Chapter Five:
The Goddess knew she was dreaming before the darkness even morphed into a scene of the hotel bedroom. She could sense the lust that surrounded her, that enveloped her entire body. She almost wanted to laugh at the vampire that thought he could trick her. Remaining there, lying on the bed, she allowed the hands to roam over her form for a few moments, letting the lust build around them. When she was able to absorb enough of the energy, she forced it right back into the original source.
Celena knocked them both out of the dream.
"Well isn't this an interesting development?" Eric's sleepy tone was sarcastic as Celena shoved his shoulders into the bed, her body straddling his. "What a way to wake."
"You seem to forget who I am, Viking," she hissed with narrowed eyes. "Trying to seduce the daughter of Aphrodite in a dream? Did you think I wouldn't know?"
"I was hoping not," he admitted, his eyes growing more aware as the light tight shutters rose from the windows. His hands rose to clasp her hips, tugging her down onto his hardened erection. "But I must say, it is a welcome surprise."
She rolled her eyes at his arousal. It wasn't a surprise, the lust he had tried to shove through her now coursing in his veins. She could manipulate his energy just as he was able to manipulate her dreams. Only she was better.
"Simmer down, Eric," she moved to get off of him, but Eric's grasp tightened.
"Just because my maker was foolish, doesn't mean I am," he smirked up at her.
She was on her back, and she cursed him for once again getting the upper hand. It was the poison, she insisted, never wanting to admit defeat. Especially to a vampire – this one especially.
"Come on now, Goddess of love," he settled himself between her legs, moving so his erection pressed against her.
"I'm not my mother," her hands were on his chest. Just a bit of…yes, that was what she needed.
Eric groaned as she swiftly moved off of her, his hand on his chest where the zap of energy had been unleashed. "That's very rude, Princess."
"You'll get over it," glancing at the time, Celena tossed her legs over the side of the bed and stood. "Now come on, Viking. We have a flight, do we not?"
"I'd much rather stay in bed," he grumbled like a scored little boy.
The Goddess found a pile of fresh clothes sitting on a chair, and tried to wonder when they had appeared. Shrugged, she tossed the Viking his before moving into the bathroom.
"Don't forget who my father is, Vampire," she sent him a rare grin. "He doesn't quite like those that try and seduce me."
If possible, what little colour that was left, drained from his face. Ares was certainly not a force to be reckoned with.
"You promised me a story," Eric settled on the couch across from her.
Celena raised an eyebrow at the Viking. Their private flight had only just taken off, and he was already hounding her for answers. She shouldn't have promised him such, but what was she to do? He had helped her, giving her his blood. Not that it had done very much. The poison was already attacking her, and Celena doubted she would still have a beating heart by the time they landed in Texas. But still, the vampire had kindly cared for her when he didn't need to.
She supposed she owed him something.
"Well, Princess?" the Viking smirked widely as he stretched his long legs across the leather, lounging with his arms crossed beneath his head. "I just love story time."
The Goddess rolled her eyes but shifted in her own seat. She was impressed by the luxury Anubis Air offered. The entire cabin was even light tight, though a traveling coffin was sitting at the back of the jet, just in case they were delayed.
"What exactly do you want to know?" Celena knew she couldn't tell him everything. But just enough that it would satisfy his interest, and hopefully bore him from asking too many questions.
"How did you meet?" he immediately questions.
"Godric didn't tell you?"
"I'm honestly doubting if he told me anything that was true," Eric admitted, his gaze sweeping over her. He noticed the twinge of pain that crossed her otherwise perfectly masked expression. His blood was wearing off, he could see that, but she was stubbornly refusing to ask for any help.
She couldn't help but smile. "Godric has a habit of keeping certain things…hidden."
Eric snorted. "That's an understatement. It took a week before his underlings realized he was missing."
Her heart skipped a beat. "Missing?"
He lazily raised an eyebrow. "You know plenty about me, it seems, and yet you didn't even know that?"
What did he mean Godric had been Missing? "I don't keep tabs on him as much these days. It's too…" Celena trailed off, shaking her head. She was certainly not going to talk about that with the Viking. There was a reason Eric didn't remember their first meeting, whatever that reason might be. She wouldn't bring it up unless it was Godric's choosing. She knew better than anyone to not interfere between Maker and Progeny. "What do you mean he was missing? You said he sent you to find me. Is he…"
"He's fine now," Eric assured, amused at the slight panic. "He was taken by the Fellowship of the Sun. We were able to retrieve him about a week ago."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "How the hell was a 2,000-year-old vampire taken by a group of idiotic bigots?"
"Exactly," he caught her gaze. "How would he be?"
A sigh sounded from her lips as her eyes closed. What in the world had gotten into her old friend? "He wasn't taken, was he?"
"He hasn't admitted it, no," Eric was frowning now. "But I have my suspicions. The Godric I know would never have let some puny humans capture him."
