Indignation (21 page)

His tanned fingers smooth the top where there are strange symbols encrypted. He slowly, almost dramatically, lifts the lid with all the patience in the world. His face shows no amusement as he whispers the so low that no one can hear him. He lifts the vital above his head. It amazes Alyssa how a thunderbolt struck out of nowhere. The thunderbolt turns into a small one that fits perfectly into the vital.

Dias places the vital that holds the mini thunderbolt toward Julian. “Say your oath.” He commands to Julian.

“I will exchange my tainted blood for the protection of Selene’s creation. I will not take any possession of her life, as well as my Loyals. I represent my men as I command my Loyals to not threaten the life of the God of all gods daughter. In exchange for my tainted blood, I will receive the destroyer goddess of the underworld and I alone be named the Elim of the creation.” Julian holds his wrist above the open vital. The small thunderbolt stings him, creating a small puncture wound. The fallen king’s dark blood fills the vital almost instantly. “I have given my blood to Dias as my agreement to my blood oath I will remain loyal to. Honor above honor. Loyalty above loyalty. Death above death. May the treason of my word bind me to death if need be.”

Dias lets the small thunderbolt prick his own finger. “I give my pure blood as acceptance to the binding of the fallen king’s, King Julian’s, blood. I will hand over Caillech in exchange for the protection of my daughter’s life.” Dias holds the vital towards the sky as it becomes dark. The clouds turn to a dark shade of grey as thunder roars to life. Thunderbolts fall down all around them, but none of them hits them. The clouds then swirl to create the illusion of a whirlpool up in the Heavens. “To the future goddess of the Heavens.” He cheers above the roars of the thunder. “The heir to my throne, my godship.”

Alyssa’s eyes widen at the words her father has yelled. Gabriel let’s her arm ago. She takes a step forward and turns around to find confirmation on what she’s heard from Dias. All the Elim Guards kneel in unison. She confusingly frowns. Why are they kneeling when thunderbolts continue to fall around them like following commands from a greater being?

“Our future goddesses of the gods.” Gabriel presses his right fist to his chest and bows before kneeling to her. Miranda follows right after him.

She turns around to stare at her father. He might give her an explanation on why he said that with so many witnesses. Why confuse his realm? Dias’s gold eyes bore into hers. His eyes show nothing but a proud look. He nods at her as if they share a secret message, but they don’t. She doesn’t understand what’s going on and she’s too afraid to ask with so many people kneeling to her.

She stares past her father to find some explanation from Julian, but she knows better than to hope for that to happen. His facial expression stays neutral as always. Her mind is spinning. Then it hits her like a bolder destroying a building on command. Dias said heir. She’s the heir to his throne. That would mean that she will one day become the goddess of all the gods. Her minds is too confused, shock, curious, detached, that she doesn’t know what to do by stare at all the Elims that kneel to her except Dias and Julian. The clouds continue to swirl around the sky. The thunderbolts continue to fall. She feels everything happening in slow motion. Her thoughts, the world around her. It’s all coming down on her with such a slow speed that she doesn’t know what to think about it. Her father’s proud gold eyes. Julian’s expressionless face. The vital now placed perfectly around her father’s neck. Her hands begin to shake uncontrollably. A small glow begins to form on her palms, a radiant light that comes from nowhere.  She extends them in front of her with horror and fear. The sting is pleasant but the view is exhausting on her eyes. The glow then spreads to her arms and her body until it covers every inch of her skin. She can feel the energy of power being spread into her veins, into her system. Alyssa has the urge to raise her hands above her head. She fights it until she can’t hold the urge any longer. As soon as her hands rise above her head the glow shoots straight up towards the Heavens, leaving her skin. She falls to the floor from the loss of the power she’s felt through her body. Her breath comes out in heavy pants as her heart speeds inside her chest.

The power that has left her has made its mark of fate into her. If she will one day be the goddess of all the gods, Dias’s heir, then that could only mean one thing and one thing only. She will never have her life back. She will never be just Alyssa Pike. She will be Goddess Alyssa, ruler of the Heavens’ realm.

