The Fugitive - Chapter 169

Esme tilted her head from side to side, inspecting the make-up she wore; it was natural, the kohl enhancing her almond-shaped eyes and the light paint enhancing the pinkness of her lips. Esme or Nyx, in her dream, waved her hand in annoyance.

“Enough, Lyra. My head hurts from dressing up,” Nyx muttered. “Father is already waiting for me. I do not understand why I must have my hair done just to see him.”

She ran her hands through her locks, undoing the styling her servant put her hair into, letting her locks fall back down to her waist in waves. Lyra pursed her lips and grabbed the golden leaf crown, placing it upon her head. “Much better. Do not worry about jewels.” Nyx tightened the dangling earrings from her ears and looked at her chest where it was usually adorned in jewels, but her father was not a patient man, and it was best to look like she was in a hurry to see him.

With that thought in mind, she stood up and turned, facing Acacius, who had been shifting from one foot to the other like he was desperate to relieve himself. Nyx placed her hand atop his shoulder, making him flinch, and she couldn’t help but chuckle darkly to herself. Even after years of working for her, her most trusted servant was still fearful of her, like most of the gods.

Nyx relaxed her hand and sauntered through the double doors that opened from the outside, her guards always so vigilant. Acacius walked slightly behind her, but she could tell he wanted to move quickly. “Stop fidgeting. It is most vexing,” She snapped while brushing her fingers through her hair.

“Nyx.. Your father has been-”

“Waiting, I know,” She grinned as they walked down the hallways until they stepped down to the floor below, which had restricted access. The double doors before her were black in colour with gold engravings of the chaos star, the ends pointed like arrows. The doors opened with the armoured guards bowing their heads at her entrance.

Nyx took her time descending the steps and walking across the shiny dark marbled floors. Each step she took, the servants at the far wall bowed onto the ground, trembling in fear. But Nyx’s eyes were set ahead of her, ignoring her father’s guests who were stood across the jagged black throne and to the side of the glowing turquoise pond. Her father was not seated on his throne but had his back to his guests, his arm draped over its back.

Nyx raised a brow at his pose, wondering if he was trying to make the servant girls swoon even more. Then again, all the gods were good looking, and her father was more on the dark and dangerous side, making him all the more of a heart-stopper. Literally. His long straight black hair fell to his waist, and the black cape he wore fell down to the floor, the sleeves also long. His long, pale, elegant fingers tapped on one of the sharp points of the throne but stopped when she was halfway across the hall.

“At last, my daughter has arrived,” His voice boomed, shaking the walls and causing dust to sprinkle on the floors.

“As ever, father. You are always so dramatic,” Nyx commented calmly, even as her heart spiked at the sound of his voice.

Khaos turned around and faced her, his onyx eyes narrowing before his lips curled up into a dazzling smile as he clapped his hands with a peal of deep, rumbling laughter that didn’t befit his sharp, elegant features and lean, tall frame. “Nyx, if you were anyone else..” He trailed off, his eyes flashing, and a sinister smile crawled on his lips.

Yes, she would be turned to dust.

Nyx stopped just below the first of four giant steps leading to the throne. “You called for me-”

“Three hours ago,” Khaos snapped as he slowly turned around and plopped down on his throne, resting his hand on the arm and crossing his leg elegantly.

Nyx tentatively took the first step towards him; her father’s eyes flicked to her feet. No one was allowed to approach the throne. But she wasn’t anyone. She was Nyx, daughter of Khaos, the primordial god.

Straightening her shoulders further, Nyx boldly ascended the remaining steps and stopped by his side. “A girl has to look her best, no?” She joked while walking around the throne and standing to the left of her father, relaxing her hand on the top of the throne.

Khaos looked up at his daughter. “You could wear a rag over your head, and many would still die by your beauty,” He grumbled. “You kept me waiting. We have guests. Or have you not noticed?”

Nyx’s eyes slowly moved up from her father’s cold ones, and she finally registered who was before them. She sighed in annoyance, keeping her voice low so only Khaos would hear her. “I hope this is not another set-up. I do not wish to marry.”

“Come now! Do you not recognise my dear friend, Hades?” Khaos grinned up at her.

Dear friend? Her father didn’t have friends. Certainly not friends who drop by announced bringing along with them.. Nyx’s eyes moved from Hades, whose hair was a mixture of black and silver streaks, his sharp eyes a deep blue full of wisdom, the frown marks at his mouth revealing the life he led in the underworld. Beside him was his eldest son, who she had shared a dance with once, Zagreus, prince of the underworld but the two men behind them was what caught her attention more.

Unlike Hades and Zagreus, whose hair was as black as the night sky, the men behind them had white hair, illuminating like the moon’s glow. Nyx walked down almost in a trance as she slid between Hades and Zagreus, who looked at her in alarm, and she stopped before the twins whose radiant, flawless features almost stunned her into silence.

“It has been a while, Hades, Zagreus,” She spoke over her shoulder but held the captivating gaze of the man closest to her, feeling a pull like nothing she’d ever felt before towards him. He seemed familiar. “Who might your friends be?”

Hades cleared his throat, seemingly startled that she took any interest in them and even more interested in the man who was smiling at her knowingly. Hades turned around and gestured with his hand towards the men whose beauty was making her blush under their intense gaze.

“These are my sons, Gabriel and Cassius.”

“And why have I not met your sons, Gabriel and Cassius, until now?” Nyx asked, spinning on the spot and ignoring Gabriel’s burning stare. She was pretty sure he was the man she ran into on the hill, but her features had been covered, and he thought her a servant.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Nyx,” Cassius spoke from behind her. Unlike his brother, he wore a white chiton, and his neck and arms were adorned in jewellery. She turned her head to look at him and raised a brow at his charming smile. “We have been busy and..”

Nyx turned back around and walked past Hades and Zagreus, ignoring Cassius, who was apparently trying to win her over with his charms. She stopped before her father, glowering at him, then smirked as she twisted to look at the King and Princes of the underworld. “Enjoy your time here.”

“Nyx, come back here!” Khaos stood as she sauntered towards the back wall and evaporated into black mist.. “I hate it when she does that,” She heard her father mutter.