16. Zeus

I was still trying to figure out the Miriam thing. She hadn't come to my room that night. Scared of going to the servant quarters, I had to wait until the morning. That was what I was doing.

I was waiting for Miriam to explain to me how she could walk through walls.

I was sure I hadn't imagined the whole thing. Could I have imagined the information she had given me? That was impossible.

The door opened and I straightened my posture expecting Miriam to walk through. To my disappointment, it was another slave. I was angry.

" Do you not know the concept of knocking? " I asked with irritation in my voice.

The anger wasn't meant to be directed at her but she was there at the right time. I wanted to hurt her because I was hurt. I felt guilty almost immediately.

She flinched, muttered an apology, and looked at the floor. I sighed and watched as she brought the breakfast to my bed. From her timid steps, I could tell she was afraid I would hurt her. How wrong she was.

" I am sorry, truly. I'm just going through a tough morning. " I said softly.

Her eyes snapped to me in surprise. She wasn't expecting me to apologize but I was a decent person and I had to remember that if I wanted to maintain my humanity in that house. There was evil in all corners.

She nodded her head a response, letting me know she accepted my apology. She turned to leave but I called out to her to stop.

" Have you seen Miriam? " I asked.

She looked at me in confusion wondering whom I was talking about. I had been confident she knew who Miriam was. After all, Miriam seemed like an extrovert. The kind that always got along with everyone.

" Who is that? " She asked, voicing out the emotions that were all over her face.

" A slave? " I asked instead of making it a statement. I started being unsure of what I was talking about.

" I'm sorry, ma'am. I do not know any slave by that name and I know everyone. In fact, I am sure there is no slave by that name. " She stated confidently.

That was not possible. She had brought me breakfast every morning and helped me get ready. Was that all a figment of my imagination? It couldn't be.

I was not going crazy. I knew there was a Miriam in the house.

" She is an African-American girl who is chirpy and has brown eyes. She has long, curly, and bulky hair." I tried.

" There are two African-American girls in this house and none of them are named Miriam. " She stated.

I searched her face to see if she was lying but I found no sign of deceit.

" Who has been bringing me breakfast every morning then? " I asked. I might have imagined Miriam but I certainly didn't imagine having breakfast every morning.

That was on a whole new level of crazy.

" I don't know. I'll ask around and tell you when I come for the dirty dishes. " She replied.

I nodded my head and thanked her for her help. I didn't have the heart to stomach breakfast so I showered and wore a yellow sundress. I lifted my mattress and removed Alexander's diary. It was the only thing that could take my mind off things.

I sat on the bed and opened it. I had put a piece of paper on the page I had been reading so I wouldn't have to look for the page. However, when I opened that page, it was empty. I perused the other pages while panicking but they were all empty.

Was Alexander's diary locking me out?

I wanted to know if he killed Mary. I hadn't read it in a while because I had been too occupied with Kai. It was probably angry at me.

" Hey, Alexander's diary. I know you are angry at me for not opening you for a long time but can you forgive me, please? " I asked.

It was official. I was going crazy. From seeing a girl to talking to a diary I knew very well couldn't hear me.

I got up and went with it to the garden to see if it would open for me. When I got there, I sat down before taking deep breaths. I closed my eyes and prayed that Alexander's diary would let me read it and then I opened it.

Nothing. The pages were blank.

" Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, Lilith? " I heard the familiar voice I had missed so much.

I didn't know I had missed his presence until he was gone. How long had it been since I last saw him? Four days?

" I just realized that I don't know your name, " I said while looking at him.

His white hair moved with the wind as he leaned on the tree while staring at me.

" Zeus, " he replied without any argument.

" Zeus…" I tested how the name sounded on my lips and I liked it.

He got off the tree and walked towards me. He took Alexander's diary and opened it. He chuckled when he looked at the pages.

" You can't read Alexander's diary? " He asked.

I looked at him quizzically. How had he known that? I hadn't told him. But then again, the man watched me like a hawk, even when I didn't know he was doing it.

" Did you kill someone? " He asked while sitting down next to me.

" What does that have to do with anything? " I asked, not answering his question.

He chuckled when he saw that I was deflecting. He gave me back the book and stared at me like he knew my deepest and darkest secrets.

" It has to do with everything. Alexander's diary only lets pure people read it. It adjusts to the holder. Right now, the holder is you."

I still wanted to read Alexander's diary. Maybe I could ask someone to read it for me. But then again, they would also know its contents and I did not want that.

" What can I do? " I asked, my voice coming out desperate.

" You need to find the body of the person you killed and extract their blood. Then mix it with yours and pour it on the cover of the diary. " Zeus said smugly. He was having fun at the expense of my misery.

I felt hopeless. Kai was never going to tell me where the body was. Zeus started chuckling and I whipped my head in his direction wondering what was so funny.

" You're probably thinking of asking prince charming. He hurt you, didn't he? That is why you are here alone instead of by his side while holding hands." Zeus said, his voice turning icy in the last statement.

He took my hand and removed a knife from his pocket. I wanted to retract it but his grip was tight and I wanted to know what he would do.

He cut my finger and turned it so that blood was falling on the cover. He cut his own finger and let his blood pour on the journal, mixing with mine.

" That should fix it, " he said and lifted my finger to his mouth and sucked.

I felt a carnal desire as I watched him close his eyes at the taste of my blood. It was like he couldn't get enough. Instead of biting me and taking more, he disappeared.

Like he always did.

I opened the journal and the words came alive. I needed to know why Zeus' blood mixed with mine had solved the problem.

The only problem was that the person who was meant to give me answers was less likely to do so.