A.N: Just wanted to say that new 'beings' will be appearing, but unfortunately, no Angels; sorry Jessica Torres-Robbins =P. The initial list of different Clans is: Vampires, Lycans, Witches, Elves, and potentially Succubus/Incubus (Succubi/Incubi?). Humans are obvious, but they're still unaware of the existence of the 'other world' so they're not included in the United Council. If the Succubi appear, I will totally be stealing the idea of their powers from Lost Girl, purely because it's pretty cool! Also, there may be some new characters, but not all too many that are too important. They're just there for the scene, mainly the treaty talks Arizona will be heading towards.
2damnpretty2die is an absolute boss as per usual. Much love Captain!
Chapter 33: A Deal
Arizona p.o.v
"I can't believe you're alive, Lauren." I mumbled weakly as we watched Lindsey play with Leo, mind still reeling from everything that had happened.
"Trust me, neither can I. I owe everything to Lady Theia and Lady Mnemosyne for making this possible, even at the risk of Terri's trust." She nodded at the two women in question, receiving smiles in return.
We were currently outside, in the garden. Richard had come with healers and healed everyone, whilst Terri had taken Lana, Erica and the jet black wolf, who I now knew to be Caleb, away for what I'm assuming to be a debriefing.
"How did she manage that anyway?" Aria asked curiously, "I mean, even Martin Francis was completely convinced."
"We had a couple of days to prepare, and Lucia and I set up a very strong spell amongst the entrance of the forest so that anyone who entered would be under our charm." Theia explained carefully. "The spell activated the moment Teresa left to return to the manor, so when the Generals supposedly went to destroy the clan, they were all under our spell and we were easily able to plant the memory into their minds."
"The hardest part was predicting Teresa's reaction." Lucia added. "We needed it to be real and genuine enough to convince Francis, so unfortunately, the only option we had left was to charm her as well."
"Francis could have easily found out the truth, so I had Elizabeth bring her to me and I conjured up a story about a vision I'd had about Lauren and Lindsey's death." Theia finished.
"What I don't get is why you had convinced Terri that it would be her fault?" Aria hissed out quietly, mindful of Lindsey's presence, though the anger was evident through her body language.
Theia and Elizabeth both looked away guiltily. "It was my idea." Elizabeth answered. "Teresa is such a kind and loving child, but she's also smart, very smart. I felt the only way to have her completely convinced and for her to completely open herself up to us, was to strike her where it would hurt the most." Her hands clenched tightly as her body began to tremble on the spot. "Teresa used to confide all her fears in me, and I used that against her." She broke off into a sob and my heart went out to her. I knew what it felt like to have betrayed Terri in the worst way possible.
Lauren's hand came down gently onto her shoulder. "It's okay, Elder Lewis. Teresa will understand that it was for the best."
"But at what cost? She'll never trust me again." She cried out, "She'll never trust us again." She gestured to Theia and Lucia, who both stood silently, tears threatening to fall.
Theia and Elizabeth's behaviour shocked me to the core. They had always presented themselves as calm, cool and controlled individuals, yet Terri's involvement had managed to reduce them to tears. Looking at them again, I smiled sadly as I realised why.
They really love her
"What about the blood then?" Lexie suddenly asked. "The memories and everything may have been fake, but the scent of Lauren and Lindsey's blood was real. I felt it." Her sharp eyes glazed over as she recalled the moment Terri recognised their scent.
"It was given freely, for the sake of the plan." Lauren replied sharply as her eyes suddenly became cold, staring silently at Lexie, daring her to react.
"At the sake of my Master's heart? Her sanity?" Lexie replied, voice just as cold, refusing to back down from the unspoken challenge.
My eyes leapt from Lauren, to Lexie, and back again as the tension rose.
"For the sake Lindsey, both myself and Teresa would do anything to ensure her safety."
Aria's hand landed softly onto Lexie's arm and she relaxed instantly. "Terri holds no resentment to the Randall Clan, and especially none to Caleb, Lauren and Lindsey." Her voice was soft, but her eyes clearly told another story as she laid stern brown ones on Lexie.
Lexie, completely fluent in the mannerisms of Aria and Terri, bowed her head apologetically at Lauren who merely smiled back.
"I understand your scepticism. Your loyalty to Teresa is astounding and I am thankful she has you by her side, Alexandra." Their eyes met, silently appraising the other, as a new look of respect echoed in both of their eyes.
"So, Erica huh?" Addison spoke up, breaking the tension that had formed.
"Yeah, what's that about?" Teddy added, "She's the last person I'd expect to be helping out."
They had all been filled in after the healers had finished with them, just as Calliope and I had been told of the prophecy and the part that I was supposed to play in it.
"Urgh! Don't remind me." I huffed out irritably. "Theia? You said she'd been meeting with Erica, how long has that been going on for? And how did we not know?"
"For a while now." Theia answered, then she smirked, "And in case you've forgotten, Teresa possesses the power to infiltrate one's mind and subconscious." We stared blankly at her, not quite understanding what she meant. "It means she's been meeting with Styx in the depths of her mind. When Styx is asleep or when she calls out to Teresa."
"Calls out?" Aria asked curiously, the mechanics behind the meeting obviously interesting her.
'Urgh' I thought as I rolled my eyes. 'Mind readers.'
"Even one such has Teresa would have problems slipping into a person's mind without touch or even being in the same location as the other. She needs something to guide her, as she did with Hades. She had remnants of his signature on her so she was easily able to latch onto it and let it guide her into his mind without anyone noticing." Lucia explained, happy to indulge in her daughter's interest.
"So Erica calls out to Terri and by doing so, paves a way into her mind?" Aria simplified, garnering a nod from both her mother and Theia. "Cool!"
