Mends from Reveal
"You hid this from me?" Julian asks, although he already knows the answer.
Miranda nods, her eyes not meeting his. "I couldn't tell you without betraying my word."
"I knew that Annalisa was Selene's daughter, I never knew that she was also the God's." He states.
"You were never meant to know. The Witch's Tree tells the story of Annalisa's creation. The Keepers have many secrets from both the Heavens and the Underworld. They keep track of all movements the Immortals make."
Julian's anger rises. "So this was his plan all along? He wants me to protect his precious daughter?" He spits.
"Yes and no. Of course he wants his daughter's protection, but being assigned to her was your punishment for neglecting Anna and the other children you were meant to protect. He realized that you would never have it in you to neglect Annalisa. That is why he assigned her to you."
"Does he know how much I want to kill her? Is he waiting for me to do just that so he can turn me over to Hades?"
"Julian, you and Annalisa are a force to be reckoned with. Having one of you in Hades power will be killing millions if either of you lose yourself to the darkness, especially you. You are an impulsive man. You see no reason when you see the truth in front of you. You're turning into the same king that Annalisa killed all those centuries ago. Is what you want? For her to hate you? To despise you?"
"She betrayed me."
"She saved your kingdom."
"By killing their king? I highly doubt that."
"It's true. Your greed for power and wealth blinded you to see the suffering and torture your kingdom went through to give you those priceless things. Children starved. Mothers worked to the bone while their husbands were sent out to war, to rule whatever other kingdom you decided was better to have as your own. You were a mad man. You cared for no one, but yourself. Yet, your entire kingdom respected and honored you. They saw you as their god. You could have done no wrong in their eyes. They were just as blinded as you were and still are."
"It's nonsense." He points his index finger to his chest. "I protected my people from harm, poverty, and slavery. I protected them against everything."
"That was true at first, but then you needed to protect them from those things coming from you. That is what you don't notice. Annalisa helped free the kingdom by killing you and herself."
"She didn't die like I did. She's still human."
"She's an Immortal. She became one the moment you died. You were connected to her in mind and body. You were hers and she was yours. When she was ordered to kill you, she didn't just kill you. She killed herself as well."
"Ordered? She was ordered to kill me?"
"Yes. You may not notice it right now, but you were the cause of both your deaths."
"Who ordered her?"
"The curse."
"What curse?" He can feel the whiteness of his eyes turn pure black.
"Your eyes are turning pure black Julian. I'll not speak to you under those conditions."
"Answer me!"
"The God and Selene had a deal long ago. Selene was convinced to help create your fall. She saw how you ignored your people's silent cries for help. She wanted to defeat you. The God was driven by his anger over the ignorance of his followers. They all worshiped you. They looked up to you as their savior when he was the one they were supposed to vow their loyalty to. Together, with his blood and hers, they created Annalisa. She was created as a curse. The orders were specific. She was to seduce you, earn your love, and then murder you. It was simple. There was a chance that it wouldn't have worked, but it did. You fell in love with her as quickly as it was for you to take over a kingdom. You cherished her. You drowned her in riches and power. She fell in love with you too, but then she started to see the king you really were. Her guilt was overruled by her order. She saw it as a way to save your kingdom, even if it was only an order to kill you."
"How do you know what she felt at the time of my death?"
"The Book of Shadows that the half-blooded witch, Cynthia Machiavelli, has. That book has all the answers, but it gives you clues to lead you to the answers you want. I found out about Annalisa's feeling through that book. Right now Alyssa doesn't remember her past. She only knows what has been told to her. Her guilt is eating at her for a memory she has no recollection of. You punish a woman whose memory is lost."
"She has to remember. I remember." He points out.
"You were always strong. You channel all your fears, and weakness in anger towards others. Alyssa channels hers in herself."
"You're trying to save her with spilling lies to me!"
"I am trying to make you see the truth that is right in front of you!"
"Truth is what I know. I am right. I know it. Annalisa remembers everything. She'll pay for her betrayal. Understand that Miranda. I'll not let this go pass me again."
"You're a foolish man, Julian. You kill her and you'll just kill yourself when you finally realize what you've done."
"If you are not with me, you're against me."
She narrows her eyes at him. It's painful to have him say those words to her, but that has always been his way of life. It's either alliance or enemy. "Then I'm against you. I'll coat my palms with blood to protect her."
