Kitty's sudden outburst caught Erebus's attention.
She was the only one who heard his phone call with Menoetius after they got Emma back. She KNEW it wasn't Curtis!
Erebus immediately got her plan.
They needed Curtis as a distraction to throw off the mole, who was definitely one of his Dim Patronus, now that Winnie and Curtis were both proved innocent.
He came over to Kitty's place with a furious look.
"What?! I'm your prince! Don't you dare--" Curtis couldn't even finish his sentence before Erebus grabbed his collar and choked his sentence in half.
"I--" Curtis raised his fist but Erebus lifted him a bit and pushed him so Curtis fell backwards and had to held on to the hand on his collar to breath while being basically dragged out of the room.
"Metis, go ahead and start the meeting, I'll take the trash out." Erebus's eyes fixed on the door as he threw out the order, "Menoetius, you know what to do."
Menoetius was the only one in the Dim Patronus that knew Erebus was looking for a mole.
Kitty had her back towards them, not talking. Emma was in her arms, pulling Kitty's fog blue lock.
"I'll have your heart!" Curtis growled at Erebus once he got his freedom back.
"Thanks for your help." Erebus put his hands in his pocket, watching Curtis catching his breath.
"W-what?!" Curtis strangled that sentence and stopped his fist in mid-air. He understood that he was just a distraction.
"Fine, but did you have to drag me out of there? You did that on purpose, didn't you?!" Curtis complained.
"A little bit." Erebus laughed out loud, not at all feeling sorry.
"You bastard!" Curtis yelled, "I won't forget this!"
"I expect so. Now," Erebus paused, "Would you like to work together?"
Curtis snorted at that proposal.
"I think the Queen is behind this, you want her for your mom's 'crime', don't you?" Erebus didn't seem to be offended by his reaction.
"What's in it for you?" Curtis said, "Why should I trust you? Maybe you are sent by that evil witch to spy on me."
Erebus didn't hurry into explaining himself.
"That's a very interesting choice of words," Erebus laughed, "'evil witch'. You know, don't you?"
"..."
"Where DID you get that little 'prophecy' of yours? From her, maybe?" Erebus said.
"No!" Curtis, "I have got witches in my pocket. It has nothing to do with her!"
"Okay." Erebus simply said. He hadn't got evidence that it was the new queen that leaked the prophecy, so he didn't want to mention that to Curtis.
That question was enough to make Curtis look into it himself.
"What is it that you want from this!" Curtis demanded, "I won't trust you without a good reason."
"I want you to stay away from Kitty, at least until she turns 18." Erebus took his hands out of his pocket. He was all serious now.
"No." Curtis rejected without much hesitation, "You can be old school all you want yourself. You don't get to intervene me."
"It's not about being old school. It's a line we DO NOT cross." Erebus said, "She's still a kid, and--"
"She is my future wife!" Curtis shouted, "I know what you are doing here. You just want to keep her to yourself!"
"I won't be anything either." Erebus said, "She deserve to be looked after until she can make her own decision, and that will be after her 18th birthday."
"..."
"Or are you that insecure about your prophecy?" Erebus smirked.
"Don't you try that trick with me!" Curtis said, annoyed that Erebus's words worked on him, "It doesn't work on me!"
"Whatever you say. Do we have a deal or not?" Erebus shrugged.
"We are only working on the same thing; we are NOT working together!" Curtis said with his teeth cliched, "I won't hesitate to throw you under the bus or into whatever horrible fate if I need to."
"I'm not expecting anything less." Erebus held out his hand.
The young prince took Erebus's hand for a brief second before he snorted again and stormed away. Erebus paused for a second and headed back to the office too.
There was a meeting waiting for him.
His face was even darker than when he was dealing with the spoiled little prince, because the question he had to ask himself was:
Who betrayed him?
It was his Dim Patronus! The people who went through fire and storm with him; the people have died and lived for him! How could he suspect that of any of them?!
But he had to. Even for the rest of the team who WERE loyal to him he had to...
Could it be Pallas, the successor that he had been considering secretly with the eyes for the big picture? He HAD been outside for long, but was that enough of a reason to doubt his loyalty?
Or Tartarus, his MOST loyal fighter that had been with him his whole life? He WAS always sullen and dark, but were those feature for disloyalty?
Metis? His dutiful housekeeper that had been tending all his possible needs with nearly no error. She hadn't mark anyone, which was a bit late, but was that really an issue?
Hephaistos? His butler that had been at the bar for nearly all his life. He was NOT a talker, but did that mean there were secrets lying under the silence?
Menoetius? His cute, young wolf that's curious about everything, yet loyal as the sunflower to the center of its universe. He couldn't even think of a reason why Menoetius would do that.
