Chapter Eleven

We appeared in Apollo's temple from the escape route in the underworld in a split second.

The temple was empty, even the throne room was scarce. Only Apollo's empty chair sat there with wine and a bowl of fruit sitting on the stand beside it. There were no nymphs or humans there to lavish him with their attention. In fact, even Apollo wasn't there.

"Where is he?" Malachi asked in irritation, looking around. Abel snorted, folding his arms over his chest.

"Probably hiding because he's as scared of Hades as anyone else." He responded mockingly.

"Actually, I'm right behind you, stupid." Apollo's voice sneered. Abel yelped and whirled around, taking a few quick steps back and taking Noe, pulling him in front of him as a shield. Malachi and I glared at him before I looked at Apollo, who raised an eyebrow, looking down at him.

"So you're the oracle." He stated. Noe swallowed hard and just gave a timid nod. Apollo studied him, then looked up at me until his eyes shifted to look behind me at Callias. His eyes widened slightly and he cocked his head, gesturing for Callias to come forward.

"Who's this?" Apollo demanded, studying Callias from head to toe. Callias stared at him, but didn't answer, so I responded for him.

"You said you wanted a lover. I won't do it... But he will. He offered." I added with a frown. Apollo narrowed his eyes for a moment, then came forward and circled Callias slowly to study him, like a vulture circling its prey. Callias didn't react at all. Just stared straight ahead obediently. Apollo came to stand in front of him, lifting his head up high so he was looking down his nose at Callias.

"And what are you called?" He asked.

"Whatever you wish to call me." Callias responded. Apollo raised an eyebrow at that. For a moment, I swore he was just going to vaporize Callias on the spot. Noe cleared his throat, making Apollo look at him pointedly.

"Uh, I call him Callias, if that helps any." He offered. A smirk curved Apollo's lips as he turned back to face Callias, amused.

"That's a fitting name for someone like you. You are pretty for a man. It's too bad you don't have Zelios's red hair." He commented, glancing sideways at me. I tried not to grimace at the hungry stare in his eyes that assured me he was still going to torment me. However, Callias reached up and ran his fingers through his hair. As he did so, his black hair began to change slowly as his fingers thread through it. It went from midnight black to the same shade of blood red as my hair. We stared at him in surprise, even Apollo did. Callias stared at Apollo as he finished coloring his hair red.

"Does this suit your tastes, my lord?" He asked. Apollo shivered a little, running his tongue over his bottom lip before biting it, obviously aroused by Callias's obedience.

"You're a nifty little thing, aren't you? And what are you?" He asked. Callias gazed at him.

"Whatever you want me to be, my lord." He responded. Apollo hummed at that, glancing at me out the corner of his eye.

"Where did you find him?" He asked. I almost answered that I had discovered him in the House of Hades, then thought better of it. He was sure to be alarmed when he found out he owned a prisoner of Hades.

"Along the way." I responded. Apollo seemed to accept that. He looked back at Callias, who just met his gaze levelly, but blankly. And while I was glad that Apollo seemed to accept Callias over me, there was still an uneasiness inside me for giving this man over to the god. Callias had offered, and yet, something in me was guilty. I was treating him as an object, not a person.

"All right," Apollo decided at last with a shrug, "You've got yourself a deal." Noe breathed a sigh of relief. Malachi also looked rather relieved. If anyone should be feeling such, it should be me, I thought, resisting the urge to sigh. Apollo ran another hot stare over Callias's body, then snapped his fingers. Callias's body was instantly clean, revealing his skin to be much smoother, almost glowing, translucent from lack of sun, but oddly beautiful. His red hair was now tied up in a ponytail with gold strings that hung down his back with the ponytail. His tail was still gone, but his wings remained and were now painted over with gold symbols. He wore a pair of tight black leggings and a white tunic.

"I like my lovers to dress nice." Apollo commented when Malachi gave him an odd look. My brother just rolled his eyes, obviously fed up with Apollo's shallowness, but I was accustomed to it and ignored it swiftly. Callias seemed relieved to have some sort of clothing, however, as he ran his fingertips over the smooth material of his clothes in silence, expressionless awe.

"Now all that's left is to let Noe feed." Malachi told him. Apollo wrinkled his nose, but looked at Noe, who chewed his bottom lip nervously.

"It won't hurt," Apollo assured him, "Well, not you anyway. If you bite too hard, I might smack you."

