Ace waved goodbye to his family and again was bored out of his skull, missing air conditioning and ice cream as they sailed down the river at a snail’s pace. This time would be different as Titus was tired of being patient. Once Ace arrived, he instead was brought to Titus’ bedroom. Ace looked around the familiar room, relaxed by the incense and the sounds of frogs in the distance.
Titus entered the room, this time with something wrapped in a cloth. “I have kept my promise, Acheus,” Titus declared. “I have found your sundial.” “Liar,” he replied. “If you had it all this time, why didn’t you tell me?”
“No,” Titus said. “I found it a few days ago. It was hard to bring back. Every time someone touches it, something happens.”
Titus looked at Ace warily. “Who are you,” Titus asked. “There is no Kingdom of Hawaii, no king called Tyreceus, is there?”
Ace shook his head. “I lied."
“I have long assumed you were lying, but I didn’t care. I sense a great power from you.”
What he could sense was Invictus, as Ace was not as strong as everyone else thought he was. Titus caressed Ace’s cheek, and he looked away, troubled that they were alone. “I know you are from somewhere,” Titus’ hissed. “Tell me where!”
“No! Give me the watch and I'll never see you again!”
“You think you can take another gift from me? Before you at least gave me your soft cries every night, but now you want it for free?”
I knew he would say no, Ace thought. I should just steal it.
"I know you're thinking of stealing it from me and returning to your woman, but I have already taken care of that.”
“What are you talking about,” Ace asked.
“No longer will some small woman steal your affections from me,” Titus said. “I will make you mine forever, and you will meet my father. I think my father will like you. A lot. ” Ace wanted to leave, but he needed the watch. He glared at Titus, who stood a few inches away, prideful and smug.
“What did you do,” Ace asked.
"The people of Memphis are worshippers of a false god," Titus sneered. "They all look at you when they should be looking at me.”
“Tell me what you did or else I’ll leave,” Ace lied. Titus groaned and believed the lie.
“I have simply proved that I am a better lover,” he said. “I am immortal, and she is not.” Ace’s eyes turned black and he breathed rapidly, anger hitting him hard and fast.
“Did you think I wouldn’t do something to her,” Titus laughed. “I was patient for so long, but you refuse to listen.”
“I am not something you can buy, Titus,” Ace shouted. “I am a man!”
Titus laughed, not afraid of his powers or anything he could do. “Thankfully I am not a man, and neither are you,” Titus whispered. He started to walk around Ace, circling him, like a vulture, eyeing his prey.
“I want to be inside of you,” Titus moaned.
Ace froze up.
She was back, never leaving him, always watching as he feared.
Ace crossed his arms against his chest defensively, slowly realizing that he was in trouble. “You’ve been following me,” Ace shuddered. “This entire time, you’ve been stalking me!”
“Don’t say that,” Deceit purred. “I love you.”
“What did you do to Ibis?”
“They won’t kill her,” Deceit sighed. “Not until I get there. I want to do it myself.”
“Give me the watch!"
“Relax,” Deceit said. “You’re so easy to anger. She’s fine. We’re all fine.”
Still holding the watch, Deceit went over to his table and poured out wine into two goblets. “No one has left to kill her,” Deceit explained. “They won’t unless you stay with me.” Ace tried to get closer so he could take the watch and tried to be sneaky, but it was too obvious.
"Have some wine," Deceit commanded. Ace agreed, only to get closer to him and grab the watch. Deceit, however, stood far away from the table he left the goblets on and clutched the watch covered in cloth firm in his hands. "Don't think I haven't thought of you taking this and leaving me again," he snarled. "Let us take our time first."
Ace glared at him while he drank from the goblet, thinking that now was his chance to steal the watch. He finished it and gagged, hating the taste. “I have better at home,” he mumbled to himself. Deceit overheard and scowled.
“No matter what I do, it's never good enough for you!”
“I don’t want you, I’m sorry for lying, please give me what I want,” Ace said coolly.
“Give me what I want first,” Deceit shouted. Ace blinked behind him and quickly, Deceit stomped on his foot. He screamed out, and Deceit turned around, swiftly sweeping his legs with a kick.
"You're so cute," he grinned. "You are so used to everyone fawning over you, you think you're the only one that can do magic tricks." Ace jumped up from the floor and grappled with Deceit. No matter how hard he tried, his grip never let go of the watch. Ace didn't understand why he was losing, and the longer he fought, the looser his grip became. He was tired and dizzy, the world spinning like a carousel.
"Why am I so tired," he mumbled. "The boat ride was only a few hours."
"The wine tasted bad for a reason," Deceit said with a grin. Ace stumbled, trying to stay upright. Deceit walked towards him, and Ace stumbled backward onto the ground as he tried to get away.
“You’re not, you can’t do this,” Ace slurred. “I’ll wake up soon.” Deceit dragged him by his hand across the stone floor as Ace protested. He was too confused to use his ability, and the drugs in his body had mixed in with his blood, making his ability weaker, even if he could use it.
He put him on the bed while Ace grumbled in protest, saying incoherent words. “Go to sleep,” Deceit sighed. He put his fingers through Ace’s long hair and watched as he slowly lost consciousness.
“I will not be replaced by a little girl,” Deceit whispered to himself. He kissed Ace on his cheek and gazed down at him lovingly. “What other secrets are you hiding Acheus,” Deceit mumbled. “I can feel a strong power coming from you.” He watched Ace for some time, thinking of all the things he would do to him.
Ace awoke to a dark room. The sun had long set, no candles or torches were lit in the room, and his entire body ached. The drugs gave him a headache and made his mouth feel dry. He felt cold and realized he was naked, with bruises all over his body. The more he came to the more it slowly dawned on him what had happened.
Silently he cried in the dark, shivered, and something overcame him. “Ibis,” he mumbled. “I need to find her.”
He stood up, took a few steps, and promptly keeled over on the floor to throw up. Whatever he had given him did not rest well in his stomach, and he threw up wine and stomach bile. After fumbling in the dark to find his clothes, getting dressed, and telling himself that he was going to never tell anyone, and he was never going to think about it ever again because if no one else knew then technically it never happened.
He told himself since nothing happened, he needed to go home to his wife.
So, he closed his eyes.
Once he opened them, he was back in Memphis.
It was on fire.