Iapetus? The always cool, calm thinker with no hobby other than a good puzzle. Maybe human emotion was too huge a puzzle to him to take betrayal as horrible?
Astraios? The sexy woman who was like a bright star, always laughing and always humorous. Could her caprice be the reason why she was in search for a new master?
Ares? The natural born warrior who knew nothing but a good fight? Could that simpleness be why he was tricked into another path?
And the charming Dionysus, the bright Oceanus, the lovely Theia? No one could even fit the dark shadow of a traitor.
Or, could it be, the cold, hard hearted Themis? Who was more rational than men; who had affection on him but were always rejected; who never laughs and never close with any of them; who had an issue with Kitty?
Erebus sighed as he pushed open the floor, and there was Themis, standing in the middle of the room, facing Kitty.
Kitty smirked: "So THAT'S what Metis meant by 'EVERYONE'."
EVERYONE fell in to silence.
Themis glanced at Erebus, who just came in the room. But she knew he wasn't going to intervene:He said the decision whether Themis gets to stay in the city lies with Kitty, and only Kitty.Kitty stared at Themis, knowing that this woman did NOT hold friendly intention towards her, and now that it was confirmed Kitty was a witch, that hostility might just took another increase."He was going to take my title." Themis said.
"It's embarrassing for her, too, to discuss that in front of other people," Metis came up to Erebus with a soft voice, "She needs time to lick her wounds and calm down.""I supposed you are right. That was stupid of me to get into that talk with her..." Erebus sighed in a defeat tone.He could handle whatever scheme the enemies cook up, why did he always handle her in the worst manner there could be?!With the frustrated thoughts, he looked down at his hand, there wa
"Interesting."Erebus murmured, gazing into afar in deep thoughts."I think when Kitty was in danger, Phosis was summoned and with the help of Phosis's power, Kitty broke the spell that Lilith put on her." Winnie said."Which is why she could use magic now." Erebus looked at his hand."But she would lose control of her power a lot because she is not used to it yet," Winnie said, "Young witches are always like that, and they need their parent by their side to teach them."I could be there for her and take her through this course. Erebus thought to himself."I can be there for her." Winnie said, "Emma would want that too.""..." Erebus couldn't even find any reason to refuse.He could not let others know he had magic; and he could not let Kitty know he actually was deep in love with her."I can see that you are sweet on her." Winnie suddenly said.Erebus's sight was pulled back and fell on her with a shred of surprise."I've been on the face of thsi earth long enough to see, young one."
Erebus was genuinely surprised when he didn't found Kitty there."Metis." He pulled out his phone, "Any trace of Kitty?""Not yet. She's not returning either." Metis's calm voice came through, "Where do you want us?""Is Menoetius with you?" Erebus asked."Yes, he is here." Metis said, turning to look for Menoetius, who was talking with Themis at the moment."Put him on." Erebus stood where he was, waiting."Menoetius at your service," a hasty yet delighted voice rushed into Erebus's ear, "My Lord.""Good." Erebus said, his eyes gazing at the sea where the sun just bounced one last time before disappear under the dark blue sea level, "Where is Curtis?"..."He has disappeared, too!" As Menoetius finished the few last steps to the meadow, he was already shouting at Erebus, who was at that time, gazing at the sea in silence."How is that possible?" Menoetius, "I didn't know he had a witch with him!""You are aware that royalties sometimes have magic of themselves." Erebus said in an indi
"They are not here yet." Menoetius sat down across to Erebus at L'Appart as he said. He just came back from the reception."..." Erebus frowned at that result.Where could they be?Curtis certainly didn't book a seat at such a restaurant for himself. Erebus was now pretty sure Kitty was with him, but where could they be in all this time?!
For day after that night, Erebus didn't even get to catch Kitty.They bumped into each other exactly once, and it was because Erebus had been increasing HUGELY on his times of taking the elevator.And it seemed that Kitty even stopped taking the guest elevator."She's still a little girl." Metis poured Erebus a drink when he again, stood by the office window, gazing at the nebulous sky, "Of course it got harder for her to face you now. You DID reject her."
It was just a simple dinner at the bar of The Fort, well, "simple", as Curtis put it."How do you like your steak?" Curtis asked when Kitty put down her fork and took the red wine for a sip."It's good." Kitty shrugged with a simple answer. The steak was obviously not her focus of this dinner."Well maybe it's because The Fort's chief is not good enough. Let me take you to--" Curtis grinned.
"Kitty, I know you are mad at me--" Erebus sighed but Kitty cut him off."I'm not mad at you." Kitty said with a light tone."That's good," Erebus nodded, "Then you can ask him to go. I only say this because I worry that dating might be in YOUR way of the demonstration question you want to prove."Kitty burst into laughter.Her "demon