Maybe she was more powerful now? Maybe dematerializing would be easier too?
Evesse was about to jump up and test her newfound theory, when the door to her room slammed open and Ismini stomped her way inside, her expression set in stubborn lines that Eve knew all too well.
“You.” Ismini pointed her little finger at Eve and looked ready to lay the beat down on her. “Get the fuck up.”
“Excuse me?” Eve had seen Ismini angry before, but this was totally different. Her white, purple, and light blue aura was exploding in all directions.
“Get the fuck up. I’m done with you locking yourself away from us. You’re going to spend some time with me right now.”
A warm surge of pride ran through Evesse. Lips twitching, she placed her new phone back on the desk.
“Are you freaking smiling right now? Seriously? Do you want to get smacked? I said get the hell up.”
Any pride she’d been feeling disappeared. In the blink of an eye, she was out of her chair and in front of her best friend. They both crossed their arms at the exact same time. They glared at each other. Then they glared at each other some more.
Evesse had no idea who moved first, but one moment they were staring each other down, and the next they were wrapping their arms around each other and holding on tight.
“You worried the hell out of me.” Ismini pressed her cheek to Evesse’s and somehow pulled her closer.
Eve just held Ismini, her throat too tight to speak.
“We freaking make it back after that, and then you lock yourself in here, refusing to speak to me,” Ismini scolded, her voice watery. “You jumped in there after me. Do you have any idea how that feels? What the memory keeps doing to me?”
“It’s not like you haven’t had a god keeping you nice and distracted.”
Ismini clearly didn’t appreciate Eve’s joke because she pulled back just enough to scowl at her. “We died together, you fucking bitch. Stop joking about it. I freaking love you. Sol loves you. You’re too important to us for us to just stand back and ignore that fact that you’re in pain.”
Seeing the tears pooling in Ismini’s eyes triggered Eve’s already too sensitive tear ducts. She wiped another tear away before it could fall. “I’m sorry. I’m just so . . . this isn’t me.”
Ismini let her go and grabbed her face, forcing Eve to look at her. “I know. Trust me, I know. My R’mann had every intention of killing me for another woman when I first mated to him.”
“Speaking of that.” Eve sniffed. “You seemed perfectly fine with her presence the other day.”
Ismini shrugged one shoulder. “She’s fuckawesome.”
What the hell?
“Fuckawesome. Really?”
“Even Sol thinks so.”
Eve tried really hard not to be hurt by that. She really, really did. “So I’m out for a few weeks and you two bitches decide to replace me with the woman you died to bring back.”
Ismini shoved Eve’s shoulder lightly. “Shut up. It’s not her fault. And you’re irreplaceable, whore, so stop talking shit.”
Irreplaceable. No denying that that one word was more than enough to mollify Eve. “Still, you seemed a little too cool with her being there.”
“My male is mine. Only mine. For eternity. Besides, she’s been through shit, and she’s in love with Crius.”
Eve had never met the God of the Underworld, but she was still surprised to hear that. “Wait? Really? So she seriously has no feelings left for Dyletri?”
“No, Evesse,” Ismini said, her tone implying she was struggling with patience. “I’ve spoken to her. She’s cool. And she knows a hell a lot more about being immortal than us. So you’re coming with me right the fuck now. She has a thing or two she can teach us.”
“I still don’t understand why you’re dragging me to ‘train’ with her.”
Ismini whirled around, hands on her hips. “Are you done? Because the woman didn’t do anything to us personally. She had nothing to do with setting up the sacrifice. She didn’t even want to be brought back.”
It wasn’t like Ismini didn’t have a point. Dimithinia couldn’t have had anything to do with the sacrifice. And, obviously, something about the woman had enamored Eve’s two best friends. Chances were, Eve would probably end up liking the female as well. Still, it was the principle of the thing.
“What do you mean she didn’t want to be brought back?” Eve asked.
Ismini hesitated, tucking a dark brown strand of hair behind her ear and chewing on her lip.
“Spill, Iss.”
