Free InSpire by April Wood Page A

you arrive. I don’t have time for a history lesson,” Sheila was curt and she knew it. The time was slipping away from them. This had to be done now.
    “Now, now, sister. Don’t be rude to her majesty.”
    “I am not, sister. We need to get to work if we are going to make this happen.” Sheila tried hard to change the tone of her voice. Her life was riding on this now. “Now if you wouldn’t mind, Your Majesty, please take a seat.”
    Athena did as requested and sat down in front of the fire. There were no chairs or stumps, so the ground would have to do. The women circled her and started to chant some words she’d never heard before. They sang and danced for a few minutes then stopped.
    “Drink this.” Sheila put a cup made of tusks in front of Athena’s face. It smelled of rancid garbage and looked even less pleasing.
    “What is it?”
    “A potion to help you change.”
    “It smells disgusting.”
    “I can’t help that.”
    “Maybe next time you cut with something less disgusting?”
    “Next time.” Sheila was placating Athena. She was never going to perform this again. Once was enough. Tempting fate too many times was lethal even for a witch.
    Athena chugged the potion. Their expressions suggested they were surprised by her action. The witches stared at her intently for a few minutes. Athena was working hard not throw up. It was obvious as she wretched forward she was losing the battle. The vile potion and her dinner came out in one fluid motion. Then she collapsed on the ground.
    “What have you done to her?” Darian had his sword drawn and at Sheila’s throat before Athena ever fell.
    “You knew this would be painful. I explained the risks to you in great detail. So put that sword away.”
    “I didn’t think you would try to kill her.”
    Athena could still see them dancing around the fire. Sheila was holding her own against Darian. She wasn’t backing down. For some reason that gave Athena comfort. If she backed down Athena would surely die. No matter how bad it hurt, she was going to wake up from this.
    “I am not. Let the potion work.”
    Athena let go and let her world crash on top of her. Darian could do nothing but pray this was the right thing. His heart hammered in his chest with every second that ticked by.
     
     
    “Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” They were walking through the gardens of Spire again. He was holding her right hand and she was using her left to rub her belly.
    “I don’t know. It’s too early to tell.”
    “You know we won’t be able to hide this long.”
    “I know.”
    “What are we going to do?”
    “We are just going to have to tell my father we are in love. He will have to understand.”
    “You obviously don’t know your father.” Darian let out a chuckle. The things he had seen the King do over the years gave him great pause.
    “Why would he object to you?”
    “Because I am not noble or royal. You are.” Darian couldn’t keep the sadness out of his voice, even for her. He knew this would mean his banishment or worse. He just didn’t know how to tell her.
    “I don’t care.”
    “I hope you know what you are doing.”
    “I do.”
     
     
    “Athena.” He was on the ground beside her now. She felt comforted in his arms.
    “Huh?”
    “Are you alright?”
    “Where am I?” Her eyes were only open a sliver. Darian doubted she knew what was going on. He knew. Her wings had ripped through her shirt. The moment they appeared he knew his love was back. It was all he could do not to cry. This was the moment he had been waiting for.
    “You are still in the woods.”
    As her eyes opened further she looked around. Athena wondered why she was in the woods with witches. The last thing she remembered was walking through the garden with Darian. His face was familiar, but nothing else was.
    “How did I get here?”
    “We came together.”
    “Where in Spire is this?”
    “We aren’t in Spire, my love. We are in the human