by Nicole Fox
“Okay, okay.”
Tatum bowed respectfully to Murale as she started down the dusty path. She never looked back, even though she could feel Keir’s eyes burning a hole in her back.
Chapter Five
“Did they have to pick the biggest, darkest, frightening looking cave in the lands?”
Her first test was carved into a mountain of dark grey granite; a few ancient evergreens surrounded the dusty path that lead to the entrance of the cave. She felt small pebbles under her feet as the rich grass became sparse and brown, lumpy in thick patches. The warmth of the sun faded away from her shoulders as the sky became cloudy and cold.
“I know you’re listening. You don’t wear a silk dress, but leather to protect from your skin from the elements. I know this because I hike all over Oceanus, wearing leather pants.” Pausing for a moment, Tatum listened for birds or other woodland animals.
“That’s always a bad sign when bunnies and squirrels won’t play in an area.”
The jagged rock felt rough under Tatum’s palm.
Just stopping playing games, Tatum. Either enter the cave, or come back, take a warm bath, eat a few sweets, and enjoy your new life in my bed, quivering with pleasure.
“Get out of my mind. I already asked you once today.”
She slid her silver backpack from her shoulders. Untying the opening, Tatum removed two flint rocks and a small torch. Grabbing a canteen, she gulped cool water until her mind was freed of doubt. Rubbing the rocks together, Tatum waited patiently until glowing sparks ignited the torch. Tossing the rocks back into the pack, she tightened the bag and slowly rose as she reached for her smoldering torch. Walking to the entrance of the cave, Tatum dropped her bags on a pile of broken rocks.
“I can’t be slowed down, if I need to run.”
Tatum stepped over something frozen by death’s grip as she entered the cave. Holding her breath, she quickly scanned the cool damp cave as her flame flicked as a slight wind passed her.
She stepped into the darkness; she swallowed a gasp when she felt soft sticky webbing surrounding her bare knee. Her deep resolve kept tears in her eyes as she walked through the dark cave.
“I just have to make it to the other opening.”
A soft cold wind howled in the cave as things scurried around. She swore that she could hear a spider spinning a large web for her body as she was cocooned for a midnight snack.
She jumped suddenly, batting away sticky web as she stood alone in the center of the cave. A few crystals glistened in the stone as emptiness tormented her mind. Something howled loudly as Tatum froze along the path. Breathing hard, she wanted to drop her torch but realized that she would never find it in the darkness. She wiped a hand across her sweaty brow. Tatum caught her breath when the cave was shrouded in utter darkness as her flame extinguished. Wisps of grey smoke floated in the phantom air.
“This is about fear. Nothing to be afraid of. I won’t be his whore. It’s just the dark, nothing to be afraid of, Tatum. Mama always said monsters weren’t real. He would just lock me in the closet alone, and then he would leave. It’s not real.”
A sweet melody floated from deeper in the cave, a woman singing a melody.
“Mama,” Tatum called. “Mama, are you in here?”
Her fingers fingered smooth stone as she walked trance-like to listen to the melody.
Suddenly, Tatum stopped when she spotted her small house in her village where she loved as a child. A hot sun shone on a flowering garden where her mother planted flowers. Tears flowed from her eyes as she darted to embrace her mother.
Her mother embraced her tightly, “Tatum, what are you doing here?”
“I came to see you, Mama.”
Her mother’s brown eyes so like Tatum’s peered into a thicket of woods.
“It’s almost that time. You have to go.”
Her mother pushed her gently to leave the garden. Tatum noticed her hands were small again. Looking down her body, Tatum recognized that she was transformed back into a four-year-old self. Horse hooves trudged loudly as a sea of horses galloped into her village.
“Tatum, run!” mother screamed.
She felt her heart thumping in her chest as she spotted his boots dropping into a spot of green grass.
Sweat poured down her face as she ran toward her hiding spot. She screamed loudly as a pair of gloved hands grabbed her and tossed her into a shed, slamming the door shut. A loud clicking signaled that she was locked in as darkness surrounded her.
