"Cancer said she was going home for a while," Lexi said after the portal closed, and I nodded, closing my eyes.
As ruler of this Astral Island, I controlled everything that happened, down to the direction the wind blew and how hard. So, I sealed the entire island off from all Zodiacs. Something about what Titania said spooked me a bit, and now I was starting to wonder what might be happening. It was clear that the woman that I was dealing with now was not the same woman I had known since the start of time. If that was the case, then I needed to be wary of all of them.
"Titania, I am going to check on Cancer, but I have sealed this island off. I am sorry to interrupt the date, but I think it is important to deal with this sooner rather than later. Something about all of this is giving me a dreadful feeling that only seems to get worse the more I think about it and talk to other people," I said, and Titania walked over and grabbed a few large cushions as I did to stack beside Lexi.
"Just bring over some cups for us women and the bottles you always keep above the teapot, and I will be more than fine," Titania said, and then waved her hand to change into yoga pants and a sports bra. Then she climbed on the cushions and smiled at Lexi. "It really has been a while since I have visited with you, and this is one of the best places to do it! Galio has an endless variety of wines, and the bottles never empty!"
"Yes, I had tried a glass with Cancer, but she seemed to be preoccupied... until she asked me to..." Lexi said, and her face fell, but I walked over and took her hand.
"No, don't blame yourself for this. It is clear something is going on here, but it is not you. What I would like to know is what you mean by preoccupied?" I asked, and Lexi used her free hand to put a finger to her lip.
"It was strange, to say the least. When I first met her, she was very nervous and apologized a few times for needless things. As I drank my wine, she seemed to think deeply about something, then she seemed to change. I wasn't sure if it was normal, but then she started to talk to me about my ability and then asked me to use it on you. She told me that it was for his own good and that it would give me a chance with you..." Lexi said, trailing off and pausing, then shaking her head. "But now I can clearly see it was stupid for me to agree, but something about her made me relax. Maybe it was the glass of wine."
I shook my head in disbelief at the situation. Cancer had never been a person to use anyone, but this was beyond anything I could have imagined. I mean, asking Lexi to use her ability on me? That wasn't like her at all, and it made me suspicious about what she was up to.
"It's okay, Lexi," I said reassuringly. "You didn't do anything wrong. I know you wouldn't intentionally hurt me or put me in danger."
Lexi nodded somberly, not meeting my gaze. "Well, that's good to hear," she said softly.
Titania then spoke up, her voice serious. "It sounds like something is off with Cancer. We need to investigate further and ensure that nothing bad is happening here. But before we do, can you tell us more about what happened when you agreed to help her?" she asked Lexi.
Lexi took a deep breath and started to explain what had happened. "When I agreed, she seemed relieved and thanked me profusely. Cancer told me to use my ability on you because she felt it would be the only way to keep you safe. She also mentioned that it was hard for her to go against her nature and appreciated my helping her. And then she gave me this," Lexi said, pulling out a small silver charm from her pocket. It had a delicate spiral pattern etched into it, and a distinct energy was coming from it.
"What is this?" I asked, taking the charm and examining it closely.
"It's an enchantment which binds me to Cancer. She said it would allow her to control my power when she needed it." Lexi said, looking a little uneasy.
I frowned and then looked at it with my Mana Runes.
Then I was on the floor, covered in sweat, with the girls nearly screaming to ask if I was okay.
A flash filled my sight, and I was standing in my throne room with all of my most trusted followers. I looked to either side, my two wives, Tallia and her mother, Nemoria.
I was slammed back into my head, and fire ripped through my body. I screamed out in pain but was hit with another flash of light.
"You took my daughter and my wife! They were mine! I owned them, and you took them away!" a golden figure screamed at me as the world around us ripped apart. "Now, I will steal EVERYTHING FROM YOU! I will take it all back, and so much more! I will make you pay!"
"You do not own anyone. Do you think that forming a pact with Mathias will be enough? Do you think taking the ones I love from me would crush me? Do you think I will ever stop loving them all? If you think the answer to any of these questions is yes, know I am coming for you. When I find you, I will give you this rage that I will store in the depths of my soul. No matter how many lives it takes or how many deaths I must die, I will find you and deliver this rage."
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