CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
38
Elara
“Your brothers are planning to strike,” I announced, my voice a steady murmur despite the churning unease in my gut. “And we must... well, you must do something.” My head rose from my feet to find his attention fixed on something else entirely. I followed his gaze and saw he was entranced by the mermaids in the water. Their voices were a siren song that could lure even the most seasoned sailor to his doom. Even the dolphins seemed enthralled, their tails slapping the water in rhythm with the captivating melody.
Ignoring that, I tried to finish my words, raising my voice a notch to grab Xul’s attention. “...about it!” When that didn’t work, I pressed my thumb with my third finger as a last-ditch effort. I sighed, exasperation lacing my voice. “Xulin,” I drawled, using his full name with a touch of sardonic amusement (thank the heavens the Brotherhood wasn’t around to witness my lack of decorum). “Are you even paying attention?”
Even the snapping of my fingers seemed lost on him. But Xul wasn’t under some spell, not with those emotionless eyes that held the secrets of a thousand stoic nights. No, he was simply…unimpressed. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he acknowledged me with a lazy grunt.
“Of course I can hear you, El,” he mumbled, his voice thick with nonchalance.
“Excellent. Then say something,” I pressed, my lips forming a thin line. “Anything.”
“And what exactly would you like to hear?” Xul countered, his stoicism unwavering.
“Acknowledge the fact that your brothers are on the verge of shattering a 700-year-old pact that keeps humans and vampires in a fragile peace.” I said.
A shrug, a flicker of disinterest in his obsidian eyes. “Not my concern, Elara.” Classic Xulin. Stoic. Aloof. But today, the indifference felt...off-key. Like a prized Stradivarius missing a string.
“What’s gotten into you?” I pressed, the frustration bubbling over. “Even for your usual ‘couldn’t-care-less’ routine, this is—” I searched for the right word, “abrasive.”
“Nothing,” he said curtly. That was when I knew something was definitely wrong. Was it part of the facade he wore? Xul was stoic and brooding, but I had come to know and like the happier side of him. When he smiled, it could make anyone uneasy, and when he didn’t, it could drive anyone crazy, which was definitely happening to me right now. I was going crazy for him.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, I ventured further. “It feels like you’d rather I wasn’t here,” I stated, my gaze following the direction of his – the now silent mermaids in the lake. Perhaps their mesmerizing song held more appeal than my presence. A pang of self-doubt, unwelcome and familiar, snaked through me. Why was I getting closer to Xul? Was it because we had sex, or because I had confessed my love for him? Was that why he was acting like this? Normally, Elara Vance wouldn’t be caught dead playing damsel in distress, especially not for Xul. But my heart, it seemed, had a mind of its own these days.
Silence continued to be his only answer. Frustration gnawed at me. “Perhaps I should take my leave,” I announced, hoping to draw a reaction. A strategic pause followed, punctuated only by the fading echo of the mermaids’ song. “Now,” I finished with a flourish, taking a step back (my signature exit move).
Just as I pivoted, a vice-like grip clamped around my wrist. Xul yanked me forward, the force sending me colliding with his chest that felt like granite sculpted by the gods themselves. Memories flashed – the planes of that chest, the forbidden touch I’d craved. Images that would have sent shivers down my spine if not for the unwelcome serpents currently adorning it. Mental note: strangle Xulin later for that little trick.
“Who said I didn’t want you here?” Xul’s voice rumbled, his breath warm on my neck as he leaned in. Kisses, feather-light, danced across the sensitive skin there. A shiver snaked down my spine, igniting a familiar warmth low in my belly. Xul had been a constant presence in my thoughts lately, and this closeness only intensified the feeling.
“I-I just assumed you were...enthralled by the, uh, show,” I stammered, gesturing vaguely towards the mesmerizing display of mermaids, their voices a chorus of ethereal beauty.
“I was,” he admitted, his voice laced with a husky honesty. “But I was also thinking...”
