The Dark Gifts Birthright (20 page)

“Athena? Gregorio? How?” She groaned again
and pressed her hand against her temple.

“I’ll explain everything later. Right now,
you are going to follow the doctor’s orders, and the doctor says
you need to stay still and rest.”

She smiled and closed her eyes. “Yes
sir.”

Minerva returned with a glass of warm blood.
She helped Liz sit up and handed her the glass. Liz, even in her
exhausted state, guzzled the warm elixir. A thin, red stream
escaped from the corner of her mouth.

As Liz drank, Minerva tugged on Michael’s
sleeve. “I need to speak with you.”

He brushed his fingers against Liz’s cheek.
“I'll be right back. Will you be a good girl and stay put?”

Liz didn’t reply. She nodded as her eyes
closed.

Michael followed the elder witch to the door.
“What is it?”

“We are running short on blood. The others
need it if they are going to heal.”

“Send the healthy to hunt.”

“We did, but there is still not enough. I was
thinking we could open a portal to a blood bank and take what is
needed.”

“Too risky. We can’t afford to draw attention
to ourselves.”

Minerva sighed and brought her hand up to her
mouth, tapping her lips as she thought. “What about cattle? We
could bring back live animals. You can’t get much fresher than
that.”

“Agreed. Don’t take more than a few from each
farm.” Michael laughed as he thought over what he said.

Minerva’s eyebrows went up as she asked,
“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing really. I was thinking that an alien
invasion would probably be a good idea right now.” He smirked.

Even with the dire circumstances, that
thought made her chuckle as well. She walked away shaking her head
and laughing.

Michael turned back to Liz. Her eyes were
open again and she was trying to stand up. Her knees buckled, and
he caught her. “I thought I told you doctor’s orders.” He sat down,
and pulled her on his lap.

She giggled. “I thought I felt better until I
stood up.”

He folded his arms around her. “You put me
through quite a scare. You’re lucky Athena and Gregorio found
you.”

“How did they find me? The last thing I
remember was trying to save Angie.”

“They were there the entire time. They had
been hiding, trying to find a way out of the fortress and doing
their own spying. When they heard the plan to collapse the fortress
with us inside, they tried to get one of the fortress ghosts to
contact William and let us know what was going on. He refused. When
the explosives began detonating they came looking for us and found
you girls with your mother and sister in the tunnel.”

“Wow. I remember thinking I was going to die.
I’d resigned myself to death.”

Michael smiled down at her. His hand brushed
the hair back from her forehead. “Never my love. You are stuck with
me for eternity. I’ll see to that if it’s the last thing I do.”

***

Cass looked up, frustrated with another
intrusion. “We are busy. What do you want?”

“Sorry to bother. We’ve set up a fence for
the cattle. The barn is full of injured and there are still others
arriving. We are nearly out of room.” Big Jon answered.

Cass turned her gaze back to Gregorio and
sighed. “And in this the problem lies.”

Gregorio cleared his throat. “We have to find
a larger dwelling. Some place defendable. We can’t begin to defend
ourselves here. With the woods surrounding us, we can’t even see
them coming.”

“We can still sense them,” she answered.

Gregorio shook his head and with a nod,
dismissed Big Jon. “Can we? It isn’t prudent for the other side to
know just who survived and how many. Especially the three of
us.”

“We have to call in all who are with us.”

Gregorio met her eyes then walked to the
window to survey those working outside. He watched witches and
vampires scurry about, running errands and tending to the new
arrivals. “Is it agreed then? The Council will be reformed with
those we have decided on?”

“Of course. If they will serve.” Cass joined
him at the window and placed her hand on his massive shoulder. “I
know there may be some opposition, but it is the only way. We need
those witches. They are our strongest allies. They have proven
trustworthy and more than helpful, my son. To leave them out of
this would be tantamount to destruction. It is the only way.”

“And housing?” He asked.

