by Ann Bakshis
“I just had a bad dream,” I reply, which causes Evan to stop midbite.
“You too?” he asks, startled by my admission. “What was it about?”
“I’d rather not talk about it,” I say a little more forcefully this time.
“Did it have anything to do with Lycus?” Argus asks.
I throw down my fork and abruptly stand, but before I can leave the room Aliza takes my hand and gently ushers me back into my seat.
“Is that what it was about?” she asks, patting my hand in a loving gesture. “It was only a dream, dear, so you shouldn’t let it affect you in such a way.”
“But it felt so real,” I say. “It was like he was in the room with me. I could feel his hot breath and everything.”
“Evander? What about you?” Henry asks.
I look over at him. His eyes are filled with pain and embarrassment. “Mine felt real as well,” he replies. “But it wasn’t about Lycus.”
“Then what was it about?” Caster asks.
Evan goes to open his mouth, then bites his lip to prevent himself from talking.
“Evander?” Henry asks. “You can tell us.”
“I’d rather not,” he says, rather abruptly. “It’s nobody’s business but mine.”
“You’re not even going to share it with your wife?” Argus asks, puzzled.
“Maybe later in private.”
I notice Henry and Aliza giving each other odd looks, but neither of them says anything.
“Have you had a dream like that before?” Henry asks.
“Why can’t you just drop it?” Evan asks, becoming angry. “It’s none of your fucking business anyway.”
“Don’t take that tone with me,” Henry scolds. “I’m just trying to help, since obviously it’s disturbed you so much.”
“I just… I can’t deal with it right now,” Evan says a little more calmly.
I place my hand on Evan’s as he clutches the tablecloth. “Tell me,” I say tenderly.
“It’ll hurt you,” he says, his eyes filling with tears.
“It was only a dream,” I say. “You can never hurt me.”
He wraps his hand around mine. “There was a woman in it. I’ve never seen her before, but she was so… stunning. She was alluring and I began having a hard time resisting her. It felt like she was in the bedchamber with me.”
“What did she look like?” Henry asks.
“Um… tall, slender, long red hair, and captivating eyes,” he replies.
I avert my eyes from Evan’s face since he’s right about it hurting me, but if I discussed what Lycus was like in my dream he’d never forgive me, especially if he finds out how much I enjoyed it.
“It can’t be,” Aliza utters as she stares at Henry, both with the same alarmed expression on their faces.
“How do we tell for sure?” Henry asks.
“What are you talking about?” Evan asks, glancing between the two of them.
“I don’t know if we can,” Aliza answers, ignoring Evan.
“Would someone please tell me what you two are going on about?” Evan asks, raising his voice in agitation.
“We trapped her in Toorkuns,” Henry continues. “There’s no way she could’ve slipped past us, right?”
“Hey!” Evan hollers, which seems to pull Aliza and Henry back to us. “What the hell is going on?”
“Henry, get the book,” Aliza orders.
Henry leaves the dining room and is gone for several minutes before finally returning with a book that’s in very poor condition with a cracked leather spine, frayed pages, and a plain, nondescript cover. Henry places it on the table by Evan and carefully flips through several pages before finally settling on one, his finger tapping the image displayed. The rest of us move so we can see what he’s pointing to.
An elegant woman stands tall as her red hair cascades down her naked body, covering her in all the right places. She’s slender, yet curvy, and parts of her breasts are noticeable under her mane of hair. She has small horns rising from the top of her head and thin, narrow wings jutting out of her back. She gazes longingly out into nothing, but you can tell she has her eyes on something worthwhile.
“Oh my God,” Caster says, his hand flying to his mouth. “That’s Moyra, but with wings and a horn.”
“Who?” Argus asks.
“Lycus’ mother,” he replies.
“Is this the woman you saw?” Henry asks Evan.
“Yes, that’s her, only she was in a human form; not like the one in the picture,” he answers, becoming nervous by what he’s seeing.
