Chapter Twenty-Five: No Aid But Love
1753 Words
The god cursed as Rafe burst into feathers, then smoothed back into human skin, only to have the glossy black feathers appear again.
“This isn't supposed to be possible!” The god tugged the steel needle free of Rafe's temple and set it beside Rafe's head. “Your powers are supposed to be suppressed.” The god looked at Rafe accusingly like he did something.
“Let me go.” Rafe panted, still fighting the restraints. “I can't let you do this. I have children, and a wife. I won't lose them!” Rafe felt feathers pull free from his wings as his Form shifted again and the restraints were too tight for his massive wings. The god rubbed his chin and cursed again.
“They said you were brainwashed, but there's one thing they didn't really think of, I don't think. This wife, and your Mistress, are they the same?” The god asked.
“Yes!” Rafe cried, wrenching his shoulder, trying to free himself. He felt the trickle of blood down his temple now and it made him panic harder. The god cursed again.
“So they assumed she forced you into it, naturally.” The god asked him, still rubbing his chin.
“I guess, I don't know!” Rafe's eyes were wild, how did he get out of this? There had to be a way!
“Your Mistress, how long have you known her?” The god asked. Rafe shook his head, he couldn't think about time right now, he just needed to be free. The god gripped his chin and made Rafe look at him. “How long, pretty bird?” He growled.
“Since she was a girl! I love her ok! I LOVE HER!” Rafe yelled. The god cursed yet again.
“Damn those fools. If it's a true love, this is never going to work.” The god paced away from Rafe, rubbing the back of his head in consternation.
“It's true! It's definitely true! I've been around for a while, but I've never felt like this about anyone... before...” Rafe trailed off as the god turned around to glare at him.
“You're not helping your case any pretty bird.” The god snarled and Rafe grimaced. Some of the blood from his temple trickled into his ear and he jerked his head at the sudden intrusion, wrenching his shoulder again, which made him cry out in pain. “Ok, that's enough of this. Sleep pretty bird, some talking needs to be done about you.” The god stomped over to Rafe and placed two fingers against his forehead and Rafe felt as though somebody had hit him with a sledgehammer. The room faded from view as his mind screeched in pain.
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“If you ever, ever do that again,” Emma smacked Cern on the shoulder so hard the sound echoed in the quiet room. Bel couldn't suppress his grin.
“I will apologize to your Aunt about the lamp.” Cern offered.
“It's not that you monstrous freak of nature!” Emma whisper-shouted. “You nearly gave me a heart attack! I thought the Fox or Lugus had broken back in and..” She looked guiltily at Bel. She felt guilty for calling him for two reasons. She felt she had betrayed Cern, and also because she felt she was using Bel when she kept refusing his Claim.
“I'm sorry Bel. I... didn't think.” She slumped into a chair.
“Uhm, hi Aunty Em?” Phoebie mumbled, stepping out from behind Cern where she had been hiding. She tensed when her Aunt screeched her name and bounced up from the chair to rush towards her. She wasn't sure how Emma was going to take her presence, considering she and Rafe had been asked to stay with the kids, and she still felt rather ambivalent towards Bel, who was now eyeing her over Emma's shoulder. She grimaced, but she had a job to do. She had to ask for help. She needed power. The only kind of power the three people in the room could help her with. God power.
“Phoebie, SweetPea! What the Hell are you doing here? Oh my gods you're pregnant! You're so beautiful, you're glowing! Rafe's? It's gotta be Rafe's?” Emma continued to babble at Phoebie, completely missing the fact that Phoebie's eyes were filling with tears.
“Emma, love, I think Phoebie has come to us for a reason.” Bel gently pried Emma away from Phoebie, until Emma could finally see Phoebie's brokenhearted expression.
“Oh my gods Phoebie, what happened?” Emma grabbed Phoebie's hands and pulled them to her chest. Without thinking, she began radiating a kind of comforting peace towards Phoebie, who sniffed and gave her Aunt a quivering smile. Cern frowned at the contact between Bel and Emma, but took a seat on a chair across the room.
