Shyder did. Shyder wanted more. Shader didn't understand why we had no future. Love is blind and prefers to believe what you want to believe in...
And sometimes I've been longing to think how much easier it would be if I gave in to his feelings. After all, he would agree to even a simple concession, was ready to deceive himself and believe that one day it will change, too.
But I couldn't. Nothing in me responded to his presence, to his call, to his feeling. And even our beautiful Driad, Leia Bright Star, couldn't hold back the admiration of Riverstein's rector. And I was the only one near him who felt like an icebox, a stirrup, a frozen flower, and nothing in me kept me warm when I saw him. Calm, safe, familiar, and nothing more.
I still locked myself in my room at night, and even sometimes fell asleep in a chair, just from fatigue. Or maybe I lied to myself and fell asleep on purpose, I don't know. Or maybe I didn't even fall asleep, sitting curled up, looking at the intertwining shadows on the floor.
But Rion wouldn't come.
* * *
One day, there was a guest from Elloar at the castle gate. When I went out, an elf and bowed me an invitation, over which a rainbow shone, and the sun rose.
- The Emperor of the Rainbow Empire, Anvarius Erolion, invites the Guardian of the Northern Source to the palace for a personal conversation," the messenger said.
I am a little confused. Shaider left for Zagreb yesterday, and I did not want to go to the Emperor without him.
- The question is urgent," the elf sighed, "as far as cooling springs go. The Emperor assured me that it wouldn't take much of your time, keeper. He has handed over a personal portal through which you will walk to the palace. He and the Empress are waiting for you.
So I nodded, extended my hand to the portal, anxiously wondering what else might have happened since the Emperor needed me.
I left the portal in a dark room, and after a snowy white Riverstein, I froze, trying to get used to changing the lighting. And I didn't know right away what the shadows were rushing towards me. She cried out as she looked at the half-dark hall, where there were about ten men with guns. And two men were already holding my hands, trying to put heavy red bracelets on my wrists. I threw them away with a whirl almost instinctively, pondering and not knowing what was going on. I turned around, threw my hands away, letting the cold out, and she crawled with snow patterns, freezing the room. Several men threw themselves at me at the same time, and I jumped out, bouncing off, realizing that there was no place to run from behind the wall. And there was nowhere to go, I threw my hands back, but alas... Something heavy hit me on the head, and I fell to the floor like a chopped tree. I didn't lose consciousness, my feelings just blurred and somehow faded, I was stunned for a moment. When I regained consciousness, I sat down uncertainly, black flies flashed before my eyes, and my head seemed to get sticky.
- Careful," a familiar voice shouted dissatisfactorily, "I need her alive and moderately unharmed.
A light laugh and my face turned warm fingers, and I saw purple eyes.
- I missed you, my proud ice floe," said Lord Elwon with a mockery. And he snapped bracelets on my wrists.
- You see, you can shoe your strength... so mighty... and so defenseless. Blood egonite will hold back any magic, even the power of a schema, so don't try it in vain.
- Lord Elwon, are you mad? - I did, still sitting on a stone floor.
And with hatred, I looked into his smiling face. There was no strength. No matter how much I pulled her, no matter how hard I tried, she was leaking through my fingers, wearing red bracelets on my hands.
- He descended," he agreed with a smile, "but now you will be more accommodating, my joy," he gleamed with purple eyes and pressed against my tightly pressed lips.
There was no strength, but I could move. I could also bite and kick my feet. I opened my lips, and the elf took a satisfied sigh, and then clung my teeth to his tongue, which slipped into my mouth. And I pushed him away as hard as I could. Clarius recoiled.
- It's all right, Vetriana, I can persuade, believe me. If you had behaved properly from the beginning, we would not have had to... force you.
- And what are you going to do, Lord Elwon? - I scornfully asked, do you want to beat me? Torture? What are you going to do? You need my Source and me to gain power, don't you? The Seventh Guardian of Thirteen... and you want to be first! The First Guard of the Circle of Light, sounds much better! And a whole Source that can be controlled, a Source guarded by the Devil! What could be better?
