Bound By Blood (31 page)

             
She took another big drink of brandy
,
hoping to force the anger back down. The same anger
had
made her explode at supper.

             
“It seems you and I have the same needs.” A deep voice came from behind one of the high back
ed
chairs.
Samanthŕa
jerked around to see
Daŕ
ēus
rise. His back remained towards her as he sat his own crystal
goblet
of brandy on the hearth. He stared into the fire.
             

             
Samanthŕa
felt something uncomfortable twist inside her stomach.
What was
he
doing here and what was
he
talking about?
Was he referring to her hunger? Was he hungry to
o
?
Her thought screamed inside her skull--
Bloody
Hadãe
, there’s no way I will feed him.
I’
ll take my life first!

             
"I have a feeling we are both the same in countless ways." His words were nearly a whisper.

             
“I seriously doubt that,” she hissed, turning her back to him. There was no way she would admit to either of them having the same needs, or the same anything for that matter.
And there was no way she would feed him . . . ever!

             
It was common for a Vii
or Strygĩ
to feed another. In ancient times this was something done often and freely. Such a gift was dangerous now
,
though. The thought made her stomach want to revolt. She couldn’t imagine filling
his
appetite. He could drink her dry with one sip.

             
She scolded herself
again
for not checking the room thoroughly before she entered it. Another voice inside her head defended her, saying she had. She had checked the entire castle before she came out of her chamber with her mind’s eye. So how could she not have sensed him here? How could her gifts fail her? Why was she even asking herself that? Nothing was as it should be since
Beal-Tene.
She couldn’t even control her thoughts or feelings. It was all so maddening.

             
Just remember
. . . she reminded herself.
A
void his eyes at all costs
. If she
kept
her back to him then maybe she would have a chance
--
unless his power began to penetrate her anyway
,
which was
likely
with one so powerful
. Still, his eyes were his most useful tool.
Avoid the eyes.

             
“You think we are so different?
" He replied. "
You convince yourself of this yet here we both are, our thoughts refusing to let us rest. The ability to sleep seems to have abandoned us
.
”
             

             
She felt her he
art sink with relief, for now.
He was speaking about sleep
,
not hunger
--
unless this was a trick so he could pounce on her without her being forewarned. She heard him moving the logs in the fire.
A brighter glow stretched across the room.
She didn’t dare turn around to look.

             
"Of course, one could say I have had more than my fair share of sleep as of late." Obviously, he spoke of the curse.

             
“I sleep
just
fine. I simply wanted a book to read
,
”
s
he told him
proudly
.
No,
she thought. She would not be polite. She would tell him
exactly
what was on her mind and bring an end to any twisted plot h
e
and
Chymeŕah
m
ight have
. She slammed her glass to the table and spun around without thinking
about
what she’d say.
Another uncontrolled outburst like the one she displayed at supper was about to spring free from her lips.
“
I
do not trust you.
"

             
"I realize that."

             
"
I
know you invaded my dreams all these years
,
and I am
not
happy about that. I am sure you used me in some way to free yourself from whatever prison my father put you in
since I am Priestess
.
"

             
"So you explained at supper."

             
"
I
can only pray to the Goddess that I haven’t done something which will destroy us all. If I have, I swear to you I will correct it if it means the end of me.
"

             
"Yes, so you keep saying."

             
"Then let me also say, to remind you that
I am
also
avoiding my
A
wakening for good reason
,
and was achieving
that
goal until
you
came along.
So if by
claiming
me you plan on forcing an Awakening
upon me, know that I will take my life before you do.
”

             
To threaten her own life felt as though she drove a dagger through the Great Mother's heart. And for a Priestess, who took her oath even more seriously than all the rest, to say such a thing, well then he had to know she meant it. Breaking inside from the torment of such promises, s
he paused for breath.
Her moods
were
ever changing and
she was
finding that she had absolutely no control over them what so ever.

             
"I believe you." He said, gently.