"Did you know about this?" Calliope asked her sister. "That Terri was meeting with Erica?"
"Well, yeah." Aria stated as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. "I mean I didn't know the mechanics behind it, but she'd told me."
"And you let her?" I exclaimed outrageously. "How do you know if we can even trust Erica?"
"Hey!" Aria snapped, "I trust Terri," I was silenced immediately, growling softly under my breath at the insinuation that I didn't trust Terri. "And if she says that Erica is trustworthy, then I'll take her word as it is."
"Aria," Calliope's soft placating tone made me grumble even more. "It's not Terri that we're doubting, it's Erica."
"Look, you know that we need Erica. The prophecy says so." Aria was slowly becoming frustrated at having to defend her wife's actions. "Now Arizona, look me in the eye and tell me that if Terri had told you that she was going to start persuading Erica to join our side, you would have let her."
My eyes widened as I was suddenly thrust into the spotlight and dozens of eyes landed on me. Well, damn. She had me there.
Taking my silence as her cue, she continued. "Exactly. And besides, don't take this the wrong way, but Terri has problems trusting you." My heart dropped as the guilt that I'd long since put away returned instantly. "No wait. I'm not explaining this right. She trusts you, Arizona, but she doesn't trust that you won't doubt and question her motives. Especially not since the whole 'claiming' you and the fake Lauren/Lindsey death. You wouldn't trust her sanity, hell I probably wouldn't have."
The emphasis she placed on 'claiming' was not lost on me. "What do you mean by 'claiming'?"
Aria paused, looking curiously between Calliope and I, "You mean she hasn't told you? You haven't read it yet? Callie! I thought you'd taken the book from the library?"
Calliope seemed shocked that she was aware of their late night escapades and smiled sheepishly. "I didn't really have the time to go through it."
"Callie, Callie, Callie." Aria sighed, shaking her head with disappointment. "First of all, if you guys had taken the time to look at them properly, you'd notice that yours, Arizona, and Callie's mark are actually different."
Several eyes landed on us and we both shifted our tops to reveal the mark. The light black outline of the Crown was evident, but they both looked exactly the same. We all looked back at Aria, waiting for further instructions.
"It's not obvious until it's activated." She explained as her eyes turned golden and the marks reacted to her power. Calliope's became gold, as per usual, but mine? It became bright blue, filling the entire crown, before it shifted into a circle with three smaller ones in the centre in a triangular pattern, the lower right circle glowing brighter than the rest.
What the?
"The Power of the New World." Theia, Lucia and Elizabeth all breathed out in awe.
"The prophecy?" I asked, completely bewildered.
"The symbol of the prophecy." Theia explained. "It depicts of three jewels: white, blue and black, bound together by a golden circle."
"The blue obviously represents the Robbins family." Aria added, "Terri merely confirmed that you, Arizona, are one of the three prophesised powers. That," Aria pointed at my mark, "just proves it. Terri cleverly disguised it as her own mark to prevent others, i.e. Martin Francis, from discovering it."
"Wait, it's activated before, but it never did this. Not even my father noticed the difference." I protested.
"Okay, let's put it this way. Terri revealed the original mark on you, then supressed it and replaced it with her own mark, and it only gets revealed when she releases her power on it. Or in this case, someone with her power, i.e. her mate: me."
"But why go through all that effort? And the making me pledge?"
"A) I just told you, it's to stop other people from finding out. Hades is still convinced that the prophecy means one person rather than three, so it was for your own safety. B) Since Martin Francis was still in the manor at the time, it meant that you were all constantly being watched, so it was really all for show, kind of."
"Kind of?" I was getting slightly irritated now; I really wished Aria would explain it all in one go.
"Well, she needed you to pledge because she needed to find a way to get the mark onto Callie." She held her hand up and looked at me knowingly when I opened my mouth. "Which brings me to the point of Callie's mark." I snapped my mouth shut and nodded for her to continue. "Two reasons. Well, technically one. It's for her protection. The mark serves as a tracker of sorts, so Terri, Lexie and I can always locate her. We can help her if she's in trouble and such. It also serves as a source of power, because let's face it, Callie's not the best fighter around, and if she only relies on the power from your bond it would drain you both too quickly. The mark provides protection and power."
"But wouldn't it drain Terri too? I mean she's marked you, Lexie, Erica, and apparently Lana too."
"And Lindsey, Caleb, David and I." Lauren added helpfully.
"Okay, first of all, the power of the bond between mates? Totally different kind of power; also, I've been training enough to not need to use our bond all the time. Secondly, Lexie has a blood-bond, which means she's not empowered through the bond, but by blood. Meaning, Lexie is technically part Royalty now, she's received the gift of blood from Terri and the power she gains is permanently in her blood. And finally, the other people she's marked gets a power boost from the mark, similar to how Alex and Teddy get one from your mark, Arizona, but it doesn't drain you right?"
I nodded.
"Right. The Hybrids already get additional power even without activating the mark because Terri's blood is running through their veins; it's just not as powerful as Lexie's fully bonded blood. Also, Lauren is a special case."
We turned to Lauren curiously as she smiled back brightly at us.
"She exhibits many 'vampiric' traits, such as the physical manifestations of powers, but she's not a Hybrid. Lauren was still carrying Lindsey when her DNA was altered, and it was Lauren who had to physically feed from Terri, so even though the entire feeding went straight to Lindsey, Lauren was still affected. And, like she'd said before, Lauren has a partial blood-bond with Terri. We were just lucky that she didn't become a Hybrid. That would've been hard to explain to Zeus and the Randall Clan." She finished with a giggle, before clapping her hands together loudly. "Okay! Lesson over!"