Curiosity gnawed at me. “Thinking about what?”
His response was hesitant at first, a beat of silence before the words tumbled out. “Us,” he confessed, his voice dropping to a possessive murmur. Pressed against his back, I felt the hard evidence of his desire against my backside. Gods, was he already that worked up?
“About you,” Xul continued, his lips trailing fire down my neck, nipping playfully at my earlobe. A gasp escaped my lips. “And just how tight you were around me.” The last sentence was a husky whisper, meant only for my ears.
A heat bloomed in my cheeks as I scrambled to reverse myself, twisting from a backward fall to face Xul.
My fingers, suddenly light and eager, reached for his face, cupping it with a gentleness that surprised even me.
I’d never touched Xul before, not a brush of his hand, not a stray fingertip against his arm.
This, the warmth of his skin beneath my fingertips, was like a burst of celestial light – pure, exhilarating joy.
His face, strong and angular, was a landscape I explored with newfound reverence.
The planes were sharply defined, his jaw a firm line that hinted at a hidden power.
My voice, when it came, was a mere whisper. “I can’t seem to get you out of my head, Xulin,” I confessed, my hand tracing a slow, lingering curve along his cheekbone with my thumb, “This face of yours… it’s a damned magnet, and I’m just a helpless stray drawn into its pull.”
Xul chuckled. “Elarabeth Vance, thinking of me? That’s new.”
His words, laced with amusement, were a jolt. My hand recoiled from his face, the warmth lingering on my fingertips even as his grip on my wrist slackened.
Yet, a phantom sensation remained – the impression of his touch, the faint musk of his cologne, a brand new ache blossoming in my chest.
“I’ve been thinking,” I mumbled, forcing the words past the sudden dryness in my throat, “a lot about you and, well, the... infernal serpents you torment me with.”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t have a single moment of enjoyment,” he countered, a sardonic glint in his dark eyes.
I hesitated. “There were moments, I won’t deny it. But mostly… not so much.” The memory of those slithering horrors still sent a wave of revulsion through me. Yet, a deeper truth lurked beneath the surface – a secret longing for the way Xul’s touch had ignited a fire within me, a yearning for his fingers to explore those same hidden depths once more. But the shyness that always seemed to cripple me in his presence kept the words locked away in the vault of my heart.
A ghost of a smile played on Xul’s lips, a flicker of darkness that sent a surprising thrill through me. It was a change from his usual stoicism, a hint of something more that I wouldn’t mind seeing more often.
“So, Xul, what are you going to do about your brothers?” I hedged, forcing down the primal urges that had brought me to his estate. My primary focus now was the reason for this visit. While addressing his brothers’ plans was paramount, another, more personal, desire simmered beneath the surface. It was a desire to see the face I yearned to both sink my teeth into and smother in kisses.
Xul’s expression darkened. “About that,” he began hesitantly, “it’s not really my place to get involved in whatever my brothers are concocting.”
Not his place? What did he mean by that?
“Of course it is, Xulin,” I countered, my voice laced with exasperation. “You’re practically a god among them, second only to Lord Draven in their respect. A simple disagreement from you could halt their plans in their tracks.”
“Elarabeth, you misunderstand,” he sighed. “We, the Brothers of Sin, operate with a specific code. We don’t meddle in each other’s affairs. Boundaries are respected.”
Frustration bubbled within me. “There are innocent humans at stake, Xul! Lives hang in the balance! Can you truly stand by while they suffer from your ignorance? You’re the head of the Council of Elders, a body renowned for upholding the law and ensuring the balance between all creatures. Your influence could be the key to stopping your brothers. Surely they wouldn’t defy you.”
“Elara, get it. I can’t intervene,” he said, his tone resolute. “Especially not to stop them...”
My voice softened, a plea replacing my frustration. “But why? Have you even tried? This isn’t the Xul I know. You wouldn’t condone what your brothers are planning against Lord Draven, would you?”
