Decisions of the Heart

by Florence, Jessica

  “Orion.” My voice was shaking. Everything that had been said started to connect in my head. Orion was Athena’s son.

  “I see you’ve put it together. See, your Anubis had an unfair advantage. No one can beat my son in a duel. The only person who could would be a God, and one so happened to fall in love with you. Now all will be forgiven if you release him and come to us. No war, and everyone lives. You will be great, and will have a long life of happiness.” She held out her hand for me to take. I couldn’t, a life without Anubis would never bring me happiness. I felt his body disappear beneath my touch only to re-appear and wrap his arms around me. Holding me to his warm body and his cinnamon scent.

  “I told you love, no one can keep us apart.” He was willing to start a war for me. His love was flowing from his soul to mine. Connecting us in a way that nothing could break us.

  “What about some motivation? I don’t think you are taking me very seriously.” She snapped her finger again and I heard a gurgling sound to my right. Turning to see what was happening only flipped my world upside down. My father was writhing on the ground in pain. Almost like he was drowning on land. I leaped out of Anubis’s arms and went to him. He was afraid; I felt his emotions through our touch. Tears flowed freely down my cheeks and onto his clothes.

  “Stop this!” I screamed at her. She just held out a hand for me. The message was clear, take my hand or he dies. I couldn’t lose him, but I couldn’t lose Anubis either.

  “No Thalia, you” Father’s voice broke before he continued to speak on a whisper. “Choose love, always love. I love you.” His gurgling stopped and his eyes stayed frozen to my face. My time to choose was up. My mind was numb, in shock because of what had just come to pass. My father was gone. Gone. A piercing scream erupted from my lungs. My eyes closed from the tears and pain of losing him. A wave of power emerged from me, pushing everyone around me to the ground. I cared not. My grief turned to rage in minutes. I jumped up and attacked Athena with everything in me I had. Orion jumped in front of her and took the force of my punch to his jaw. His lips turned up in a smile. He found my anger arousing. Before I could attack again, strong arms surrounded me and everything went black.

  I was no longer in front of the river. Anubis had taken us away. His arms were still around me from behind as I stared at the limestone floors in his room. My father’s dying eyes were burnt into my mind. I would never forget the sounds he made as he struggled to breathe. My legs gave out from the sorrow that surrounded me. I felt my body being lifted as he was softly laying me on the bed. Anubis did the only thing he could for me, he held me as I cried out for loss of my father.

  Chapter 6

  Unknown time had passed by. Anubis softly ran his fingers through my hair in comfort. We hadn’t talked about all that had happened on what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. Every time I tried to calm down and think about what we were going to do, I saw my father’s cold lifeless face. I needed strength. I needed to find myself in my sorrow. Slowly, I turned around and finally faced Anubis. He was leaning against a pillow with his arms now draped over my waist.

  “I’m sorry.” My voice was hoarse from crying so hard. His head cocked to the side.

  “What can you be sorry for love?” His eyebrows pinched together in confusion.

  “I’ve cried all over your bed, for everything, causing everyone so much pain.” I know my words came out how I felt. Defeated.

  “You will not apologize for the actions of another. Athena caused everyone pain today. Not you. I will not let you take that burden on your shoulders.” I knew he was right, but deep down inside me I knew if I had just done everything I should have, none of this would have happened. I would have married Orion, and lived my life as the good wife I should have been.

  “No, don’t think like that love. A life without the love we share is no life at all. No taking the easy path. The journey before us will be hard, but we will pull through together. Don’t give up on us, Thalia.” His face gave away something I had never seen in him before. Vulnerability. I held the power to crush him, a God. I couldn’t do it, even with the powers that were trying to tear us apart. I loved him something fierce that could never be taken away.

  “You and me,” I whispered.

  “Yours forever, love,” he whispered back. Needing his warmth, I snuggled into his chest. We lay there in each other’s arms until the morning sun rose into the room. We needed to figure out what was next to come. Anubis left briefly to fetch me something to wear before we changed and sought out Alexander. We found him on the balcony of his palace. Sitting down on the ground with his knees up and face in his hands.

