."

"Have it your way then!" He lunged at me and I swung my arm up, catching him by the wrist. He yelped at the surprisingly strong grip I had on him, and I twisted hard, wrenching his arm around and spinning him around so his back was to me and his arm was twisted up. The knife fell to the floor. He roared and managed to twist back around, aiming to hit me, but I moved my head slightly to the left to avoid it and swung my palm up, catching him right in the jaw and sending him stumbling back. He was disoriented, briefly. I let him recover. He lunged for me again at the same time the door to my dressing room opened and Kodi came in.

"Oh shit!" Kodi exclaimed, but he didn't dare interfere. He stepped back up against the wall and didn't move as the male came charging at me again. I spun to the side and kicked him in the back so he went crashing into the vanity. He swung around again to attack me, but this time, I swung up both my arms and conjured blue swirls of magic that danced around my arms and slid into my hands, forming swords, both of which crossed right at his throat, freezing him in place.

"Kodi," I said calmly, "Please fetch the authorities." Kodi nodded and scrambled from the room. The male panted angrily, glaring at me and he tried to take a step forward, only for the swords to slice into his skin, just slightly. He went still.

"You don't understand," he seethed, "I'm your biggest fan. I've been watching you since you were eight."

"Ah, so you're a pedophile on top of an attacker. Excellent. I'll inform the authorities."

"No! I mean, no, no, no, that's not-- I'm not a-- I just love you so much," he managed, "You're beautiful and you're graceful and gods above, you can fight just as well. You don't understand. You and I are meant to be together." I frowned, briefly remembering that tickling sensation I got during my concerts. Was this perhaps the reason I'd felt stalked all this time? Incredibly disappointed, I said nothing as the authorities came running into the room with Kodi in tow.

In a matter of seconds, the attacker was in cuffs and being forced from the room as he shouted and screamed empty words of passion over his shoulder at me. I watched him go as Kodi came to watch beside me.

"And the delivery boy?" I asked softly.

"He's on his way to the hospital now," Kodi answered.

"Please send him something as an apology," I said, "And free tickets to my next concert."

"Will do," Kodi said, then paused, "Ah, are you good?"

"Hungry," I admitted, watching Kodi roll his eyes, "And very tired. Forget Edame's. I just want to go home now." Kodi nodded in understanding. We cleaned up the dressing room and managed to avoid the reporters after the concert, heading straight back home to Purgatory.

The house was mostly empty when we arrived indicating father was probably in town on work. Dad was probably with him or at one of his classes. Lumen was probably at practice, or at one of dad's classes. But then, I suppose the house wasn't completely empty.

"Holy shit! Are you alright?" Castiel's exclamation made me smile slightly as we came into the main lobby where Castiel, one of our servants, was waiting beside Remi, another one of our servants.

Castiel was the noisy one. He was friendly and warm and loved talking. He was on the small side compared to me, reaching just my chest, with dark curly hair and big green eyes. There was something about him that was boyishly charming. Remi, on the other hand, was just about my height and a shapeshifter. So he technically had no gender or sex. He was just... Remi. I admired that about him. He decided his own gender, his own sexuality, and no one questioned it because of his species. However, there was a form he normally chose and that was the current one. Tall, jet black hair cut short, brilliant blue eyes, and skin the color of porcelain.

"We're fine," Kodi answered Cas, "Hadrian kicked butt, per usual."

"Good," Cas declared, "Fuck those little perverts! I heard he got arrested. You should've just killed him. Gutted him like a fish on the floor and show the rest of those pricks what happens when they fuck with you." Remi gave him a droll stare, folding his arms over his chest. He said something in Cajun French that made Cas scowl. Father and dad spoke his language, but I hadn't quite caught onto all the meanings of the words yet.

"It would just make a bigger scene," Remi told him dryly, "Something Hadrian can't afford. Anyway, glad you're both home. How about some lunch?"

"Please," I said.