My heart pounded with a desperate hope for his answer. But the words that escaped his lips shattered it.
“I do,” he confessed, his voice a low rumble.
A chill snaked down my spine, leaving me dumbfounded. Was he truly serious? “Wait, what—?” I stammered, disbelief clinging to my voice.
“This is all Draven’s fault,” Xul declared, a bitter edge lacing his tone. I didn’t know the specifics of the animosity between Lord Draven and his brothers – their history was shrouded in secrecy, a forbidden chapter I wasn’t privy to since I wasn’t born in their era. But my mother had hinted at their strained relationship, her voice laced with unease whenever Lord Draven’s name surfaced. The snippets she’d shared were frustratingly vague, leaving me yearning for more.
Xul continued, his voice devoid of concern, “He can literally do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. So, naturally, the same should goes for the rest of my brothers. And frankly, I don’t care.”
“Millions, innocent lives, are at stake, Xul! How can you not care?” I exclaimed, my voice laced with exasperation.
“Draven’s already killed millions,” he countered, a careless shrug accompanying his words. “Who knows how many more? So why should I care?”
A desperate edge crept into my voice as I pleaded, “But Xul, do something, anything—”
“Enough, Elarabeth,” he cut me off, annoyance simmering beneath a carefully constructed mask of indifference. It was clear he wasn’t a fan of my persistent references to Lord Draven. My defiance withered under the weight of his sharp rebuke, and I hung my head, speechless.
A sliver of defiance spurred me to peek from beneath my lashes. A kaleidoscope of merriment unfolded before me: mermaids splashed their iridescent tails, merfolk frolicked in amorous dalliance, and fairies zipped about like living jewels. It was a scene of pure, unadulterated serenity – a stark contrast to the turmoil gnawing at my gut.
Of all his brothers, Xulin was the anomaly. He embraced diversity, welcoming creatures of every stripe and encouraging exploration. He reveled in novelty and the thrill of encountering the unknown. This was what set him apart, or so I believed.
“I sought you out,” I began, my voice barely above a whisper, “because I believed you might understand the looming crisis. You seemed… distinct from your brethren.” Finally, I met his gaze. “You are a champion of peace, Xulin. You respect the law more than your brothers, and I held onto the hope you’d see reason. That you, like me, yearn for peace. Please, reconsider your stance. Prince Aric would never willingly break a fragile truce. He values peace, yet his brothers whisper of anarchy and coercion as viable solutions.” Fear snagged my throat, momentarily silencing me. Regaining my composure, I continued, “In essence, I fear for my master. He deserves to know the true picture, the deception at play. Xulin, I implore you… convince them to stand down.”
His gaze, an abyss of secrets, swept over me. “My involvement,” Xulin stated with icy finality, “in their endeavors is… non-existent. I hold no sway in their matters.”
The near-scoff escaped my lips before I clamped them shut. He was serious. Deadly serious. Xulin was devoid of humor, especially regarding matters of such gravity. And here I was, clinging to the notion that he was a champion of peace and order. A blatant lie, it seemed. Xulin, like his brothers, cared little for the laws that governed our world. The sole distinction lay in his methods. He wouldn’t incite bloodshed or chaos like his sin-ridden siblings.
Whether Xulin was capable of taking a life, I couldn’t say for certain. Perhaps I was naive. There was a darkness about this stoic god-master, Xulin, a depth unexplored and potentially filled with secrets.
As reasoning with Xul proved futile, escape, then, seemed the only logical course of action. But just as I formulated the thought, his voice snagged me mid-flight.
“Is that truly the only purpose for your visit, El?” Xul inquired, his voice laced with a hint of melancholy.
A nervous flutter seized my chest, and my breath hitched. Instinctively, I retreated a step. “There were other reasons,” I admitted, a sliver of honesty escaping the fortress of guarded emotions I usually maintained. “But for now,” I added hastily, “those reasons remain unspoken.”
