The Awakened

by Amanda Carol

She pauses again, looking around the room, making sure everyone is keeping up so far. Then her gaze settles on my brother and me. My leg starts to bounce again, but this time Abby grabs my hand. I have no idea where Luna is going with this.

  “This spell was complicated, as it required the use of blood. Apollo gave the witch some of his immortal blood and his lover gave some of her mortal blood and mixed the two together. The witch then cast a spell as the woman drank the mixed blood, effectively making her immortal. But this upset the balance of nature, and all she craved was the taste of human blood. She needed it to survive. That was how the first vampire was created.”

  Holy shit.

  My leg goes still, and I clasp Abby’s hand tighter. She gives it a reassuring squeeze. Declan sits motionless beside me.

  “They lived happily for many, many years, until Apollo caught her in bed with another man. So he left her, fell in love with another woman, and took her to Mount Olympus where they are still residing, I presume. No one has seen any of the gods in centuries,” Luna finishes.

  “Where does that leave us?” Declan scoots forward on the couch, placing his arms on his knees.

  “Here’s where it gets a little complicated, Declan. Ever heard of reincarnation?” she asks, but doesn’t wait for an answer. “First, let me start by saying that having a god and a mortal procreate isn’t the way to make a full-powered demigod.”

  “Excuse me, but what?” My eyes go wide as I let out the breath that I didn’t realize I was holding. I do not like where this is headed even though I still haven’t mentally caught up yet.

  “You heard me correctly, Aria. A demigod’s powers can only be awakened if one of the twelve Olympian gods personally activates them or if a witch uses dark magic to awaken those powers. Otherwise, they just live out their lives as mortals. But that dormant power passes along from generation to generation,” Luna explains.

  She looks at both Declan and I. I’m pretty sure Declan is staring at her with the same wide-eyed expression I'm sporting right now. Unable to sit any longer, I spring to my feet.

  “What are you saying, Mrs. Thibodaux?” My voice is now just as shaky as my body.

  “I’m saying that both you and Declan are demigods.” Luna answers, taking a step forward.

  I turn away and start to pace, moments away from finding a corner and rocking in it. Not wanting to hop on the crazy train, I find a single thought and latch onto it for dear life.

  “Wait.” I turn to Luna. “How are we demigods? A god didn’t come down and do whatever it is that gods do to awaken our powers. And we certainly didn’t find a witch and use dark magic.”

  I am unable to hide the panic in my voice.

  “I will get to the second part of your question in just a moment. Demigods get their powers from whichever god they got the gene from. A demigod in Poseidon’s bloodline will be able to control the sea and earthquakes, not to the full abilities as Poseidon, of course, but you get my point.” She pauses for a beat.

  “There are twelve major gods that rule Olympus, and back then, gods were breeding like their lives depended on it. They populated the earth with their demigod offspring. But since they’re power-hungry, no one ever activated the demigods’ powers. Zeus did, but that stopped after what happened with Hercules.”

  My head is spinning.

  “Okay, so what did you mean by reincarnation?” I ask. I’m not entirely sure if I want to hear the answer, but there’s no turning back now.

  “As I said, there are twelve major Olympian gods, but some of them are the offspring of two gods. Finding demigods on Earth that come from that exact bloodline is very rare. You and Declan come from Zeus and Leto’s bloodline, so to speak. Your father carried the demigod gene from Leto and your mother came from Zeus’ line. When they got married, it should come as no surprise that a set of twins was born. You know Zeus and Leto had twins, right? Apollo and Artemis?” Luna asks.

  I vaguely remember reading about that at some point in my life for a school project, so I nod.

  “You are the reincarnated versions of them,” she tells us. “That’s why you’re identical twins, even though you’re different sexes. Because Apollo and Artemis were identical twins. Their divine heritage made them unique, just like you and Declan are.”

  If it wasn’t for the serious look on her face, I’d think this was some huge prank. Or maybe that I’m on the show Punk’d. Okay, Ashton Kutcher, you can come out now.

