The nightmares don't let you stay asleep for long.

   Fortunately, they aren't the type of scares that you wake up screaming from. The ones you had this past night don't compare to the horrible dreams you use to have after the car wreck that killed your parents. Nonetheless, you still woke up twice panting and sweating. Your heart is fluttering as much as the royal curtains that hang off your window. This time it was Kris and Tao who were watching over you. The only light source was the glint of the moons and you can barely make out the shadow of Haneul sleeping next to you.

"Goddess?" Kris calls softly.

   You stuttered in response. The only time Kris has referred to as your divine title is when it is paired with venomous distaste. 

"Y-yes?"

"Are you okay?" Tao chimes in gruffly.

"I'm fine."

    In the middle of the night you can't help to think about philosophies and life's questions. How were you ever normal weeks before? How have you been able to handle what has been thrown at you thus far? How are you going to approach the man- no, the monster- who has killed so many of the innocent? How is all this possible?

"I can see that you're thinking too hard. Go to sleep."

   The first sentence the taller guardian said was almost sincere, but the second was staccato and almost scornful. The drowsiness from your couple hours of sleep makes your head swim and you can't help but feel cranky. Deciding to have a swift and sassy comeback, you snap your head up but then lay back and groan. The nausea is still there and your stomach seems that it will not settle. 

"What's wrong?" Tao asks.

"I feel sick." you admit.

"I can go get Yixing. I'll be right back."

   He leaves quickly and you are left in the room with a sleeping girl and a grumpy giant. The slightest eye contact makes him look elsewhere around in the room. You push yourself up to your elbows and breathe deeply.

"Where did Suho go?" you question.

"What's the difference?" he whispers.

"Pardon me?" you snap.

   The glint of the moons brings the slightest glare to his face and his expression changes. He shakes his head and walks to the balcony, crossing his arms over his chest. The guardian shrugs his shoulders as he speaks. 

"There was still two of us in the room with you, so why does it matter?"

"It doesn't matter. I was curious and simply asking a question. Since when did you care anyway?" you retort.

"How long are we going to keep hating each other?"

   The timbre of his voice is remorseful and he sounds exhausted. Maybe, just maybe, he's done putting on this facade of his that you really dislike. Instead of arguing, you try to dig in deeper. The want of him makes you sit up before answering. 

"That's the thing, Kris. I never hated you, I probably never will. So stop pushing me away."

"Why?"

"Because I need you. You need me too."

   He is clearly surprised as he looks back to you. Your bedroom door parts open and you drop your head, hiding the conversation you so badly wanted to finish. Tao walks in and says he is going to the kitchen for food and Yixing follows in behind him. You can tell he was previously sleeping from the matted messy hair and the sluggish body language. His innocent face makes you feel guilty inside.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for him to go wake you."

"He said you are feeling ill?"

   He rubs one eye with his fist as you hesitantly nod your head. The healer yawns loudly while walking towards you and it causes Haneul to stir in her sleep. Everyone halts, hoping she wouldn't wake up. Yixing mouths a 'sorry' before asking you (in a whisper) to lay back down in the position you slept in. He ghosts his hands over your body with the lightest touch. The feather-like feeling makes you shiver.

"You're experiencing exhaustion, and you're slightly dehrydrated."

"How did you know that?" you ask.

"My abilities are stronger here, and I've been working hard to develop them more with Iroh since we have arrived. You know this."

   He apologizes for his behavior, but you already knew he didn't mean it. It's late and everyone has been trying to sleep and deal with stress you deal with. When he examines your body back up to your shoulders you grab his chin softly. That sweet smile of his makes you grin and it is if the world stops spinning. You caress his face from his jaw to his forehead, and then weave your fingers through his bedhair. He leans down and presses his mouth to your ear.

"Not when we have company, baby." he whispers playfully.