Tears slipped from Tatum’s eyes as her childhood memories rushed back to her mind.
A dark gloved man grabbing her tunic and locking her in a closet as he visited with mama. Tatum rubbed her brow as droplets of water poured down over her head. She heard her mother’s pleas for her release as the man laughed loudly. His deep voice demanding her mother’s surrender.
“My mother is dead,” Tatum murmured through clenched teeth. “He caused her death. I’m not four. This isn’t real. This isn’t real.”
Shaking her head, Tatum wiped her eyes and ran down the sandy path until she could see light. She listened as rock shards tore away the hem of her dress. Breathing hard, Tatum’s chest ached from exertion as she stumbled out of the cave. Dropping to cool grass, her body quivered as hot tears dropped from her eyes; her mind clouded with anger and pain. Her eyes sought the daylight. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she tried to calm her nerves. Lifting her tired head, she noticed a beaming Silke smiling proudly. Warmth surrounded her as a pair of arms embraced her tightly. “It was just a test, Tatum. It wasn’t real.”
“Yes, it was… he was always real. He always came, ruining everything for us.”
“Who ruined everything?” Keir questioned.
“The Dark One.”
Keir tightened his grip on Tatum’s quivering body. “What do you know about The Dark One?”
“He visited my mother,” she mumbled into his arm.
Brushing damp hair from her eyes, he stared into her frightened eyes. “He’s gone, never to return to harm anyone again. Trust me. You need to rest before dinner. We will go home.”
Tatum nodded until she registered his words. Breathing softly as she relaxed in his arms, Tatum marveled at Keir’s soft skin as he held her tightly in his embrace. Tatum rubbed her eyes; Keir’s words bounced in her mind.
“What do you mean we?”
“You can’t return to Silke’s temple. You have to stay with me.”
“I don’t remember that in the rules.”
‘You weren’t listening.”
~~~
“My son, why does this bother you so? It’s a part of a process. It was a test of fear, and she passed. She faced her memories of Azael, and she conquered them. She proved her sense of bravery and courage.”
Keir stared into his own face except with a few more lines and a few strands of grey around the temples.
“One day, father, I’ll have a son, and I’ll give better answers than you. You probed her mind before the test, last night in her sleep. You said she was afraid of spiders. So, I put Baby in the cave. Well, Langston put Baby in the cave. Yet, she had a flashback about the Dark One,” Keir shouted. His loud voice rattled the dishes on the table.
Murale shrugged slightly. “I have a better question, Keir, fruit of my loins. Why do you care? Last year, you started sweating profusely when Maya passed the first test.”
“Maya was frightened of squirrels! Of course, I was terrified. She was supposed to manage me, and she feared a nut eating woodland animal!
“Tatum demonstrated great bravery. She will be an asset at your side.”
“Not if she’s having nightmares of the Dark One.”
Keir found his father’s twitching lip to be a point of interest. Murale had an uncontrollable twitch when he withheld vital information from other gods. Silke claimed it kept him a fair and impartial sovereign of the gods.
“Father, the Dark One’s bonds are secure, correct? I promised Tatum that she was saf
e from his influence.” Keir leaned back in his chair, waiting for his father’s response to his question.
“Calisto has had a vision of him escaping the glass pyramid, and claiming Serena, no I mean Ruby… reestablishing his mad reign of terror across Oceanus.”
“Serena is dead. We found her as her blood drained from her body. Her life lost in a moment of anger from the Dark One.”
Murale stroke his head. “Not so my son, Serena’s life force was stolen before her time. She was born to be Cormac’s consort. So, I placed her life force in Ruby.”
“Chan’s’ daughter… Ruby? How could Serena be Cormac’s consort when she was Azael’s lover? He would have never let her go. Cormac didn’t even seem interested in Serena; we were just boys back then, merely 20.”
“Yes, is there another? Cormac would have discovered a great love for Serena, in time.”
“Does Cormac know that his runaway bride has Serena’s life force?”
“After she fled from her wedding night, I told him that she was confused over his past.”