  “Father,” I said to softly announce our arrival. His head lifted and red eyes settled on us.

  “I thought she had you. Oh, Thalia, I never…,” he started to speak with unease, but stopped and took a deep breath then continued.

  “I never should have made that deal with Athena. As a boy, all I wanted was to be a great leader like my father. She played on my dreams and fooled me in return. A pawn in her game. Stelios loved you, like you were born from his loins. I had always envied him; he got to be the father to you I wished I could have been.” His voice died out with his last words. My heart wept for him. He had to stand by as another raised his only child, and his best friend was brutally killed by a malicious Goddess playing a game. I stepped away from Anubis only to kneel in front of Alexander.

  “He was a great man, you both did the best you could. I am forever grateful that you placed him in my life. But I need you now, I need your courage and strength to overcome this obstacle. I need you, father,” I said as I wrapped my hands in his. He stared at our joined hands and then moved his gaze to my face. He nodded then looked at Anubis.

  “Is what Athena said true? You are the God Anubis?” Confidence was growing in his words.

  “It is,” Anubis confirmed.

  “Are you committed to continuing your course? Even if it means a war between both sides?” Alexander’s questions gave me no unease. I knew where Anubis and I stood.

  “Yes, undoubtedly.”

  I looked at Anubis and saw his sight was on me. His lips lifted into that smile of his that I loved so much. We would fight.

  Alexander stood and helped me up. With Anubis behind me we went out to a spot by the Nile where Alexander had a pyre made for father. After he placed golden coins on top of his eyes, he turned and handed me a torch. Father had been dressed in all white. His face looked peaceful and I knew he would be in Elysium with the great heroes. He raised a demigoddess after all. Anubis quietly stood behind me, willing me his strength to finally lay my father’s body to rest. He dealt with death every day. I couldn’t imagine the long life he has lived. I didn’t want any more deaths because of me, or the Gods. One way or another, we would end this war before it started.

  Once my father’s pyre was aflame, Anubis grasped my hand and led me back inside. He pulled me behind a column out of view from everyone and embraced me in his arms. The tears I held back while lighting the pyre flowed onto his perfect chest. He felt everything I was feeling in my soul, and right now my soul was sad.

  “Have you made your decision?” Athena’s voice interrupted our moment. Without leaving my love’s arms, I looked her in the eyes and told her our answer.

  “I will stay with Anubis. I choose him.” Anubis’s arms gave me a soft squeeze.

  “Very well. War it is,” she said with a hint of satisfaction and disappeared before more people came walking into the building. I turned my head up towards Anubis’s face, wanting to see his eyes. They held so much love for me it was almost overwhelming. I didn’t know what was to come, and I wanted to enjoy every minute of the calm before the storm. I made a quick decision and leaned up to crush my lips against his. A deep intake of breath from his lips told me I had caught him off guard. I slipped my tongue inside his mouth, teasing for him to come play with me. I needed him. His arms around me tightened, and he whisked us away to his room agai
n.

  We kept our kissing slow, enjoying the taste and feeling of our lips moving against each other. My hands moved to his arm bands and slowly pulled them down. With one flick of his fingers, one side of my dress was released from its clasp. Moments later he flicked the other and the dress pooled around my feet. I was bare before him. He didn’t take his lips off mine as he walked us back to the bed. Gently he laid me on my back and took me in. I watched as his eyes grew dark, his hands flexed and tightened into a ball. He was restraining himself. Grabbing his shendyt, I ripped it right off him. I wanted no restraint between us. His eyebrow raised at my boldness. I saw the snap in his eyes before he lunged at me, filling me in one move. My back arched, and my head was thrown back with a gasp. His mouth kissed and sucked every piece of skin that was in front of him. He moved slowly, pushing inside me and pulling back. The rhythm was slow and gentle. But, as much as I wanted him to be sweet to me, I needed the raw passion that only he could release from me. My fingers gripped his hair and pulled his lips to mine. I ravished his lips, then whispered.

