Chapter 45

*Athena’s POV*
I feel myself flying through space and reconnect with my body. My eyes shoot open and frantically look around. Im back in the medical tent that I was originally and not a piece of clothing hangs on my body. There is barely any light in the tent so it must be the final stages of sunset. My wrists are bound the the cot I’m lying on and my whole body has no more strength to fight. I shake the binds to see how tight they are. Unfortunately, they are way too tight for me to slip out of. In fact, they are so tight they are digging into my skin. No doubt my wrists are red and raw.
Memories flood back to me. The memories of what Damon did to me. My soul flying out of my body to find Silas. There is finally hope for me. He and my pack are coming for me. I just need to sit tight and stay strong until they get here.
There is a shuffling outside the tent and I tense up. What if he’s back? I don’t know how much more of this I can take. My eyes dart around for an escape. I notice they didn’t attach a catheter to my arm. If I can act this out just right, I might be able to work out the wolfsbane without receiving more.
The tent opens up, revealing the witch. She has a small basket full of leaves and herbs. She spares a glance but goes over to a small table.
“Thank goddess, he gave you a little too much wolfsbane. I thought you wouldn’t wake up.” She says lazily and grinds herbs in a mortar and pedestal. I decide to keep my mouth shut. No need to waste breath on her.
She then adds some sort of thick amber liquid to the herbs and mix’s it together. She pours the concoction into a small cup and turns to me. She walks to my side and offers the cup of what ever the hell she made. I avert my eyes and shake my head. Signaling I don’t want her witches brew, for all I know it could be apart of that spell Damon wants to cast on me. No way. No way in hell ill let that happen. She sighs and still holds it towards me.
“It will help with the wolfsbane. It will counter some of its affects. You’re no use to us if you die from wolfsbane poisoning.” She rolls he eyes. She holds the cup to my mouth and I reluctantly open it. Once the potion hits my tongue, it takes everything in me not to spit it back out into her face. Its incredibly bitter and sludge like. I force it down my throat and wait. “Wise choice. Would have been real inconvenient to force it down your throat.”
She goes back to the table and starts to mix something else.
“Why did you throw your lot in with him? You are obviously a talented witch, why not put your talents to much less violent use?” I ask bitterly.
“Humans are cunning and vicious beings. Anything they don’t understand, they attack it. They kill anything that is different from them. I want justice, and taking this world from their hands will be the best form. Damon is the best way to achieve this.” She says with strain. My brows arch in surprise. What in the world could inspire such hatred. Only one thing could.
“Who did they take from you?”
“First my parents. They were burned alive. Then my sister. The local police captured her, took her to a holding cell, raped her, hit her, burned her. Eventually then killed her. All because of accidental expressions of magic.” She chokes back a sob. “I won't watch that again.”
“You really think Damon is the best way to achieve justice? You want to hold the hold human population accountable for the cruel actions of a few?” I feel sympathy for her family but there are better ways. Humans are just as prone to mistakes and cruel actions just as we are.
“Don’t criticize my thoughts of justice when your pack killed the whole Lunar pack for the actions of the Alpha. Can you really tell me that when you haven’t given a single thought for all those wolves out there who lost their family’s when they were toddlers?” She turns to me with fury in her eyes. All I can do is blink at her with my jaw opening and closing like a suffocating fish. I can't say anything against that. Shes right. “That’s why I ‘threw my lot in’ with Damon. He and I are one in the same. While you were living your perfect little life as the perfect little heir. We have been working everyday of our lives to survive. I don’t want to live in fear of discovery anymore. I refuse to die the way my little sister did.” She turns her eyes to me, and they are masked with a coldness that sends a shiver down my spine. “So, fuck the humans. They could all burn for all I care. The supernatural will finally be able to live in peace. You sweetheart, are the key to that peace we crave.”
She then goes silent, leaving me with my thoughts. She casts a spell that seems heat up the mortar then uncorks a vial full a think red liquid. I'll bet all my money it is blood, but the question is who’s? She starts to whisper a chant. Finally, she waves her and over it and it suddenly catches fire. Its burns and the burnt metallic scent hits my nose. The fire goes out and she takes a huge syringe and fills it whatever she made. Why the hell does she need a syringe that looks like it should be used for cattle? Like hell I'll let her use it on me.
“What the hell is that for?” I struggle against the restraints but its in vain.
“You heard Damon earlier. This needs to go straight into the heart. Damons blood is the binding ingredient and this will trick the body into thinking the mark you receive is from your fated mate. It’ll be less painful and easier if you don’t fight me. He wants you marked by tomorrow night at the rise of the full moon.” She slowly walks up to me like some mad doctor with the syringe in hand.
No, no, no. Why on the full moon? Why so soon? Now Silas has a more tight dead line. What will happen if he doesn’t make it on time? Will Freya be able to undo this spell?
“Stay away from me.” I growl menacingly. This doesn’t stop her and now she is next to me. I glare at her with hell fire in my eyes and continue to struggle. Her eyes are stone and emotionless. She feels no guilt on what she’s about to do. This witch has buried her emotions so deep that they do not exist anymore.
She lifts the needle over her head and over my heart. Tears begin to stream down my face and stings the wounds on my cheeks. “Please.” I whimper.
Then the needle is plunged into my chest and I can feel it enter my heart. I let out a piercing scream as she injects my heart with the blood brew. Immediately after, my body begins to burn and sweat breaks through my skin. What the hell is happening to me?
My veins start to bulge and I can feel whatever she put inside me spread through out my entire body. Even though Blanche is now dormant and I can hardly feel her, I can feel this affecting her too.
Ignoring my agony. Sybil just walks away out of the tent and leaves to suffer alone. I can also feel it somehow trying to dull my bond with Silas. So it will allow Damon to over power.
Then it all suddenly stops. The pain, the burning, it all just vanished in an instant. I open my damp eyes and catch my breath.
Nothing seems different, and other than that excruciating pain. I don’t feel different. I look down towards my chest and my blood goes cold.
There is a violet tattoo mark in the shape of Damons wolf form horns. It looks the start of a mating mark like Celestes. G
Fuck.