Ismini shushed her and pushed at her chest, almost sending Evesse flying into a statue of Shiva behind her. Eyes paranoid, Ismini looked up and down the white, marble covered hallway.
“Supernatural hearing, woman. How many times am I going to have to remind you before it sinks in?”
The nerve of the woman.
Eve shook her head, disbelieving. “Woman, all I’ve heard for the last week—aside from Cy pounding music in his room—is you and your mate going at it. Everywhere. The fucking roof isn’t soundproof. No area here is. And I now have superhearing. So shut the hell up about that and answer my question. Why didn’t Dimithinia want to be brought back to life?”
Ismini narrowed her gray, purple, and light blue eyes at Eve. “I can’t control where my mate decides to take me.”
“Nor would you want to. I know.”
Her best friend’s eyelid twitched. “And, Dimithinia didn’t want to be brought back—”
“Because I knew that Crius would want nothing to do with me the moment I was given physical form.”
Ismini and Eve jumped and looked up guiltily. Dimithinia stood just inside one of the many openings leading outside.
It was the first time Eve had gotten a good look at the former queen of ancient Ritrio. Dimithinia wore dark blue jeans, a white tank top, and combat boots—an outfit that could in no way be considered ‘queenly’ attire, but there was no mistaking that she was someone who used to be royalty.
Her long black curtain of hair fell all the way down to her hips. Strands of it swayed in the light breeze coming in from outside. Back straight and expression proud, Dimithinia stood staring Eve down with eyes that appeared to glow like dark blue LED lights.
Between that and the woman’s dark purple, blue, and silver aura dancing in the sunlight, she made for one hell of an impressive sight.
“So . . .” Ismini cleared her throat.
Dimithinia took a step in their direction. That single step held more grace in it than Evesse had ever witnessed. She walked up to them, head held high, and with a gait that lay somewhere between “I’m a princess” and “I’m a badass”. The closer she got, the more Eve could see that her facial features were a mix of European, Asian, and what had to be a hint of Egyptian.
She was truly unlike anything Eve had ever seen. By the time Dimithinia came to a stop in front of her, Evesse was already begrudging the flare of admiration that was coming to life inside her.
“You . . . have an issue with me.” Dimithinia squared her shoulders. “Do you wish to discuss this?”
Whoa, that accent. Evesse was honestly at a loss for words for a second or two. Ismini gave her a big ass, gloating look.
Eve ignored Ismini, refocusing on Dimithinia. “I have two questions. First, are you sure you have no residual feelings, desires, fantasies, or even what you might consider tiny, insignificant hormone flares for my best friend’s man?”
Ismini face-palmed herself then groaned up toward the heavens. “Are you serious, Eve?”
“Damn right I’m serious. Now let her answer the question.”
Chapter 10
Dimithinia raised an eyebrow, amused. “I have none of those . . . things for Dyletri. I will always care for him. Greatly. Verily, he showed me kindness at a time in my life when only one other male cared,” Dimithinia said in a matter-of-fact tone.
She seemed to be telling the truth. However, Eve wasn’t done with her yet.
“And this other male . . . did you have sex with him, too?”
“Evesse!” Ismini looked ready to strangle Eve.
Meh. It wasn’t the first time.
Eve crossed her arms, awaiting an answer.
Dimithinia’s lips stretched into an amused smirk. “No. I did not. But, I did try.” She shrugged, still smirking. “He was an attractive male I cared for and I was desperate. Alas, he was too faithful to his position and would not betray his king to help me.”
Dimithinia had been desperate to get pregnant so that her ex-husband would stop abusing her. Evesse had spent enough time asking Ismini questions before they were killed to know that part at least.
“Fine. Question number two.”
“I believe that would be question number three. Unless my English counting is off.”
Evesse tried her damnedest not to be amused by Dimithinia’s cheeky response.
“Evesse, can you just drop it? Before I hit you?”
Evesse waved her best friend away. Ismini was clearly not pleased with her interrogation of her new friend. Well, tough shit. Eve wasn’t done.
“Is it true you killed dozens of girls before dying?”