“Damn it,” Aliza utters. “She must have already been here when we closed the gate. I thought for sure we beat her into Reynes.”
“We all did,” Henry comments as he closes the book.
“Explain this,” Evan says, tapping the cracked leather cover.
“The creature you encountered is known as a succubus,” Henry says. “It’s a type of demon in female form that seduces men to do her bidding. This particular one is very powerful and extremely cunning. We’d been under the impression all these years that she was still trapped in Toorkuns, but it seems we were wrong.”
“She’s been in Reynes all this time and no one’s figured it out until now?” Caster asks, astonished.
“Moyra is very skilled at keeping herself hidden until the moment is right,” Aliza responds. “She was probably biding her time until the perfect suitor came along to bear her offspring. Besides, we’re the only ones in close proximity to Geron with knowledge of her kind. No one in that kingdom would’ve picked up on it. There aren’t any Dewins there.”
“What’s a Dewin?” I ask.
“They’re witches and sorcerers that once lived in a kingdom called Toorkuns, which has been hidden for centuries from the people of Reynes,” Henry answers.
“And you two are these things?” I ask, gesturing between the two.
“Yes,” Aliza says softly as if ashamed by the admission.
“But Moyra didn’t select David. His parents arranged the marriage between the two of them,” Caster says.
“I’m sure Moyra had her influence over it, especially given Gregor’s insatiable appetite for women,” Henry says.
“You mean they were sleeping together?” Argus asks.
“Who doesn’t a succubus fornicate with?” Aliza states. “She’d sleep with her own son if her needs aren’t met to her satisfaction.”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” I mutter as chills cover my body.
I begin to wretch, so I dart out of the room and across the hall to a small lavatory where I throw up my breakfast into the toilet encased inside an alcove. I then sit on the stone floor and shake as someone pounds on the door.
“Ore, are you all right?” Evan asks as he tries to turn the door handle, but it won’t move because I’ve locked it.
“Go away,” I utter.
“Ore, please let me in,” Evan pleads.
“Let me check on her,” Aliza says in a slightly muffled voice. “Honora, I’ve sent Evander away. Please let me in.”
I stand on wobbly legs, unlock the door, and collapse into her outstretched arms. She holds me tight as I cry while she strokes my hair.
“It’s going to be all right, Love,” she says in a motherly tone. “You’re safe now.”
I’m trying my hardest not to picture Lycus with a woman like that, the one in the picture, but it would make sense as to why he’s so willing to sleep with his sister. It’s natural for him.
But what’s my excuse?
I’m not a succubus, that I know, yet I desire Lycus’ touch, his love, and his devotion. I want to be with my brother as his wife, his lover, and his queen. Maybe there’s something otherworldly about me… maybe I’m an evil being like him or Moyra. Do my perverse inclinations come from David or Elizabeth? Perhaps I’m simply a tormented soul who’ll cling to anyone who shows me affection. It would seem the isolation my mother and Caster provided me didn’t protect me like th
ey hoped, but instead created a monster who doesn’t know right from wrong, and who will do anything for attention.
I need answers, but I don’t know where to find them.
“Come, Love, let’s go back to the dining room. I’ll bring you something to cleanse your mouth,” Aliza says.
She returns me to the others, but I won’t look at any of them and I can feel all their eyes boring into me. Aliza hands me a glass filled with an amber-colored liquid and I swallow it, savoring the stinging sensation that trickles down my throat and into my sour stomach, which twinges at the intrusion.
“But it can’t be her,” Caster says, striking the table after a few seconds of awkward silence, though his voice trembles. “Kerron killed that bitch shortly after David died.”
“Did he tell you how he did it?” Henry asks.
“No, and I didn’t think to ask since I was just overjoyed that she was dead.”
“He wouldn’t have known,” Aliza says, directing her comment towards Henry. “None of them would have.”
“How do you kill one of those things?” Argus asks, gesturing to the book even though it’s still closed.
