Broken Knights (Gifted Academy #4) - Michelle Hercules Page 0,78

his voice. I know they’re blind, but they do have an uncanny ability to make you feel uncomfortable under their unseen scrutiny. Kind of like how Andromeda makes me feel. I haven’t thought about her in a while, but I wonder what’s going on in Hawk City with her and the Silverstones. The fact that we haven’t heard from them in so long is troublesome. And what about Delta? Were the Knights’ agents able to get information from him? Hell. We lost precious time in that camp of deranged fanatics.

“I see you’ve finally reclaimed what the shadows took. You’ve accepted your legacy,” one of the Zions says.

“Wait a second,” Rufio butts in. “Did you know he was Erebus’s son?”

Mrs. Malek drops her gaze to the floor. “Yes, they’ve always known.”

A deafening rumble above us sends my adrenaline levels through the roof. If Chaos decides to strike now, what will happen to all those wounded people?

“You’d better start talking,” Xavier intervenes. “We’re on borrowed time here.”

“Morpheus needs to fully embrace his demigod status.”

“I thought I did that already. Still, I can’t win against Chaos. He’s a primordial god.”

“You don’t need to win against him. We just want to become invisible to him. And that’s your specialty, boy,” one of them replies.

They look so similar, it’s hard to tell them apart. Their white hair is cropped short, and they seem to be about the same age. The only difference is that one is slightly taller than the other.

“Sorry to interrupt, but an introduction would be appreciated,” Travis says.

“I’m so sorry. Where are my manners?” Mrs. Malek replies. “These are brothers Ismael and Iago.”

They bow their heads, and then the one named Ismael says, “I sense distrust in your heart. You don’t need to fear betrayal from us.”

Travis scowls at the duo, but he doesn’t offer a retort.

“Do you want Morpheus to cover the entire building in shadows and keep that up for an indefinite amount of time?” I bring the conversation back on track.

“You sound surprised, child. He’s a demigod; he’s capable of unbelievable things, just like you were once before.”

“Me?” I squeak. “Do you mean Magia?”

“Yes, naturally we meant her,” Iago replies.

“But Magia was an Idol. Even if she was the Unmaker, she didn’t have infinite abilities,” Xavier pipes up.

The Zions crinkle their foreheads in deep frowns. “What gave you the notion Magia was an Idol?”

“Uh… wasn’t she?” Phoenix crosses his arms in front of his chest, watching the Zions through slits.

“No. Magia was a demigod, just like Morpheus,” Ismael replies.

“Well, not like Morpheus,” Iago butts in. “She was the daughter of Eris and an Idol, unlike Morpheus. And she also had better control of her abilities.”

“Rub it in, why don’t you?” Morpheus glowers at the duo.

“Hold on.” I raise my hand. “Who is Eris?”

“Eris, also known as Strife, is Nyx and Erebus’s daughter,” Xavier replies almost to himself. His eyes are troubled, unfocused.

“Whoa. So Magia and Morpheus were related?” Phoenix glances at Morpheus and me. “Dude!”

“Quit looking at me like I’ve suddenly become a perv,” Morpheus grits out. “Even if that’s true, Daisy is not Magia.”

I rub my head, trying to get rid of the headache that’s already brewing.

“If she was a demigod, how could she have turned into a Norm?” Rufio asks.

“Because she asked Gaia for a favor, and Gaia can do just about anything,” Mrs. Malek replies.

I’m still reeling from this revelation, and judging by Jodie’s stupefied expression, she also didn’t know about that detail. However, another thunderclap draws our attention to our priority, which is to hinder Chaos.

“Okay, tell me what I must do.” Morpheus turns to the Zions. “You can give us a lecture about my messed-up side of the family later.”

“To fully embrace your demigod powers, you must give up your humanity completely,” Ismael says.

No.

The blood seems to drain from Morpheus’s face. “I’m not sure I want to do that.”

“You don’t have a choice. Your attachment to your Fringe lineage is keeping you from unleashing your true potential. It’s either that or Chaos will level this place to the ground,” Iago counters.

“What’s going to happen to Morpheus if he gives up his humanity? Will he turn into a complete asshole?” Phoenix asks.

“That, we can’t answer,” both men reply in unison.

Resting his hands on his hips, Morpheus dips his chin low, staring at the ground. His shoulders hunch forward as he lets out a heavy exhale. Even though I’m terrified at the possibility that he might become someone as cold as Chaos, I can’t lose faith