Trials of Tartarus

Chapter Seventeen 

Caltaya’s POV

I knew something was wrong the second I opened the door to his room. When I walked in Mutt was sitting at the desk, probably writing another letter to her.

He looks up at me when I open the door. The look in his eyes made me know something was wrong. But I didn’t turn around. I had to keep the game going.

“Hey?” I say. “You okay? What happened in the last trial?”

“Nothing good,” he whispers.

“I think that’s the point,” I offer.

“Cal?” he asks.

“Mhmm?” I reply.

“How come you can always leave? You said that this was your prison. That you couldn’t escape. But that’s not true is it? Because you can leave anytime you want,” he says.

I laugh lightly, “I can’t leave this building, but I can go anywhere within it.”

On the outside I was calm, on the inside all I could do was freak out. Could he know? Did he figure it out? No. It was impossible.

He nods once and I relax with relief. He believed me.

“That’s funny,” he says.

He picks up a piece of paper and walks around the desk. He hands it to me. With a frown I glance down at it.

Trust the sun but never the moon.

The end is near, and the answer is clear.

The situation is dire, the friend is a liar.

Beware the fear as the holder brings it near.

Over the stars lies the truth it’s closer than mars.

Fire and ice shall battle again

“What’s this?” I ask.

He doesn’t reply to that, instead he holds up something else. A scrap of paper. Dear Moon was the only thing written on it. The rest had been burned away.

“What’s the matter?” I ask. “Got tired of expressing your love so you decided to burn anything that reminded you of her?”

“Stop,” Mutt whispers. “I know.” He looks me in the eye. “Cal, I know.”

Immediately my smile drops, “How’d you figure it out?”

“This for one,” he says, holding up the burnt note. “But really it’s what you said when you left earlier. About the death fire.”

“How did that help?” I ask.

“When I died, the first time, because of Waverly, I met Themis. She told me not to trust the fire of death. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that she meant you,” he says with a shrug.

“Darn,” I say. “Should’ve figured that. My bad. I mean, I’ve been planning this for years. Had to come down to that mistake didn’t it?” I shake my head and sigh.

“Why?” He demands. “Just why?”

“Because Manoa Dragon killed the love of my life! She killed me! She was my best friend! And she turned her back on me! Because I fell in LOVE! And she hated that I did. She hated me! Because she couldn’t!” I shout at him.

“That’s not possible!” Mutt shouts back. “Moon didn’t even KNOW she was a demigod! Not until we found her and brought her to town!”

“I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS MOON!” I shout at him. “She’s not even real! She’s just a reincarnation! A complete and utter idiot that doesn’t even know about her past life. About me. About who she is. And when I tell her, she will throw you to the side lines!”

Mutt recoils, obviously this all came to a great shock for him. He stares at me.

“That’s right,” I say with a nod. “Millions of years ago, at the same time the gods were born so was Moon and I. I, the Queen of Fire and Darkness. And your precious Moon. She’s the Ice Queen.”

He blinks, “That’s not true. Those are just rumors. The Queen’s don’t exist.”

“Yes they do,” I say. “Moon. When she killed me and sentenced me to Tartarus I vowed revenge. And I promised the sky that she would NOT die until I got it. Five million years! I rotted away in Tartarus! Because of her! Five million years I plotted my revenge!”

I laugh bitterly, “I almost thought that she had forgotten about me. About what she did. I felt her die and be reincarnated, because my curse wouldn’t let her completely die. She came back, over and over. But every time, she stayed away from Tartarus.”

Mutt stared at me. Eyes wide.

“That is, until one time. This time. When she was brought back alive so many times that she FORGOT about her first life, and the others. She started fresh. Clean slate. Imagine my surprise when I found the two of you down there. It gave me enough strength to break out of the prison she had built for me. And then imagine my shock when I found out she didn’t even remember!” I say.

“So this was all part of your plan?” Mutt asks.

“No, I was hoping Moon would be the one in the trials,” I say. “I never thought that you’d love her enough to take her place. Ancient laws say that we had to let you.”

“So I ruined your plan? And you hate me for it?” he asks.

“Not exactly,” I say with a grin. “You see, I decided that I’d kill you in every way possible, therefore murdering Moon just like she did me! And then I was going to remind her, of everything. Who she was. Who she is. Once she remembers she’ll be too cold to love. The ice will form around her heart again. And then we will fight. And she will die.”

“No,” Mutt says. “I’m not going to let you hurt her.”

“You don’t have a choice,” I say. “Honestly Mutt, you’re not going to believe this, but I really do regret having to betray you. I have grown to like you, as a friend. You’re funny, nice, nothing like I thought you would be.”

“But that’s not going to keep you from killing me?” Mutt finishes.

“The only thing that could save your life now is if you join me,” I say.

“No thanks,” Mutt says immediately, leaning back. “Guess that means I’m a dead dog right?”