  “Please.”

  A feral groan escaped him before giving into what I wanted. He moved with determination. Pushing me further and further, my screams and moans only fueling him more. His hand moved down my waist and grasped my leg, bringing it over his hips giving him deeper access. Relentlessly he kept going until my body broke and the release I had been craving ran through every part of my body. My toes curled, my muscles tensed, my leg tightened its hold on him. I called out his name until the last wave of my euphoria subsided. He moved more sporadically before letting out a growl and finding his own release.

  “Mine,” he said breathlessly as he collapsed beside me, pulling me against his chest.

  “Yours forever, love.”

  “Tomorrow I’m going to marry you, Thalia.” His words were solid, and left no room for discussion. I wanted to marry him. My thoughts drifted off shortly after hearing his words as sleep found me.

  I knew I had to have been dreaming. I was sitting in the fields of my home. Confused as to why I would be here, I stood up to look at my surroundings. There was a tree nearby with an owl sitting on one of the branches. I did not trust owls, the Goddess Athena’s sacred animal was an owl. I walked in the opposite direction of the owl, hoping to put plenty of distance between us.

  “Why do you fight your destiny Thalia?” I took a deep breath and turned to face her. Hadn’t she caused me enough pain?

  “What do you want Athena?”

  “I want you to be with my son. You and he will rule the nations in my name. A great dynasty you both will make. Pain is the only way in the path you have chosen. You must see how silly it is to give up such a beautiful future all for some God who isn’t like you. He is death, and you are love, strength and beauty. So much like your mother. Dallying with men, but she always comes back to her chosen. I made Orion in the hope for you. You two were written by the fates to be together. You cannot fight the fates.” Her eyes held love for me, but I knew it was just love for the future she thought I should choose. No matter what she said, I would always choose Anubis.

  “The fates may have chosen Orion for me, but I will fight for Anubis; I will make my own decision, a decision of the heart.” I stood my ground as her face grew with impatience. She would not sway me.

  “Fine, then you have sealed his fate. Orion will dispose of your Anubis and conquer you like any other challenge. He is set out on his journey now. Enjoy your time with him now, dear. For his own Gods and yours will separate you, and Orion will destroy him. His blood will stain the Nile.” She was furious, but held her voice in the same tone. I showed her no sign that what she had said flustered me. She gave me one last hard glare then disappeared. Along with my dream.

  I woke with an unsettling fear. Sitting up, I noticed that for the first time Anubis was still lying in the bed beside me. He was peacefully sleeping, unaware of my internal battle. What did Athena mean by telling me about Orion? Anubis was a God, he couldn’t be killed. But yet she seemed so sure. I needed to find out, I couldn’t lose him. I would do anything to protect him.

  I sat there and stared at his peaceful face. His black as night hair was a mess. I wanted to run my fingers through it softly. His muscular back was out of the sheet as he lay on his stomach. I wanted every night to be like this. We would have this forever. I prayed silently to my mother. I needed help. I needed to know my powers, and I needed to know if she knew what Orion was up to. It was still dark out and I decided I would try and get some more sleep. Anubis’s arms wrapped around me as I curled into him. Slowly I fell back asleep, hoping I would not be seeing Athena again.

  I woke up with lips on my neck, kissing me sweetly. I groaned and tried to roll over, not ready to wake up. I heard his masculine chuckle behind me. His hands gripped my hips and pulled them against his manhood. His chest was pressed against my back, and his lips were back at my neck. Those sweet kisses turned to hot, open mouthed kisses. My back arched in response to give his mouth more access to me. His hands gripped tighter, moving his hips behind me. My blood boiled. I wanted him, my desire for him seemed to never diminish.

  “It smells like sex in here.” A beautiful voice interrupted us. My eyes snapped open to see a woman sitting in a chair directly across from me. I yelped and pulled the sheet up to make sure I was covered.

