by April Wood
Athena’s red eyes were slowing moving back to green. The rage was dissipating, but it was being replaced by pain. Pushing herself up slowly, as her muscles were still strained, Athena sat and looked at Liz for a moment. She was completely unaffected by the fight. “How did you do that?”
“It takes practice. Now you see why I am not afraid of your rage?” she asked, reaching out her hand.
“Will I ever master it?” Liz pulled Athena up off the ground without expending too much energy. It all amazed Athena. She was clearly winded and exhausted by the exercise.
“You will. It may take time, but you shouldn’t fear it. It is a part of you. It isn’t all of you,” she stated.
“Sometimes I wonder.”
“I know,” she said.
They went back to training. Liz kept her word and trained Athena until she felt like her powers were under control. She also left her with several books to read. It was a lot to do. Athena let Darian continue to deal with the royal duties. Her pregnant body and taking care of her son kept her pretty worn out. It took every bit of her energy to get one practice time in. Throwing royal duties on top of it wasn’t going to work. Darian didn’t seem to mind. He actually seemed to flourish in his new role. He had been a great general, now he was showing what a great King he was. Athena couldn’t have been more proud of her choice.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Where’s everyone going?”
Athena spent the entire day practicing in the barn. Bowen was doing really well with his nurse. He was well fed by Athena. The nurse kept him well entertained all day. His little wings were starting to grow quicker. Athena was certain Bowen would be flying soon. It made her smile every time she saw him spreading them. It was adorable.
“There is a problem,” Darian said, taking Athena’s hand. He led her to the throne room. So far the pregnancy was a secret only known by three. It wasn’t showing yet, so they decided to keep it under wraps.
“Tell me.”
“You will see,” he said, pushing the door to the throne room open. Johan stumbled over to her and collapsed in her arms. He was covered in blood. There were no visible wounds, but it was obvious he had been attacked by someone, or something.
“I’m sorry,” he whimpered.
“For what darling boy,” Athena said, stroking his soaked, jet black hair. She sat there on the floor cradling her brother as if he were a baby.
“I tried,” he said, losing the ability to speak.
“He went against orders and tried to track the witch down that took your father,” Darian explained.
“Why would you do that?” Athena’s tears were freely falling on her brother’s head. He nuzzled into her. As long as she felt him breathing she was okay.
“He was trying to help,” Darian replied.
“Is he going to survive?”
“I hope so. Now let me take him,” Darian requested. She released him and Darian lifted him easily. He took him to his room. Athena sat there on the floor covered in blood weeping.
“Your Majesty,” Ubrene said, walking into the room.
“Not now,” she snapped. Her eyes were starting to turn a faint red. The sorrow was moving out of her body. It was being replaced with anger. Ubrene was the last person she wanted to see.
“But there are things we need to take care of. Darian has dispatched guards even though the council disagreed,” he explained.
Athena swept the tears away with the back of her hand. She wasn’t facing Ubrene, so he had no idea what he was in for. She stood calmly from the floor. She brushed the dust off her pants and took several deep breaths. Then she intentionally turned very slowly in his direction.
“My brother lays dying in a room down the hall and you dare speak to me about an order my husband commanded,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
“I’m sorry for your brother, but the council will not wait,” he stated.
“Have you lost your damn mind? DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?” she shouted. The rage was building up from her toes. It was making her entire body hum with power. This would be Ubrene’s final mistake.
“This must be dealt…” he said, then there was silence.
She looked down to see his body pinned to the floor by the same kind of bolt her aunt used. Her face felt contorted and rather not human, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered right now was his death. He pled for his life with his eyes, but she didn’t stop. Her knife was on her belt one second, and then plunged into his chest just above his breast bone the next. His scream filled the air, but had no effect on her. She used her power to break the bones as the blade wasn’t doing it quickly enough. With him looking at her in horror she reached into his chest through the hole she’d just made. Her hand was clutching his still beating heart. Tears were rolling down his cheeks. It didn’t matter to her. Gripping it tightly, she pulled it from his chest. He was conscious just long enough to see it in her hand. Then the light faded out of his eyes. She dropped it to the ground and collapsed beside his dead body.
“Athena?”
“Yes.”
“I thought I lost you again,” Darian whispered in her ear.
“I’m right here.”
He was stroking her hair. Her body finally registered the bed below her. She wondered how she got there. She opened her eyes to see Darian was freaked out.
“You scared the shit out of me,” he replied.
“Why?” She was still trying to get her barring. The last thing she remembered was the heart in her hand. She wasn’t really sure who it belonged to or why she had it, but the image was clear. There was a heart in her hand.
“I found you unconscious next to Ubrene’s body,” he stated. “What happened?”