Dimithinia’s expression went flat, but Evesse knew deep, penetrating horror when she saw it. There were some things that stayed etched into a person’s tissues and organs. Things that burned like acid long after they were over.
That look in Dimithinia’s eyes? Evesse had seen it staring back at her in the mirror many times over the last five years. “You know what? Forget it. You don’t have to—”
“I killed thousands, not dozens . . . thousands.”
Ismini’s sharp gasp ricocheted up and down the hall.
Clearly, not even she had known that part of the story.
Dimithinia lowered her eyes, but not before Eve caught another glimpse of that lingering horror. “I changed the laws shortly after my husband’s disappearance so that I . . . would have the power to sacrifice those females. I—I drained them of their blood, then bathed in it. And to this day, I cannot tell you the reason why.”
Evesse swallowed heavily, feeling as if her brain was retching and trying to expel the images stuck inside it.
“They say you did it because you loved Dyletri, and you went crazy because of him.”
Dimithinia’s eyes snapped back up. “There is no . . . doubt that I went mad. But I do not care what my tale says, for it is false in that aspect. I do not know why I did what I did, but I can swear to you that it was not because of Dyletri.” A resolute expression hardened Dimithinia’s face. “If you wish to judge me, you are within your right to do so. But, if you must, then judge me for what I did to those females. This, I ask of you.”
Yeah, well, there was just one problem with that request. As much as Evesse wanted to judge the woman before her, she just couldn’t. It wasn’t in her. Dimithinia didn’t deserve her judgment. The feeling made no sense considering what Eve had just heard, but the conviction was too strong to ignore.
“Are you fucking done?” Ismini snapped.
“Chill out, bitch,” Evesse snapped right back. “I’m only looking out for you.”
Dimithinia tilted her head. “You love Ismini very much.”
Eve gave her a sharp nod.
Dimithinia returned her nod. “That is . . . understandable. There is much to fall in love with.”
Evesse softened. There was no other word for what happened inside her.
Ismini stared at Dimithinia with a smile and sparkle in her eye that let Evesse know she wasn’t alone in her reaction.
“I’ve fallen in love with you, too, Dimi. Now you.” She raised an eyebrow at Evesse. “As much as I love the fuck outta you, you better be done with this shit.”
Aw, hell. After what she had just witnessed?
“Yeah . . . yeah, I’m done. We’re . . . yeah, we’re cool.”
The smile Dimithinia gave Eve nearly blinded her. She raised her fist up rather awkwardly and wiggled it in Eve’s direction. “Give me a . . . a . . .” Gone was the proud, tormented ex-queen. In her place was now a confused, young woman. Dimithinia looked at Ismini imploringly. “Ismini, please supply me with the term. This one keeps escaping me.”
“A pound. You’re asking her to ‘pound it’.”
Dimithinia nodded eagerly at Evesse. “That is the custom, yes? Pound it.”
Eve didn’t even try to stop herself from smiling. Dimithinia was too freaking cute.
Right as Eve raised her fist and touched it to the ex-queen’s, Dimithinia’s head swiveled in Ismini’s direction. “Wait. But a pound is a unit of measure, is it not?”
Ismini and Evesse laughed, and that was the moment Eve got it. She could spend her time trying to propagate feelings of ill will toward Dimithinia, but it would be a waste of time. It just wasn’t happening.
And—Evesse realized as she and the other two women made their way down the short stairs leading to the east courtyard—considering her current state, well, time might be the last thing she had. The words “soon to be Fieren” kept flashing across her mind.
“How do you know so much about being immortal? You were just human, right?” Evesse asked Dimithinia when they got outside.
Before Dimithinia could answer, Dyletri materialized right onto the platform of one of the statues in the courtyard.
Ismini stared up at her mate with a mock-exasperated look. “Baby, I thought I told you to go find something else to do for a while. Doesn’t Ianthen need help tracking down Enteax?”
Dyletri made himself good and comfortable, stretching out on that platform and crossing his arms behind his head.
