The Key to the Oleander

Chapter Twenty Five - Athena

I feel at peace when I see the glow stones around me and Felicity sitting on her throne. This is where it all started.

"There is something I must tell you." She speaks first. I nod as I stand before her.

"Because you are my daughter, and only child, you are the heir of my kingdom, Kestramore." She tells me a little too calmly.

My eyes widen in surprise. I knew Kestric was a religion, but I didn't know that my mother was a part of the Gods.

All I've known is that Deus and Dea made the world, had six children and they carried on the generations. I've never been really religious.

"My mother was Bellus, the goddess of beauty, and my father was Mortus-"

"The god of the dead." I finish for her. I've heard of him, he's one of the major gods. "Did you have any siblings?" I ask. She nods.

"Her name was Megan. She was the goddess of magic." She answers. "I know about the war against Slater, Athena." She sighs, evidently worried. "Your father was named Emerson." I don't see where she's going with this. "He had a sister, Roma, who had a child with her lover, Henry." Her jaw clenches. "That child was Slater."

I stay silent, too shocked to say anything. I'm going to war against my own cousin? Who does that make me? No. He kidnapped me, he's a bad person.

"Believe it or not, Slater cares for you. He's a family person. Use that against him. It's his strength, but also his weakness."

"He cares for me?" I scoff in disbelief. "He kidnapped me!"

"But did he hurt you? He was never going to hurt you. He was only using you as leverage."

"Wait a minute, how do you know all of this? I never told you." I ask.

"I know, see, and hear everything, Athena." She winks at me. My mind flashes to the hot moments me and Ace have had and my face heats up.

I clear my throat before asking, "Wait, if I'm the heir of Kestramore, Ellesmere, and soon to be wife of the heir of Nethilor, that means I'd have to run three kingdoms. I'd never be able to do that."

"Indeed, you wouldn't be able to run them with just you and Ace, but you'd have assistants to help you along the way." Good point. "I'm giving you strength for your war tomorrow." She kisses my forehead, a feeling of adrenaline pumps through me. I completely forgot that the war is tomorrow.

"You can awake now, my angel." She tells me softly.

My eyes open and the first thing I feel is anxiety. I look to my side but Ace is not there. I turn over to my nightstand and check the time.

5:00 A.M.

I need to get ready and I must find Ace.

I checked everywhere around the house after I got ready, and nothing. There's only one other place he could be. The faction.

I head back to our room and grab my gun and dagger, putting it in my holster before heading straight to the faction.

The first person I see is Roman, who's in the middle ground of the whole faction and I walk up to him.

"Hey," He rolls his eyes at my greeting. I was wondering where Ace is?" I try to sound as polite as I can. If I were to be honest, Roman intimidates me. I've never seen him smile, not once. He never talks either.

"He's calling a meeting, he was just going to get you." He doesn't look at me once. I think he just puts up with me because I'm his best friend's fiance.

I give him a quick thank you before heading to the cafeteria. The sight of Ace will never get old. He looks beautiful just standing there, concentrating on the piece of paper before him on the altar.

I kiss his cheek which makes him blush and I know I'll be the death of him.

Everyone swarms into the room and Ace clears his throat, the room falls silent.

"Today is war. We can do this! I'm not going to lie and tell you that everyone is going to make it out alive, but we will try our best to keep the number down." His voice echoes through the room. "We have a lot to do today, let's begin!"

Ace walks down and through the door with me, and everyone follows. People can be brave sometimes, but they also can be stupid. And I think these people that are behind me are both brave and stupid.