The Otherkind Book One:Heart

~*~ 45 ~*~

"That's the natural progression of life here on this plane. What is it that you want Grayson?"

"I want her as my wife and to let her live in the Regent house."

"You ask too much! She is not an angel."

"She's my angel!"

"But she is human," he looked at Athena "even half-Otherkind isn't enough to permit this."

Athena looked at her hands deeply troubled. Sometimes the burden of truth was too hard to bear.

"Then allow her to change."

"To become an angel? You can't turn or change someone into an angel!"

"You are king! You can do this!"

"King yes! But not a God! That is well and truly beyond my power."

Grayson lay me down on the couch. I awoke a bit. He smiled and stroked my forehead and all I could hear was the sound of wind in the trees.

After a few moments, standing up he walked to his father. "I may have found a way." He went to his coat that he had taken off when he entered Athena's house earlier and got a carved box out of his coat pocket. Coming back into the front parlor he held it out.

"Goddess!" Athena stood up very quickly all color draining from her face. "Do not touch it Thomas!"

Thomas looked confusedly between Athena and his son. "What's the matter Athena?"

"Do not touch it!" Her eyes were glittering a dangerous silvery fire. She pointed for emphasis. "Grayson get that vileness out of my house right this instant!"

"Athena!" Grayson protested looking bemused. "It's not evil. It's a wish box. I can change all of this with it!"

Athena looked up at the son of the one whom she had loved for a very long time. "You have been blinded. It was crafted by the witch of the woods, but the crone Numa! I can feel her warding spell emanating off it! She is using it to track you and lead Arminius right to you, to us! Get it out of here! Now!" she pointed towards the door for emphasis."

"NO!"

"Then you are a fool! You have been infected by it and no longer can see. One day that infection will overtake all you are and change you into another one of the fallen ones, just— like— Zale! Get rid of it now Grayson! Get it away from my property! I am the Guardian of all this and I am, out of love and kindness to you, giving you the chance to obey me without me doing anything about it." She looked suddenly unlike the cookie baking grandmother and more like a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Grayson looked at his father for support. "Father, I can marry her with this." he pleaded.

Thomas looked at his son, the box, and at Athena who was rightful Guardian of this land. "Go son, she has spoken."

"Father?"

"I wouldn't wait very much longer." Thomas looked at Athena who looked angrier than he had ever seen her.

Athena enunciated very clearly. "Bury that thing in the forest you got it from." Her hand was on her throat. "Oh Goddess! It is the bones of the innocent that fashions the shape and form of it. Bury it! Then pray you are not infected beyond anyone's ability to heal you." Her voice was commanding, brooking no disobedience.

Grayson spun on his heel grabbing his coat, stopping to look back at the couch, he wavered.

"I'll take care of her son. Do what Athena has told you."

And then the door softly opened and then shut.

Thomas was looking at Athena shaking his head. So much was setting up in a bad way now. He wondered for how much longer they could all hold on. So much balanced precarious on the edge of a sharpened blade. One wrong move and everything would be gone.

Athena said nothing more. Her own thoughts were leading her to dark places she could only guess were ahead of them, and the weight of a secret was bearing down on her. A secret that could change everything.

Outside Grayson got angrier with every step that took him away from Athena's farmhouse. He couldn't understand her unreasonable anger. There was nothing wrong with the box. It was a wonderful idea that could solve a lot of problems. Beneath his feet the snow crunched and the moon had finally risen illuminating the area. Shadows retracted nearer their sources.

What Grayson didn't notice was a particular shadow that matched the blackness that infected him.

In a rage he flashed off her lands heading for Meromi Nol. No way was he going to bury the box! If Athena wanted him gone, then so be it. He was getting tired of being told what to do and where to go. He had other options! Inside him the blackness shifted and came nearer the surface swallowing more of him.

From within the shadows stepped a man who had watched the angry angel flash away. Looking toward the Crofter farmhouse a feral smile twisted his face. Things were beginning to look like they were going his way.