Powerful - (Her Gods - Book One) Completed

Fourteen - Research and Plans

We didn't relax until we were back in the car and heading  towards the hotel. Owen had kept a tight grip on my hand and I know it was in reaction to our meeting my father.
"Owen..." I start but Kal's finger on my lips silenced me and I search his heated gaze with nervous realisation. He was mad, they all were.
"Stay silent till we get to the hotel, we will discuss what has just happened then" he growled and I shivered racking my brain to work out why they were so cross with me.
I kept my head down and followed the snappy instructions as Owen led the way into the hotel, Jace veering off and picking up a key from the desk before joining us at the elevator. I stood silently between them, the heat of their bodies surrounding me as the lift rose through the hotel, all the way to the top, where Kal's firm hold on my arm guided me into their suite. The door shutting behind us and I knew I was trapped in here with their anger.

Once again they moved to surround me and I finally raised my eyes to them, Owen catching my gaze first, fire dancing in his eyes.  "Do you know how much you scared us today" he growled and I jumped in surprise, realising it wasn't anger, it was fear, they had been worried about me.
"I didn't know" I whispered back to him.
"When you shouted at Zeus, my heart stopped. He could have killed you for that, and I wouldn't have been able to stop him" Kal ground out and I turned to face him.
"I'm sorry" my hand came up to reach for him, but my wrist was caught by Jace.
"Once again you put yourself in danger, you put our safety ahead of yours" he told me before spinning me to face Miles.
"When we go after the witch, you will listen to us and stay safe, you will heed us on this or the punishment you are about to receive will be nothing compared to the one you will get next time" he warned me and I nodded mutely.
"Use your words" Owen growled
"Yes! I understand" I gasp out.
They step back from me and I sway slightly at the loss.
"Go and shower, we will order some food" Kal instructs, opening a door and showing me into a bedroom, closing the door quietly behind me, as he rejoined the others.

I look around the room and realise their belongings were already here, yet we had only just checked in, how? but then reality crept back in and I moved towards the shower, my mind now wondering what punishment they had in store for me. goosebumps covered my body as I stripped off and stepped under the warm spray, images of past punishments crowding my mind and my body tensed in both anticipation and fear.  My human side warring with the goddess side as I tried to do as instructed.

Miles loud knock at the door and five minute warning making me jump as he hurried me along.  I slipped into the soft towelling robe hanging on the door and recognised Owen's subtle scent. After wrapping it around me and tying the belt tight, the robe covered me from neck to toes and I opened the door, ready to face them.  The bedroom was empty but I could hear the murmur of their voices from the adjoining room and taking a deep breath, I joined them.

Food had already been delivered and covered the table by the window, my men already seated and waiting for me. Kal rose and pulled out a chair, the feel of his hands resting for a moment on my shoulders as I sat and he returned to his seat. "Eat" he ordered. I kept my gaze down and ate, not wanting to anger them further.

Meal finished I waited as  Owen and Miles cleared the table, returning with a couple of laptops and the files of information we had brought with us.  I watched nervously, still keyed up and waiting for my promised punishment.

"Relax Thena" Owen smiled at me, "We will punish you but not right now, first we have to find out what we can from these notes, we need to make some plans"   I felt my body relax and was surprised at how tense I had been, the other all watching me with smiles on their faces as I blushed and looked down.

"Now lets get to work" Owen declared, handing me a stack of journals "These were our parents records, if you start with these" he instructed me and I nodded, half listening to him share out tasks to the others as I gazed at the books in my hands,  my interest growing and I was soon lost in the pages.

Their parents had been thorough, they had noted everything down even if it was small, there was a hint that early DNA searching had shown a link but it had not be followed up that I could find written.  I was startled to see my mothers name appear, and recognised they met her the year she left us, I searched more but could not find out what they had discussed or where.  The later journals mentioned Helene and her interest in the work and my eyes had widened at the financial amount she had offered them, but they had said no.

There were pictures clipped to pages, showing cave paintings, engraved stones and pottery, jewelled clothing and jewellery, with their explanations and links they had discovered to each picture.

I run my finger over one of the pictures, showing a ring, supposed to hold a fate stone, the image familiar to me in some way,  I read the notes attached to the picture but cannot get a hold on why it looks so familiar.

"I've found her" Jace calls and we crowd round him, the laptop showing a picture of the woman from my vision.

"Where?" I ask.

"London, this picture was taken at an awards ceremony last week and she's therefor publicity, to launch a new face cream at the end of this month." he informs us.

"So we know where she is, how are we planning to get to her?" Miles muses.

"Our parents research, if she thinks we are interested in selling she will meet us" Owen suggests and the others nod.

"And then what?" I ask softly.

"We make her pay for what she did to us" Kal growls and I shiver at the dark promise in his voice.

"Thats not a plan, that's suicide" I mutter worriedly.

"Baby, she's not immortal anymore, Zeus said he would take that away, we can take her down the mortal way, publicly strip her of everything, all her wealth and assets, by the time we are done with her she will like herself to be free of us"

"What about her powers, her coven will support her, we don't know who else will" I warn them and they think about my warning.

"Okay, this is our plan.  We will go London and arrange a meeting with her, then re-assess the information we have, we won't tell her who we are now, or about you, but we will test her" Owen tells me and I think it over before nodding.

"I want to come with you to the meeting"

"NO!" all four of them answer at the same time.

"Its too dangerous Thena, already people can see the goddess in you, we cannot risk her seeing you, not till we are ready to confront her with her crimes" Kal said carefully, adding  "But you will be with us in London, and you can be in the room next door and listen but you must promise to stay out sight"

I sighed knowing this would be as much as they would give for now and smiled at them "Yes" I agreed.

"Right, I'll sort out the flight, see what else we can learn from these notes" Mile's said pulling the laptop to him.

Jace moving to sit at my side as he moved the journals and looked at me "Did you find anything?" he asked softly and I explained what I had read and what I thought we should investigate more.

It was nearly midnight before we finally put the papers and evidence away, Mile's having sorted our flight to London for 8am in the morning, we knew we needed to sleep, it had been a trying day.

"Come" I looked up at Kal's hand and put mine in it, his warm fingers closing around mine as I allowed my body to do as he commanded, following him into a bedroom, at towards the bed. "Sleep, my love" he ordered, slipping the robe off my shoulders and placing me into the bed, his lips dropping to kiss my forehead as I fought a yawn.

"Stay" I whispered, holding his gaze and smiled as he nodded, stripping his own clothes off and sliding in by my side, his arms wrapping me into his hold and I felt safe and loved.