Xul’s hand darted out, his touch startlingly gentle as he tilted my chin upwards. His thumb began a slow, mesmerizing dance across my cheek. “Don’t wear that expression, El,” he murmured. “It pains me.”
A spark ignited within me. “Perhaps it should,” I retorted, the urge to press my face further into his touch a constant battle. My traitorous heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs, yearning for a closeness i so vehemently try to reject. The man was an enigma – infuriatingly noble in his refusal to partake in his brothers’ nefarious schemes.
Speaking of those very schemes, an unwelcome wave of anger crashed over me. Xul’s brothers, particularly the psychopathic quartet of Vorax, Malek, Rafael, and even Cassian (though his involvement remained unconfirmed), were a ticking time bomb.
At the helm, undoubtedly, stood Vorax – the Ice Soulless. A creature as inhuman as he was handsome, a potent blend of vampire and warlock.
Encountering a creature like Vorax was akin to staring into the abyss itself; best to turn tail and run at the first sign.
Despite my simmering resentment, Xul’s touch threatened to unravel my carefully constructed composure.
The heat emanating from his hand threatened to consume me, and with a jolt, I snatched it away.
The last thing I needed was the intoxicating allure of his blood further complicating this already precarious situation.
Aric’s recent violation, his forced extraction of blood in a twisted attempt at vampiric conversion, had left a potent craving thrumming through my veins.
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, a silent plea to my own sanity. “Elara Vance,” I continued, addressing myself sternly, “focus.”
A shiver ran down my spine as Xul’s hand, stubbornly shoved away moments ago, clamped onto my wrist. “Come,” he rasped, his voice barely a whisper. “I need to show you something.”
A battle raged within me. Part of me yearned to follow, another desperately craved escape.
Yet, Xul’s voice, a chilling caress laced with a power that sent shivers down my spine, held an undeniable allure. Resisting him now felt akin to a starved vampire presented with a banquet.
“What is it?” I managed, my mind flickering with a stray thought. “If it’s slithering serpents, you can forget it.” The playful defiance died in my throat as Xul seized my mouth in a kiss. It was a searing inferno, a whirlwind that stole the world away, leaving only us. The mermaids, our silent audience, punctuated the moment with enthusiastic tail slaps. They were a curious bunch, these benevolent creatures.
His lips, oh so sinfully sensual, fueled a desire that threatened to consume me. Just as the kiss reached a fever pitch, he reluctantly pulled away, only to trail a searing path down to my ear. “Trust me on this,” he whispered, his breath warm against my skin. “There’s something more I need to show you. A truth hidden from your sight.”
His words sent a jolt through me. “Truth? What truth?”
A cryptic smile played on his lips. “The Shadows of Styxfall.” My heart hammered a frantic tattoo against my ribs.
“Wait,” I stammered. “You mean the Book of Styxfall? I thought that was lost centuries ago!”
“It was,” Xul replied, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. “But perhaps not as lost as everyone believes.”
Confusion clouded my thoughts. “So, it wasn’t lost, but...?”
“The witches’ council believed it to be,” he explained, watching my eyes widen in astonishment. “And that is precisely what I intend to show you, Elara. The truth, the whole truth.”
Truth. Secrets. The Shadows of Styxfall. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Xul would ever open up, reveal this hidden knowledge. He was a master of stoicism, his emotions locked away beneath an impenetrable mask.
Curiosity, a ravenous beast, gnawed at my insides. This might be my only chance to truly understand.
My mother, fiercely opposed to my heritage, my desires, would never be a source of such knowledge. No amount of begging or pleading could break through her walls. Xul, the Godmaster, held power in the most unexpected ways. Perhaps this was the key I desperately craved.
“Show me the truth, Xulin,” I demanded, a flicker of urgency in my voice.
