** Author's Note**

Thank you to the old followers, and the new who have been keeping up with this story. I have not written a chapter since November of 2020 but I was inspired to continue after receiving at least 4 new follows. I am so sorry that it took so long to update this, I am currently working on writing a Victorian Style Romance/Drama that I am hoping will be published next year. Please let me know what you thought about this chapter and any suggestions or comments you may have. Also, don't forget to check out my profile for links to my latest book and designs. I hope you enjoy the chapter, it's a good one!

The air was extremely damp inside the vacant tomb. The stone corridors were filled with the scattered bones of fortune hunters and the scaly beasts that assassinated them. Pathways extended in every which way, confusing the mind into believing there was nowhere to go where you wouldn't end up where you had already been. However, for someone with keen eyes, the hidden trails were easy to follow.

With only a single torch for light, Kassandra was forced to follow her paranormal senses to find what she was looking for. She waded down to a stone walk, a torch in one hand and her spear in the other. Voices were echoing all around her, luring her to the single room where all the tunnels connected into one.

"Be careful how much you share with the mortals." a masculine voice warned. This tone sounded god-like and futuristic, filling the halls with life. Whoever it was, was not human, that much could be certain. "These are troubling times…" the voice continued, " The mortals are in a constant state of turmoil and war.."

Kassandra was determined to find the mysterious voice, following its trail like a hound until she located it. She dared not enter the room just yet, as the ominous blue aura caught her off guard. Out of the silence, she heard Aleera's voice. It's a light echo coming from within the central chamber. Kassandra's heart stopped. She was filled with emotions both good and bad.

"She can't be working with the cult," Kassandra told herself. She listened carefully and forced herself to remain hidden and prayed that her intuition was wrong.

"You have trusted me with your voice and your wisdom trusted me to know when to speak and when to listen. Trust me now in knowing what the prophecy foresees and in return, I will continue to protect what has been stolen from you."

Aleera's voice dwarfed in comparison to the entity but evoked Kassandra's rage all the same. The shred of the reason she held inside her, the reason that convinced her that Aleera could never be affiliated with the cult of kosmos was now gone.

She was not sure what she would find once she barged into the center chamber, an ambush was not far from her mind. It felt as though Aleera had been toying with her, giving her a trail to follow just to throw her off and keep her from finding out the secrets Aleera had hidden.

Kassandra dropped the torch with a loud 'thud' drawing Aleera's attention towards her. She gripped her spear tightly, its blade emanating a beautiful golden glow. She inhaled a long, slow breath, channeling her strength. With a sharp exhale, she sprinted into the chamber, spear drawn and ready for a fight.

But there was no ambush, no cult members, no masculine entity. Just Aleera

She was kneeling in front of an altar, her hands folded in prayer. The cool hues that bled from the room were replaced with the flicker of torches, their warm flames dancing with Aleera's shadow. The layers of her dress fell loosely around her body, its fabric barely covering her skin and exposing the majority of her back. She allowed her light brown hair to explore, unbound and untamed but not in any way disheveled.

" I knew you would come," she said in a heavy voice. She lifted herself slowly, completely aware of the negative energy that was approaching her.

Kassandra kept her spear pointed at Aleera as she turned to face her, unwilling to let her guard down. "You know a lot of things," She spat, "and you will tell me all I wish to know."

Aleera narrowed her gaze, she lifted her grey dress and descended the step of the altar. She moved swiftly towards Kassandra. Closer, and closer she approached until Leonidas's spear was practically at her throat.

"I will answer only what you deserve to know. You do not threaten me Kassandra nor do you want to harm me, so please, put your spear down."

Aleera spoke in a sophisticated tone that was neither aggressive nor demeaning. She understood Kassandra's anger and why she acted so harshly, but she also understood that for the misthios to accept the truth, she would have to relinquish that anger.

But Kassandra wanted no part in it, and instead pushed the spear tip against Aleera's skin, "tell me who you were talking to," she hissed.

Aleera stiffened, she knew Kassandra wouldn't believe her if she told her that she was conversing with one of the Grecian Gods, and it was clear that, much like her brother Alexios, Kassandra had a wave of anger within her that could not be reasoned with. So, with all other hopes dry, Aleera pressed against the spear tip, coaxing blood from her flesh, and said, "I am a servant of the gods, they wait for me in the afterlife. If you are intent on killing me, do so swiftly."