"Which means he went on his own accord. But why?" It didn't make any sense to Celena. Why would Godric just hand himself over to the Fellowship of the Sun of all people? She had followed the radicals closely since the Great Revelation, especially those close to Godric and his family. They weren't soldiers; they weren't organized enough to even capture a newborn vampire. So how could any of this be true?
"Like I said, I have my suspicions," his feet returned to the ground quickly, his arms resting on his knees. "But we're not supposed to be talking about this. You're supposed to be telling me how the two of you met."
Celena could see the mixture of worry and fear in the Viking's orbs, and she didn't push him for more. Whatever was going on with his Maker, it was troubling Eric dearly. She would just have to get to the bottom of it once they landed. Or really, once she woke.
Letting her fingers gently slide across her side, pretending there was an itch, her breathing hitched. The wound was starting to open again. She did everything she could to keep her scent to herself. One whiff of her blood and she doubted the jet would survive the erratic vampire.
"You're delaying," he accused.
"Just getting my thoughts together," she lied, tucking a strand of hair behind an ear. "So, the story of how Godric and I met then?"
It had just been another battle, another war that had drawn her in. It was like a moth to a flame. If she was within distance, she would be in the middle of the bloodiest battle gleefully. She wasn't sure if it was the battle itself, or the pure destruction and chaos that gave her the high. But Celena didn't care. After over a thousand years, she had lost all caring.
Now all she needed was a live one. One that was drinking in celebration with their kinsmen. The lust was always high after the conclusion of a fight, and it was always the peak time to strike.
Moving towards the known camp of the victors, Celena wiped the bloodied blade of her beloved sword against the back of a fallen – one she had happily killed herself. When she was satisfied enough that it was clean until she found the nearest stream to clean it properly, the Goddess was ready for her next triumph. The high would wear off soon if she didn't find herself in someone's tent that night. And then the desires would just amount once again, forcing her to search out another blood bath. She deserved a moment of peace and quiet, at least for a little while.
A sound to her left caught her by surprise, however, stilling the Goddess. Her eyes closed as she forced her senses out, her hearing accelerated as she searched for the intruder. There were no footsteps, no snaps of twigs or crunching of leaves. But she could sense they were still there, eyes watching her closely. And then there it was, the stirring of life above her. There was no heartbeat, but she knew enough about the other beats that roamed the earth to know that such a thing didn't matter.
"You can come out," she called, her words still unsure of this new language she had picked up. It was easy for her these days to learn new cultures, to pick up the languages of the lands she crossed. But she had only entered this one a few full moons ago, and her skill wasn't quite up to par just yet. "I know you're there."
A form pounced to the ground behind her, but Celena didn't bother to hurry around. Her blade was held tightly in her grip, though she knew without a doubt that should whoever this creature was venture too close, their throat would be sliced without hesitation.
The heartless creature didn't approach, though, remaining where they were behind her. After a long moment, the Goddess slowly turned, intrigued that they hadn't even attempted to attack. When she finally caught sight of the creature, she was surprised he appeared to only be a boy around her own age. One peer into his blue orbs, however, told her he wasn't nearly as young as he appeared to be.
"Who are you?" Celena questioned, her head tilting as she took the boy in. His hair fell to the bottom of his earlobes, dirt tangling the dark locks. A tattoo circled his collarbone, with another on his arm. He wore nothing but raggedy cloth pants that were splattered with dirt and blood. What caught her attention was the blood that stained his mouth and chin.
She had a feeling what this boy was, and she was unsure if she should be on alert or not.
"You're name?" she spoke louder, demanding to be answered when the boy just stared at her.
"You're not human," he merely answered, his accent thick. He was of this land, Celena decided, remembering how the other men had spoken around her as she struck each and every single one to the ground. "What are you?"
"It's rude to answer with a question," she couldn't help but be intrigued by him, by this vampire.
Celena had kept her distance from the species, only if due to the lure of her blood. She had been warned of the stories even when she was a little girl, and then again by her brothers when they crossed paths in battle. Their blood drew many supernatural beings to them, but none would survive a taste.
"Godric," he finally replied. "Godric of Gaul."
"Well, Godric of Gaul," she offered the tiniest of bows, her gaze never leaving his. "It's an honour to make your acquaintance. But what is a vampire doing here, and so close to dawn?"
His eyebrows furrowed in surprise. "You know what I am."
"You reek of death. And the blood," she motioned to his lips. "It gave it away."
Godric didn't try to wipe the blood away, and Celena was even more intrigued by this creature. "What are you?"
"Someone you truly do not want to know," the warning was slight, but there. "You should return to your lair, Godric of Gaul. It will no longer be safe out here soon enough."
He didn't speak at first, instead staring at the Goddess as if trying to figure out who – and what – she was. He would never fathom she was the daughter of Love and War, but it amused her that he was trying. Eventually, and as the dark sky began to lighten to a deep blue, the vampire finally spoke.