“Call to them. Many minds will be more
efficient than two. It is time for the first meeting of the new
Council.”

Gregorio turned and walked across the room
toward the door. Half way there, he turned back and asked, “You are
certain?”

Cass pulled her shoulders back, bringing
herself to her full height as she stared at him. Smiling, she bent
her head in dismissal.

Gregorio gave a curt nod saying, “As you
wish, Mother,” before exiting the room.

Cass and Gregorio had decided to form a new
Council of a hierarchy whose members were loyal to the cause. A
Council that would include the white witches. Cass would be leader
followed by Gregorio and Athena. Michael and Big Jon would follow
them. Representatives of the higher seats would include Liz, and
the three powerful witch Sisters: Minerva, Callista, and Genevieve.
The lower seats would include two capable vampire coven leaders:
Tiberius, and Rene. The Council convened at dawn after the others
went to sleep.

Cass stood before the newly-formed Council
and slammed her fist on the table. Wooden splinters showered the
group. “There has to be a spy amongst us. How else could the other
faction have known, with such detail, of our planned attack?”

“But who?” asked Michael. “Who could have
fooled us all and slipped by William?”

Minerva rose to her feet and paced the floor.
She stopped and turned to the vampires. “The only thing I am
certain is that it is not a witch. If one of us betrayed, the dark
magic that turned her would have seeped into any spells. We would
have detected if dark magic was used.”

“Let me think on it,” said Gregorio. “I will
find the spy.”

Cass nodded her approval. “I know you will.”
Her gaze passed across Minerva and the others. “Until then,
everything spoken here tonight must remain between the present
council members. Nothing is to be told to anyone outside of this
room. Do you all understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. We will make sure the traitor pays for
what he has done.” Her voice was harsh and the wicked grin on her
face would have frightened even those with stoutest of hearts.

Gregorio pulled out his chair and sat down.
“Now to other business. I believe that you all have noticed the
need for new lodgings. Any ideas about how to accomplish this?”

They discussed many different places for
their new compound. It had to be mostly underground. Until everyone
had grown immune to the sun, it had to be shielded from daylight.
They discussed magically reinforcing the fortress and trying to
preserve what they could, but that would probably take years.

“I don’t see how these issues can be
addressed at the present time.” Michael sighed.

“It has to be taken care of, Michael.”
Gregorio responded.

“I know that Father, but all of us are
running out of steam. We need to rest and address the issue with
clear heads.”

Cass looked around the room at her weary
family. Each face was riddled with exhaustion and uncertainty. The
only thing left to discuss was the unusual circumstances of Athena,
Gregorio, and their relationship with Cass. Her eyes lingered
lovingly on Jenna before moving to Athena and Gregorio. Taking
several moments to consider what she was going to say, she finally
began.

“I know that all of you must be very curious
about my relationship with Athena and Gregorio. Although I have
spent several thousand years keeping that a secret, I will tell you
now. This is the story of a mother who lost everything that meant
anything, and gained immortality. It’s a sad story really. When one
is so very young, and believes that life has no further purpose, it
is easy to make mistakes. I was like that in the beginning.

“In those days all vampires lived in the sun,
and all ruled with an iron fist. You already know it is an
immunity. They were no different than the rest of us. After years
of becoming accustomed to daylight, they began to take over. My
story began in ancient Egypt. My maker was called Sekhmet. She was
a lovely woman with a very mean spirit. I was just a serving girl,
insignificant, but beautiful. She had a terribly jealous nature,
and became obsessed with fantasies that I would catch her husband’s
eye. Sekhmet was certain that her husband, Osiris, would turn me
and make me a goddess as well.

“In ancient times we knew nothing of vampires
only that these beings were vastly different than ourselves and
that nothing could stop them. Being a servant girl, I was at the
beck and call of men in positions of authority.

“I became pregnant at fifteen. My son came
just before my sixteenth birthday. Knowing that Sekhmet already had
it in for me, I sent my child to be raised by a family of scholars.
He was adopted by them and became one of their own.

