Athena

I have done something which I guess none of the others Greek descendants assumed I would do. Sleeping with someone... Not just with one person, but many. And not just any person but the worst of the lot. The seven sins. The ones who were considered as the mankind's doom.

But they weren't doom for me. They treated me differently. They never hurt me or made me feel bad about my choices. Infact, that teased me, riled me up and made me feel good about myself. I have started to feel that some of them even cared for me too. I never knew how they became what they are now, the sin bearers. All I know is that when I first entered the house, I assumed our arrangement would sour our friendship within days. It didn't. It went in a different way altogether. 

We all make the other feel wanted and needed in a way, like nobody else. And I don't want to trade it with anything.

**

Few days later

This whole week seemed short. Well, any day would  feel short if it's all about sex with seven different people. Thankfully, from today, our classes begin and I can focus on something other than who I want to do with my roommates. Since my first interaction with the sins, all my mind has been doing is fantasies about ways to bone them. Wanting to get laid  again and again. 

Quickly getting dressed in a ink blue dress and stuffing my bag with whatever I could find, I rush out to the class. The itinerary that I carried, showed that my first period was with some Professor Segil on Alchemy.

I get in the class, keeping my head low. I was about to take a seat when someone pulls it away before I can sit, making me land on my butt. Thud. There aren't many students in this class. Also, I was early but whoever was present chuckles at the incident. My eyes search for the bully who tried to make their presence felt, targeting me. I should have known better, keeping my head low was only an invitation to be bullied. All I wanted was to ensure that the first day of my class wasn't something of a grand entry to me, but now rethinking about it, I should have entered like the fucking Metallica band itself.

"Walk much, bitch." Someone said from behind me. Her voice low and rumbling.

"Wow... what is the source of you slang," I asked, looking at the deep scar line drawn across a pale faced girl. Her eyes shone like the sun and her bulky figure had many a students tremble at sight. 

Everyone hushes around me, watching the drama unfold.

"I will crush you," the bulky girl said, peering at me. Her slit tongue was an indication that she wasn't a god or a monster but something unique. If only I could touch her to know what she was. Most important, why she was behind my life. "Do you know who I am?" The girl asked. 

"Umm...No... and I'm not interested either," I said, pulling back the chair. I sit on it again, ignoring the rant the so called wannabe is chanting. 

Suddenly I feel as if I am attacked, with a ball of flame flying towards me. I turn around and realize it is indeed a ball of fire, hurdling towards me with the speed of light. I can't conjure up  any defense in such a short time. I am not that powerful. I am weak. A fallen.

Before the flame could touch me, a shield appears between me and the fireball. A shimmering, transparent shield that blocked the fire attach, engulfing it seconds after another before extinguishing it. It wasn't me who conjured up such a high powered shield. My hands were up to my face, ready to defend the blast with nothing. But I can understand why everyone in the class is looking at me in amusement. As if I am the creator of such a magic. 

Pfff as if... 

"Welcome to your first real class which will make you survive for the rest of your life..." A voice boomed from the door before a woman in all black, raven hair bun and eyes glimmering like a ruby set on fire walked in. Her hourglass frame hides behind the clock she wears. She stares at me for a moment before chanting, "...and this class might help others too survive." 

I immediately realize, that it was she who made the shield. The one that protected me. 

"Hello everyone. I am Professor Segil and I will teach you all about alchemy. The art and inception of magic. Mind you, I do not like people who misuse this art on weak, try to bully people with it and I surely dislike students who distrust their own powers." With every word that she speaks, she commands the attention of the entire class. The two hours of this class goes by in a wink of an eye as I learn about healing and earth derivations. 

Once the class is  over, I rush behind her.

"Professor," I call her out but she continued to walk ahead with the speed of a bullet train, ignoring my loud voice. "Professor Segil," I yell out on the top of my voice as she continues striding along. Pacing up with her, I stop her on her tracks. "I want to thank you..."

"For what?"

"For saving me professor..."

"Ohh don't mention..." She looked around before a crooked smirk appears on her face, highlighting the one smile line on an otherwise pale yet flawless face. "I don't want a charred fallen in my class the very first day. But if you keep up the rate at which you leave yourself undefended, you will be a quick death in no time." 

