When Athena opened her eyes she had no idea what time of the day it was and where she was for that matter. She suddenly noticed how all over her body was hurting badly. As she sat up painfully, she looked around cautiously. She was sitting on a spacious bed surrounded by red and black furniture and spears, she panicked. she hadn't been dreaming. She had actually faced Dante and she .... Had lost!
It was so hard for her to accept anyone had defeated her. She didn't care that it was an unfair fight and Dante had cast a sleeping spell on her. For her, a loss was a loss. So painful. The pain was not only emotional. The duel with Dante had taken a lot out of her physically too. She laid back down. She had to heal herself and get her full energy back to break Dante's seals. The only reason she hadn't attempted to leave when Dante had summoned her was because, she was exhausted from resisting the summon call. If that wasn't bad enough, now the aches in her body told her she needed rest and refuelling.
Athena noticed the numerous spheres hanging from the wall filled up with a variety of food. She waved her hand and cast a spell on the sphere closest to her. The sphere opened in front of her and the different variety of the most deliciously made food were layed down on a table at the side of her bed. She was speechless. Even the spheres in Dante's chambers knew how to lay tables and make the feast presentable. It was too much.
Athena sighed. She sampled some of the golden rice with reindeer stew. She had some Elderflower herbal drink too and got some of her strength back. Now it was time to heal herself so she summoned all her power to soothe her pain and repair her cells. This was a risky process. Now that she was speed healing, she couldn't summon her forcefield. She could surely use a few of her defensive spells if needed but they were definitely no match to Dante's spells. She knew, it was going to be a long wait for her to repair herself and get her forcefield back. Uh, those roses had done a number on her. she was hoping Dante wouldn't come back anytime soon wherever he was. She knew how vulnerable she was now while using all her focus on healing her badly weakened body. She laid down again on the bed and tried to scan the chambers she was held in mentally looking for weak spots to teleport out.
As she was scanning the seals Dante had put in place on her current prison, she felt him. He was coming to her. Athena groaned. She hated being defenceless. Now that there was no shield or forcefield protecting her she had to rely on using diplomacy and compromise. Dante may have been invincible but he knew not to underestimate her forcefield and she didn't have the option to use it at this time. There was no telling what Dante could do to her now. She decided against using any spells. She didn't want to get hurt too badly. Her body was still healing. She had a mission to do with the healers. So no spells. She kept telling herself. But she still was going to give Dante a piece of her mind. Him imprisoning her was getting on her nerves. It was against her nature to be locked up. she sat up on the bed and slowly stood up as she saw Dante walking in tall with a smirk on his face.
She spoke first "Dante, I didn't expect to see you back so soon. I thought you had a territory to invade. Dante you have to let me go. Either My coven would come to my rescue first or I would find a way to escape. I have to go to aid those who's homes you are about to destroy. I have my people in Alaska to go back to. Unlike you, I love my people. I don't look at them as my possession or property. I guess this could be our chance to say goodbye."
She sounded defiant. She knew she was going down in this fight and she didn't want it to end with her bowing down to the warlock who had brought nothing but terror and destruction to innocent people she had sworn to protect as a member of her healer coven.
Well Athena expected a reaction out of Dante and she was not disappointed. Within seconds, Dante's eyes turned silver and he waved his hand. A forceful wave suddenly hit her and she was thrown to the opposite wall. all of the sudden golden restraints were also released by Dante that flew to her direction. As she struggled to get free, the golden restraints pinned her to the wall.
Athena did not expect the forceful attack from Dante so suddenly. She felt completely helpless but her strength was slowly coming back. At least now she could stand up without shaking after that duel, the roses had weakened her to the point that standing was a challenge during her duel.
Dante was turned on by making Athena immobilised pinning her to the wall. He liked to see Athena submit to him and accept him as her superior. More than anything he wanted her to love him and more importantly love no other.
Dante shook his head and spoke playfully "See Athena. Look what you have made me do. Love. Don't try to tease and taunt me. Maybe I have to teach you a lesson again."
