The Cost of Betrayal

Chapter Two

    Hecate smirked, her plan would work perfectly. She was tired of the 'perfect' city of Atlantis being set on such a high pedestal. She couldn't help it if her cities Athens and Sparta were left to their own free will. It wasn't fair that they were punished for seeing things with a critical eye. That was what they were supposed to do. That war was not her fault, it was Zeus and Poseidon's. She crossed her arms in front of her and looked defiantly at her brothers, "What? You expect me to be the only one to suffer losses of my mortals?" 

    Zeus shook his head at Hecate, "The mortals are not down there for your enjoyment!" He exclaimed. He knew that she treated the mortals like pets. 

    Hecate rolled her eyes, "No, just yours, right?" She scowled, "What would my dear sister-in-law say about all your little trips?" She asked, a slight threat in her voice. She at least treated her wards with care, not like some piece of flesh to be used for her gratification.

    Zeus's eyes widened at Hecate's insinuation, "You wouldn't dare!" He was already on very thin ice with Hera any more hints of philandering and there would be major hell to pay. 

    She stepped forward, "Oh, I would," she turned to Poseidon, "And your wife? What would poor Amphitrite think of your latest trysts?"

    Poseidon frowned at his sister, "What are your plans that you have decided to try to blackmail us all?" 

    Hecate stomped her foot, "Every single one of you has gotten away with so much.  Lying, cheating, manipulating the mortals down there. And when I give my wards free will and the ability to take care of themselves you all interfere! Well, now you will all see what happens when I step in!" 

    Zeus leaned into Poseidon and whispered, "I will help you with Atlantis, we can ensure that they turn into merfolk. Then they will be safe." 

    Poseidon nodded, "Yes, but what about her plans?" 

    Zeus nodded his head as his sister walked out, "Didn't you say a mage sent her baby away?" 

    Poseidon nodded, 'She did, but I don't know where it went. Why?" 

    Zeus leaned in, "I have a pretty good idea," his smile told Poseidon that he had something up his sleeve with that baby. With that, he snapped his fingers and disappeared he would speak with the mage.

    *********

    The Fates were watching the events unfold in their pool, Clotho sighed heavily as she watched the people of Atlantis scramble trying to reach higher ground. She was weaving as fast as she could while Lachesis shook her head in disbelief. 

    Atropos was frustrated, she was snipping the threads as the mortals fought their transformation. "If they would stop fighting they would live!" 

    Lachesis looked at Atropos, "Maybe, they don't want to be merfolk?" 

    Atropos shrugged her shoulders, "But look," she pointed to the pool. "This one is trying to save her son." 

    Clotho looked over, "That's the mage!" 

    Lachesis nodded, "What is she doing?'" 

    Clotho gasped as Zeus entered the picture, just as the baby disappeared from their sight. "What is he up to?" 

    "Never mind that, where did the baby go?" The Fates listened intently as the god entered the room. 

    Zeus entered the room and shook his head. He had nothing to fear from the rising waters or the tumbling walls. "Mage!" He called. 

    He growled in frustration as he looked for the woman. He needed to find that baby! It would be the only way his plans would work. He called out for the Mage again, his tone was a bit more frantic. He was answered by a small groan, he rushed to the sound. 

    He cursed loudly, the mage was buried under rubble which he lifted effortlessly. "Mage, where is the child?" 

    The mage smirked, "I will not reveal him to anyone." 

    Zeus scowled, "You will do as I say! Where is the child?" 

    She looked up at the god, the life was fading from her eyes. She would die knowing her son was safe from the plans of Zeus. No longer a pawn in the games of the gods or the Fates she said, "Not where, but when." 

    *********Late twentieth-century******

    Night had fallen and the couple was getting ready for bed, They were exhausted from their work. Their coven leader placed more work on them because they were without children. Damara sighed and brushed her long black hair. She looked in the mirror at her husband, Ferox, she wondered what it would be like to be mated with someone handpicked by the gods and fates themselves. Someone that loved her unconditionally and didn't blame her for their infertility and in hand their extra work. She smiled wryly at herself, who was she kidding? The Fates never interfere with the love lives of the witches. That is unless they had plans for them. And the other gods knew better than to meddle with Hecate's plans for the witches. 

