InSpire (17 page)

“Now that you are clean and he is sleeping I will take my leave,” the midwife said bowing. She darted out the door quickly.

“You should re…” Darian started to say. Athena’s face went blank. She felt a surge of power overcome here. Her body was drenched in a humming, electrical current. She could feel the difference between each surge. One was dark and the other light. She knew that in her soul. Her father had warned her. Now she knew what he was saying was true. She needed to tap into the light and not the dark. Athena fought with the good and bad power until it zapped her energy and she fell asleep.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Your son is magnificent.” Lady Elizabeth took her first opportunity to visit her new nephew.

“Thank you Aunt Liz.”

“Shh. We don’t need everyone to know that, but you are welcome niece,” she said, smiling and swatting Athena’s behind. They were both standing over Bowen’s cradle. He had grown a good two inches since he was born two days ago. The shock of his birth was still causing Athena to feel weak. She wasn’t expecting to lose her father at the same time she gained a son. It was hard on her heart. It still was.

“So when will we start your lessons?” Liz asked.

“Can we do them here?”

“Given the circumstances I think that would be best.” Liz stroked her hand over Bowen’s red hair. He cooed and smiled up at her. It was almost as if they knew each other. Athena smiled watching them.

“I think we should start soon. I can feel the power inside me. I am afraid if I don’t learn to control it soon I will do something I will regret.” Athena backed away from the cradle as she spoke. It was almost as if she was afraid of hurting Bowen.

“That is possible. I can come to you every other day.” She leaned over the cradle and picked Bowen up. She held him in her arms bouncing him around. She was a complete natural. Athena sat down on her bed and watched. Liz moved around the room with such grace. Her long hair was cascading down her back and moving with the train of her purple gown.

“I have already witnessed the depths of the darkness.”

“How so?” Liz looked at Athena for a moment and then went back to cooing at Bowen. She seemed very in her element.

Athena wrung her hands together for a minute trying to figure out how to tell Liz the story. “I killed the two witches your men brought here.”

“That is not so very dark.” Liz took Bowen back to the cradle. She kissed his forehead and then joined Athena on the bed. She took Athena’s hand trying to encourage her to talk.

“That is not all I did to them.”

“What did you do?”

“I don’t know how to put it delicately so I won’t even try. I rode one of the witches body until I had an orgasm. Then I kissed her. When I could see she was feeling attraction for me I drove my knife in her chest. That caused me to have another orgasm, which led to Bowen’s birth.”

“I see.” Liz sat there quietly contemplating Athena’s words.

“So you see, I’m intimately aware of the harm the dark can cause.”

“That it can, but you have to understand. In order for the power to work there has to be a balance. The dark is just as much necessary as the light. This is why I must teach you.” Liz squeezed Athena’s hand and stood up. She started to pace the floor. It was the torrid pacing Athena did, but it was pacing none the less.

“Good. I need to get a handle on this.” Liz ended up back over by Bowen’s crib. Athena got up and joined her. He was sleeping peacefully. It was hard for Athena to think Bowen could ever be anything other than good.

“You will have to teach your son when he is old enough too.”

“When will that be?”

“Well Prin’s grow at a rate that is about six times faster than humans. So by his first birthday he will be more like a six year old.”

“Wow.”

“It could be faster.” Liz smiled at Bowen. She stroked his hair again.

“I hope not. Six years crammed into one is fast enough.”

“You could have a Hiver child. They grow ten times faster than humans,” Liz laughed.

“Okay now I don’t feel so bad.” The laughter woke Bowen. Athena took him and put him to her breast immediately. Her gown was designed so she could do this easily. She was advised to use a wet nurse, but no other woman was feeding her son. Liz just rolled her eyes. Athena sat back down on the bed and continued to feed Bowen.

“I still don’t understand why you insist on feeding him yourself.” Liz sat down beside her and put her hand on Bowen’s head.

“It’s an experience I don’t want to miss. I bond with him when he feeds.”

“I see. Well on that note I will be back in two days to start your training. You better have him well fed when I come. I won’t be taking breaks for you pop out your breast.”

“Okay.”

Liz hugged Athena close and walked out the door. Bowen fed for another ten minutes then Athena put him back down. Darian had taken over her work for the next few days. She wanted nothing more than to hunt down the witches that killed her father, but taking care of Bowen was the top priority. He spends his nights playing with Bowen and his days dealing with Ubrene. The power surging through her body didn’t make her feel comfortable to be around people like Ubrene. Athena didn’t want to accidentally kill anyone.

“Well things are going better.” Darian plopped down on the bed seconds after she put Bowen down.

“At least we know they can’t come through the portals anymore.”

“The council agrees that your father’s death was what needed to happen. They can no longer invade us without finding another royal. As long as you and Johan stay here that won’t happen,” he explained.

“I’m sure Johan is thrilled about that. He loves the hunt.” She took his hand and started stroking it absentmindedly.

“You know we can’t for a few more weeks so no stroking.” He smiled at her and kissed her cheek.

“I can’t help if the sight of my husband turns me on.”

Then her wings popped up. They unfurled and glimmered in the light. For some reason they were happy. Her wings had always done their own thing, but it was getting out of control now. Ever since her gift came to her, they came and went as they pleased. Sometimes they alerted her to others presence and sometimes they just seemed to be happy. The clues were hard for Athena to decipher.

“You know you might warn a person before you pop them in the face,” he said, rubbing his cheek.

“I’m sorry. You know they have a mind of their own right now. I’m learning control but it isn’t easy.”

“I’m sure Liz will be of assistance there. She seems pretty eager to start training you.”

“That’s a good thing. Sometimes I feel like I can’t control the power surging through me.”

“I can see that.”

