Bound By Blood

by C. H. Scarlett

  Samanthŕa didn’t say a word. She wasn’t sure why they kept harping on this Dǒntáe, Staphãyn thing. She knew she didn’t have enough strength though, to tackle that subject. And to be honest, she was enjoying being able to hear just what they thought of her. Shocked, but enjoying.

  The six of them left her chamber. They were wasting a new night by yelling at her. They would rather be with the Brothers right now, and they said so before storming out, not have to deal with what didn’t make any sense to them, which they saw as their sister’s stupidity.

  It certainly wouldn’t make sense to them, Samanthŕa thought. Everything they had accused her of were the very things she’d convinced them of, rather than the true reason, which was the curse and the prophecy. Why should she tell them about that? Why should they be plagued with the worries she had been losing sleep over? Why should their Awakenings be anything more than what they were supposed to be? A time when a Vii became a complete woman and came into her own, finding the one who shared her soul? Would they even care for her problems or would they just blame her for them?

  Her sisters thought of nothing else, and why should they? They thought little about Evil, or Staphãyn. They thought little about this truce Dĩas was bestowing on them. Someone or something else would take care of all the details, as always. There was no reason for them to worry about it. They were not selfish. They were simply a product of their environment-- an environment Dĩas created for them that they had not yet found flaw in. It seemed that Samanthŕa was not the only one who was caged. Her sister’s cages were simply invisible and not so easily discerned. Not like Samanthŕa’s cage, which was bluntly obvious. Their minds were on their Awakenings, the very thing every other Vii kept her mind on. It was completely natural and unfortunately, normal.

  “You seem to take a beating very well,” Daŕēus said as he moved from the shadows of her chamber. “I had come to check on you, truly not expecting to find your sisters crawling down your throat.” He didn’t appear to be amused, or impressed.

  “Not now, Daŕēus. Please. I am not sure how much more I can listen too. Save it for when I am stronger. You will be able to yell more then. It will have a more satisfying effect, I assure you.” Her voice seemed weary as she bundled up in her lounging chair in front of the fire. She pulled the many blankets around her shivering body. Catching her image in a distant looking glass, she knew her eyes were slightly dark circled. Her color was drained.

  “It’s obvious that you are still hurting. I can tell this by what you are doing and are not doing. Plus, you have failed to curse me for being in your chamber, cloaking myself so that I remain unseen, and listening.” He grinned. “You also failed to buck up against your sisters and do anything other than accept their thrashing.”

  “That is of no concern to you.” She attempted to smirk.

  He sat down beside her in another chair. He took a deep breath while his body relaxed. He looked tired. His arms went up and pulled away the piece of leather holding his long hair. He shook his head like a wolf might shake the water from its fur, letting his hair free. “Believe it or not, I don’t think I can top that,” he said, concerning the criticism of her sisters. He raised a brow at her and flashed a mischievous smile. His mood was warm and inviting. She found it comforting. She laughed but started to cough. She did manage to smack him with a pillow, though.

  "You are becoming relaxed with me. This pleases me greatly,” he admitted. “Either that or you are just too weak and tired to put up a fight. It could be either, but I prefer the former.”

  “Don’t bet on it,” she warned smoothly. “I must make this moment serious though. Did you find Staphãyn?” When he shook his head no, she sighed with relief.

  “Your reaction surprises me. I expected a pout or something. Is there some reason you do not wish your brother found?” he asked slyly.

  “Why should I? You all mean to kill him.” She was blunt and bold.

  “The masses might have labeled him as guilty but as for myself, the jury is still out, which brings me to the matter at hand; tell me of your brother. Tell me why it is you believe he is innocent.” He reached over to the table near him and poured her some of the hot broth which someone had brought before he came. He sniffed it, showing how protective he was. He handed it to her and she thanked him with her eyes.

  “Is it because you believe he is your Awakener? Is that why you asked me what would happen if an Awakener were dead? I mean, I doubt you would think of him as dead, but maybe renouncing his bloodline is pretty much the same in comparison.” He was searching, drawing her out by her thoughts. She was starting to get a feel for him now and some of what he did.

