Chapter 5 #3
“Then listen to your other side,” she replied firmly, making me chuckle. “Why do you care about Ranael?”
That instantly sobered me. “Because he’s my half-brother and my closest sibling.”
The Inquisitor’s jaw dropped. Her shock was obviously understandable. No rational person would ever imagine a possible affiliation between such different creatures as my brother and I were.
“We share the same mother and clearly different sires. But that doesn’t lessen the strength of the bond between us,” I continued.
She nodded again. “Fair. If my sibling was under a similar curse, I too would want to find a way to free them. I’d be happy to share with you what little I know about the Demon Wolf.
Ranael has been a great protector of our Order.
Beyond the fact that freeing him would be the right thing to do, as Inquisitors, we have a duty to rescue him.
That said, this isn’t my current mission.
But with your help, we could catch Elliot and find out what else he knows about your brother. ”
I waved a dismissive hand before rising to my feet. The weight of her stare followed me as I took a few steps away from her.
“Elliot isn’t possessed. As an Inquisitor, you have no grounds to interfere in any personal enhancement rituals he may perform so long as he doesn’t harm others,” I countered.
“He’s not possessed,” she conceded with a harsh voice. “But he has kidnapped and brainwashed clerics in the pursuit of this ritual. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Onis did to them what they were trying to do to me.”
“They did,” I confirmed with a shrug.
She cursed under her breath and rose to her feet, glancing around the room as if in search of something.
“I must warn the Prefect, catch up with those two women, and undo the damage that was done to them,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument. “We must find the ten other women and free them.”
I tilted my head to the side as I gave her an assessing look. “You realize that they’re all probably already dead, right?”
She stiffened, her eyes flicking between mine, searching. “Did you see that when you ate the Onis’ hearts?”
“No,” I admitted, prompting tension to immediately release from her shoulders. “But why were the other women absent? Why was he so savage with Sienna? And why did he want you?”
“He said he needed me as the thirteenth bride. I don’t know of any ritual that requires thirteen females. So I will need to research that swiftly. But first, I must message the Prefect.”
“Fine,” I said, slightly annoyed. “You need paper?”
She nodded. I waved at the breakfast table in the room, which could also be used as a work desk.
It was located near one of the large windows with a breathtaking view of the landscape outside.
I fetched a paper and quill from the bookshelf near the sitting area and brought it to her, stunned by my almost servile behavior.
She took them from me with a radiant smile that awakened a dull ache and longing in my chest. I stood by the table, staring at her, my usually irreverent tongue at a loss for words.
“Thank you,” she said before beginning to write in fluid and elegant handwriting.
The excessively large letters took me aback.
Was the Prefect visually impaired that he would require the text to be written with such big letters?
It would take an insane amount of paper to complete her message at that rate.
A raven would not be able to carry them.
Normally, the sender wrote on a small fraction of the parchment paper with letters as tiny as reasonably possible to maximize the length of the message that could fit.
They then rolled it into a very small scroll and attached it to the raven’s claw.
She barely wrote five sentences across the entire page.
To my shock, instead of reaching for a second paper, she waved her hand over the message while whispering an incantation.
My jaw dropped as the letters began to burn right off the page as if it had been made of canon powder set ablaze.
In seconds, they vanished from the piece of paper, leaving it blank and unscathed, as if it had never been written upon.
“Impressive!” I said with genuine admiration.
She puffed out her chest and gave me a smug smile that made me chuckle, and that I also found incredibly endearing.
“Thank you, kind Sir,” she replied before gesturing at the blank sheet. “He should be able to respond to me in a similar fashion.”
“Is that a talent every Inquisitor possesses?” I asked, intrigued.
She shook her head. “No. Only high-level fire mages can perform this trick. The Prefect doesn’t have that power, but I created the channel through which he can respond.
The person I contact doesn’t need to have any arcane abilities.
It only requires for them to have a piece of paper upon which to receive the message and reply. ”
“Very nice indeed,” I said, once more unsure what to think of the fascinating female.
Although she had been flattered by my compliment regarding her ability and also felt a great deal of pride about it, she didn’t strike me as vain. Even when she mentioned the requirement for being a high-level fire mage, she stated it in a factual manner, not boasting about her own power.
Before she could respond, the same type of flames appeared on the paper, writing the response from the Prefect.
Instant relief appeared on Eleni’s face as soon as she read it.
She waved her hand over the paper, and the text vanished.
She then picked up the quill again and wrote another very brief message.
‘They’re brainwashed by Onis. Secure the Sanctum.’