“She called me because someone has taken Rafe.” Cern's voice rumbled from the shadows. Emma froze, she let her eyes slide shut in defeat.
“They told me it was punishment from the gods. Janus said it was Mercury who took him. It was because we changed time. He said I'd never get him back!” Phoebie said in a rush. She sobbed and crumpled, nearly to the floor, Bel catching her at the last minute and carrying her to the sofa in the room to lay her down. Bel turned a gaze that could only be described as an 'I told you so' on Emma. She blanched slightly, then closed her eyes again for a moment, rubbing her forehead. Pieces started falling into place and she groaned and cursed to herself.
“Gods how I hate to admit I'm wrong.” She sighed, plopping down in a chair. “I'm probably going to have to make a lot of apologies, aren't I?” She let her head fall back on the chair and heard Bel cough to cover a chuckle. She glared at him.
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“I don't understand.” Phoebie objected. “All I need is a little power so I can go after him...” She pleaded desperately. She reached a hand towards her Aunt and then looked at Bel, begging with her eyes.
“We.. can't, Phoebie.” Bel sighed. “There is nothing we can do to help retrieve Rafe. Not even I have enough power to go up against these gods.” He ran a hand through his hair. Phoebie looked at Cern, eyes brimming with tears, and he shook his head sadly.
“Me neither small one. I cannot overpower them. Even if we gave you the power to get to another plane, you would be easily overpowered. Even if we came with you, all of us would be easily overpowered. These gods are some of the oldest, who are still backed by belief to this day. Bel, whom we think of as powerful, is still considered quite young amongst some of them.
“How.. is that possible?” Phoebie cried, the tears escaped her eyes and she clutched her stomach as she felt the muscles tighten.
“Because there are many more religions than you could ever imagine, child, and some gods have been handed down in stories and fables and some become new gods over the years, until you have some of the oldest in recorded history. And some that predate recorded history, though their original names and stories may be forgotten to all but the gods themselves.” Cern murmured softly. Phoebie curled around her midriff with a sob. She felt the contractions starting up again, all of the stress driving her blood pressure and heart rate up. Bel was suddenly at her side again, a hand on her stomach.
“Emma. Your Niece needs you. I know you've been saving your gifts in case of an emergency. I think that emergency is now.” Bel said softly and Emma threw herself to her feet and darted across the room. She placed her fingers alongside Bel's hand and felt the muscles in her Niece's abdomen ripple, when she let herself feel below that she could tell it was still too soon for the babes to be born.
“Oh gods Bel, I don't know what to do here.. I mean..” Emma stammered, looking at him with panic in her eyes, but Bel simply smiled patiently at her, and placed his hand over hers.
“Like this..” He whispered, and she was suddenly surrounded by his power. She gasped, she could tell how weak he was, how hungry, but more than that, she realized how much she missed him, and how much he truly did miss her. He hadn't lied when he said he left to protect her. He was so ravenous, it was a wonder he could even keep his Form. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, but she didn't have time to dwell on it, she could feel him guiding her, showing her, instructing her power on how to slow and then stop the muscle contractions occurring within her Nieces' abdomen, calming Phoebie's heart rate, bringing her blood pressure down. She cleared some of the stress from Pheobie's system, found a clot that threatened one of the fetus' that she broke up and dispersed, and then realized Bel had long since let go of her hand. He was smiling softly, but he was pale and washed out. She had never seen him so sickly. Emma jolted, but he shook his head at her and waved at Phoebie, urging her to continue what she was doing. She looked back at Phoebie and realized the poor girl could use a good sleep, so she slipped through her system and relaxed her until her body took over and let her slip sideways. Emma grabbed her before she could fall, laying her back on the sofa and tucking a throw around her shoulders.
“Cern would you mind going and grabbing a blanket from the bed?” She asked absently as she sat down next to Phoebie to monitor her work for a few moments more. Cern slipped silently from the room and returned with the blanket, draping it over Phoebie without a word before leaving again. Emma's brows were drawn together as she pulled away from Phoebie.
“Why?” She simply asked Bel, and he sighed.
- Writer
