The Consort

by Paige Patton

  “How do you know of this?” He asked, eyeing her cautiously.

  “Does it matter? The fact that I know should be of greater concern. I would like to make a deal with you; Roman, but it will require great sacrifice on your part.

  Sacrifice, Roman thought. What in God’s name, did she mean by that? What exactly would he have to give up to be granted god-like powers?

  “Sacrifice?” He asked with a raised brow.

  “Yes. Your time. It will require us to work together.”

  Roman wasn’t the work together kind of guy. The woman standing in front of him was just one of the reasons why he preferred to work alone. Most people were sneaky and devious, untrustworthy and corrupt. Roman had no time for such things. However, he was already there he would listen to Delilah if for no other reason than to have a few more minutes to gaze upon her beauty.

  “Go on.” He urged her.

  Delilah stepped in closer to him. So close that he could feel the heat from her body. Roman wondered if she was aware of the risk she was taking.

  “Kourosh seeks knowledge and truth. He struggles day and night to uncover what he cannot find. Soon all will be revealed to him. When that day comes, you will have zero chance of ever being ruler of anything. He will always remain your master.”

  “This is where you tell me you can help me?”

  She was a goddess. Of course, she could help him, but it would cost him.

  “It is. You have a coterie of three. They are impressive, but you are only four going up against one man who has the strength of a thousand men. The moment he learns of your treachery he will destroy you as he did the others.”

  Well, that was comforting Roman thought as he looked down at the fragile woman who stood before him. Even though, she was a spirit, here on Nirvana she was as real as he was.

  “And you know this because your crystal ball tells you so?”

  She all but snarled at him. “Sarcasm will get us nowhere, Roman. Please, let us not waste time with it. You know as well as I the power the eye possesses.”

  He slid his gaze back over to the oracle calling to mind the many rumors of its great powers. He never believed the hype intriguing as they were; Roman always required proof before he believed in anything.

  Stepping away from her, Roman took a moment to walk around the object. He wanted a get a better look. Though it was quite beautiful, he expected it to look more like an actual eye. This was merely a bright ball. The Egyptian myth was that the eye was an agent of action, protection, and wrath. Known as the third eye and a symbol of good health, protection, and knowledge.

  “What knowledge does Kourosh seek?” He asked.

  “There is a long list, but at the moment he is pledged, or perhaps a better word would be tormented by dreams of a woman. It is this woman seeks.”

  He should have known. At the root of every man’s torment was a woman, undoubtedly, beautiful. “Who is she?”

  Delilah turned away from him. This was the tricky part, the truth. She wondered how he would view her after he knew what she had done. Would he now see her as a monster or would he pity her? Either way, this was all a part of the plan, step three. The truth.

  “Have you ever made a bad choice, Roman?”

  Was she out of her mind, or forgotten what he was? Of course, he made bad choices and plenty of them. He was beginning to think that coming here tonight was one of them.

  "Haven’t we all?"

  “Sometimes bad choices come back to haunt you. When they do, they seem to take on a life of their own. No matter how hard you try, these bad choices will not go away. Then you begin to panic in fear of everything becoming known. That fear of exposure takes over forcing you to make once again another bad choice.”

  What Roman got out of all of that was that Delilah had fucked up somewhere in her life, apparently, big time, and now the chickens had come home to roost. Why did she not simply say that? Why try to sugar coat it with a bunch of unnecessary words that made no sense? Just say it. I fucked up! Hell, he was not a stranger to bad choices. He made plenty of them, but he was never one to panic over anything. He fixed it or killed it.

  So, the goddess was flawed he thought as he moved in behind her. Beautifully flawed. She was such a petite little thing, but there was a fire in her or was it her passion that made her seem larger than life.

  He could smell the blood coursing through her veins, rich, royal blood. To him, there was nothing better than the blood of royalty. It was thicker in texture and much richer in taste. It sustained him longer, made him more energetic, which allowed him to go days, sometimes weeks before needing to feed. It was like being on steroids.

  The beast inside him was now rattling the cage to come out wanting a bite of her. Unable to contain himself he growled low in his throat as his eyes flared from the excitement of being close to the Egyptian goddess. The beast was fighting hard, kicking to come out, but as painful as it was, Roman fought even harder to keep it in.

  Did she not know the danger she was in trapping them alone in this room? There would be no one could hear her screams? Did she not know that she should never trust a vampire and certainly never turn her back on one? She was foolish for taking such a big risk.

  He needed to move this along, urge her to get to the point before the beast consumed them both. “Have your bad choices reared their ugly heads causing you to panic, Delilah?”

  “Yes.” She answered timidly.”

  “Exactly what have you done?”

  “It was necessary; carried out with nothing but good intentions.” She said as she turned around to face him. “I am well aware of the road that is paved with good intentions.”

  “Which road did you take?” He asked, assuming that she had taken the road less traveled. Otherwise, she would not be in a shitload of trouble and needing his help.

