Supernatural Tales - Book I

Chapter 8

(Unedited)

Athena was quiet...

"Who is she-- what is she?" Aria had asked, looking at Athena's back, and Ray couldn't shake the ugly feeling that was causing her to shake.

"There are many interpretations of the story of her origin and I do not think any of them contains even the sliver of the truth." Athena started, her heart heavy, and when she turned around to look at her friends, she truly feared for their lives.

"Over a thousand years ago, when the supernatural beings ruled over the land fearlessly, they became... Greedy. Ruthless. And unfair... As sad as it sounds, our ancestors had spent years murdering each other only to join forces to end the one entity that could kill them all. The one who was more powerful than all of them combined. The Almighty." Athena's words caused Aria to gasp in horror while Anjali started praying silently and Presley's heart sunk with fear for their future.

"Blinded by their arrogance and covetousness, the supernaturals devised a plan and threw a feast in order to trap the Goddess and... Kill her." Athena's eyes glowed red as she said those words, her hatred for their ancestors visible, and June lowered her head in shame while Lois gritted her teeth.

"They had gathered the most powerful covenants of dark witches and spelled the whole arena. When the Goddess arrived — certainly aware of their evil schemes — they imprisoned her and tried to rob her of her powers by seizing her life source." Athena's eyes found Lillian then and she smiled at her Goddaughter when she saw the look in her eyes; hoping to ease her.

"What happened, Godmother?" Vera's small voice caught Athena's attention and Aria moved closer to her daughter's mate before wrapping her arms around her.

"They got what they deserved. Annihilation at the hands of our Goddess... Although probably none of us deserved it for letting that happen, the Goddess still showed mercy and spared one truly repenting family from each supernatural species. Hence giving birth to the royal families of all clans... My great-great-grandfather, who used to be a mere servant, was then crowned King of Vampires and given the responsibility of leading our species with the lesson to never, ever, doubt the power of Almighty." Athena shook her head, thinking back to the days her grandmother told her stories about their family, and June had approached her best friend with worried eyes before placing a gentle hand on her shoulder to ground her.

"I would not even dare to say that my great-great-grandfather deserved Goddess's mercy because, while he remembered to fear the Goddess, he surely forgot to be a decent living creature as he got drunk on power. Just like all the other royal families... My great-great-grandfather was the first to receive the Crown so he thought he was better than the rest and tried to rule over all the supernaturals. And in his quest to do so, he found himself getting involved with the only clan of dark witches that the Goddess had allowed to live--" Athena paused, a memory causing her to feel weak, and Lillian stepped closer to her Godmother at once; holding her arm just like her mother was.

Athena smiled at the two strong women...

"Unknown to the world, the witches of that clan held a power that nobody should have ever messed with... When they... The day they attacked the Goddess and tried to take her life force, they had somehow managed to get their hands on a single speck of her light--" Athena had to pause when Blanche gasped loudly, jumping to her feet at once, and Aster looked like she was about to pass out.

"The light was too strong and even with all of the witches combined, they could not control its power. And when my great-great-grandfather learned about it, he wanted it for himself... The witches had warned him that he would not be able to have the power he sought because his soul was darkened by his greed. So, he needed a sacrifice to own the power of the light and in order to do so, he was ordered to bring in a human maiden. A virgin human maiden who had the purest soul of all. And blindingly, he obliged... He found the purest woman to roam our world, captured her like the evil man he was, and took her away from her family before offering her to the dark witches." Athena had tears in her eyes as her heart ached, and Ray watched her mate with a knowing look on her face; reading her easily.