by C. Swallow
I snap my lips shut and nod quickly.
I had been wanting to obey this morning but this public attention was too much fun.
I swing down one marble branch and then another, doing a few acrobatic moves before I gracefully land on my feet in the water… on the other side of the fountain.
I hurry to the edge, I jump up and I slowly walk around the rim of the pooling fountain water, my hands behind my back, my eyes shining with cheeky intentions as I indeed provoke a very predictable response out of Zarcar.
He runs forward in a few lunges around the crowd, assuming I have attempted to escape.
But Zarcar pauses too fast, looking quite huge and awkward when he realises I am walking towards him along the fountain’s edge and closing the distance swiftly.
My warlord barely has time to consider how to react to my mischievous eyes as I reach his side and slip a hand through his hair, down his neck and onto his shoulder as I jump down and press myself flush against his naked and sweaty torso.
“I would never run from someone so handsome,” I whisper, biting my bottom lip to stop myself from bursting out laughing in his face.
Zarcar knows I’m playing him but the crowd has no idea.
“…interesting choice of words…,” Zarcar forcefully growls out the response in a whisper before grabbing my elbow and pulling me back to Holden, “Tower. Now.”
“Agreed,” Holden nods and reaches out to grab my hand – a bit roughly.
“You and Zar’s games,” the high handed woman is still around as she dismisses Holden with a scowl, “All this better be worth it!”
“Keep it in for later, Neri,” Holden dismisses her and pulls me through the crowd while Zarcar returns to his soldiers; pretending I don’t matter that much.
Unlike my desire to talk before, now I keep my words to myself.
I am silent as Holden returns me to the tower.
I don’t resist as he takes me up the spiral stair case quickly and straight to the bedroom. He shuts the door as he farewells, “Just stay in here, okay?”
My feet are heavy as I walk to the bed and fall on my back, spread eagled.
Now, I purse my lips.
Joy and unease were filling my veins.
It had started off as a harmless game then it had truly angered Zarcar and Holden.
That was the unease.
Could no one take a joke from their culture, or was I bound to receive due punishment for what I did?
My mind was muddled. Because now I think about everything Zarcar and I did last night in the bath. Some kind of strange naked bonding without any sexual stuff.
I had no words for it.
I still hated Zaracr, I still had to kill him and I wasn’t sure why I also felt another thing… a slither of anticipation.
I wanted to see what he would do. So, uncharacteristically, I lie there and wait for Zarcar to return. Which was stupid, but I couldn’t acknowledge it openly at this time – that I cared what he thought.
I guess I can attach it to my investigation of Zarcar’s limits. His anger. His patience – and impatience. Hopefully as I ‘researched’ I didn’t push him too far.
But at the same time my instincts were laughing at me, whispering in my ear… push him, irritate him, annoy him, frustrate him.
Maybe it was the witch side of my priestess nature in me coming out to play.
But Zarcar was awfully likened to a new toy… and while I enjoyed learning from books… I guess he was just another book for me to read.
All these excuses fly through my curious mind.
But all of it was dishonesty. Avoidance. Of the obvious.
I didn’t mind Zarcar.
In fact, I kind of enjoyed his company and I enjoyed rubbing him up the wrong way.
Could you blame a girl?
I may have tempted him to bathe with me, but he knew how to tempt me into sparring with him. It was a dangerous path – but I simply couldn’t help myself.
Chapter 13
It’s probably the most foolish thing to do, thinking about something so vein when so much death had come from Zarcar’s orders. He had infiltrated my city, murdered some of my kind – innocent priestesses. And here I was lying on a bed thinking about his naked, sweating and hot torso in the city square. I had slid down his front at the fountain and enjoyed the warmth of his body. Just like I seemed to enjoy our little heated conversations and small physical interactions.
My thoughts stray to all the ways I can kill a handsome warlord like him, but for some reason they always end in a kiss or him holding me down. Yet even those scenarios brought a fair smile to my lips and made my cheeks warm. Selfish, petty, romantic dreamings of a happier realm in the stark reality of being nothing but a war trophy. I had to remember he was using me and playing me to gain what he needed. Playing this game was not reality. Yet the game itself was addicting and so beautifully toxic. I knew it and I didn’t even seem to care in all our moments. Perhaps I was reckless since the little battle we had on the rooftop of my tower ended in my defeat. Perhaps the death of my friends was easier to ignore when-
My nose twitches as I catch a change in the scent of the air. The one thing to break the monotony of my few hours of pointless day dreaming, was a change in the weather. Rain. A sudden wail of wind and a crack of thunder breaks my strange thoughts as I lie on the bed – just waiting to be ravished.
My eyes open to the sounds from the sky and I’m swiftly reminded Zarcar isn’t just a warrior… but a sorcerer.