"So what now?" I asked, looking towards Lauren.
"For the time being, Caleb and Teresa need to figure out how to get the rest of the Clans to join in the treaty and help fight off the Hybrids."
"And where will you go? You can't return to the forest yet, Hades will find you."
"I will return to the rest of my pack."
"No!" I shouted, drawing attention from the now shifted Lindsey cub and Leo. I shot them a smile and quickly lowered my voice again. "You can't leave, it's not safe out there. Send word and have the rest of your pack stay here or something. We can help each other, and it'll give Terri peace of mind. I mean, I'm sure she'd like to spend some more time with you and Lindsey, considering she's spent the last few days convinced that you were all dead?"
She looked around the room at all the occupants, and when no one protested she sighed with a smile.
"Then I guess I'm staying." She turned to Lindsey, who was still looking at us curiously, before dropping to a crouch and opening her arms for her daughter. "Hear that baby? We're going to be living with mommy for a while."
Lindsey ran into her arms, shifting back to her human form on the way, and cheered loudly. "Really? Really, really? Yay!" She suddenly turned, looking behind me. "Mommy! Mama said we're staying with you!"
"So I hear." A voice answered with a chuckle and I whipped my head around to see Terri standing next to Aria.
When the hell did she turn up? Why didn't I sense her? I looked around to see that, other than Aria and Lexie, they all had surprised looks on their faces. Apparently, Lindsey is more sensitive to Terri than anyone else.
Terri walked over to Lauren and Lindsey, and pulled Lauren to her feet. She placed her right hand behind her head pulling her in close, whilst the other landed on her hip and dropped a kiss on Lauren's forehead, nuzzled her nose with her own and then dropped a quick and chaste kiss on her lips. "You worried me." She leaned her forehead against Lauren's, speaking lowly and softly as she inhaled Lauren's scent, affirming her presence. Lauren's hand came up to caress the side of her cheek gently and Terri closed her eyes at the touch.
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
"But Lindsey-" Lauren fell silent as Terri opened her eyes and stared into the tearful ones before her.
"I know." Terri reassured. She placed one last kiss to her cheek before drawing back and giving her attention to Lindsey, who was standing in between her parents staring up at them curiously with her wide innocent eyes. She quickly lifted Lindsey up, settling her around her hips, and nuzzled into the side of her head. "Hey baby, so you're staying with me then huh?"
Lindsey nodded excitedly, "mama said so!"
"Then I guess I should let you choose a room huh? Wanna stay with me and Aria?"
"Yeah!" Lindsey agreed immediately before glancing quickly at Lauren for permission.
"Where will your mama and daddy sleep then, baby?" Aria asked in amusement.
"Next door!" Her childish excitement was contagious and I found myself melting at the sight, a smile set permanently on my face. A squeeze to my hand brought my attention to Calliope and I saw that she had happy tears forming in her eyes. I squeezed back offering as much comfort and reassurance as I could, reluctant to break Terri's reunion with her daughter.
"Well then, apparently Caleb and I are staying next door. I hope you don't mind." Lauren asked with a smile.
"Mind? God, we need some neighbours. People are too scared to stay near Terri; we have an entire hallway to ourselves." Aria replied with a dramatic sigh, "It'll be nice to have someone other than her to speak to at night." The pointed a thumb to Terri, to which she merely arched a brow in reply.
"We'll have our gossip whilst the 'men' talk 'shop'." Lauren added with a giggle.
"Right, okay. I get it. I understand when I'm not needed." Terri rolled her eyes jokingly and started to walk off with Lindsey in tow, Leo dutifully following.
"Aw, babe, we're just kidding!" Aria teased and Terri stopped abruptly, tilting her head skyward. We all tensed at her sudden halt and watched as she spun around to face us, face grim.
"My father has requested our presence." She looked directly at Lauren. "All of us."
Callie p.o.v
We all entered the throne room cautiously. There were two figures standing before the King; one was Erica and the other was a tall, muscular, black haired man.
Caleb.
We all went to take up our usual positions, but Lauren hesitated, unsure of where to stand. She could stand beside Terri, as Lindsey had chosen to do so, or do the polite thing and stand beside her mate, before the King.
Zeus took away the decision when he spoke up. "Ah, Lauren, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Teresa and Caleb speak highly of you." I internally cringed at his tone, there was no kindness nor was there any warmth, it was merely for show. Lauren stood tall beside Caleb, ignoring the tone, and bowed her head respectfully in return.
"Zeus, it's an honour to be here." Her voice was diplomatic and showed no signs of fear or hesitancy.
'A true sign of an Alpha's mate' I thought with a smile, sparing a quick glance to Aria who had also changed since her mating with Terri.
She used to be arrogant, spoiled, and stubborn as hell, not to mention a tad too free spirited. She'd left many broken hearts behind in Miami, and she never had a care for responsibilities and duties. Don't get me wrong, she was good at her job, but she only did what she had to. She never saw it as a job, but merely a thing to pass time, and more than that, it was a statement to my parents that she was just as good as I was. She'd never hid the fact that the only reason she took up medicine was because of how proud my parents were when I had graduated top of my class. They never approved of her reckless behaviour and had worried about her considering she never showed signs of any ambitions or plans for her future. So imagine their surprise when Aria came home one day and announced she had started med school! She had worked hard, but she never gave up her nightly partying, it was a shock to us all when she too graduated with the highest scores in her entire year!