Saying that she walks away while I stand  there thinking why on earth is that professor getting mad at me while not having even said a word to that idiot of a woman who tried roasting me in the first place. By second period, I quickly get into another class which is something to do with botany and plant derivative portions. Even though am not much inclined towards it, it's not like I have a choice. Thankfully, that vicious roaster girl isn't in my class, but I have the magnificent company of all seven roommates of mine, who apparently are really into this stuff.

Once the bell rings, we all pick our bags and walk out. The best part of this place is that one can extend the hours of a class and reduce the others. I did that for professor Segil's class who turned out to  be as ungrateful as the one whom she protected me against. I walk back with the boys back to the mansion when I hear my name again.

"You bitch."

Jake holds my hand, asking me not to turn and keep walking. I nod at him and do exactly as asked. But bullies like her never like being ignored. The girl hops in front of me, halting us all on the way

"What is your problem, girl. Whatever your name is..." I said, wagging my finger to make my point. Leave me alone. 

"My name is Wane. And I think we need to settle what we began in class."

"Wane? As in Bruce Wayne?" I chuckle at her. Being a  fallen, I have become something of a mortal movie watcher. And apparently the Batman series are the best. So is Superman too.

But this Wane had no idea what I was talking about. "Who?" Her perfect eyebrows crinkled, hearing my words. 

"Nothing, weird one. I don't want any trouble so walk away, okay." I said, curling my arms around my chest. Has anyone in the history of being ordered to walk away actually walked away? No. Then why would she be any different?

"You will get what you deserve," Wane's voice rattled from the back of her throat, spewing at us. 

"What's your problem pyro?" I asked, rolling my eyes. 

When I saw her palms dancing in circle, flickers of fire emerging, I knew the morning episode was about to replay. Drawing in a long deep breath, I focused on her hands, her wrist. My mind conjured the force power. When I straightened my arms towards her, the energy of a thousand suns flows through me, pushing her trembling body thrown miles away. 

Whoever this Wane was, she should know better now, not to mess with a goddess. The boys watched in awe as I rechanneled the fire and strength back in me. There was once a time when I could channel so much power that earth crumbles into dust. But now, even a second of power usage made me shiver like a dry leaf in autumn. 

Zane was the first one to hold my trebling body still, coiling his arms around me for stability. "That was impressive, Athena."

Under his warm breath and hold, I could only blush. "Thanks. Not many people here appreciate my powers."

Samuel, as usual, lost his cool. "What was this girl's problem? Did you mess with her, Athena?"

"You think I am the messer?" I asked, peering at rage filled Sam's face. A smile peeked through his face, telling me he knew the truth. 

"You are always the messer with us," Ezra chimed in, ruffling my hair.

"True," I said. "...but not with pyro girl. God knows what ticked her off."

"I have no clue," Rett said, moving a step ahead before turning to overlook my steps. The lusty boy's concern had me turn into a puddle. "But she won't be back for days, that's for sure."

Spoken too soon.

A hideous, dragon like creature with spines all over its back, jumps in front of us. Its tail, longer than that of an anaconda slaps on the grounds, sending cracks on earth. Its long and pointed face, dark and ominous reeked of rage like Sam's whenever he was angry. The creature took a step towards us, shaking the ground beneath us. Its flared breath tossed up smoke and fire. Its belly underneath resembled to be carrying boiling lava, visible through its diaphanous scaly skin.

The boys held their shields up by closing in on me. Unaware of what it was, and never having seen one, I immediately draw ou my casting spell, chanting more power into it. The air around me turns thicker. The skies turn darker and winds blow from all sides. 

The creature snarls at us, thrashing its take to crack up the un-cracked ground. My eyes flutter close as I stoop low and touch the ground, channeling my energy from the earth. Already spent, I needed help to channel the spell. 

"This is going to be a good fight," Liam turned to the other and grated.

"You bet," Sam chuckled, preparing to fight, balling his fist. "But make sure you don't get scratched, brother."

The boys and I am about to charge at the creature when suddenly, a loud voice boomed from behind, intervening our steps. "Hold... hold your horses, you avenger family."

It was Rex, who walked near to the creature which coughs a ball of boiling lava from its mouth, taking a menacing step towards us.  