I look at the daises being showered with a sprinkle of misty rain. I sit up and roll off the bed to head to the shutters and close them. However, as I lean over one of the heavy pots, I see the sky.
A small unnatural storm has gathered by magic over the city. It is contained to the dirtier, poorer parts of town by the west gates of Swendula. I watch curiously, thinking Zarcar’s small training army have moved there to showcase more of their skills around town. It doesn’t take me long to realise it’s an actual fight breaking out. Rebels are unsuccessfully trying to beat down Zarcar’s small army.
With the mist increasing to rain, I can only see moments of the battle before I notice one tall man in his black hood, raising his blue glowing fist towards the sky.
Lightning shoots down and hits Zarcar’s closed fist before the bolts of electricity shoot out in different directions and hit all the remaining rebels.
I watch as smoke lifts in the rain as bodies fall, while Zarcar’s army falls back.
I glance up and see the grey thunderclouds start to peter out into harmless rain clouds.
A heavy downfall starts to spread across the city and I take a step back. I hold up my hand, using my smaller magic to bring the shutters tightly closed. Then I use my other hand to build the fire in the fireplace. I watch it burn brighter and I feel the chill creep in through under the door.
“…unimaginable,” I whisper, thinking of Zarcar’s power. Insane limits. How was he so powerful? Taking the magic of virgin priestesses like I? Or from intense practice throughout his life so far? He could stop any resistance so easily. With a simple trick. No wonder his army infiltrated Swendula so quickly.
I walk to the closed door and open it to peek out into the corridor where the open windows let in the rain.
Holden isn’t up here. He was probably patrolling the bottom level.
I look back to the fire, the pots of daises and the bed. Aside from my ridiculous day dreaming, this room was a place of war planning. Seduce me; increase his power.
“You’re a fool,” I whisper to myself as I leave the room and walk to the window, gripping the wet stones as the rain drenches my hair, my face and my bronze dress.
Teasing the enemy this morning. Bathing with him last night. Going to a dance. Sleeping next to him. Letting him tie me up. What was I really achieving?
I let the rain shock me out of any stray thoughts about Zarcar being anything but a warlord.
I reach behind me and fiddle with the ribbon at th
e back of my dress, pursing my lips as I try to think about sense and logic.
“Chyronex,” I drop my hands to my sides and look to see Holden at the top of the stair case, poking his head into the corridor. When Holden sees that I’m drenched, he steps forward into the corridor and points to the bedroom door, “Please remain inside the chamber,” Holden looks nervous as he approaches me slowly.
I realise he is weary of me.
I turn fully toward him and think about his fearful eyes – such an easy opening to curse him.
Being that vulnerable made it too simple.
“Do you fear death?” I whisper to my guard and he halts before taking another step forward as I continue, “Do you fear pain?” I take a step back as he approaches, “Do you fear heights? Rain?” I watch as Holden halts again, making the mistake of looking in to my eyes, “…you fear heights...” I guess and he slowly turns to the window, “…you fear pain…” an easy one to go on, “Do you fear death?” I close the curse by repeating the beginning. I walk towards the back of him as Holden takes an unwilling step to the open window. He keeps walking, into the rain and then he places his hands on the sill. He starts to climb up onto the slippery stones. When he stands on the edge of the window, I quickly add, “Do you enjoy sleeping with Neri? I could smell the war general on your neck,” my casual conversation breaks the spell. I lean on the wall next to him and watch as Holden spins to look down at me in shock. He jumps down from the sill and stumbles back before falling on his ass as he slips in the puddles of rain forming on the floor of the tower.
“W-what just – how did I…?” Holden almost whimpers the question while felled on his ass.
I prance forward and squat next to him, putting my hand on his cheek.
“I like you, Holden, you have a good heart – why don’t you keep from roaming this top level of my tower and we’ll remain good friends,” I tap his nose as I watch his lips tremble, “Relax, you’re still breathing aren’t you?”
“You cursed me,” Holden jerks away from me, rolling to his side and jumping to his boots. He faces me, beet red and unable to scold me for fear of what I might do or say next.
I stand and raise a brow.
He straightens his blue and black uniform then proceeds to stroll past me.
I watch as Holden makes it to the spiral stair case and stops briefly to turn back and glance at me.
When he sees me watching him, Holden quickly disappears.
But I already know my little performance is another stupid mistake today.
Although I scared Holden, I had almost certainly tempted Zarcar to punish me this time. First after humiliating both of them in public and now threatening my guard.
Just after Zarcar rewarded me, his prisoner of war, with daises. Somehow, I was stupid enough to break that trust.
I purse my lips and walk back into the bedroom. I slam the door shut and sit by the fire with my knees to my chest, my arms wrapped around them.