“You behead them,” Henry replies. “Unfortunately, there’s only one weapon capable of inflicting the wound and we don’t have it here.”
“Where is it?” I find myself asking.
“In Toorkuns,” Aliza answers. “We were in such a hurry to seal the gate, it got left behind.”
“If Moyra is a whatever, then what does that make Lycus since he’s her son?” Caster asks.
“A cambion,” Henry replies. “He won’t be as powerful as his mother for the moment since he was born here and is half-human. But he’ll be a formidable being once he reaches Toorkuns. At the moment, they don’t have access to the energy they need to maintain their powers, just like we don’t. I’m surprised Moyra was able to project herself into Evan’s dream, but that may have been the last of her powers until she can get that gate open.”
“But Lycus would still have abilities, correct?” Evan asks.
“Yes, though limited,” Aliza answers. “His also may be waning.”
“We need to protect them,” Henry says.
“It’ll use up the last of our powers,” Aliza comments.
“I know, but it’s the only way to guard them until we can get that gate open and retrieve the gladius,” Henry replies.
“What’s that?” Argus asks.
“It’s a one-handed sword with a long, pointed blade made of dragon bone, with a small round guard, and a thick leather grip with a knob on the end. It’s infused with dark magic, since that’s the only thing that can kill a dark magic creature,” Henry replies.
“What do you need to do to shield all of us from their influence?” Caster asks.
“Imprint a protection symbol on each of you,” Henry answers.
“We should create one for Latrest as well,” Aliza adds.
“We’d be tipping those two off about who we are,” Henry says. “We might not have enough power to do both the town and them.” He points to us around the table.
“We don’t have a choice,” Aliza says.
“Do whatever it takes to protect this kingdom,” Evan demands. “My people come first.” He stands and places his hands on my arms. “Argus, go visit Verna today since you weren’t able to yesterday. I’m going to take Ore up to our room so she can rest.”
I get up from my chair, Evan wraps his arm around my shoulders, and helps me up the stairs. I want to know more about this protection symbol and what it does exactly, but I’m too worn out from not sleeping, Lycus’ visit, and my getting sick. I don’t bother taking off the robe as I lie on my side on the bed with Evan curled up next to me.
“How could someone be so demented?” I utter mainly to myself, but I know Evan hears me.
“I wish I knew,” he says, holding me tight. “I’m just glad you’re free from that monster.”
Yeah… free, I think to myself.
There’s a soft knock on our door, and Evan tells the person to come in. Caster hesitates in the doorway after he opens it, but steps inside.
“Is she all right?” he asks as he approaches the bed.
“I’ll be fine,” I reply.
He sits at the foot of the bed just as Henry enters with a sorrowful look on his face.
“Pardon me, Evander, but it’s your father,” he says.
“Go. I’ll watch Ore,” Caster says.
Evan gently closes the door behind him, and Henry, as Caster moves closer to me and begins to rub my back.
“Did David know about her?” I ask to fill the heavy void in the room.
“No, I’m sure he didn’t,” Caster responds. “He despised the woman and from how Henry described Moyra, her powers didn’t work on him.”
“But that didn’t stop him from fucking her,” I gripe. “Why did he marry her if he hated her so much?”
“Out of loyalty to the throne. Sometimes you have to do what’s necessary, but that doesn’t always mean it’s right.”
“Necessary for survival,” I mutter softly, thinking about myself and wondering why such a statement rings true for me.
“Honora,” Henry says softly as he lingers in the hall just outside the now open door. “Your husband is in need of you.”
I get up and follow Henry to Job’s room with Caster trailing behind us. Evan is sitting in a chair beside his father’s bed, holding the weakened man’s hand. His eyes are closed and his breathing shallow. I stand beside my husband and place my hand on his shoulder as he takes his free arm and wraps it around my waist. Job’s breathing begins to slow as the minutes pass, then he takes in a breath that rattles his whole body, and exhales for the last time. Evan leans his head against my stomach and mourns while Henry and Caster leave us, closing the door behind them.
