“I…well, it seems to me that those actions might have also been taken to cast any doubt aside so that…”
“Enough! I am tired of hearing anymore of your attempts at convincing me to think ill of her!” Draven exclaimed and by the looks of Sophia’s slumped shoulders, it finally seemed that she was admitting defeat.
“Then that is it…for there is nothing to be done other than to let you ruin all that you have worked so hard to set into place. Are you really prepared to show your people that you aren’t a King to be trusted but instead a tyrant like our father who broke all the rules?”
“Be careful of which you speak Saphira, for those broken rules are the very ones that lead us to be here today.” Draven said in a tone that spoke only of warning and it was strange hearing him sticking up for his father, someone I knew he wasn’t on the best of terms with.
“Yes and we too were also classed as an abomination at one time, is that something you are really so eager to go back to?” she lashed out at him in a nasty snarl.
“They would not dare!” Draven bellowed standing up from his throne in his outrage.
“I would not be so sure brother, for they are plenty and we are but three. It took us a long time to get here and you are ready to risk it all for the selfish reasons of your heart, a heart filled with feelings as our kind you cannot even be sure are real!” she shouted back getting just as angry as her brother.
“You couldn’t possibly understand for it has not happened to you yet and your lack of compassion for others is testament of that. But be warned little sister, for one day you too will fall under its spell and when you do, then you can preach to me about the selfish ways in which such a stolen heart beats for one person. But until then, I would think twice about reproaching me on this matter again!” My mouth dropped open and not just from the furious way in which he spoke to his sister, but also from how in such a short time he felt for me. The love he spoke of was exactly the same way that Draven from my time would have spoken about it, which utterly shocked me after such a short time spent together.
Had the same thing happened to him when we first met back in the woods that day? Had it been as instant as he said it had been, but I just never let myself believe it until now? Well if I had ever been worried before about him feeling the way he did just because it was fated, then those fears were now firmly out the window as he was ready to renounce his own people for me!
But really thinking about it, was this not the same as he was doing back home, by denying the Fates of what they asked of him? He was willing to give up the entire prophecy, something he had believed in since first meeting the Oracle, just to keep me alive when our future together was most likely going to come to an end anyway due to that very same prophecy.
Sophia looked as though she had been slapped before being banished by her own blood. To the point that I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her because, even though I knew that in this time she hated me, she was still only doing this for what she believed in, just as her brother was.
At least one thing was confirmed and that was the Sophia I saw now didn’t yet know what it felt like to fall in love. Zagan hadn’t yet been introduced in this time so Draven was right, she didn’t yet know how it felt to give your heart to someone and the selfish levels you would reach to keep that love alive and ultimately with you.
I watched as Sophia gave her brother one last look of despondency before composing herself when she saw the proof that she obviously had no hope of getting through to him. She straightened her back, took a deep breath and after smoothing out the front of her dress she nodded in respect. I could easily tell it was done more to her King than to her brother, who she had no doubt lost some respect for.
“And Saphira…” Sophia stopped by the door and waited, refusing to look at her brother.
“You will leave the girl alone and not interfere again, am I understood?” Draven’s command somehow felt as if it came at great cost but as I was the only one to look into his eyes, I was the only one who knew this. Sophia glared over her shoulder at the floor but only for the second it took to say,
“Oh I understand all too well, brother.” And then she left the massive room as though it was closing in on her. It was hard fighting my instincts against wanting to run after her to offer my friend comfort but I would only be fooling myself into believing it was the same Sophia I knew. It was as I said before, two thousand years could do a lot to a person as much as it could for a person. And without yet experiencing love for herself, then that certainly could change someone, which in her case, was obviously for the better.
I hung my shoulders in defeat as she had done, knowing I was stuck between sandstone time and a hard place, one that was safer to stay in between than get emotionally involved. I think even Pip would have agreed that the Sophia here wasn’t the same girl we both called friend back home.
“You may come back in now.” Draven said and I was surprised to see Ranka when she came in from behind a hidden door.
“I take it that it didn’t go as you hoped, my Lord?” Draven released a heavy sigh and let his head rest on one hand so that he could rub the top of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, as he so often did when frustrated.
“I want you to keep an eye on her.”
“My lord?” Ranka’s tone mimicked the shock on her face.
“I don’t trust her.” At first I thought they were talking about me but when he nodded to the door and said,
“She will not let this go.” I knew then that he was talking about Sophia. Ranka looked torn and I knew why seeing as this would have been the perfect opportunity to tell Draven about Sophia’s first attempt at getting rid of me. But then again, Draven now knew to be wary of his sister’s intentions and how far she would go, so I guess Ranka didn’t see the sense in adding fuel to a flame that already burned at a dangerous level.
“I will do what is needed, my Lord.” Ranka said bowing her head but Draven wasn’t finished and hearing his next question made my heart pound.
“I wanted to ask you about the day you found her.”
“My King?”
“You were hunting at the time, were you not?” Draven asked rubbing his beard as he obviously thought back on some of Sophia’s claims.