    Their coven was struggling as it had for centuries and their leader was blaming the childless members for their shortcomings.  

    "If only we could have a child," she whispered. 

    Ferox heard his wife and scowled, he was tired of her lamenting them childless. She just needed to move on from this. "Unless one falls from the skies in the middle of the night, and lands on our doorstep we will never have a child," he snapped coldly. He blamed himself daily for their lack of children and being unable to make his wife happy. 

    Damara looked at Ferox with pain in her eyes, "I'm sorry, my love." She wished she could give him a child, it seemed like that was the one thing she couldn't give him. And no spell they tried had been successful in granting them fertility.  

    "Just go to sleep," he sighed, his voice softer. 

   A few hours later a sound woke Damara, she shook her husband awake, "Ferox, wake up, I hear a baby crying!" 

    Ferox scoffed at his wife, "A baby? Woman, have you gone mad? It's the middle of the bloody night! And your womb is so barren it has cobwebs! Besides, it's probably one of those infernal cats you've been feeding!" He turned over and pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders ignoring his wife.  He still felt bad about what he said earlier and now has made it worse. 

    Damara scowled at her husband, he knew full well that it could be him and not her. She turned her back to her husband, wishing that the fertility spell had worked and blessed them with a baby. A small tear escaped her eye and trailed its way down her nose falling onto her pillow. She knew better than to argue with him, she just sighed and closed her eyes, doing her best to ignore the noise outside. She laid in bed for only a few more minutes when the crying took over her very soul. She threw the blanket back in frustration and walked towards the door of their tiny home. 

    Ferox opened his eyes at his wife's rough actions, "Where are you going?" 

    Damara turned to him, her hand on the knob, "I know it isn't a cat." She thrust open the door and gasped. "Ferox, what did you say earlier?" 

    Ferox was out of bed and beside his wife in a few short steps, "Why?"     

    "Look," she whispered as she pointed at the intricate cradle on their doorstep. Inside a tiny baby squirmed and fussed. She leaned down and scooped up the baby. After years of assisting in births, she knew that this baby was clearly hours old. She held it close, soothing it gently. Ferox brought in the cradle. 

    "Who would have done this?" He asked as he looked over the beautifully crafted carrier. 

    Damara shook her head, "I don't know," she kissed the baby softly on its head as it had calmed down. "Look at this," she whispered and she lifted the amulet that was tucked around the baby. She then found the parchment that had been tucked inside the blanket. 

    Ferox looked at the sheet, puzzled, "This isn't paper, it's parchment." He tried to read what was written, but the language didn't make sense to him. 

    "Well, in the morning, we can go to the elders," Damara said, "But for tonight. Let him be ours." 

    Ferox couldn't say no to his wife, she looked so content to be holding the baby. It was as if it were meant to be. Ferox nodded and gazed at the sight before him. He hoped that in the morning, the elders would allow them to keep the baby. 

    ********

    Morning came all too quickly for the trio. Ferox and Damara wrapped the baby back in its blanket and walked somberly to the elders' chambers. Damara turned to her husband, "What if they won't let us keep him?" 

    Ferox didn't want to think about that, "Let's see what they have to say first, hmm?" He was hoping his voice was more reassuring than he felt as he knocked on the chamber doors. 

    "Enter!"     

    They entered the room and the council looked up, "What is the meaning of this?" The old woman asked. "Why do you have a baby in your arms?" 

    Damara stepped forward, "This child was left on our doorstep last night." 

    The woman eyed them suspiciously, "I highly doubt that. The sentries reported no illegal entries to our lands." 

    Ferox lifted the parchment and handed it to the elders, "This was in the cradle." 

    The elder's eyes widened in disbelief, "This is parchment." 

    Ferox nodded, "Yes." 

    As the council skimmed the sheet, they shook their heads, astonished. "This can not be!" The old woman turned to the others before turning back to Ferox and his wife. 

    "The baby is yours." 

    Damara and Ferox exchanged ecstatic looks, "Really?" 

    The old woman nodded, "Yes. Take great care in raising him. He is a precious gift that must be treated as such." 

    They nodded happily, they had a child. They knew how exactly how precious this gift would be! 

    "What should we name him?" They asked each other. 

    The council shook their heads, "He already has a name. He is to be called, Birsha."