Athena x Nike

#66 * Mental Prison (Part 2)

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over her." She whispered.

It took me a moment to realize she was apologizing for my mother's behavior.

"It's not your fault." I said, releasing myself from the hug.

"Why are you apologizing for something you didn't do?"

I already knew the answer. If she didn't, I'd get my apology when it no longer mattered. My mother was too prideful to admit when she had lost.

Bagheera suddenly got up and made his way towards the door. A knock sounded, but he growled.

"Whose there?" I asked loud enough so my voice came above my panther's growling.

"Alexia? I was wondering if perhaps we could talk?"

My mother's voice. Bagheera paced in front of the door and kept growling. The hairs in the back of his neck and across his spine were standing up. Mom stiffend in front of me.

"Later." Was all I said.

I didn't want to make up unnecessary lies, but I didn't want to see her right now either. I imagine she sighed and walked away, but I never really heard it.

I did know she was gone the moment Bagheera stopped pacing and returned to my bed. Mom seemed to feel relieved too.

"Alexia, can I ask you something?" She asked.

"Yes, of course." I nodded.

Artemis' POV:

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Hestia asked as we all sat in a circle around a fire she had made.

I stared into the flames and let the heat scorch my face.

"Maybe not, but she can't keep doing this. She needs to learn just exactly what she'll lose if this keeps going." Nike said.

"So be it if it's the hard way." The victory goddess added.

I locked eyes with her for a moment. She seemed bitter, but also vulnerable and fragile. Like the part that made her victory was stripped away and left her bare.

"What do you have in mind then?" I questioned, keeping a close eye on Nike.

She didn't even shift underneath my gaze. I think at this point she couldn't even be bothered.

"I've talked about it with Alexia. I want her to join the hunt for a little while. I'm not going to tell Athena about it until she asks. When she knows she'll most likely will try to find her. Let her run in circles for a while. Let her know what losing her daughter feels like." Nike stated.

I could see the gold in her eyes flaring, showing me how angry she was, but she wasn't angry enough to make it stay. She was mainly hurt.

Hestia frowned. She didn't like the idea because it might tear the family apart even further, rather than fix it.

"You know how Athena gets Hestia." I spoke softly.

"She gets so overwhelmed in self-pity she doesn't even bother to look at the bigger picture."

Next to me the goddess of the Hearth sighed. She knew all too well.

I looked at Alexia, her panther Bagheera, laying next to her. He softly purred as she stroked his pitch black fur.

"Do you want this?" I asked her.

"In all honesty?" She asked in return.

I nodded.

"Yes and no. Yes, because these days in my mother's eyes I'm nothing more than a private with incomplete training. No, because... She's my mother and I love her. No matter how much of a bitch she can be." Alexia responded.