   You madly blush and swat at his shoulder. He whisper-shouts an 'ow!' before backing away and giggling. You shove your face into your pillow to hide the heat in your cheeks. Yixing catches the look Kris gives him across the room. 

"Come on, let us see what I can do." Yixing sighs.

   Tao comes back in with food in his mouth and Yixing sends him away again to go retrieve some water. He complains but does it anyway. 

   The playful banter dissipates and you rub the area of the neck that Keres kissed. Why would he do that? What is his end game? It was made clear with the whole "take-over-the-world" thing and becoming a concubine. But what is he doing with your home? If he truly killed the human race, he wouldn't have anyone to enslave. The previous years of history classes taught you that all empires were built upon labor and military, he has the cronies so what will be the slave labor?

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Yixing asks mid-session.

"I think Zeus lied to us."

"What?" Kris and Lay say in unison. 

"I said...I think Zeus might be lying to us."

"That's a very serious assumption." Kris responds.

"Yeah, that could get us killed." Tao added, quietly sneaking back into the room.

"No, it would start another war, and I don't know which would be worse." you admitted.

   Haneul stirs in her sleep and you lean over her to make sure she isn't waking. You point at the door and you roll off the bed. The four of you leave the room silently in unison and Tao gestures for the council room. The entire room is hardwood cherry mahogany and your jaw drops. A wide rectangular table takes up most of the area and you swear the chairs look like fine leather. Yixing pulls you into his lap at the head of the table and his brothers sit at either side. 

"You mean we have one of these?" you exclaim.

"Of course, where else are we supposed to make big decisions and have private talks?" Tao asks rhetorically like it's a no-brainer.

"Guys, can we get to the subject at hand? You know the one where Yuri might start a war with Mount Olympus." Kris interrupted. 

"Someone should be watching over Haneul..." Yixing added. 

"It's right next door, we'll just leave the door open and quietly speak." Tao suggests.

"What if it's not safe?" You question.

   The men look at you and all of them have very confused expressions amongst their faces. You gesture with a shrug and you see Tao's expression change. The idea has never occurred to you before. It would explain how Keres was able to drop in at the right time when he doesn't have the ability to read minds. Or how he would know where to meet. Or knowing that Christina was in the kitchen.

"Espionage? Are you serious?" Tao gasps.

"Think about it!" you exclaim, and Yixing hushes you for raising your face.

"Are you saying Zeus is with Keres? That doesn't make any sense." Kris answers, shaking his head in disagreement.

"No no no", Lay interrupts, "she means that Keres hired a spy and infiltrated the castle while Zeus didn't keep his promise on trying to look for him. He would know if Keres crossed into Terrexo, he told Athena one of the Olympians would be managing who would be able to cross into here."

"Which one?" You demand.

"I don't know." 

"Whatever, but listen to me. I don't believe that he committed genocide. I think humans still walk earth."

   You spent the next hour explaining your theory. It took a massive amount of courage not to tell them that Keres demanded your presence the very next evening. Your instincts urged you to hide like a coward behind one of your lovers and wish it to go away, but you cant risk Christina's life. Even if it means to sacrifice your own and create a natural disaster on earth, just in case your people are still thriving. 

   Instead, you suggested a plan to initiate a search for the mole. They agreed to let their other brothers know once they woke, and would spend the entire day helping the community and searching for the traitor. Kris brought up the idea of keeping the knowledge between you guys, nor Persephone or Iroh will learn of what their plan is, and you privately thought of a way to keep Christina safe for the next twenty-four hours.

But can you even survive the next twenty-four hours?

A/n: I'm sorry.

By now I was supposed to have this story finished and should be at least seven or eight chapters into the Heretica sequel. All I can say is some stuff happened in my life and I had to adjust. How has your past couple of months been? Who do you think is the traitor? Guess in the comments below and I'll reveal it next chapter :)

BTW: The sequel to "The Double Life as a Heretica" has been listed: Life is a & Death is her Sister

Go show some love? :)