"Don't bite him too hard." I blurted to Noe, who smirked at me. Apollo raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as he went to take Noe by the arm when a fissure of power cut through the air. Apollo's eyes widened and he jerked his head up as the temple trembled violently. Malachi, Abel, and I gasped at the familiarity of the obscene mass of power. A loud angry roar shook the temple and Apollo actually flinched, taking a step back to turn and face the entrance. In fact, everyone took a bit step back as a screaming storm of black smoke coiled into the temple. It swirled around like a vicious tornado, screaming in both rage and hate. Apollo's temple darkened instantly, said god gritting his teeth as the smokey black tornado settled, molding into the form of Hades.

Hades stood there, dressed entirely in his black armored uniform and flowing cloak that seemed to ripple around him. Cerberus appeared behind him with Leon and two other soldiers of Hades, all looking rather grim faced.

"The fuck do you think you are doing?" Hades sneered. Apollo came to stand in front of our group to face him, his blue eyes snapping fire at the elder god.

"I'd like to ask you the same question, uncle." He returned venomously. Could there be anymore contempt in that title? Either way it was enough to make Hades's icy eyes flare with rage as he took a dangerous step toward his nephew, only to have a sharp crackle of thunder boom overhead. Hades glared up at the ceiling.

"Shut up, Zeus, this isn't any of your business! This is between my sons and I! It has nothing to do with your damned bastard!" He snarled, then looked back at Apollo, who put his hands on his hips and stuck his nose in the air at him.

"You're in my temple," Apollo announced, "That makes it my business. You're not welcome here."

"Fine," Hades replied dryly, "Then let me take my pathetic sons and the oracle and I'll be on my way." Apollo snorted and shook his head, folding his arms over his chest. Everyone else just remained stone still, as if afraid that the slightest shift would bring the vicious attention of the gods.

"Uhm, no, I'm about to take the Oracle of Tartarus for myself." He responded. Hades fumed at that.

"No! I don't want you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, Apollo, you little shit!" He snarled, to which Apollo wrinkled his nose in distaste.

"Who said I was gonna use it anyway? I don't really care what's in Tartarus. Probably just hot misery and woe. I'm the god of music and sunlight, you crap. Tartarus is no place for me. I'm just doing this so I can snag me a new bed mate." He responded. Hades curled his lip in disgust and shot me a withering stare. I opened my mouth to protest and correct his assumption, but he shot his hand out and black tar escaped his palm and plastered itself over my mouth. I grimaced in disgust as the thick slime covered my mouth and wrapped around to tie itself at the back of my head so I couldn't speak. Noe jumped in alarm, coming to stand beside me, but I just shook my head. There was no way he could remove it.

"Douche move," Apollo declared, making Hades flip him off, "Besides, I'm not sleeping with your precious baby anymore anyway. They gave me a new present." He gestured a thumb to Callias, who stiffened as Hades locked eyes on him.

"You!" Hades sneered. I expected Apollo to become angry that we had lied to him, but he shrugged non-chalantly, obviously already knowing that Callias had come from his prison.

"Isn't this a good thing for you," Apollo drawled, "Now you have more space in your cute little dungeon. Not to mention, he's technically mine now." Hades curled his lip, clenching his fists.

"That pathetic little creature is mine. He was promised to me." He returned angrily. Apollo still didn't freak out, just shrugged.

"Yeah, well, now he's here and now he's mine. Besides, you weren't using him anyway." He answered, making Hades red in the face. Hades gave another angry roar that shook the temple and while the rest of us cringed, Apollo just stood there, completely casual and calm as if Hades didn't frighten him, which was probably just a show as Apollo had looked rather alarmed when he felt Hades's presence soaring into Olympus.

"Look," Apollo drawled, "You were pretty stupid to try and lock the oracle in your place anyway. According to your much more intelligent sons, the Titans were trying to get you to do that so they could drive the guy insane and control him long enough to break down all the barriers between your cozy cottage and Tartarus. He'd go in, let them loose, and oh yeah, destroy the world." Hades gave pause at that, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"How do I know you won't take him and use him for your own needs?" He demanded. Apollo scoffed.

"What is there in the Underworld that I could possibly want? I have a new lover here. I have sunlight and music and food and wine. The only thing you have down there is eternal torture. And while I like some good BDSM once in a while, I definitely don't like evil torture. It's not in my job description." He explained drolly, as if Hades should have already known. Hades bristled at that, but he still didn't speak.

He actually seemed to be thinking about the situation now. Of course, he didn't have much time to think when Noe gave a low groan. I turned to him instantly as he sank to the floor, grasping at the sides of his head in pain.

"They won't shut up," He moaned as everyone turned in alarm, "They keep yelling at me." I got on my knees beside Noe, putting my arms around him to him to me tightly. Noe whined in pain and tried to cover his ears, burying his face against my chest. Apollo looked over at Hades now, a hand on his hip.

