The Hidden Truth (Book 1)

Chapter 27- A Meeting

Athena POV...

I slide down the door and rest my head against it, I could hear growling coming from a distant and because of the blood coming from my knee I knew there was not much I could do. I climbed back up to my feet and limped up the familiar staircase that led up to my room. The growling was getting closer when I was finally in my room I slam the door closed.

Everything in my room was broken, the mirrors were smashed, the walls were crumbling and were covered in vines that were dying. But the dresser was still intact I started to open the draws, "where is it," I ask out loud, I could hear the growling coming closer. I knocked off everything onto the ground. 

I could hear the growling coming closer to me, looking under the dresser I could see the rusting metal chopsticks, they were the only weapon I could hide in my room, mostly because the maids that were assigned to clean my room one morning, almost flipped out when they found all the swords and knives stashed under my bed and in my closet and threw them out. 

Slipping the safety lid off of the blades I held them behind me, I watched as the door handle began to turn. The door pushed open, closing my eyes I swallowed hard because I knew that I only had one chance to give my attacker a proper blow slowly I open my eyes.

In front of me stood a black panther this panther was different, its coat was shiny and was covered in spots that resembled that of a cheetah, this panther didn't have its regular yellow eyes but instead, they were blue I watched as it looked at me as if I was its prey, when it was about to pounce on me and I was about to stab the panther when I saw it flying across the room, and slipped over the balcony. 

"I couldn't ask for a better entrance," Alechimus said in my head.

"And great timing," I replied, I could hear a raven croak, at first I just thought that it was just another one of the ravens that attacked me, but it occurred to me that it was the panther that slid over the edge because of the ravens unusual piercing icy blue eyes, "help me up,"  I climbed on his back as he used his paw as a boost, "we need to go right now!" I could see a flock of ravens getting closer.

Slamming the door shut, I look back to see that the raven's dented the door before breaking it in, "they're getting closer," Alechimus says in my head.

"I know," down the hall, I saw a room, "turn into that room down the hall", we ran through the door I hopped off his back, I could feel the pain from my knee fire up my back, but I had no time indulging in it.

"Are you alright?" Alechimus asked me in my head.

"Yes I'm doing just fine, help me push the door closed," we pushed it all the way and latched it closed.

I rest my head against the door," Alec, not that I'm not happy to see you, but how did you get here?"

"I broke down the walls that were keeping you away from me, and now I'm here," he says laying his head on me.

"Do you know how  I manage to get here?" I asked.

"Hekate didn't say much, but whoever they are, they're powerful."

"And I'm powerless."

"You can't use your powers in here!" 

"Nope, can't even summon air, trust me I tried, when those ravens attacked me, all I could do was run."

"Do you think the person that put you here will be here too?"

"Honestly I'm really not in the mood to find out," in the corner of my eye I could see a first aid kit, "I think you're right, that first aid kit wasn't there before."

"Maybe they don't want you to die here," I watched as he walked over and he grabbed the kit with his mouth.

He placed it in my lap, slowly I opened it as if something was about to jump out on me, just to find a single tub of ointment, "look at this bright side if I don't die of an infection in my knee, this will most probably kill me,"  I squeezed a little on my finger and applied it on my knee, before it stung, "I believe you're right," I watched as the cut healed within seconds.

"Help me up please," he placed his head under my arm and pushed me up, I flexed my knee, "it's back to normal." 

"We need to go back out there," Alec says.

"Did you not just see that we were almost bird food, and you want us to go back out there?"

"I don't hear any movements, not even a heartbeat."

I unlatch the door, "are you ready?" I ask Alechimus as I get the chopsticks ready.

"Ready," he stood at my side ready to attack but when we opened the door, at first we thought they weren't there, until they all stood in their flock and looked at us, as if they had no soul.

With each step we made they parted  the way for us to walk through, each step we made they're head turned. I walk down the glass staircase, and down the hallway I look at all the painting that once shown the past kings and queens were all tattered and ripped apart. At the end of the hallway stood the black panther at a doubled door, that I knew led to the throne room. 

"Wouldn't it be ironic if the person behind those door is Micheal," Alechimus said in my head laughing. 

"It would if he was smart enough," I said snickering back to him, as the doubled doors open I watch as the ravens flew away and croaked, as if what laid behind the door they were afraid of.

I watch as the black panther walked in and sat beside the throne, from the corner of my eyes I could see the silhouette of a person, slowly the person walks out into view and sat in the throne as he stared at me, "I've been waiting to see you again Athena."

"What do you want from me?... why am I here?"

"I will answer your questions, but," he snaps his finger and before us appeared a table filled with food that could feed an entire village, "you must be hungry."

"I'm good."

I watch as his face turned from warm and welcoming to dark and vile, "you will sit and eat like a civil person."

At first I wasn't going to but Alechimus nudged me forward and gesture towards the food, "we need to come out of this alive, we have to play by his rules though I don't like this but we have to."

I sat at one end of the table and then he joined me facing at the opposite side of the table," good let's dig in, shall we?"