Page 71 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

“We might just need to view it from another angle,” I reply, keeping my attention ahead.

She has her hair up in a messy bun, a few strands framing her face, and it brings back memories I don’t want to revisit. So fucking near, and yet I refuse to let her in. I hate that the more time I spend with her, the harder it is to hate her.

We don’t go in any specific direction, simply jogging through the trees. We pass the clearing where Mom’s statue stands; my eyes flicker to it. It’s incredible, and it’s kept in perfect condition.

It’s a place Dad visits often.

“It looks just like her,” Sienna says softly, and I realise we’ve slowed down.

“Yeah, Heaven did a good job,” I admit quietly.

“She is remarkable with her magic.”

I glance at her, seeing the sorrow in her eyes as she stares at the statue. I look away, my own heart clenching painfully.

“Yeah, she is. But so are you. I felt your control back then when you were trying to eliminate the drakath’s essence from me. Your chaos magic really is chaotic. It felt like a storm wanting to be unleashed, and yet you channelled it with utmost precision.”

“Is that a compliment?” she asks with a playful smile.

“Just facts,” I state arrogantly.

She smiles as she crosses her arms. “Well, thank you. That coming from you does mean a lot.”

“As I said, it isn’t a compliment,” I say now, looking at her.

“I beg to differ. I mean, that’s the second time you’ve said it, meaning you were clearly impressed,” she says with a teasing smile as she winks at me.

“I don’t remember saying it before,” I say as I begin to walk again, casting a final glance at Mom’s statue. I remember something she said about Sienna, about forgiveness… because life is fucking short.

No. I’m not going down that path.

Sienna’s heart begins to hammer, and she turns away.

“Sienna?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. What happened?

She lets out a shaky breath before she turns to me, obviously trying to clear her head. She swallows, brushing her hair off her forehead as she looks anywhere but at me.

“Umm… I just thought of something.” She slows slightly beside me, her brows pulling together in thought. “Helios said I’m the daughter of three gods – Selene, Hecate, and Kek. But he never mentioned Nyx…”

That’s not exactly what happened, but if that’s how she wants to frame it, I won’t argue.

“Nyx isn’t a god,” I reply, keeping pace beside her. “Ahren said she’s a primordial. Maybe that’s why.” I glance ahead through the trees. “There’s no mention of Kek in the Book of Gods either.”

“Maybe he has a different name?” she suggests, her lips pulling into a thoughtful pout as she runs.

“Maybe,” I murmur. “Unless the name comes from an earlier time, before the gods we know now.”

We jog side by side through the forest, the occasional crunch of old branches snapping beneath our feet. The cool scent of damp earth and leaves fills the air as we move through the trees, the quiet rhythm of our steps settling between us.

“Well, let’s look at mythology. Nyx was a primordial force, and from her were born Hypnos, Thanatos, Eris, Nemesis, Apate, Momus, Oizys, Moros, the Keres, and the Moirai. I don’t even know what’s myth and what’s true from these.”

I whistle, impressed. “Someone knows their Greek mythology. Leo put you up to that?”

“Actually, no. I’ve always loved Greek mythology since I saw the movie Hercules. I mean, he was incredibly handsome.” She smiles before she glances at me. “In the Gods’ Realm, you reminded me of him. And to think Hercules was the son of Zeus, and you are the one who is touched by Zeus. I like it.”

I scoff. “Hercules has nothing on me.”

“I agree,” she says softly. Our eyes meet for a fleeting second before I look ahead as we head towards the woods.