  Delilah waved a hand over the Oracle causing it to change into the iconic symbol of the eye of Horus. A bright light shot out from the center of the eye hitting the wall. As if staring into a television screen, images of Roman’s capture as a slave, chained, and hauled abroad a ship appeared. They watched in silence as Roman, along with the other captured slaves laid chained together like cattle in the hull of the ship; each one near death. Then magically out of nowhere, a man appeared before them.

  “Kourosh.” Roman hissed. The hatred in his voice could not be missed.

  It is what Delilah needed. It was what she was counting on. His reaction was one of deeply rooted hatred that matched her own. This kind of hatred made men do unthinkable things.

  “Your lord and master is all things evil and depraved.”

  Roman was taken aback by her harsh words. Kourosh was a god; looked upon as sacred. If she showed no respect for them how did she expect others to do so.

  “I will admit that I have no great love for the worthless bastard, but he is a god.”

  “He is no god!” She retorted with a snap. “He may call himself one, but that doesn’t make it so. He has cleverly fooled all of you into believing his lies. I assure you, he is the furthest thing from godly than Satan himself.”

  Could this be true? Had Kourosh fooled them all for centuries pretending to be something that he was not? Perhaps Delilah had it all wrong, or maybe she was trying to trick him into believing that Kourosh was less than a powerful god. Why go through all the trouble of calling upon him just to trick him? It made no sense.

  “If he is not a god, then what is he?”

  “He is a vampire, no different and certainly no better than you. Though, I might add that his inviolable hatred for the gods has given him a frightening edge.” She added. “He has become a master tactician and has cleverly aligned himself with many dark forces. One, in particular, goes by the name of Magnus Ziti, Ruler of the dark world.”

  Roman was stymied and understandably so. He had many questions to ask her about this new revolution, but she continued before he could open his mouth to ask the first one.

  “Do you know Satan?”
She asked as if Satan was the next new rapper to drop a hot single.

  Was he supposed to know every fucking low-life creature that walked the earth just because he was a vampire?

  “No, not personally,” He answered sardonically.

  “Magnus is the one Satan runs to for answers. They have all become BFFs. The gruesome threesome as we call them. They must be watched at all times.”

  Delilah could feel his aggravation and anger building. Her plan was working. She went on “Surely you must have sensed something evil about your master? Why else would you be plotting against him?”

  “To help our people,” Roman replied defending himself. “He is a tyrant!”

  Delilah huffed as she rolled her eyes. She knew it was more than just that. Vampires did not have an altruistic nature. “And to replace him on the throne; we must be perfectly honest with each other, Roman.”

  “Yes,” Roman admitted. Why hide his feelings anymore he thought? The cat was now out of the bag. “I want his place on the throne. And one day I shall have it.”

  Delilah knew that the vampires were meritocracies needing no formal election or show of hands. The most capable leader ran the show. The others simply followed. Right now, Kourosh was the most capable leader. He created this race of vampires from his bloodline, so to Kourosh, he was their god. It would take more than good looks and charm to snatch away what was rightfully his.

  The reason Roman wanted to overthrow Kourosh was of no real concern to Delilah. The fact that he wanted to overthrow him was enough for her. The fact that he was brave enough to try was even better. Delilah waved her hand, and a seating area appears before them. She pulled him down to sit with her.

  “Magnus is the giver of whatever your heart desires. Good or bad, the sky is the limit. In return, one must give back to Magnus whatever he asks. Once a deal is made, there is no going back. Kourosh and Magnus have become great friends. They are deeply indebted to one another.”

  Roman barely heard a word she said. He was livid. He wasted most of his life believing that Kourosh was a god. He could have started this crusade to overthrow him centuries ago. Hell, by now he could have been the new lord and master of his people. The seed of hatred was planted in him after Kourosh sent him back to Egypt to live as a mortal for twenty years. It was his way of punishing him for disobeying one simple rule. Roman was just a young boy of fifteen at the time. Now at the age of thirty-five, the seed was deeply rooted, and flourished into a tree of revenge.

  “How can I help?” He asked with maleficence laced in each word that warmed Delilah’s heart and gave her a newfound respect for her champion.

  “I have a dark secret; one that must never leave this room. You must promise to guard it with your life.”

  Roman had to fight hard to keep from laughing aloud. Beautiful woman like Delilah had many secrets. No matter how dark, he wanted in. He didn’t care what was up her dirty little sleeve. Overthrowing Kourosh was his number one priority.

  “You have my word. Your secret will remain a secret.”

  Well, at least he was willing. Let us see if he can do what was needed, she thought as she began to tell Roman a story that had never crossed her lips; not that the gods did not already know in every sorted detail. The point being, she had never told another living being what she was about to tell him now.

  “Kourosh is in a state of perpetual suffering; no need to feel sorry for him because he apparently likes it there. He could have any woman he wanted, and trust me; he has had more than his fair share. But there is only one woman who can satisfy his appetite - My daughter.”

  “How are their lives entangled?” He asked, not at all surprised that it was someone or something she valued dearly.

  “Bad choices.” She answered.

  “You are a goddess. Surely, any child of yours would have innate powers to protect herself. Why do you worry so?”

  “I was forced to lock her powers, to hide her in the human world at a young age. Her powers have never been used. She has no knowledge of who or what she is. She is defenseless; alone out there in the world waiting for Kourosh to find her.”