Athena was looking at Dante defiantly; "well, if it weren't for the roses, there was no way you could disarm me Dante. That was an unfair fight. you used them to put me to sleep. That was uncalled for and you know it. "
Dante now was standing within inches of her. She was looking up at his towering figure. His eyes were still silvery but beautiful. However he also looked deadly. His posture also said that he was ready to strike and make any poor soul in his reach to feel pain.
Dante was now staring silently into Athenas eyes. He was taking his time. It seemed like he enjoyed watching his love all bound and helpless. Dante spoke finally " I have to hand it to you. You put up a good fight but don't underestimate the Ronas specialty spells. Only those in my bloodline can perform them. Lets say they are tailored for use for my blood only. For instance No one can conjure those lovely roses from within the walls of the castle of spears but me. No one can command them but me. No one can also destroy them but me. So my love, you should think twice before you challenge me. I know of spells that you know not. It is never wise to strike when you are already defeated at a game."
Athena was weakly looking up at Dante and his words hurt her. "Don't call me love, Dante. You don't attack those you love. You don't pin the ones you love to the wall. You hurt me. You took me away from my duties and imprisoned me here against my will. You need to look up the definition of love."
Dante spoke coldly; " You are mine. Don't you forget it. I can summon you whenever i feel like it. As for attacking you, well you have only yourself to blame. If you don't show me any signs of defiance then you won't feel my fury. It's as simple as that. You see, your defiance turns me on at the same time. But once I stop getting entertained by your rebellious side , there is no limit to my desire to put you in your place and teach you a lesson. If I were you I would read the signs. Don't you ever attack me again. That forcefield was what set me off. If you don't use it, then I won't hurt you. And my love, watch what you say. You are in my chambers. If you want to avoid another painful episode, make sure you don't raise your voice at me or tell me what to do. I would keep you here as long as I want."
Athena looked away as he finished the sentence. Her defeated expression was betraying her. She was not prepared for this confrontation at all. All those years spent with the Elder Tree Council and in Australia could not assist her right now. She had spent all her time on unlocking knowledge and theory of witchcraft. Nothing related to the offensive arts had ever interested her. She only had learnt self defence as a prospective healer when it came to arts of combat. But those defensive arts where no use when you were locked up in a sealed chamber with Dante Ronas. She knew that now.
Dante looked at Athena with disapproval "look at me Athena when I am talking to you. You must sense that my self control is slipping away right now. You are obviously hoping to pass the time until you heal fully and then go looking around for an escape route. Well I am sorry to disappoint you my love. My blood's power is like no other. My seal can only be broken by me. Even my own commanders can come and go only when I wave a hand to allow them to. My own brother, Demetrious can't even break my seals even though he is my blood. Therefore, don't waste your time and focus on what I am telling you because I am no where near finished with our meeting."
At the mention of this information, Athena looked up in surprise. She was now more horrified of what
Dante was capable to bring upon the Northerners. Even his brother was no match for him. Demetrious was a big hope for the Alaskans. His empathic acts were legendary amongst the freedom fighters. If anyone could have a shot at hurting Dantes chances of conquer that was Demetrious. But it seemed, Dante was much more powerful than anyone had ever imagined, not even the prophecy had foreseen the extent of his power.
Dante took her silence as a sign of obedience and smiled as he spoke ;"very good. At least you are accepting your faith love. First of all, I summoned you to talk to you and you interrupted me at the greeting stage. Now it's time to talk. its time for me to set some ground rules and warnings. you pay attention carefully." Then he started stroking Athenas hair and looked even more intently into her eyes.
Dante spoke with a threat evident behind his voice; "I feel like i have granted you too much free reign. Lets make this clear first Athena that just because I let you wonder off from that cabin that night it didn't mean you were free to do as you wished. Today, there will be two choices for you. you will get a choice to remain by my side or fight against me. I of course will allow you to leave since I am a man of my word. All the members of house of Ronas are. As I promised you before, I give you time until I conquer all territories to come around. Meanwhile, I will stand and watch how you would help your dear Alaskans to avoid my reign. But I have one golden rule for you that if you ever dare break it, my possessive side would act to punish you and you won't like that side of me. Trust me. I may not hurt you but I would hurt those you care about. So remember this one rule "no males are allowed to be around you."