She had started her internship at the same hospital I'd been working at, and at one point I had even been her resident. I had wondered if she was going to take on ortho as well, but then she'd announced that she was specialising in trauma, and that was beyond belief. I didn't think she'd like the fast pace and high pressure of the E.R, but I guess I was wrong. Even Dr Young, the Head of Trauma, was impressed by her skills and her refusal to crack under pressure. I was incredibly proud of her, but I had never been able to tell her. That didn't mean that our relationship wasn't bad, we loved each other and supported each other dearly. She had sat with me in silence for hours when I'd lost Arizona, never pushing me to talk or pressuring me to get over it, she was just there. The competition between us was only due to our parents and their constant comparison of the two of us.
But looking at Aria now, and the way she handled the people around her, the vampires: soldiers, Generals and Elders alike, hell, even Zeus. She was strong, dedicated and had risen to the challenge of being the Crown's mate. Her loyalty and commitment to Terri was astounding. She was responsible, brave, and the way she asserted her authority over everyone without once losing her cheerful and relaxed manner; it was like she was a professional who had been born to do this. The younger version of her only a mere memory in our minds; and frankly, I was jealous of her ability to adapt. I had yet to be able to confront another without the aid of Arizona; I had yet to be able to fully make use of the bond and my own power; hell, I was still pretty naïve and wanted to believe that we could save everyone without the need for violence!
I snapped out of my reverie when I felt Arizona's questioning gaze on me. I smiled and shook my head before returning my attention to the Court.
"I do hope that the Randall Clan will be joining us in our endeavour to end Hades' insanity?" Though it was posed as a question, there was no mistaking the command that was hidden between the lines. "It would be great if we could finally reunite the Clans once again."
I heard Terri's displeased snort and eyed her curiously. I was met with Aria's bright grin as she subtly nudged Terri with her elbow.
"Of course. We would do anything to help Teresa." Caleb replied with a smile, the unspoken message was not missed.
Zeus bristled slightly, but a well-worn mask replaced any other emotion. "Indeed." His eyes lingered on Caleb's unwavering gaze momentarily before moving onto Erica. "And what of you, Styx?"
"I will be joining the forces against my father." She replied immediately. There was no uncertainty, no hesitancy and no doubt.
"How are we to be sure that we can trust her?" The first protest was voiced and murmurs of agreement echoed through the room.
"She's Hades' spawn!"
"She was responsible for the death of our Queen!"
"She's murderous and insane!"
"The laws state that her previous actions should result in her death!"
More and more protests began to appear, but Terri never intervened. Instead, her gaze was steady, never moving from Erica, watching as Erica stood still, head held high as she took on the doubts and onslaught of insults that were being hurled at her.
"She cannot be trusted and should be killed like the rest of the trash from Hades' camp!"
The last insult caused her to tense as her hands curled tightly into fists. It had obviously hit something deep within her. There was a low, warning growl from Leo that caused Terri to smile. I looked questioningly at Lana, who was stood leaning against the doorway, and was met with a smug smirk and an unapologetic shrug. The room was silenced, confused by the new arrival.
"Sorry I'm late. I see you got the party started without me." She greeting cheerfully at the dozens of eyes that were now on her, throwing a wink my way.
"Who the hell is she?" One of the Generals snarled out at her.
"Lana Winters. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." She answered with a dramatic bow. She walked forward proudly and stopped beside Erica, giving a little curtsy to Zeus. "It's an honour to be in your presence, my Lord."
Erica rolled her eyes, but otherwise kept her face blank and devoid of any emotions. Zeus merely stared at Lana before looking towards Terri, who kept her eyes forward towards the centre of the room, ignoring his gaze.
"Witch!" General Howard growled out, drawing a growl in return from Leo, who was in his Tiger form.
"Ahem, Hybrid Witch." Lana clarified with a smirk. "And before you get any ideas, I'm a marked Hybrid." She added as she let her eyes grow red and the mark upon her chest, exposed proudly due to the very low cut of her top, shone brightly.
Eyes immediately snapped to Terri, and questions that had formed died quickly on the tips of their tongues as she finally raised her head and her cold eyes answered the stares.
"Hybrids are against the law!" General Howard pressed on.
"Brave, but incredibly stupid." Tim's voice appeared in my head and I could see the rest of my friends smirking.
"Actually," Terri answered, "they're not."
"W-what?" The General spluttered in return. He hadn't expected Terri to reply, in fact, they were all already shocked that Terri was in the Court today at all.
"Hybrids became frowned upon since the divide. When the Clans were united and the Leaders of each Clan were all part of the United Council, Hybrids were regularity. But since they" she nodded her head towards the King, "all broke up, the Leaders don't like their people mixing blood with the other Clans."
The Generals looked to the King for guidance, but he didn't deny Terri's statement.
"Yes, it was a shame when the Clans divided, but we are now looking at a chance to reunite us all once again." Zeus said instead. "Now, Elders, I am counting on you all to visit the Clan Leaders and persuade them to re-join the Council."
"Nope." Terri's amused voice cut through Zeus' orders, drawing gasps from the Court at her blatant disrespect of the King.
"Excuse me?" Zeus asked, equally surprised.
"The Elders will not be handling the treaty talks. Artemis will."
We all glanced at Arizona, who stared back with wide eyes, lips sucked in as she attempted to stop herself from speaking out.
"And you believe that Artemis will handle this better than the Elders? They have been trained in politics and the proper way to approach the Leaders. Artemis has not; she isn't even able to present herself properly in my Court, what makes you think she can do it in theirs?" Zeus had laid down the challenge. He was obviously irked at her disrespect to him and he was trying to reassert his dominance.
"Honestly?" Terri sighed out in irritation as Zeus tensed at her tone. "It's out of your hands, my Lord." She even threw in a mock little bow, acknowledging his challenge. "I mean, whose fault do you think it is that the Clans divided in the first place?" She had straightened up and arched a brow at him.