"Hell yeah," Kodi exclaimed, "Can you do po'boys? I want shrimp and spicy mayo."

"You'll get what I make you," Remi retorted, then paused, "Po'boys sound good." He turned and headed for the kitchen with the rest of us in tow.

"You're sure you're alright?" Castiel asked me seriously as we got to the kitchen. I inclined my head and Kodi scoffed aloud as he took a seat at the bar while Remi got to work on lunch.

"The guy was like six times his size and he still managed to kick his ass. I don't know how you do it."

"Six times his size?" Castiel asked in dismay.

"That's an exaggeration," I assured dryly.

"Hardly," Kodi retorted, "The guy was huge. He would've popped my head off like a champagne bottle if I tried anything."

"You're a horrible bodyguard," Remi deadpanned, making Kodi sniff.

"Excuse you, I'm a decoy," Kodi responded, "A very good one. See, I did my job great today and nobody said thank you or anything."

"Thank you," I said. Kodi beamed. Remi rolled his eyes while Castiel shook his head and leaned on the counter.

"They really need to do something more about those fucking stalker creeps," Castiel said angrily, "Who the hell do they think they are walking up on you like that like they own you or some shit? I hate your fans. They're all a bunch of creeps. Why can't you find another job? Like, I dunno, training little soldiers or being an assassin."

"Those are safer jobs to you?" Kodi asked bewildered. Castiel shrugged.

"They're safer for him. At least he won't get molested. As a dancer, that's all those weirdos wanna do. Cop a feel, lock him up in their bedrooms, it's gross and creepy and I don't like it!" He declared, folding his arms over his chest. I couldn't resist smiling at Castiel's rant.

He'd always been particularly overprotective of me growing up. I wasn't entirely sure why. Perhaps it was solely based on my career choice. Who knew? All I knew was that no matter what I did, Castiel was there to defend me. Even when I'd broken things in the house as a child, Castiel would take the fall for me if he could. Hell, even if it was obvious it was me, he would still stick up for me.

Honestly it was quite adorable, just like Castiel.

Remi finished making lunch and we took it to the living room to watch movies while we ate. Just typical kids movies, because that was mostly all Remi and Castiel liked watching. They were used to it, what with younger people being around them all their lives, and the wholesomeness of the movies. It was quite refreshing, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched, strangely enough.

As in, I was in my own home and I felt like someone was following me. I looked at Remi, who was the most astute of us all, and he didn't appear to notice it one bit. He just munched away on his sandwich and threw potato chips at the TV when something happened he didn't like. There wasn't a care in the world among the three of them, yet I still felt the creeping sensation on the back of my neck.

I excused myself at some point, and headed upstairs to see if Lumen had arrived back home.

I knocked on the door and waited patiently.

"Ah, one moment!" Lumen's voice sounded a bit... frantic? Curiously, I put my hand on the doorknob and noticed immediately that it was not only locked, but enchanted. She'd enchanted it to provide a distraction to whomever opened the door, but of course, the sound of someone opening the door and closing it downstairs didn't distract me the way she hoped it would.

"Lumen?" I asked.

"Coming!" I stepped back as the door opened and Lumen revealed herself, looking a bit on the rumpled side from her messy hair to her askew clothing. I raised an eyebrow and she stared back at me, almost impatiently, which was out of sorts for her.

"What is it, sweet brother?" She asked. I frowned.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course. Just... stressed," she admitted, her shoulders slumping a little as she averted her eyes, "Classes didn't go well today." I cocked my head.

"I'm sorry. That's unfortunate. Do you need me?" I asked. Lumen shook her head.

"I think I'm just going to go to bed early."

"Without food?"

"Not particularly hungry right now. I might come down later for a snack. Thank you, though."

"Of course." I said nothing more as Lumen shut the door and returned the lock to its place. I frowned at the doorknob, waiting a moment and watching as a ripple spread over the handle, revealing she'd once again put the enchantment into place.

I didn't like that.

I didn't like that at all.

