Chapter 106: Power And Fame…

***Albert***.

I stare at this old woman; whose beauty is strange. I watch her, taken aback at how she knows my name.

Raoul finally stands. His breathing heavy behind me. The woman is in front of a pool of water, staring deep into it, even as we stand before her.

“You…You just called my name?” I stutter. 

“I know your name. I knew your father. I know your ancestral line.” She raises her eyes to me finally and what I see there, stuns me.

Gray eyes, stare back at me. No dark pupil, just gray. I shudder. 

“I was born with those eyes. They’ve seen years of wisdom.” She rises, approaching us.

I turn to Raoul, a puzzled look on my face. 

“Is this her?” I ask.

He nods, finally breathing evenly. 

“You have no time. Your wife and my granddaughter are in immense danger with the Orions.” She reveals.

I turn to her. 

“The who?” I ask, perplexed. 

“The Orions.” She repeats.

She returns back to the pool of water on the ground and gestures for us to come closer.

Beautiful, glowing water, swirls before us. 

“A secret organization that I have been an oracle to for years. I inherited the duty from my own grandmother and my granddaughter is supposed to inherit it from me. But it cannot be now…” She reveals, her face grim. 

“Why?” I ask, disturbed.

I have never heard of this fraternity before. 

“Because I crossed the path of the creator.” She reveals ruefully.

Raoul and I share a look. She smiles, her smile not reaching her eyes.

“Let me tell you a story.”

She pushes her hands and as she does, the water in the pool, swirls, bringing pictures.

I see fascinating pictures. And as the pictures change, she speaks.

“Two centuries ago, my ancestors formed the Orions. They were to be keepers of the elements. Protectors. We the water oracles called the gray eyes, were to be the oracles of the fraternity. Intermediaries between The Creator, the spirits and humans. We were never to break one pact; touching the Creator’s pure ones.

“As the years went, humans in the fraternity grew greedy. Wanted more power. Wanted all the elements for world domination. And so the powers were split among the Creator’s pure ones. Only He knows who he gave these powers to, as inheritors, custodians. In order to rule, each member needed to collect the elements, but they couldn’t find the pure ones, because they were cloaked. Until your father came. 

“Nicholas Albert Bethel was greedy. He wanted power and fame. A descendant of a former King Oba Eronmonse Ovurhe of Benin Kingdom in Africa. A king who was banished from his own land, because he refused to allow his people desecrate the land and harness the elements for world domination. So they framed him with killing his own people. Banishing him forever. Never to be seen again. 

“He moved to Canada. Became Charles Bethel, where he found a friend. Together, they built a business empire. But because Charles fell in love with Summer Rivers, his friend ended their alliance. While he built a dynasty for his descendants with Summer in America. 

“But Nicholas, a descendant wasn’t satisfied with that empire. He wanted the world and wanted to sacrifice his six-year-old son to gain more power. To gain fame, like his best friend, Douglas Artell. Unfortunately, I revealed that you, Albert, were a pure one; owned by only the creator. Marked with one of the elements. One never to be touched. Sadly, this displeased your father and he decided to do away with you. That was the reason he hated you. That was the reason he had you sent away from him. Separated from your mother, Isabel Valensend. 

“But this secret of you being a pure one was revealed to the rest of the Orions by no other than the greedy friend of your father, Douglas Artell. He was present the day I informed your father you were a pure one. And because he was loyal to the Orions, he revealed this truth. Broke an oath never to reveal anything said within my walls. As a result, he was carried by the element of water. Drowned in the sea, when he went on a leisure ride on his yacht.”

Gray eyes finishes the story and I watch with awe as the pictures finish.

Chills breaking out on me, as I assimilate everything.

I watched my father talk with my mother, the argument they had concerning me. 

“When the Orions decided to go for the wife of a pure one, the marked one of a pure one; the pact was broken with the Creator. And now our task as water oracles is ended because we broke our agreement with the Creator.” She cries, her eyes brimmed with tears.

Her sorrow, grave.

A heavy silence lingers as everything's understandable. The reason dad never wanted me. The reason he pushed me away countless times. His love for power and fame, lost, he didn’t forgive me for it. 

“Why my wife?” I ask, absently. 

“To unlock the power of the Alpha Vampire. You.” She smiles, ruefully.

I maintain eye contact with her, my blood raging. 

“They know the creator asked you to be marked. And they need you pushed to unlock your power. To achieve their quest for world domination.”

“I only want my wife back…I have never wanted power.”

My body courses with numerous emotions I can’t even begin to mention. 

“They know. And if you have to save her, then you have to do what they need, or else, she is sacrificed, to continue the little power and fame they have. Until you surrender.” 

She shifts her gaze to Raoul.

“I charge your friend to join you to save your wife and my dear granddaughter. We have little time left. Come on.” 

She rises and pushes us in front of the same portal, which we came in. 

“This would take you to them.”