Mixed Worlds

Chapter Twenty Four - Tests, Trials, And Fights

    Once everyone leaves, Athena and Alex sit down. Alex wraps an arm around me, and rubs my back. My mother relaxes into the chair, and looks like she is about to cry. 

     “What’s wrong?” I ask. 

      “I regret leaving you when you were born. I feel if Zeus’ law was never put in place, I would’ve been able to help you grow up knowing what you are capable of. You have grown into a wonderful young woman, and I wish I could have been around to witness it. I may be the Goddess of wisdom, but there are things that even I can’t see. Memories I will not be able to look back on.” Her eyes become sad, and my heart breaks for her. 

      “We can make new memories now, and that’s what matters.” I smile. “I hate to change the subject, but I think we should really try to figure out a way to help Alex with his vampire issue, so we can finish Christian off once and for all without Alex dying.” I set my hand on his knee. “If Christian dies, the vampires he has created will most likely die as well. Even the ones that those vampires created. As much as it would anger me to let Christian live, I would do it if it meant that Alex could too.” He hugs me from the side, and he looks up at Athena, and clears his throat. 

       “I will do anything I have to in order to be with her. Tests, trials, fights, anything. I don’t want this life for her.” He says. His voice cracks at the end, and I can feel his sadness.

        Athena leans on her knees, and looks at Alex. “There are three things you can do. One, is to climb the highest mountain in Romania and search the caverns for the oldest vampire, and then get him to agree to giving you some of his blood. Then you will have to go to Olympus and ask that Zeus reverse its energy, thus turning it into a type of cure. Once you drink it, your vampire genes with be consumed by your human ones, and you will become fully human. You will age like a human, and die like one. The second, is to have that same vampire turn you completely, thus cancelling out your connection to your father you will still have the thirst for blood, but due to your bond to Ally, your tolerance to the sun will be next to perfect. Your hunger will also be better controlled, if it is her blood that you drink. The third, and more physically complicated option, is to drink almost all of my daughters blood, and let her drink yours to replenish some of what she has lost. 

    Her DNA will stop the blood from turning her, and her blood will eat away at the Vampire part of you. You will age as a god due to the DNA in Allies blood, but otherwise become human. Once you are finished drinking, Ally must use her power to reduce your vampire genes, so that you won’t be able to fight off her blood, and stay a vampire. When that is all done, and you are both healed, Christian must be drained of his blood, and be killed. Once that happens, it is more than likely that most, if not all of his creations will pass on. Begin royalty, his blood is more powerful and they are essentially share a direct lifeline to him. Some may die, some may not.” I look at Alex, and realize what this means.

       “Alex, your mom… Christian turned her…” I whisper.

       “I know.” He looks at Athena. “Is there anything I can do to help save my mom?” He asks with a hopeful voice. “The only thing she ever did wrong, was love the wrong person.” He slouches back into the couch.

       “Unfortunately,” she sighs. “I don’t believe there is anything I can do for her. Once she dies, she goes to hell with the rest of them and become a demon. The only way you would be able to help her is if she is blessed before death. Then she would go to heaven, but you still wouldn’t be able to see her. Ally is one of a very small group of people that has even been able to pass through the gates. I suggest you take some time to visit her before you make your decision.” 

        “I would, but I haven’t been able to find her. Before I kill Christian, I was going to get him to tell me where she is. I haven’t seen her in over a decade.” I lean into Alex, wishing there was something I could do. 

    Then it hit me. I am the daughter of the Goddess of War and Wisdom. “I can do it. I can get Christian to tell the truth. I did it with Alex, I should be able to do it with him. Torturing him didn’t get him to talk, but maybe pain from the inside will. I know he doesn’t want to die, so if I explain how the rune works, maybe he’ll cooperate.” I stand up and smile wide. “Plus he hasn’t had blood in a while so he’ll be a bit weaker!” Alex stands up too, and hugs me.

    “Would you really do that for me?” He muffles into my hair.

    “Of course I would. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner.” I pull back to kiss him on the cheek, and walk over to my mom. “Would you like to join?” I hold my hand out. “I’m sure you have questions for him too.” She takes my hand, and I pull her up. 