Lumen didn't do that kind of thing. She always left her room open for me, yet today she was locking it up tight.

What was going on lately?

Confused, frustrated, and still feeling eerie, I returned to my quarters and undressed for the day. I changed into a long sleeved shirt and lounge pants before crawling into bed, deciding to take a nap myself. Perhaps that was what I needed. The scare earlier with the stranger in my dressing room and Lumen acting oddly simply wore me out. A nap might clear things up, I decided, so I closed my eyes and settled under the blankets.

Of course, my dreams were once again wracked by the images of dragons dancing in fire. The flames seemed to swallow the other dragon up, the one with the hazel eyes. He was screaming for help.

I woke with a start, my eyes snapping wide open, my breath leaving me in panicked gasps. I stared up at the ceiling, unable to move from the fright of my dream. I quickly took notice of the things in my room to calm me down. The darkness that settled indicating it was well past midnight, the cool breeze billowing the curtains, my vanity sitting in one corner, my sitting area in another, the sound of music thumping softly from downstairs. I waited for a while, feeling my heart rate settle and my panic subside.

I sat up slowly, grimacing at the sweat that soaked my shirt. I shook my head and slid out of bed, heading to rinse off in the shower.

How strange. What did the dreams mean? Surely there was something to them if I kept having them and if they were waking me now. I debated telling my cousin, Keros. Keros had visions all the time. It was how he knew Seven was supposed to be with him in the first place. He'd dreamt of Seven since they were children. Surely he'd know what the dreams meant?

I went to my phone and shot him a quick text. Not more than a few seconds later did he respond and I sighed in relief that he was willing to see me now at this time of night. I got dressed in a pair of black flare jeans and a low cut silky white tank before throwing on a leather jacket and teleporting from my home in Purgatory to Keros's apartment in Styx.

Keros's apartment was on the second floor of a sleek concrete wood accented building with floor to ceiling windows that were tinted for privacy. I used his keycode to enter the building before I went upstairs to his apartment. I didn't even need to knock before it opened and Keros stood in the doorway.

Keros was about my height, but whereas I was thinner, Keros was jacked with muscles that rippled under his loose fitting ribbed tank top and workout shorts. I raised an eyebrow at his attire and he grimaced.

"Couldn't sleep," he admitted, "Anxious." I nodded in agreement and stepped inside.

The apartment wasn't anything special. Keros didn't keep too many material possessions, but he did have quite a few photos of his family, including myself, and several new ones with Seven front and center, like the one taken at his coronation ceremony just a couple weeks ago.

"What's keeping you awake?" I asked as I came in and sat on the black leather sofa in the middle of the sunken living room that was done in a very 70s style. Keros walked over and plopped down on the sofa adjacent to me, leaning forward to prop his arms on his knees.

"Not being able to see Seven," he muttered, making me raise an eyebrow, "He's always so busy with royal stuff and training that it's hard to sit him down and have lunch anymore."

"He's not accustomed to it. Give it time."

"I know, it's just frustrating. I want to see him," he murmured, then reached back to sheepishly rub the back of his neck, "I want to be with him." I nodded.

"You miss him."

"A lot."

"Just give it time. Once the newness of it wears off, he'll be right back in your arms again."

"Thanks," Keros sighed, then looked at me with a frown, "So, what's this about weird dreams?" I leaned forward on the sofa, cocking my head.

"I'm having dreams about dragons," I said, making him raise an eyebrow.

"Dragons?" He asked. I nodded. Keros hummed for a moment, pressing his fingers together thoughtfully before he frowned.

"Well, from what I know, dragons usually mean something big is coming, something that you need to be brave for," he explained, making me frown slowly.

"Something big?" I asked. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. The situation with the Mother and Seven was pretty big. Did this mean the next step was going to be taken in the war against her? Did it have something to do with that, or perhaps it was something more personal? Did it have something to do with my stalker?

"Dragons are usually a sign of bravery and strength," Keros explained, "And seeing a dragon means you need to be brave or strong for something that's coming. You need to prepare yourself for it."