The Elf has laughed. I bit his tongue after all, and there was blood in the corner of his mouth.
- I didn't know you were so perceptive! - with a sharp laugh, he said.
And that's not foresight, either. I am, indeed, very naive... a silly grain of sand caught in the whirlpool of other people's games and intrigues...
- So what are you going to do? - I asked you again.
- I'm going to give you my hand and my heart, icebreaker," said the elf.
- I'm never going to agree to that.
- You will," he said, smiling, "of course you will. There are many ways of persuasion other than magic and quite traditional ... Those like you are always very reverent to your loved ones, aren't they? And they're afraid for their lives. So, let's just make a good deal. Believe me, I don't want to use force on you at all. The world is on the brink of a new war, your Source could be crucial in a future confrontation. I sincerely wanted you to agree voluntarily, I do not understand what I was not good for you ... But I do not have time for long courtships and waiting. Not anymore... Tomorrow there will be a rite near the White Tree, and you will be my date.
I was still sitting on the floor leaning against the wall, and Lord Elwon was standing there looking up at me. His keepers, with a bored look, were looking at the walls.
He squatted next to me. And for some reason, it was only now that I was scared. Because looking at this beautiful, almost perfect face, I realized that everything was an illusion, a game of humanity that the elf was just having fun with. I looked at him as enchanted: the silk of blond hair lying on his shoulders, the perfect features, the amazing eyes. And like dissonance, a drop of blood on his lip. Like a mote on a marble statue. Laughter, smiles, displays of feelings, all this was just a game, behind a beautiful shell lurking cold calculation.
In my world, everything was simple and clear, in my world there were no creatures who lived for several centuries, hiding behind beautiful smiles unsightly essence, there was no magic, no intrigue. And in the underworld, it wasn't what it seemed...
The elf put his finger on my chin.
- The last schema..." he thoughtfully stretched out, "you know, Vetriana, but the schemata were the most powerful magicians in the world. Even the Primordial Darkness, even death, retreated before their power. And at the same time, the weakest creatures. Do you know why? Because all the children of the Abyss are capable of killing. And there's no schema. It's against their nature, against their essence. The power of the scheets is the power of life, they can never kill, not even to protect, not even to save this world! They could bring death as deliverance from torments, but never - to take life deliberately... That's why they lived so secluded and isolated, that's why they never communicated with other races. It must be hard for you, Vetriana? Is it hard to live in this world? Your soul is squirming, looking at cruelty and murder, isn't it?
He looked into my eyes with such curiosity as if he was terribly interested. And nodded his thoughts without waiting for an answer. And then the elf stretched out his hand and touched my cheek, and I was disgusted to burst aside. Clary's fingers only grabbed the edge of my dress, and my throat and fabric cracked, exposing my neck and collarbones. And the lord froze, staring at the red and black drawing.
- What is it? - He asked.
I didn't think it was necessary to answer.
- It's the seal of the Dark One! - did not say, but spit out the elf, and jumped up looking around. Feeling the danger, the guardians got up,
stood a ring around their master.
The arch stabbed with warmth, and then it appeared, slipped a lizard around my neck, tingling my skin with sparks of fire.
- It was a gift," I said quietly and called, "Rion. I really need you... please.
The darkness at the corners of the room thickened, the lifeless shadows thickened. They crawled on the walls, destroying the protection of this house, tearing apart the shields and space. The Archarrion stepped out of the darkness and took one look at the situation. He stayed a little longer, looking at me, and his eyes changed subtly. But this elusiveness had such a terrible character that the guardians instinctively lost it.
- The Archbishop Taa Sel Sel Kra, ruler of Chaos, - the elf almost bowed his head - did not expect... To what do I owe the pleasure?
- Vetriana, come out," the demon said without emotion.
- The girl is my liana, Lord," said Lord Elwon kindly, "our alliance is approved by the Emperor, and tomorrow will be bound at the Source. With all due respect to the Empire and me, as guardian of the Light, you have no right to interfere...