             
“I
admit it was a shock, what your blood did to me.
" She found herself confessing. "
I have enough common sense to know that you
are
not
my
A
wakener
,
though
,
so don’t expect me to confuse you for such
,
like my sisters seem to be doing with your brothers.
"Her tone escalated again as the heat of her determination rose ever so higher. "
I
am not
some giddy wench who is easily swayed. Even if you were
,
my Awakener,
it still wouldn’t matter
. I am not
A
wakening and
I am not
fulfilling any fantasy my mother may have concerning her daughter merging with the Father of the Blood.”

             
She spun back around and faced the table again. She knew her mother could easily plot
for
one such as
Daŕ
ēus
to
A
waken her daughter
, t
hinking that would break the curse
,
even i
f they had never spoken of it. Even if Samanthŕa assumed all this time that her mother knew nothing about that . . . that her memory of such a thing had been forgotten. But what if she did know? What if Samanthŕa had been wrong to assume that?

             
Like a breeze, she was in and out
of schemes
.
Schemes of her mother, of Dĩas, of Evil, of Daŕ
ēus. It made her dizzy.
She exhaled and tried to calm down
.
She wasn’t making any sense. Why would her mother plot to end a curse
she knew nothing of? Why did Samanthŕa
keep harping on and bringing up her Awakening
?
The only thing she was achieving, she feared, was sounding like a broken echo.
Well, she was broken wasn't she? And she was becoming her own senseless echo.
Goddess, help me
.

             
“For someone who could say very little at supper, you certainly have found your voice now.
" He severed the silence. "And, you have made it very obvious that y
ou have many questions and accusations.
"

             
"So?" She prepared for his anger.

             
"So . . . w
here should I begin?
” He smiled
,
having no anger,
and she could feel it
though she could not see it. He cleared his throat. “
Let
’
s start
then
with
your
A
wakening
.
I’d be interested to know why it is you fear it.”
             

             
This caused her fists to
cl
e
nch
. “I
fear
nothing. Remember that if you ever
in
tend
on
underestimat
ing
me. As for my reasons to avoid it, they are my own. You need not concern yourself with them.”

             
“
Well then, perhaps you can tell me if
it
is
the
A
wakening you wish to avoid or the actual
A
wakener? I apologize
for persisting,
but you have me a bit confused.” He ignored her
evasion.
It was obvious that he
knew he was pushing her buttons now and it seemed to bring him pleasure.
She could feel his energy scream this from across the room and it infuriated her.

             
“Did you
not
hear me?” She spun around
without
realizing he was right behind her. She nearly slammed into his chest as she stumbled back into the table. His power rained down upon her again like a storm.
Not this time,
she thought as she fought to hold her own against it. It was an invisible battle between them, her will against his.

             
“I would
never
force an
A
wakening upon you
,
”
Daŕ
ēus
said. “
However, w
hy you would fear such
a thing baffles the mind
. You seem to embrace any further advancement of your kind with open arms. Your desire to find knowledge, to learn
, to discover, absolutely
astounds me. It makes no sense that you would hold yourself back, or at least attempt to.”

             
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She forced herself to turn around again. She knew better than to be trapped by
his
eyes. His words played a tune across her mind. He had said he wouldn’t force an
A
wakening upon her. Did
that confirm
her mother was trying to force one between them? She wasn’t sure
what
anything meant anymore. Normally she could read between the lines
,
but now she was lost in his storm.

             
Please let it all be a misunderstanding,
she thought. Even if she came out looking ridiculous in the end, just let it be a misunderstanding. 

             
She sensed him mov
e closer to her until she h
is breath
fell
against her neck. A shiver went down her spine. Not only must she avoid his powerful eyes
but also
his energy alone was reminding her that it was also a threat.
Nothing
could have prepared her for one such as him.

             
“
And a
s for stealing your dreams from your Awakener…
"

             
"You . . . you
admit
it then?"

             
"I
f you had no inten
t
ions of Awakening
,
then I believe I did you a favor.
"