The Cost of Betrayal

Chapter Forty Three

"What are you doing?" Atropos asked her sister. "You look way too innocent." She crossed her arms suspiciously.

Clotho gave her sister a wide-eyed look and tapped her open hand against her chest, "Who? Me? I didn't do anything." She tilted her head down slightly and looked up at the sternest sister.

Atropos rolled her eyes, "You know that once they are there, they aren't supposed to leave." She pointed her shears towards the outside.

Lachesis snickered at her sisters' bickering, which, given Atropos's mood was not a good idea. Atropos turned to Lachesis, "Just what are you laughing at?"

Lachesis stopped chuckling and paused in her spinning, "You know as well as I do that he needs this push."

Atropos sighed and pursed her lips she knew that her sisters were right, "Well, who did you get involved with this?" It figures, they were both in it together.

Lachesis and Clotho exchanged a guilty look, "Phoebe."

Atropos threw her head back and looked skyward, "Her? Isn't her son involved in some of these events?"

Clotho shrugged her shoulders, "She feels guilty. And wants to help."

Atropos scowled, "And Hecate? Where is she? She should be down there. For one this is all her doing, and two that is her domain."

Lachesis shook her head, "Not for this one."

Atropos eyed her sisters warily, "Why?"

Clotho looked sheepish, "Because I tried to fix this years ago, and well..."

"That's why?" Atropos asked stunned. She had wondered why she had to cut this poor woman's thread so early. She should have lived for much longer. She should have survived the sickness that had taken over her body. But, when the Fates meddle, things can get muddled.

Clotho nodded sadly, "In my defense, I didn't realize they were already paired!"

Atropos jabbed a pointy finger at her sister, "You should have." She huffed, frustrated, "Fine where's Phoebe?" She then returned her attention to her threads, "This is why she shouldn't be meddling," she whispered. But she was smiling inwardly, she knew that her sisters had kind hearts. She did too, but her job would be that much harder if she allowed her feelings to show as they did. She had been dealt the oh-so difficult task of taking lives. And while many deserved it, and even welcomed it, many didn't.

*************

Phoebe looked at the woman who was seated beside the edge of the forest. She smiled, the woman looked so kind and loving. "I wonder why?" she whispered to herself. She shook the thought from her head and uttered, "Not my business. I have enough on my plate with that pain in the ass son of mine. I just know that Clotho said this one needed to speak with her former mate. So that's what I'm going to do. Take her there" She continued making her way to the woman, "Hello, Ximena," she greeted her warmly.

The woman turned, startled that someone was there. She had been alone for so long. "Hello. Who are you?"

Phoebe smiled, "My name is Phoebe."

"Hello," the woman greeted again. She felt comfortable with her. She could see that this woman needed something from her.

"He needs to speak with you," Phoebe gently informed the woman. "He needs to let go, and be ready to open his heart."

The woman sighed sadly, "He knew this long ago."

Phoebe was confused, "How did he know?"

Ximena smiled, "I told him. I could see him later with a new love. And she would need him more than I. He didn't want to hear of it."

Phoebe studied the woman, did she do this to herself so her husband would be free to help the other?

Ximena seemed to read the Titaness's mind, "No, I was sick for a long time. No magic in the world would change this. I knew that I would not live to see my boys grow up."

Phoebe felt for the beautiful soul in front of her, she didn't know how some of these mortals did it. She smiled, "Come on, we need to go."

Shobref lifted his head from his desk, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Who would have thought there would be such a demand for his business? He lifted his head from in front of the computer screen, taking a break from the glare of the electronic. He looked up at his wall of pictures, he smiled as he looked at the progression of his boys. He chuckled softly at the picture of them covered in mud after they had played in the rain. Each of them looked the perfect mixture of innocence and mischievousness. As his eyes traveled the wall and landed on the picture of their mother the anger filled him again.

He sighed, wondering when the anger would leave. "Why?" He asked her picture sadly.

"She needs you," a voice whispered.

He inhaled deeply, her soft scent filling his nostrils. He turned and smiled, he took a step closer the to woman in his office. "Please, don't leave," the request came as a soft beg. Oh, how he missed her.

She smiled at him, "You know I can't. You did a wonderful job with our boys." She nodded towards the pictures of the boys, now men. She crossed her arms, "Although, the coffee shop?" She raised an eyebrow at him, a half-smile forming on her lips.

He looked at her sheepishly, "Well, it is doing well."

She chuckled, "I know, all about it."

He had the decency to blush at her, "Can I touch you?" he asked, reaching out his hand.

Her eyes turned sad, yet again as she reached out and touched his hand, "I miss you too. But our time is over. It has been, my love. We knew this before," she stopped and took a deep breath.

"Before you were taken from me," Shobref whispered, finishing her sentence for her, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat.

She nodded, "But now, it's time to help her."

Shobref sighed heavily, "I don't even know where she is. Or who she is." He turned and paced the room, he didn't want to replace Ximena, he wanted her here. Next to him, where she belonged.

Ximena could hear his thoughts, she thought of how she could reassure him. "You know she isn't replacing me, and you need to make sure our boys understand that as well."

He turned to her, "How do I find her? What do I tell her?"

Ximena smiled, "You'll know what to do when the time is right. But know, she needs you." She was thankful that Phoebe had informed her of the other woman's plight. She had sensed something that night so long ago when they crossed paths so briefly.

There was a sharp knock on the door, causing Shobref to jump.

Ximena smiled at him, "I have to go."

Shobref's eyes filled with tears, "Don't leave, please," he whispered.

Ximena shook her head and faded slowly from Shobref's view. The last thing she said before she disappeared completely was, "I love you."

He mouthed the words back before clearing his throat and wiping the tears from his eyes. "Come in," he said.

Abigor stepped into the room, "Am I interrupting something?" he asked.

Shobref shook his head, "Oh, uh, no." He studied the demon, there was a subtle change in him, "To what do I owe this honor?"

"I have a friend with a problem," he began.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a long story," Shobref pointed to the chair across from the desk, "Take a seat." He settled into his own chair and listened as Abigor filled him in on a witch that needed help. "Well, this is a different side of you. You usually just take what you want. What's changed?"

Abigor chose to ignore the jin's question, instead, focusing on the task at hand, "Can you help them or not?"

Shobref thought for a minute, a tiny thought in the back of his mind telling him he needed to do this, "Yes."

"Good, now when we find her again," Abigor started.

Shobref put his hand up, "Her?"

Abigor nodded, "Yes, her."

Shobref sighed, he was a man of his word nothing would change. He would get this woman to safety and be done with her.