“Eventually Sekhmet’s delusions became
reality, and Osiris did notice me. To keep me from taking her place
in his heart, she turned me herself, therefore making me her
daughter and untouchable by him. Back then, my name was Hathor.
Sekhmet’s scheme was no help to her. Osiris broke the law and took
me as his lover, disregarding the consequences. Sekhmet was offered
death or banishment for her interference with his plan. She chose
to leave. I have not heard from her since the day she left.

“I kept tabs on my son all throughout his
life. He married, had children, their children had children and so
on. Then my precious Athena was born. She was the last in my line.
Her entire family had died in one of the great earthquakes that
rocked the city of Rome. By then I was already in hiding but still
closely watched my family. I was Cassiopeia then. When it became
apparent to me that Athena would never have children, I could not
stand the idea of my family line ending. It was the one thing that
helped me hold on to my humanity. I had already decided to turn her
myself, so as to keep her with me always, when she met her
maker.

“Zeus is what they called him back then. You
all know him as the Eldest. When Zeus turned Athena, I went to her
and told her all of her family history, but we agreed that she
would not tell anyone from whom her line stemmed. I was in hiding
already and trying to live as a human. I had already learned to
shield my mind and walk in the sun. By then, most of my kind had
taken to the darkness, so it was easy for me to pass myself as
human.

“We spent every moment we could together. She
is now and will always be the daughter of my heart.” With that she
stopped. Looking down in shame, she paused. Then glancing at
Gregorio, a look of utter anguish came over her as she continued.
“Gregorio is a different matter altogether. My second great
mistake. Previously I told you that I have never chosen to turn
another. That was true. However, I did turn one. Just one, and only
by accident. Gregorio was a general in the Roman Army; he was a
greatly important man.

“Most of you don’t know, but to humans our
blood is a magical elixir. If they have not been bitten, it will
heal any injury or ill, short of death. I was working with the
injured of a great battle between the Romans and the Greeks, when I
found Gregorio. He was nearly dead, and I knew that he would be
gone if I didn’t act quickly. Therefore, I gave him my blood. I had
no idea that he had already been selected for turning by another. I
had stayed away from the vampire nation, and there was so much
blood from the other injured, that I did not detect the scent of
the bitten. He turned immediately then, making him the one thing
that I had always lacked… my son.

“I was so angry that he had turned. I had
been determined that I would never take a human life, like mine was
taken from me. I was given no choice or option. But it had happened
all the same and I was obligated to train him and teach him.” Her
features softened as she gazed at Gregorio and said, “It is
something for which I have never forgiven myself for.”

Gregorio smiled in earnest and told her that
he had forgiven her several thousand years ago.

The room remained quiet as everyone pondered
the surprising revelations.

“I have spent countless centuries alone,
trying to protect these two from association with me. Every time an
old one gained power, they would do so by killing off any that
could supersede them in power or ability. If they could not reach
that one, then they would cut them where it would hurt the most, by
taking out those that they loved. That is why Osiris sent me away.
Shortly after I escaped, he was defeated in battle. No one could
know of my relationship with these two. Should it be discovered
their lives would be forfeited.” Cass smiled sadly, as Athena
reached over and squeezed her hand. Cass pulled Athena in her arms
and embraced her as she finished, “I could not help but love my
newly-made son, nor could I stop loving my last living descendant.
So in a way you are all my family now.”

Angie laughed breaking the silence in the
room. “So you are my grandmother?”

“In a way, I guess I am.” Cass replied.

“And that would make you my grandmother as
well?” Michael questioned in awe.

“Yes, Michael. That also would make Liz my
grand-daughter-in-law, so to speak.” Cass snickered.

Standing and stretching, Gregorio looked
around the room and said, “I believe that is more than enough
information for now. Get some rest if you are able, we have much
work to do when the sun sets.”