His hand, lightning fast, darted towards my neck, the intimacy of the gesture causing my body to react instinctively. But the caress was fleeting. His grasp shifted, his fingers twisting into my short hair, a light touch that morphed into a sensual exploration as he trailed his fingertips down my nape. A gasp escaped my lips. My neck? My neck region? This was deliberate. Xulin was up to something.
“Curious little Elarabeth Vance,” he murmured, his voice a silken thread that sent shivers down my spine.
The Book of Styxfall, later censored and renamed the Shadows of Styxfall, whispered a truth I desperately craved.
Knowledge, it proclaimed, was the key to power, but power demanded sacrifice, and sacrifice, in turn, was the gateway to true knowledge.
To unravel the truth Xul dangled before me, I needed this knowledge. And to claim this knowledge, two vassals must become one.
The chilling realization dawned on me. The two vassals, Xul and I, were destined to become a singular entity, bound by a shared essence. Blood.
It was the one truth I’d been clinging to, the one primal urge I’d fought tooth and nail to resist. It was the constant reminder of my monstrous heritage, the reason my mother had succumbed to a vampire’s touch, the catalyst for my own existence. Blood. It was the insatiable thirst, the transformation into the very creature I loathed, a constant echo of my past.
Bethany.
Memories flooded back, a torrent of anguish. Her voice, a mournful whisper in the cavern of my chest, replayed the torment: “I hate my life, El. I hate being a vampire.” ... “I failed you, El.” ... “Please take me to the sunlight. Let this torture end.”
And my own choked scream, a desperate plea swallowed by flames, a horrific echo reverberating within me. It was me. My fault. My eyes, stained crimson with bloody tears, my fangs bared and slick with the lifeblood I’d stolen. And the face staring back at me, a mask of horror and revulsion – my mother’s.
The present crashed back into focus. Xul’s touch, a feather-light caress against my neck, sent a jolt through me.
Yes, I craved Xul.
Yes, I ran from the past.
Yes, I sought knowledge.
But at what cost?
Him.
Blood.
The urgency hammered against my ribs. “Let me in,” Xul rasped, his voice a mere whisper against my skin. His lips, already impossibly fast thanks to his vampiric nature, trailed fire across my neck, leaving a wake of goosebumps and a thrilling ache. My vision swam, the edges tinged crimson as the primal hunger thrummed within me.
My hand instinctively reached up, seeking the silky perfection of his obsidian hair. Its length, usually worn loose, was now meticulously braided in a low ponytail.
My fingers grazed the crown, urging him closer, deeper into the cradle of my neck as his kisses rained down, each one a whispered promise.
I knew I should resist, the very notion ingrained in my being. But the Shadows of Styxfall spoke of sacrifice, a price for forbidden knowledge. A truth hidden in the depths of its very essence. And for that truth, for that forbidden knowledge, I was prepared to surrender everything, even myself.
A primal hunger stirred within me, the vampire within awakening with a vengeance. The fangs I’d concealed for so long erupted, a testament to the battle raging inside.
My heart hammered a frantic rhythm against my ribs, a counterpoint to the blood rushing through my veins with unnatural speed. The merfolk and their fantastical mating rituals faded into the periphery, my focus consumed by the man before me.
“Do it, Xul,” I whispered, the plea barely audible as his fangs pierced my flesh.
The bite was deep, urgent, draining me with a fervor that mirrored my own suppressed desire.
His hunger was primal, a thirst he’d held at bay for far too long, just like mine.
A strangled gasp escaped my lips as he drank deeper, his hold tightening on my throat.
My hand remained tangled in his hair, a silent anchor in the storm.
A moan tore from my throat as he pulled away, a crimson stain blooming on my skin.
My hand remained tangled in his silken strands.
He brought his palm to his mouth, his own fangs – now slick with my blood – piercing his flesh.
His eyes, bloodshot and glittering with desire, met mine.
My lust mirrored his, a primal need that clawed at my sanity.