  “Remember when I said that all dark magic comes at a price?” She grimaces.

  I just nod my head once more, not able to find my voice. I glance around the room and find everyone staring at Luna in disbelief.

  “Well, those amulets you’re wearing.” She points in the direction of me and Declan. “I used dark magic to enchant them. The consequence was that when you put those on, it would awaken your demigod powers.”

  “Come again?” This time it was Declan who spoke.

  He was still seated on the couch. His hands were folded together, how they normally get when he’s feeling anxious.

  “Your uncle wasn’t killed in some car crash. He was killed by a vampire and your mother witnessed the whole thing. She apparently did some research of her own and somehow found out I was a witch. She asked me to put a protection spell on the both of you. I advised her that it wasn’t a good idea, because all dark magic comes with a price. Putting a protection spell on anything upsets the balance, and I knew that if I did that, it would awaken whatever power lay dormant inside you.”

  Luna comes over to me and grabs my hands, squeezing them tightly.

  “I’m so sorry, Aria, honey. I tried to explain it to your mom, but…” She trails off, looking away.

  I just stare at her. My mom… She knew? I mean, I already know that she knew about vampires, considering her journal and how she managed to hold that vampire back while Declan and I escaped but this is different. She had to have known that she would change our lives forever when she told us to put these necklaces on.

  “So, my mom knew what we are?” I whisper to Luna.

  I refuse to believe that my own mother would keep something like this from us. From me. I glance at my brother, but his expression is blank.

  “Not exactly. Witches have always been able to sense power in other beings, dormant or not. I advised her that I sensed power in the both of you, but at the time, I wasn’t sure what. I knew that you weren’t witches, but I also knew that if I did what she asked, a price was to be paid. It wasn’t until I saw you both last night that I knew for sure,” she responds, dropping my hands. “Aria, listen to me. Your mother knew about vampires, shifters, and witches and nothing more. The only reason I did it was because she was my best friend and I think of you and Declan as my own.”

  That would explain the curious glances earlier. I try to suck in a breath, but it feels like I can’t pull air into my lungs. I need a minute to process this. What I really need is air, and I'm not getting it from this room.

  “I need some air,” I breathe, leaving the room as quickly as possible.

  I watch Aria leave the room and it takes everything in me not to follow her. She’s just had a shit ton of information dumped on her. It was a lot to take in, even for me, and I'm not the one whose life just got even more complicated than it already is. The door doesn’t even shut before Declan rises to his feet and runs off after her, with Abby following right behind him.

  “Holy shit,” Bennett whispers beside me.

  I turn toward him, and he’s shaking his head before he turns to me.

  “Even I’m having trouble taking all that in,” he elaborates.

  “I know. Me too,” I whisper back.

  “Luna, do you think she’s alright?” Grace asks from across the room, her English accent peeking through. “Should we go and check on her?”

  She tosses her silver and blue hair back in a clip. I guess she changed her hair color again. Last month, it was pink.

  “No, Grace, it’s okay. Give her a few min
utes. Declan and Abby are with her. Aria is a strong girl. She’ll be back,” Luna says, giving Grace a reassuring smile.

  “How do you know all this, Luna?” I ask, curious as to how she knew about what the twins are.

  “After Debora, their mother, came to me, I did some research of my own. And then when Abby and I came back here, I talked to your father about it. I thought it would be best if he knew. I had a feeling they would find themselves coming to New Orleans eventually.” She shrugs.

  “With all due respect, sir,” Knox speaks directly to my father. “What exactly are the rest of us doing here?”

  “That will all be explained soon, Knox. I promise. Just be patient,” my father tells him.

  If it had been me who had asked that question, he probably would have torn me a new one.