"How do I know what to prepare myself for if I don't know what it is?"

"That's the thing with dreams," Keros sighed grimly, "Dreams are like puzzles with missing pieces. You only have half the puzzle. It's up to you to figure out the rest. They only give you bits and pieces."

"That's... very frustrating," I stated. Keros snorted.

"Fuckin' tell me about it. I've had visions since I was a kid and half of them didn't make sense until I met Seven," he admitted with a shrug. I averted my eyes for a moment, then looked at him.

"Does it help if I describe it in more detail?" I asked. Keros shrugged.

"It could."

"There are two dragons. One of them, I think, is me. The other one... I'm not sure. But, there's fire that's swallowing him up and I feel this desperation to help him."

"Fire can mean a lot of different things," Keros admitted, cocking his head thoughtfully, "Sometimes it can mean passion, sometimes it can mean danger, sometimes it can mean intense emotion."

"It feels... bad."

"Then if you combine it with what we know about dragons, it sounds like something big is coming," Keros said darkly, "Something bad. And whatever it is, it's gunning for you." I frowned and sat back, folding my hands together as I let that sink in. Keros studied me.

"Are you alright?" He asked. I nodded slowly.

"Perhaps this has to do with the Mother," I said at last, "After all, Seven basically declared war on her. But what could that possibly have to do with me?" Keros shrugged, frowning a little.

"I think we should tell Hades," he said, immediately making me look up.

"No," I said, making him look at me bewildered, "No, this feels too miniscule. It could just be stress dreams too. I've been under a lot of pressure."

"Yeah, but what if it is the Mother?"

"What connection do I have to her?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's a ransom plot."

"I highly doubt the female who is obsessed with creating an evil army of artificials is interested in ransom money."

"Seven said she has to get money from somewhere to fund her army," Keros pointed out, making me avert my eyes, "Perhaps it's something along those lines."

"What, she just kidnaps people for money? Somehow I doubt it," I muttered, then sighed and rose to my feet and Keros rose with me, "I don't want to go to Hades until I have something more solid than a few silly dreams." And a stalker. Of course, who knew if those were even connected?

"This doesn't feel right," Keros said, making me nod in understanding, "I still think we should tell Hades, at least just suggest it. Maybe he even knows what your dreams mean, if anything. Maybe he can do a sleep study." I considered that. It would prove whether the dreams were just dreams or psychic visions.

I'd never had psychic visions before. Not like Keros. But then, we had inherited some pretty unique genes, so who knew what got passed down through the family line?

"I suppose," I said at last, "I'll contact him in the morning. For now, I'm just going to head home and sleep and see if maybe I'll see something else, if anything." Keros nodded.

"Sounds good. If you want, I can come with you tomorrow and we can both talk to him."

"Alright. I appreciate that."

"Of course. Anything for you." Keros stepped in and gave me a light hug. I hugged him back, savoring the strength of his arms around me. For a brief moment, I was grateful to have someone's arms around me to hold me up when I suddenly just felt like falling. I was so tired of everything, at that moment.

I stepped back and gave him a nod before I headed out for the night. I made my way out of the apartment, then paused on the street. For the first time, I noticed that tingling sensation had been gone the moment I went inside Keros's apartment, but the moment I stepped outside the doors and out onto the sidewalk, I felt it again on the back of my neck. I narrowed my eyes for a moment, then closed my eyes and teleported from Styx back to Purgatory.

This time, I appeared in my bedroom. I waited a moment and sure enough, that sensation followed me. It prickled and tingled on the back of my neck. And despite not seeing anything in the room when I landed, I knew someone else was there with me.

I held my arms down at my sides and waited a moment before magic crackled into my palms.

I swung around with the intention to slice the head off whoever was behind me, except my sword, despite being fueled by magic, clanged against a small blade that glinted in the moonlight pouring through the window across the room.

"Dragon," came a low voice from the darkness.