"I cannot return there," his voice was softer than before. He almost looked a little lost, and Celena felt confused by the emotion.
"And why is that exactly?"
"I killed my maker. They are searching for me," he stated bluntly.
Celena's eyes widened. She had heard stories about the bond between maker and progeny. To lose one, it was like losing a limb. Never in her existence had she heard of a child killing their sire. It was unheard of. Especially one so young, and she predicted he was. Celena doubted he was more than half a century from the stillness of energy surrounding him. The elder vampires, the few she had skirted around in the past, were always consumed with powerful, raw power that wrapped around them like flickering flames.
"Why would you do such a thing?"
His gaze hardened as he licked his lips, ridding himself of some of the stained blood. "I refused to be a slave any longer."
The answer struck the Goddess, and she was surprised by the compassion that she felt. It was muting the high she should have been on, the desire to seek out lust and hunger. Instead, she felt sated by just staring at this Vampire, gently grasping onto what little energy he held. He had a kind soul, deep within the monster that raged in his orbs. It was unusual to find, and she couldn't help but be intrigued.
"You're searching for blood, aren't you?" Celena began to realize. Godric's eyes darted to the lifeless bodies that lay at their feet before sending her a quick nod. "Most of their blood would have run cold hours ago."
"I have no excuse to be picky any longer."
Willing to do whatever he needed to to survive. That was something the Goddess could relate to.
"There is a cave not even a mile from here that I have been seeking shelter in. It's rather deep; the sun would never reach deep in its depth," there was a gentle clap of thunder in the distance, and Celena forced herself not to scowl. Her grandfather had no reason to object. After all, she hadn't seen a single soul from Olympus in nearly three hundred years.
And she knew she could trust this vampire. Celena wasn't sure why, or even how, but she knew that she could. Never in her lifetime would she ever doubt her instincts. Her uncle had taught her as much.
"I promise not to harm you," Celena saw his hesitance. He had been taught enough to know never to trust another living being with his safety. Smart vampire. "And I assure you, my vow means a great deal."
"Will you tell me what you are?"
"Perhaps one day," a smile slid across her lips as she turned and stepped over a severed limb. "Now come along, Godric of Gaul. Before the sun takes you."
He followed in the trees behind her, only dropping back to the ground as they approached the cave.
"Why did you help him?" Eric questioned curiously. "He was so young when he killed his maker; he could have killed you in your sleep."
"I trusted him," Celena shrugged. "I can't explain it, but I did."
His forehead wrinkled as he tried to process all that I had told him. "And what after?"
Celena chuckled. "You're insatiable."
A snicker sounded from the vampire as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Oh you have no idea, Princess."
She struggled not to smile. As infuriating as the Viking may be, he was good company. If only she had realized that all those centuries ago. But no, their paths couldn't have crossed again. It was for his own safety.
Sighing, Celena laid her hand back onto her side, frowning when she felt the wetness of her shirt. Eric caught the grimace and was kneeling before her in an instant.
"My blood did nothing, did it?" he shooed her hand away, lifting the fabric of the shirt to inspect the wound. His fangs clicked into place the moment he spied the blood, but he never attempted to taste her.
"It healed it for a time. Though I'm afraid it may have just accelerated the poison now," her eyes fluttered close, her head resting against the headrest. "I don't believe I'm going to last until we land, unfortunately."
Eric stared up at her in a panic. "You cannot die. Godric would never forgive me."
She offered him a tiny, encouraging smile. "Have no worries, it shouldn't take me long to wake again."
"That's not…"
"He really didn't tell you much of anything, did he?" she shocked both of them when she reached a hand out, cupping his cheek. "You must make a great maker, Viking Warrior."
Again he was looking at her in confusion. "You know about…"
"Pam? Yes." She nodded. "She was a good find, Eric. She compliments you very well. Very loyal. Though lazy, I've been told."
"Are you stalking me, Princess?" the worry still held in his eyes as he tried to tease her.
"I like to keep tabs on those that I care about."
"I didn't realize I qualified for the caring of someone I never knew existed up until a week ago," he had to admit, her warmth was appealing, and he found himself moving into her touch. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly returned to the couch across from her.
"You're Godric's progeny; of course you qualify," her smile was strained as a pulse of pain shot through her. "I think it will be much quicker this time."
"What can I do? My blood…"
"Will do nothing but prolong the inevitable. If I just die now, everything will heal much quicker," she assured him. "I'll wake as good as new."
Eric didn't look convinced.
"Tell me when you met Pam. I only learned about her a few decades afterwards. I'd like to know how you met. A story for a story?" Celena needed her mind off the pain. "The distraction would be welcomed."
Eric couldn't believe it, but he obliged.
A/N: I can't seem to stop writing this fic. Far too many ideas brewing. And we have Celena and Godric's first meeting! I'm excited to write more of their flashbacks. Let me know if there's anything specific you would like to see between the two! (smut does not count, shhhh)