CHAPTER TWELVE
Axel had warned Zeus ahead of time that this was happening and advised him to stay out of the way if he and the rest of the pantheon wanted to live. Zeus knew better than to challenge Kamali's authority. He was someone known never to use his powers or authority to give order others unless there is a viable reason. So Zeus had passed on the message to everyone except Apollo and Artemis to stay out of the way.
Emily stepped up to the front of the two temples and closed her eyes and starting a faint chant under her breath that even the Atlanteans didn't recognize. As she did this an odd power or magic filled the air and two colored stones began to solidify in front of her, one golden-yellow like the sun and the other silvery-blue to represent the moon. Once the two have completely solidify into stones that fit in the palm of her hand she stopped and the feeling of old power vanished. She opened her eyes and held out a hand as the two stones dropped into it. She could literally feel the powers and godhood of both being emit from the stones before she turned around to see shocked faces.
She shrugged. "What? I am a witch."
"Well that explains a few things..." Axel muttered and his friend rolled her eyes and flipped him off.
Just then, two identical screams came from inside the twin temples. Emily smirked and skipped over to the group. "They're all yours Apollymi."
A look of cruel pleasure descended on the goddess and she vanished. A shout of terror came from Apollo's temple, followed by a cry of dismay, which turned to a scream of pain that cut off abruptly. Almost immediately after, Artemis screeched in anger. Then her shriek died just as quickly as her twin's had. Apollymi appeared in front of them, covered in blood with a delighted look in her eyes.
"My desire for revenge is sated," she said. "Because I know you love humanity so much, I will refrain from bringing the End. For now."
Kamali smiled. "Thanks Grandma. Now I'm sure you want to meet Dad in person." He turned to Tory. "Mind if she follows you home?"
Tory shook her head. "Who am I to deny her the right to see her son?"
He smiled then looked to Apollymi again. "I can introduce you to your great-granddaughter later. I'm sure Katra wants you to meet her daughters as well."
Surprise touched Apollymi's features, incongruous against the gore of the sheen of blood. Then her expression settled to joyful warmth.
"My family," she breathed.
"And we all love you, Matera," Tory said, ignoring the blood and hugging the goddess, kissing her cheek.
"To think I'd finally see the day when I could meet my great-grandchildren," Apollymi said, wiping a tear from her eye.
"Just how long has she been locked up?" Gemina asked, glancing at Axel.
"Since the day my father was born," he answered with a serious face. Her eyes widened in shock. "Yeah. A long time."
Tory looked around at everyone. "Let's go home." She flashed them all to the Parthenopaeus household, where Acheron stood against the wall, waiting.
"Mother," he greeted, having eyes only for the goddess, who was now clean and freshened.
"Migios," she replied, hesitating. Then she stepped toward him. "I... I want to hold you. For real."
Sinsa and Gemina, having the same thought at the same time, quickly started waving everyone out from the room, to give mother and son a moment together.
Emily was the last to walk out of the room, catching the moment Acheron finally hugged his mother for the first time, before quickly leaving. She bit her lip as her eyes started to water a bit.
Tory, ever being the concerned mother, hugged the young woman and gently ran a hand through her hair. "What's wrong, Em?"
The witch-Chthonian didn't respond, staying silent as she hugged Tory back, burying her face into the woman's shoulder.
Axel seemed to quickly figure it out and grit his teeth. "She's wondering why she can't do the same with her own father."
"Is there a reason?" Sinsa asked, trying to ignore the pinch in her own chest at the thought of her parents. Both were dead, long dead, and she doubted she'd ever see them again, no matter how much she wanted to.
"Her mother and stepfather died when she was three. Then the man who took her in and became her adopted father was murdered in front of her five years ago." He explained in a low voice. "She didn't think her real father was even alive until meeting Savitar at Sanctuary a few days ago."
Emily bit back a hiccup before she added, "and... that was only for... two minutes." Her voice was quiet and quivered.
Sinsa covered her mouth, hoping to suppress the gasp, but not quite succeeding. Gemina gently rubbed her sister between the shoulder blades.
"We lost our parents young too," she said. "And all four of our siblings; five, if you include our stillborn baby brother. Sin and I know your pain. Especially Sin, because to her, I was dead and she was completely alone for seven years."
Then something seemed to click in her head. "Wait... Savitar's your dad?"
Emily managed a small nod. Gemina face palmed before looking at Axel. "So that's what you meant when you were trying to have us to guess why he scared her so much?"
Axel nodded. "She's afraid of being rejected."
"Geez, I don't know what's worse, not having parents, or knowing your dad might not want you," she grimaced.
"We're all misfits here," Sinsa quoted, giving Emily a small smile. Emily giggled a little.
Axel jumped in. "I believe you mean 'We're all mad here.'" He gave a Cheshire grin.
The witch laughed. "Ooo.. Better watch out Sin, he can be sly as a fox sometimes."
"Then I'll just have to be a hunting dog then," she said, casting a sidelong glance at Axel.
"Run, sexy, while you still have the chance," Gemina laughed.
"What chance?" Sinsa asked, grabbing his wrist and stepping closer, pulling his arm over her shoulder. "I've already caught him."
He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her lips. "And I have no objections to being caught by you."
Gemina faked a gag, teasing them. "Get a room."
