Sacrifice (11 page)

“We both had power right before I took yours away,” I said, and took a couple steps backward.

“You did what you had to do. Now things will be different between us. They’ll be
right
between us,” He said, taking my hand in his.

Warmth coursed through my entire body, starting at the hand he held. I closed my eyes for a second, maybe two. It was as if I had never really breathed before – as if the air had never flowed through my lungs. The scent from the numerous bouquets of flowers, arranged around the room, intensified as if my nose was pressed up against them. Every sound in and around the house – the ticking on the grandfather clock, the blustery wind that whipped through the trees right outside the closed windows, Nikolas clinking bottles of wine in the cellar as he made his choice on one, became even more distinct and clear. I opened my eyes and every hue in the parlor was more vibrant. My heart beat in tune with his melodically, as if our hearts performed a duet.

“I felt it. I felt you,” he breathlessly. “It’s as if we are one. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long while now and I must admit that it was well worth waiting for.” Victor gazed into my eyes.

He was gorgeous, simply divine, and I was intoxicated with him. I was at a loss for words and he knew it. I was transparent to him now and I didn’t care. All I wanted in the world, all I needed, all that would make everything right, was a kiss from him, right now. I wanted to taste him and drown in his arms. I leaned into him and took in his delicious fragrance of him – rich, dark, and sweet. I wanted him here and now. Just one taste, I thought. No.

“No… I can’t–” I pulled my hand away and stepped around him as his face fell. Oh gods, that was close.

“Delia, please,” Victor pleaded, reaching for me as I stepped past him. I kept my back to him.

I fought not to clench my chest in front of him as the searing pain stabbed into it like a sword. The pain wouldn’t subside, as the blade seemed to slide deeper. I was almost out of breath. Oh, gods, why?

“By the way, that pain, the one in your chest, will never cease. It may subside every now and again, but it’ll never stop. Not until you and I are together.” Victor said.

I hated this – him knowing all my secret feelings – my intense attraction to him, but thankfully not my thoughts. He reached out and stroked my hair for a moment. I wanted nothing more than to turn around and let him grab me and make me his, but I didn’t turn around. Instead, I fought against the pain.

“Then I’ll have to learn to live with it,” I said as I turned to face him.

“We’ll see how long that lasts,” he challenged.

“You better go find your sister, Victor.” My legs felt weak and wobbly. I took a deep breath, walked over to the sofa, and sat down.

“Thank you.” He had his powers back and he was grateful for that and the fact that I had saved his life, but he was disappointed. He wanted me as much as I wanted him, actually more, but I had more to lose.

“You’re welcome,” I said, trying not to look him in the eyes, but to no avail, I caught his gaze. “Now go find your sister and bring her to me,” I commanded, lightly.

Victor nodded, turned, and walked away. He disappeared before he reached the archway to the foyer. I heaved a sigh of relief. My mind drifted to Evan, whom I have loved for such a long time. It seemed like he and I had always been connected. I was scared, so scared for the very first time that things would never be the same between Evan and I.

After experiencing what I just felt with Victor, I needed to see Evan now. I wanted some reassurance that we were still a union and that we were still going to be together. I wanted it to stay as it had been – effortless. Evan loved me. That was a certainty. However, did he still feel the same after meeting Evangelia? My stomach caved and I grabbed the arm of the sofa for support, squeezing so hard that I felt the wood frame crack beneath my fingers.

Things in the room were beginning to get out of focus. I could barely see the potted ferns in the corner or the chaise lounge across from where I sat. Thoughts of Evan touching her ricochet in my mind. If they had touched then they must have felt the surge that would merge them together forever. I felt the tears brimming and it was as if someone dear had died. I couldn’t catch my breath. I wouldn’t let Evan go.

Then a revelation came to me. It had to be her. Evangelia had been the one he’d been seeing in his dream every night. The one he made love to. Oh gods, no! It was her – the hair as dark as a raven’s, the face that was as pale as Victor’s, and not olive-toned like mine, and the intensified aura, like a flame that couldn’t be snuffed out. It was
her
. Evan spoke of how he had felt a greater attraction, while he dreamt, to who he believed was me. By now, he had to know that he was wrong.