  Another ten minutes pass by when the door opens and Abby walks in, followed by Declan and Aria. Aria’s hair is now up in a ponytail and her cheeks are pale. My eyes trail down and land on her neck, right where she was bitten by that vampire. She looks around the room and her gaze finally lands on me. When I give her a reassuring nod, I see her take in a deep breath, almost as if she’s drawing strength from my look alone.

  She turns her attention back to Luna, squaring her shoulders, ready for more information to be thrown at her. Luna was right. She’s a strong girl, but I would use the word “woman.” Not only is she mentally strong, but physically strong, too. With a little more training, she could probably kick my ass. And I would let her.

  “I’m sorry about that. I just needed a minute. Or several.” She grimaces, sitting back down on the couch in between Abby and Declan.

  “Please don’t apologize, sweetie. I know I’ve given you a lot to digest,” Luna reassures her.

  “Yes, but I’m sure there’s more. Please continue. Rip that proverbial Band-Aid off,” Aria commands.

  I chuckle softly, causing her to turn around. Our gazes lock and she flushes, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth.

  God damn.

  That’s fucking hot.

  I want to take that bottom lip between my teeth. Fuck, there goes my dick again. I shuffle my feet, forcing myself to look out the window, instead of at a beautiful woman and those full lips.

  “Right. Well, then, where were we? Oh, right. The amulets.” Luna snaps her fingers when she remembers where we left off. “When I cast the protection spell on the amulets you’re wearing, I had to mask your scent to all vampires and try and bind your powers at the same time. You see, a witch’s blood is like a drug to vampires. The power calls out to them. When they drink the blood of a witch, it gives them temporary use of that witch’s elemental power, but it only lasts about an hour and they don’t realize that they even have it. But with you two, I have no clue. That’s why binding your powers and masking your scent was so important. Even though your demigod powers were activated, they were bound. So even if a vampire were to drink your blood, nothing would happen.”

  Luna looks at Aria, pausing to make sure she’s not going to run out of the room again. I wouldn’t blame her if she did, but she surprises me by motioning for Luna to continue.

  “Your mother knew about the consequence, as I explained. She told me that she only needed them as a backup in case anything went wrong and, well, here we are having a conversation I hoped would never happen…” Luna trails off again.

  “Okay, let me see if I have this right. We are the reincarnated versions of Apollo and Artemis because of our parents’ bloodline and the amulets awakened our demigod powers, but also bound them so we couldn’t use them. And all of this is because our mother wanted to protect us from vampires?” Declan asks from the couch.

  “Yes, Declan, you are correct. Once you remove the amulets, you will be able to use elemental magic, along with specific powers and skills Apollo and Artemis possessed. I’m not sure what powers those are. There could be one or two or even several, but we’ll find out soon enough,” Luna sums it up.

  I don’t know much about Greek mythology, but I should probably brush up on it. Considering we have two demigods at the Compound and no one has any idea what kind of powers they will get from Apollo and Artemis.

  “Which brings us to why the others are here. I’ve asked them to help you both learn how to use your new powers. Witches can only use one of the elements, as I explained. You will both have one-on-one training with them to gain control of your power,” Luna explains, motioning to the others in the room.

  “How will we know when we’ve received our powers from Apollo or Artemis?” Aria asks. Her voice is barely above a whisper.

  “I’m not sure. Only time will tell. In order to find out, you both will need to take the amulets off. You can leave them off here at the Compound, although if you wish to leave, you will have to put them back on. It will bind your powers, but it will also make your scent untraceable by vampires. We don’t need to find out what your unbound powers do to them,” Luna answers her as she leans up against the desk.

  I look at my father, whose face is expressionless.

  “The vampire in the cemetery bit me. Is that why he said that my blood tasted euphoric?” Aria asks as she reaches up and places a hand on the bite mark on her neck. I don’t think she even realizes she did it, because she quickly pulls her hand away.

  “Most likely,” Luna answers her.

  “What would you like us to do, sir?” Knox directs his question to my father.