- Vetriana, come out," said Archarrion exactly the same way.
I rose carefully, holding the torn cloth at my throat. I walked the wall around the guards. At that moment Clarius seemed to realize that it wouldn't end with a conversation, because he moved towards me and reached out his hand, trying to delay.
The blue blade entered his shoulder so quickly that the elf hadn't even realized it. He just twitched, staring in amazement at the blood flowing from the wound. He didn't realize he was still alive just because Rion didn't want to kill in front of me. Unlike Lord Elwon, who believed in his immunity protected by the Empire, I knew exactly what would happen next. The keepers were swordbanging, moving, covering for their master.
I slid out the door and immediately became deaf. The Archpriest put a canopy of silence around me.
I went through the room and sat down in the chair, keeping my eyes on the heavy oak door. There were no sounds. No sound at all. There were thin threads of life that I saw, and they were rapidly breaking one after another. Quickly and almost simultaneously, with a gap shorter than the gap between two heartbeats... I closed my eyes so as not to see, wishing not to understand and not to feel. And then I was picked up by strong hands, squeezed, pressed against me, examining my body and looking for damage. The red bracelets fell on the carpet.
- Chickenpox, look at me.
I opened my eyes. The archpriest sat down in his chair, still clutching me and looking me in the face with his dark eyes. I was shaking. The sounds came back, but it was quiet. There was no one outside the door to talk.
- Don't be afraid.
He was worried to walk his palm through my hair, where there was a lump on my skin. I twitched under his palm.
- Wait, Vetriana, let me see. Chickenpox... you what?
I cried. Stupid girl... Just cried, squeezed, trying to hold on to her tears, keep them from leaking out of her eyes. He blew something through his teeth, climbed up fast, and opened the transition. That we were already in Chaos, I didn't even realize. I was shaking, my tears were rolling in peas, and I couldn't stop. I didn't even realize what was wrong with me, whether it was late fear or fatigue. Or the relief of coming.
Or maybe I cried with a sharp and clear realization that when the threads of elves' lives were breaking, I was worried about who was breaking them?
The archharrion pressed me against him, stroked me on the head, tried to look into the eyes. But I hid them, turned away. The Elf is right, my soul was squirming when I saw the killing and the cruelty. And what a terrible mockery of the abyss, to love someone who was born a murderer? Countless deaths were trapped in the demon's blood, maybe he didn't even remember them all... And at what point did I forgive him? At what moment did I forgive even the murder of the schemits who once lived on my land? Feeling like a traitor to their memory, I did forgive them.
There was power in the underworld, and the schemists have nothing to do in this world. I guess that's why they left one day. Maybe they just became birds. Black crows on the walls of Riverstein? Or drops of dew on the morning grass? How often did I want to go into the woods, hide, run away like I did when I was a kid, stay under the paws of a tree forever? But how could I escape when my soul is tied by the strongest arch? And what is freedom for the body when the soul is in captivity?
- Quietly, quietly," he whispered, warming with his body, kicking me in the arms, "do not cry. It's all right, I won't let anyone hurt you... Never... Don't be afraid...
Oh, heaven... For a long time, it was him I was most afraid of... And now he's holding me in his arms, and I'm glad for that protection. I opened my eyes, looked at him through his trembling wet lashes.
- Thank you.
He shook his head.
- Chickenpox, I... - I looked into my eyes, which are again tightened with moisture, - come on! Stop crying! That's what got me in touch with you... Don't cry. The darkness... it's a pity they died so quickly...
I smiled through the tears. Yes, it's comforting... peculiar. What do the words mean, anyway? It's just words. What's more important is the way he holds me in his arms, the most precious thing in his life, the way he looks, and I see my reflection in the dark eyes. My reflection is in the center of his universe.
I laughed, reached out and wrapped my arms around his neck. I pressed against his dry lips, feeling his body tense, his muscles stone, and kissed, kissed ... He did not move, did not react at all. And then Rion split my hands, moved away from me. He threw his head back, looking at me. I don't know what he was thinking. I've never been able to understand what he was thinking.
