Power Draws Power Prologue

This is the prologue that can be found in the Power Draws Power novel.

Seventeen years ago

In the aftermath of the impromptu reunion, Zeus, king of the Olympian gods, sat alone in the throne room. His chin propped on his right fist, he thought. The sound of the doors opening brought Zeus of his brooding. The person who walked in was a woman with long black hair and eyes that showed more wisdom then a thousand sages. In her hands was a baby whose soft breathing was the only sound in the room.

"Father," She spoke as she turned the baby around.

"Athena," Nodding, he looked at the infant in her arms. "Is that him?"

"Yes."

"What of Circe?"

Athena looked at the baby in her hands, then at her father. "She will hunt for him. The others will be distracted,"

"Very good." Zeus straightened his posture in his throne chair.

"Has Hephaestus completed his assignment?"

She nodded and held out a necklace. "This will prevent him from doing what the others have done."

"Compulsion?" He asked.

Athena shrugged, her attention diverted. "Something close enough to that. I was more focused on trying to find a way to hide my signature from Circe."

"And you found a way?" Zeus asked to which Athena nodded.

"I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t. Without that as proof, she will suspect."

"Use your other children to cripple her base of power."

"Of course."

Zeus looked at his daughter. "Is something wrong?"

Athena shook her head then nodded. "Are you sure this is the best course of action?"

Zeus sighed. "It is the only one available to us. We have put our lives into this."

"They will never forgive us for this."

"They can only be angry if they find out." Zeus looked at his beloved daughter. "They will not find out."

Athena sighed and coddled the child.

"Now, now. Don’t be like that." He wrapped his arms around Athena in an attempt to comfort her.

"Dad, I don’t want to do this anymore." Athena said.

"I know darling, I know. Just hold out for eighteen more years."

"Can we do it sooner?" Athena asked, hope showing in her eyes.

"No. This one needs to know of mortals. If we could bind his powers, I would do that as well."

"We can’t. The necklace."

Zeus nodded. "I know."

"Eighteen years?"

"Eighteen."

With a sigh of defeat, she looked at her father with tired eyes. "I will return in a week."

"Be safe." Zeus said.

"You as well." With one last look at her father, she departed.

The room was once again silent and Zeus was about to retire for the evening but he heard whispers.

"You would be better off killing him." A trio of voices said.

"What! I did not call for you." He shouted as the trio laughed.

"We do not bow to you." They said as one. "We are the Fates. We come and do as we please."

"Then why are you here?"Due to his back being turned, Zeus couldn’t see them, due to his back being turned, and he knew that if he were to turnned around, they would just disappear, leaving him to wonder why the even came. and he would learn nothing that evening. Fate crept up when one was lest expecting it and always stayed beyond, and behind it's victim. To try and change that annoyed the trio of goddesses.

"That one will talk to Oblivion." Clotho, the spinner of life, spoke.

"He will desire the one of Shadow’s blood." Lachesis, the measure of life, continued.

"He will love the heir of the forgotten world." Atropos, the ender of life, finished. "You would be better off killing him."

Zeus heard the Fate's laughter as he walked out of the room.

Oblivion can wait. It is destruction I’m concerned about. That child. That Mikhail. He is our final hope. There is no more time. Eighteen years, if I could only waive my hand and make the time pass in an instant. But I can’t. I must prepare for Athena’s return. The rumors of her pregnancy have spread.

Zeus sighed. I have ruined her reputation to keep this secret. "I’m sorry my Owl. Eighteen years. That is it. Soon we will be safe."

* * * * *

Circe stood over an empty crib, her hands shaking. The walls were warped as if they were straight out of a Picasso painting. The heat in the room would have been unbearable for anyone less than then the goddess generating it. Circe stood over her son’s melting crib, her hands shaking in fear and rage.

My son, where is my son? She thought, as the walls started to smoke.

"Artemis!" She screeched.

"Circle girl!" Artemis appeared in a flash of light. "What’s wrong? Did the baby spit up on your new dress?" Artemis’s smile disappeared as she looked at the smoking walls and an extremely angry Circe, "Where is my godson?"

"Missing." Circe’s chest heaved as she said the word. Gone.

Artemis’s closed her eyes as she felt the room’s energy. "Either the heat you are generating is messing up my senses or a demon was here. I can’t feel the presence of anyone other than you and the baby."

Circe looked at Artemis. "A demon took my child?" Fear reached to her very core. Thanks to the seventeenth Crusade, Demons were rarity on Earth; the few that still walked the mortal plane only had to eat once every fifty years or so. And that was a good thing since their diet consisted of younglings.

"Not necessarily, but they have the ability to cloak their power, even from me."

"I’m talking to your father." Circe said swiftly as she made her way out of the room. "If a demon has taken my child, I’m going to demand a purge."

"Circe, wait!" Artemis cried out, taking a step forward as to close the distance between them.

Circe stopped and started to scream. "They are dead. The Elders are dead." Crumpling to the floor, she sobbed. The Elders were the foundations of Circe’s extended power base, and with their deaths, Circe would be temporally unable to teleport or use a bulk of her god powers.

Artemis walked up to Circe and sat with her.

This isn’t good. Artemis thought. First Mikhail, now her powerbase. What is going on?