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“I’ll do my best to think of what I could say to them,” I nod, following Leo out into the hall. His pace is getting quicker, more frantic, and I practically have to jog just to keep up with his long strides as he rushes down the stairs and towards the front door.
“Now that we have Castor, Retsos shouldn’t be a factor,” he mumbles thinking out loud. “The coward wants peace anyway… ah, shit.” Another realization seems to hit Leo square in the chest just as his hand falls on the front door handle.
“What?”
“… Are we going to have to work with Retsos to get rid of these terrorist assholes?”
“No,” I immediately answer, the boulder shifting in my gut. The very thought of working with that fucker nearly makes me sick to my stomach. “I’ll help you deal with the men planting these bombs. Retsos needs to die. We’ll figure it out, Leo…”
Sliding his hand off of the doorknob, Leo takes my hand and pulls me close to his body. “We will. I know it. I believe in you, Sophia. And when the time comes, I believe the Greeks will listen to you … But there is no time for that right now. Stay here, think of how you might convince them to join us. I’ll go out and try my best to keep this shit from descending into complete chaos. When I get back, we’ll plan out our next move… together.”
With that, Leo kisses me.
No matter how many times he does it, I still feel the same electricity. It fills me with confidence.
Still, I don’t know if I can do this alone. Especially not after what happened yesterday.
“Can I speak to Castor again?” I ask, when our kiss has ended. “He’ll be able to help.”
“You’ll see Castor soon,” Leo promises. “But not today. He still has some questions to answer.”
My chest tightens at the thought of my long lost protector having to suffer any longer. “Be gentle with him, please,” I beg, as Leo pulls away from me.
“Don’t worry, he’s safe now. I’ve put my most gentle men on the task of learning what he really knows. And if they fail, you’ll be the next in line. You two can meet again when I get back. Until then, I want you to search that pretty little mind of yours and call on the feisty queen that once drove me so wild.”
“… I hope I can find her again…” I mumble, remembering how she came out in a brief flash when I met with Castor yesterday.
But can I bring her out on my own?
“You will. Good luck.” Finally, Leo opens up the front door and I instinctively step back so that no one will be able to see me from the street.
“You too,” I say, trying to smile.
Leo nods, the faintest smirk lifting his lips. “See you on the other side, princess.”
Before I can quip back, he shuts the door.
Just like that, I’m all alone again.
The silence immediately becomes too much to bear. Taking big loud steps, I march towards the kitchen, hoping that some breakfast will help me think straight.
I’ve been given an important task. I’m determined to give it my all.
So, how do I rally the troops a second time?
I’ll have to do it without the rage or the bloodlust… right?
Grabbing some bread, I cut it into two and slip the pieces into the toaster. Then, I sit back on the counter and try to wrangle a forming thought.
What do I do?
Leo believes in me. But he doesn’t know what my men are like. Their whole lives are centered around violence; their whole hierarchy is built around fighting.
I became their leader because I told them what they wanted to hear.
Does that make me a real leader?
Leo once said that his men are willing to do whatever he asks, whether they believe in it or not, because they believe in him.
