by B C Morgan
“That’s the ebony child, what do you think she is doing here?”
“No idea, but she has already sank her claws into Malachi.”
“I know, it is a true waste, I always had fun when he was frequenting my bedroom.”
That came from two scantily clad females, what they were was hard to tell, until I recalled the book that Malachi had convinced me to study. It was clear to tell from there that they were some kind of nymph, and they seemed like the kind that were a lot more relaxed about who they invited into their bed.
When he arrived back I tried to downplay the effect those whores had caused upon me, but it hadn’t been an easy feat.
He had been about to say something to me, when his eyes locked on them and he excused himself and made his way over to where they were standing.
Well easy to say, my rage came roaring back. I wanted to rip their little heads clean from their necks, I would have attempted it too if a male hadn’t distracted me taking a seat at our booth across from me.
“Relax beautiful, those trollops have nothing on you,” he stated, feasting on me with his eyes.
“And who invited you to sit down, I suggest you piss off before I set your pretty little face on fire.”
I wasn’t exaggerating either, he was a fine looking specimen to behold. He had jade coloured eyes, with olive skin. His hair was almost black and cut to a short length, while his body was long and muscular. His t-shirt straining under the pressure and he had a cocky self-assured air about him.
“I just thought you would have liked to meet Malachi’s competition for your affection, I’m sure Hades would have told you by now there was a much better alternative waiting for you.”
“You aren’t any kind of competition pretty boy, there would be too much blood shed if we ever came together.”
“You are talking about my kind I would imagine, then why would you slum it with Malachi. I can assure you, his hands are painted with a lot more blood than mine, although I am trying to rectify that situation.”
He leaned over the table and grabbed a hold of my hand, his eyes locking with mine.
I could tell he was trying to intoxicate me with feelings of lust and my mind started to sway, until I looked up and locked eyes with Malachi.
I could feel his anger from there and I leaned over the table towards the pretty boy before me, threaded my fingers through the back of his hair and then sent his head slamming into the table.
His nose made a crunching sound as blood began to pour from it, it was hard to miss Malachi’s smug smile as he got closer to the table.
By the time he reached us, the pretty boy was staring straight at me in shock and awe. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but Malachi stole that option away as he picked him up by his neck and threw him across the room.
I just sat there, looking up at him impressed, but still very much pissed off with him for leaving me here while he went back to his old conquests.
The smile fell from his lips as he realised that something was wrong, he went to lay a hand on my face but I jerked away.
“Did Troy do something?” He asked, his anger returning, at the mention of his rival’s name.
“No I can handle the pretty boy, I’m like this because you decided that you would rather spend time with two whores, than the girl you brought here with you. What could those chicks offer you, that I wouldn’t?”
I did not understand why that made him smile, and was even more perplexed when he started to laugh.
“Oh love, for a moment there you could have been the girl I fell for all those months ago. It’s funny, do you think they still interest me? You stole my attention from them, the first night we met; you own it, and I guess you even own me.”
A deep longing filled me in that moment and a sense of emptiness, that I had been trying to forget, came to the forefront of my mind.
Seeing Malachi’s eyes glow as he recalled a memory we both should have shared made me wished that I too could have recalled it, and I wanted to hear what had happened that night.
“Malachi, will you tell me about that night?” I asked and he agreed, even if he hesitated slightly.
“You were out with someone else, but the moment I laid eyes on you I knew I couldn’t let you leave with anyone else. I remember approaching you, with those two ‘chicks’ in tow. They were not pleased by my wandering attention, but I couldn’t have cared less in that moment, about their pleasure.
You were so sarcastic with how you addressed me, it Was like a breath of fresh air. I couldn’t resist touching you and using my gift to make you want me, it worked at first, we kissed so passionately it stole my air but then you pulled back. Somehow you could tell I was influencing you and that had never happened to me before, I couldn’t figure out how you did it. You later told me about not being able to feel anything, so you had known it had come from me. But it made me all that more intrigued. I tried to get you to tell me all your secrets that night, but your acquaintance chose that moment to return.
He got to leave with you and I got a punch to the face and sternum, for my efforts. Funnily enough it was a great night for me. Maybe not at the time, I mean I had struck out with you and those two found someone else to entertain. But in the long run it was worth it, I got to know you better and later on I got to experience something even better.”
“What did you experience?” I inquired, wrapped up in his words.
It had looked as though he would answer, but then he shook his head and refused to comment. I let him have that one for the time being, what was the point in pushing him after he had just told me the first story from our past.
Not long after that he took my back to my room and after a long lingering kiss in the doorway he let me be, I wasn’t eager to sleep or anything but I did drift off into a restless slumber.
I had awoken with that same splitting pain in my head, the one I had when I awoke the first time. My vision was filled with black spots and I couldn’t make anything out, I closed my eyes again, but the pain would not abate.
