My Darkening Ember

Chapter Forty - Three

"By the gods, what are you talking about?" She approached, taking a slow seat next to me, her eyes peering over the book in my hands.

"This," I held it up. "It's a tale of a man, madly in love with a woman. One day a Mile man rides into town, making everybody cower in fear. The Mile man seduces the woman. He makes her believe he loves her so she would give herself to him." I opened the book, skimming the words on the pages, repeating them to her in short. "After, he leaves and the woman finds out she is pregnant. Fearing that the villagers or anyone else should find out, she marries the man with one-sided love. For seven long years, the child is hidden, under another man's name. Until the Mile man returns, slaughters the mother, and takes the child." I held my breath. "This is how they make an army, by seducing or taking whoever they want."

I stopped, seeing something click in her eyes. I suspected she had searched for an answer for how Mile men seemed to be an immortal species.

"They slaughter the mothers and commit an unspeakably evil act that powers them. It strips the child of any good, any earthly bond, so when they have to merge into the blackened waters, they are strong enough to survive its rage because it fills them too."

"By the gods," her mouth was gaping, her eyes glued to the floor making sense of all the pieces.

"So Xander-,"

"His father killed his mother," I finally said the horrifying truth, the words that had been a heavy rock on my chest ever since my eyes had grazed the first paragraphs of the book. "And he is destined to do the same."

"How terrible," she said with slight anger.

"I kissed him," I said quickly. Her eyes shot to mine, widening like the great edge.

I hate you.

"Elora-,"

"I don't know why. Something inside me wanted him but now I think..." I trailed off, afraid to finish my sentence.

"You think he was trying to seduce you? Like the woman in the book."

"No. I...don't know. I kissed him first." I took a deep breath, "Maybe."

"Ever since I've known him I've never seen him have any slight interest in any woman, not even if it was dishonest. I've seen how he looks at you and it's something different in his eyes."

"He said I made him lose control."

She sighed in disbelief, "You should be careful around him. Whatever his motives are, it could get you killed being involved with him."

"But it couldn't be anything other than his nature. They can't feel anything for anyone." I added. I was dumb if I believed I was trying to convince her more than myself.

"Do you know that for sure?"

"Yes,"

"How?"

"Djevel told me."

Djevel...

I shot to my feet. "He said it, with rage, that day in the desert..." I began, the pieces slamming together so fast I could barely form any sentences before they shot out, "The way they spoke, I..." Mayra rose, grabbing my arms.

"Calm," she commanded, "Slowly."

"Djevel is his father." I gasped, feeling nausea creep up.

Her hands released me, equally as shocked. I guessed she didn't know him at all, nor did anyone. His father had marked me for death, tortured me, and threatened my life and Xander was part of him. His son. 

I wanted to vomit, knowing my lips touched the son of a gruesome executor. It all made sense. Why Djevel hadn't just ambushed us and killed Xander? Why he had let him go when he was confronted with his son? His father killed his mother and I could be the next in line. Had he made me feel this way so I would run into his arms and he could strip me of everything I was? Making me only his, until I gave him what he wanted and he could discard me like rotting cattle?

"The kitchen maid...she told me this had happened to her. She killed the baby."

"What!" Mayra blurted out, "She told you this?"

I nodded in response.

"Be careful around the devil." She prayed, sending a shiver through my body.

...

I couldn't eat lunch later as I sat down at the table. As usual, Sarvin was nowhere to be seen and as the kitchen maid came to take out empty plates, I saw Mayra's pitiful eyes follow her around.

The story I had relayed to her had maybe made her more sympathetic to the woman who hated her.

The great doors to the dining hall opened and a tiny man came through, sprinting straight up to Mayra, handing her a letter.

"My lady Mayra of the house Tartal, I bring you a formal invitation to the general's party tonight."

I swallowed my wine hard, slowly setting the glass back down. Mayra extended a hand, grabbing the paper before the tiny man turned to march out of the room.

My eyes followed him before turning on her. "A party?"

"Right." She exhaled nervously, "With everything that happened I forgot to tell you." She said and sent me a teeth-full smile. I shivered as the image of Colt appeared.

"The general will be hosting the party of the lion goddess Arina, representing the hunters' feast."

"So the piles of clothes were because of tonight."

"Again I wanted to tell you but then..." Then I presented her with the ugly truth of what I had learned.

"I'm ready," I said confidently.

Sarvin had taught me well. Whoever I would be meeting tonight I would be ready for them.

I crossed the garden an hour later, sitting outside. I studied the little book for hours until finally, Selene came to get me for the feast. She looked entrancing with green silk and golden bands, her honey hair had been pinned back revealing her doll-like face and big eyes.

She quickly got me to slip into a black satin dress, letting my hair fall loose while placing a golden headband, shaped like a snake, around my head.

My face, she kept simple, only dapping red powder on my cheeks and lining my eyes with a dark pencil. The tattoo she again covered, this time with a bracelet, bound with long loose fabrics, hanging just beneath my elbow.

Mayra met us at the end of the entrance where the carriage was already waiting.

"Where is your father?" I asked as I stepped inside, taking a seat opposite her. Selene followed. I didn't question it as she accompanied us. For once I was relieved she was coming with us.

"He is...occupied." She said nonchalantly, "Business," she added as if that would make it more believable. I murmured under my breath something about more lies but she didn't hear.

When we arrived at the palace, torches had been dug into the stone. Hundreds of them surrounded the courtyard as our carriage drove around to the entrance. This time, we were led inside on ground level through a big door, directly into the huge ballroom, where everyone was waiting.