"Wow, challenge met and raised!" Addie's excited voice drifting in and I could see her subtly bouncing at the idea.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Zeus replied instantly, demeanour changing as anger and guilt flashed in his eyes.
"No?" Terri never backed down, powering through ruthlessly. "Hades had managed to convince you that the Hybrids were forming their own council and ready to cause an uprising. Who was it that went and believed him? Who was it that failed to convince the other Leaders and then acted on his own? Who was it that destroyed hundreds and thousands of Hybrids?" With every word, Zeus seemed to become smaller and smaller.
"Athena…" Theia warned, causing Terri to shoot her a glance that shut her up immediately.
"There were children amongst those hundreds and thousands, and some that had mated with humans. But you know what was the icing on top of all of it?" Terri turned to address the Court; we were hanging onto Terri's every word. "My father, the great and powerful King Zeus, had ordered his soldiers and Generals to kill every Hybrid they came across, and to rip apart the couples who had mated with members of the other Clans. Yet, he kept two very powerful Hybrids by his side." She gestured towards Richard and my mother. "He refused to have them handed over to the Clans and insisted that they were essential to his Court, and that they were innocent. And yet, the hundreds of children you killed weren't?" She whipped around and pointed to Zeus accusingly, "You, my Lord, are a fucking hypocrite. So yes, I think Artemis is better suited to handle the situation than you or any of your precious Elders. I mean I'm sure that the Leaders won't be very pleased or hospitable when faced with the murderers that took out more than a quarter of their Clan!"
The Court was shocked into silence at her outburst and I could only stare wide-eyed at the King. A quick glance at Arizona and Tim told me that they too were unaware of the situation. Aria had taken a hold of Lindsey and was covering her ears from Terri's outburst.
"Jesus Christ, this is getting out of hand very quickly." I announced to my friends and could see them all nod rapidly.
"I mean lets face it. If Lindsey and Lauren's blood had been mixed with anyone other than mine, you would have ordered their deaths immediately." Terri's voice had become laced with disgust and anger. Aria held onto Lindsey tighter as the young blonde buried her head into Aria's legs. The tension in the room had clearly frightened her as Aria lifted Lindsey into her arms and began to whisper quietly in her ear. "In fact, if it wasn't because of the damn fucking prophecy, you would have killed them and me. Am I right father?" She spat out patronisingly. "You need me, and you need Artemis and Styx, but you don't have the power to do that do you? That's the only reason you've kept me around since the birth of Lindsey."
The accusation hung heavy in the air, but Zeus made no move to protest or even offer a defence, he only sat in his throne, face full of thunder, but he had been steadily avoiding Terri's gaze.
"You need to understand something, father. Lauren, Lindsey, Caleb, David, Lana, Erica, Arizona, Calliope, Lexie, Ariadne, and all of the others that I have marked, they all belong to me. They are mine and only I have the right to decide their fates. To kill one with their mark means treason, even you can't touch them. 'Treason towards the Royalty, even if by a fellow Royal equals death.' It's your law, and killing my 'pets' means you'd be breaking your own fucking law!"
"My Lord." Elizabeth stood forward tentatively, "I also agree that Artemis should be the one to hold the peace talks." The look she was given spoke of absolutely betrayal, and she hurried to add, "The prophecy speaks for itself. Artemis will be the one to reunite us."
Zeus sighed in defeat, "fine. Artemis," Arizona stood forward and dropped to one knee. "You will be visiting the other Clans for the talks of the reformation of the Council. You will leave first thing tomorrow morning. Do not disappoint me!" Arizona gulped and nodded instantly and I flinched.
I guess he couldn't assert his dominance over Terri so he's comforting himself by flaunting his power over Arizona. I looked at Arizona's overwhelmed face. Poor baby.
"Wait." Terri started, drawing a sharp glare from Zeus. Aria laid a hand on her arm and shook her head, pleading for her not to engage any further. Terri sighed as she caved and looked away from Zeus.
Thank you Aria! I really don't want Arizona to have to be caught up in the middle of them.
"Moving on. Styx-"
"Belongs to me." Terri interrupted as Zeus narrowed his eyes at her.
"-Belongs to Athena, as we've established and we have no reason to reject her." He continued dryly, drawing protests from the Court, mainly General Howard. "Unless, I am outvoted and the Court decides to reject her, this is out of my hands."
"I believe her, and I hope that's enough for you all. Have I ever caused you to doubt me? Even after all the trials and tests you have all placed upon me, have I not risen and proven myself to you all yet?" General Howard was taken aback by Terri's statement. Her voice was neither filled with anger nor malice. She was not speaking as the Crown, so there was no authority in her voice. There was nothing but sincerity and honesty. She understood his concerns and was respecting his right to voice his opinions. And from one soldier to another, there was nothing if there was no respect between the two.
The Generals shared a glance, holding a silent conversation, before nodding in acceptance. Zeus clicked his tongue in annoyance before moving on.
"Secondly, due to Elder Francis' treachery, we are currently down one Elder. We need to have the space filled immediately. My vote is for General James Howard. Out of all the Generals, he has the most experience and has fought by my side for the longest. Are there any objections?" He looked pointedly at Terri, expecting her to protest. She smirked, but didn't say a word; instead she chose to turn her gaze to the aforementioned General.
General Howard came forward and kneeled before the King. "My Lord, it is of the greatest honour, but-"
"It is a great honour, James." Zeus insisted, "and I'm hoping that you will not reject my offer."
He fell quiet immediately and threw a pleading look toward Terri, one that obvious didn't go unnoticed by Zeus judging by his frustrated sigh. Terri arched a brow in return as if to say 'really?' But then she sighed and stepped forward, taking the floor once again. I secretly found it freaking hilarious that General Howard would look towards Terri for help even though they constantly butt heads in the Court, but I guess that's another thing with soldiers. Despite how much they constantly fight and bicker, at the end of the day they will always support each other and stand forward in their times of need.