Oh gods! I can’t lose him. Please let us be together, I pleaded, although I knew that they would never answer my prayer. I rubbed my medallion, and even it couldn’t cool my nerves. I let the tears flow into both my hands. I was sniffling and wiping my face when I heard the voices. I could hide the tears but not the puffy red eyes.

“She’s already heard,” Hedea said as she sat down next to me on the sofa.

The heads of my warrior teams surrounded me. Julius towered over everyone in the room, which consisted of Bethany, Betrand, and Olympia. Nikolas was here too, and he looked at me curiously.

“Who told you, Empress?” Julius’ voice boomed.

I looked from one face to the next as they all milled around the room with their eyes locked on me. It seemed like so much had happened since I saw Hedea circling the house earlier. How could I have forgotten? 

“Did you find them?” I asked, jumping up from the sofa. I didn’t like how the hues of their eyes kept getting darker as they looked at me, indicating something had gone awry.

“Oh, I thought… I mean I saw you crying, therefore I thought you knew…” Olympia said, and then stopped abruptly.

“I wasn’t crying, just thinking,” I lied. “Tell me. What have you found?”

“Empress, we were successful in finding where your parents are buried,” Bethany said solemnly. “Actually, you have both Bertrand and Olympia to be grateful for that. They came and got me once they located the burial place and took me there.”

“Where?” I asked.

“Emperor Tieron and Lady Tieron’s burial place was found in a tomb.”

“Alright,” I nodded. “But where’s the tomb?” I asked, impatiently.

“New York City,” Bethany said.

“
New York City
?” I asked, incredulous.

Everyone nodded.

“Did you bring them back?” I asked.

I was overcome by the dead silence in the room. After a few seconds and when it seemed that no one could muster the courage to tell me anything, Nikolas spoke up after taking a long sip from his wine glass, draining it.

“They couldn’t.” Nikolas said.

“The tomb was empty,” Betrand said, gravely.

“Empty? I don’t follow,” I said, shaking my head. ‘You’re not making any sense.”

I was losing my patience. Why couldn’t they give me a straight answer? They had no reason to fear my reaction. I couldn’t blame them for anything that they found.

Olympia stepped forward, took a deep breath, and said, “The tomb was empty because your parents won’t be buried there until sometime in the summer of 1926.”

Eleven – Evan

Touch

I know for sure when the flame ignited. Last night, it coursed through every inch of my body and brought a new perspective on everything. My skin was pulsating and my head was dizzy with her aura. The touch had been the most intense feeling I had ever felt in all of my life, well while awake anyway.

I never expected anything this intense. I could feel her heart beat anxiously, as she worried for her brother, and then suddenly I could feel it become in tune with my own. I had no control over what I was feeling – raw desire, and an unfamiliar urgency to be one with her. It was like I hadn’t lived before she reappeared.

We had stood in the darkened forest, for a moment, holding hands. I was about to teleport us to Delia’s house when her aura merged with mine. I forgot everything else in the world when I looked into those big, hypnotizing, crystal eyes and nearly fell in. She was alluring in a way that made me feel guilty, because I wanted her. Yet while I was around her, I didn’t care who noticed my desire for her.

Right now, I was annoyed with my lack of control in her presence. I wasn’t certain that I would take another breath if I didn’t see her soon. My mind drifted to Delia, and my chest lurched and cramped with pain that wouldn’t subside unless I rubbed it vigorously. I wasn’t sure what had caused the pain, the love I had for her, or the guilt I felt, which stemmed from my desire for Evangelia. How could I suddenly just have these feelings for another girl when I have Delia in my heart?

I loved Delia and needed to see her. I wanted to take one look at her and confirm that nothing had changed between us, but I felt apprehensive about going over to her house this morning. I felt like I was deceiving her and she knew. Although I wanted to see her, I also needed to see Evangelia badly. It was an animalistic and carnal need. It didn’t matter that she’d tried to kill me,
twice
.

Oh, divine gods!

What the hell is happening? Delia was my life, but I couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that Evangelia was much, much more.