"We're running out of time," He warned, "It's even worse that Noe's here in Olympus. If we don't do something now, and by that I mean letting him feed on me to control his powers, then it'll be your fault the world ends and my bet's that Big Daddy will come straight for you." Hades's eyes snapped fire at the threat, but even he knew that Apollo was right. He curled his lip and waved for Apollo to do what he had to do. Apollo nodded, then turned to Noe and I. I reluctantly released Noe, who growled low in his throat. His eyes flickered, like lightbulbs trying to turn on. His serrated fangs glinted as he parted his lips to snarl.

Apollo knelt down in front of Noe, who snapped his teeth at him, but Apollo grabbed Noe's head and forced it back. He brought his own wrist to his mouth and sank his fangs down into them before holding his wrist over Noe's mouth, letting the blood drip inside. He slowly lowered his wrist down into Noe's mouth. Noe growled and clamped his teeth down into Apollo's arm, making the god wince faintly.

Noe started to drink from Apollo's wrist, sucking hungrily and gnashing his teeth down further. Apollo narrowed his eyes, watching Noe intensely. Noe began to relax the more he drank from the god. His wings trembled and quivered before folding up behind him, not disappearing, but simply folding themselves in submission. His eyes ceased their eerie glowing and he finally parted his lips, licking the blood off them as he sat back. Apollo rose to his feet, then gestured to everyone in this room.

"Let everyone in this room be a witness to the Oracle of Tartarus, my oracle." He added, casting a pointed glare at Hades, who sneered at him. Apollo turned back to Noe, holding his hand out. Noe looked confused by it for a moment, then hesitantly reached out to take it. Apollo pulled him to his feet where Noe wobbled for a moment before catching his balance. Apollo frowned down at him.

"Being an oracle isn't easy, by the way," He muttered, "It's gonna suck. You'll still hear the voices of the gods, but they're fainter now and you have the power to ignore them, or listen to them, when you need to. You belong to me, officially. No longer Phoebe. She cannot get to you so long as she's trapped now. I put a seal on you so that the Titans won't be able to harass you. You still might hear their bitching and whining from time to time, but it won't drive you insane if you fight it. Most oracles went insane because they didn't fight it hard enough. They gave up and people died. You have someone you want to fight for, so if I were you, I wouldn't give up, or terrible things will happen to him and the rest of the world." Noe blinked at that, then turned to look at me. As soon as he did, the muzzle on my mouth vanished and I looked at Apollo, who had snapped his fingers to make it vanish. I nodded to him gratefully and he inclined his head in return before he gave Hades a withering stare.

"Oh yeah. And get the fuck outta my house, dude." He stated. Hades curled his lip, then clapped his hands together.

One moment, we were in Apollo's temple. The next, we were in Hades's throne room, except for Callias, who remained behind with his new owner. As for the rest of us, well...

As soon as we appeared in the throne room, wire wrapped itself around my wrists, tearing them behind my back forcefully and the muzzle returned to my mouth again. An unseen power forced me onto my knees, making Noe gasp and rush to my side.

"What're you doing?" Malachi snarled at Hades, who appeared in front of me, glaring down at me.

"You disobeyed me," He seethed down at me, the hate flaring in his eyes like fire, "If I didn't have a need for you... If I didn't love your mother as much as I did, I would turn you into a pile of ash right here, right now, soul, body, and all." I frowned up at him as he studied me with narrowed icy eyes that spoke nothing, but disappointment. I was surprised by how much it had stung me. I had never actually thought about how Hades viewed me, but now it was quite obvious.

"He just saved us," Malachi insisted angrily, "You can't punish him for that. If it wasn't for him--"

"If it wasn't for him," Hades cut him off sharply, tossing him a deadly glare that dared him to speak further, "We wouldn't have an eye of Olympus here. I do my work in private. I don't need Zeus, or any of those Olympians to spy on it. But now we have an oracle in our midst and while it saved us, it'll weaken us. Should we do something that upsets thunder ass upstairs, he'll know about it and he'll throw a fit." Noe frowned uncomfortably at that, but tightened his hold on me. I savored the feel of his arms around me as comfort for the burn my father had dealt to my ego.

"So you're still going to punish him?" Cerberus asked, his voice tight. Hades pinned him with a stare that actually made Cerberus flinch.

"No one disobeys me and gets away with it. Should I show the slightest weakness, people will take advantage of it. He will receive punishment, and if the rest of you don't return to your homes, you too will receive punishment." He ordered. Malachi grimaced, then vanished a second later, taking Abel with him. Cerberus and his two soldiers disappeared. Now it was only Hades, Noe, and I. Hades gave Noe a glowering stare.