I wonder if it's like that with her and Arizona. I glanced at Arizona who was staring at Terri with clear, proud eyes. Maybe there's hope for them after all?
"I'm against it. James has made a lot of contribution over the centuries and is a great and powerful fighter, but that's just it, he's a fighter and not a diplomat." She smirked before continuing, "He prefers fighting over talking," the other Generals chuckled in return, completely agreeing with her, "and he would prefer being buried by blood and bodies rather than paperwork; he is not suited for the tasks of an Elder. Gavin Kensington, however, would serve as a better Elder. He is more level headed and clearly uses his brain more than brute force. So my vote is for General Kensington."
The Generals all agreed quickly and I watched as the blonde haired General ducked his head bashfully, hiding a smile, before he came forward and stood next to General Howard. It quickly became obvious that Zeus was outvoted, once again by Terri, and the displeasure that was on his face was brutal.
"Fair enough, Elder Kensington, congratulations. Now the empty General chair that needs to be filled?" Zeus growled out as he stared at Terri's ever-growing smirk. It was right then and there that I realised how much power and respect Terri really held inside the Court.
Perhaps even more than Zeus… I mean, she has been ruling the Court for the last twenty years. Perhaps they're just more used to Terri being in charge?
"I think Elder Kensington should be the one to choose his replacement. It's only fair, consider it your first act as Elder." Terri smiled warmly at him.
"My choice is not a pureblood, if that is okay with you, my Lord?" He asked cautiously, fearful of the reply, but when Zeus nodded, he smiled and turned to face Karev.
"Alexander Karev, I was hoping that you'd be willing to become my replacement?" The shock was evident and Karev stared blankly at the Elder. "You've been helping the Crown for at least 4 years, she trusts you and you are obviously capable considering that you're still alive today. So, what will it be?"
Karev looked over at us, looking for Arizona's approval. The grin she wore was wide and her dimples were displayed, causing Karev to smile shyly back at her as he nodded at the Elder.
"So be it." Zeus acknowledged the new General and we were quickly dismissed from the Court.
Wow, things are really happening.
Arizona p.o.v
When we were dismissed, my first mission was to approach Helios. Calliope tagged along curiously when I finally found him and cornered him.
"My Lord Hyperion." I bowed my head and used the sweetest tone I could adapt.
Calliope and Helios both stared bemused at me.
"I was wondering if your Clan, the Shaman of the Light, would be so willing to join us in our endeavour to defeat the Ruler of the Dark, Hades?"
Helios let out a loud bark of laughter and I grinned back at him. "So that's a yes then?"
"Oh, Artemis. Seriously? Like you had to ask!" He managed to get out between chuckles.
"Oh, but my great and powerful King has placed such a task on me. I would hate to disappoint." I winked as his laughter continued.
"You're a good girl Artemis. Now rest up, you know it's a big night tonight." He gave me a pat on the head and smiled at Calliope before he walked off.
"What's tonight?" Calliope asked.
"Full moon." I replied simply, receiving a gentle push for being cryptic. "Yup, full moons affect everyone, not just Lycans, although to a lesser effect. We still feel the ripples of the power from the full moon, whereas Lycans are forced into shifting and their mind and senses go a bit haywire."
"Right, so why is it a big night then? I mean if we're not really affected anyway?"
"Well, do you remember the last few full moons we've had since you've changed?" I asked suggestively, recalling those nights where we didn't leave the bed for hours, easily distracted into the mornings, resulting in us playing hooky from work the next morning. The blush on Calliope's face told me that she was remembering exactly what happens on those nights.
"Those were your first couple of full moons, so you were easily overpowered, not to mention you were also on foreign ground. Now that we're back on familiar, sacred lands, it should be easier to handle. But just to be cautious, we don't allow anyone to leave the lands in case they encounter the Lycans in Limbo, or anyone from the other Clans who might not have as much control as we do."
I carefully explained. Considering the fact that my first sixteen years was spent in human territory and as a human, I was beyond surprised that we shared uncharted lands, or Limbo as we called it, with the Lycans considering the apparent mutual hatred that the movies always talked about, but then I found out the reality of our relationship and the fact that Vampires and Lycans didn't have a mutual hatred that had run on for centuries. Apparently the movie had lied to me, who would've figured?
"Right," Calliope nodded, "second question! Why did you call Helios 'Hyperion'?"
"Ah, remember when Terri first told you of our history? She mentioned that Theia fell in love with a Shaman of the Light, Hyperion? Well, that's obviously Helios. 'Hyperion' is actually a title; it's given to the Leader of the Shaman of the Light. His actual name is 'Helios', and since he married Theia and joined our Court, he uses 'Helios'. He prefers being called by his name rather than title anyway."
"Right."
"Anything else?" Calliope smiled sheepishly at me and I pulled at her arm to get her closer. "I'm happy to help you with things you don't know about, I'm actually guilty for not telling you more about these things. I mean Aria knows pretty much everything I do, and apparently even more considering Terri tells her everything. I've been lacking in that aspect, so I apologise." I caressed her cheek gently.
"We've been busy. So it's not your fault." Calliope assured me softly. "There's something I do want to know though. The whole situation with Terri and the Court…"
Seeing that Calliope was struggling to voice her questions, I quickly connected the dots and figured out what she was trying to ask. "And how the Court looks to Terri for guidance even though Zeus is the King?" Calliope nodded frantically, relieved that I had put into words what she couldn't.
