The Hidden Truth (Book 1)

Chapter 24- Wounds

Athena POV...

I stared at the amulet in my room and watched it glistened, I place it into my jewellery box, I exit out my room and went down the stairs of the castle and nodded my head as I walk past the maids, I walk past the guards and through the golden gates before I was stopped by them with the spears blocking my way, "your royal highness where do you think you're going?"

"I am going on a frolic through the dark evil yet beautiful woods that is in front of this horrid castle," I said directing my hand towards the woods.

"Did you get an okay from the prince before walking through the woods alone?"

I look behind me just to ensure that he was talking to me, and rolled my eyes, "Um no, but I did get permission from my legs that are about to walk right by you and you," I said pointing to both the guards.

"Princess we cannot allow that to happen you have to be accompanied."

Right on cue Alechimus walked from beyond the trees, "and there is the only company that I want, and lets be honest with that wolf with me you know I'm perfectly safe," hesitantly they look at each other and move from out my way and allow me through.

"We will still inform the Prince about your whereabouts."

"Whatever!"

"Don't you get tired of upsetting him?"

"He tried to kill my friend, he deserves to be tormented," I said as I walk through the bushes, "she was the first friend I ever really made outside of the castle since the war."

" I know your parents forbid you to even step through the doors of the castle but, at least you had your witch to give you some company and maids were there to teach you a thing or two," I move the branch out of our way and continued down the path. 

"Yeah but half the time the maids were teaching me how to cook and Hekate was teaching me about medicines, potions, different type of magic, history, different from Helixian, and making sure I was always knowledgeable about the dimensions and just the world in general, honestly she was more a mentor than a friend."

"But you weren't completely closed off  from the world, somehow you have always been connected and the powers you have acquired shows you just that."

"Yeah I know, but have you ever just felt lost, that you began to question if this life was meant for you if I was destined for something much more, but then again this is coming from the mouth of person who is about to get the throne."

I stretch my hands above my head and held my head back, "maybe you are but for right now you need to watch where you are going," I stub my toe on a dead trunk and was about to fall to my face before Alechimus stopped me and pushed me up.

"One of my favorite story that Hekate would tell me was about these people they were peaceful, they traveled around they never truly had one home, but they were gifted, they had powers," ... " That was out of this world!"  I shouted scaring the birds making them fly away. 

"They were Nomads?" He asked.

"Yes and no, yes as in they did travel continuously and they lived off of what the land had, and no in a sense where they didn't choose that life before they lived a life of luxury amongst Kings and Queen, but when word had gotten out that they were a powerful force to reckon with, they were hunted like wild animals forcing them to leave, from their homes."

"Why didn't they stay and fight?"  Alechimus asks.

"Because they wanted peace, they would rather run than to start a war, that would leave many injured and dead."

"Peace is not always peaceful Athena, sometimes in order to have peace blood must be drawn."

I release a sigh, "Somehow their enemies found out about their whereabouts, and killed them one by one, no one survived, Hekate told me that once whenever one of them died their powers went to the heavens, where their souls are," I took in the lake that was in front of me.

"I have been wanting to come here for such a long time."  I released a sigh.

Alechimus tensed up alerting me that we were being followed. I pulled the knife that I hid in my sleeve, I tilted my head in the direction of the person  and when I had an open, I sent the knife flying, I turned around to see Marcus, "we must really stop meeting like this," he said as he waved the knife in my face. 

"What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you."

"We have already spoken, and I decided that I don't want to talk to you until the sun burns out and the entire Earth has frozen over and all life on earth has died."

"WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE THIS UP?!" He pauses and exhaled, "you are my mate the fact that you are in my presence should have you melting on the floor, you should forgive me already and put this behind us."

"Excuse me," I look down at Alechimus "This bitch," I thought.

Alechimus snorts and sat down and watch us "Honestly I find this to be quite entertaining."

"You leave and then you come back with a mongrel that is basically glued to your hip, I demand you to give up this grudge immediately."

"On the other hand I would much rather rip out his jugular," Alechimus released a growl, as he bared his teeth.

At first I wanted to yell, but instead, I slapped him across the face, "shut up, you egotistical, self-righteous, sexist, piece of shit, I have been nothing but patient with you, I could have had a tantrum pack my stuff and leave, but I am still here, I don't want you to think that I want this to work for you I want this to work for my people, mate or no mate this is not for us, this is for our people, this is strictly business and I need for you to understand that," he was about to talk, "and have you yet to apologize to Brittney."

"I thought that us coming up with that law was an apology to her," I rubbed my face.

"No, the reason why I came up with that law was to stop you and anyone like you to stop thinking irrational."

"You mean vampires."

"That's exactly what I mean, your entire kind think that acting like an animal will get you what you want, and that law that I came up was only approved by you because I held a knife at your throat for you to even consider it, even when I told you about the guard that tried to kill Brittney it was like you didn't even care."

"Why should I when you had handled it yourself just like how the animals we are would."

I released a sigh," is this how things between us going to be?" I ask, "we are going to be husband and wife one day, are we going to be at each other's throat like this?" I ran my hand through Alec's fur, "maybe it is best that I leave this dimension, and call this engagement off."

I walk past him to feel him grab onto my arm, "Athena-"

A throbbing pain took over my body, as my legs gave out but not before Alechimus catches me and place me on the grass, a burning sensation took over my arm I pulled the sleeve up and saw that there were dark veins starting to appear. 

"Athena, Athena!" Marcus pulled my head towards him, "can you hear me?"

"I mean when you shout like that it's kinda hard to ignore," I said with a smile before a scream erupted from my chest, darkness took over. I opened my eyes to see guards around me in the woods, and again to see that I was in my room with nurses drawing my blood.

 I look around to see Alechimus at my side, I grab onto one of the nurse hand and mumbled the first and the only thing I could,"Hekate I need you," my eyes rolled to the back of my eyes as darkness consumed me.