Meeting Aggie

45.

Amphid swallowed and spoke first. "Amphid, pixie guardian of Agatha."

Apollo was about to speak, but Erebus cut him off. "Not you, son of Zeus. I know who you are. The girl to your left. Now she seems...interesting."

Erebus floated toward me and stopped inches from my face. I stiffened as he smelled me.

"Agatha Youngblood," I stuttered out.

"Ah, yes. The one my wife pitied and gave our daughter's soul to. Where is Eris, by the way? I can't feel her."

"With your wife. Hera took her from me." I swallowed as I looked into his bottomless eyes.

"Of course that bitch would take her out of you. It's a shame, honestly. You'd have been unstoppable."

Amphid sighed softly then gulped again. "We need your help, Erebus. Aggie needs to learn shadow magic before the battle."

Erebus snapped his head toward Amphid and floated to her. "Such a courageous little pixie you are. Lucky for you, I don't mind serving in this capacity." He turned back to me. "What puzzles me is why you didn't think it best to learn from the fairies."

"It's better to learn from the god who gave fairies that ability in the first place. Improper use of shadow magic can get one killed, and I don't want her to risk dying because of that." Apollo said.

Erebus' skin faded into honey, but the stars remained. His eyes also stayed the same, but he looked more normal. His god form was slightly terrifying, so I appreciated it.

His robe transformed into a business suit of the same color and pattern. Black shoes adorned his feet, so polished they reflected the stars from his skin.

Erebus popped open his button-down to reveal a white shirt underneath. "It's refreshing to see you truly care for someone other than yourself, Apollo. What have you learned so far, Agatha?"

"As far as shadow magic, nothing. I kind of almost died learning light magic. I got enthralled by the sun." I blushed in embarrassment. "I feel like I've got the hang of the basics now though."

Erebus chuckled, sounding even more normal. "I like your honesty, but keep in mind that light and shadow are vastly different. Follow me."

Erebus gracefully drifted toward the door at the opposite end of the room, and we dutifully trailed behind him. Apollo reached out and intertwined his fingers with mine, his smile filled with warmth and anticipation.

Returning his smile, I couldn't help but wonder what awaited us on the other side of that door. Erebus held his hand in front of the door, and it opened. The area behind it was entirely dark. I conjured an orb, but Erebus looked over his shoulder at us.

"No orbs. Find your way in the dark."

He entered the room as the three of us looked at each other. I extinguished the orb. Amphid shrugged and followed after him.

Apollo faced me. "It's not that bad, love. Are you sure none of your forms have the ability to see in the dark?"

"Not even I could see in the dark when I lived," Isidore remarked.

I shook my head. "Nyx and Erebus sure love dark rooms. At least Nyx let us use orbs."

Apollo gave me a half-smile. "Hold my hand."

Hand in hand, we stepped into the room, the door closing behind us with a soft thud. As we ventured forward, our footsteps resonated through the darkness, enveloping us in a shroud of impenetrable blackness. We continued to walk, guided solely by our senses, traversing the unknown abyss.

Apollo had told me the biggest lie. It felt like we had been walking aimlessly for hours. I wasn't entirely sure how much time passed.

Remiel stayed calm, Isidore grew nervous, and Poppy was scared. I closed my eyes, visualizing their forms. Poppy clung to Isidore as Remiel frowned, visibly annoyed.

Remiel attempted to pull Poppy off Isidore. "Get it together. Aggie's dealing with this, not us."

Poppy wailed, holding onto Isidore for dear life. "I don't like the dark. It's so freaking terrifying. How are you not afraid, Remiel?"

"You know how every time you ask one of the gods for help, they screw you over and call it a 'lesson'?" Isidore asked me.

I responded with a solemn nod, acknowledging the frustrating pattern we had encountered.

"Well, this feels like one of those lessons. How do you not feel something's off? Apollo could never feel it, but you? Or Remiel? Why is it only Poppy and I who are scared?"

Remiel offered a casual shrug, her words tinged with a touch of dismissiveness. "It's quite simple, really. You two are just a bit more prone to being cautious and easily rattled."

My eyes widened. I didn't realize it until now, but Apollo had released my hand. I didn't recall how long ago he did it either. This better not be one of his tricks.

"Apollo! Stop playing around. This isn't funny."

Nothing but silence returned from the darkness. Dread filled my entire body, but I was more afraid of losing Apollo than I was of the dark.

The "off" sensation Isidore and Poppy mentioned crept into my awareness. Maybe it was another test to "build my character." If I wanted to be evaluated this much, I would've stayed at Yale. I breathed in and out to calm myself.

Remiel cleared her throat. "Just use an orb. You can't see anything, and we lost Apollo. It could be one of Erebus' tricks."

Isidore and Poppy kept muttering no as I thought about the decision.

"I don't think I have a choice, guys. I'm by myself now. Amphid and Erebus are a long way ahead, and I don't know where Apollo went. I'm trying to be brave for all of us right now." A sigh escaped my lips, carrying a hint of defeat with it.

Inhaling deeply, I summoned forth a green orb, desperate to pierce through the darkness shrouding my surroundings. Despite my best efforts, a shiver of fear coursed through my veins, its icy grip tightening around me.

Before me stretched a seemingly endless expanse—a long and hauntingly wide hallway, its walls ominously adorned with streaks of fresh blood. The sight alone churned my stomach, threatening to unleash an overwhelming wave of nausea.

And then, as if the macabre setting weren't enough, a guttural, gurgling noise resonated from the shadows behind me, sending a jolt of primal terror racing through my entire being.

I turned around as a dark human shape approached me. Menacing and scary, it gripped the walls as it lurched toward me.

Remiel said in a low but urgent tone, "Aggie. We need to go."

My legs were frozen in place. There was still distance between the shape and I, but I couldn't move. Isidore and Poppy wailed and cried. I grew angry at them.

Though it wasn't their fault, I wished I hadn't listened to the shitty advice they had given me.

I shakily called out to the creature, "Stay away from us."

Its voice sounded garbled and scratchy. "Or else what, Agatha Youngblood? You're going to kill me? I'm already dead."

It grinned, black liquid flowing from its mouth. I attempted various spells and used every form of magic, but nothing worked.

"Guys, what the heck am I supposed to do now?"

"Run," the three said in unison.