Candlelit Shadows

Chapter 6

“Oh, I see you’re studying Greek mythology. Isn’t it interesting? Why, of course it’s real. Anything can be real, as long as you believe it is. Do you believe in my stories? Good girl. But don’t believe simply for my sake, darling. Believe only what you want to. Oh, of course I want you to see as I do. All right, I’ll show you something. Then you can decide for yourself what you want to believe.

      “Look here, the story of the goddess Athena and the spinner Ariadne. Greek mythology states the first spider was created when the arrogant spinner bragged off her weaving as superior even to the goddess. But Athena was proud in her own way, being the great goddess of war and everything. And she wasn’t going to let Ariadne off easily. So the petty human was so fond of weaving and sewing? Fine then, let’s make her do what she loves so much for the rest of her life-- as a lowly spider.

      “That’s what they say. But let me tell you my side of the story. No, our family’s version.

      “In the Tournament, the spider was vain and manipulating, lusty and conniving. Yet she made it further than all the other females. Why? you ask. Her methods were questionable—approaching her prey seductively, weaving a delicate web of lies and empty promises, playing all the cards directly onto their hearts, exploiting them as far as she could, and finally disposing of their mangled, lifeless bodies. Her power was that of deception, weaving her own lies and sensing out others’. But her deceits were far more than simply words—every little move she made, she did for the bigger picture, or rather, the picture she wanted to paint. And sometimes, she went as far as to make herself believe her own falsehoods, hiding the truth from others more effectively by hiding it from herself.

      “But one day, suddenly, she was defeated at her own game. It was almost too good to be true— she had found a person worthy of her true affection, majestic and powerful. There was no doubt in her mind he would win and ascend the throne— and he had promised her a place by his side as queen. It wasn’t like her to settle for second... but if he was first, she would be more than willing.

      “It was supposed to be a fateful, unforgettable day. And it was, but for all the wrong reasons. Everything was going according to plan; heck, she didn’t have to move a finger. The strings she pulled eliminated the last real contender—the wolf, without her having to soil her fingers with his blood. All that was left to do was sacrifice herself to make her beloved victor.

      “It was obvious to everyone but her, his lies. But maybe she believed in them simply because she wanted to. Because she was tired. Ever so tired.

      “And she was the only one who didn’t know it.  Why? was all she could ask as the life seeped out of her. That familiar face looked so distant and deadly, though still as magnificent as ever in his cold arrogance hinting at pity. It hurt more than his betrayal.

      “She had done her part, and done a relatively good job, he explained monotonously. But someone had warned him about her, and continued to as she lay dying. As poisonous as was the rest of her dark being, she glared at the figure whispering over the shoulder of her lover. And her gaze never moved, not even as the rest of her body went limp.

      “The backstabber was one of her first rivals, believed dead. The owl, Nyctea. And also, incidentally, the symbol of the humans’ goddess Athena.”

*

“Aranae,” Kanis said quietly. “Please justify what you just said.”

      Cera unconsciously took a step back as Aranae advanced. The tension between the two Founders was electrifying, and terrifying. Sparks seemed to fly, and if she could, Cera wanted to be far, far away from the kill zone. But she just could not pull her eyes away.