Chapter 138 - Elementary

Chapter 138 - Elementary


My fingers trace the words that the Orttenburg scribes have written down on paper. I flip through the pages and review to check if everything is correct.

“How was it?” Seth asks as he hovers behind me, his fruity smell a constant torture. “All good?”

“Yes, all seems to be the same as I recalled.”

“So, our theory is correct then? The deeper you get into the people's minds, the more memories you recall?” he asks.

I nod. We have been doing the same process for months. Studying the prisoners’ minds, raising our skills, and encountering that same black entity that feels like General Brandon—not as acute as his, though.

“So, how far back are we in your memories?”

I lift my eyes to him. He smiles, a look of delight on his face. He seems to enjoy it every time I lay my eyes on him, a result of the mate bond that I share with him.

“Only a couple of centuries,” I say. “And you? How’s your control?”

“I’ve become more efficient with it.”

Seth and I have been skilled with controlling minds. In fact, if he has a different personality, he can conquer the entire world. Thankfully, he’s not that way. He is more of a goofy king, rather than a conqueror. Or maybe he’s become too skilled that I can’t even notice that he’s controlling how I think?

I watch as Seth’s smile widens. “You hurt me, Kaiya. I can feel your doubt in me. Have our relationship fallen so low?”

I frown at him. “We are not too high up to fall dramatically, Seth.”

He grins and places his arms around my shoulders. “Since we’ve finished another century, let’s celebrate in the garden with snacks and drinks.”

I remove his hand from me and say, “You mean that you want to go to your private abode again?”

“Yes, it’s my favorite place, especially with you in it.”

I feel a pang in my heart. I move away from him and walk to the couch.

“Oh!” he exclaims. “You felt something for me, didn’t you? Something positive?”

“I didn’t,” I say as I pour myself a cup of tea.

“I know you did. No need to be shy about it,” he says, sitting beside me.

I sigh, looking at him. “Seth, can we not do this right now?”

“What is?” he asks, leaning closer to me. “We share a mate bond. Your emotions are linked to mine. I know what you want to do every time we are together. And guess what? I feel the same.”

I push him away. “Seth, we need to focus on our skills and we still don’t understand that dark entity I’ve been encountering every time I go deeper into a human consciousness.”

He scoffs. “Always so serious, Kaiya. Lighten up, enjoy the brief moments we have.”

I take a sip of my tea, trying to ignore the way his presence warms my skin. The mate bond is definitely acting up, but that doesn’t mean that I have to act on it.

“Fine,” I say, finally agreeing. “Let’s go and celebrate at your abode.”

His face lights up. “Then I will ask Darius to bring in some drinks and snacks. We are going to celebrate all night!”

I roll my eyes. His ‘celebrate all night’, means that we are going to talk a lot, play some cards, and something else that I don’t even want to talk about.



After we prepare ourselves, we walk towards his abode. I can feel my body tensing up, especially when Seth is being so free with his touches and ignores my blatant rejection of a more intimate relationship with him.

With a clap on my back, he breaks me out of my thoughts. “Come on, Kaiya, relax. Let’s enjoy the night like we always do. No vampires though,” he adds, chuckling.

I laugh with him. There is one time that I invited the vampires with us. However, it was chaos. Ninus was drinking in Ruth at specific intervals across the night. Inanna is quietly meditating on the side, while Gezer kept on pestering Seth to read his mind—we found out then that Seth can only read human minds.

And so, I force a smile and follow him inside. Darius has already set up a table with drinks and snacks. I grab a glass of wine, hoping it will ease some of the tension, and sit on the blanket set up on the ground. It is a cozy place, perfect for a more romantic and intimate event. Realizing it, I shake my head. Lust, that’s all I feel for Seth right now. And acting on it will hurt the person I love. And so, I sip on the bottle of wine and steady my heart.

Seth takes the seat next to me, and I can feel the heat radiating from his body. I try to remind myself that he is just a friend, nothing more, but my body seems to have a different idea. My skin tingles with anticipation as Seth leans closer to me.

“You know, Kaiya,” he says, his voice low and husky, “I’ve been wanting to tell you something for a while now.”

I take a sip of my wine, trying to calm my racing heart. “What is it?”

He reaches out and takes my hand in his. “I know we’ve been friends only for a short time, but Kaiya, I can’t help the way I feel about you. You are beautiful, smart, brave, and, more importantly, you constantly make me guess. You are perfect for someone like me, Kaiya.”

My heart pounds in my chest as he leans in even closer. I can feel his breath on my neck, his lips hovering just inches away from mine.

“I know you’ve been holding back,” he continues. “But you can’t deny the chemistry between us. For me, it’s too strong to ignore.”

I’m torn. Every fiber of my being is telling me to push him away. But at the same time, he is right. Because of the mate bond, there is an intense attraction that I feel toward him.

As he leans closer to me, I feel an unease build within me. My mind races with thoughts of rejecting him again, but before I can say anything, he leans in and presses his lips against mine.

My whole body responds to his touch, my senses being overwhelmed with his scent and taste. His hands roam my body, igniting a fire within me that I’ve felt with Theo before.

I try to stop myself, to push him away, but my traitorous body doesn’t listen. I know I shouldn’t be doing this, but Seth’s touch is intoxicating, and the warm feeling that’s spreading throughout my body is difficult to resist.

He pulls away from me, his eyes locked on mine as if he’s waiting for a reaction. I can see that he’s worried I’m going to reject him, but I can’t do it. Not when my body is screaming for more.

“This is the first time I kissed you,” he whispers, his thumb stroking my lips.

“Seth,” I whisper, feeling a shiver run down my spine. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

Seth leans in, his eyes searching mine for any sign of rejection. “Please, Kaiya. Just give us a chance. Don’t deny yourself what we both want.”

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the chaos that’s raging inside me. “We can’t,” I say, even if my hands start to roam his body, feeling every muscle under his clothes. He responds with a primal growl, pushing me down on the blanket and caging me in his arms.

“Damn, I didn’t know that I will want a woman as much as I want you now.”

Seth’s lips find mine again, as his hands start to explore every inch of my body. I can feel myself giving in to him slowly, letting the fire between us burn hotter and brighter.

“Let me make love to you,” he whispers in my ears. “Let me please you.”

His lips are on mine and his hands are on my body. It all feels so familiar and yet so new. The mate bond is a powerful thing, and it’s making it hard for me to resist him.

But as much as I want this, as much as I want him, I know deep down that I can’t keep going. I have to think of Theo and what this would do to him if he ever found out. And then, seeing Theo’s face in my mind, I push Seth sharply. He hits the foot of the table and stumbles back, staring at me with confusion and hurt in his eyes.

“I can’t do this,” I say, tears streaming down my face. “I love Theo. I can’t betray him like this.”

Seth looks at me, but instead of anger, he is a picture of understanding. He slowly crawls towards me and hugs me. “Shhh, it’s alright, Kaiya. I understand.”

I wrap my arms around him in comfort. “I am sorry, Seth. Honestly, I like you as a friend and I am attracted to you now. But I don’t want to lose Theo. I don’t want to hurt him.”

Seth pulls back and looks at my face. He wipes my tears and grins. “No harm done. It was just a moment of weakness.”

I smile weakly at him, feeling guilty for leading him on like that. “Thank you, Seth.”

We sit in silence for a few moments, both lost in our own thoughts. The tension between us has dissipated now, replaced by a sense of closeness and comfort.

“You know, I think—“

Before Seth can complete his words, the door opens with a thud, interrupting our moment. In comes Theo, his face contorted with anger and disappointment.