Sacrifice (22 page)

“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” She asked, darkly as she walked around to the front of her desk.

“Actually, yes. I do believe I am quite clever.”

“You had to do it, didn’t you?”

“Are you going to answer all of your own questions? Do what exactly?”

“You ordered Evan to train Evangelia.”

“Of course I did. He’s the best teleporter in the empire. It makes perfect sense.” I said, trying not to smile, but Delia saw right through me. I didn’t think to block my thoughts.

She knew what my strategy was all along and she knew that the outcome was inevitable. Why couldn’t she just give in?

Delia stood with her arms crossed over her chest and stared me straight in the eyes. She had no idea how turned on I was by the look she was giving me right now. Those piercing jade green eyes that I could look into forever, and those pouty, succulent lips, made me want her every time I looked at her. Then again, she probably did know since she couldn’t help getting into my head. At this very moment, I wanted nothing more but to pull her close, and kiss her from her lips to her toes. I would take my sweet time kissing every inch of her, lingering in many places…

“Stop it. I’m not going to kiss you.” She said, nearly breathless. My baby was turned on. “By the way, your little plan isn’t going to work. Evan and I love each other. We are devoted to each other. Our bond is an unbreakable one. Get it?”

“Is
that
how it is between you two?” I asked and plopped down on the sofa as Delia let out an exasperated sigh. “Right now I think you want to kiss me so badly that it hurts.” I said as I put my feet up on the leather ottoman.

She just stared through me.

“Dear Gods, you are incredibly beautiful.” I let my eyes travel over every part of her, starting from her eyes, over her gorgeous body, and back up to those intense emerald eyes.

She continued to stare at me.

“It doesn’t even matter how upset you get, baby. You want me just as bad as I want you and sooner than later you’ll take me.”

Delia erupted with a high-pitched laugh that seemed to ricochet around the room, but the joy didn’t reach her eyes. She understood all too well how right I was. Maybe she rather hated me for being right, but she loved me, deeply, nonetheless. I would wait forever if that were how long it would take to hear her say that she loved me, although she and I both knew that she’d say it soon. 

“I know what you’re thinking.” I said. “How could you be so lucky to have the gods choose you to reign over this powerful empire
and
be the apple of this handsome stud’s eye.”

“Actually I was thinking that it’s time for you to go. Evan will be here any minute.” She walked to the double doors leading back to the main hall.

“I want to get ready.” She said, tapping her foot, but all the while, she was trembling. I felt her and she knew that I did. That’s probably the real reason why she wanted me to leave.

“Business meeting?” I remained seated and pretended not to get her blunt hint.

“Victor, Evan, and I are engaged. What we do is our
personal
business.”

“Ouch. That stings, but seriously, you’re not going to fill me in on the details, if there are any pertaining to the disappearance of your parent’s hearts. I thought that since I am the second ranking Ischero that I had the divine right to know any developments in this empire.”

“Of course you do. I was going to tell you, but you wasted time playing mind games, and undressing me with your eyes.” She was blushing. “How did you know about the hearts?”

“I overheard Evander whispering your
personal
business in my baby sister’s ear this morning.”

If looks could kill… I’d be eulogized by this afternoon.

“Baby, I want to help.” I got up and walked toward her.

Every smooth angle of her slim body called me. The curves of her shoulders, full bosom, slender hips, and long legs whispered my name. She wanted and needed my lips against her skin and I wanted to oblige. Dear gods, this was taking too long. I loved Delia. I don’t know how much longer I could go without being close to her.

“Really? You want to help. You certainly fooled me,” she said stepping forward so that we were just a few inches apart. “It seems like you’re allowing your emotions to get in the way of helping me rule over this empire. It’s always about what you want. Every word out of your selfish mouth is about how you will
get me
,
have me
, or
take me
away
from Evan. If you really wanted to help, then I would have thought you would have started with the subject of my parents first.”