“Moon guide me,” I whisper it as meaningless words but the moon answers, regardless that it’s daytime. I see an image flash through my mind and my emotions are starkly clear. Zarcar’s power with lightning had made me feel threatened and powerless – I had acted out to try and feel better about my own little magic whilst stuck in this tower.
I had never trained for war – I had only learned about herbs, small curses and simple spells. My ultimate weapon? Well, I was best as manipulation of the mind through persuasion. I had tested it out with Holden – it had worked as I knew it would.
Now, I simply hope that I can navigate the consequences upon Zarcar’s return.
****
I am many things that afternoon. I am nervous, full of hate and anticipation. I’ve made my way down to the bottom level to sit in the garden outside the tower.
As the sun sets, the rain has stopped a few hours before. Holden does nothing but watch me from afar where he doesn’t have to meet my gaze. I sit on a wet bench and eat some fruits I’ve picked from the garden.
I pick at my handful of berries and watch the stone path to the tower – waiting for Zarcar to stride by. I had been hoping to walk up with him from the bottom, praying to the moon that Holden would have no time to say anything if I stayed by Zarcar.
Holden knew it and we were both on edge.
“Why so glum?” I drop my berries when I hear Zarcar suddenly speak from around a bend in the garden, coming through the grass rather than the path, “I thought you liked rain.”
He is speaking to Holden.
“It makes everything slippery,” Holden growls out the answer while I’m already rushing around shrubs and slipping so fast through the wet grass that I slam right into Zarcar’s side.
I hold up my hands to steady myself, grabbing his black robe briefly as he jerks in surprise and turns to me looking flustered and pink in the face.
“Welcome back thank you for the daises,” I blurt out in a rush as I hold Zarcar’s piercing black eyes before I glance at Holden and clasp my hands behind my back, “You were great company today, dearest Holden. Why don’t you retire early? Zarcar has me under his thumb from now on, so… you can… leave… now?” I have to slow down my speech at the end and breathe in slowly while raising a brow at my guard.
Please.
Please, forgive me for cursing you.
“I, uh,” Holden watches my nervous skittering eyes and gulps, “I better be on my way…” Holden glances at Zarcar a bit too long and then starts to back off.
Zarcar looks at Holden’s retreating form and then back at me, then back at my guard, “Wait.”
Damn it.
Holden pauses and talks the same time as I.
“Nothing is amiss,” Holden says politely.
“I can explain,” I snap my lips shut as I say it and Holden rolls his eyes.
“…she cursed me and nearly got me killed,” Holden holds up both his hands, “But I’m still here, so… anyway, I’m getting some dinner and some much needed shut eye.”
“Chyronex,” Zarcar nods at Holden’s retreat while barely glancing at me, “You nearly killed your guard?”
I wait for Zarcar to turn his head and collide his black gaze with mine.
When he does turn, I watch his gaze while thinking of my day dreaming earlier today. He does not smile, he simply watches me like I’m a threat to his people.
I say nothing and Zarcar seems to notice my discontent, “Why?” he asks.
“Are you tired?” I ask, “Perhaps we can talk inside.”
Zarcar almost retaliates but then seems to think inside isn’t such a bad choice, so he strides ahead past me, his hand smoothly slipping out to grip the back of my neck to tug me along.
Zarcar doesn’t let me go until we’ve bypassed the bottom floor, the stair case and then our chamber.
Once he shuts the door, I jerk away from his hand on the nape of my neck.
I spin around near the fire place to find Zarcar has tailed me. He is right before me, looking down into my expression with intrigue and intent I can only begin to imagine…
My captor doesn’t move nor speak, basically giving me a chance to explain.
I take it.
“I saw you use the lightning and strike them down,” I admit, “It terrified me and then Holden came to check on me and I felt a need… to test myself... I never planned to... make him jump out that window.”
“What were you testing?” Zarcar rips apart my response into that one fatal question. When I say nothing, he adds arrogantly, “I’ve been waiting for you to try something reckless,” Zarcar tilts his head, “Haven’t you plotted my own murder time and time again by now?”
I had. And then I imagined it all ending in a kiss. I gulp as I realise how stupid that is to say out loud.
I back up a step and Zarcar releases me from his interrogating by allowing me to turn from him and walk to the bed. I jump on the covers and sit in the middle awkwardly.
“I do not wish to speak any further on this,” I shrug and a
void his gaze as I look at the daises, “…and you can take the flowers back, Zarcar. I don’t need nor want your approval.”
Zarcar takes off his black hood and hangs it up. Then, he starts to undress. Since he is ignoring me, I undo my black ribbon from around my waist, throw it aside and then slip down on the bed in my bronze dress. I hold my hands over my stomach and stare at the ceiling.
Zarcar walks to the edge of the bed, wearing nothing. I look at him with disdain.
