Chapter 182 - Falling into darkness (1/2)
The loud blaring sirens of several ambulances and first responders that filled the circular drive looping around the front entrance of the enchanted massive pillars reverberated harshly in Russ's throbbing ears as he watched Joslyn be carried away. Ry's words from beside him were lost in the echoing of sound slamming into his eardrums. It wasn't until a massive hand waved in front of his face that he turned his blank stare toward the man standing beside him.
”Come on we need to get back inside. I've done all I can here.” Ry said nodding toward the crowd now gathering before Selena and another radiant woman that emanated power. ”Selena and Cerci will handle the rest.” He said moving his focus back to the shattered front entrance. He paused beside Prometheus, ”Could you please have the doc.u.ments prepared and brought to our room as soon as possible? We're leaving in a few hours.”
Prometheus gave a faint nod. ”I will meet you in your room within the hour... that is if it is still in tacked by then.” He arched a brow. ”I don't believe this building has taken quite this much damage in a millennia.”
Ry bowed slightly, ”And for that my brother and I are sincerely sorry.” He smacked Russ on the back of the head. ”As is this idiot.” Russ only grunted, his focus still trained on the hallway Arei and Jos had disappeared down.
Prometheus smiled as he patted Russ's shoulder. ”Buck up, son. Your paths will meet again in a rather unusual way.” He tapped Russ's chest with his index finger. ”The heart sees 20/20.” He winked.
Ry rolled his eyes. ”Always with the riddles.” He pushed Russ forward. ”Come on before you piss off anyone else tonight... anyone more powerful and you'll have this entire continent flattened.”
Russ drug his feet down the long corridor, each one feeling every bit of a ton. A sharp pain ran through his chest as Raven and Isha came into view. They were at the open door of their room arguing with the guards, but the unyielding bodies continued to block them in. Raven's angry, desperate eyes shot from the guards to him, meeting his gaze. Anger shifted rapidly to question and accusation. Harsh lines formed around her lips as she held her words back. Russ's heart dropped. All he wanted to do was run into her arms and have her tell him it would all be alright, that Jos would be alright. He dropped his gaze to the marbled tiles of the floor, unable to meet her accusing gaze any longer. Tears splashed off the tile as he walked.
”Russ! Russ! What happened? Is everything alright?” Raven yelled. ”These pompous asshats won't tell us anything or let us out of the damn room!” She yelled louder as she shoved against the guards.
Russ squeezed his eyes tightly shut and gritted his teeth as he forced himself to ignore her words and continue forward.
Ry shook his head as he pushed Russ into the room three doors down. He turned toward Raven. ”Go back inside and I'll call you in a few minutes.” When the Fairies both nodded and stopped fighting against their guards, he pulled the door closed and turned his attention to Russ. ”You've really f.u.c.k.i.e.d it now...”
Russ turned angry, tear-filled eyes on Ry. ”I f.u.c.k.i.e.d it? YOU f.u.c.k.i.e.d it! You were the asshole who told me to say it was over!”
Ry narrowed his eyes as he walked over to the phone. ”No, you f.u.c.k.i.e.d it by outing your relationship in a f.u.c.k.i.n.g super beast battle of destruction! I simply told you to say the words the f.u.c.k.i.n.g council wanted to hear. How the f.u.c.k could I have known we would get a goddamn escort and detail service afterwards?!”
Russ didn't answer. He dropped his head and clamped his hands to the back of it as he let out and animalistic growl. ”F.u.c.k!” He turned and headed toward the hall.
Ry looked up from the keypad of the phone as he punched in the last number. ”Where are you going?”
”The f.u.c.k.i.n.g bathroom, where else?” Russ retorted in irritation.
”Leave the door open.” He called out. ”I can't have you pulling some f.u.c.k.i.n.g Romeo and Juliet bullshit.”
Russ turned back toward Ry indignity, ”Dude, I have to take a piss. I'm not going to kill myself. Even I am smart enough to know that would only make her feel that more guilty.”
”Hum.” Ry snorted. ”Glade to hear you have some common sense rattling around up there in that empty skull of yours.” He turned his attention to the phone. ”Hey... yeah, she's going to be alright now. Arei and Shelly got to her in time and Arei was able to get her out of the Embassy fast enough to pull powers from Father... though I figure that much will warrant a visit from him at any minute now.” A clap of thunder rumbled the door. Ry let out a long sigh. ”Speak of the devil. He's probably out there arguing with the guards as we speak, which means he's not in his usual form. I'll call you guys back in a bit.”
Russ glared hatefully at his reflection, fighting the urge to punch the mirror. He had destroyed over a month of planning, caused the destruction of a building controlled by the council, apparently devastated the one woman than he loved more than life itself to the point of doing the unthinkable, and almost hurt his sister and her unborn child all in the span of 4 hours... because of his own foolish desires and hot-headed jealousy. {Ry has every reason to worry... If anyone is deserving of death, it would be me after the shit I just pulled.} He gritted his teeth. {Why can I not get the wolf under control!}
Ry hung up the phone and called down the hall. ”You still alive in there?”
Russ stepped out of the bathroom; his middle fingers raised. He walked into the kitchen and was going through the refrigerator as Ry made his way over to the door. ”I thought I called up some beer earlier?”
”You did, I poured it down the drain.” Ry called over his shoulder as he pulled the door open and was greeted by the two guards arguing with a man dressed as if he'd just stepped off a yacht. ”Dad... What a surprise.” He said flatly. Amus.e.m.e.nt twinkled in the other man's eyes as the guards jumped back in surprise.
Poseidon's appearances shifted before the guard's eyes. His grin widened as he untied the designer sweater from around his neck and handed it to one of the guards as if they were no more than valet. ”See to this, will you?” He asked curtly, strolling past them. He turned his attention to Ry as he stepped out of the way, so the equally large man could walk into the room. ”It never ceases to amaze me how easily you can identify me. Even your brother can not.” He shrugged, ”Though I have to say, if he could I'd probably never get to see or speak to him.”
Ry frowned, ”Can you blame him?”
Poseidon's smile fell. ”Had he come to me, had either of you came to me first, none of this would have happened. Had he simply claimed the girl as I'd advised-”
”Advised?” Ry interrupted walking over and flopping down on the sofa.
Poseidon smirked as he followed his son over to the sitting area. ”Well, I advised then ordered... same difference.” He shrugged as he sat down in a wide, white leather armchair and stretched his arms over the back. ”Had he claimed her then, they would still be married now and none of you would have served half a damn millennium with my bastard brother.” He shook his head in irritation. ”Losing both you boys AND the kraken... that was a harsh blow.”
Ry's eyes shot to the kitchen, remembering Russ finally. ”Shit...” He said, but found Russ standing there facing them, his mouth opened more so than the gaping fridge behind him.