  “My feelings concerning the Awakening still stand. Don’t tell me you believe the nonsense my sisters are chattering about. Or is there a reason to believe?” She raised a coy brow.

  “Are you asking me to confirm it for you?” He played.

  “I am asking for the truth of it. Right now, I am unsure of what to believe. If you’re trying to pick my thoughts through, hoping to find me pining away for a lost brother, you are wrong. If I had feelings like that, the Phãegen he was with would have regretted being there.”

  He smiled, appeared oddly pleased and nodded. “Then tell me of your brother.”

  “The two of you would have hit it off.” She laughed a bit before she coughed again. Somehow, he wasn’t convinced that this was a compliment and she truly did not have it in her to explain-- but both men loved to give her a hard time and be very difficult.

  "Where is his mother? Could he be with her?"

  “Staphãyn’s mother was Kalãe Lampiŕ. She suffered from madness-- or that’s what Dĩas claimed. I don’t remember much about it for I was away, preparing for the rituals to be High Priestess. What I was later told is that she was removed from our home and sent away. Dĩas said she was a danger to herself and others. Before she reached her destination, though, she was killed. Staphãyn has been at Dĩas’ throat ever since.”

  “Because he blames him for her death?”

  “Yes; the night she was sent away and killed, Evil was attacking the realms. Staphãyn knew it was dangerous to send her out to travel that way and then there was the whole wagon thing.” Samanthŕa rolled her eyes. “Normally they would have misted or opened a portal. He wouldn’t even allow Staphãyn to escort her. He believes Dĩas was behind his mother’s death. From that moment on, he began to see things in the bloodlines which weren’t supposed to be seen. He started drinking and kept to the villages. He preferred Phãegens over his own kind, but if you ask me it was simply because they were readable and predictable. Their thoughts are so easily heard, you see. With our kind, it is more difficult to know what to expect.”

  “Wait.” Daŕēus raised himself and leaned forward. “What exactly did he see?”

  Samanthŕa sighed. She had been down this road before, only with Dĩas and the Elders. She prepared herself to be scolded and then silenced. “The same things I began to see after I became High Priestess. Mãrquisŕa who beat their servants; we now know why, don’t we?” She snorted, remembering how she learned the Mãrquisŕa were evil. The beating of the servants was bad enough, though. It was wrong and against even Dĩas’ laws. “Strygĩ males would force younger Viis to be their blood slaves. Or be like Monéaklá, psychically attacking anything that walked. The Elders started to distance themselves from those in their own bloodlines more and more. We hardly know who they are anymore, to be honest. More and more of our bloodlines began to separate themselves from the Phãegen realms. I could go on all night but to make this short, simply ask Kaléé the Vlachŕa, for she and the other Lycãon clans separated themselves from us for much the same reasons.”

  “So you think this is why Staphãyn renounced his blood?” Daŕēus carried on the conversation as if everything she said meant something to him. This surprised her greatly. It was something new, refreshing.

  “No. Something worse pushed Staphãyn over the edge. Something which only he and
Dĩas know about, since it was the last conversation Staphãyn had as an immortal. I didn’t think he was close to that edge either. If I had known I would not have…” She stopped herself.

  “You would not have what?” Daŕēus pushed.

  Samanthŕa swallowed hard. “I would not have put the idea into his head. I -I mean I didn’t tell him to do it nor was I serious. I merely made the comment when he said he was going to the Phãegens, the night Dĩas forbade us to leave. I didn’t think he would find a way to do--”

  “Do what? Renounce his blood?” Daŕēus asked.

  “Yes. I was being sarcastic. I didn’t know he would take me seriously, which is why I felt so guilty when I found out. That’s when I went to find him, in the village. I had to find him before Dĩas and the others did. Regardless of what he renounced, Daŕēus, I love him. He is still my brother. I do not love him because I have some secret desire that he may be my Awakener either. I simply love him.”