“You twisted the truth. Father, you cannot play with lives.”
“You do.”
“They come to me! I don’t seek them out. I don’t prevent them from going to Silke. They are weak and needy. I offer free choice. I don't tempt them or withhold vital details. I make an offer, and they refuse or accept my offering. You stole Ruby's free choice. Free choice keeps the balance of nature, and you know this, Father. You have stolen Cormac’s free choice.”
“Just like you stole Tatum’s’ free choice. The heart of the problem, my son. You’re afraid that your little lady won’t want you if she’s passes the Trials. Stop shouting at your dear father. Answers the questions in your mind. I leave you for now.”
Murale disappeared before Keir could utter a parting shot. “I fear nothing,” Keir muttered to himself. He decided to ignore the doubts forming in his mind. “Because I never lose. Except my mother, and you did nothing, Father to save her. I will not feel that ever again.”
~~~
Tatum rested on an enormous bed with a cool rag resting on her forehead. She pushed her head deep into her pillow. Flinching as bright light seeped under her eyelids. Everything ached, and she wanted to sleep until the cows came home. A loud knock broke into her thoughts.
“Yes?”
“May I enter?”
“Can I stop you?”
“No.”
“Come in.”
“Enter.”
Tatum sat up holding her cloth to her forehead when a small man hurriedly entered her chamber.
“Good afternoon, Tatum. If you complete the tests, I will address you as milady. However, currently, you are my equal, a servant. My name is Langston,” the small man with bright red hair uttered as he bowed profusely.
“Nice to meet you.”
Langston clapped his hands, and a group of maids entered quickly carrying clothing, flowers, and other novelties.
“I have your clothing for the afternoon test, your ensemble for dinner, and the clothing for the remaining events. I will leave you to prepare for dinner.” Langston offered her a small vial, “This will calm your nerves after today.”
Tatum arched an eyebrow in distrust as she viewed the golden liquid suspended in the vial.
“It’s merely a highly concentrated extract of Chamomile.”
“Oh.”
“He’s not a monster all of the time. He does have compassion. Don’t judge him harshly.”
“Thank you, Langston.”
“Thank him.”
“How?”
“Precisely at 7 p.m., a maiden will arrive to escort you to Lord Keir's personal apartment. You will dine with him unless you choose to fail the test and share his bed. If you resist, you will sleep, eat and relax in the morning. In the afternoon, you will dine with my lord and begin your second trial.”
“It seems simple, too easy.”
“Any questions?”
“I would like an easel with paint in the gardens tomorrow morning. It will relax me.”
“As you wish, Tatum.”
~~~
A delicious aroma assaulted Tatum’s nose as she raised her hand to knock on Keir’s apartment door. She had to ask one of his minions to locate his chamber, and it was a skip away from her new bedroom. She was sure he had a connecting hallway for her as future mistress. Hades would freeze before she lived in happiness with Keir as his future wife. His door moved under her touch. Panic filled her stomach. Had someone attacked Keir? He was a fierce warrior; his ability to defeat an opponent was legendary across Oceanus. Yet, he was just a man. It would sicken her if he was harmed in some way.
Tatum poked her head around his heavy wood door. “Keir,” she called softly. “Milord?” Timidly, her feet carried her into his apartment. She didn’t see any signs of a struggle. The furniture was in perfect order. Masculine brown drapes covered his windows, gleaming swords hung over the fireplace, and plush deep rugs covered his shiny wood floors. She spotted his training uniform thrown across a chair. Delicious aromas rose from the meal on the table waiting for their attention. Where is he? Her eyes moved to his chamber door. He could be hurt in there.
Tatum turned his doorknob and pushed it open. She gasped in surprised as her hand covered her opened mouth. Keir stood with a towel wrapped around his muscular body. He smiled at her as he stood drying his wavy hair, his blue eyes twinkling at her reddening cheeks. Tatum turned her head to escape the sight of his lean torso sprinkled with soft downy black hair. Droplets of water gleamed around his shoulders and chest in the darkness.