Secret Coronation

The walls are fractured to no end, but money will always reconstruct the structure. The Jag has been restored to belong to the fallen king. It looks nothing like it used to a few days ago. The Jag now resembles an abandoned mansion. The perimeter is surrounded by Underworlders, followers, and Loyals. Each room, hallway, and bathroom has been neatly decorated by the head of the mansion now. Her taste has a more elegant old Roman look, but it has its twisted vision to it. The basement has been turned into a dungeon of hell. Any betrayers or trespassers will be placed there and follow a series of torturous punishments that will slowly lead them to their ultimate death.

Julian is in the dungeon, the only place he can feel at tranquility. He doesn’t like the outcome of his blood oath. He knew better than to think that Dias’s arrival would have something to do with him trying to kill his daughter twice. Dias always has more motives up his sleeve. How could he let that happen to Alyssa? He couldn’t stop it even if he tried. Dias is her father by blood; she would have had to face the reality of what that would mean to her. She will one day gain her godship through her blood. Her immortality will make her invincible once she has the title.

He glares at the bricks that have chipped into pieces by his cause. His anger is rising more and more at the thought that Dias has named Alyssa as his heir. That may be an honor in its making, but that is not an honor that is convenient to her. She will be on the bridge of death every time she steps foot out of the Heavens’ gates. She will never be seen as anything but a symbol of power. She will always be far from his reach. She will not need him as her Elim. She will have Gabriel as her Authority Elim and Miranda as her Adviser Elim.

One thought runs through his head like a broken film repeating the same scene over and over again. He is the enemy of the God of all gods. If she becomes the goddess of all gods, she will become his enemy. He will be under her realm. He will be her servant. That sends his anger to rise even further. Dias has named her the one thing that can now separate them. How will he know where her loyalty stands when her will, will soon belong to the Heavens whether she likes it or not? How will he be with the enemy and still try to regain his throne?

“Julian?” Caledonia lays her hand gently on his shoulder in comfort.

“What is it you want Caledonia?”

“I want you to open up to me. I have always been here for you. I have stood by you since your awakening as a child. You my secrets, I know yours. I was yours in body and mind. I deserve it.”

“I need to be alone with my thoughts.”

Caledonia turns him around to face her. Her gold eyes sparkle from the ray of sun that comes from a shattered brick he’s caused. “You asked me to be the head of this mansion with you. I have given you my loyalty as a payment for my liberation from Hades. I owe you much more than you are willing to accept. You may trust me with your fears, and thoughts.”

“I fear no one. You know better than anyone.”

“No, you do not fear, but you think of fear. I am here as your consort if I need be.”

“I thank you for your offer Caledonia, but it’s not needed.”

She nods in reluctance. “I understand, Julian.”

“I will be arranging dinner. I will be in the kitchen, if not there, I will be in my chamber.” Her gold blouse hugs her curves right as she walks away. Her black jeans expose the figure that men would die for. Her heels clip up the dungeon’s stairwell.

Immortals don’t need to eat, or drink to be alive, but to them it’s a way of enjoying what the mortals have to offer. He finds it too human for them to share dinner, but he will do what the destroyer goddess wants since she is now his co-head of the mansion. Caledonia’s alliance will benefit him in many ways now that her loyalty stands with him and him alone.

He takes a deep breath to calm himself down before he goes up the stairwell. Everything is changing around him. How will he act on his plans now knowing that Alyssa is to not be fully trusted? He hates to think of her as an enemy, but he has no choice but to think of her as a danger. She will forever be the one that can tear him down again. He has to protect himself at all cost no matter what it cost him at the end.

<><><>

Miranda walks beside the future goddess. The two women have agreed to enjoy a shopping spree to distract themselves from the current events that have unfolded around them. Miranda wears plain blue shorts with a loose blue blouse. Her wedges make no sound as she struts down the wide pass way of the mall. Alyssa has a pair of glasses hiding her eyes that show the amount of sleepless nights since she has seen her father. Her wavy light brown hair falls down her shoulders neatly, even if she hasn’t brushed her hair for days now. The heels of her favorite purple boots click with each step she takes. Her black skinny jeans fit her well with the corset black and white striped top. She looks fashionable, but she feels like it’s only to keep up appearances. She knows too many people that particularly live at the mall to let them see what she truly feels like.