I could hear Adiran speaking to me, but his words were muffled. The intensity was growing more and more unbearable as a new pain emerged within my chest. It felt like something was ripping me open and hunting around inside the cavity, I hoped profusely it wasn’t happening. But it was so intense I found it hard to believe it wasn’t real.
My head was thrashing violently from side to side, and I could feel an icy balm beginning to cover my flesh as the smell of death permeated my nostrils. My eyes cracked open, and was met with the image of Adiran’s shadowy being covering my own.
I tried to convince myself he was trying to help, but the chill that was radiating throughout my body refused to cease. In that moment I doubted just how benign his intentions were, where I was concerned.
I tried to fight him off but was failing, when a sudden bright light filled my room and Adiran shrieked out in pain and disintegrated. I knew he wouldn’t be gone permanently, but the suffocating feeling already began to ebb, unfortunately the pain was only intensifying as the seconds continued to stretch into one another.
“My love, it’s okay. I am right here with you,” stated Malachi, as the bed dipped beside my shaking body and I felt the weight of his body pressing against my own. I wanted to cry out once more, but my mind began to feel at peace. The pain started to die away and I realised, Malachi had used his abilities to control my emotions and help me fight off the agony that had been coursing through me.
He started to let go as my body eased, but I seized hold of his arm and refused to let him move. I could feel the airy laugh that passed through him, but he no longer tried to pull away and I fell back into a state of calm but would not let myself surrender to slumber.
10
Adiran
The more creatures that she killed under my sway, the more power that coalesced throughout my being it was unleashing a hunger within me that could not be sated. It had been intoxicating to revel in the misery and sufferin
g that she had wrought upon her unsuspecting victims, and the fear that followed as others became wise to her new nature.
It had been draining at first, acting like I was her true ally, trying to convince the little morsel that I was the one ‘friend’ that she could trust and rely on. But for my true motives to come to fruition, I needed all distractions and potential threats to be eliminated.
It was lucky that none of the other fools that surrounded her could sense me, but I knew that Malachi had grown suspicious. Unya was not careful enough in her discreet interactions towards me whenever he was present. He had become my greatest threat, but my plans to undermine their relationship had fallen on deaf ears and been met with open hostility.
I had travelled the wrong route in trying to come between them, instead of turning her against him I needed to sway his loyalty away from her.
I thought I had succeeded when he had first discovered her new hobby, but he had accepted it rather too easily and for my liking. This had only added to my growing suspicion where he was concerned, this situation required me to push Unya harder and make her into an even darker creature than she had already become.
Extinguishing all of her light held a great risk for my overall plan, but it had become clear that I had to accept all the risks that came with it if I had any hope of gaining the foot hold that I craved.
I had to tighten the leash and ensure that I did not grow despondent, I could not afford for Unya to discover her true strength and just how little she needed me.
But in that moment I was stuck in my little world of darkness, an unsuspecting Malachi had banished me. Although a great worry was gnawing at my broken, decaying soul. How had he known to fight me with light, if he had no idea of my existence. If only he had not arrived in that precarious moment, I had been so close to destroying that part of her that was fighting to claw itself, free from imprisonment. If I was lucky enough to be granted another opportunity, I would ensure that I would not fail a second time.
The true ebony child could not be allowed to return, not if I had anything to say about it.
11
Marcus
When I had first arrived at Mihaela’s doorstop, it had filled me with trepidation and worry.
We hadn’t spoken since I told her about Unya disappearing down into the underworld, because the hatred that burned in her eyes had hit me. But also because I knew she hadn’t only blamed me, she also blamed herself.
It played repeatedly in my mind, wondering if I was doing the right thing but I knew she had a right to know about the development that had arisen.
The door creaked open and the wary look bestowed upon me had me second guessing myself, once again.
“I did not expect to see you again Marcus,” she stated, but she didn’t seem disappointed by the fact.
“I didn’t expect to come back either, but I have learnt a few things that you deserve to know if you will hear me out.”
She only hesitated for a moment, before she walked away, leaving her door wide open.
She once again sat down upon her faithful chair, but there were no other in sight. That was until Mihaela fabricated one, from what seemed to be straight from thin air.
I took the proffered chair, and then braced myself for the conversation that was about to begin.
“Before you begin my dear ragazzo dolce, I must apologise for how I acted the last time we spoke. I was angry you would let her go down there after everything I had said, but it was unfair of me to put the blame upon your shoulders. We both know how stubborn she can be and it’s that stubbornness that makes me cling to the hope she is still out there somewhere.”
“Mihaela, that’s one thing I came to speak to you about. I know you will want to hear the new information regarding Unya first and foremost but I have a rather selfish request. You have a lot more wisdom and knowledge where the Gods are concerned than any of my people, whether or not you will admit that is irrelevant. But I need some advice and I worry if I were to tell you about Unya, then you may not want to speak to me again after.”