“Nope. He’s good. And since I can’t do you, my R’ma, the least I get to do is watch.” He smirked lasciviously at Ismini, looking like sex incarnate.
Evesse looked away before Ismini caught the expression on her face and guessed at her thoughts.
Dimithinia rolled her eyes. “I am telling you, Ismini. You have made him more insatiable than all the females in his history combined.”
“Damn straight,” Dyletri mumbled, his eyes slowly tracing his mate’s legs.
Ismini beamed. She fucking beamed. “See? This is why I love you. Keep the good shit coming, Dimi.”
“Oh my god, if you two start doing it right here, I’ll hurt someone. I’ll hurt him, Iss.” She glanced at Dimithinia and her face told Evesse that her fear wasn’t completely unfounded. “Oh, fuck. They didn’t. In front of you?”
Dimithinia nodded solemnly. “And Soleria. And the twins. And Cyake, who seemed abnormally happy that he got to witness the beginning of this . . . event.”
“I’ve lost any and all respect I ever had for you,” Evesse informed Ismini.
Ismini shoved her middle finger in Evesse’s face. “Both of you shut the hell up and let’s move forward. Dimithinia knows what it’s like to be human, and she also understands immortals. So can we get on to why we’re here?”
Evesse couldn’t get the image of her friend going at it with her mate—in front of everyone—out of her head. But she sure as hell tried to brain bleach that shit.
“To understand what you are now, you must first understand what gods really are.”
Evesse lasered in on Dimithinia’s voice. Focus on that, Eve. Focus.
“Humans now have an . . . idea about gods that is not fully accurate. You think of them as these spiritual beings out of myth. All beings are spiritual. All beings have souls. Even the human that does not believe . . .” Dimithinia paused and Eve realized that the pauses in her sentences occurred whenever Dimithinia forgot how to say a word in English.
“Atheists.”
Dimithinia nodded gratefully at Eve. “Yes, even an atheist is a spiritual being in a flesh and blood body. Even if they do not know, or believe. In my kingdom, what you call gods and the immortals lived and walked amongst our streets every day. The ‘gods’; we worshipped them for what they were. Not these higher spiritual beings. Just higher. More, physi
cally. They . . . we are now more. In order to learn to . . . work these new bodies you have been given, you must let go of any lingering old beliefs.”
“You’re saying that, in order to gain control over them, we have to think of our bodies as what they are. Scientifically speaking, we are still flesh and blood. But we’re now a different species, one similar to humans, yet thousands of times more powerful.”
Dimithinia smiled and turned to Eve. “Yes. Such a simple concept, but so hard to truly understand, yes?”
Yeah. And it made perfect freaking sense.
“I have one question, though. I was able to materialize a phone out of thin air, and no one told me how. Yet, when I tried to dematerialize before, it was hard as hell to aim myself properly.”
“I’m still having issues with the aiming thing,” Ismini said.
“When you materialized the phone, you materialized an inanimate object,” Dyletri interjected from his perch on the pedestal. “Dematerializing ourselves, or other living creatures, or even erasing memories . . . anything that has to do with a living organism is ten times more complicated.”
Dimithinia seemed grateful that Dyletri had saved her from having to explain.
“My phone has moving, technical parts you know.”
Dyletri laughed and shook his head. “And this is exactly why Dimithinia says the concept is so hard to grab. You’re phone has no organic matter. No soul-like energy. No free will to get in the way.”
Evesse rubbed her hands together, ready to go. She might be dying, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t learn some new shit before heading out the door. Besides, this was much better than what she’d been doing. This distracted her a bit.
“Okay. We let go of the old belief. Then what?”
“You focus. As you tried before, I am sure. Just this time, try to . . . scientifically—that is the word you used before, correct?” Ismini and Eve nodded, and Dimithinia continued. “Try to scientifically imagine what is happening. Imagine the bits of you breaking apart, imagine them swarming together like a swarm of bees. Then, you must aim that swarm where you wish it to go. Ismini, you first. Dematerialize to the other side of the courtyard.”
Blood Stained Tranquility Page 9
