A Beautiful Evil (A Beautiful Book. 1) #Wattys2015

Chapter Seven - Piss Tea

I was out the door and barreling to where I left Lilith in seconds, not caring about shutting off lights, or even closing the mini fridge. The only thing that mattered was my father had summoned me home. I was finally going home.

Lilith must have caught the panicked gleam in my eyes, because she asked me what was wrong even before I stopped, slightly winded. "It's my mother," I answered, grabbing her wrist and tugging her towards a small clutch of trees across the blacktop. Her eyes widened. "My father has summoned me home. We have to leave immediately."

"We?" she asked, skeptical. "Your Highness-"

"Mara," I corrected automatically, my voice firm, strained. She never used to call me Highness.

"Mara," she started again, breaking her wrist free from my grasp. "I can't leave. I'm not in the position to do so." She cradled her wrist to her chest, as if my touch had some how burnt her. She rubbed it gently. "Duke Huawar has more assignments for me here, and as much as I would love to accompany you, you're not my Duke. I don't follow you." She cast her gaze from mine.

Stunned, I simply stared at her with my mouth ajar, completely miffed. It's not as if I really expected anything different, but the fact that her bluntness and choice of words actually stung, shocked me. I hadn't seen a familiar face in centuries, and all of a sudden both Alvah and Lilith come bounding into my territory as if the past five hundred years hadn't happened. And what surprised me the most was that I was actually disappointed she wouldn't be joining me. When had a become so dependent on others? When you realized how much you missed Huawar, taunted a small voice from within my skull. Recollecting my fathers warning about catching flies, I snapped my mouth shut, my spine straightening. "Very well. I'll see you around, then?"

Lilith gave a shy smile, her brilliant white teeth sparkling against her milk chocolate skin. Her crimson eyes gleamed, holding a sad demeanor. "Soon," she promised, bringing my hand up to her soft lips, curtsying. "May your travels be splendorous, your Majesty."

"Mara," I corrected again, but my voice didn't quite hold the edge I was looking for. There was no use. It would never be the same.

Giving me another somber smile, she turned on her heels and sauntered away from me towards the main road that divided the small town, her white dress blowing and twisting around her legs. As she was moved away from me, I was surprised to see she was barefoot, her feet barely touching the ground as she walked.

I snorted, rolling my eyes. "It's December, and she's wearing a sun dress and no shoes," I mumbled under my breath when I knew for a fact she was out of earshot. "Now that's not suspicious at all."

I stood in the crisp, cool night breeze long after Lilith had left, my eyes scanning the small houses and buildings, but looking for anything in particular. My thoughts drifted to James's call, the panic in his voice, the fear. My heart pumped faster in my chest, and I had to take a few deep breaths to calm it down. It didn't, of course. After a few more minuets of ruthless brawling with my own though, I couldn't deny the call of my father any longer. It was starting to become a physical draw, a tug in my chest. The only thing buzzing through my skull now were images of my father and the words, 'my Lord.' Not to mention, I could have sworn I heard my fathers voice deep in the back of my brain, whispering, "Come to me."

It always started like that. I'd seen the Calling happen plenty before, but mainly from the rouges that I chased and killed. I'd never experienced it.

My father told me it was the call of a father to his children, and the love that they felt for him was what brought them back, but I never believed that. Why would someone that loved you, run away and desert your cause? Try to kill you? Try to kidnap your daughter? Surely the rouges didn't love my father. I knew that they feared him, despised him even, and their fear was what fueled their loyalty towards him. Even a blind man could see the power my father had over them.