"Get out, Rex before it kills you too." I warn him but he tosses my warning to the wind, casually walking towards the creature. He strokes under its bat like wings, shushing and whispering something to its pointed ears. The creature which looks like it would kill and chew us all a while back, now resembled a purring cat, shaking its hind leg at Rex's scratching. Within seconds, it turns back in its original form

It was Wane. She huffs and falls on the ground. Rex carefully wraps his jacket over her bare back, covering her up. "Sorry about that..." she smiled at him before turning her head to face us.

That hideous looking creature is the woman who attempts another kill on me. Then why did she change when Rex stroked her?

"You have to be a lot of things before you are sorry about this," I said, taking a step towards her. The Wane I noticed in class and the one a while back wasn't the one in front of me. This girl looks happy, at peace. The pyro in her seems to have gone in hiding.

"I know," Wane surrenders her hands in the air, "the spitfire evil takes a toll on me, Athena."

Ah the spitfire evil. No wonder she was all raged up in class. Spitfire evil was a version of the Phoenix with greater power of regeneration and healing. It was a curse that made them hideous and deathly. Now they roam the earth, waiting for the doom to destroy them. Wane was a spitfire evil. She was in her fire to ash transformation today and that's the reason she was angry and to be precise, a bit on the arsonist side.

"Wane is a friend, Athena." Rex added to her words, walking ahead. By now, the concern that swirled over his hideously tempting, razer sharp jawline face disappeared. What remained was that menacing smirk. "I apologize on Wane behalf, if any harm be caused."

"Your friend tried to burn one of ours." Rett's flared tone broke our back and forth. One of their. I am part of the sin's crew. 

"Again," Wane, in her feeble trembling voice answered. "I am so sorry. I will make sure that I don't come out during my fire days."

It was her words that made e feel bad. After all, it wasn't her fault that she was cursed. "Hey, it's okay. Even I did not know why you did what you did. No harm, no foul, Wane.

"So are we..." after a brief hesitation, Wane said, "...good."

"We are good." The moment my words fell, Wane shook my hand, thrusting me on her strong chest. Although I could feel her joy, I also felt the pain she suffers on her fire days. Holding onto her, I felt a tingle of happiness emanating from her chest. The happiness wasn't because she was holding onto me. This was different, like she has someone in her life who brings her joy. Who took all the pain away.

"Are we good, Athena?" Rex too forwards his hand but I have no interest in feeling how doom feels so I just smile at him.

"I would avoid touching you, Rex"

"You break my heart, princess." Rex places a stab with his fist on his heart, the classic smirk dancing at the tip of his lips. "But I can't blame me for trying to touch you too, even if you break my heart all over again."

Blush dragged from the deep pits of my stomach, dancing upto my cheeks. I had to look away from his intense stare. 

"Athena can break a lot of other things too, rex" Kare bear said, encircling around me.

"Yes, I have seen her do it." Jake said, affirming Kare's words. He then turns to me, whispering. "I actually have not seen but only read it."

I chuckled. "That's okay." I whisper back and wink at him.

After a bit of a long dragged talk and what feels like the boys trying to protect me, we all leave for the mansion.

"Crazy day huh, guys?" I asked to nobody in particular. 

"Yup," they all spoke in unison. 

"Hey how come you were not in my class for the first period but only for the second?" I asked.

It was Zane, who tosses his bag in a corner and straightens his back, smiling. "Because we are your seniors, Athena."

"What? No... Come on... Noooo..." My reactions are unpredictable as I try to wrap my head around the thought of sleeping with my seniors. 

Zane must have read my apprehensions to lean closer. "Well, what's done is done, dove." 

"Don't believe a word, Zane says," Ezra says as he hops off the last of the stairs, donning a fresh new attire. "We were in your class... just a bit late, that's all."

I turn to Zane, whispering. "Really daddy. I won't believe a word from now on."

He smiles and winks with what looks like a subtle shade of pink on his cheeks that only makes him look more handsome with that perfectly jawline and a slight stubble.

After dinner, I retire to my room as the others watch movies and do their own stuff. Getting back to the books, I practice what was taught today. Soon sleep takes over and I doze off, head diving into my book. A sudden knock on the door makes me jump up. I rush to the door before it's broken apart by the intruder from outside. 

"What?" I spring the door open and its Rett, standing and panting near me.

"It's Liam," his hoarse voice answers. "Something happened to him."

/// 

Hello all you lovely people

Please do vote and comment, if you like this chapter. 

I also have a lot of other completed books so I hope you'd all check it out too :)

Love

Wandered Writer