The Cost of Betrayal

Chapter Three

    Lachesis paced back and forth, she was surprised at what the mage had accomplished. Not many could bend the threads of time and yet she did. Clotho looked up from her weaving, she hadn't seen this little twist coming but remained silent. She knew that her sister was thinking of a way to fix this. Atropos stopped snipping her threads long enough to look at her sisters and ask, "Now what do we do?" 

    Lachesis stroked her chin thoughtfully, "Hecate asked us to save her coven, didn't she?" She had come up with a perfect plan. Her smile told her sisters that she had something up her sleeve. 

    Clotho nodded, "Yes," she said cautiously. She had a feeling this was going to be an interesting journey. 

    Lachesis touched the pool gently and pointed at the image that appeared. A young woman laughing next to a young man. The love in their eyes was apparent. 

    Atropos was confused, "But she's an adult, and already in love!" 

    Lachesis rolled her eyes, sometimes her sisters were so dense! "You think? What happens to people when they are in love?" 

    Clotho laughed, "Atropos, are you being difficult on purpose?" 

    It dawned on Atropos what her sisters were talking about and she blushed, "Oh, boy." 

    "Exactly. Now, we'll have to do some bending of our own to make things work, but we can do this." 

    Clotho smiled, "Can I make the story?" 

    Lachesis smiled, "Of course!" She swirled the waters as her sister began weaving the story that was to be sent down to the coven. 

    Atropos bit her lip she hoped this would work. If Hecate got word of this, she could cause them a heap of trouble.  And the last thing she wanted, or needed, was Chronos getting involved in this. Hecate had that Titan wrapped around her little finger. 

*************

    Damara smiled blissfully as she looked down at the baby sleeping peacefully in her arms. She looked at Ferox, "We're parents." 

    Ferox smiled at his wife. He was relieved that the elders had allowed them to keep the child. He wondered what the parchment said that was so important.  He was certain that with a little digging, he would be able to find out where the baby had come from.  He wanted to ensure that the woman that abandoned her child would never be able to take it back. 

    Damara could see the concern on her husband's face, "Ferox, what is it?" 

    Ferox smiled at his wife, reassuring her, "Nothing, love, just deep in thought." 

    "Should we keep his name?" Damara asked, she didn't like the name Birsha. She knew that it meant evil and she was a firm believer in names holding meaning. She didn't want him to carry that burden, not when he was so very loved. 

    Ferox nodded, "We must, the elders told us that was his name." He was a little nervous himself about the name too, but he couldn't let Damara see this. "We will make sure that he doesn't live up to his name." 

    Damara smiled, "Of course he won't he has our love to show him the way." 

    *********

    The elders were still in their chambers chatting about this turn of events. The old woman turned to the others, "We are going to have to take this to the Elder Council of the mythics." She pointed to the parchment, she knew what it read as well and was as shocked as the others. 

    The others nodded their heads in agreement, "This is of the utmost importance." 

    "Then it is settled, I will leave at once," she stood, grabbing her cloak and wrapping herself in it, "I will be back with answers as soon as I can." 

    Her husband stood, "Be careful," he whispered as he hugged her goodbye. 

    She looked at him with a smile, "Of course," she whispered. She had plans to speak with her sister as well as the council. With that, she disappeared from view and the council moved on to other matters. They trusted her deeply and she had the best connections to the council as it stood. 

    *********

    "Circe, where are you?" 

    Circe came out from her office in the back, "Helena, I've missed you!" She called warmly to her sister. She noticed the change in Helena's demeanor. "Come, sit, we'll have tea." She guided her sister towards the back of her tiny seaside shop. Standing next to each other you wouldn't believe they were sisters. Circe was bright and cheerful, while Helena's clothing was darker, more somber, reflecting her living conditions. 

    Once they were in the back of the shop, Circe looked at her sister, "What's wrong?" she asked as she poured the tea and handed her sister the cookie tray. 

    Helena took a deep breath, "Where's Aislinn?" she asked as she looked around worriedly. 

    "She'll be back shortly, she had to run an errand," Circe said bringing her cup to her lips and sipping the brew lightly. "Why?" 

    Helena repeated her sister's actions, sipping the tea and sighing in pleasure as the warmth of amber liquid slid down her throat and helped to soothe her worried stomach. "It's started." 

    Circe's eyes widened and her cookie slowly went back down to the tiny flowered plate. "Oh no." 

    Helena nodded sadly, "Yes." 

    Aislinn appeared just then, she smiled, "Helena, it's so nice to see you! How's your coven?" She knew that it had been troubled for centuries barely hanging on but succeeding nonetheless. 

    Wordlessly she handed the parchment to Aislinn. She looked at it curiously before she opened the folds, her eyes skimming the symbols scribbled across the ancient paper. 

    "This is not a current language, who wrote this?" Aislinn folded the parchment, she had seen this writing so many years ago.  Not many land walkers knew of it, and only a handful of the merfolk still practiced it. "Did a mermaid write this?" 

    Helena shook her head, "No, it came with him." 

    "He is here as well?" Aislinn asked. She knew that this meant something big was about to happen. She knew that her visions would be coming true. She walked over to the shelf and pulled the leather-bound book away from the wall. She opened it and handed it to Helena. 

      As Helena read it over, her eyes widened in disbelief. "We don't get fated mates!" 

    "Only if there is something incredible planned with the fates," Aislinn smiled. "Your coven is saved." 

    "But only if she arrives," Helena said worriedly. The fate of her coven laid in the possibility that a child would be born with the mark. 

    *****************

    "My love, it's time," the raven-haired woman said as she rubbed her swollen belly. 

    "Time?" 

    She nodded serenely, "Yes." Even as the pains of the contractions had been washing over her for some time today, she was calm. 

    "Let's go to the midwife's," she said as another contraction washed over her. 

    Her husband was about to scoop her up when she stopped him, "I'll walk, love." She took his hand in her's and they walked down the path, pausing as the contractions made it difficult to take a step. 

    The midwife greeted them at the door, "Hello, it looks like it's time," she guided the couple into her home and allowed the woman to get as comfortable as she could. "You walked?" 

    The woman nodded and grimaced, "Yes." 

    Her husband looked at the midwife sheepishly, "She wouldn't let me carry her." 

    The midwife chuckled, "It's okay. It was good for her." She instructed the woman to get undressed and checked her progress. "It's not going to be long before your baby is here." 

    She wasn't wrong, it only took a few hours before it was time to push. "Okay, Bella, one more." 

    Bella groaned as she pushed hard one more time. She was rewarded with the midwife's soothing voice, "And there she is." 

    As the midwife assessed the baby, she withheld her gasp of surprise. On the baby's back was the mark that they all had hoped to see. 

    "Your baby is special, Bella. Be sure to teach her well. The Fates have smiled on her." The midwife hoped this sign was a good one.