Chapter 42: Divine Mates, Part II
Curses!
Augustus suddenly stumbled on his feet, blood flowing from the sides of his mouth and eyes. He clutched his chest with a strained hand, as if…
As if he was stopping something from controlling his body.
On instinct, I let the Divine Link between us manifest its powers, as I ran towards him. Augustus raised his hand. My feet stopped.
“Don’t… don’t go near me…” Blood poured from his lips even more. “Don’t come near me, Hestia…”
Mother, what’s going on? I asked in my mind. Why’s Augustus like this?
“Isn’t that sweet? He’s trying to stop the mannikin spell,” Mother replied. “I didn’t know he was now capable of doing that. The Alpha is truly something else when it comes to you, Hestia…”
What should I do? My palms felt sweaty as I reached for his cheek. Augustus moved his face, as if touching him was a mortal sin…
“Augustus…”
“If you come near me, I might hurt you,” Augustus warned, his voice strained. His green eyes dimmed, cementing me at my spot.
I felt…
Like shit.
Because I knew, deep inside, this wasn’t pity. Deep inside my heart, I still want Augustus. No, I still love him.
Love enough for me to prevent him from dying.
“Hestia…”
The purple Divine Link between us burned brighter as I tried to transfer his injuries to me. The taste of iron in my mouth, the bleeding from my eyes…
They paled in comparison with what I was feeling as I watched him suffer.
Mother, please don’t let Kieran know.
“My powers aren’t working…” I mumbled as I cupped his face in my hands, pouring every ounce of magic that I could. “Why aren’t my powers working on you?”
“Leave, Hestia!” Augustus snarled as he tried to push me away. “Please…”
“No…”
Blood pooled in my mouth as I slammed my lips against his, forcing Augustus to drink my blood. He resisted for a few more, until the scent from his mouth hit me.
It’s the same substance the Stranger showed me!
I slammed him against the grass, prying his mouth open. My fist slammed against his chest, but he only coughed up blood.
Our lips crashed once again, as I forced him to drink my blood again. But Augustus’s green eyes remained the same.
Lifeless, and burning at the same time.
He felt feverish against my fingertips. And on his pants, a massive bulge formed around the crotch area.
I pounded against Augustus’s chest so hard and repeatedly poured my blood into his lips that when one of the Temple priests saw me, we were both coughing up blood.
My body caught his fire. But my mind was on autopilot; I could’ve lost a limb right now, but it wouldn’t matter to me.
I need to save him… No, I need to stop the effects of the aphrodisiac!
“Mother, please save him… He still has to pay for his sins with me…” I prayed out loud as I pounded his chest hard once again. “Augustus can’t die on me! I…”
I do still love him…
“Hestia! What happened?” Castiel hurriedly knelt beside me, taking my hands. Two of his apprentices took over on Augustus’s body.
“Augustus, he’s… he’s poisoned…” I struggled in his arms, but Castiel kept on holding me firmly. “Let me go, I… I need to save him—”
“Leave it to the Temple,” Castiel replied as he gently helped me stand up. “You’re in no good condition either.”
It took Castiel a few more words before he was able to pick me up and lead me away from the sight.
I watched as they strapped him to a stretcher and carried him away, as he continued to violently cough up blood.
Why didn’t I predict this? The Stranger had warned me…
Why didn’t it ever cross my mind that Medea might use him against me? That he…
“Please tell me you can save him,” my voice broke as Castiel put me down in a secluded spot inside a hedge maze in the middle of the gardens to calm my mind.
I stared at my hands, painted with red. I used the sleeves of my dress to wipe away the blood, to no avail. The fabric barely cleaned the blood.
“Castiel, Augustus… he’s…”
“He’s fighting a curse. I know,” Castiel calmly replied as he knelt before me. He used the sleeves of his ceremonial priest robes to clean my hands and the side of my lips. “I’ve been secretly trying to find a cure for it, but he always refused. He said it was his punishment…”
“He said he didn’t want to hurt me… I…”
My breath grew deeper as I felt a familiar sensation creeping up my belly. I grabbed Castiel’s shoulder, trying to brace myself as my pelvic pain grew stronger.
“Hestia! What’s wrong?”
I gulped. “I… I think Augustus accidentally took an aphrodisiac too… A potent one…”
I crossed my legs as the sensation grew unbearable. The sweet scent of incense from Castiel’s robes, his buttery voice, and the way his blue eyes stared back at me with concern…
This is bad. Very, very bad…
“Did you ingest it too?” he asked, his hand slowly reaching for my belly. “Hestia—”
“I didn’t, okay? You saw me earlier. I was trying to make him drink my blood—”
“If it’s truly potent, saliva would be enough to transfer some of the effects to another person,” Castiel grimly cut me off, as he removed his robes. He placed his palm on my forehead. “You’re burning.”
I watched as Castiel calmly placed his robes next to me as everything around us grew unbearably hot. My breaths grew more and more ragged, until…
“You need a cure,” Castiel softly whispered as the last piece of his robe fell on the grassy ground, revealing a thin, white shirt that almost looked molded on his skin. He licked his lips as he leaned down on me, his eyes fixated on my lips. “An effective one.”