  Nothing like a mother’s love, Roman thought.

  “Kourosh has become more determined in his search. He has not sought out the help of Magnus yet, only because the price will be astronomical. The eye has warned me of what’s to come. It will only be a matter of time before he finds her.”

  “And if he does?”

  “He will hold all the power. Good and bad.” She went down on her knees nestling herself between his legs and taking his hands into hers.

  “I fear for my child’s safety. The gods will never allow this transfer of power to Kourosh. They will be forced to kill her if Kourosh gets near her. Not a moment goes by that I am not besieged with worry. Kourosh must never learn the truth of her existence.”

  This was no way to have a conversation Roman thought. She was far too close and practically begging to die. As hard as he fought to contain the beast, it fought back even harder to come out. Did she not know that it was a constant battle to keep the damn thing contained? Did she not know what all of this was doing to him or did she not care?

  She brought his hands up to her chest, her eyes begging for help. “You are my last hope. She needs a protector.”

  “And you chose me?” He asked with his eyes fixated on the moisture that coated her neck and went down to the soft area between her breasts. If he could only lick her, perhaps that would be enough to satisfy the beast.

  “Yes. You know what this man is capable of doing. Who better to protect her than you? I remember how gentle and kind you were with my sister when you were her slave.”

  “I am no longer a slave. Gentle and kind is no longer my nature. I am a vampire.”

  “Yes, I know, but that only magnifies the man you have become. You seemed to enjoy your time with her. You were very good at pleasing Phaedra. As we both know, she is a hard one to please. To this day, she can’t speak of you without having a wild orgasm.”

  Roman swallowed hard recalling the many days and nights he and Phaedra would go at it like wild animals. As a sex slave, Phaedra taught him the art of fucking and the beauty of lovemaking. Though Phaedra was never a true queen, to Roman she ruled in bed. She, along with Kama Sutra, educated him in the field of pleasuring a woman. It took him centuries to recover from the twenty years of lessons she taught first-hand in the art and skill of all things erotica.

  “It is my wish that you and I can come to an agreement. You will meet my daughter. At that time, the shift will happen. That is when your lives together will begin. I have no doubt that you will find her to be quite pleasing.”

  Roman listened as if the queen was reading him an interesting bedtime story. If her daughter was half as beautiful as she was, and half as good in bed as her auntie Phaedra, then, damn, he didn’t see a reason he should say no.

  “The bonding ceremony may be problematic,” she chuckled. “Imagine the look on his face when he figures it all out. He bonded his betrothed to another.”

  Roman did not have to imagine that look. He had seen it plenty of times. It was not pretty. Kourosh could be brutal even when trying to be nice.

  Delilah went on. “Once the consummation ritual is over and the collar of ownership is in place and securely locked, she will be yours forever. Dissolving any promises made to Kourosh.”

  Roman was impressed as he looked down at her. She had done her homework on the Taghavii bonding rituals. She knew all about their customs, right down to the consummation ritual and the collaring.

  “What promise did you make to Kourosh?”

  Delilah stood. She had a story to tell that would not be pretty. She began to pace the floor trying to figure out where to start. The beginning seemed to be the best place.

  “Kourosh simply appeared one day roaming the palaces like he lived there. No one knew where he had come from. No one cared enough to ask. He was a harmless child, bright and curious, always under foot and snea
king around like a playful mouse. I loathed him even then as much as I do now.”

  Delilah paused for a moment gathering her thoughts. She wanted to word it just right so that Roman would not think less of her. “One night he caught me…”

  She did not have to finish. Her hesitation said what she could not.

  “Bedding someone other than the king?” He asked emphatically.

  Delilah cut him a look that clearly answered his question. In those days, sex with multiple partners was of little regard. Being caught was different story.

  “The deviant went running off to gossip, no doubt. I could never allow such a thing. The King would have ended my life. My soul would have lingered in purgatory forever. Entrance into Nirvana as a goddess would have been denied.”

  “And what became of your lover? Surely he could have rendered a solution to this problem.”

  “His identity remains a secret to this day. He is a god among gods; highly revered. I went after Kourosh myself. I promised him whatever he wanted for his silence. Gold, silver, his own palace, but he wanted me. Of course, that was not possible.”

  Now Kourosh was no longer a harmless child. He was now a grown man with dangerous powers. He could easily destroy the world to find what was promised to him. Roman knew the resilience and the determined nature of his master. Kourosh would never give up until he found her. Once he did, he would take her.

  “The little pervert was smitten with me; his eyes were constantly on me like snake eyes waiting to strike.”

  Roman quickly looked away feeling much like a pervert himself with his eyes was on her the same way. In his defense, the woman was a tremendous beauty. He found it odd how he could not control his lust for her. The beast was one thing; the man was another. She had them both losing control and going haywire.

  “Since he couldn’t have me he asked for the next best thing. My first-born daughter. I obliged him with his silly little request and betrothed to him my unborn daughter. I was not with child at the time; still I planned to have him killed the next day. As you know that didn’t happen, and he was much too stubborn to simply drop dead on his own.”