Bound By Blood (29 page)

             
He bowed as
Chymeŕah
introduced him. He reached for her hand.
Samanthŕa
slyly avoided it, remembering what happened the
last
time she took his hand
, t
he last time she stared directly into his eyes. She pretended to see something fall to the floor. She dashed to grab it and then announced with surprise
,
“It seems supper is being served.”
             

             
The
blind Phãegen
servants, who began to bring in the meal, s
upport
ed her
diversion
just in
time.
Chymeŕah explained their presence to Daŕ
ēus as they carried trays of food with perfect instinct.

             
"Out casts because of their lack of sight, I bring them here, allowing them to earn a living and feel worthy of life." Chymeŕah was not above bragging, as she adjusted one woman's golden blind
fold. "
The cloth is enchanted, allowing them to know the way even if they cannot see it."

             
"Mother pays them handsomely. And it makes her feel better when no eyes are upon her." Dezarãe laughed.

             
"Evil cannot spy through eyes if they do not work to begin with."
Chymeŕah laughed.

             
They
proceeded
to the table.

             
"Normally, Evil would make quick prey amongst Phãegens with a handicap." Dezarãe added. "If only others of our bloodline were as wise as Mother. We could help many."

             
Samanthŕa
ignored their rattling away. She
was hungry. She
was
literally starving
since
Daŕ
ēus
’ blood
caused
her to
do so
. Food
was a small way for her kind could
gain strength and energy but none the less, it worked. Food was a quick but short fix. It also brought pleasure since their taste buds were highly sensitive. All things had energy,
essence
, and it was the essence which gave immortals fuel to burn. Since their emotions,
strengths,
and magic w
ere
a thousand times
greater
than a
Phãegen
, they needed lots of energy to replace what their metabolisms burned up.

             
They could gain it in many ways besides food. The
raw
elements were another
source
. Blood was the strongest as it was the most powerful essence in life
,
though they had no reason to kill to get it.  They obtained the blood needed
from
other willing family members. The blood of their own was strongest unless it came from one of the spiritual beasts which roamed the
realm
s.
F
eeding off
Phãegens
was a complete waste
of effort
since their blood was different. It could be done
,
but like food, it was fleeting.

             
Samanthŕa
made sure to put the table between her and
Daŕ
ēus
, with him on one side and her on the other. It did not keep him from smiling strangely at her but it kept her from brushing up against him. She did not want her skin
contacting
his in any way
-- n
ot until she figured out how to control the effects his power had over her.

             
While platters
of rare to medium
roasted meats
w
ere
brought in,
Samanthŕa
survey
ed her sisters. They seemed so infatuated with the men at their sides. This worried her. If her dreams of
Daŕ
ēus
were not a Vii
’
s normal dreams, foretelling of her
A
wakener, then perhaps it was the same for her sisters. Would they confuse the power
of these warriors,
which easily intoxicated them, with the very different but similar power and intoxication of their true
A
wakeners?

             
Chymeŕah
began to chatter away from the head of the table. “
Daŕ
ēus
, my darkest darling has such a curious mind. Would you be offended if she were to drive you mad with questions?”

             
Samanthŕa
looked sharply at her mother. She gave h
er a barren expression when Daŕ
ēus
answered. “Nothing she could do would offend me. After
all,
it is good for the High Priestess to have so many questions.
Nothing
should be kept from her.”

             
If he was planning on catching her complete attention by saying all the right things, he was victorious.
Samanthŕa
forgot any reason she had for not looking at him
, and
her mother’s blatant way of entrapping her. She snapped her head around quickly
,
display
ing the shock his statement gave.

             
Chymeŕah
knew
exactly
what caught her daughter’s attention and went with it. “Nothing should be kept from her?”

             
“Of course not
,
”
Daŕ
ēus
raised a
jocul
ar brow. “The old ways and their laws would
judge
such a thing as a crime against the Great Mother herself. After all, it is
H
er
divine wisdom which brings one forth to serve as
H
er
Priestess
,
is it not? Should she not be as wise as our Great Mother?”
             