  Darius stood up and threw another log on the fire. He seemed to like playing with fires, she thought. “So what did you find out while you were there? What of this symbol Dĩas is claiming as his proof?”

  “The symbol is not proof. It is common among Phãegens and NORSŔAH, if I know my history."

  "So he said nothing to tweak your curious nature?"

  "He told me things were not always what they seemed to be. He kept repeating that, too. He told me to be wary of Dĩas and the Elders. He told me to stay close to you.” Daŕēus looked up suddenly and smiled. She knew he’d given her his blood; Chymeŕah said so. Samanthŕa felt guilty but she used this against him. She used his own power to block him from reading her mind. It was hard, but she was learning.

  Samanthŕa shook her head and sat down the broth. She didn’t think she could keep it down. “It seems he was impressed that you had returned. His only regret was that he couldn’t watch you tear Dĩas to pieces.” She started to laugh again but choked some more. The choking led to more coughing.

  “So if he was impressed by me, why did he not come to me?” Daŕēus rose, checking her temperature. He showed concern.

  She was too tired and weak to move away from him. His hand brought comfort to her for some reason. She hated that. Her body also screamed for his heat. His hands were always so warm and healing. She blamed his blood for that, too. His blood was wreaking havoc on her entire existence.

  “I don’t know.” Samanthŕa shook her head with denial. “Whatever happened must have been truly awful. Like I said before, something horrendous must have pushed him over the edge. I sent him away and that was it. I know nothing else. If you’re thinking that there is any truth to Dĩas’ accusations though, you’re wrong. Staphãyn would never lead a war to destroy his Bloodlines. If he did, he would have begun with the Mãrquisŕa, I assure you.” Samanthŕa avoided describing the woman. She told him nearly everything else, but nothing concerning her. She was still unsure of whether or not she could trust Daŕēus concerning the pregnancy. Just in case.

  “Where did you send him?” Daŕēus asked, as Samanthŕa looked away.

  “I forgot.”

  “You forgot?” He started to laugh. “It amuses me when women simply forget things, yet any other time your gender can remember every mistake, flaw, or upset done a hundred years prior.” He acted as though he knew better. He cleared his throat while she threw him vicious looks, but then became serious. “Samanthŕa, your brother is in danger. You have a choice; either I find him or those who hunt him. Which is it?”

  Samanthŕa stood up, carrying the pile of blankets with her. “Neither,” she said coldly as she moved to the bed. “None of you will find him. You will not read my mind, search my thoughts, or use any power over me to know. I have guarded myself against that. None of you,” she emphasized, “will find him.”

  He almost stopped her from hobbling away from him; she whirled back around and added, “As for the NORSŔAH, I do not know much about them, for they left for their own realm before I knew what realms were. But I do know it doesn’t make sense that they would join with Phãegens in an attempt to destroy us. And even if they did, Staphãyn is not with them, nor would he harm the Theŕéans. He adored Dǒntáe and the others as much as I do. So you can wipe that out of your mind right now as well.” She spun back around and stretched out onto the bed.

  She was nervous that Dĩas was on this NORSŔAH kick. Did he figure out that it was where Samanthŕa sent Staphãyn and his woman? It was impossible and she was being paranoid. Still, if Staphãyn was caught in the realm of NORSŔAH, if he made it…she scolded her mind for even thinking of it.

  “How well do you adore Dǒntáe?” He raised a brow. Was he teasing her because of what her sisters said concerning that just now, or did he truly wish to know?

  “Why, is he my Awakener?” She fought fire with fire.

  “Would you wish him to be?” He threw gas on the flame.

  “Do you wish me to wish him to be?” She threw flames in his face.

  “Shall I go fetch him to see? Release my claim over you and hand you over to him?” He savored those flames. His energy revealed it.

  “Yes, why don’t you run along and do that?” She watched him spontaneously combust.

  He growled but in a wicked, amusing sort of way. “So what you’re telling me is that you refuse information from me? The same thing you thought I was doing to you last night?” He attempted to be coy.