"Then this means battle."
"This means your end. Annalisa dies, and so do you in heart. Be prepared for that."
"I have been prepared a long time."
"Then I leave you to it. Farewell, Julian. You'll have time to call this off. The choice is yours."
Miranda vanishes into the sky. He's called a battle. That means that she'll have to warn the God the threat of his daughter's life.
Alyssa has her head down in class. She ignores at the stares from her classmates. She doesn't look directly at any of them. She's like a walking zombie. Her eyes are bloodshot and the bags under them are showing even more. Brandon and Jim are worried about her, but she doesn't need their worries. She doesn't want to attend school, or pretend that everything is fine anymore. It's not fine, nothing is fine. The look in Julian's eyes was so cold, so lost. He really did want to kill her. He wanted to kill her with the same Katana she uses to train and fight with. How will she grow to live with herself as a killer? That's what she is, a killer. She's a woman who murdered a man in cold blood.
Alyssa walked in front of Brandon and Jim after school. They questioned her many times on why her sudden change, but she ignored them. They followed her silently, waiting to see if she would breakdown and maybe jump off a bridge like last time, but she won't do that. Death is an easy outlet. For what she's done she will need to live through the guilt, and the pain of revelations that now haunts her mind.
Alyssa drags her feet around her room. She's wearing Pink branded sweat pants with a tight white shirt and some Pumas. Her messy hair falls lose on her shoulders. She's been hiding behind her hair almost the entire day. She tells herself that she will never wear her contacts ever again. She will show her true purple eyes, that way every time she looks in the mirror she will see who she truly is, a murderer.
Brandon and Jim enter her room. Brandon has a glass of water and a small white pill and Jim is holding up a sandwich wrapped in a napkin.
"You need to sleep." Brandon emphasizes to the small pill in his hand.
"First, you need to eat something." Jim motions to the sandwich in his hand.
"I'm not tired or hungry." She walks to the window. She stares out the sunny day, trying to ignore her friends.
"It wasn't a question. You have to eat and then sleep. It looks like you haven't slept all night. And you didn't eat all day." Brandon states.
"I'm fine."
Jim sighs. "Alyssa, what is really going on? Did Julian-"
She abruptly turns around with crazed eyes. "I said I'm fine!" She yells at them. "I'm fine! I'm fine! I'm fine!" She repeats over and over again.
"You're not fine and we know it." Brandon takes a step toward her. "Tell us what's going on. Is it Julian, is that it? What did he do to you?"
She glares at him. "He did nothing to me."
"What happened then? Why are you acting like this?" Jim asks her.
"Acting like what? A crazed woman? Well, I am. I'm going insane so leave me alone." She snaps before she turns her attention back to the window.
Brandon leaves the glass on her bed stand. "Give me a call when the Alyssa I know comes back."
"This is me." She whispers.
"No. The Alyssa I know would never be so defeated. Whatever happens to her she would put a smile and walk it off. The Alyssa that I'm looking at now is giving up. I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is the Alyssa I know would never give up."
"Then you don't know me."
"Maybe I don't. At least this time, text me that your jumping over a bridge. That way I will be on time to stop you before I jump after you."
She hears the door slam.
"Alyssa. Whatever it is. You know you can always count on me. You're not alone."
She turns to Jim. "I've always been alone or left alone. I guess it's time for you to leave."
"Brandon is right. The Alyssa we know would never give up. It seems like you already did." Jim doesn't slam the door like Brandon did, but leaves her even feeling worst about everything.
She channels all her anger and frustrations and grabs the glass of water they left. She throws it across to the window. The glass shatters to the floor, and leaves cracks on the window. The two men that she thought would never leave, she drove away.
Julian walks into the spacious basement of The Jag. His thoughts are leading him to the middle of the padded mats.
"Your presence is always an honor, my king."
"I see you have recovered." Julian states without taking a second to actually look at the Follower.
"Yes, I have. Hades had no comment to your message, my king."
He thinks about the message he sent Hades. He's one step closer and he didn't think that Hades would have had any comment. That's no surprise. "Well, Hades does well not to comment."
"Do you need anything, my king?"
"Where does your loyalty stand Jag?"
"I am bonded to the Underworld, my king."
He nods. "What if I was to say that I can severe your bond to the Underworld and have you bonded with me? Who would you choose, Hades or me?"