“Victoria’s Secret?” Miranda suggests to the very tired immortal.

Alyssa shrugs her should without a care. “How did you convince me to come here?”

“Because Julian left me in charge of you until he returns from what he’s doing.”

She rolls her eyes at that, but her black sunglasses hide the gesture. “He’s probably with that goddess Caillech.”

“You sound jealous.” Miranda comments as they enter the pink store.

A preppy blonde hostess greets them with a forced smile that shows she’s been working for many hours. “Welcome to Victoria’s Secret! We have a sale today. Every push up bra is fifty percent off if you purchase any item with the same price. What can I help you with?” Her black outfit just makes it hard to look at. It’s too professional. Victoria’s Secret is an undergarment store. Why not let their employees show more of their sensual side? It just doesn’t make sense like Hollister calling their employees models when they are not. Alyssa thinks to herself.

“We are just looking.” She ends up saying instead of her complicated questioning of their marketing, and presentation.

The hostess smiles politely. You can notice how relieved she is of not being able to help. “Well, let me know if you need anything.” She says in a rush before leaving.

Alyssa scans through the Pure Seduction collection she always loves to buy. “I’m not jealous of Caillech.” She states back from Miranda’s comment.

“You sound like it.” Miranda sprays one of the fragrances on the back of her wrist. “This red plum and freesia fragrance mist smells really good.” She holds up her wrist to her nose.

“No, I don’t. Oh, I have that one, but try the cherry blossom and peach one from the Love Spell collection. It’s my favorite, but I have every single one now. I’m moving on to the Pure Seduction collection.” The Elim nods. She tries the cherry blossom and peach. “Do you know that I haven’t seen Julian since the day Dias came?”

“Didn’t you tell him to leave?” Miranda raises her eyebrow at her. Surely Alyssa would remember that she told Julian that she wanted to be left alone.

“I did, but I didn’t think he was going to take some kind of vacation. Everything was so overwhelming that I wanted to deal with it on my own. I called him to talk to him, but every time I did he was either busy or it would go to voicemail.” She explains.

“Then wait for him to come back. Just be patient. Don’t jump to conclusions.” The Elim stops one of the hostesses to grab a small shopping carrier. She places several bottles into the pink and black bag. 

Alyssa moves to the rack that has the lotions from the different collections. “That’s hard when I know that Dias gave Julian Caillech. Does she live with him? Are they together? I can’t help but repeat those questions in my head. It’s annoying.”

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about. It’s not like they’re together now. He’s with you, and it will always be you.” The Elim assures the future goddess.

Alyssa places the lotion bottle back and turns to her with her eyebrows pushed together. “Together now? Was he with Caillech before?”

“She did tell you that you took him away from her at The Jag. I thought you put the pieces together. Caillech is the longest mistress he’s had.”

“Longest? So they’ve been together longer than him and I have ever?”

“Yes. Their relationship was based on power and revenge while yours was on pure love.”

“That doesn’t change anything. He negotiated my protection for her release. I can’t believe he didn’t tell me.”

They both walk to pay for their items. “You need to talk to him.” Miranda doesn’t really know what else to tell her. It’s strange for Julian to leave Alyssa in her charge. He’s doing something that not might please either of the women, but hopefully he knows what he’s doing. Having Caillech in his care is different than using the goddess for his own purpose. What is he planning? As much as she would love to investigate, she has bigger mysteries’ to solve that involves Selene and Alyssa.

“Whenever he actually decides to show up I will.” Alyssa’s mood has changed from exhaustion to anger. What if he is with Caillech? She’s not jealous, she mad that he won’t even talk to her so they can talk about everything that’s going on. They need to clear a lot of stuff, but that won’t happen if he doesn’t come back to face her. All she asks is for an explanation. That’s all she wants.