A Queen Among Blood: Chapter Ten - Osiah
I disappear only to reappear in front of a large white double door. With no effort on my part, I push my arms in front of me blasting the doors open as my hands connect with the wood. I storm through the pristine 14,000 sqft villa of all white, turquoise, and deep blue accents with marble floors. I pass the living area, pass the kitchen and storm right out to the backyard. I step out into the oceanfront oasis seeking my target. I make my way through the white stone paths that divide the many swimming areas, proceed past the palm trees and up the stone steps until I get to the pool at the far end. As I reach the top platform, I look down into the clear turquoise waters at the woman I seek, her 7’1” curvaceous frame lazily floating on the water’s surface. Her fuchsia hair sprawled out around her and her white bikini clinging to her bronze skin.
“Is there a reason why someone who can pop in wherever he likes, felt the need to break down my front door?” she casually asks, her eyes remaining closed.
“What the fuck have you done?” I snarl.
She continues to float peacefully, “You’re going to have to be a lot more specific than that.”
“Don’t play games with me Zarseti. You gave me a fucking animai! Have you lost your mind?!” I shout, my chest heaving as anger rages in my veins.
Her liquid silver eyes snap open and a smile splits across her face as she stops floating and stands up in the pool, “You’ve met Yildiz!” she exclaims in excitement.
I blink back my shock, “Is that her name?”
Her face drops into a scowl, “Are you telling me you met your animai and you didn’t even ask her name? You’re even more far gone than I thought,” she says, rolling her eyes. She proceeds to step out of the pool and pulls a white, lace kimono on over her head.
For a moment I feel guilty when I realise I never asked for her name, but I shake the thought away. “Her name doesn’t matter. I have no intention of completing the bond. I’m here to demand you undo this magic. Why would you even do something like this?” I ask, feeling appalled.
“I was doing you a favour.”
“I never asked you to do me a favour,” I say through gritted teach.
“Oh, I see. So it’s okay for you to demand favours from me, but when I give them out of the goodness of my own heart, that’s when it’s a problem,” she says, folding her arms in irritation.
“She’s your own daughter. How could you condemn your own child by tying her to me? It’s cruel beyond belief.”
She raises her eyebrow making her Eastern European features look more fierce, “How have I condemned her exactly? How is gifting her the perfect person for her, condemnation?”
“I wanted to feed on her Zarseti! Her blood sang to me, a fact only made worse by your stupid bond! I craved to sink my teeth into her flesh and taste her blood. I still crave it. I can still feel her touch under my hand and her scent clouding my senses. If I were to lose control I could kill her. She’ll never be safe from me, not unless you remove the bond,” I say in agitation. I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the pool’s surface and look away in disgust.
“Did you?” she asks flatly, pulling me from my self-loathing.
“Did I what?”
“Feed on her.”
“Of course, I didn’t! But every part of me wanted to,” I stress.
“But you didn’t, that’s the point. You didn’t hurt her because you already care about her. You’re even here in some heroic attempt to save her from you, but my daughter does not need saving, she is no damsel,” she smiles, walking over and sitting down at a long glass outdoor table and plopping a grape into her mouth.
“Do you have water in your ears? I am cursed, Seti. Doomed to an eternity as a monster. You dare doom your own child to such a fate?” I say, laying my hands down on the table.
Her eyes flare as she looks at me, “Do not even suggest I would ever put one of my daughters in harm’s way. I am well aware of your curse, we all are, that’s why I did this.” She sighs, “You did not deserve what was done to you, we all agree on that, and the horrors you have committed are not your fault. I may not be able to lift your curse, but I can at least grant you some happiness. It’s okay to be happy,” she says, reaching her hand out and placing it on mine.
“For the things I have done I deserve no happiness,” I deadpan.
She sighs pulling her hand back, “The years have made you stubborn. Either way, I will not undo what has been done. If you’re so determined to free her from you, then reject her.” My chest tightens and my stomach drops at the thought of rejecting Yildiz… I don’t think I’m strong enough to say the words. Zarseti sits back smirking, “You can’t, can you? That’s why you want me to do it. Well, too bad. I’m not causing my daughter that level of pain, nor am I risking her life. Rejection,” she says the word with disdain, “Can already lead to death in the worst of circumstances. But for me to actually reverse the magic that ties two people together, I would definitely be killing them. You would survive, but she wouldn’t. So, again, the answer is no.”
I take a breath scrubbing my hands over my face, “How were you even able to bond us? I don’t have a soul, and neither do you,” I say, pulling a chair out and sitting down.
“No, as beings of the cosmos we have essrams. Only humans have souls, and since irshiusts were never human and were made directly from my magic, they too have essrams. So I suppose you’d say Yildiz is your essrammate,” she giggles.
“You must be so proud of yourself,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Little bit,” she grins. “Just give her a chance. Let yourself be happy, you’re long overdue,” she says sadly.
I look away, not wishing to see the pity in her eyes. For tens of thousands of years, this has been my life. One mistake and I’m still being punished for it. I have hurt so many people and as a result, my curse spread and infected innocent humans. I take care of my progeny and try to stop them from hurting humans, but it never seems to be enough. This curse is like a plague, and since it was not created by me, it can’t be stopped by me. So I just get to suffer. Now Zarseti expects one of her own daughters to suffer alongside me. It’s madness. Which reminds me.
“Your daughter is blind.”
“And?”
“Did something happen to her?” I ask, unable to hide my concern.
“You’d know if you took the time to get to know her, but no. Nothing happened to her, I made her that way,” she says casually while pouring herself something to drink from a large jug.
I pull back in disgust, “You disabled your own child?!”
Once again her eyes flare, “Careful. I did no such thing. Just because she lacks sight, does not mean she is unseeing. You haven’t even taken the time to get to know her name, let alone her, and already you view her as a damsel in need of saving, and now you think because she can’t see that it means she lives a deprived life. You’ll find yourself mistaken on all counts. But you’ll learn that in time.”
“I won’t go near her, Zarseti, nor will I claim her. I may not have the strength to reject her, but I can stay away from her,” I say with determination.
Zarseti throws her head back and laughs, “Do let me know how that goes, won’t you?”
“No doubt she’ll reach out to you as I have. What will you tell her about me?” I ask hesitantly.
“It is not my place to tell her about you, as it is not my place to tell you about her. It is your duty to tell her everything about who you are, just as she will tell you about herself. If you give her the chance,” she says softly.
“So you’re staying out of this? If I choose to let her live her life, you won’t intervene?” I ask pointedly.
“I’m offended you’d even ask. No, I have no intentions of intervening beyond what I already have, I also don’t have to. You can try to convince yourself that you can stay away from her, but you can’t,” she smiles.
“If that is true it’s only because of your forsaken magic!”
She laughs, “I help people find the perfect person for them, but I do not create love. That comes on its own. So everything you’re feeling for her right now, has nothing to do with my magic,” she smiles knowingly, “You care for her deeply already. You would already go to great lengths to protect her. My magic didn’t do that. So run from what you feel all you like, but sooner or later it will get the best of you. I just hope by then she hasn’t given up on you. Love may never die, but patience does.”
“Then we’ll see which one of us is right,” I say as I rise to my feet, leaving the Goddess of Peace and Love to her devices. I don’t care what she says. I will ensure Yildiz, and I never cross paths again.