Righello Notte was a foreboding person. The two of us had only met face-to-face twice before, so I thought that I would have been prepared for a third meeting. Something about him this time, however, was making me question who really held the power in this room.
Maybe it was something to do with the lighting. Perhaps something to do with the situation. Maybe it was because he was in a particularly bad mood.
A single lantern was the only light source in the small room. It hung from the ceiling between the two of us, flickering every so often. The light it cast barely reached the corners of the room, making it almost impossible to take in the rest of the surroundings.
An orange glow encased his face, bouncing off of his electric blue eyes, making them even eerier. With every flicker of the light, his eyes seemed to gain a spark for a split second, before vanishing just as quickly.
His black hair, too, looked more ominous under the glow. The lantern gleamed upon it, making it seem reflective. It was slightly longer than mine, but nowhere near as long as Quinn’s. Righello’s fringe wasn’t quite as long as Albert’s, either, but it was certainly there. It stopped just above his dark eyebrows, casting a shadow over the top half of his face. The hair on the sides and back of his head was just as long, too. He was almost the epitome of the phrase ‘mop of hair’.
This menacing appearance was complemented by the fact that Righello was an inch or two taller than me. One could’ve expected this, however, as he had recently turned fifteen, whereas I still had a few months before I even hit fourteen.
Those electric blue eyes seemed to drill straight into my very soul. I wasn’t sure what exactly he was feeling. He looked somewhat angry, bored, and far away. Through the mask of seriousness he was attempting to wear, I could tell that he was lost in thought.
I glanced at Quinn for a moment, who seemed to be watching Righello strangely. He, too, knew of the great power Righello held; he was about as strong as Quinn himself. His dark brown eyes were full of a peculiar curiosity, as though he were waiting to see what Righello would do next.
The pair of them would’ve looked utterly terrifying to any ordinary person. Righello had the appearance, and Quinn had the aura. His brown hair fell down to his broad shoulders, making him look enigmatic. This was all perfected by the irregular flashes of light that hit his glasses and the way his jaw twitched slightly every so often.
On the surface, he looked immensely hard to read. He looked like a stone; emotionless. But I had seen him at possibly his lowest point.
It had been a little over two weeks since he and Emma Hyde had betrayed Albert and RoCity. I had known that he wouldn’t take the moment well. Every time the two of us had discussed it beforehand, he had always seemed unsure. He masked this uncertainty by asking questions that he thought sounded innocent, but instead, they very clearly hinted at his true feelings.
After the three of us had escaped from the field using Quinn’s shadow-travel ability, he had immediately taken himself away. It took me nearly two hours to find him. When I did, I found him sitting on the ground, multiple cracks and crevices splitting the earth around him for nearly a twenty-metre radius. He had been panting and his face had been tear-stained.
Neither of us had mentioned the encounter since.
Silence pressed onto the room. The only noise was the faint crackling of the lantern overhead. That one lantern was setting the entire atmosphere.
I was the first to make a noise. I sighed.
‘Albert is on his way to Apercaput as we speak.’
Quinn and Righello just stared at me. Their faces were tight, their brows slightly furrowed. Evidently, the two of them were formulating the best possible responses.
‘That’s why you brought me here, isn’t it?’ Righello said finally.
‘Exactly. And I believe you know why.’
‘Because I’m powerful.’
I nodded slightly. ‘And that fucker kicked my ass the last time he saw me. I believe it would be best if I didn’t engage in combat with him for a while.’
Righello stared at me silently, giving Quinn the chance to give his input.
‘Should one of us go with him? We’d have the best chance if there were two of us.’
‘There are a plethora of reasons as to why we can’t,’ I replied quietly, my voice steady. ‘First, he beat the shit out of me two weeks ago, so I don’t think it would be wise for me to approach him again. Secondly, you will be almost powerless where Albert is. That is, at least, in comparison to Righello.’
Quinn’s eyes widened ever so slightly.