  “Only because you said you would not keep anything from me. I, however, never made such a promise to you.” She grinned, quite pleased with herself, before her head began to spin again. She felt nauseous. Hunger tormented her.

  Daŕēus brought her the broth. He had to of sensed her unending starvation. “Drink this.”

  “No.” She pushed it away. “I can’t keep it down.” The thought of it made her feel sicker.

  “When was the last time you ate something?” he asked.

  She couldn’t remember. Every time she attempted to eat, she turned against it, if she wasn’t interrupted or some situation didn’t arise that needed her attention. Still, she had no stomach for it. Again, she blamed his blood for that. Ever since she had caught scent of it and then was given it… she shook the thoughts from her mind.

  He took the broth and held it under his wrist. The same way he conjured his blood the night before, he did so again.

  Her eyes became wide with fear. She held her breath before she could inhale the scent of it. She even tried to leap off of the bed, but he caught her arm and pulled her back. “It’s not much but enough so you can keep the broth down. You need this. Do not fight me.”

  Her senses rose. The smell of his blood triggered her beast; the hairs on her skin stood straight up. Her eyes began to glow a faint golden tint and she felt her fangs prick.

  Was she strong enough to resist? No. Without thinking she grabbed the broth and seemed to down it in one gulp. Her breath was heavy when she was done as she felt that little bit of blood move through her in waves. A rising heat built itself inside the pit of her stomach. Her mind simmered and she liked what she felt. Dear Goddess, she became aware. She wanted more.

  She reached up without thinking and grabbed his wrist. He pulled it away while her eyes glazed over with hunger and heat. Her weakness was finally having enough of her foolish fears. Her sleeping beast began to purr underneath her breath.

  Without hesitation, he bit himself and gave it to her. Her fangs were not mature enough to pierce his flesh. The essence of him filled her up inside. But just before she could relish the rapture of it, he pulled away. His actions shocked her, including that.

  “Sleep.” He moved his hand over her eyes, ordering her beast to go still. “It nearly kills me to deny you your urges and know that I would not if things were different but you, my Priestess, have made it clear that you do not wish your Awakening. So with that being said, I must ration your nourishment; forgive me.”

  She felt slightly embarrassed and ashamed of herself. She also was wary now that she c
ould lose control like that-- though in the back of her mind she was thankful and had a new found trust of him. He kept her agenda on his mind even when she could not. He could have easily given her all the essence she desired and whatever else her beast claimed, but he didn’t. Again, she felt shame. He gave her no chance, though, to wallow in those unnatural emotions.

  “I want you clear headed and strong tonight. You need to get ready. Much has happened since the previous moons.” He told her this as if he was distancing himself from her.

  “Why is that?” She wiped his blood from her mouth and licked it from her fingers like a small feline. Waste not; want not, something inside made her believe.

  He went on to explain what some of the Evil bloodlines did the night before, how they renounced evil.

  She nearly fell over with shock. “You’re not serious. You don’t believe them, do you?”

  “By the old laws, I have no other choice, since it was those laws they invoked. We must accept those who are refugees, fleeing the grip of Evil, as it is the way of the Goddess. It is part of who we are. For now, I must follow the law.” He explained while opening her wardrobe as if he had every right to do so. He began flipping through her gowns.

  “You’ve gone mad. How can you…” she started to say when he cut her off.

  “Keep your enemies close…did your mother ever tell you that?” He winked before turning back to her dresses. “We shall see how sincere they are, as we will all gather tonight in Dĩas’s Realm for a ball of sorts. They shall reveal certain secrets of Evil, concerning the bloodlines if you will. This is how it was done during ancient times, to show their new allegiance and loyalty to us. Let us go then and see what it is that they offer. Let us play the game for awhile, shall we?”

  “I think you have gone mad.” She hissed.

  “Your father has also admitted his wrongs against me; did you not hear of that? I was surprised that your sisters did not focus more on these things instead of everything else they spat towards you.”