InSpire (16 page)

“Tell me what I want to know and I promise a quick death for you both.” Athena kept running her hands over Beatrice. Then shocked the room. She bent over and planted a passionate kiss on Beatrice’s lips. When she came back up there was no purple in her eyes. They were entirely red. Darian knew it would be over soon. Her nature was winning out against the lust.

“What kind of incentive is that?”

“It’s the only one you are getting.” Athena pulled the dagger out from her waistband. Good thing she always put it on. She traced the edge of Beatrice’s jaw and her lips with the very tip of the dagger. She wasn’t drawing blood, but the point was getting across. She could take Beatrice apart one piece at a time.

“I can’t tell you what I don’t know,” she replied. 

Athena left a slash mark on Beatrice’s chin before she jumping off. Darian admired her movements. She’d been waddling for weeks, but now she was moving like a cat. With her dagger drawn Athena stalked over to Chloe. Fear was radiating from her. It was feeding Athena. The darkness with in her grew stronger as she got closer. Athena grabbed her hair in her hand and pulled Chloe’s head back. Chloe let out a cry. Athena turned and looked at Beatrice as she drug the blade down Chloe’s torso. She was using enough pressure to draw blood now. Before the blade reached her pubic bone, Beatrice reacted.

“STOP!” Beatrice shouted.

“Do you have something to say?”

“I will talk. Just stop hurting her,” she cried.

“I suggest you start talking.” Athena stood there with her blade dripping blood on the ground. She was a menacing sight.

“They are planning to take ten demons and harness their power so they can overturn Spire. They want to ruin everything you have here and leave the world defenseless. They have six demons now. It will only be a matter of time before they succeed.”

“And who is the leader?” Athena stood next to the rack with the blade still on Chloe’s skin. She was bleeding profusely. The only thing stopping Athena from killing her was Beatrice. She needed her to talk and keep talking.

“Her name is Olivia,” she said.

“Why would she do this?”

“Power, of course.”

“Does she still have my father?”

“For now. He isn’t much use to her anymore. He is weak and we believe dying,” Beatrice admitted.

The news was too much for Athena. She doubled over in pain. She dropped her blade to ground as her body was continuously wracked by contractions. Darian went right to her side and pressed his hands in the small of her back. It relieved the pressure there for a moment.

“Is there anything we can do?” the guard asked.

“No. She is just in labor.” Darian had his hand pressed firmly in the small of her back. It was relieving some of the tension, but she was still doubled over breathing hard.

“Then what do we do with these prisoners?” he asked.

“Destroy them,” Athena said, getting her breath back.

“Are you alright?” Darian whispered.

“Yes. We should get back upstairs.”

Just then Athena was taken over by a deep need to finish the job herself. She grabbed her blade off the ground and walked over to Chloe. She put the blade over her head and drove it through Chloe’s heart with one great blow. Athena’s body reacted to her death like she just climaxed. She ran her hand down her body. She began to touch herself until Darian cleared his throat. A moment of embarrassment washed over her before she set her sights on Beatrice. She pulled the blade out of Chloe’s body and wiped it off on her skirt.

Stalking over to Beatrice with determination, Athena noticed she had closed her eyes. She was resigned to the fact that her life was over. Darian tried to stop Athena, but she was determined and tapping in. Her eyes were bright red. She brushed right passed him. When he looked closer the red had a purple ring. That confused him.

She hiked up her skirt and mounted Beatrice. Her rack was laying back in a table position. The shock radiating from the guards was waving toward Athena, but she didn’t care. Athena slid her exposed wetness up and down Beatrice’s body. The rubbing was getting her off. Darian stood horrified and turned watching her. She bit her lower lip and whimpered. He knew she was climaxing. He couldn’t believe she was doing this, but he knew the royal power could make her do several things.

“What is wrong with you?” Beatrice spat her.

“Nothing.” Athena pressed her lips against Beatrice’s and kissed her deeply. Athena had never kissed a woman before, but her body needed relief from the surge of sexual tension. When she sat back up Beatrice looked into Athena’s eyes. Beatrice was quiet but clearly attracted to Athena. Darian finally figured out what was going on. Athena was trying to make Beatrice attracted to her. It would make her death that more fulfilling for Athena. He smiled realizing she was becoming a full fledge Prin.

She raised her blade and drove it into Beatrice’s heart. When the blade hit the wood underneath, Athena fell to the floor racked by yet another orgasm. The pleasure only lasted a few minutes as it was quickly replaced by a contraction. Her eye color and demeanor changed instantly. She started to turn red with embarrassment, but the pain took over entirely. Once again Darian was quick to rub the spot on her back. It helped the pain. He picked her up off the ground.

“Take care of the bodies.” Athena could only manage that before the pain hit again.

“I will call the midwife as soon as you are in the room.”

He took her to the room and helped her sit down on the bed. He ran to the closet and got her gown. She threw it on quickly. He called the guard and instructed them to get the midwife. Athena laid back on the bed just as another contraction took her. She rolled to her side so Darian could rub back. The pain lasted longer this time. She pulled her legs up to her chest and rocked slowly.

“She’ll be here soon,” Darian whispered.

“I hope so.”

The contractions lightened the harder he pressed. When her muscles relaxed, Athena rolled over and let out a sigh. Darian wished there was more he could do to help her, but she was just going to have to feel this. He would have the baby if he could.

“What was all that in the dungeon about?” Darian looked into her eyes. She knew it had turned him on, but now wasn’t the time to explore how to help him with that.

“I don’t know. Something came over me. It was a powerful need.”

“I gathered that.”

“It won’t happen again.”