‘He’s on the thing, isn’t he?’
‘That is most plausible. Although I don’t know for certain, I doubt he’d be travelling through a quick train or plane ride.’
‘If you don’t mind me asking, Maltor,’ Righello cut in calmly, ‘how exactly do you know that he is making his way to Apercaput?’
I glanced at Quinn, who understood immediately.
‘I will tell you in due time,’ I assured him, not yet trusting him enough to reveal my power. ‘If you complete your task, that is. Doing so will prove your dedication to me and our cause.’
‘Whatever it may be,’ Righello said darkly, ‘I will try my hardest to complete whatever task you set for me.’
I again looked at Quinn. My comment about him being powerless may have hit him a little close, which I didn’t want. The last thing I needed at this moment in time was a rift between the two of us. We had to stick together.
Quinn had told me about a flying ship that Asbel had made, and that is what I presumed Albert would be travelling on. As I had mentioned, I couldn’t be completely sure, but it was definitely the safest bet.
If he were actually on a flying vessel, then Quinn’s powers as a son of Hades would practically be void. He would be the furthest away from his domain as possible. Creating an earthquake or a chasm in the ground wouldn’t do any good that high up in the air.
Righello, however, would certainly be up for the task. Albert, whilst being an extremely powerful demigod, would most likely struggle against him.
The only task now was to tell Righello about Rex Aquarum.
I sighed. ‘Righello, you need to stop Albert from reaching Apercaput.’
‘How in Titan’s name can I do that alone?’ he replied instantly.
‘Oh, I’ll send a small squad with you, don’t you worry,’ I reassured him. ‘But he cannot get to that school. No matter what.’
‘How? I don’t even know where he is.’
‘He’s taking a flying boat,’ I replied, my face completely straight. ‘As absurd as that sounds, it is true. From what Quinn has told me about the said ship, you cannot miss it.’
‘Maltor, that still doesn’t change the fact that I don’t know where he is,’ Righello replied coolly. ‘Apercaput is in Scotland, correct? How am I supposed to know how far along the route he is?’
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‘I deduce that if he has not already left, he will have left by the time you begin following him,’ I reasoned immediately.
‘This is why Quinn can’t do it, then. You need me to follow a flying ship.’
‘Precisely. Use your powers as a son of Zeus to hover through the air and follow them. The ship isn’t too fast, or at least not fast enough so that you can’t catch up. Take the most direct route from RoCity to Apercaput. You’ll find them eventually.’
‘And because they’ll be in the sky, they’re more vulnerable to my attacks,’ Righello said, barely above a whisper.
‘Yes. Your battle prowess is heightened when you are in the sky. Albert may be a descendant of Titan, but I believe even he will struggle against your might.’
The three of us descended into silence once more.
‘How will I transport an entire squad around?’ Righello asked quietly. ‘The journey will undoubtedly be long. I may be able to carry myself, but I doubt I can carry a whole group of people.’
I thought for a moment before responding. ‘You can head out on your own. Track down Rex Aquarum by yourself. Once you find it, send a message to me with your location clearly outlined. I can then Apparate a team down to you. I take it you’ll be fine at least taking a small group up off the ground?’
‘That should be doable, yes,’ he replied calmly. ‘But what if I find him and then he’s already reached Apercaput before the team arrives?’
‘Then don’t let him get back to RoCity. No matter the cost. You have only one restriction. You must not kill Albert. Feel free to dispose of any of the rest of them, but you cannot take Albert’s life.’
Quinn’s face seemed to grow darker at this, and Righello fired back immediately.
‘What am I supposed to do, then?’
‘Subdue him. I trust you to fight him and win. Doing so will earn you my complete and utter trust. Subdue him, grab him, take him off the ship, and then he can be transported to me. I will kill that bastard.’
Righello sighed. ‘With what you’ve told me about him, I doubt Albert will be ‘subdued’ unless I take off a limb or two.’