"I just find it weird, I mean the Generals seem to butt heads with Terri a lot, but when push comes to shove, they follow Terri. The same with the Elders, despite what happens in the Court, they are still willing to follow her."
"It's exactly as Terri has said earlier on. She's gained their respect and trust. The last twenty years have been rough for everyone. The King suddenly disappeared and our fate was thrust upon an eight year old. But she didn't disappoint, nor did she collapse under the pressure. She's successfully led us, but more importantly than that, it's the way she treats the Elders and Generals, and even the soldiers around. She respects their opinions and their right to voice their opinions. She doesn't 'rule' over them, so much as acts as their voice of reason and guides them in the right way. Zeus is definitely much more of a 'I am in charge and only me' kind of ruler."
"Ah, I figured as much. I just really felt that Terri is 'King' more so than Zeus." I cocked my head to the side and smirked.
"You're not wrong, just don't let Zeus hear that." My smirk grew when Calliope stared back with wide eyes and her mouth dropped open in surprise.
"Hey guys." Lana bounded up to us cheerfully and eyed Calliope's shocked face curiously before looking at me. "My Master has asked for the two of you to meet us in the garden. She's got some special training she wants to do with you before the night falls."
Calliope and I shared a befuddled glance before trailing after Lana, who seemed to be far too excited at the prospect.
When we arrived, I had only a second to react before Erica was on me; wings and fangs emerged. Her eyes were blazing bright yellow, almost gold, with the darkest black swirling in the centre. I growled out as I summoned up my energy, quickly glancing at Calliope to make sure she was okay before I launched my attack. The energy was suddenly supressed and I was launched skyward by Erica and shot down just as quickly. I groaned, as I looked at Calliope in confusion, only to see Aria standing beside her, eyes red as she supressed any power that Calliope was supplying me with, including the power through the bond.
Why? And since when could she do that?
I didn't have time to dwindle as Erica came at me again. I closed my eyes as I prepared to unleash the full power of Artemis, but nothing. As seconds passed I panicked. I called out to Artemis…
Nothing…
My eyes shot open as I stared horrified when Artemis refused to answer my call. I belatedly realised that Erica was no longer attacking, and that she was now stood beside Terri, staring at me oddly, almost as puzzled as I was.
"Artemis is silent, right?" Terri asked simply, and I nodded frantically. "Do you remember what she told you when you went to unlock your true form?"
"I don't just give power, you have to earn it." I recited perfectly from memory, and I felt a twinge in the back of my head as a tug came from my chest at the same time.
"Exactly, you've been neglecting her for too long now. When you refused to acknowledge her, you shut her out and stopped her from helping you. Then when you went to get your true form, you 'earned' it by finally accepting her as part of yourself and letting her have full access to you. But when you resigned from my Court, you stopped fighting. You stopped 'Artemis' from ever existing again because you only wanted to be 'Arizona'. You shut her away again. She's not some toy that you can just lock away and forget. It's not fair on her." Terri explained, there was no malice in her voice, but I couldn't help flinching from what was being said.
"I didn't mean to… I-I didn't know." I replied sadly. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I felt the tug in my chest become stronger and the twinge in my head started to become painful.
"I know." Terri's voice was soft, and for a second there, it was as if everything was back to normal between us again. "You need Artemis, especially if you're going to be visiting the other Clans." She paused briefly and her brows furrowed as frustration came over her face. "If only he'd give me time to prepare for the visits." She murmured before clearing her throat and speaking up again. "But considering we don't have time. I'm going to help you get Artemis back."
"How?" I asked in wonder.
"Lana, watch the perimeter." Terri ignored me, choosing to address Lana instead. I looked around as Lana summoned a barrier around us, only just realising that only Erica, Calliope, Terri, Aria, Lana and I were around.
There was a glow as a circle with symbols formed under our feet, I recognised this one immediately. It was the same as the one Terri had used when she sent me into my subconscious the first time around.
I closed my eyes as I suddenly felt myself flying through the air at a terrifying speed. This was nothing like the last time I did this. When I opened my eyes, I was horrified at the sight before me. I was in an open field with lightening roaring across the dark skies, there was a cold breeze that blew across the field occasionally, sending shivers down my back.
"W-where are we?" I forced out through my shock. I quickly looked around when I noticed Terri's absence.
"Terri's world. Athena's home." Aria answered with a sad smile.
"What? This is nothing like Arizona's." Calliope replied aghast.
"Probably my fault." Erica grimaced as she looked around. "I can feel my father's aura in the air."
Aria quickly explained the situation with Terri's subconscious mind and I was left completely bewildered at the difference between Terri's and my world.
"Welcome, welcome!" A deep voice from behind us made us all jump as Aria whirled around in anger.
"Athena! I told you to stop doing that!" She growled out as Athena chuckled.
"Sorry, but I'm just excited by all the visitors." When I turned around, I was speechless to see not one, but three winged figures. The one who was speaking, Athena, stood in the centre; the one on her left had black wings and I recognised her form as Erica's, meaning she was Styx. My eyes landed on the cold eyes of the figure to Athena's right. Artemis.
I glanced at Erica, as she looked absolutely puzzled at the appearance of all three of our avatars in Terri's world.
"I'm sure you're all wondering why you're here." Terri's voice drifted in from the left, and we turned to see her sitting atop a large rock.
"Well hello there! Not that I'm not glad to see you up and about, but why the sudden party?" Athena asked Terri with a smile. "Though, I'm glad you bought Ariadne in here too, I missed her." She added as she floated beside Aria and poked her ribs, causing her to jolt from the touch as laughter bubbled.