I saw her breathing speed up, and I wouldn’t have blamed her if she refused my request out-right. But, she did not. Instead she agreed to hear me out first, as long as I told her about her grand-daughter as soon as this was done.
“Thank you for this, I can imagine how hard it must have been for you to put your own feelings aside. The thing is, the Gods had gone quiet, too quiet if you ask me. But things have been changing, they’re so subtle the mortal populace has yet to notice but it won’t last forever.”
I had taken a pause, but she nodded her head for me to continue whatever it was I needed to say.
“People are turning on one another, riots are breaking out more and soldiers are becoming more trigger happy, but the most suspicious part is a lot of fatal ‘accidents’ have befallen those in command of the various soldier types. Not just here in England, but America, Russia, even Germany. A lot of this is going unnoticed, while the figure heads try to brush it under the table. But their own men, those who had been under their command had killed them. Whenever they were questioned about the said accident, they would all stand together, weaving the same story word for word. How could they be so in touch, there was no variation, even if it hadn’t been an insidious act how could their various tales all match, not just those in the same ranks but all across the world.”
“The only guess I would dare to hazard, would be that it was the work of Athena, the God of war. The reasons behind the acts are unknown to even me, and I would not like to assume anything where she is concerned. This worries me, there is no telling where this will end and what advantage this would pose for her.”
“Thank you for that Mihaela, if nothing else you have reassured me that my suspicions were not unfounded. Now as promised I have some news regarding Unya’s fate, but it only confirms she is alive. We still have no clue where she is in the underworld or what they have done to her.”
“You make it sound as though you know something has been done to her though, do not speak in riddles boy, tell me what you know,” she said it with a definitive edge to her voice, it was filled with hope but also insurmountable worry.
“Ishira felt her flame, but she cannot connect with her or to see where she resides. The only things she could tell for sure, Unya was controlling it and something within Unya has been changed. She could feel more power flowing through her and darkness, but the most confusing part was the emptiness she could sense. She feels Unya has lost something important within her and without it, she may never be the person we used to know.”
“Marcus don’t you see, my Nipotina is alive. Maybe it is shrouded in negativity but the fact remains she is at least, somewhat safe. To have survived for this amount of time within that sadistic brute’s clutches is a marvel. Plus we must remember the Unya we know is strong and stubborn. She will not go down without a fight and I know she will find a way back to us, before it is too late.”
Her last words filled me with dread, they sounded so ominous and even then, I had been left with no doubt she knew something we had yet to learn. She would not tell me what she knew and when I think back on that moment, all I can wish, is that she had, maybe then someone would have been able to prevent what would occur.
By the time I arrived back at my new residence, I could sense something had shifted within the air but I wasn’t able to tell what it was.
I could see a crowd converging around the woods, but the bodies were pressed so close together it was hard to tell just how many were down there.
I took off in a run towards the crowd, A few heads turned towards me but no one came to fill me in on the unknown situation. Until I saw Janelle breaking free from the swarm of bodies and we closed the distance between us.
“Marcus, thank the gods you are back. Ishira has gone berserk and we don’t know what to do, no one can get close without fear of her burning the whole woods down to the ground.”
I hadn’t bothered responding as I pushed my way th
rough the compressed bodies, but soon came to a sudden halt as the heat that was flowing outwards from Ishira hit me head on. I could feel my skin blister in a matter of seconds and my lips dried and cracked almost instantly. But I knew deep within my core I could not let it deter me, what kind of leader would I be if I didn’t try to rectify the situation. She was putting everyone in danger and I knew, despite the injuries I would sustain, I had to stop this.
By the time I came to a stop, I was mere feet away from her and it felt as though I had walked straight into an inferno.
“Ishira what’s happened? If you don’t calm down you could destroy this place and our people.”
“It’s too much Marcus, all that doubt cast upon Pearl and it wasn’t even her fault and how was she rewarded? By suffering and death, it isn’t FAIR.”
She screamed that last word and sent fire shooting free from her mouth, engulfing every tree that got in the way.
Luckily for me, I had remarkable people following me and David and Janelle soon took command of the situation, they were guiding the others to get the fires extinguished.
“Look I have no idea what you are talking about, but if you do not cease I’ll have to make you. I’m not threatening you Ishira, but I can’t allow you to hurt anyone.”
Her eyes were glowing profusely, but somehow, my words reached her and the heat of her flames began to subside.
The next moment she was falling to the blackened ground and weeping, I had no idea what to do in that moment. Maybe I was being a martyr, but despite the flames surrounding her frame, I wrapped my arms around her and offered her solace.
Her heat was melding the fabric of my clothing to my skin and the pain continued as it ravaged my flesh by third degree burns. Her eyes widened when she realised what I had done and for the first time, her flames disappeared.