Jag nervously shallows. "Of course, my choice would be with you, my king."
"Good to know."
"Is there anything else I can do for you King Julian?"
"I want you, and the pests you call brothers, to clear the area. My men are surrounding the perimeter, and unless you really want to meet hell in the flesh, I suggest you leave now. I want to be alone with the Proeliawhen she arrives. Go and torture some poor unfortunate souls."
"I will clear the area, my king." Jag bows down to Julian to before his departure.
He turns his back toward the door. "King Julian." He whispers to himself. "That I am." He smirks.
"King Julian." He knows who it is without turning around.
"Being exposed to the Immortals will be your death. You must remember that Hans."
"I do, liege, but the goddess insisted to see you. Should I escort her inside?"
"Yes."
"Well, I should have known better than to think that the beloved king would ever be less dangerous. Ordering Hades' Followers and having his men give you their loyalty is a war waiting to happen." Julian turns toward the familiar voice. Caledonia, Destroyer Goddess of the Underworld, stands with her marvelous beauty. Her long, gold glittery dress, which matches the blonde in her hair, hugs her body tight in all the right places. Her pale golden eyes show the seductiveness she carries around her. Her smooth pale skin glows like every goddess. Such a beauty, but he finds her plain. Caledonia is what everyone would expect of a goddess. She's beautiful, seductive, but her innocence is always questionable.
"Long time, Caledonia."
She flinches at the name. "I am Caillech, Julian." She corrects with her heavenly voice.
"I will always remember you as Caledonia, your birth name."
She walks toward him with all her glory. "My name is forbidden to everyone. Caledonia died. I am Caillech."
"Your name never dies."
"Julian, I do not like to be called by that name."
"I don't care what you like." He knows better than to keep his eyes off of this goddess.
She changes her attitude towards him. She knows that showing her weakness towards her name, or continuing on the subject, will just amuse him more. "My love for you will let you do as you please."
"You love no one, but yourself." He states.
"That may be true, but I was always very fond of you." She seductively smiles at him. Her lips are just a thin line of distance between his. "If I am not mistaken, you were very fond of me as well." She insinuates at the times before his fall.
They had a sexual relationship fill with a twisted passion. The goddesses were warned to stay away from King Julian, but Caillech was part of the Underworld at that time. Her being was based off sin. She was exactly what he wanted in those times, a woman who would had fun and leave before he awakened. Then the goddess started to want more from him. She wanted him to love her, but he couldn't give his heart to anyone, let alone a woman who slept with other men to fulfill her twisted desires.
"If I remember correctly, you were only after my crown. You wanted to rule so you could bathe with the blood of Yenta. You're a very twisted goddess." He refers to the maid who Caledonia despised because she was specially put under the spell to follow his orders and only his. It also didn't help that Yenta was one of his many mistresses of the time.
"I wanted to be queen and gain my freedom. As for that woman, I wanted to do more than bathe in her blood. That was going to be the ending."
He grabs her chin roughly with one hand, while the other wraps around her waist. He pulls her light body to his. "Yenta was a good woman. She had good judgment of character. That's why she never liked you."
She slides her fingers up his chest. She teases him with the light glow on her fingertips. "I am much better than her. She never would have showed you true passion like I have done." She grabs the collar of black shirt and tugs on it. "Let me help you relive those times."
He smirks before he loosens his grip on her and takes a step back. "We have business to discuss."
Caillech's seductive manner abruptly changes. Her eyes show frustration and annoyance. "You were always a tease, Julian."
"You were always easy, Caledonia."
"You did not mind before."
"I didn't care to know. I still don't."
"You make it so easy for me to contradict. You care for me."
"I only care for myself. You should now that by now."
"You cared for Annalisa."
Julian narrows his eyes at her. In the matter of seconds he appears behind her. He pulls on her golden locks and holds the blade of the Katana of Selene against her throat without touching her skin. "You know what this is?"
The goddess doesn't cower from him. A goddess never does. Although when it comes to Julian, fear should be acknowledged.
"I do not take threats lightly." She hisses at him.
"This is the Katana of Selene. With one touch, your soul will be handled over to Hades to be imprisoned for eternity with no escape." He breathes in the sweet scent of fear radiating off of her. The smell is a mixture of rotten corpses and dry blood. "I miss that smell." He hasn't smelt that strong scent of fear for centuries. Usually everyone that knows him fears him, but that's not fear of hopelessness like Caledonia sends off. It must be because she is a destroyer goddess meant to destroy and not be destroyed. That's a logical explanation.