“Stop,” she said, slapping him on the arm.

“Now I have two bruises,” he chided, while rubbing his arm.

“Love taps.”

“Just wait. I will give you a love tap you won’t soon forget,” he growled.

“Now who’s teasing who?”

She smiled and batted her eyelashes at him. Athena really had no interest in waiting another a few weeks. Her body had already healed, so the purpose of this rule escaped her. She looked into his eyes and could see he was smoldering with as much passion as she was.

“I have to have you now,” she panted out.

“I know how you feel but we shouldn’t,” he replied. She started kissing his neck. Her wings furled in so she could get closer to him. Apparently they agreed with her current game plan. She moved her lips close to his ear then slid her hand to his crotch. He was already hard. She was relieved to find the proof. He was feeling the same way she was. She started to massage his balls through his pants.

“What about the baby?”

“He’s sleeping,” she said in between kisses and sucks.

“You’re relentless,” he sighed. He grabbed her shoulders and pinned her to the bed in one fluid movement. His desire got her wetter. She wanted him so bad.

“You are getting what you want, but don’t blame me if you get in trouble for this,” he grunted, ripping her dress off in one clean swipe. He stood up and removed his clothing quickly. She slid herself further up on the bed as he crawled on top of her. She spread her legs so he could get between them. She felt his tip touch her wetness. She wanted him to ram inside of her, but that wasn’t Darian’s way. He kissed his way up her torso to her neck. He shifted his weight to his knees so he could slide his hand down her body. He had no problem finding her swollen clit. He pinched it making her groan. It hurt but in a good way. He started making circles with his thumb. Then he plunged his finger inside of her. All the while his tongue was assaulting her ear then her nipple. He really knew where to touch her. She was already building to an orgasm.

“Not yet, baby. Wait,” he whispered in her ear.

“I can’t much longer.”

He removed his finger and gently guided his hard shaft inside. She wrapped her legs around his rear and pulled him tighter to her. She was so close to exploding. He pulled out slowly then slammed in again. She let out a whimper of pure pleasure. Each stroke was sending her further over the edge.

“Take me, Darian.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, starting to thrust even faster.

Her orgasm finally released making her entire body quiver in response. She was shaking all over. He was still pumping as her body was exalting from the release. Two more pumps and he was growling as he released deep inside her. She opened her eyes to watch him. She loved to see his face as he came. He collapsed on top of her. She ran her hands through his hair.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“No thank you,” he laughed.

“Now we can sleep.”

He rolled off of her and grabbed his boxers off of the floor. She raised her butt and slid the covers out from under her. She pushed them down and waited for him to climb in bed.

“Do you want a gown?” he asked.

“No. I will sleep naked. What if I wake up and want more.”

“You are insatiable.”

Sleep came but it wasn’t easy. When she slept now surges of power and vibrations all over her body. It wasn’t exactly a pleasurable experience. She woke up most mornings covered in sweat. She hoped that this was something Liz could help her conquer. The two days she had to wait for Liz to come back were filled with restless nights and lots of diapers. On the positive side Bowen’s wings started to grow.

“You ready?” Liz walked into the room just as Bowen stopped nursing. Athena had him over her shoulder burping.

“Just let me change him.”

“The nurse can do that. Tuck yourself in and let’s get to work,” she demanded.

“Nice.” Athena put her breast back in her shirt and kissed her son. Athena handed him over to the nurse. Liz kissed him too then headed out the door. Athena followed Liz not knowing where this training was going to take place. She led Athena to the barn behind the castle. Liz had cleared it out of all the workers. The animals were all that remained. When Athena walked through the door Liz closed it. Then Liz stood in front of it chanting. A glimmer of light appeared on the lock. Then the entire barn lit up for a second.

“What was that?” Athena marveled at Liz’s talent.

“I enchanted the barn. I don’t need anyone knowing what we are doing in here.” Liz looked as graceful as always. She was standing in her pink gown in the middle of the barn. It amazed Athena. Athena was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. She was ready for battle not the opera. It was strange to see the juxtaposition between them.

“Makes sense.”

“Go to the ring in the middle of barn.”

Athena had learned early in life to obey the elders. She didn’t question her commands, they were simply followed. She found two chairs in the middle of the ring. She took a seat in one and waited for Liz to follow. Ten minutes of silence went by. Fidgety and nervous, Athena’s brain succumbed to the growing curiosity. When she got out of the seat Athena was knocked back into it by a charge of energy. It took her breath away and pinned her to the seat.

“What the hell?” Athena struggled to break free from whatever it was that held her there.

“You can’t get free?” The voice was disembodied. Athena moved around as much as she could to see where it was coming from, but she saw nothing.

“No.”

“Are you sure about that?” she questioned.

“I am.”

“Try harder,” she replied.

She put her feet flat on the ground and her hands on the seat of the chair. Athena felt the anger rising with in her. The vibrations started at her toes and worked their way up. Seconds later she was standing. 

“Now you see you can do more than your body thinks you can,” Liz said, sauntering up to Athena. She had been in the shadows the entire time.

“But how?”

“The power we have coursing through our bodies is ancient and strong. Mine is connected to my love. Yours is connected to your anger. You simply have to tap into it to use the power,” she explained.

“I am afraid of the anger,” Athena admitted.

“I know you are. There is an equal amount of good and bad in you. You have to have faith that you will be able to keep the balance,” she said, taking a seat. She motioned for Athena to sit.

“Do you know what I have done?” Athena looked straight into Liz’s eyes. She was gauging to see if Liz knew the sorted details. It was clear she didn’t know.

“No.”

“I killed two witches without so much as feeling sorry,” Athena admitted.

“I know what you did. But how did it feel?” she asked.