"Don't like it, go away," Sinsa hummed, kissing him back.
"Daddy!" The Deva nearly jumped out of her skin as a tiny ball of energy collided with her and Axel's legs.
"Oh my...!" She grabbed her chest to slow the sudden increase in heart rate. "Sorcha, don't do that; you scared me to death!"
Axel chuckled before picking up his daughter. He ruffled her black hair. "Hello, fo̱s mou." He looked around for a moment before looking into his daughter's liquid Mercury eyes. "Where's your mother?"
Emily snickered. "Sneaky six?" she asked and Axel's nod caused her to giggle. "I can't wait till you two have kids. That's going to be funny to watch."
"You and Nick are the ones who'll have an interesting time with your kids."
The witch rolled her eyes. "If we ever marry, and even then we agreed that if that did happen, we'd wait until both of us have been out of college for a few years. Nick's graduating this year, but I'm a sophomore, I got another two years."
Gemina grinned, glancing sidelong at Sorcha.
"I'm gonna spoil all your kids so rotten," she said, and then looked at her sister, who was flushing deep red. "Especially yours, Sin."
"Would you stop?" Sinsa protested. "You act like I'm already pregnant!"
Axel smirked and whispered in Sinsa's ear. "Nothing says we can't try now." He enjoyed watching her turn even redder.
"You guys are horrible!" she whined as the other girls laughed.
"And you are never going to live this down," Gemina smirked. "I swear, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you're scared of him!"
"Do you see him?" Sinsa said, pointing at Axel. "He's all muscle; of course I'm scared of him!"
Tory waved it off with a smile. "Nah. He's like his father; a gentle giant."
Axel snickered. "Don't let him hear you say that."
"Say what?" Acheron asked. Apollymi, following him, spotted Sorcha and beamed.
"Your little one," she guessed, reaching a hand toward the child.
Sorcha looked confused. Her father chuckled. "That's your great-grandma." The child beamed instantly and leap out of her father's arms and into Apollymi's. She giggled and snuggled into her shoulder.
Apollymi hugged the child to her. "What's her name?"
"Sorcha." Apollymi's head tilted curiously.
"Gaelic?" Axel nodded. Then smirked at his father.
"Tory called you a gentle giant." Tory stuck her tongue out at him.
"And you said not to let him hear it," she scoffed.
"A gentle giant," Acheron repeated thoughtfully. "With a hidden temper." He winked at his wife, who giggled as though sharing a secret.
"Like father, like son," she assured again. Sinsa smiled, slipping her hand into Axel's.
"I don't doubt it," she said.
Emily looked at Gemina and both rolled their eyes at the two couples.
"Get a couple rooms, would ya?" Gemina said again.
"We really don't need to know the details," Emily added as she rubbed her forehead to try to rid of some of the mental images. Sinsa huffed at her sister and her friend.
"Fine," she said, heading for the stairs and pulling Axel after her.
Axel chuckled and picked her up bridal style before simply flashing into the free bedroom upstairs. He set her down on her feet and kissed her.
"I love you." He whispered huskily, his hot breath caressing her cheek.
Sinsa's breath shuddered in time with the shiver that ran up her spine as she returned the kiss.
"I love you too..." she murmured, completely content. She had her sister Gemina, her best friend Emily, a family of superior beings who'd happily welcomed her, and to top it all off, she had Axel. There was no question now what her feelings were; she loved him absolutely, and nothing would change that. "...Axel Parthenopaeus."
He smiled and kissed her again as he laid her down on the bed, slowly climbing on top of her.
Downstairs, Emily suggested the two couples have a night to themselves and the girls could all stay with her. "Trust me, there's more rooms than people."
The girls agreed and they were ready to leave when the witch suddenly turned back to Acheron and Tory, fighting off a smile.
"Just... One last thing I need to say before we leave you to your own devices."
"And that is?" Tory prompted, interested. Gemina also waited with baited breath, expecting some cheesy last statement.
Emily gave them a large grin. "Can't wait to meet the baby!" With that she flashed with Gemina, Apollymi and Sorcha to her house.
Tory laughed and took Acheron's arm.
"What do you say, babe?" she grinned. "Shall we try?"
"I think it'd be a waste not to," he chuckled, kissing her. "Besides we can't let the kids outdo us, now can we?"
Sinsa had never realized how hot she could get for someone. But with Axel's hand sliding under her shirt and across her skin, she felt electric. If this lasted after, she'd probably end up using all the cold water. For now, though, she could stand the heat.
Axel kissed down her neck and sucked on her pulse lightly as he slowly moved her shirt up her body to expose her stomach.
"You're killing me," Sinsa complained. With a tentative try, she managed to make her shirt disappear. A wide smile spread across her lips. "I could get use to this power thing."
He chuckled against her skin as he made her bra and underwear disappear but left her pants. "Then you'll enjoy this, Sinsa..." He purred, kissing down to her breasts. "You'll be screaming in pleasure many times before this night is over." With that he slid his hands down her sides and just dipping inside her pants.
A heavy groan rolled off her tongue as he stoked the fire inside her with every touch.
"Challenge... accepted," she moaned, tugging his shirt up and drawing her nails lightly across his abs. She was going to make him just as hot if it took her all night.