Sacrifice

by Michel, Mayandree

  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 ho
w 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.

  Victor was my superior.

  Delia had restored his strengths and I bet he was here to let me know it. He was paying me this visit, which had better be short, so that I could do a little bowing before breakfast. I was in no mood for any of his pompous antics.

  “I see you’re as good as new.” I eyed him and motioned for him to have a seat in one of the leather chairs.

  “New and improved, Evander,” he said, remaining on his feet. “But that’s not why I’m here.” He looked me straight in the eyes. I sat down and waited for him to continue.

  “My sister’s missing and she’s not at her usual hide out,” he said, spitting out the words with urgency.

  “When did she leave?” I asked. My chest began to feel tight and I tried to conceal the intensity of the pain. Just the mention of her name left me in need.

  “At some point in the night, I believe. I need to find her. Will you help?”

  “Of course.” My words seemed rushed.

  “I knew you would. She’s just as important to you as she is to me,” he said, chuckling lightly.

  Twelve - Victor

  Stay

  “Where do you think she went?” Evander asked.

  “She’s not where I thought she’d be, which is why I brought you along. Believe me, wherever she may be, you’ll be the first to know it.” I answered.

  I watched Evander’s reaction. He tensed up and nearly halted completely in mid-step. His aura was giving him away. Strange thing, in all the time I had spent spying on him and Delia, I never once detected his aura heightening as it just did. Just talking about my sister sent him into a frenzy. If I weren’t so worried about Lia, I would have laughed out loud.

  Evander didn’t disappoint. He was devoted. We would just have to wait and see to whom he was really devoted too. It was obvious that he was gripped by the same unrelenting yearning that I was and no matter what he thought or believed, he wouldn’t be able to fight it. Not even if Uncle Poseidon swam up from his realm, and handed Evander his Trident.

  I counted on Delia, especially last night. I was certain that she would send the most powerful Ischero to find me. Evander didn’t have a choice. He knew that Delia loved him and figured that I wasn’t much of a threat. Right. Luckily, he was devoted to the empire, or I would have been wolf’s chow.

  There she was when he arrived. Just the way he had remembered her from his wet dreams. I almost exploded with laughter the other morning when I overheard him telling Delia about the dream. I realized that it was Evangelia, according to the description he provided. Sweet divinity, the sucker is already in love with my sister. He wants her more than he even knows.

  Delia will be mine and she’ll want me just as bad. On the flip side, neither Evander nor my baby-sister knew that the gods would grab them and practically smash them into each other. What I hadn’t bet on was the gods working so quickly. I also didn’t prepare for the chance of Evangelia leaving.

  The moment Lia sensed that I was in danger she came to my rescue. She had proven to be fiery enough. She sent those mangy beasts, asses on fire, racing out of the woods. I asked Lia to stay as she sat at my bedside last night. She was afraid of what the empire – the enormity of it, meant and her place in the family. I couldn’t blame the poor little thing. I’d kept her secluded for the majority of her life. She was never exposed to the entities I’d fought off. Lia had lived vicariously through my excursions and exploits. She spent all those years idolizing me and wanting to prove to me that she could be as I was – strong and powerful.

  Drenched by Evander’s eight-foot walls of icy, spinning water and then seized by Delia’s bolt seemed to be an enormous weight on Lia’s nerves. I didn’t have time to prepare her now that our course has totally changed, actually reversed. I no longer want the kingdom for my own. It was obvious that Lia was in a state of confusion and she wasn’t sure of whom her enemies were anymore.

  I’ve had a month to adjust to the dynamics and structure of the empire. For Lia it may take some time. She wasn’t ready to forgive them for sending our parents to perish in the Underworld. Lia felt that they would never understand what it felt like to grow up without a mother and father. Then of course, there was Evander. She was in no way emotionally prepared for the brutal desire she would have for him. Imagine never ever being in love or even in a relationship and then being overwhelmed by a raw and ferocious longing to be so close to someone. Lia had no idea what she was in for. I knew that bringing Evander along would lure her out of one of the numerous hiding places we had.

  As I watched Evander now, ascending the light tower –Lia’s most cherished place to go to when her mind was cluttered and she needed the scent of the ocean to clear it, I realized that her choice of sanctuary had everything to do with him. She needed to be near the water. She longed for him, unknowingly. It all made perfect, divine sense. Evander and Lia are a union, as Zeus had intended. As expected, the water had always calmed her. Fire always yields to water.

  “Why would she come this far out to the ocean?” Evan asked, eyeing me cautiously as if he thought I was
up to something sinister.

  He couldn’t be thinking that I wanted to throw him off of this tower. What sense would that make when he would land and be the water before he even felt the first drop merge with his body.

  “Lia always loved the scent of the ocean, the rush of the waves, and spending time here had always seemed to put her mind at ease,” I said. “Is she here?” I asked, kicking a pebble in the sand.

  “Yes. I can… feel her aura,” Evander answered, turning away.

  “Just through that door.”

  “I know,” he said as he looked over his shoulder and at me. Even after a whole month, he still didn’t trust me. I sighed and waved my hand away at him. Evander opened the door and we glided up the long stairway to the top of the lighthouse. He stepped into the lantern room and the view was enough to take your breath away, if you were into the whole dark raven hair and crystal eyes thing. Apparently, Evander was. He stared at my sister as if she was the last drop of water and he was deserted in the Sahara.

  Lia turned away from the window, appearing shocked at first. She stared at Evander. Her eyes – as clear as prisms, could disarm any man. Evander was proof of that. He couldn’t steer his gaze away from her.

  “You found me,” Lia said stiffly, gazing at Evander. She couldn’t seem to stop herself from staring at him either. She seemed relieved and apprehensive all at the same time.

  “Your brother guessed you’d be here. I just couldn’t understand why,” Evander said, taking a couple steps toward her.

  “My brother should let me mind myself,” Lia muttered, glaring past Evan and practically scorching me.

  “Lia, you promised you’d stay,” I argued.

  “I told you I needed time, Vickie.”

  “No Lia, you said you would stay,” I countered.

  “No, what I said was that I would try and I did. Really, I tried, but I couldn’t stay… there.”