“I don’t want to kill you,” I say.

“Now why don’t I believe that?” Mutt asks sarcastically. “Oh! I know! Because you’ve been lying to me this entire time!”

“Mutt,” I sigh.

“No!” Mutt shouts. “How do you live with yourself? How do you sleep at night? You pretended to be my friend! The whole time all you wanted to do was kill me! You convinced me that there was a Trial Master. Some jerk that got pleasure out of hurting people! Watching them in pain! You made me believe you were a prisoner! When really you were the ‘Trial Master’. And you were never a prisoner! I tried to help you! I would’ve done everything in my power to help you!”

“NOT EVERYTHING!” I shout at him. “YOU WOULDN’T HAVE KILLED MOON! EVER! BECAUSE YOU THINK SHE LOVES YOU! BUT SHE CAN’T LOVE!”

“NO!” Mutt says, matching my tone. “YOU CAN’T LOVE! AND YOU CAN’T LET JERKY GO! YOU’RE THE ONE THAT CONTINUES TO BRING PAIN TO YOURSELF NOT MOON! BECAUSE WHOEVER YOU KNEW! THAT PERSON IS DEAD! YOU SAID SO YOURSELF!”

“She didn’t die at my hand!” I snap. “Therefore she’s not truly dead!”

“But you are,” Mutt whispers. “You’re dead. You killed yourself. Not Moon.”

I swallow, because it was the truth. I had blamed Moon for so long, but it was me that sank into the darkness. It was me that had killed the good left in me. The Ice Queen didn’t do that. Certainly not this Moon.

“You’re right,” I whisper back. “But that doesn’t change anything.”

“This Moon didn’t do anything to you!” He snaps.

“SHE IS STILL THE SAME PERSON! SHE JUST DOESN’T REMEMBER!” I scream.

“And what?” He demands. “You’re going to remind her of a life that YOU want to forget? What kind of hypocrite are you?”

“The kind that wants revenge!” I shout.

Mutt glares at me. And for a second I thought he would attack me. But then he smiled, and the smile was worse than the glare. He grinned like a madman. And his hand ignited with water and flames.

“So you’re the queen of fire you say?” he asks.

For the first time since I met him Mutt scared the hell out of me. He looked… Evil. I take a step back. And then the water was coming towards me. And I was falling.

𝌀

I was standing in the middle of a lawn. In front of me was a huge mansion. I look around, this place was so familiar, but so strange.

“Yo Taya!”

I turn around, and there Moon was. Not Moon, the Ice Queen. Her hair was white, with blue streaks. Her blue eyes had a slight frost coating them. She was dressed in a soft blue. I look down, the ground beneath my feet was coated in a thin layer of snow.

It began to melt as I stood there.

“I remember this,” I whisper, looking up.

“I would hope so, you were supposed to be here ten minutes ago, but it’s fine,” she says.

“What the hell is happening?” I demand.

Manoa looks at me funny, “Did all that heat get to your head? Caltaya! Snap out of it!”

“You,” I snarl, glaring at her. “You killed him!”

“What are you even talking about? Who?” she asks.

“The Prince of Stars,” I say.

“Who’s that?” Manoa asks. “Is that some kind of book character? You know better than to ask me about that. I don’t read.”

“Of course,” I whisper. “I met him tonight.”

“O-kay,” she says. “Come on already. Before they start getting worried.”

“We can’t go in there together!” I shout.

“Tay are you okay?” Manoa asks.

“Why are you not calling me Cal?” I ask.

She laughs, “Because you nearly burned me to death the one time I did?”

“Oh. Right. I knew that,” I say.

“Come on already!” she says with a smile. “We gotta get going! Besides, you’re melting all my snow!”

She fake pouts and gives me puppy eyes.

“Sorry,” I say, walking forward. “You coming Snowy?”

“Great, steal my entrance,” she says with a laugh.

“Someone has to make it,” I call over my shoulder. “It’s only fair that it’s me since I’m so much more better looking!”

“I think that fire’s burned away most of your brain cells!”

I laugh, “You assume I had any to begin with?”

She joins my laughter, and hurries to catch up. I throw open the doors, and am blinded by a bright light.

𝌀

Mutt was standing in front of me again, head tilted to the side.

“What did you just do to me?!” I cry.

“I made you remember,” Mutt says.

“Remember what?” I demand.

“That she was your friend,” Mutt says. “That you were her friend.”

“SHE LOST THE RIGHT TO CALL ME THAT THE MINUTE SHE KILLED HIM!” I screech.

Mutt looks down, “But he’s not really dead. He’s just home. In the stars. And he would be ashamed of who you’ve become.”

“Well he doesn’t have a say in the matter because he is dead!” I scream. “And you’re in love with someone that doesn’t even love you! Because she can’t love!”