Evangelia complicated things but made me feel more alive than I’d ever felt. For the very first time in the past few days since the dream had begun, I could finally understand it. It was
her
. Could the dreams have been a premonition of what would happen? Sweat beads broke out on my neck with the thought of what we did in the dream. I brought my body temperature down and fleshed out into water in order to subdue my desire.

I was very fortunate to have Delia’s love. Falling in love with her had always felt right, but falling in love could sometimes be wrong, no matter how blissful it felt. The elders were adamant about our union. They believed we were doomed. In the past, Delia and I didn’t let their beliefs intimidate us, but for the first time, loving her felt wrong and Evangelia was all that made sense in the world. It was as if I was suffocating and Evangelia was air.

I paced back and forth in the library. It was my favorite room in the entire house because I could hide in here and read. However, this morning I had no desire to read or do anything. I was confused and irritated. Why now, I thought. The anger was filtering back in my soul and I wished that I could have killed him myself. How could my father have been such a selfish bastard?

Damn him.

Luckily for him, Delia already banished him or I swear I would have killed him with my bare hands by now even if Bethany never spoke to me again. If he hadn’t set the Iptian’s up to take the fall for his crimes against the empire, neither Evangelia nor Victor would have ever left the empire. I used to hate my father because he caused Delia so much harm. Now I hated him for taking Evangelia away from me.

Oh no! I’m doing it. It’s starting. Am I really wishing that Delia and I never were together? No, I didn’t wish that. I’m sure of it. I just wish this pain in my chest would stop. It felt like a knife was being driven into it. I had an idea of what would bring relief and her eyes, like prisms, were what I wanted to look into right now.

How could they have this much control? The gods may fortify us with power but they had our hearts in their hands and twisted them in any direction they saw fit. No matter how much power we were gifted with, we all had one weakness – love.

“No!” I yelled as I slammed my fists against the side of my head. “Dammit. Get a grip! She’s the one you’ve always fought for. She’s worth everything.” This can’t be happening. I had to get a grip. I couldn’t let Delia see me like this. I had no idea how I was going to fight my desire for Evangelia, but I had to.

Finally, I had a taste of what Victor felt for Delia. And if it was anything like what I started feeling toward his sister, then I had the fight of my life ahead of me in order to save what I have with her. Nevertheless, all of that could be avoided if his powers were never restored. Delia would never really feel for him the way he feels for her. She would never reach this level of desire. I knew that I was being selfish but Delia was who I loved and who I wanted to be with. Evangelia was an obstacle that I would have to learn to avoid and overcome. I would literally be fighting my feelings for Evangelia for as long as I lived.

Delia was worth it.

“Mr. Evander, breakfast is ready.” Moon Rose said, pulling me out of my thoughts. I never heard her come into the library.

“I won’t be having any breakfast this morning. Apologize to your mother for me.” Light Shine hated when I didn’t warn her beforehand, but I just recently lost my appetite with all these painful notions.

Moon Rose nodded and left the room. I needed to get going. Delia was expecting me. The warrior teams had returned this morning and they had news that would devastate and astound her. Bethany had informed me of what the teams had found. Unfortunately, her team hadn’t been successful in our godly father’s seas and oceans.

The mission had not been a total loss. There had been some success. While the winged warriors oversaw the safety of the land warriors from the air, Bertrand made a discovery. Bert found and led Bethany to a tomb where he felt the faint aura of an Ischero. He knew that Bethany had a better sense for determining which Ischero it may be. Bethany had felt Emperor Tieron’s aura, although the tomb had been empty. It had been so strong that it had evoked a vision of the actual burial taking place. The vision Bethany saw was puzzling as she realized that the burial would take place in the distant future.

Delia would want me at the meeting, therefore I had to stop procrastinating and head over there. Just as I was about to leave, there was a knock on the door. To my surprise, Moon Rose ushered Victor into the library.

Just who I wanted to see, I thought, and a sour taste filled my mouth. He was healed and dressed in a dark three-piece suit. Victor looked smug as usual and his arrogance couldn’t be ignored. He stepped into the library and Moon Rose shut the door behind him. His aura seemed to intensify the moment the door was shut. The room had to be at least two hundred and fifty degrees easily as I noticed the candle sticks beginning to melt, although they weren’t lit. His aura was at a tremendous height with the element of arrogance and my worst fear was confirmed.