The scent of his blood – so fresh, so utterly intoxicating – filled my senses. Fuck. I craved it. But a sliver of doubt remained. Was I truly ready for this descent?
The answer, a resounding yes, echoed in the frantic dance of my pulse.
A metallic tang filled my mouth as Xul pressed his wounded palm against my lips.
My fingers, previously tangled in his hair, fumbled away as I met his offering. This was it, the “sacrifice” demanded by the path I’d chosen for knowledge. Bethany, wherever she was, would understand. At least, that’s what I desperately clung to.
With a choked breath, I sank my teeth into the torn flesh, drawing Xul’s blood into my mouth. Granted, I could’ve used my own fangs, but there was a certain... primal thrill in this.
My hand clasped his wrist instinctively, anchoring him as his grip on my jaw tightened, a touch too forceful.
As I drank, a primal thrumming echoed in my chest.
My senses sharpened to an agonizing degree.
Smells, once muted, became vivid assaults.
The world around me pulsed with a heightened awareness I’d never known. Was there magic in his blood itself? It felt like it, like I was ingesting the very essence of his power.
My vision swam, and a dizzying nausea washed over me.
The familiar sounds of the lagoon – the melodic chatter of mermaids, the playful splashes, the gentle murmur of the fountain – faded to an unsettling silence.
The very air seemed to thicken, a swirling fog obscuring everything around us.
We were enveloped in a thick, swirling fog, a veil of inky darkness that swallowed the world whole.
A strangled moan escaped Xul’s lips, answered by a guttural snarl that ripped from my throat. The sound hung heavy in the oppressive silence before abruptly ceasing. Xul retracted his hand, and I blinked rapidly, my gaze devouring his form.
Had I taken too much? The answer became terrifyingly clear.
Through the swirling fog, my vision penetrated, revealing a breathtaking sight - the vast expanse of the universe stretched before me in all its magnificent glory.
The familiar shimmer of teleportation faded, revealing a spectacle that defied my senses.
Gone was the solidity of the world I knew, replaced by an expanse the color of a galactic nebula.
We floated, suspended in an ethereal emptiness, a canvas of swirling pinks, blues, and purples devoid of any discernible ground. An unsettling serenity clung to this alien space.
Papers, a seemingly infinite number of them, materialized around us.
They danced on unseen currents, swirling and eddying like a celestial snowstorm.
The sheer volume of them made counting a fool’s errand.
This was…
“Welcome to the heart of Styxfall, my One,” Xul murmured, his hand brushing my cheek. We were impossibly close, suspended in this dreamscape. His gaze held mine captive, as my own darted across the fantastical landscape.
It was unreal, a figment of imagination given form, yet undeniably real.
My senses, too, had undergone a metamorphosis.
Details I’d previously missed were now startlingly clear.
This, I realized, was to see with an eagle’s acuity, a gift of Xul’s vitae coursing through my veins.
My focus returned to him, the possessiveness in his touch a delicious spark. I wanted to savor it, to hold onto this feeling forever.
We were One now, Xul and I. A singular entity, bound by blood and sacrifice. And this sacrifice…it would be worth it.
“Styxfall,” I whispered in return, my voice a husky tremor.
My lips met his in a kiss that burned with a heady intensity.
He responded with equal fervor, his hand cupping my face. His single, obsidian braid, usually meticulously braided, danced weightlessly around his head. A few loose strands brushed his cheek, lending him an air of untamed allure.
The kiss escalated quickly. Our vampiric speed translated to a whirlwind of hungry touches and exploring tongues. I craved more. More of him, more of this exhilarating connection.
We were One now, Xul and I. Our fates intertwined. If he fell, I would fall with him. If he crumbled, I would crumble. But if he burned... well, then I would burn with him too.
This sacrifice, this “Knowledge” I had earned with my blood, would soon be mine. The truth about everything, laid bare. All I needed to do was catch my breath.