THE PIT
XASEAH COR
When I opened my eyes it was to the mish mashed shape of earth I had spent quite a few days getting familiar with. To be honest Nisi was not as much of a master builder as she claimed she was, what she had carved out here, was extremely ugly, but for some reason Kael was holding back on it's reconstruction. I turned my head the side, and there was my grandfather, drooling and looking every bit the sloppy and disgusting dwarf I knew him to be. I chuckled in amusement, it seems almost dying was not enough for that dwarf to mend his embarrassing ways, ahh! I still had my job cut for me.
Then I heard the sound of water being squeezed from a wet rag, I felt the rag clean my face, as it trailed down my arms, taking care to avoid my slowly healing cuts. I knew who that was even without having to look, I could feel her inside of me. And to be honest, the very thought of facing her terrifies me.
"Your going to look at my face eventually, I don't see any reason why you would be looking the other way, when I'm standing right here. That's quite rude you know."
Her words sent a fiery wave of electricity running through my body, her words were powerful. I could smell it from her as it was released in waves and droves, lord Kael might not be able to notice it due to how weak he was at the moments, but I was stronger, so without a doubt I could feel it. The power she wielded, and how it seems to cover her like a cloak. A natural born queen, I was nothing like her.
"I'm not really interested in your feelings of Insecurities little girl, frankly we both don't have time for this. So it would be in your best interest to do what I tell you right now...…..Look at me!"
My body shook involuntarily with fright, her voice was not loud. It was soft, and powerful, too powerful. Even though I did not like the idea of being this suppressed by another woman, I did not have a choice, she was an elder. Two ranks above me, and with enough power to end my life with a thought. My very being demanded I gave her respect, it was one thing about being a Vampire that annoyed me. Our blood, out bodies, can never go against those of a higher rank, it was as if it was hardwired in our biological make up to be respectful and subservient to vampires more powerful and of a higher rank than us.
I turned my head to look at her, the moment I saw her, really saw her, I forgot how to breath. She was beautiful, devastatingly so.
Her red hair moved with an invisible current of air, fluttering like a herd of birds traveling south for a winter migration. Her pale white skin, was a complete contrast to my black as night body. We were like two sides of the same coin, the sultry and wild night elf, and then the refined and noble looking human warden. Of course this was just who we were, our skin color never changed, but we're very different people from where we first turned.
"Well at least you're beautiful, I wouldn't have forgiven him if you were not up to my standards."
At her words, realization dawned on me, no matter how you looked at it, I stole her husband. Of course it was an accident, but still such an act will warrant the full retribution and hate of a slighted woman.
"I.....I....about the [Údāmá]….."
"I don't need your explanation Xaseah." She cut me off rather harshly.
"I know what happened, and while I really want to strangle you while also simultaneously stabbing my fingers into your eyeballs,...…..I will not. From this moment on, you will have no choice but to love him because of the bond, it's quite different from the our case. We fell in love before the bond, but as it has been for thousand of years, the bond can never be broken, and the people bonded to each other will love each other till the world or the life ends...…..this has become our fates now. Which is why I advice you to accept it and move on. Do you understand?"
I blinked, but could only nod my head in answer. Being near this woman was so intoxicating and frustrating, even when I worked for Lukas, I have never felt so afraid, yet so reverent of a person. This power she had, I wanted it so badly, hungered for it like nothing I've ever experienced.
"Good, now we have to plan what we will do from here going forth. Your injuries will put you out of action for another month of so. There's silver poison within your blood stream, and even with my powers as an elder, it would be extremely difficult for me to pull it out without killing you. So we have no choice but to wait for it to disperse naturally, or at least until the medicine I sent for arrive in a few weeks. But until then you'll be bedridden and under intensive care to make sure the poison does not regress during its period of dispersion. But after that is over, your real duty begins in earnest."
She paused and lifted my head, offering me a cup filled to the brim with blood. She might have well been giving me poison with how terrified I looked at the act. I was being fed by an elder, and not just one, the youngest elder, and one who reached that rank in the shortest time possible, in the entire history of vampires. But she scoffed and forced the entire thing down my throat. It was a policy to never waste anything in the pit, so I made sure not one drop of the blood spilled to the ground. It was a cocktail, the extra ingredient seems to be a werewolf's blood. I could recognize that deep tang that clung to the roof of my mouth with an intense after taste.
"Now that he knows I'm pregnant, Kael will do all manner of things to get stronger so that he can protect us. But he would also do stupid things, and due to his pride as a man, he would keep throwing himself in front of danger to shield me and our child. I can't stop him, and in my condition I won't be able to help him. But I've heard whispers about you from my coven, you work for the red devil of the white district Lukas, and recently became one of his fiercest enforcers, and quite skilled in combat. I was going to recruit you to work under me, that is before you went ahead and married my husband."
I felt myself stiffen from her words. She did not just know who I am, she had wanted me to serve her, but now the servant has went and become someone of equal status by bonding to her husband while the potential mistress was looking another way. There's no way something like this won't cause bad blood between the two of us. But so far it looks as if I'm the only one worried about being her enemy.
"So in light of recent events, I want you to protect him. You're the only one who can until he gets strong enough to do that for both of us. If you have to be his personal guard, then be it. If you have to be his maid, then be his maid. If you have to his woman and warm his bed since I no longer can due to my pregnancy then...…then be his woman. You do anything less than what's expected from the role you now have, and I promise you I'll kill your stupid dwarf of a grandfather. And make sure your life henceforth would make hell look like an afternoon picnic."
My eyes turned fierce as my veins pulled with rage. I was scared of this woman, but no matter what, I wouldn't let anybody threaten my grandfather.
"Don't you dare lay a hand on my grandfather, if anything happens to him, I'll kill you." I promised with as much force and strength as my weakened voice could muster.
"Well you do have a fire in you. Naturally you're without fear, you only shake so much because I'm an elder and you're a nosferatu. But this fearlessness of yours, that seems stronger when the person you care about the most is in danger, you better make sure Kael becomes that person. No harm will come to your grandfather, the man already has one foot in the grave, and his life style is hastening the process. Just look after Kael...…ultimately that's what I'm asking of you. I'm grateful for what you did for him, but right now, I'm not strong enough to shield my husband which is why...which is why I'm asking you to serve him in my stead."
I understood her fear, felt her pain, but above all I felt her love as it washed over me. I could have sworn I felt my dead heart beat from the sheer strength of the affection she had for Kael. And I was not jealous, no, not all, instead for some reason I wanted that love. And as she went back to cleaning me, I remembered what she just said about being fearless for the person most important to me, but she wanted me to make Kael that person. But I don't think she realized, that because of the bond we all shared now, She also has the potential to be the most important person to me, and not Kael.