“I was.”
“So it would not have been easy to foretell your whereabouts?” I knew where Draven was going with this and so did Ranka, for she relaxed slightly.
“Not unless they could foretell the whereabouts of the stag I was hunting, for as you know when I hunt I do so vast and wide until I reach my prey.” Draven nodded seemingly happy with her answer.
“As I thought.”
“If I may my Lord, what I saw that day was no act but only the actions of a desperate woman whose sole intention was to survive. I truly believe that had I not made the impromptu decision to go out hunting that day then she would not only have been raped many times over, but that she would have only had death to welcome her at the end of such an ordeal.” Draven listened to Ranka’s words as I myself winced at reliving them, realising now how true they were and how close I had come to death at their hands. Ranka had saved me in more ways than one and from Draven’s expression, he knew it too.
“Then I thank you once more and this time on my behalf, for not only saving her life but also bringing her into mine.” Ranka looked taken aback by this and I had to wonder how many times she had been thanked by her King before, because if I didn’t know any better, I would say that this was the first time.
“It is my pleasure to serve you my Lord, as it is my own pleasure gained in saving the life of an innocent girl from meeting a violent end.” I couldn’t help but shed a tear in thanks to my saviour who had exceeded my every expectation since coming to this place. Her help in this quest had been monumental and no matter the outcome of it all by the time we made it home, I would forever be in her debt because of it.
I swiped away the single tear that rested on my cheek knowing now the importance
of being a witness to all this as I rested my head on the side of the throne in which he still sat. I released a deep sigh knowing that I could go back to my own bed and finally find a peaceful end to this turbulent day. Of course this in theory sounded easier said than done when the next thing out of Draven’s mouth was an unexpected order…
“I need to see her, take me to her…now”
Chapter 52
Throwing Caution to the Wind
“Hey Pip, time to get me out of here.” I whispered still in the same throne room as before. After Draven demanded that Ranka take him to see me, I knew my time was limited. I watched as they both left before chancing calling for Pip but for some reason she wasn’t responding.
“Pip?” I said looking up at the ceiling as if I was trying to radio God himself.
“Shit, shit, shit…what to do, what to do?” I said pacing back and forth, not knowing what to do next. Should I wait and continue to try and hail Pip or should I just leg it and try to get back before Ranka and Draven? I knew that if I didn’t make that decision soon it would be too late as I needed to follow them to guide me back to the room.
“Come on Pip, last chance…BEAM ME BACK NOW!” I shouted making my voice echo but then wondering if it really echoed at all considering I wasn’t really here.
“Oh sod it, I can’t wait!” I said making my decision and racing towards the door hoping that I hadn’t left it too late and lost sight of them already. I yanked open the door and scanned the open hallways both left and right. I thought all was lost but then from the corner of my eye I spotted Draven striding through a doorway across the open courtyard. Watching all the people coming and going who seemed completely oblivious to me, I decided my best bet was to cut through the elaborate looking courtyard or I really did risk losing them.
I felt like shouting ‘what are all you people still doing here at this time?’ or was this everyone’s version of date night and instead of going to the movies, it was a midnight stroll around the palace fountain!
I zigzagged and weaved in and out of people, knowing that no one could see me but I wasn’t so sure if anyone could feel me or not, so knocking people down wasn’t an option. I looked up to see there was only one way of making this any easier and that was to simply go through the fountain itself!
“I can’t afford to lose them.” I said to myself and so without giving it another thought I ran towards the small wall surrounding the water and leapt over it landing ungracefully on all fours thanks to my clumsiness. I spat out the water like I was also blowing raspberries and wiped the remainder from my face as I got back up. Then I ran in the only awkward way anyone could when running in water until reaching the other side, where I then legged it to reach the same doorway I had seen him pass through.
It wasn’t easy running in a soaking wet tunic down to my ankles as I felt as though someone had dumped a wet sack over my head, but I could only imagine the trouble I would be in if I wasn’t in that room by the time they got there. How on earth would I explain any of it. Hell, I didn’t even understand it! And Pip, what had happened to Pip?
These were all the questions running through my mind as I ran like my life depended on it. I skidded around the pillar and through the door only to be left panicking even more when I had no clue as to which way they went.
“Come on, Pip!” I shouted looking up one last time before making the rash decision to continue forward, instead of turning down either of the two directions they could have taken. At first the odds didn’t seem to be in my favour until I rounded a corner and saw them just passing through a door at the end. My heart pounded and my lungs burned from all the physical exercise, which made me curse my stupid aversion to the gym. That was it, as soon as made it back I was signing myself up to one, because this was getting ridiculous! I couldn’t help thinking how much easier it would be when getting myself in these crazy situations if I was as fit as say, Zena warrior princess!
I pushed myself even harder making it to the door before yanking it open thinking that I would be faced with another hallway I would have to race down. Of course assumption can be the downfall for a lot of people, just as it was for me in that very moment, because directly on the other side I found Draven and Ranka.