She pushed herself up on the bed. It took her a few minutes to formulate the words. The image was clearer now. She had killed Ubrene. She may have hated him, but he didn’t deserve what he got. “He came to me while I was still sobbing over Johan. He wanted to confront me about your decision to send troops out,” she replied.
“Oh really,” he said defiantly.
“Yes he claimed the council didn’t agree with your decision.”
“Funny, I didn’t see anyone raise their hands when we voted,” he complained.
“Anyway. He wouldn’t let up. The rage took me and I killed him.”
“You did that?” he asked surprised. Darian actually let out a chuckle. He was impressed with her now more than he had ever been. Her dark side was much darker than he suspected. It didn’t bother him. As long as she kept some of her purity.
“Why the surprise? You saw me end those two witches.”
“But to pull a man’s heart out while it still beats. That takes a special kind of bad ass,” he said with a smile.
“You approve?”
“Hell yeah. I am not afraid of your rage. You did what needed to be done,” he stated.
“I could hurt you by accident.”
“You could try,” he smirked.
“I hope we never find out.”
“We won’t,” he replied.
“What about Johan?”
“The doctors are still working on him. They got the bleeding stopped but no one knows if it was in time,” he stated.
“Tell me what happened.” He stood up and started pacing the room.
“He wanted to help,” he started.
“I know that part. Tell me what happened to him.”
“He left last night intent on finding the witch. Now before you get mad, I didn’t know he was leaving or I would have stopped him,” he said. She frowned at him. She wasn’t thinking that until he said something.
“Anyway, when he didn’t come down for breakfast I went in search of him. I couldn’t find him anywhere. I knew in my gut where he was. After lunch I went to the portal to find him crawling back. I picked him up and brought him here. He told me that he confronted a witch named Olivia. She tried to capture him but he fought his way free. So I ordered the guard to the portal and some to apprehen
d this Olivia. I chose the best of us for this task. To my knowledge the only one who disagreed with my order was Ubrene,” he explained. Once he finished his story, he sat back down on the bed beside her.
“We’re lucky they didn’t keep him.”
“He may not make it, so I don’t know how lucky we are.”
“He will. He’s strong.”
“You didn’t see his injuries. He had some very deep puncture wounds. I think they were trying to weaken him so chaining him would be easier,” he explained.
Athena felt the tingle in her toes again. She practically levitated off of the bed. Her eyes were becoming the familiar scarlet. She was going to get the blood of the one that caused this.
“I am going to kill that bitch,” she hissed.
“You are, but not in your condition,” he said, standing beside me. He put a hand to her belly.
“Damn my hormones. If I hadn’t needed you so badly I wouldn’t be in this condition,” she said, putting her hand on top of his.
“Your hormones aren’t the only ones to blame,” he said, walking with her. He leaned into her and she could feel how hard he was. His breath was on her neck making her wet. He started kissing her. Athena’s eyes were shifting quickly to purple. Her moods were moving so fast now it was hard for her to even keep up with them.
“Have you already forgotten how this happened?” she said, pressing his hand into her belly. She felt the baby kick just as she pressed. Darian straightened up and backed away from her.
“I would say she isn’t interested in us having sex right now,” he chuckled.
“She?”
“I hope it’s a girl,” he said, stepping around in front of her. He took her hands in his and led her over to the bed. They sat down with their hands still entwined.
“What do we do now,” she asked after a few minutes of silence.
“We wait for the guard to return. If they don’t we know they were taken. Then we can plan our next move. The most important thing for us to do is not act too quickly. We should have a plan, because clearly she does,” he explained.
“I can do that.”
“I’m not sure you can,” he laughed.
“Okay. I will try to do that.” She chuckled then smacked him on the arm.
“That is all I can ask,” he replied. He put his arms tightly around her and squeezed. Athena knew he was right. Taking out Ubrene in a fit of rage was one thing. Taking on Olivia would require time and planning. She couldn’t afford to risk her safety or that of her unborn child.
They sat in the room for another hour waiting to hear anything. Finally word came but it was word of her brother and not the witch. When went to his room not knowing what they would find.
“Your Majesty,” the old doctor said as we enter the room.
“You summoned?”
“He’s not long for this world,” the doctor said.
“What?” She cried moving closer to the bed. Johan was laying there with his eyes closed. They had cleaned him of all the blood.
“I have done everything I can to save his life. There are limits to how much we can heal,” he admitted, bowing deeply.
She sat down on the edge of the bed and ran her hands through his hair. He looked like a child sleeping. She bent over and kissed his cheek.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Are you sure there is nothing?” Darian asked, stepping closer to the doctor. Athena felt the doctor’s heart start to race. He was scared of Darian. Good. He should be scared of Athena. She could kill him with a blink of her eye.
“Now what would that solve?” Aunt Liz asked, breezing into the room.
“Excuse me?” Darian questioned.
