Part 34

Everything stilled around Talia. The young woman closed the book as she repeated those final words. There's wasn't even a fraction of her brain that could process anything but an overwhelming itch that had got a hold on her entire body. Her hands twitched helplessly by her side, the urge to throw herself in Lukas arms intensifying.

Her chest felt strange, uncomfortable sensations filling it up and – and throbbing in her ears, alongside an accumulation of horrid sounds that made her head hurt. Sounds and voices she couldn't place, words she could not understand, were swirling in her mind all at once. It's like somebody had taken her apart, put all the pieces into a box. To rearrange for herself, and she had no idea where to begin.

The sound of the clock ticking made her hyper-aware of the reality that she's in Olympus. Her nails dug into her thighs as a handful of seconds trickled past before she could understand. Why everything felt strange and different, and not quite right, the misunderstanding she had carried her entire life had just...fallen off.

All this time, Talia kept on believing that she got lucky to be picked by Lukas, have his baby and then happily end up with him. In reality, they have been fated. Lukas made that happen, for they could be happy in this life at least.

Only that didn't happen. The demons mate was not with Lukas, instead of sitting in a place she once called home.

Her breathing sped up, and it's audible that she's starting to become a bit distressed because suddenly, the door to the room was pushed open. Followed by another sound, louder than all the others filling her head, reaching her ears, and she turned toward the person.

It's Zeus. Her father.

Then it all came back to her. Her birth mother, the moon goddess, the first time she was held, her childish giggles ringing through the halls of Olympus. They were delighted in their bubble until Hera discovered the affair and decided to destroy the little family.

Talia also recalled how it crushed her dear father, made him cold and detached from emotions, reality and struggles of life. He was a walking skeleton, barely getting by each day.

She remembered how her stepsisters were envious of all the attention Talia got from Zeus. He thought only about her and barely batted an eye to their doings which encouraged them more. They were like children fighting for attention which Talia didn't care about.

Artemis and Clio. Those two names rang in her hand, their happy faces flashing. She only associated with those two sisters, sharing each and everything. In her father's absence, Artemis took care of her, and for that, Talia could never repay her.

Unable to hold back anymore, she burst out crying. Her eyes were red, and she's moving her lips, but it's nothing but a garbled mess in her ears, sending a sharp, desperate pang down her body. The young woman desired to scream, speak her heart out, but nothing came out of her choked up throat.

The God of Lightning bobbed his head, talking, and he's moving closer, crying with...relief. He must know that his daughter finished reading the book. Talia wasn't sure from his lack of facial expression, mouth opening and closing as if he's struggling too.

Her eyes followed him as Zeus reached for a glass of water by the bedside. The Greek God bought the drink over to her before taking a seat in front of her. She noticed her hand trembling as Talia tried to grip the glass, vision blurry with tears.

"Drink it", Her father softly exhaled.

The water touching her lips was a pleasant sensation. But it didn't last long. As soon as it filled her mouth and she tried to swallow it, her throat constricted again, spasms prompting her to cough it all up violently, and she could not stop. It burned in her throat, and for a couple of panic-inducing, drawn-out seconds, Talia stopped breathing. Water spilt down her chin and onto the shawl over her knees. Her vision grew blurry again, with tears collecting in her eyes as Zeus rubbed her arms.

"I-I'm sorry, father", She choked. In her last moments, Talia truly believed that Zeus didn't care for her. He was only marrying her off to Ajaxson to fulfil his responsibility, a promise given to his late wife. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Recalling all those childhood moments, the love and pure adoration he held for her opened her eyes. "I am so sorry."

Zeus let out a chuckle, blinking back the tears. "Why are you apologising, daughter of mine? Its not your fault that you don't remember certain things. I'm glad you are back."

She heaved a sigh, wiping the excess of water under her chin before settling correctly. Talia had too many questions for him. Mostly about the things that went down after her past self passed away. "What happened after that incident?"

His shoulders slumped, a faraway look taking over his features. "Sadly, I don't recall all of it. Have some gaps in my memory due to frequent blackouts," Zeus admitted in an embarrassing tone. Then it clicked on her. The way he was drunk out of his mind in Underworld had a reputation for being a drunkard among his peers. His brother was fed up with him.

"I-Is it because of me?" Her stomach was in knots.

Talia could not believe her impulsive decision to jump into the circle would cost her life. More than that, it also made others suffer due to her choice. Their life changed drastically. Especially Lukas, who sacrificed himself to became a demon. The very creatures he fought in his past life—all for her.

Zeus sighed. "You cannot feel guilty about dying, Talia. I was messed up from the beginning." He rubbed his face, breathing in through the fingers. "After your mother passed away, I had no one but you. That's the only reason I held on all those years, barely paying attention to anyone else. Your death pushed me to the edge. Suddenly I was lost and didn't know what to do, how to cope up."

Talia stuttered a breath, heart-clenching at the man sitting in front of her. He sounded so broken.

"I turned to drink. For a long time, I blamed my stupidity to get you married. Ajaxson felt like the perfect choice at the time. You must believe me, Talia, when I say this, but he cried a lot. He came to check on me several times after that before he disappeared too."

At that name, the hair on the back of her neck stood up in alert. She was not interested in knowing anything about him. Not after reading the tricks, he played on her just because he could.

Maybe that's why Zeus helped him out by sending the army to Hell. Why did Ajaxson disappear, though? She still couldn't figure out the mystery behind it. How did he meet her as Jackson?

"Father, I do not want to talk about him."

"But—"

"Please", She urged. That was enough for her father to stop talking about him.

"Fine", The God of Lightning exhaled loudly. "Will you be okay? I will send someone to sit with you if you want."

"Where are you going, father?" Talia twisted her lips. She thought he would fill the gaps for the young woman, tell her everything she missed out on.

He was taken back by her question. Zeus flushed, giving her a shrug in response. Huh. What was that all about? With one last look, the Greek God slid towards the door. "Okay then, I'll see you soon."

***

Talia had an arm around her pregnant belly, sitting on the plush couch with nothing to do. She had some lunch a few minutes ago, trying not to exert too much pressure on her swollen feet. Sleep didn't come easy, so she decided to sit for a while. Her mind was huddled with so many thoughts that she couldn't stop thinking.

Also, Zeus strange behaviour a few minutes ago was questionable too. Why did he react like that? Where did he go? Maybe she should have asked him again instead of letting him leave.

The young woman thought about Lukas, her chest suddenly swelling at the thought of him. He did so much for her, their love. Now she had no idea where the Demon King was taken. Or if he's even safe. The latter part made her panic.

Just then, loud footsteps echoed in the direction of her room, making her sit up. She knitted her brows together only to see Artemis and Clio on the other side.

"You've looked better, sister," Artemis murmured. "Though I've gotta say, pregnancy suits you."

Clio hummed in agreement before they both rushed to her side, taking turns to hug the pregnant woman on the couch. Tears swam in her eyes, feeling her lips twitch as she inhaled their scent. "I missed you both."

"We missed you too."

***