Forever Yours

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Hair flying behind her, Athena ran down the polish hallways towards her room. The glinting golden door called to her. She knew that if the others knew what she'd done, someone might be a little angry. As it was, Athena sensed her father wasn't going to be too happy about the act she'd just performed.

Blood soaked the front of her bodice, the silky liquid dripping down to the marble floor and leaving a trail. Her chin and lips were covered in the dark juice, while her teeth were discolored, bits of tissue in between. She had Makaria's heart still in her hand, clutching the bloody mass to her chest.

Reaching her door, she put one gore covered hand on the golden frame, as she looked around and behind to make sure she hadn't been followed before she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room was cover in golds and purples, the dark complimenting the light. Her chambers were large, plenty of space for the goddess of wisdom to think and gather herself. Large arched windows surrounded one wall, letting in the light from Apollo's chariot.

Walking past the pristine white furniture, she left droplets of red as she made her way to a hidden door behind her wardrobe. Gently pressing the wall, she kept the heart close to her chest. "Where is it?!" she mumbled to herself as she looked for the hidden button within the wall. When her fingers finally pushed in and the door swung open, she let out a hysterical laugh, glee in her eyes.

She begin to descend down the winding staircase, the walls dripping moisture onto her bare shoulders as she took each step one at a time. The stairs were old, made of rotted wood and held together by shear will. However, Athena had been using them for eons; her own little escape from the drama that was her family. After what seemed like hours, she finally begun to feel the heat from where the stairs ended at.

Tartarus.

Her father and uncles never knew how she'd been able to sneak into the Underworld unseen, let alone making it all the way to Tartarus without the guards or the guard dog sounding the alarm. It was her own little secret, one of many she held within her.

Pushing gently, the door swung open from the outside. Athena almost fell inward, unprepared for the sudden change. Catching herself with one hand, she looked up with annoyance in her eyes at the other person who stood just outside the door.

"Give a warning next time you decide to use this passage way," Hermes said from above her. He stared down at her, his lime colored eyes shining in the inferno they were in. He reached down, offering his hand to her. She accepted, lifting herself up and brushing the dirt from her skirt.

Hermes merely wiped his hands against one another, not wanting to get the blood from whatever it was she held in her hand on his clothes. "What have you got there?" He questioned as he tried to pier closer to her.

Athena turned away from him, her hands shielding the mass from his line of sight. "Tis none of your concern what I have," she remarked as she moved away from him. "Did you do as I asked?"

Hermes waved it off, knowing that whatever she had in her hands was of no concern of his, just like she'd said. Besides, he had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. "Yes, its over by their cage," he motioned with his arm.

Athena looked, absently taking a bite from the lump she held as she did so. Standing near the Titans cage was a small alter, the stone tablet hidden within the fire from which it came. It was small, but long enough for a body to lay upon. Taking another bite, she walked over to it and smiled. It was the third bite before Hermes finally knew what she was doing.

"You did it," he exclaimed softly. "You were actually able to kill her?"

Athena looked back at him, her smile becoming even larger. Bits of tissue hung from her teeth, while dark red blood dripped down from her chin. "As easy as taking candy from a baby."