Athena looked at him with her mouth open. she spoke ;" Don't sound so confident Dante. I will oppose you full force. That's a promise. But don't worry about men falling for me. No one in their right mind would associate with a Forbidden blooded witch like me. Your claim to me is too overpowering. I am yours and always have been but my heart is not yours."
Was his entitlement refusing him? As Athena finished her sentence, Dante got even closer to her and rested his hands on the wall on both sides of Athena's head giving her no space. Athena felt trapped. the restraints wouldn't let her move an inch. She hated looking so helpless and her forcefield was still down as her body was still healing.
Dante spoke with fury ; " Repeat your last sentence one more time and I would promise to burn your homeland to the ground. I dare you to say it one more time and I would burn to the ground Every last bit of it. From the arctic unicorns to the elder trees and elder flowers. I would enjoy the show as you would watch your people helplessly suffering because of your resistance. I would turn the snow into ash. I would summon volcanoes to unleash their hot lava over the homes of your loved ones. I ...."
"You can't do this. How can you be willing to destroy Alaska for one woman. Power has clouded your judgement. " Athena spoke with disbelief
"I would do that and more my love. You are not just any woman. You are mine. Only mine. So I dare you my love to repeat that last sentence and send me to a satisfying quest to bring pain to the people you care for so much. Say it Athena. If you dare." Dante was angry and his words were not doing him justice
"No. No. Please. I am pleading with you not to ever punish others for my crimes. Please Dante, don't hurt any one because of my defiance. I won't repeat what I said. I am sure that My heart ......... will one day learn to love you. I am yours after all." Athena spoke reluctantly and sadly
Dante smirked. " Do you want to know something. I think you are deceiving me and yourself. You love me. You saved my life. Your soul called to me. I was nearly dead but you still found me. Even my own family members couldn't locate me. Your bond with me is stronger than you think. But surely in the eyes of your healer buddies, what you did was unthinkable. Have you told them yet? If you had allowed me die, this fight would not have existed. Tell me do you regret saving me?" Dante's lips were now inches apart from hers as he said this. the sounds of her heart beats were all she could hear after Dante made that statement.
Athena became thoughtful. How should she answer him. It was obvious Dante was trying to provoke her to defy him. "I am a healer Dante. I would never refuse treatment to a soul. It was my duty. Besides, you should know that you were going to be healed over time either way. Your body is just too strong. Your own body's healing powers did most of the work. I was a catalyst to help you get well faster. And no, I don't regret healing you but I do regret......" She looked away and did not finish her sentence.
"What my love, say it. I want to hear your thoughts. Tell me what you regret. But maybe I should enlighten you on this if you don't have the courage to face up to your feelings. I know you better than yourself. You regret not coming to find me all these years. Your blood called to me in the same way mine did to yours. You missed my presence as much i missed you. admit it. if you came to me as soon as your parents filled you in on who you were, things would be different. We would have conquered the world together by now my love. I never had the option to find you. When I was young I didn't have the power to break the concealment spells your council members and parents had put on you. Their powers jointly had managed to keep me away all these years. But you could. They didn't allow you to come to me. They would suffer if you don't admit your love to me before I lose it completely. There is a limit to my patience."
Dante's intense words and his closeness were becoming too much for Athena now. so she looked away. Dante took this as a sign of defiance and gently grabbed her chin forcing Athena to look at him. He growled; " don't ever try to turn away from me when i am talking to you. you wont like the outcome. I have lived without you all these years. Being deprived of spending time with my blood call entitlement has made me possessive and protective of you. I want to rid the world of any empathic beings that would ever be a threat to taking you away from me. I want everything and everyone around me to be loyal to me in a way that all around you would only be filled with reminders of me and my powers. You are mine. Your eyes must only see me. Your hands should only hold what's mine. Your soul belongs to me and your heart..." As he said this he let go of her chin and roughly grabbed Athena's shoulders and looked intently into her eyes as he spoke with his earnest tone "....and you heart must only beat for me. Your heart must only act to please me. I want your heart to only reserve one sole place for me. Say it Athena. I want to hear you say it. You tell me that your heart belongs to me."
