The Demon's Redemption (Book 4 of the Avec Series)

    "SELENE, APOLLO!!" The Fates hollered, beckoning the two gods.      They jumped, looking at each other. When the Fates called you came.      "Yes, ladies?" Apollo asked politely, even if he was unhappy about being summoned again. He had so many other things he could be doing. Like archery or music instead of running errands for the Fates. Selene followed behind him, she too was getting antsy with being at the Fates' beck and call but knew better than to disagree with them. Doing so could curse her wards the werewolves, and other creatures of the night. She loved them all too much to do that, so here she is again.      Clotho was spinning new threads, which means there will be a boom on earth of babies. Lachesis looked to the two gods and smiled.      "Good, you came," she said.     "Of course we would, you called," Selene said. She was wondering what the Fates had up their sleeve this time.      "You will be keeping an eye on that demon, Apollo," Lachesis informed him.      "Really?"      She gave him a scornful look, "Yes, really," her tone a warning, "He will be getting all he should soon enough. Just be sure he behaves himself," she told him. As she held up Abigor's thread, looking at it, one would think it was worthless and of no good. It was full of twists and knots, some of which were frayed but held tight, others were not as tight and seemed as if they could be undone.      As she laid down his thread, she picked up another. This one, much smoother, almost flawless and it shone brightly as if it were illuminated. Selene gasped, she knew who that belonged to.      "You aren't," she whispered. Then quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, hoping they didn't hear her.      They did but chose to ignore Selene's statement.      "What do you want me to do, Lachesis?" Selene asked once she regained her composure.      "You will be guiding the owner of this thread, she will need it. The rewards for this are better than you can imagine. So don't screw this up,"  the Fate warned Selene.      Selene couldn't imagine a worse pairing, she hoped she could do this. It didn't seem fair to her.      Without thinking, "Surely there is someone better suited?" she asked, the words out of her mouth before she could halt them.      Apollo and Selene could see the anger rising in the Fates, "Now, look what you did," Apollo snapped.      Atropos stood, her shears quaking in anger, "How dare you to question us, you,  you insolent little goddess!" she snarled. Her crooked fingers entangled tightly in the shears she held for eons. Their blades never dulling.      Selene took a step back, "I apologize, ladies, it's just that she's so kind, and gentle. I'm afraid she wouldn't last for someone such as Abigor," she explained.      The Fates laughed heartily, "Gentle? You think she is gentle? Have you seen her?" Clotho asked, making her way to their watching pool, "Look down there and tell me that is gentle," she said, pointing.      Selene and Apollo peered over the edge of the pool and watched the scene below them unfold.      ******     The triplets were on the training field, with Irina and Bella hanging back. Alyona was frustrated and wanted to get her anger out. They had never seen her like this before.      "Ally, what's wrong?" Bella asked, she knew this kind of anger, it was helpless and misdirected.      "I'M ANGRY!!!" she screamed as she beat the training dummy, punching and hitting it over and over in the head and chest.      "Over what," Bella stayed calm, although she could feel her own anger rising in tandem with her sister's.      Ally began to kick the dummy in the groin area and Irina was thankful it wasn't a training buddy, they would be in a world of hurt.      "Ally, we can't help you, if you don't talk to us," Irina said softly. She was still getting used to being able to voice herself again, but this was scaring her too. "Please, calm down," she begged, she couldn't help the fear that began to edge itself into her voice. Sergei had beaten her too many times like this for her to not feel something as she watched her sister.      It was the fear in Irina's voice that made Alyona still, she turned to her sister, her breathing heavy. Sweat beading down her face, drenching her clothes. She put her fists down as she realized just how hard she was beating the dummy in front of them.      Irina walked cautiously to her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder, "What are you angry about, moya dorogaya sestra," her calm demeanor nothing like the storm inside her stomach. She knew that Alyona would never hit her, but that fear was still there.      "I'm sorry, Reena, my own dear sister," she said keeping to English. "I didn't mean to scare you," she said.      "But, what are you angry about?" her sisters asked in unison.      Alyona was thinking of what she could make up so that they wouldn't know the real reason behind her anger. She brushed the stray hair that had fallen from her ponytail and noticed that her knuckles were bleeding.      "Would you look at that, " she said showing a deep interest in her bloody skin. She knew it would heal quickly, so she wasn't worried.      "You'll heal, what are you angry about," Bella asked.      Alyona looked at her sisters, "I can't tell you," she whispered. At that she turned and walked away, making her way to the locker room to shower and gather her thoughts.      Bella and Irina exchanged looks, what happened to their sister?     **********     Selene and Apollo looked at each other, Selene looked at the Fates.      "What did you do to her?" she asked walking to the tapestry that Clotho hung from the walls. It showed her past weavings.      She studied the nearest one, looking through all the images. It was like looking at a picture album. Selen walked slowly back in time, trying to focus on the parts of the tapestry that showed her creatures, more directly the werewolves. She didn't have to look long before she found it. She brought her hand to her mouth, in sadness and awe. Why her?      She looked at the Fates, who were looking at her, daring her to question their motives.      "Hasn't that family been through enough?" She asked, she was getting tired of the Fates games with the werewolves.      "What do mean, dear?" They asked her, almost cruelly.      "First, Irina was given a terrible mate, that didn't treat her well," Selene began.      "Uh, uh, uh, dearie, that was all you," the Fates said. "You thought Irina could change him, make him better," they pointed out.      Selene opened her mouth to argue, thinking better of it she shut it again. Thinking of her next phrase, "But Isabella, I didn't do that to her," she said.      "You're right, but it was for a reason," they said calmly. Now that Selene was beginning to get the picture they let her put the pieces in place.      "But why Alyona for that," she pointed at the tapestry.      "Because some people needed to be chipped a little to appreciate their beauty," the Fates said quietly.