Delia challenged me and she was right about one thing. Perhaps I should have asked her about her parents first. I
am
truly devoted when it concerns them, but I won’t rest until she is mine. When will she realize that nothing will be, as it should, with us and within this empire, until we are a union, as Zeus intended.

“Alright, you win.” I said, as I offered my hand for her to shake it.

“This isn’t a contest Victor,” Delia snapped and left my hand floating in the air. I felt bad, immediately. I didn’t want her to be upset.

“As I said, I want to help, so please fill me in.”

“I want and need your help. I want to include you, but I want you to stop playing this game. My choice has been made and I want you to respect that.”

“The choice was never yours Delia, but if you wish for me to stop pursuing you, then the answer is no. I can’t. I won’t.”

“Even if I order you to stop?” I stared back at her and said nothing. She had caught me off guard. The fact was that if Delia did order me to stop, I’d have no choice but to honor her decree.

“Don’t… do that.” I said, finally.

“Victor, please stop. I can’t deal with you right now.”

“Deal with me? What am I? Just some issue you need to resolve. I’m your betrothed and I love you. There, I said it. Don’t you get that? ” I was practically yelling. I had to control myself so I lowered my voice to a whisper. “I
love
you. I love you with very bit of my heart even if you are a ball buster at times. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” I asked.

I don’t know how or why but I suddenly felt vulnerable. I wanted and needed to hear her tell me that she couldn’t live without me. It was a long moment before anyone said anything.

“I hear you and I understand how you feel.”

“You’re not being honest with me or yourself, Delia. You love me and wanting to be loyal to Evander is tearing you apart.” I took a step closer to where she stood.

“I can’t… I just can’t.” Delia stormed out of the library, leaving me to stare at her as she glided up the stairs.

I wondered how long it would take before she finally realized that there was one thing she would always be powerless to… her own heart.

Twenty- Six
-
Cordelia

Messengers

I had to walk out on Victor. I couldn’t tell him what he wanted to hear, so desperately. He was right about how I felt for him. I wanted him in ways that I couldn’t allow myself to ponder. Just the thought of him touching me and kissing him overwhelmed me and the heat within me rose to an immeasurable level within me that I didn’t know possible. Victor wouldn’t accept that I couldn’t act on what I was feeling, even if it was the will of the gods.

What about my will?

Don’t my feelings for Evan count to anyone other than Evan and I? It just wouldn’t be fair to Evan.

I paid close attention to him today. Something about his aura was unusual and couldn’t be ignored. It had always burned with a unique crimson glow that has now deepened to violet. The heat radiating from Victor blazed about a hundred degrees hotter. I couldn’t fathom the change in him. It was somewhat hypnotic. I fought the incessant urge to kiss him the entire time we were alone in my library. It was all I wanted to do and he was certain of my longing.

The rest of my morning was spent requesting Hermes’ presence to no avail. He had ignored my request to speak with him. I believed even more now that he was the culprit. I decided to have one of his descendants make contact. I asked Evan to accompany me to the Napulis twin’s home this afternoon. 

When Evan arrived, I listened to him as he spoke briefly of his first lesson with Evangelia. I acted interested and pleased that she was making progress. I pretended to be the concerned Empress and expressed my approval of him taking on the role of teacher. I lied through my teeth so that I could get through it. I was ecstatic when Evan was finished with gushing over Evangelia, or shall I call her Lia as he so fondly does, and we left my home, finally.

Ariadne and her brother, Arius we’re descendants of Hermes, the thieving God and messenger, as he’s known. The twins lived in a spacious apartment in the building that housed Victor’s top story duplex apartment, on Fifty-Fifth Street and Park Avenue. Although there was a frothy layer of fog hanging over the city like a canopy and a light mist had just begun to fall, we decided to walk.

The avenue was bustling. The horns of the automobiles blared from all directions as the vehicles zigzagged and merged into the chaotic traffic as if the motorists were all blind. I gazed up at the towering architecture of the buildings that tore through the cloudy sky.