He was looking at her with an unreadable expression and that unsettled Athena. She hated to admit her true desires. She felt as though she was betraying her parents and all they stood for as her heart was beating faster and faster. She spoke as though each word weighed heavily on her conscious "I belong to you. So does my heart. There is no denying the truth. I have only been to stubborn to admit it." She couldn't hide the truth any longer. She was attracted to Dante. Even though she hated to admit it.
Dante was now smiling as though seeing sunshine for the first time "very well my love. Although, How do I know you are telling the truth. I can sense waves of honesty but you may be trying to manipulate your emotions to trick me. What if you only admit your love so that I don't burn down Alaska which is what I really wish to do right now more than anything. So now kiss me like you mean it. I would decide if you are telling the truth based on your passionate kiss. A willing kiss from a witch never lies." Dante knew well that Athena was being truthful. But he couldn't resist the temptation to take advantage of the situation to get some effortless affection from his love.
Athena did not see this coming. There was nothing in the mythical world that could give the male warlocks more pleasure than when a female witch kissed them willingly. There was something about willingness that made the feeling of pleasure intensify and multiply times more. When Dante had tried to wake her up or forced his lips on her to prove his dominance earlier on, he had kissed her but that was a one sided kiss. She hadn't even kissed him back and even if she did return the kiss slightly still she did not do it willingly so now Dante wanted to feel the pleasure he had missed out on all these years. Athena hated this feeling inside her. She had a conflict. She was a fighter, not a compromiser. She wanted so challenge Dante in this very room. She didn't care about the outcome. She was willing to get injured badly with his worst spells than to bend to his wishes. But she loved him. She couldn't deny her desires to kiss him too. Also she couldn't delay this admission of her true love any longer. he had picked on her weaknesses. She had family and friends, who's lives could be turned upside down if he wished it. It could take one command from him to unleash a volcano on her people. It could take only one command for him to massacre her people.
She knew now that all along Dante had been planning in playing with people's emotions in different territories by offering his requests of surrender and fight. He wanted to humiliate his enemies and make them feel they had a chance at defeating him only to enslave them and torment them for defying him in the end. Alaska could resist longer than all other territories but Alaska was going to fall in the end. She had no doubt about it, now that she was standing in front of Dante and feeling his waves of power. His powers had grown immensely since meeting him in the cabin. She didn't know why. Could it be because he was still recovering from the wounds inflicted on him in Quebec? Could it be that the powers he had meant to receive on his 21st birthday were suppressed when he had been in captivity and only unleashed when she had rescued him. She was sure the truth wasn't far from this. His powers were being unlocked as he was recovering from the spell that killed his ancestor.
As dante commanded for the golden restraints that were holding Athena to come off, she took a deep breath. This was it. Athena reluctantly leaned forward and Dante let his hands drop from her shoulders. He, then stood stiffly in one place waiting for Athena to do all the work. Athena wanted to badly slap his smiling face. she let her hands embrace Dante's neck and leaned over and attached her lips to his. Dante was having the time of his life. He was enjoying Athena kissing him passionately. Athena was doing this reluctantly and it took all her self control not to Slap him.
Dante was pleased with the outcome. But he had to find a way to kick the empathy out of her. It was so easy to make Athena do what he wanted just because he had used her empathic affections to the Alaskans. He had blackmailed her to submit to him and admit her true feelings. it worked so easily for him. That was why he hated the feeling of empathy. It destroyed people's free will. So he vowed to save his love from this destructive emotion once and for all when they became fully acquainted one day.