“It better, but under different circumstances.” He let out a chuckle. Athena knew Darian wanted to try a ménage some time, but now wasn’t the time. Neither one of them had ever explored this as an option together. Now it would be an open topic. Athena smiled and then laughed. The laugh brought on yet another contraction.

The midwife walked through the door just as the contraction stopped. She had a bag with her.

“Let me check her,” she said to Darian. He got out of her way quickly. She moved Athena onto her back and put her legs up. The next thing Athena knew the midwife had her fingers inside of her again. The pain was excruciating. Athena was grinding her teeth and squeezing Darian’s hand until it turned blue. The midwife pulled out her fingers and they were red with blood. “It will be a while. It doesn’t seem as though you have broken your water yet.” she said, wiping her hand off.

“Great,” Athena sighed.

“Labor is different for every Prin,” she admitted.

“Well that is just….” Athena’s eyes roll back in her head. When she opened them again she wasn’t in her bed room. It felt as though she was having an out of body experience. There have been stories of this happening, but never to her. She looked around to see where her spirit was. It looked like a warehouse. While still trying to get her bearings, her body had another contraction. The room got darker until the contraction passed. She looked around some more. Then she heard clinking chains not far from her.

She walked through a door to find a startling sight. Her father was chained against the wall. He was weak and collapsed on the ground. She looked to see if there was anyone around. She sensed nothing around so she approached him.

“Who’s there?” he said.

“Father, it’s me, Athena.”

“How?” he asked.

“I don’t know.”

“I can’t see you. Step into the light,” he requested.

She stepped into the light and he smiled at her. The sight of him made her start crying. He looked a hundred years older than he did. She couldn’t imagine what they had been doing to him. She tried to move closer to him but her body had another contraction. It stopped her dead and she had to bend over.

“What’s wrong?” he said as she was writhing in pain. It took her a full minute to answer.

“Nothing. I’m just in labor.”

His face went ashen. “You are having a son aren’t you?” he asked.

“How did you know that?”

“I just do. That also explains how you were able to come to me,” he stated.

“I’m feeling left out here.” She stepped closer to him and tried to touch him. Her hand passed right through him.

“You can’t touch me. You are here as a temporal. That means you are only here in your mind. Your body is back at the castle,” he replied.

“Father, what is going on?” She stood back up and looked at herself. She seemed real, but she wasn’t pregnant. Now what he was saying made sense.

“I’m dying,” he stated.

“Why?”

“It’s my time. Your son is the future. I am the past. He needs to have a clean slate,” father explained.

“What is hap…” Yet again a contraction had her unable to speak.

“As fast as those are coming we don’t have much time. You listen and be quiet,” he said. She tried to speak but he put his hand up. She shut up and let him continue. “Our family was given seven kingdoms hundreds of years ago. My brothers and sisters have been ruling the kingdoms ever since. I know you have met my lover, Elizabeth. Eventually you will meet the others. They will show themselves when its time. For now you can rely on Liz. She will teach you what you need to know,” he explained. “I don’t have much time now. Once your son is born you will inherit the rest of our powers. You will need Liz to show you how to use them. At first you will feel overwhelmed by them. In time you will learn to control them. You will also be able to show your son. He will be born with a few just as Johan was,” he said, taking a deep breath. He lurched forward and she thought he was going to collapse, but he came back up. He coughed then settled. “You have to remember who you are. You will get vengeance for me. Just don’t let the evil in you control you. You have to let the light shine through you. You know what I am talking about. The power is tempting but don’t go there,” he replied.

“Father?”

“Go. You can do nothing for me. You need to be there to bring that baby into the world,” he said, crying.

“I love you.” She felt ripped back to the castle.

“I love you too,” he said. Her eyes rolled back into her head and the world went black. When the light came back she was back in her bed at the castle.

“Glad you decided to join us. It’s time to push,” the midwife said, looking in her eyes.

“Thank Goodness. I thought we lost you.” Darian gripped her hand tightly. Then he wiped the tears from her eyes. He wasn’t sure what caused them, but they were flowing freely.

“Now you need to push,” she demanded.

Athena had no time to explain why she was crying. It was ripping at her heart, but she had to focus. She bared down and felt the baby trying to get out. It was excruciating but, she wanted him out of her body. This half in half out was for the birds. She felt another big contraction coming on and Athena grabbed the back of her thighs. She pushed hard. Then a gush of release came out of her body. In the next moment the air was filled with cries. Darian rushed to the midwife’s side and took Bowen away from her. A moment later and Athena’s heart felt crushed.

“What’s wrong?” Darian said, rushing to her side.

“Father is dead,” She wept uncontrollably. The sorrow swamped her like a tidal wave.

“I’m sorry,” he said still cradling Bowen.

Through her tears she latched eyes with Bowen. The tears stopped, but she couldn’t breathe. Bowen was so perfect. She saw her father in him and Darian. Bowen stretched out his wing as he looked at his mother. They were grey. She reached out her hands for him. Darian put him against her chest. He wasted no time. He started feeding immediately. Something about the intimacy of that act started to heal the pain in her heart. She still felt the loss but not as heavily. She rubbed her sons head while he nursed. Darian sat next to her stroking her hair. Her family was now all in this room. They were her entire world. She would do whatever she had to do to make sure they were safe. No matter what.

She looked down at her son. He was looking straight at Athena. His bright red hair and green eyes were sparkling. Bowen was born with the knowledge of their people. Athena and Darian never knew they could love someone so much. It was an instant, all-consuming love. When Bowen was done the midwife took him. She cleaned him off and swaddled him. They had a cradle brought in a few days before. She laid him down and he fell fast asleep.