Kassandra's eyes widened, her anger in need of release but she could not bring herself to take Aleera's life. She lowered her spear and with a fisted hand, knocked the woman off of her feet and onto the cold floor.

"I trusted you!" she screamed, "We fought together! Bled together!" Tears filled her eyes as she turned away, "I never hid secrets from you, never lied to you, and to think that I loved…" Kassandra was frantic, she looked down at her hands, blood coated her fist.

Aleera attempted to peel herself off of the cold floor, but the force of the blow left her dazed and disoriented. She could hear Kassandra's voice but she could not make out all that she said. There was a warm sensation on her face, a trickle of blood that fell down her cheek. That was when she realized, she could no longer see out of her right eye.

She struggled to stand, trembling as she fought to regain her balance. Aleera was a strong woman, one who was not easily defeated. It was odd that she would fall so easily, as though deliberately refusing to dodge Kassandra's attack and purposely allowing her to strike her. This may have been the case, but what Aleera did not anticipate was the severity of the wound Kassandra would leave behind.

"Kassandra…" Aleera whispered, her shaking legs barely able to hold her.

"You warned me that my anger would make me no better than the cult when it was you who acted the most like them." Kassandra bit through her tears and resisted the urge to turn around. However, when she heard a loud 'thud' she could not withstand the temptation to see what it was, although she was not prepared for it.

"Aleera?!" Kassandra rushed to the woman's side. She lifted her head and brushed away thick pieces of blood-soaked hair. "I… I…" she could hardly get her words out, as she uncovered the ugly gash, "no..no..no...I didn't mean..."

" Do not apologize, Kassandra… I shouldn't have provoked you" Aleera attempted to open her eyes, but the pain was too severe. Her voice was soft and oddly comforting. "You're right, I am no better than the cult… although I am no longer controlled by them."

" What do you mean, controlled by them?" Kassandra asked. Her heart sank as she held Aleera's head for support, she didn't mean to injure her in such a way and felt an unimaginable sense of guilt for the pain she had caused. However, because Aleera was still able to speak, she did not hesitate to ask her the questions that she had prepared.

" I wanted to tell you... about who I was…" Aleera paused, letting out a sharp gasp of breath as she attempted to sit upright, "about who I am." She managed to open both of her eyes, but only one blue orb remained. The other was dark, red, and bloody. " I need to go…" she pleaded.

Kassandra kept her from trying to stand, "Please," she insisted, " I cannot wait another night without knowing the truth." She tore off a piece of her caplet and tied it around Aleera's head, covering both of her eyes.

Aleera grabbed Kassandra's hand as she tightened the bandage, following the curve of her arm up to her face. "There is so much to tell." she said, stroking Kassandra's cheek, "Do you remember the Oracle of Delphi?"

"Yes," Kassandra answered, " she was being used by the Cult to project their message and manipulate the people."

"I was once controlled by them in the same way... In Argolis...where I acted as their Oracle and high priestess in the temple Epidauros Akropolis." Aleera's voice shuddered as she confessed her relations to the cult.

"The lost Oracle of Argolis? You were said to be the only true prophet of the gods, a healer amongst the people. Aleera, you were the one who predicted the victory of Epidauros, one of the greatest wars in favor of Sparta." Kassandra felt as though history was playing out in front of her, "They said you had been killed by the Spartan general who commanded the armies, that he went mad with rage after losing most of his men."

Aleera managed a small smile as she listened to the tail, "Cicero would never harm me," she whispered, "he rescued me from the cult."

"Cicero?" Kassandra was shocked at the realization that he was the Spartan general responsible for the victory and the massacre on the beach. Suddenly, everything seemed to fall into place and some of the questions Kassandra had were already answered just by knowing about Aleera's past. However, her excitement quickly diminished as she prepared to ask something more sinister.

"Where does my brother, Deimos, fit into all of this?" She asked coldly.

Aleera flinched at the mention of Alexios, a reaction that Kassandra was keen to notice, "Alexios was chosen by the cult to become their champion. They worship your grandfather's bloodline and sought to use your brother to aid in their conquest to control all of Greece. I remember the day they brought him to the temple. He was only 7 years old but the cult had filled him with lies and hate. You see, the cult never understood the extent of my abilities, nor believed in them. But your brother did. And on that day he swore to protect me, no matter the cost. I saw in him the same greatness I see in you, only he has been tainted. But even the most tainted of blood can be purified over time."