Dante had planned to have fun by just standing there but Athena was too irresistible. He couldnt take it any more. He had to embrace this warm fascinating witch to feel at ease. So he lifted his hands and grabbed her waist tightly as though feeling she could disappear any minute. The kiss just got more intense and passionate. He wanted her to become his wife so badly. But even he knew there was a line he couldn't cross with Athena. Not yet. She was not ready yet.
Athena was the one to break the kiss to Dante's disappointment and spoke as she was breathing heavily " are you satisfied now. You threatened me with the lives of my loved ones at stake. Tell me whats next on your to do list for me to guarantee you wont burn my home land to the ground when you break into Alaskan borders."
Dante did not like her tone and her interpretation of his intentions at all: "My love. You are mine. I thought we established that. There is no to do list here. There is just you and me and our destiny together. All I want for you is to accept me as your true love and only man you look upon with your beautiful passionate eyes. I just want to be the only one you ever care for and feel any emotions for. I have missed you dearly. I just want your love. That is all. My vows about the destruction of your homeland are not threats, they are promises. This comes natural to me to defend my territory. I want to destroy any trace of Alaska and its inhibitants for the crime of having a special place in your heart. My promises don't just cover Alaska. They extend to everywhere else too. Nothing and no one is allowed to have your empathy and full attention but me."
Athena shook hear head: "How can you say you love me. You dont threaten the people you love. You are trying to win my heart with fear and threats. That never works."
Dante's tone became ever colder: "For the last time, my love I warn you to respect me. I dont usually issue threats at all. I act, I kill, I capture, I punish, I destroy. if you dont want to have a broken heart, I suggest you listen to my warnings. I am only lenient with you because you are mine."
Athena was looking at Dante with sad eyes "Dante, you must have a reasonable side. After all you let me go and allowed me to have my free will when you first met me. Surely you can't be one to act so irrationally to hurt my people just because I don't come to stand your side."
Dante spoke impatiently " You belong to me. If I have let you go free it is because of two reasons. Firstly I like to get some challenge out of my blood match. I live for challenges. Even if it comes from the love of my life. Secondly, I wanted to give you some space. I wanted you to get used to the idea of being mine before we start our serious relationship in the castle of spears ruling our lands side by side. I only do this because I dont want to hurt you once we commit to each other. If you become fully mine, I would be the most possessive partner on earth to you. i would be the most unforgiving and cruel if you betray me in any way. So I recommend for you use this time I am giving you to accept me and come to me willingly to become mine. Give me your loyalty and you would live a life free of pain and suffering. But if you happen to have even small rays of doubt before you join me, I can only promise you hard lessons that you would have to learn when you have to live in a land by my rules. The word Mercy is not within my dictionary".
Athena now was stepping away from Dante and shaking her head. Dante didn't like that and backed her against the wall and stood towering over her as he spoke. "Lets continue our main talk now. I am going to send you back tonight after I am finished with taking over the Northern Territory. Over taking them should only take a few hours really. Well lets say I don't feel like letting you out of my sight when there is a war zone nearby. You could get hurt. I cant allow that.But My love, remember these last words. I would let you go if you wish it for now. I promise that I would never hurt you unless you get in my way. if you challenge me in front of my people, I would have to put you in your place. It is just how it is with my rules. But your activities with your healer coven does not interest me at all. They are no threat. It is only a matter of time before I catch all of them to serve me in my castle in the near future. When I send you back, Give my regards to my top priority, Alexandra by the way. Tell her I have a place reserved for her in my conversion program. Then I would see her as my 2nd head fighter alongside Dylan. They would be a great match one day. Don't you think my love? Now I have to go and meet up with my commanders. It's dawn now. The Northern Territory would be responding any minute now. Farewell my love."
Dante suddenly disappeared and left Athena thoughtful locked up in his chambers. As his presence left Athena, He was filled with sorrow and pain. But he turned these emotions to rage. The Northern Territory was now going to pay to calm him down. Well somebody had to. He wanted Athena right now to be holding his hand but he had to let her go. She had to be willing totally to stand by his side. There was nothing else he could do but wait. Now only one thing could satisfy his rage now that he was missing Athena. Destruction.