“I’ve been preparing myself for this day, but I guess I always hoped it would never come,” Evan says as I run my fingers through his hair.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper as I rest my head on top of his and cry with him.
I’ve been avoiding Job since I returned because of how easily he gave me to Lycus. The last time I was around him was our wedding day, but he could tell by my demeanor that I was angry with what he’d done. I wasn’t cruel and I didn’t speak ill towards the former king, I just made it known that I was aware of what transpired. Perhaps the guilt he felt for his mistake accelerated his demise, but I guess none of that matters now. After some time has passed, Henry returns with the priest from the cathedral, so I take my leave so they can discuss arrangements.
Instead of returning to my room, I wander down into the dining room to see if that book of Henry’s is still on the table, but it’s not. I was hoping to glance through it to see what other malicious beings it describes, in case one happens to be me. I go back upstairs and make my way into the library where I carefully examine every spine, wondering if one of these books might hold the key to the suspicions I have about myself, but there isn’t anything of use that I can tell. I turn my attention to a thick, heavy book resting on the desk, but it only details the history of the realm and nothing beyond, not even Toorkuns which both Henry and Aliza mentioned.
I’m still tired from not sleeping, so I return to my bedchamber and lie down, but sleep still eludes me. There’s just too many questions rambling around in my mind to get it to settle down. I pull the covers up to my chin as warm breezes filter in through the open window by the head of the bed. The bells for the cathedral begin to ring, signaling the passing of a king. I close my eyes and find the sound hypnotic, which eases me into a slumber.
I wake up in time for a late lunch, then the rest of the day goes by in a blur. When Argus returns, he’s informed about Job’s passing and spends the rest of his time coordinating with his guards on how to handle the funeral procession, which is scheduled for tomorrow, with a mass following it, then Job’s interment into the family catacombs under the cathedral. Caster keeps me company in the library si
nce that’s where I place myself to be out of everyone’s way. He spends the time reviewing the Regnum Parable, which is what he called the book on the desk when I inquired about it. I sit with him, but don’t say much since I’m still in shock over the revelations made this morning at breakfast.
If Moyra is still alive, then she has to be living somewhere in the castle in an area that’s not normally traveled, maybe one of the towers. I wonder how she feels about her son taking me as a wife: the daughter of her rival for David’s affections, and David’s own daughter. I’m sure she still wants Lycus in her perverse mind regardless of whether he’s wed or not. My real fear is him craving her like he does me. I need to figure out where I fit into their demented lives and if I want to remain a part of it.
“Where are you going?” Caster asks.
I hadn’t even realized I’d risen from my seat and was heading for the door.
“I need to ask Aliza something,” I reply.
I find her down in the kitchen with several other servants, preparing dinner. She hugs me when I approach her and I immediately start to cry, though I don’t know why. I need my mother right now, but since she’s no longer here Aliza is the next best thing. She wraps an arm around my shoulders and takes me down a series of hallways to a small apartment where she lives with her husband, Henry.
“What’s the matter, dear?” she asks as I sit in a wicker rocking chair by a small fireplace that’s currently unlit.
“I wanted to ask you about the protection symbol you talked about at breakfast. What does it do, exactly?”
She sits on a worn chair across from me before answering. “It prevents any kind of dark magic from having an effect on a person or place,” she says. “For example, with Moyra dream walking into Evander’s mind, it would prevent her from applying any of her influences on him. It would also shield him if she tries to harm him in his dream state.”
“They can do that?” I ask, a little surprised.
“Unfortunately,” she replies. “If a succubus, an incubus, or a cambion are powerful enough, they can cause all sorts of trauma to an individual during a dream walk. The person they’re subjecting to their torment or lust doesn’t realize it’s not real, so the body reacts as if it is. She’s killed many a man in this fashion.”