“She is speaking to me.”
“Oh.”
“It wouldn’t solve anything, but it would make me feel better,” Athena admitted.
“Would it?” she asked, sitting beside me on the bed.
“No.”
“I didn’t think so,” she said, stroking Athena’s hand. Liz’s presence calmed Athena.
“What do we do?”
“First clear the room,” she whispered back.
Athena stood up from the bed and turned. The room was full of people just loitering. They were waiting for him to die. She hated that. She cleared her throat. “I want to be alone with my brother. Every one out.” There was a moment of silence as they all looked at each other. They seemed confused.
“Your Queen ordered you out. Now get out!” Darian shouted. They all moved with expediency. Once the room was emptied Athena sat down on the bed with Liz.
“Now what?” she asked.
“You have to make a decision,” she replied, stroking his hair.
“What do you mean?”
“Your father died to make room for Bowen. Do you think this baby is free?” she asked, putting a hand on my belly.
She hadn’t even thought about that. Her father did die for my first child. It was customary in our family. Someone had to die for a new life to be brought in. It was our curse. With every power given a payment has to be made. This was theirs.
“You can’t be serious. How can I choose?”
“I am. It’s either your life or his. This is our curse. You knew that when you decided to risk having sex too early,” she stated.
“Let’s just say that wasn’t the first thing I thought of that day.” It wasn’t. She was thinking of her body and how it needed to feel his. She never meant for this to happen.
“Be that as it may, you still have to decide,” she explained.
“But I’m not due for another three months.”
“Do you want him to stay like this for three months?” she questioned.
“No.”
“Then you must decide now,” she replied.
She leaned over and kissed his cheek again. She couldn’t let him lie there and suffer.
“Then we let him go,” she said, standing from his bed. Athena stood beside Liz and grabbed her hand. Liz smiled at Athena. The decision was an impossible one. Yet it had to be made. Athena’s heart was breaking.
“Repeat after me,” she requested. “Slán agus beannacht leat!”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s an old Irish goodbye,” she replied. “Now say it with me.”
“Slán agus beannacht leat!” they said in unison. Then a glow began in his chest. It spread outward until his entire body was glowing bright blue. Athena watched him take a deep breath and blow it out. The light faded and then there was nothing. He had no heartbeat, no breath. There was just quiet.
“Now get the doctor,” Liz directed Darian. He looked a little stunned but did as he was bade.
They both sat back down where they had been sitting. Athena had his hand in hers and Liz was stroking his hair. They both knew he was dead but they were hiding it from the doctor. He leaned over the other side of the bed and put his ear to Johan’s chest. He waited for a moment than shook his head. Athena let the river behind eyes go. All pretenses were gone which freed her up to let the emotion just flow. Darian sat beside her and she buried her head in his shoulder. He kept her tightly wrapped up in his arms, soothing her very soul. When he could tell it wasn’t going to stop he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to their room. He laid her down on the bed and covered her with the blankets. He left her there to cry herself to sleep.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“You only think you have the upper hand here.” The woman was hissing at Athena. She had never seen her before, but knew instinctively this was Olivia.
“I will kill you,” Athena spat back.
“You can try,” she snickered.
“I will have your blood, Olivia,” Athena shouted.
Athena lunged for her, but Olivia disappeared. Athena heard her cackle for a moment then she was gone. Damnit. Athena missed her chance. She felt a sudden pull on her body. Then a shake on her body. It was that moment realization hits her hard. Her soul had traveled to find Olivia without her body. S
he couldn’t have killed her like this for the wanting. She must have searched for Olivia in her sleep. As her body demanded her return she swallowed the disappointment.
“Babe,” Darian shouted, shaking her body.
“Stop that,” she said with eyes still closed.
He grabbed her up in his arms almost smothering her. “Phew. I thought you were dead,” he sighed.
“I’m not, but if you don’t let me go I might become that way,” she said, trying to get some air.
“Sorry, but your breathing was so shallow. I was very afraid,” he replied.
“I’m right here.”
“I wouldn’t survive without you,” he said a single tear roll down his cheek.
“I’m not leaving.”
“What happened?” he said, finally getting control over his own emotions.
“I moved through time. I found her, Darian,” she admitted.
“You found who?” Darian let her lay back down. He wanted to see her eyes. This way he could understand what he was really hearing.
“Olivia.”
“Where?”
“I’m not sure where I was. It was dark and damp. It must have been somewhere in the human plain. I’m sure if I concentrate I can figure it out.”
“But you know it was her?”
“I’m positive. She was about five foot and had long dark hair. She was cackling like a crazy person.”
“She’s only five foot?”
“Yeah.”
“How can such a short person being causing so much trouble,” he laughed.
“Big things come in small packages.”
“I guess so,” he stated still laughing a little.