They had obviously been stopped by someone as Draven, with his back to me, was busy speaking to someone in fine robes and a jewel encrusted turban. My mouth dropped open in shock as everything else started to happen in slow motion.
Ranka was the first one to turn around to face me and from the look of astonishment she gave me, it didn’t take a genius to know that Pip’s voodoo was wearing off. I looked down at myself and frowned as my body started to fade in on itself, now making Ranka’s look of astonishment turn into one utter bewilderment.
Draven was still speaking so hadn’t yet noticed Ranka’s strange behaviour but this was about to change as he gave her a quick glance, as though he could feel something was wrong. She looked to him but it was too late, he had already seen her reaction to the doorway so was now turning around himself to see what it was she had been staring at. I closed my eyes hoping that I could prolong the time before having to explain myself and why I was stood opposite them both, now ringing wet. To be honest I couldn’t understand how they could now see me, unless…something terrible had happened to Pip?
That thought nearly sent me into blind panic and my eyes snapped open expecting to see the same look on Draven’s face as I had done on Ranka. Only that didn’t happen. No, instead I opened my eyes only to find my friend staring back at me and still in the same position as I had last left her.
“Pip?” I said her name in question and she grinned down at me, shrugged her shoulders and said,
“Uhh…my bad?” This was the moment I let myself panic!
“Shit! Pip what happened?! Never mind, we have to hurry ‘cause he is on his way up here!” Pip’s eyes widened but seeing that she didn’t move and was still sat on me, I had to buckaroo her off so that I could get up. She rolled to one side with an ‘umpf’ sound.
“I fell asleep. What do you mean he’s coming up here?”
“What do you mean you fell asleep?!” I shrieked back taking in her guilty look which at that moment she decided to combine with a yawn.
“What, I was wiped. Sending you palace hopping isn’t exactly something I can do with my pinky tied behind my back and with only three shakes of a lamb’s tail…no pun intended.” I frowned having no clue what any of that meant let alone what the pun could have been.
“Look it doesn’t matter but what does matter is that I am here now and pretty soon so will Draven!” This was when Pip finally got what I was freaking out about.
“Oh…OH! Oh okay, so keep calm…wait, why are you wet?” she asked, suddenly noticing first on herself from where she was sat on me and then on me, as I was still dripping on the floor.
“Because I ran through a fountain!”
“Rock on.” Pip commented giving me the sign of the horns, one usually reserved for rock concerts.
“Pip!” I shouted her name as she was still just sat on the bed, now holding her legs to her chest and rocking like a child.
“Oh right, panic…sorry, so what are we gonna do?”
“I don’t know, for starters how do I explain why I am all wet?”
“I know, say you were sweating and not used to the heat.” I stopped in my tracks to give her a look.
“What?”
“Oh I don’t know, because the whole aim of this trip was to sleep with the younger version of my husband in hopes of him getting me pregnant and him walking in here finding me dripping wet with what he thinks is sweat doesn’t exactly scream sex appeal, Pip!” I told her and she looked as if she was going to say something but then stopped herself and said,
“Good point…sweaty sex…good, sweaty before…not so much.”
“Exactly. Now what are we gonna do because he can’t find you here and me looking like this.” I said holding out my wet hair after nodding to my ninja fr
iend.
“Right! First things first, take off your clothes…quick, quick!” Pip said taking charge and after giving her a curious look she clapped her hands and said,
“Mush, mush!” After this I didn’t question it, I just did what she said and pulled my tunic over my head, trying to keep my modesty covered.
“Good, now stand there…over a bit…yep, just there. Now brace yourself, it’s been a while since I did this.” Pip said after directing me in front of the open arch that lead onto a balcony.
“How long exactly?” I asked with trepidation.
“Oh I don’t know, the last time I did laundry, so a few years.” I gave her a raised eyebrow.
“What? I usually just buy new clothes when I need them…now are you ready?”
“For what?” I asked still having no clue as to what she was planning to do.
“This,” she said coming to stand in front of me, then after raising her hands up above her head she shouted a word I didn’t understand,
“AURA!” I didn’t have to wait long before something happened for it seemed like she was drawing in energy from somewhere. I watched as her small dainty hands started to shake and her eyes started to turn into black smoke. Then before I could ask if she was alright, she flicked her wrists and shot the energy my way.
I sucked in a quick breath as a mighty gust of wind hit me with enough force to send me back a step as I fought to stay upright. The air started to increase until it whipped around me like a small tornado, lifting my hair on end and spinning it around like rope.
It only lasted seconds but it was enough to have me bone dry in a heartbeat and as the air was suddenly sucked back out into the night, I was left panting for breath. I looked up to see I wasn’t the only one trying to get over the storm that just entered the room as Pip was also trying to catch her breath.
“Pip that was…wow…it was…” I was still trying to find the right words when Pip’s head snapped up from where she was bent over and she said,
Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 2 (Afterlife saga Book 7) Page 17