For a few minutes, Philotes stood uncertainly near the door, only allowing herself to intrude a few steps. Going any further was out of the question once Asklepios had retreated to the kitchen. It hadn’t been that long ago that she’d been in that kitchen herself, making drinks to cheer her sisters, getting drunk and trying to forget. Now here she stood, faced with a god who was making her more than a little uncomfortable in the way he was looking at her.
She didn’t deal with it well. When people didn’t like her. It happened so rarely, but when it did it felt at the same time like a disappointment and a challenge, and Lottie had a difficult time not pushing the issue. She wanted to make him like her, almost needed it. She wanted to, but she didn’t. It wasn’t in her to force someone to do something that wasn’t truly in their heart. Though it bothered her, Lottie decided to let it be. For now.
But she didn’t move any further into the apartment. She watched Philammon warily, unsettled by the way he was looking at her, and even more so by Asklepios’ departure into the kitchen. He’d left her alone with his brother, and it wasn’t until the healer returned that she began to relax. Only to tense up again when he said he had news.
News she had to sit for. That was always bad news. News so bad that Philammon unbent enough to offer her a seat. With a growing sense of dread, Philotes approached, placing one hand on the back of the chair, preparing to sit. But before she got that far, Philammon made his announcement.
“No.”
The denial was automatic, but it was also spoken firmly. He was making it up. He had to be. For some reason, Philammon had taken her into dislike, and he was trying to… to… to distance her from his family maybe? Or maybe he was just plain trying to hurt her. Either way, it was a terribly cruel thing to do. Very cruel.
“No. No, Missy wouldn’t be… she’s tough, and strong, and she couldn’t… she’d call Apollo if she was in trouble, but she wouldn’t have to. Missy is fine. No, I don’t believe you. That’s just… it can’t be true
“Right, Doc?” She turned her head to look at Asklepios, hoping that he would refute what his brother had said. But the look on his face made her heart stop.
Lottie sat down hard, nearly missing the seat. Her head was still shaking in denial even as tears began to course down her cheeks. It wasn’t possible. She just couldn’t believe it. Artemis, in Friendship’s mind, was all but invincible. Believing she’d been killed was unacceptable. So she repeated it again, though her voice held far less conviction this time, choked as it was with tears. “No. No, I don’t believe… no…”
But try as she might to make it untrue, deep in her heart, Philotes knew that if it wasn’t a mistake… she knew who was responsible for this. This was what she’d been dreading. This was what had weighed on her so heavily since speaking with Nemesis. Her brothers were going to hurt people she cared about. Had hurt people she cared about. And they weren’t going to stop.
Again, her gaze went to Asklepios, her eyes pleading with him to tell her what she wanted to hear. “No… please… please…”