  “Well, Mr. Carter, you know I require all people who stay at the Compound to pass the training course. The three of you…” He motions between Bennett, Knox and me. “…will work with them and get them caught up. They’ve been fighting vampires for quite some time now, so I’m sure they will catch up in no time. But it is required.”

  I internally roll my eyes at him. Another pack law is that anyone who comes to stay here at this Compound is required to go through a training course. Even the witches, which I don’t agree with. Witches don’t have the strength that we do, so it’s unfair to make them train with a course designed for wolves. Although, after they have completed the course, some still come to the training sessions just to keep up their strengths. Not just witches, but the some of the pack too.

  “Okay, when do we start?” Declan asks, standing up from the couch and stretching.

  He seems to be taking this rather well. Aria, on the other hand, is still sitting on the couch with her head down.

  “You can start today if you want,” my father says, coming around the front of the desk and standing next to Luna. “We typically train in the mornings, then have the afternoons off, because the wolves patrol the city at night. But seeing as how you’ll need to train with your powers, I’ll leave that up to Luna and the rest of you.”

  Declan nods as Aria stands up next to him. He’s a good foot taller than her. It’s weird how they’re identical twins, in everything except height. Aria’s features are also more delicate and feminine than her brother’s.

  “You will each have one on one training with each of them. Mr. Foster—” Luna looks over to Zayne, who is standing next to Bennett.

  He removes himself from the wall and walks over to Luna, nodding at the twins.

  “Zayne, sweetheart, you will train Declan on the fire element this afternoon,” Luna tells him. “And then set up a time with Aria so you can work with her. I know you help your sister out with your nephew, so I’ll let you work out the times.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Zayne replies and steps off to the side.

  Zayne’s a pro when it comes to anything fire related. His family showed up here at the Compound when Bennett and I were young. He was a shy little thing at first, but the three of us, and sometimes Knox before he met Grace, got into so much trouble. Zayne’s an adrenaline junkie, so he would have us going on epic adventures. Sky diving was fun…to everyone except Bennett, who screamed like a little girl all the way down. Knox? Well, he decided he wanted to jump out of the plane naked, and without a licensed professional.

 
“Katherine, my dear—” Luna turns and holds out an arm toward Kat, who stands up and walks over to her, her hand shoved into the pockets of her famous cat dress. “Kat. I’m sorry, I forgot you like to be called Kat. You will work with Aria on the earth element this evening, and then work out a schedule with them as well.”

  “Sounds fantastic!” Kat beams at the twins.

  Kat is a strange girl, but in a good way. She marches to the beat of her own drum. She’s a badass when it comes to earth-related magic though. During training one year, they were out on the terrain and there was a huge storm coming in from off the coast. A large tree was uprooted and was about to fall on some of the students. Kat was able to stop the tree midair and lower it to the ground slowly. She saved lives that day, so yeah, she’s great.

  “Grace will teach you both the water element and Abby will teach air,” Luna says.

  Grace stands up and walks over to Aria and Declan. She reaches out to shake their hands. Grace arrived here about five years ago. She left her coven from the UK because she wanted to see the world. Turns out, once she laid eyes on Knox “Daredevil” Carter, her dreams of seeing the world ended.

  Not to mention, he’s crazy about her as well. We gave him the nickname Daredevil because there was absolutely nothing he wouldn’t do, until he met Grace. She tamed him because now he thinks twice about doing something dangerous. There was an incident that happened when they first started dating, but I don’t know much about it. Knox doesn’t like to talk about it and I never press the issue. If someone wants to talk about something, they will. No need to push for information.

  After the introductions are made and everyone knows their scheduled training times, we all leave my father’s office, except for Luna. Once we’re outside, Kat says her goodbyes and walks off toward her cabin. Knox says that he’ll meet us in the training room after he walks Grace back to their cabin.

  “Alright I’ll catch you guys later. My sister wanted me to watch my nephew for a bit while she ran out to the store,” Zayne says as he smacks Bennett’s hand, then mine.