             
“I’m afraid we know very little of the old ways and their laws
,”
Samanthŕa
admitted
.
“
Such things were said to be lost with the Ancient World. I am afraid that I would offend you because I am probably nothing compared to
those
Priestesses.” She relaxed some
what
when she found that she could move her eyes away from his
;
he didn’t force his power upon her
as
before. She still didn’t want to look at him
,
though. Easy on the eyes as he was, this made him lethal. She did not like the fact that she felt tempted to look at him
,
either
,
tempted to just give in to whatever it was he wanted.
Find your wits!
“Where have you been?”
s
he
asked
,
flat
out
,
anything
to help her recollect her common sense.

             
Daŕ
ēus laughed. “
There
is that
curiosity
,” he mused.

             
“Samanthŕa, give him time to at least enjoy his meal.” Chymeŕah winked.

             
“There is no need.
" Daŕ
ēus raised a polite hand. "
If the Priestess wishes to know where I have been then so be it.
It should be known.
” He sat back in his chair and became comfortable. “My brothers and I were thought to be dead. We were not however, by the Goddess’
s
grand favor, but we were cursed to a sleep. I believe you may know it as
the
Sleep of the Damned?”

             
Samanthŕa’s mouth nearly dropped open. “That is forbidden to be used against our kind.
" Her flesh shivered. "
Who would do such a thing?
"

             
"Who would indeed . . . " Chymeŕah's tone nearly hissed.

             
Samanthŕa blinked. Her mother did not speak a question. She knew. And if she knew, then Samanthŕa . . . knew. "T
he only
one with the power to do so is…"
Dĩas
,
she thought. It was his curse
,
and
he
wa
s the only one with the power and
knowledge of how to do it.

             
“Now
do
we understand the friction between them?” Chy
meŕah raised a cool and clever brow.

             
“
Yes, but I do not understand why--
”

             
“
And y
ou should know of these things.
Again
, you are Priestess.” Daŕ
ēus was
direc
t. “The history of your bloodline is very important
.
H
ow can you
best serve and fulfill your duties,
if you do not und
erstand the truth of your own kind
and of yourself
?
If a power exists then you should know why, when it was used, and, if possible, how you may invoke or strike against it.
”

             
“
Dĩas
would disagree
,
”
Chymeŕah
brought her goblet to her lips
.
Taking a sip, she waved it towards Samanthŕa as if to better speak her words.
“My daughter, though deserving of her title, is held back in many ways by
his
hands.
Consider the old ways. Those of us who remember some of them, are bound by the Throne Dĩas
sits upon
, cursing us so that we can never speak of them.
No matter my power, I lose precious memories nightly. Memories of the past . . . memories of--" Emotion deepened in the dark of her eyes. Sighing, as if tossing herself to what was even more important, "
Take her
A
wakening
,
for instance. She should not have been made to fear it as she has. She hasn’t even been properly prepared.
No rituals, no rites. None of them have.
”
She spoke of all her daughters.

             
The word
A
wakening
shattered
Samanthŕa’s
short-term
ease. Her eyes widen
ed
and her fork dropped
.
Daŕ
ēus
looked at her curiously and studied her mind.
She could
feel
him
attempt to
invade her and what his purpose was
.
Her
thoughts began to spin
.

             
What was her mother up to?

             
Was she trying to get him to force an
A
wakening onto her? It was true that he triggered it
,
or rather his blood did
,
bu
t in no way did that imply
he was the one destined to carry it out.
So what
if his eyes were the eyes that haunted her dreams
?
Anyone of power could master such a trick. It was obvious now as to
why
he haunted her dreams. She was the only bloody fool running amuck
,
cursed with unleashing things which were hidden
,
for a reason
.
So what
if he whispered into her mind
“
Beloved
”
?
Again,
tricks. It was
all
a trick
.
Her mother was playing with fire
,
and at her expense.
Chymeŕah may have been the queen of sacrificing whatever she needed to, or risking whatever she had to for a greater outcome, but Samanthŕa would risk nor give anything to this Father of the
Blood. The sake and future of her sisters depended on it.