    “I’d love to see my daughter in action.” She winks, and we all walk down to the room that Christian is locked in. Before we enter, I take the vervain off of Alex’s bed from earlier this morning, and pick up my silver blade from the table. 

    “Here goes.” I take a deep breath, and open the door. The room is bright, and I see a curled up Christian in the corner, chained to a metal bed that’s bolted into the wall. I wonder about who had moved him, as I don’t remember talking about that after I had mentioned the idea.  I make a mental note to talk to Lucas later. I turn the dimmer switch down on the wall, and Christian lifts up his head. “Get up, it’s time to answer some questions.” I say loudly. He swings his feet over the edge of the bed, and leans forward onto his knees. 

    “And what makes you think I’ll answer your questions, Ally?” He spits my name and gives an evil smirk. I make another mental note to punch Lucas. I roll my eyes, and step aside. I pull Alex up beside me, and show him off.

    “Because I believe your son has questions of his own as well.” Christian drops to the floor, and holds out his hands as far as the chains will let him. 

    “Alexander, my boy! You’ve come for me!” He cheers.

    “Actually, father, I have no intention of releasing you from here any time in the near, or far future.” Alex takes a few steps towards Christian, and my mother and I follow closely behind. “Myself, and these two ladies here have a few questions we want to ask, and if you refuse to talk, then my mate here will help me take answers by force.” Alex turns to me, and puts his arm around my waist. “As I have recently learned, you’ve caused her a great amount of pain. Do you understand what you’ve done?” His voice booms, and Christians expression becomes nervous. He nods in response to Alex’s question. “Good. Now pick yourself up and get comfortable.” I see Christian get himself settled on the bed, and Athena takes a chair at the farthest corner of the room.

    “What do you mean? What is he supposed to understand?” I hold Alex in place, and he brushes my hair over my shoulders. 

    “When a vampire hurts another vampires mate, in any way, the consequences can be pretty severe. When it comes to a vampire of Royal Blood, even death is an option. Especially since the mate he hurt was that of his sons. Technically, you and I are the heirs to the vampire throne. His expression tells me he’s terrified. I can smell it radiate off of him. You ask all the questions you need, and press as hard as you want. If he passes out, we wake him up and give him some blood and we go again. You deserve to have all your questions answered, and to make him suffer.” His expression turns dark, and he hugs me tight. “Then we’ll figure out how to save me.” He kisses my forehead, and leads me over to Christian.

    Holding the blade tight in my hand, I give my head a shake and push all of that information about basically being a queen to the back of my head, and set the vervain on the ground. I take a deep breath and focus all of my energy on the monster before me. “So, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. You can decide which would be more painful.” Christian stays silent. “I can trace a rune on you, and it will tell me if you’re lying or not. Or, you can choose to not use the rune and answer our questions freely. If Athena,” I wave to my mother. “Doesn’t think you’re telling the truth, then she will decide the punishment. And might I remind you, you killed her partner. That just so happened to be my father.” I fiddle with the blade in my hand, and lean back on my heels. “Your choice. Choose it wisely.”

    Christian slowly stands up and takes a step back. He looks closely at me, to Athena, then back to me again. “Athena, as in like, the goddess?” I nod. He swallows hard and I swear his face became paler. “And she is your fathers partner, making you her… daughter?” I nod again and rest my hands on my hips. After a minute, he walks over to the bed and drops his chains beside him. “Trace the rune. I believe that she would choose not believe anything I say, and I would rather not be beaten any more than I have.” I hear my mother chuckle in the corner, and Alex and I do too. 

    “Smart choice. Let’s begin.” I walk over to him, and Alex holds his head back for me. I start tracing the truth rune over his heart, and enjoy the cries of pain that escape his mouth. When I’m finished, the rune shines blue and I know we can start. “I’ll start with simple questions, and we can go to the harder ones after.” Christian nods.

    “This should be easy.” He smirks. An evil smile creeps onto my face and I let out a deep laugh.

    “Not as easy as you’d think.” I’m excited to see him writhe in pain.