The shock had hit us both the moment we saw the men, who believed that they controlled the financial growth of this city, tip their hats as they passed us by. They boarded their expensive, glimmering automobiles. They were probably on their way to their prestigious offices. Both Evan and I made eye contact with many of them, and they reacted to us the same way they did the night before – oblivious to what we were.

It wasn’t their exquisitely tailored suits, the air of arrogance they all seemed to manufacture, or the civility of their demeanors, which astonished Evan and I. It was the reality of seeing them out in the daylight, although their ghostly-white complexions would have one believing that they never ventured out into the sun. Then again, the sun was nowhere in sight this afternoon.

“It’s as if they have no idea who and what we are.” Evan concluded.

“Luckily, we’re not as naïve.”

“It’s odd how they’ve evolved in such a
human
manner. I almost miss their primitive approach.” Evan said just as I noticed that the opaque shadows, which hovered on the walls of the buildings, were as lifeless as the beasts that have been woven into this society.

“I don’t.” I thought of the last time I had witnessed the slithering Apolluon shadows. I pushed the disturbing thought out of my mind. “I need to know just how many there are. Evan, we have to be prepared for anything.” I said.

“Do you think they’re a threat?”

“I do.” I said, as I watched a pale woman, dressed elegantly, step into a Roll-Royce limousine. Her face was completely hidden by the oversized brim of her hat. I got the feeling that she didn’t want to be seen.

“How can we be sure?” Evan pressed as he grabbed hold of my hand.

“They’re bred by Hades.” I said, and Evan nodded.

By the time we arrived at Victor’s building, the mist had solidified into heavy rain. The grand lobby was dissected with marble columns. The head housekeeper let us into the spacious apartment and ushered us into the salon. While we waited, I walked around the large room and touched every sculpture on the decorated shelves and all the paintings hanging on the walls. I knew which items had been stolen. I smiled at Evan and he shook his head. He wasn’t surprised being who the twins descended from. Both Ariadne and Arius had the wicked habit of pinching valuables everywhere they went without ever being caught.

Like Hermes, Ariadne and Arius were prone to steal everything in sight, but they were not gifted with the power to move things with their minds as many of the other members could. The twins had to work at stealing and they really made a sport of it. The possessions of all mortals were never safe around either of them. Several mortals had been shocked to find the entire structure of their homes relocated to Bedwyn City, Nickel City’s neighboring town. As far as Arius was concerned, the bigger the heist the better. Why not steal and teleport an entire house? He was certainly strong enough to lift one.

“Empress Cordelia, Lord Evander, I’m so sorry to keep you waiting,” Ariadne said as she added two new spoils to her collection of stolen snuffboxes.

“It’s alright; you look like you’ve been busy.” I said, eyeing her goods.

Ariadne’s pale skin glowed with satisfaction. She fluffed and shook her new haircut.

“I have been. How do you like my hair?”

“Did you steal that too?” Evan chuckled.

“Oh, but she did.” I laughed. “The gold barrette once belonged to a young Manhattan socialite.”

Ariadne smoothed her soft finger waves, which were secured by the dazzling gold barrette in question.

“You know me so well,” Ariadne giggled.

We all sat down on the plush sofas that faced each other. Ariadne crossed her legs revealing sheer pastel stockings that coordinated perfectly with her geometric patterned chemise. Looking at her – the picture of elegance, you had to wonder which socialite was running around town right now in her slip and bloomers.

Ariadne offered each of us a ‘ciggy’ from her ivory cigarette case. It had also been stolen from someone or somewhere. I declined the cigarette as did Evan. Ariadne loaded her long, pencil thin cigarette holder and leaned toward Evan so that he could light it for her.

“I’m ready when you are.” Ariadne said, between puffs.

“I need to know if your father had anything to do with my parent’s missing hearts.” I said.

“Their hearts? I thought their bodies were what we were looking for.”

“Well someone has stolen their hearts. Only a god would have had access.”

“Of course, and you think it’s my father.” Ariadne said, arching a brow. “Couldn’t there be another god who would take them without notifying Delia?”

“The god’s aren’t obligated to notify us of anything,” Evan said.