  “Oh sweetheart, please.” She giggled like I was the one in the wrong here. There was a strange woman in Anubis’s room!

  “What can we do for you?” Anubis purred behind me, obviously not letting this woman get in the way of us. I tried to move away from him, but his arms tightened. Not willing to let me move.

  “Thalia prayed for me, I am here. I’ve always been here.” Her answer made me take a moment to think. Slowly, I took in her appearance. She had very long golden hair, she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her white dress looked almost regal, and her blue eyes were looking at me in the same way Alexander looked at me, with loving affection.

  “Mother?” My voice was small, unsure. Her lips widened into a gorgeous smile. I was mesmerized. She nodded.

  “I’ve been waiting a long time to here that word from you. I honestly never thought I would get the chance.” She sounded emotional. I tried really hard to not reach out to feel them. If I had trouble with it, and that power came from her, she must feel everything more than everyone. I had the desire to please her. I never had a mother growing up. But she was here now.

  “Mother, I wish I’d known.” She interrupted me before I could go on with my apology. If I had known she was my mother, I would have done something.

  “All in the past, and I wish so very much I could stay and spend as much time with you as possible. But with the commotion you two have stirred, I am limited in my time.” Her voice turned solid. She was here on business.

  “Ok, do you have the answers I seek?” If she was here to tell me, then I wanted to know as soon as she could get them out.

  “Yes. As far as your powers. I cannot tell what all you have gained. The outburst of power you had yesterday from Stelios’s death jumpstarted things within you. Until you use them, we won’t know. But I can tell you, I feel the emotions of those around me, and so do you. I can also bend those emotions to my will if I so please, it will be something I can see you doing, but you need to practice. Beauty is also in the eye of the beholder. Beauty changes, and I’m not sure if you will get this gift, only time will tell. I’m very glad you were trained to be a warrior. You will be fearless my daughter. Beauty and strength together in one body.” She took a deep breath and continued.

  “Now, for the other answer you seek. Orion is after something that must not be found. There are legends of a blade hidden in the temples of a distant land. The blade is said to have a great power. A power to slay a God.” My breathing stopped. A blade that could kill a God? I sat up quickly, with the sheet still wrapped around my breasts.

  “No! He can’t! I won’t let him!” I shouted. My fears were bec
oming reality. Orion had found a way to kill Anubis.

  “No daughter. He can’t. That blade is never to be found, for it puts us all in danger. No God or Goddess is safe. That is why you must defeat him. You must reach the blade first, and find a way to destroy it. The other’s don’t know I am telling you this. And they can’t know I am the mouth that speaks these words to you. You will travel to the lands to the south. There you will find a great waterfall down at the bottom is a cave. In there you will face the guards of the blade. Once they have been defeated you must destroy the blade. There is a saying of how to do that: Of sacrifice and divinity to the final breath, this blade will raze with a promise of peaceful death.”

  I churned those words over in my head. Memorizing them for the journey to come, but I had no clue how to interpret them. I needed to prepare; Orion had time ahead of me. I needed to catch up and pass him, but I had no idea of to where I was going.

  “I have given you the desire to find the blade. Follow your feeling and you will reach your destination. I’m very sorry for everything, daughter. Everything we did was to protect you. And now I’m sending you on a journey of great peril.” Her voice held great sadness. I wanted to comfort her greatly.

  “I know, I understand it now. Thank you for coming, and for the dress.” She smiled at my dress comment.

  “I have to go now, but I’m so glad I had the chance to see you. Be swift sweetheart, be strong and you will succeed on your quest. We all depend on you.” She blew me a kiss and disappeared.

  I just sat there, thinking over all of this new information. I had to leave to defeat Orion in his journey to kill Anubis. Anubis. I realized he had stopped touching me once I sat up. Turning quickly to see him looking at me intensely. I couldn’t feel his emotions, and at this moment I wanted to.