Cursed By The Gods Book 1 and 2

Chapter 44

“Her Majesty would not breastfeed this child,” the midwife said solemnly with a look of pity at the baby who kept squirming and trying to reach for Termla’s face. Her mouth was stretched to a toothless smile and her eyes sparkled. She was a very attractive child and her powers made her even more alluring. “You should find a wet nurse for the child, Fella.”

Termla had expected that. Of course no one would want to take responsibility for the innocent child who didn’t beg to be in the world. Even the midwife with all her pity looks couldn’t stop looking distastefully at the small child.

“Okay,” Termla agreed. She knew exactly who she wanted to look after the child. As it was her presence with the child could cause her exposure, Helena might find out she was trying to protect the child and might turn the other gods on her. 

Termla waited for the midwife to pack her things and leave before carrying the child to the nursery, a spacious room with a small wooden crib and small toys arranged beautifully at every corner. Emilia had planned the best for her child and Termla feared now that the queen wasn’t accepting the child she would demand she be removed from the nursery. She approached the crib and started to lay the child in it when she caught sight of the white glow radiating from her skin.

Termla stopped cold. Her heart pounded in her chest at something she had not noticed before, something that could spell doom for the innocent baby. Hoping her fears were not true she held the child to the light, her heart sank immediately. She was right, Helena’s cruelty knew no bounds.

On the child’s skin were invisible emblem only seen by her god eyes, her mouth fell as she caught sight of the emblem of goddess of misery; to make the child’s life full of nothing but sorrow, the emblem of desire; to make men want her, l**t for her without control and then the emblem of the goddess of excess; Adna. As if everything was not enough Helena had employed the power of Adna to make the child’s suffering ten times worse than it should be. Tears clogged Termla’s throat, she wanted so much to lash out at Helena but she had more wisdom than that, she could not stand alone against the b***h goddess whether or not she was the goddess of justice. She also noticed a strange seal on the child’s neck and gasped in horror, the seal with the dragon around a shield was popularly used to drain a god’s power, it drained the powers until it completely sucked it out leaving the god powerless. It was a weapon the gods used when they went at war with other pantheons and for Helena to use it on her child it meant she really wanted the child’s life to be hell.

The child let out a small cry and grimaced as if in pain. Termla reached to kiss her head and paused again, the baby’s head had appeared to be bald but on a closer look she noticed the white tuft of hair, just like the child’s father. There wasn’t much she could do for the child to protect her, she could take out the seal but it wouldn’t release the child’s power until she was matured enough to have control of it. It wasn’t much but it was the best she could do to, the child would have to learn to survive on her own till her powers came to her. Carefully, Termla dipped her fingers into the child’s neck, she didn’t scream instead she watched her with her beautiful eyes. It wasn’t until Termla dissolved the seal and pulled her fingers out that the baby let out a piercing scream. It was a cry of anguish that came from soul deep as, as if she was in pain. Termla hurriedly wrapped her arms around the baby and bounced her up and down, it didn’t seem to help instead in made it worse. Sighting a rocking chair by a corner of the room Termla approached it, sat on it and rocked it back and forth while holding the child and cooing to her.

“Don’t cry little one, please. Save your tears for you will need them but I promise you the time will come when you will cause bitter tears to the ones who seek to hurt you.” The more she talked the more the child calmed, her cries reduced to soft hiccupping. “You will need a name child, a name that fits your situation.” Termla thought long and hard. “I shall call you Cleopoda for you are the hated queen who will take your mother’s place and bring justice on the rebellious gods. I must find your sister, no doubt your mother has hidden her in some place that I will not easily find.”

At this point the baby had slept off, snoring slightly on Termla’s shoulder. Smiling, the goddess of justice took the baby and laid her gently in the crib. Now to find Remin, the woman to whom she had given her darling baby, Strukus.

Termla approached the small building a few feet away from the river bank where Remin lived. She had not reason to disguise herself since she appeared to be Fella, a young plain looking woman, no one would pay attention to her. She approached the house uninterrupted and knocked at the door. From within she heard the sound of a child and smiled, her baby was healthy and safe. She heard Remin’s beautiful voice sing cheerful songs to her child, the singing stopped when she heard the knock.

“Who is that?”

“Termla.”

Remin hurriedly opened the door wide to admit her in. Remin was as she remembered, a slender woman with beautiful brown eyes and hair. Her face was sweet and kind and radiated pure contentment.

Remin went on her knees at the sight of the goddess at her doorstep. She could recognize her voice even though she couldn’t recognize the form she took.

Termla hastily held her up.

“No, Remin, you shouldn’t do that why people are about or they will wonder why you are bowing to commoner. Stand up, I won’t stay long.”

“You should sit, goddess,” Remin said to her. She stood and went to pull a wooden chair out from under her simple wooden table.

“I won’t stay long. I have an assignment for you.” Once she was sure she had the woman’s attention she continued. “You will go and find work in the palace, the queen has just birthed a child before long the whole village would have heard about it. That child is considered to be a taboo because she is an unusual being but I want you to take care of her, suckle her, nurture her and defend her. Consider her as your second child.”

“Yes, my lady,” Remin agreed without reserve. “I will do anything you ask of me, I owe you my life. Would you like to see your son?”

It was everything she wanted but it was too dangerous, she didn’t want to attract attention to her child so she rejected the offer.

“Some other time Remin, for now do as I have said. I will secure a place for you at the palace, you should go there tomorrow and ask for the job.”