‘That’s fine,’ I replied firmly. ‘Take off as many limbs as you desire. Take out his eyes, his ears, anything you want; they’ll regenerate. Just do not kill him.’
Righello nodded. ‘I’ll try my best, Maltor.’
‘Be prepared, though,’ Quinn murmured darkly. ‘If you and the squad get to him on his journey back, then you’ll have to deal with Titan-knows-how-many kids. If you’re quick and catch him on the way there, then you’ll just have to deal with him and his friends.’
‘I should be able to do it. I believe I’m powerful enough.’
‘That’s the attitude we need,’ I mumbled. ‘I believe the squad should be a huge help, anyway. If a huge fight does break out on the ship, I believe we’ll come out on top.’
‘The deck isn’t large enough for a large-scale fight,’ Quinn replied quickly. ‘I don’t know how many kids they’re planning on picking up, but if they fill all the bedrooms then there’s no way that every kid will even be able to come up to the deck and help.’
‘And it’s not as though the squad will exactly be small, either. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to corner Albert in a three-against-one.’
‘He wouldn’t win against that, surely,’ Quinn said confidently. ‘He’s good, but a three-against-one is a bit much for anyone.’
‘We’ll have to see,’ Righello replied tightly. ‘I haven’t seen his power for myself yet. I will devise a tactic once I’ve assessed his strength.’
Quinn’s eyes widened for a moment. ‘Maltor, there are stables on the ship. Do you reckon he’s taken Midnight with him?’
I stared at him, trying not to let my own eyes widen.
‘He might just have. You said the stables are on the bottom floor, correct?’
Quinn nodded.
‘Righello, do you think you could get to the bottom floor of the ship and save my pegasus?’
‘Depends on how many floors there are.’
‘It’s bigger than it looks,’ Quinn said quickly. ‘Undetectable Extension Charm.’
Righello thought for a moment. ‘I can certainly try.’
‘You won’t miss him,’ I replied tightly. ‘He’s called Midnight for a reason. He may very well be the only pegasus in their stables. Midnight is a pure black pegasus.’
‘How would I return him? He’s most likely loyal to Albert now. And if I am able to sway him, should I fly him back or Apparate him?’
‘Don’t worry about him being loyal to Albert. That will not be the case, I can assure you. And, if you are able to grab him, I would appreciate it if you were to fly him back. I do not know whether or not he’d appreciate Apparition.’
Righello nodded tightly. ‘Understood.’
As I was talking, my mind was reeling. There was another huge issue pressing my brain that I had not yet revealed to either Quinn or Righello. I wondered what they’d say.
It would be a huge reveal if I were to tell them, but I believed it was necessary. It was a key component of the plan. It didn’t matter what I thought or felt about revealing it to them, I simply had to.
I hadn’t noticed it, but the room had again fallen into a deep silence. Righello and Quinn were watching me, strange looks coating their faces.
‘In fact, Righello, there is another thing you must do whilst you’re there. Something vitally important.’
‘What may that be?’ he replied almost instantaneously.
I took a deep breath. ‘There is no guarantee whether or not they volunteered, but there is a chance that Albert will pick up my siblings from Apercaput. I doubt it is his intention, but it would be pivotal nonetheless.’
Quinn, who had kept a good composure up until that point, let his jaw drop. His eyes were wide and alert with a mixture of confusion and something else that could only have been fear.
Righello, on the other hand, kept his jaw tightly clenched, but his eyes did widen a fair bit. They seemed to dance with electricity now, making him appear even more formidable.
‘Your siblings?’ Quinn spluttered, aghast.
I nodded. ‘They’re students at Apercaput. There is no chance that Albert knows, so if he does pick them up I doubt it would be premeditated. But we cannot let that happen. He cannot meet them.’
‘What should I do, then?’ Righello said, his voice steady.
‘This is only in the case that you arrive after Albert has reached Apercaput, I should add. But, if you catch him on his journey home, you must first grab my siblings, should they be on the boat, and transport them to me.’