"Stop! Stop it Athena! I'm warning you!" she warned as she backed away from Athena. "Terri! Help me!" She whined out as Athena refused to back away. Terri jumped down from the rock and Aria hid behind her, using her as a shield.
"Athena, play time later." Terri teased as Athena pouted and huffed out a 'fine' in a very petulant manner, causing the smirk to grow on Terri's face.
Calliope glanced at me with an arched brow and I smiled sadly back. Watching the interaction between Terri and her avatar made my heart clench. I was extremely jealous of the carefree attitude between the two, but then again Terri had spent about twenty years with no one but Athena by her side, so of course their relationship would be stronger than mine with Artemis.
I glanced at Erica and Styx; they seemed to get along well. There wasn't much communication between the two, but that was the way they were. Erica was never much of a talker, so I'm not surprised that Styx was the same. They shared smiles of acknowledgement, but otherwise, Styx stood proudly behind her host, watching us all.
"Artemis." I whispered lightly, so lightly it could barely be heard, but of course she did.
"Arizona." Her reply was cold and distant and it made me wince. God, I'm so sorry.
"Right, now that we're all here, let's get this party started." Athena's voice broke the stare down I was currently engaged in with Artemis, and we all turned to face her.
"Why are we here?" Artemis asked amused.
"Well my dear Arty-kins, my buddy here felt like having a little gathering without any interruptions from outsiders." She answered with a bright grin as she threw her arm around Terri's shoulder.
"What is wrong with you today Athena?" Aria asked, clearly entertained by Athena's behaviour.
"We're finally together again. I'm allowed to be happy aren't I, Ariadne?" That drew curious stares from all of us and when she noticed, her eyebrows raised. "The prophecy?"
"Again?" Calliope questioned.
"Well, Artemis, Styx and I were all created at the same time. We were born when the prophecy was discovered, but just asleep, waiting for our avatars to be born. We were slowly separated one by one, Styx first, then Artemis, and I was left alone for almost a decade before Teresa was born. So of course I'm excited that we're reunited now."
"Story for another day, we have something more important at hand right now." Terri interrupted, which drew a disgruntled huff from her Avatar.
"Fine, fine. So Artemis, Arizona, we need to sort out the issue between the two of you." Athena pointed between the two of us with a disappointed look on her face.
"There's nothing to 'sort out'." Artemis insisted. "Arizona clearly thinks she's better off without me, she doesn't need me."
"That's not true!" I protested as I slowly approached her, "I'm sorry." She growled lowly in return and I recoiled at her hostility. "Artemis!" I pleaded.
There was a sigh, before Terri mumbled quietly under her breath, "extreme circumstances." Then she suddenly dropped in between Artemis and myself, hands held out in front of both of us, halting our movements. She then turned to face Artemis fully. Artemis dropped to one knee immediately, wings folded behind her, right hand over her heart and her head bowed.
"My Lord, Invictus." She addressed Terri by the name Zeus had bestowed upon her the day we had all fully returned to the Court.
"Artemis, please. Rise, my friend." Artemis complied quickly and stood back up to her full height, giving Terri her full attention. "We're in desperate times right now, and Arizona, for all her faults, is a crucial part of History. She's naïve and stubborn, she's hard-headed and refuses to comply with the rules, standards or laws." I started to frown at having all my apparent flaws being point out. Does she have a point? I mean, where exactly is she going with this?
"But isn't that the reason you adore her so much? Because she's so different, because she refuses to give up her morals, because she's so willing to fight for what she believes in, and because of her innocence to the world. I know that you're angry that she's neglected you for so long, but despite her faults and flaws, there is no doubt that she needs you. We need you."
I could see that Artemis had begun to soften at her words, but the anger, the hurt and the betrayal needed to be appeased. I didn't blame her though; we were alike in that way. When I thought Terri had betrayed me and was responsible for Tim's death, I knew that would have never forgiven her. No matter what she had done for me before or what she would do in the future, and no matter what she meant to me, I could have never forgiven a betrayal from someone I had so trusted.
"You're angry." Athena had appeared behind Artemis and was currently whispering in her ear, teasing her with a smirk on her face. "It's such a good feeling isn't it?"
"What the hell is she doing?" Calliope's alarmed voice echoed. "Is she goading her?"
"Just trust her and watch." Aria had answered instead, as I was currently still gobsmacked.
"Teresa knows what she's doing, and if she trusts Athena, we should too." To say that I was surprised that Erica was being our voice of reason would be an understatement. I mean its Erica, Erica Hahn.
I complied and watched Terri, who was doing nothing to stop her avatar.
"The thirst for bloodshed, the need to inflict the pain that you're feeling upon others, and the desire to destroy those who wronged you. It's like a drug running through your veins, and you can't rid of it until you satisfy those needs." Athena's eyes were glowing dangerous as she licked her lips hungrily. "The taste of your enemies' blood always tastes absolutely divine, especially knowing that your retribution has been had." I could see the darkness that was building in Artemis' eyes from her anger and her pain.
All of a sudden, Athena drew back and flashed to Terri's side in front of Artemis, all traces of the sadistic, goading and teasing manner gone. "So, I'll offer you a deal instead." Terri stated with a smirk.
Artemis looked absolutely bewildered at the turn of events, growling softly at being played like that by Athena. "What makes you think I'll agree?"
Athena and Terri both shrugged, "My world, my game, my rules."
"So a deal for you to return to Arizona, yes?" Athena added gleefully.
My head was spinning at the constant changing moods Athena was displaying. An avatar is a reflection of their hosts… I wonder if Terri has bipolar disorder? I eyed the two of them curiously, unknowingly making the same face and expression as Artemis who was also studying the Ryans host/avatar team.
Artemis inhaled deeply and stared directly into Terri's eyes.
"I'm listening."