- You're staying... with me? - He asked.
- Yes, he did.
- Why?
I shrugged my shoulders a little. Of course, I knew what he wanted to hear. But Rion's right. I'm very stubborn. He smiled, leaned a little towards me.
- Vetriana, if you run away again tomorrow, I'll kill you after all.
- Okay, I agreed.
He froze, looking into my face, holding my hands. It's funny, he used to hold me so I wouldn't resist, and now he's holding me so I wouldn't kiss.
- Okay? - He raised his eyebrow mockingly.
- Okay," I exhaled, smiling through the tears.
He was still staring at me carefully. He frowned, then surrendered, lowered his head, touched my wet eyelashes with his lips, kissing my tears. So gently that I wanted to cry again.
- Don't you dare cry," Rion whispered.
- Or will you kill me? Mmm, and you're gonna kill... for how long? - I teased. And I licked my dry lips at once. He threw his head back, his eyes sparkled with a predatory glint.
- The chicken," he stretched out, "have you decided to play with me?
He stood up and easily threw me over his shoulder.
- Naive girl... Well, come on, let's play.
And then I was covered with an avalanche of his passion, his desire, his tenderness, his hot hands and lips, from which there was no escape, and I did not want him. I melted, melted... It was better than the Force, more powerful than the Source, more attractive than the Abyss. I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. He painted patterns on my skin as if the artist was creating a new world, and instead of an easel he had my body. And this world dragged me into the unknown, I wanted to plunge into it without a trace, to immerse myself completely, to dissolve. In the eyes of the demon was burning a flame of chaos, the true fire without which I froze. And I warmed with greed, almost burned and blissfully squeezed, as if eating a cat. It was the only one I was warm with. Only with him, with whom I had been afraid for so long, hated, and did not understand! Only next to him I came to life, and the cold of my soul went away, flourished with timid snow glades.
Much later, when I still asked for mercy from his crazy insatiability, and I lay on his chest, finger-pointing the contour of his lips, cheekbones, eyebrows ... Touched the straight black eyelashes, rubbed dark strands, passing them through t
he ring of his palm.
- Vetriana, if you don't stop, we'll continue," he said, smiling. I blushed and took my hand away.
- I have to go back," I said quietly.
Immediately his hands on my back became heavier and his eyes darker. I waited anxiously for his answer. Besides the mad attraction, we had too many unresolved questions. And it was scary to ask them.
- Rion, there would be worries in Riverstein. Looking for me. I don't want anyone to worry, you know. And I have business there, students, school... My land, my Source. I can't live without all this. It's important to me.
He frowned, clenched his teeth, wouldn't let go. I saw him fighting himself and waiting for his heart to freeze. Because if he didn't let me go again... I didn't know what I'd do.
Rion sighed a sigh and loosened the hand ring holding me down.
- Tomorrow I'm officially gonna make you my bark, Vetriana. And I'm gonna announce you as a future couple. You will be protected by Chaos, and the Empire can no longer claim you.
He looked me in the eye, watching, following my reaction. I nodded.
- Okay.
- Your kindness even frightens me...
- Is there anything that can scare you? - I laughed and asked. Rion didn't answer, he flipped over, so the dark hair touched my cheeks.
- I can't believe you're with me. I don't believe you won't run, you won't disappear... I want to lock you in the palace, hide you from everyone, never let go... Ever.
I suffocated from what was burning in his eyes, from the sharp pain, from the fear of losing me. I reached out, hugging him.
- I'm with you. I'm not running away. Just... let go of me.
He nodded slowly, smiled and pressed his lips against my neck. The archa was swept with fire, and this double feeling of his lips and the fire under his skin made me scream, with pleasure. Rion laughed and started kissing again, examining my body, burning my skin.
The sunset sun was dyeing the room with red flashes, a maze was flashing under the window, throwing fiery sparks at the white paths. And we all could not break away from each other, weaving hands and bodies over and over again, in an endless dance of intimacy.
The Wind of the North Page 72