‘What? By passing them to someone that can Apparate?’
‘Yes. Exactly. This is all incredibly improbable, but we must be prepared. That is what you are to do if my siblings are on that damn ship.’
‘I don’t know what they look like, Maltor.’
‘I can easily find you a photo or something. But you cannot let them meet.’
‘Hang on!’ Quinn cried hastily. ‘I didn’t know you have siblings!’
‘Nobody did,’ I replied darkly. ‘Not even Albert.’
‘So, my job is to just subdue Albert?’ Righello mumbled. ‘And capture your siblings if they’re there?’
‘Precisely. Of course, I’d prefer it if you got the job done before he even reached Apercaput, but do what you must.’
The light from the lantern seemed to dim slightly. Righello’s eyes flicked up for less than a second before returning to meet mine. He still seemed full of a strange mixture of emotions, so much so that even I could barely get a read on him.
He was definitely a powerful demigod. As a son of Zeus, that was a given. Demigods of the Big Three were some of the most powerful demigods, only behind demigods of the Three Primordials. Time did not have demigod children out of loyalty to her husband, Titan, who was evidently not as faithful as his wife. And I’d never even heard of Wethra having kids, but they’d definitely be extraordinarily powerful.
Of course, Albert was a descendant of Titan. And he wouldn’t go anywhere without his best friend Ethan, who also happened to be a direct son of Titan. There was also the chance that Peter, another son of Zeus, was journeying with them.
Albert, Ethan, and Peter would be the three largest obstacles when Righello arrived. I was confident that he could take them at least one at a time, but he would definitely struggle if the three of them tag-teamed him.
The thought then crossed my mind about whether or not Albert would struggle in a one-on-one. He had been exceptionally powerful and fast the last time the two of us had met face-to-face. Hell, he’d even blitzed Quinn around the battlefield at nearly the speed of light itself.
Maybe it would be better if Righello arrived once the students had been picked up. I doubted that Albert would want to pull off such powerful moves with so many people around him. This would put Righello in more danger of being overwhelmed by numbers, but would maybe be better to restrain Albert.
Either way, Righello would definitely need a backup squad. He may have been his most powerful whilst in the air, but so was Peter, and Ethan and Albert could certainly use the sky to their advantage. I winced as I remembered lightning crashing down from the sky and striking Quinn during his fight with Albert.
But it had to be done.
I cared less so about the fact that Albert would have more soldiers than I did about the fact that he could come into contact with my siblings. What could a few barely-trained magical students do to me? My forces would easily overpower them. Those kids weren’t ready to step foot on a battlefield.
If Albert did meet my siblings, that would mean a world of trouble for me. Not only would he then of course know that they existed, but he could use them. He could use them to get closer to me than he was previously able to.
Countless opportunities would arise for Albert upon meeting them. Opportunities that I could not let him become aware of.
‘I should be more than able to complete the task,’ Righello replied, straightening his back and dragging me back into the real world. ‘So long as the squad gets to me fast enough, that is.’
‘Oh, don’t worry, they will be. The moment I receive your message, I will send one out.’
‘So long as you’re sure,’ he murmured. ‘Now, should I head out?’
‘That would certainly be wise,’ I said, straightening my own back. ‘I wish you luck.’
Our hands shot out, and we gave each other a firm handshake.
His eyes were full of pure determination; nothing could stop him from beating Albert. I felt almost sorry for him. I certainly wouldn’t want someone like Righello to be out to get me.
The lantern flickered off as Quinn opened the door behind Righello. The orange glow was replaced by a silvery beam that cast magically over his back from outside the room.
He looked terrifying. His figure transformed into a silhouette, the most prominent feature being his electric eyes.
‘Thank you, Maltor. It is an honour to be trusted by you.’
‘Just make sure he doesn’t meet my siblings. That is the most important thing. He cannot come into contact with them, no matter what.’