With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto, an albino
A mosquito, my libido.
A denial, A denial.
-Malia J
[Warning : This chapter contain depiction of sexual assaults that may be upsetting for readers. Reader discription is advised]
C A D E
How time flies when I'm with Lia. It didn't even hit me that it's our last day here; we are going back to California tomorrow. Kabir and Priya's wedding went by in just a blink.
Now, I have two options from here- to leave all of this and disappear like before, free and alone. Or to stay, stay with her, to start and end my every day with her, to sleep in her arms and wake up by her kiss.
But would she ever trust me with the secrets inside of her? She always looks up to me as if I am going to betray her. She has never trusted me with her past, so how would she trust me with her future?
Athalia continue to rock and lull Theiona to sleep in her arms, a small smile on her lips, her hairs falling to one side, the next thing I crave to see is my child in her arms.
I wish if we could run away from this crooked world to somewhere only we know. If only fate will find the way to us.
"Alina, do you know anything about Ruya?" I asked, and she turned to me.
"I know about...." she stopped moving and shut her mouth. I knew she was hiding something.
"You never told me your name?" I clicked my pen with a smirk. Her head moved up and down in agreement. Did she thought I'm a fool who can't figure out the lies she has told me?
"I- I'm not Alina," she said, staring at the wall, her grip tightening on Theiona. "I never asked if you are," I started walking closer, and her hands began to tremble. It's easy for me to scare someone who plays with words; in fact, I'm the one with the claws of the wolf.
"You thought I can't puzzle out the truth between your lies?" Her eyes widened as I tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Even if you are a universe full of secrets, chérie, I swear I'll dig into your eternity." I leaned down and whispered in her ear, holding her bare waist. Her loose end of the saree fell to her left hand.
Her head dropped down, gazing at the floor as she said, "I'll put Theiona to sleep first, w...we can talk after that." I backed off and followed her to bed, she laid the little one carefully on the mattress as I gathered up the scattered papers.
Athalia sat up, crossed legs hugging a pillow near her chest, her eyes watching my movements as I sat beside her. "What do you want to know?" she said, sniffing.
"Now tell me, how do I believe you even if you tell me the truth?" My words sounded harsh, they should. She looked down to her lap.
"I didn't mean to lie," she muttered.
"Then why did you?"
Her face turned to me, moonlight hitting her hair to shine. She frowned, her eyebrows furrowing, and gulped before letting out her statement.
"Tell me, tell me if I told you about the worst things I had done before, would you still look up to me like you do now?" she said with a harsh voice.
"It's always easier to love the light; it's the darkness you can't tolerate," I said. Her eyes stayed fixed on mine. I don't know what she is thinking, all I know is I need her, mess and all. There would be no point in being with her if the madness inside her can't sway with my demons.
"I want you, all of you, with that part of you that you're trying to hide from the world. It's still there inside you, scared or scary, let me just see it anyway." And I mean every fucking word.
She nodded her head slowly. "What do you want to know?" she asked. I think it's going to be a long night.
"I moíra tha vrei ton drómo tis" my French accent mixed with these Greek words. "Do you know what it means?" She shook her head. I relaxed against the headboard. It's not as if I am concerned about the peace stability of the world. If she has done something that can cause harm to her, I'll close this research of Kabir.
"What do you know about Ruya?" This time she answered, "She is Maya, I know her from my past. She and I, umhh... we kind of were in love, it's the word I guess." Her ears heated up mentioning her.
"Fate will find its way. Do you know what her name means?" she waited for me to continue.
"Maya, it's called illusion, Ruya stands for vision. When you try to make sense, it's 'the vision for the illusion,' and when you put the words of her name together, it comes out as 'Raya.' In Latin, Raya refers to Queen or Friend. It's easy to deduce that in the underworld, she's the one people know as the 'Queen of the vision who creates illusion.' Just the people are not smart enough like me to figure it out.
'Fate will find its way' is from the manuscript sold to Maya. I'm not duging into the myths, but the word Underworld only tells one story - Hades and Persephone, which at last tells about the acceptance of Faith. And I'm sure your ex-girlfriend has something to do with this thing."
"So please tell me as much as you can, not today but someday soon. I need to get that manuscript back," I said, and she nodded her head.
"From where do you want me to start?" she asked.
"From the beginning."
××××××××
"You want to get outta here, then listen carefully" said Maya when she was trying to cover up her wounds.
Elion, it's Elion who did this to her. He is beast, that psychopath know no mercy and she is not a Valkyrie who can fight back. If only her parents would had been kind to her this never would had happened. This all just for money.
"And wh-h..y would yo...u help me?" her words crack with sobs, why would someone selfish like Maya would help her and even if she ran away from this place where would she go, she is naive and can easily be tricked by anyone, who knows she might end up to a hell worse then here.
"Because I want my brother dead, that's the only way to grip into his power and if you told him you'll be dead before him " Maya whispered putting a bandage on her forehead.
"I don't even know where am I?" Maya took a deep sigh and shrugged her shoulders, her black curly hairs tied up in a ponytail and her green eyes shining with her brown skin.
"You're in Detroit, Michigan my love and no one knows where you would be tomorrow. Taliban, Iraq or Somalia?" Maya moved closer to her as the space in store was less and it was dark, the only source of light was a single Sunray coming from a small window.
"Now hear, Elion is suppose to be out for two months. I can settle down everything using this time. I can come up with the best plan and you just have to help me with one thing" said Maya rubbing dirt from her jeans.
"What?" asked Alina
"You have to seduce the monster"
"Just for one night, he is fond of innocent and virgin girls like you. It's upto you to decide doing this for one night or doing this shit with different mens every night" Maya helped her to stand on her feets, it was the first time ever she felt this way for a girl, not a friendly intention.
Maya was strong and well-built. She was maybe selfish, but there was something inside her-the determination to slay the beasts. She is not a crybaby like Alina, who tears up seeing a rat suffering in a mouse trap.
Alina wanted to become like her. She didn't want to die as a pathetic girl for whom people would hold candle marches. She wanted to die with a knife in her hand so she could become an inspiration.
This is how legends are made: with torn skin, broken dreams, and struggling to breathe. We never stop fighting until we die.
"I'll help you" there was the confidence in her voice.
"Are you sure?" said Maya with a smirk getting close to her the wall for not too far from her back. Alina gulped feeling her breath on her neck.
"Do you even know how to kiss Alina?"
She learned how the world works: it owes you nothing, and your deeds never end. You can still fly with clipped wings; it takes the right amount of flapping them.
Even the devil fell for her that night when she became the seductress. She never knew she could do this. His touch was disgusting to her, but for freedom, she was ready to do every terrible thing.
Her demon performed the erotic dance, from which no one could escape, devouring the magic of lust. With every moan, her soul cried for freedom, screamed to jerk away from that hand, but she could not. If this was the sin to kill the sinner, then she was ready to commit it.
"I hope nobody noticed," Maya said, looking at the building on fire.
"That was a fucking explosion! We just blasted the entire city hall," came the response.
That's when she felt a push, and the last thing she saw was Maya captured by her half-dead brother, and her own sister throwing her down into a conflagration.
What had she done to deserve a fate like that?
She closed her eyes and wished to be a phoenix who could rise from her ashes. She didn't want to be Alina anymore because she was a scared, timid girl pretending to be bold.
She was the girl who lived in nightmares, poisoned by fairy tales. She would haunt herself, wondering why she was not brave enough to fight back. Those touches, she would peel off her skin to remove them.
She was Alina, and she is dead.