Touched by Fire (Atlantis Unearthed Series) Read Free Page B

of light he forced her into a vault blessed with the power of the sun so it was strong enough to hold her and her darkness. He then cast her down once again into Atlantis, to lay forever in its ruins hidden by the power of the Gods. He was unable to kill this creature of darkness that bore the likeness of his daughter even though he knew what would happen if she were ever released, not while he knew his daughters soul was still bound to Nokto’s. Banishing Nokro’s spirit to the depths of Hades would banish Circes as well, so despite the threat, despite the danger, he let her live and prayed her internal tomb would never be uncovered. However, as I have shown you, that is exactly what is going to occur“
    Helios stopped there either unable to go on or giving me time to process all of this. Either way I didn’t know what to think or say.  I had no doubt of what he said, for some reason I knew it was true, all of it, even if I didn’t want it to be. This evil existed, and was about to be uncovered. Then it hit me, who had let it live? They could have killed it then, and all those people who were going to die would have lived, all those innocent people could have escaped this horrific fate. What idiot could not see that his daughter was dead and kill the monster that lived within her body? I didn’t know so I asked “Who was he, who was Circe’s father, the one who wouldn’t kill her when he had the chance?”
    Helios looked up at me eyes ablaze with an anger that chilled me to the bone. At the same time heat waves began to radiate from his skin and the grass around his feet began to wither. With hands clenched at his side I knew the answer before he even spoke it.
    “It was I, the one God who can summon the power to kill her that could not do so. It is I who am responsible for the deaths to come. I know it was my own weakness that allows the events to unfold that release Nokto from her crypt in the form of my beloved Circe. While I cannot undo what I did all those eons ago, I can give you all the chance of survival, the ability to fight this evil. I have searched the earth for mortals that can bare my touch so that I can bless them with the abilities to fight this evil. As you were shown, I will grant those individuals the power, speed, and endurance that they will face in the enemy, along with the ability to be immune to the darkness. I will give them the words of truth to convince others of what is to come, and the means to prepare safe havens for survivors so when the darkness is defeated they can rebuild society once more. It is the most I can do.”
    I sat there in numbness realizing that the one who could have prevented any of this from happening is the only one giving us a chance to survive. I was angry that those people would die, that all of this was to happen, but at the same time, how could I blame him. It was his daughter, an innocent herself that he was trying to save. Granted the price was too much to justify it completely in my books, but I wasn’t looking at it through the eyes of a parent. Either way, did it really matter? This was the only help humanity was going to get, even if we wouldn’t need the help if not for him.
    “But why?” I asked. “If you had the ability to defeat her then, why not know, why can’t you use your powers to kill her now before any of this happens? Why can’t you stop it now?”
    “I am unable to do so without ensuring the complete destruction of humanity. Even the Gods cannot completely overthrow fate. If I intervene now and kill her or stop Circe’s unearthing, the very fabric of life that the fate weaves will come undone. Time will collapse upon itself.  This world would exist no more. The only hope I can give is to gift you and others like you with what powers I am able. I can only give humanity the warriors it will need, and time to prepare as much as possible for the battle yet to come. I am sorry.”
    With that Helios reached out and touched my forehead