Chapter 76: Chapter 76
Lucas
I set out with Ryker, in search of answers to my many questions. There was only one person I knew who could give me what I needed but I had some misgivings as well. She and my father were not in good terms and by proxy, neither were the both of us. My father had used her at a time when his lust for her had burnt hot and when the flames were out, he had cast her aside. However, they had made a child together, a daughter, one of untold mystic powers. She was my half-sister but I was taught by my father to hate my half-sister and my stepmother. One day, a prophecy came concerning my half-sister and for fear of what the prophecy foretold, my father forced his concubine to put a binding spell on her own daughter and turned her to a slave afterwards. By the time I had discovered the truth, Adrianne was put in the slave quarters where she would spend the rest of her life.
“My Lord, if I may ask, where are we headed?” Ryker asked. He had his weapons with him and I could handle any trouble myself but it was good knowing that I had backup.
“We are going to see Athena, my stepmother.”
His brows almost flew into his hair. He took knew the animosity between Athena and the royal lycan household. “The healer, my Lord?” he asked, needing confirmation from me.
I said nothing more, saving my words until the moment I stood before her. The path to her shack was wiry and narrow, some distance away from the slave quarters. Her surroundings were adorned with gardenias and tulips, nature a major component of her healing powers. While wolves and lycans drew strength from the moon, healers got all they needed from the earth, Mother Nature’s servants. Anyone who embraced their healing nature slowly lost the ability to shift because they were not supposed to be creatures of violence. Athena had chosen to heal the sick and wounded among us and Goddess knew, she was talented.
Standing at her door, I recollected all the things I wanted to say to her. I wanted answers but I also wanted to repair the broken relationship between them. Adrianne’s forgiveness could come later on when I figured out a way to reach out to her. The flap serving as a door was pushed aside by Ryker on my behalf and I ducked, bending over to enter her abode. She sat elegantly in white garments covered in furs and I saw the reason why my father had fallen in lust with her.
Athena was beautiful, with snow white locks spilling down her back and her smooth skin shone like churned butter. Her dark eyes reminded me that she was still one of us but her ethereal beauty was not known among the land. She sat with her back to me, her hair braided around her head and a flower stuck at the side of her head. Smoke brewed from a broken pot beside her and the smell of incense inhabited the small space she called her abode. I searched for a place to sit but there was none in sight.
“You will find nowhere to sit because you are not welcome here,” her voice resounded in the silence, her back still turned.
“Stepmother–”
“I am no mother of yours! You made that very clear the day you spilt oil on my path while I was pregnant with Adrianne. I could have died that day and you wouldn't have cared. You are not welcome here,” she repeated, her fingers plucking at the stem of a sage plant. She deposited the leaves in a tiny receptacle and crushed them with the bone of a boar. Her silence was prickling and I was tempted to leave with my manservant. Yet I could not go on without knowing who my mate was. My wolf was as anxious as I and the scent of whomever it was had diminished.
“I need your help, Athena, please. I'm desperate and I am ready to do whatever it takes. Please, Athena.” I was not aware of when I fell on my knees before her until Ryker grabbed my arm, trying to pull me up to my feet.
“Leave me be, Ryker! Let me kneel before my stepmother if that is what it takes to get her attention!” He loosened his grip on me and I remained on my knees, imploring her audience. She got up and turned around slowly, giving me her face at last and holding her receptacle closely. Her face was serene and peaceful, not a single frown in sight.
“Lucas,” she started softly and gave the sage paste to me. I breathed in the minty smell and immediately, my wolf exited my body and wandered. It was my spirit and it would never mislead me. My wolf stalked out of her shack and stood in the Hall of Alphas. The golden columns looked bigger and more profound but they were not important. We were there for a greater purpose. I sat outside my body, watching my wolf explore the courtyard and descended below to the dungeons. I followed after it leisurely, curious to know what was at the end of the trail. Finally, it came to a stop, whimpering and laying down in front of a cell.
A woman was in the cell and she touched his head fondly, causing him to roll on his back happily. The cell was dark and so I squinted, coming closer to see the face of the woman. Her scent filled the air at once and my wolf lapped at air, barking sharply. She smelled of lilies, of vanilla, and the dark tresses of her hair slipped through the spaces of the cell. A lock fell on the floor and I would recognize it anywhere in the world. She was the woman I had wronged greatly, the woman I had put in great trouble. Her face came into view and before I could prevail on her, Athena brought me back, willing my spirit back into my body.
“Interesting,” Athena commented, her fingers resting lightly ony forehead. My sights were a bit blurred and I was on my back, Ryker and Athena beside me. “The proud princess. Seems like you have a lot on your hands and to think that she is in that dungeon because of your foolishness. You will have a hard time convincing her to forgive you.”
She got up and took the sage paste away, placing it on an wooden stool. I sat up, sweat dripping off my back as I struggled to catch my breath.
“Stepmother, I–I want to thank you for your assistance.”
She spun on her heel, wisdom shining in her eyes. “You do not need to thank me. Go and get your mate.”