"Julian, Dias will-"
"The God will never touch me. If he wanted me dead he wouldn't have made me an Elim."
"If you release me then I will honor you with one desire."
"I need you to escort me to see Shiva and Thoth."
"Dias will never allow you to enter the gates to the Heavens."
"You said one desire. That's my desire."
"I will escort you. Now release me." She orders.
He drops her. She presses her fingers to her throat to feel any sort of damage caused. She breathes a sigh of relief when she gets her breathing back to normal. "There." He runs his fingers down the blade of the Katana. "The Katana is nothing to fear, Caledonia."
"Nothing to fear? You were going to trap me with Hades for eternity."
"I thought you and Hades had a very... tolerant relationship." He finishes without leaving the teasing tone in his voice.
She crosses her arms in repugnance. "Hades had given me to Dias as a reconciliation gift. I am not a slave. I am a goddess, the Destroyer Goddess of the Underworld. Hades and I have never been on good terms. He hates the sight of me and I want to murder him with his own scepter. Then feed him to the monsters he generates."
"I see your anger towards Hades hasn't faltered."
She maintains her distance from Julian's reach although she knows that will be useless if he decides to attack her. He has the speed of a lightning bolt. "Neither has his to you. I hear Hades wants to claim you."
He hangs the Katana where it belongs and adjusts his black leather jacket with boredom. "He wants many things he can't have."
She takes a look at the wall where Julian hung the Katana. There are multiple weapons hung in place. Most of the weaponry is from a different era, but there are a few modern ones. There are riffles, a couple of rare knives, and an ax. The Katana is the only one that has the aura of death.
"Dias will take my godship if I let you in the Heavens." She states without any doubt in the world.
"That's a possibility."
Caillech's eyes follow his every movement. A goddess should never be helpless in front of anyone. She can't be attacked by a fallen king again and not fight. "Why do you need to see Shiva and Thoth?" She questions him.
"My reason is a secret."
She sighs. "You ask for more than I can give Julian. My godship is all I have left in my Immortality." There's a sad glint to her golden eyes. She is a seductive and twisted woman, but she has reasons to be the way she is. If her godship is stripped from her then all she can ever hope for is death. There will be no use in living when no one cares for her or notices her absence in the Heavens.
He takes a challenging step towards her. "You earned your godship by sleeping around with the minor gods." He walks around her like a predator observing its prey. Their eyes never disconnect. "You were never respected as a goddess. You were never cherished as a woman. Hades gave you Immortality, but didn't want you enough to keep you in his care. You have nothing to lose. Not even your godship is actually yours." She lowers her eyes that threaten to show all her emotions. "You're worthless, but with all those truths of reality, I actually see you differently."
She snaps her head up to look at him with cautious confusion. "What? What do you mean?"
He stops right behind her. His fingers run through the smoothness of her hair that looks like gold. "I see the real you, Caledonia." He whispers. "You're a woman who has the creative mind to do great things." He presses his lips to the back of her head with an amusing smirk. He lowers himself to be a breath away from her ear. "All you want is revenge on the one person who caused all your pain and sorrows." Julian turns her around slowly. Their eyes connect. Her eyes turn soft. She may have a twisted mind with a bipolar effect, but she's like every woman in the world. Caillech wants to be noticeable to those around her and respected by those above her. "You escort me to the Heavens to see Shiva and Thoth. In return I will grantee you that Hades will finally notice you enough to care about your next movement. Dias and everyone else who ignored you in the Heavens will know how dangerous you can really be." Her golden eyes brighten at the thought of being noticed. Everyone will take her seriously as the destroyer goddess. No one will see her as a minor goddess anymore. "Isn't that all you want, Caledonia?"
She snaps out of her thoughts. She analyzes those black eyes that manipulate her mind. Julian is a horrible man, but he always keeps his word. She cups his face with her hands in a gentle caress. Their foreheads touch. "Julian." She whispers before she presses her lips to his. He kisses her back with the same passion he showed her before he met Annalisa, who took him away from her.
Julian's mind runs with the possibilities. The Underworlders and its Followers worship him as a king. Now he has a goddess who lives in the Heavens on his side. He's another step closer.