“But I love her,” Mutt says honestly.

“That’s going to kill you,” I snarl.

“I thought you were,” he counters.

“And I thought you were already dead,” I snap.

He shrugs, “Looks like we have a bit of a situation right here then don’t we?”

“Guess so,” I say. “I never expected to be your friend.”

“I never expected for you to be a liar.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You already have.”

I sigh darkly, he was right of course. I knew that by telling him that I was really the one who had been putting him through these trials it would hurt him.

“You made me kill Timothy,” Mutt whispers. “He’s dead because of me. DEAD!”

“I gave him his life back,” I say.

“But I still killed him!” He cries.

“It was a tough situation,” I say with a shrug. “He would’ve killed you.”

“No,” Mutt says. “You wouldn’t have let him. You want that honor for yourself.”

“Well you aren’t wrong,” I smile.

“So why are you talking?” He asks. “Why aren’t you just killing me already? I was serious, you can kill me to get whatever pleasure it would bring you.”

“Are you really that willing to die?” I question.

“You know I am,” he answers. “So why don’t you get on with it already?”

I shrug, “Because it won’t benefit me. I changed my mind. Having you be the one to kill Moon would cause her a lot more pain than if I did so.”

“In your dreams,” he replies.

“Don’t get cocky now, I don’t dream about you,” I say.

“What the bunnies?” He asks. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I know,” I say. “Just thought that maybe you’d be willing to spare me a little and we could share one last laugh?”

“Are you psychotic?” Mutt asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

“Probably,” I say with a shrug. “People seem to think so. I suppose that it’s possible, if you really want to think about that.”

“I’m not going to kill Moon. Ever,” Mutt says.

“I know,” I say with an eye roll. “Because you ‘loooveee’ her. Love doesn’t exist.”

“Maybe not for you,” Mutt whispers.

“Not for anyone. I’ll make sure of that. Anyone that falls in love, I will kill,” I say. “Every. Single. Human.”

“I’m not letting you out of here alive,” Mutt says, staring at the floor.

“You would kill me?” I ask. “I thought you were my friend.”

“Yeah, I thought that about you too. Until you betrayed me,” he whispers.

I couldn’t help it, I wince, because in truth, Mutt’s words hurt me. He had been the first friend I had in a long time. And I knew that it was my fault that he wasn’t anymore.

“You won’t kill me,” I say finally. “You’re not a killer.”

“Tartarus thought that,” Mutt says. “I did too once. Until I met you. Now, I’m not so sure. I killed Timothy. I lied. You lied. You die.”

“Actually, I think that it’s the liar that comes out victorious,” I say.

“No. Because the lies will kill you,” Mutt answers. “They’ll eat you up. And when you die, you’ll be reunited with the love of your life. And he’ll hate you for everything that you’ve done. You hated in his name and called it noble! Hatred isn’t noble. Hatred is cowardly.”

“Hatred is all I have!” I retort.  “I have nothing else!”

“It’s your fault!” He says. “You did this to yourself! Why do you continue to do it?”

“Do you want to know what happens after you hate someone for so long?” I ask him. “You forget to feel. You stop feeling. You’re no longer a human. You are nothing but your hatred.”

“I can help you!” Mutt says. “Please, let me help you.”

“No one can help me now,” I say. “I’m already too far lost.”

“I don’t believe that,” Mutt says.

I laugh lightly, “Really? After everything that’s happened you still see the good in people? In me? There’s nothing good about me.”

“There has to be!” Mutt snaps.

“Well there’s not!” I growl. “So stop trying to find something that isn’t there.”

Mutt shrugs, “If you say so. But if you wanna know what I think-”

“I really could care less,” I interrupt.” he continues, pretending like I hadn’t spoken. “And I think that you’d regret whatever you do.”

“I think that you’re wrong,” I say with a grin. “I think that I’m going to love what I do next very, very much.”

“Then you might have a problem cause I’ve heard that love doesn’t exist. So what are you gonna do?” Mutt asks.

“Why do you keep turning my words back around on me?!” I snap.

“Why not?” Mutt asks.

“It’s annoying!” I growl.

“Then leave,” Mutt says simply.

I throw my hands up in the air.

“Are you serious right now? This isn’t getting us anywhere!” I shout.

“I agree,” Mutt says. “We need cake before we can pull out the big guns!”

“That is not what I meant,” I say with a groan.

“But now you want cake right?” Mutt presses.

“I guess,” I say with a shrug. “Then again, who doesn’t always want cake?”

“Cake it is then!” Mutt says happily, clapping.

For a second it didn’t seem like we were enemies. Just friends. But that was wishful thinking for the both of us.

But cake could cure anything… At least I hoped it could. But at the same time I knew it couldn’t. We would eat cake, and then we would fight. And one of us would die.

And after everything I had done to get here, that person would not be me.