“Tatum, too late for my bath, but much too early for dinner,” Keir joked.
Tatum’s face felt hot. “I’m on time…milord,” she stammered.
“Always, perfect, good little Tatum.”
“Nothing… wrong… with following rules.”
“Something is wrong. You’re stammering.”
Her furious eyes met his amused ones. “You are not dressed, milord,” Tatum spat.
“You’re in my chamber. I thought you were going to finally accept my invitation.”
“Not tonight, milord. I’ll wait at the table. Put your clothes on,” Tatum commanded sharply.
Keir winked at her. “Are you sure?”
“Quite!”
He turned to walk towards his wardrobe. Tatum spotted a large silver snake entangled with an owl covering his back, Silke and Keir’s symbols. Every god had a marking, and their acolytes had a marking that acknowledged their allegiance to one of the various gods in Oceanus. On your sixteenth year, you selected your marking before leaving home to learn about your years of service. Tatum knew Keir had an extensive marking on his back. A small hummingbird fluttered on his shoulder blade. She never expected to see it. It was quite a beauty. She lifted a hand to trace it. She brushed off the desire as her artistic nature. The silver snake glimmered with finely detailed scales. His owl was a deep rich brown with golden claws that clutched a scale. Tatum exhaled shakily and headed to the dining area. Keir chuckled under his breath.
Keir watched Tatum spoon a savory vegetable broth into her mouth. They ate silently most of the meal with minimal eye contact. He missed her snappy replies or aloof indifference. Her chocolate eyes refused to meet his. He was amazed that she was able to place food in her mouth. Her eyes never rose from her plate.
“Tatum?”
“Yes, milord.” Her eyes never rose.
“Look at me, and it’s a command.”
Tatum placed her spoon on the edge of her dish. She smiled sweetly as she stared vaguely at Keir. “My attention is yours, milord,” she replied calmly.
“Did the sight of my bare chest have a great impact on you?”
Keir leaned back in his chair. He enjoyed watching her lashes blink in astonishment. Her soft lips curl under, and her fingers push into his table.
“No, milord, your tattoo gathers my attention. Your back and parts of your chest is very interesting. Reminds me of R
uby's silver lily marking.”
Keir leaned forward. “Why ever would you have seen Ruby's arm?”
Tatum smiled prettily. “Well, we do live together. We swam this summer in Silke’s pool. She refused to go near any lakes or streams.”
Keir refused to rise to her bait. “Of course, love. My marking delights you. Would you care to touch it?”
Tatum shook her head furiously. “No, milord. The artwork is exquisite. May I ask who marked you?”
“Edwin.”
Tatum shook her head in understanding. “Yes, he gave me my marking. The world’s greatest mentor. Yet, he can see everything without the gift of sight.”
“Yes, if he could see, I would order his death.”
“Don’t be dramatic.”
“What’s your marking?”
“None of your business.”
“Let’s see doe, swan, or cicada, those are symbols of Silke.”
“None of your affair.”
“Oh, a raven, crow or wolf.”
“I’m not telling.”
“I’ll find it one day when your hand rests on my back in passion.”
Tatum raised her brows. “Lord Keir, as your wife or toy?”
“What do you want to be, wife or toy?” Keir eyed her with curiosity as he pressed lips to a cool golden wine goblet. Tatum sat quietly as she thought of an answer for his questions.
He’s the most handsome man that I’ve ever seen in my life, especially when he smiles. Something about his smile; it just makes me feel warm and tingle. I felt so safe in his arms after the cave. I hope he kisses me tonight. Would it be better to be his lover, and lose the contest? I could have my freedom and life. Or should I stick to my laurels and win? Become his wife, and care for the people of Oceanus. Can I live with his overbearing cocky ways for a lifetime or two lifetimes? I don’t know.
“Milord, your question requires great thought; I respectfully decline to answer.”
“Oh.”
“Why oh?”
“I thought you would have said lover to get it over with.”
“Sorry, I’m an onion, with many layers to peel.”
“I plan to peel each layer of skin away slowly until I see the real you.”