"You will step down." He ordered. Noe seriously looked as if he were considering standing up to my father until I made a noise that made him look at me. I shook my head, hoping he'd just go back home where he belonged. I didn't want to risk losing him now, not after all we'd gone through to save him. Noe bit his bottom lip, glancing at Hades out the corner of eye, then looked at me. He leaned in and kissed me rather boldly over the muzzle before he vanished a second later.

Hades curled his lip and reached out, grabbing a handful of my hair, wrenching my head back as he loomed over me, his icy blue eyes glowing threateningly.

"You've caused me quite a lot of problems as of late, Zelios," He sneered down at me, "I'm extremely disappointed. You were always the mature one, the one who listened to me. I counted on you to be the strongest of the group and you've broken that. Shattered in in less than a few days. I can practically hear your mother's soul weeping." I didn't dare break eye contact with him, despite the burn inside me at his words.

He was trying to hurt me. Granted, I didn't know my mother very well. She'd been one of Hades's most beloved lovers. He doted on her heavily and gave her everything she wanted. She was Hades's favorite before Persephone came along. Until my mother had given birth to me and my father was enraged. He hadn't wanted a child at the time, so he threw me into Tartarus and my mother was horrified. She ran to Tartarus to save me and, at the time, Tartarus had only been a dismal pit without cells or organization. She was immediately attacked by the prisoners of Tartarus, torn apart, shredded. By the time Hades got there, she was dead.

He only kept me because I looked exactly like my mother. The same flowing red hair, same piercing red gaze, same porcelain skin, same features. I was the only thing he had left to remind him of her, so he put me in charge of Tartarus once I came of age. I had put Tartarus into organzation. I was the one who planned the cells, the palace, the grigora. Tartarus had become my home, and my prison.

"Look at me," Hades snarled, jerking hard on my hair and making me snap out of my stupor to stare at him intently, "You have made a mistake in angering me, Zelios. I cannot kill you and I cannot afford to torture you, but I can curse you." My eyes flickered at that as he stared at me intensely, his eyes slowly lighting up, much like Noe's did before, but in a way that meant he was summoning his darkest powers.

"You will never speak again," He sneered down at me, tightening his grip on my hair, "No one will hear your voice as long as you live. Only I can take this curse away. And right now, I really don't feel like doing that." He roughly let go of my hair, then snapped his fingers and the wire and muzzle were gone. I blinked, looking down at my sore, cut wrists, then opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out. My stomach clenched at the realization that Hades truly did take my voice away. I looked up at him as he narrowed his eyes at me.

"Good luck speaking to your lover now." He snapped his fingers and I vanished from his throne room and abruptly appeared in my throne room where Noe was pacing back and forth. He pulled up short when he saw me, his eyes widening.

"Zelios!" He ran right to me, throwing his arms around me. I was caught off guard by his display of affection, then slowly opened up further to it, wrapping my arms around him in return. Pain clenched in my chest, however, that I wouldn't be able to say his name. He pulled back, looking up at me in concern, as if he could feel my distress.

"What's wrong? What happened? What did he do?" He asked. I clenched my teeth for a moment, then parted my lips and mouthed that I could not speak. Noe was confused for a moment before his eyes widened in agony.

"B-But, Zelios, your work... your brothers. The Titans. How are we supposed to do all of that if you can't speak?" He asked. I shook my head, then took his face in my hands, leaning down to kiss him gently on the forehead. Noe swallowed hard, the tears swimming in his eyes as he reached up to cup my face in his small, smooth hands. He studied me, then rose on his toes and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips. He pulled back to look into my eyes, and my heart softened at the way his tears made his periwinkle eyes glitter. I leaned in to kiss him again and when I went to pull away, he put his arms around my neck and refused to let me go. A moan erupted from my throat, the only sound I could manage as his timid tongue swept across my lips, which I parted to taste him fully.

His tongue dipped into my mouth boldly, searching for a voice he was never going to hear again. My heart tightened at that and I reluctantly pulled away, licking my lips as I looked down at him, his lips moist and shining, his eyes staring up at me. His expression slowly became sad.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you." He murmured guiltily. I winced and shook my head quickly to tell him it wasn't his fault. He smiled a little bit.

"At least I still know when you're telling me I'm wrong." He admitted. I smiled sadly at that. He stood on his toes against to peck me on the lips, then stepped back to frown at me.

"And worst of all, we're not done yet." He muttered. I nodded grimly. Not only did I still need to find one of the coins that summoned Xenon, for Callias, but I also needed to consult with my brothers.

The traitor that sold me out to Hades.

The traitor that turned Noe into an oracle in the first place.

Whoever it was, was still out there, roaming freely. And nothing angered me more.