The text burnt off the pages in a similar fashion only to be followed by a single word response stating ‘Understood’.
“The women are safely back at the Sanctum,” she explained as soon as the last message vanished. “I have to go back there.”
“In the morning,” I replied in a tone that brooked no argument as she rose from her chair.
She recoiled and gave me a confused look. “Why not now?”
“You can’t travel back there on your own,” I said in a neutral tone.
“Why not?” she insisted, baffled.
“Because we traveled through the Veil to come here.”
Her eyes widened, and she peered outside the window at the stunning view of the valley below and the surrounding mountains.
“Where are we?” she asked, pulling her gaze reluctantly away from the view to peer back at me.
“We are in Nephilim Valley.”
“What?! You’re an angel?!” she exclaimed while examining me from head to toe in search of any sign that would substantiate that possibility.
I snorted with self-derision. “Hardly.”
“You’re a demigod then, right?” she insisted.
I shrugged in a non-committal fashion. She gave me an unimpressed look laced with a hint of annoyance.
“What exactly are you?” she demanded.
“A doppelganger,” I deadpanned.
She huffed. “We both know you’re way more than that.”
I smiled and held her gaze unwaveringly, making it clear I would not expand any further.
The determined glimmer that lit up her beautiful green eyes intrigued me.
She took on a mulish expression before whispering an incantation.
It was bold of her to cast a spell on me without knowing exactly what I was, or how I might react.
But I knew this revelation spell well, and it didn’t represent any threat.
Her frown deepened, and she chewed her bottom lip as she stared at me, failing to solve the mystery of my true nature.
“You’re not an Angel, but you definitely possess divine light in you,” she mused aloud.
I shrugged. “A gift from my mother.”
“Who’s your mother?”
It was my turn to frown. “You ask too many questions, Inquisitor. I’m not one of the heretics you hunt.”
“My name is Eleni,” she replied dismissively. “And we don’t hunt heretics anymore. Only those who abuse arcane powers to cause harm. Nice attempt at deflecting, though. Do you have something to hide?”
“No. But personal information isn’t owed. It must be earned,” I retorted.
To my surprise, she didn’t argue but merely nodded in concession.
“Fair enough. However, sharing your name shouldn’t be a State secret. I’ve given you mine. Courtesy demands you reciprocate.”
I chuckled, genuinely loving her boldness and cockiness. There was something sexy about a strong woman with a sharp tongue.
“What would make you think I give a shit about courtesy and societal norms?”
“Nothing, but I also think you’re proud of your name and would prefer I address you by it rather than as ‘Doppelganger’ or ‘Strange Demigod.’”
I snorted. “Neither would bother me. But you’re correct that I would prefer you call me by my name, Lyall.”
“See?! That wasn’t so hard! And it’s a pretty name that suits you well.”
“Flattery doesn’t work on me,” I mocked.
To my surprise, instead of looking offended or acting defensive, Eleni held my gaze unwaveringly, all teasing and flirting gone.
“Like Doppelgangers, I do not lie. And flattery is for fools. I have no time for people with uncontrollable egos. I say what I mean and mean what I say.”
“Good to know,” I replied, my fascination with the woman growing another notch.
“Now, Lyall, will you take me back to the Sanctum in the morning?”
“Yes,” I replied, although the word nearly scorched my tongue as an irrational wave of possessiveness surged through me.
“Will you help me find Elliot?”
That mere question triggered yet another irrational response as a pleasant warmth spread through my chest to have her wanting my presence… Well, at least my assistance, which still came down to further being in my company.
Fuck, I’m pathetically needy!
“Maybe,” I replied with pretend nonchalance. “It might be fun, and I’m rather bored right now.”
“It absolutely will be,” she countered with a conviction that verged on arrogance.
I raised an eyebrow and gave her a dubious look.
“You like mischief and mayhem,” she continued before I could challenge her words. “We both know there will be plenty of it ahead.”
I couldn’t help the almost malicious smile that stretched my lips. “Like I said, it might be fun.”
“There’s no question it will be… at least for you,” Eleni replied, a hint of victory seeping into her tone. “That said, I must prepare for tomorrow. That means I need specific reagents.”
“Write the list and ring this bell,” I said, pointing at a gold and silver rope with tassels, which dangled by the head of the bed. “A servant will come and then fetch them for you. You can say what you want for dinner and at what time you would like it also.”
“What I want? You won’t join me?” Eleni asked.
“I already ate,” I reminded her teasingly, although I braced for her reaction.
Understandably, most mortals were freaked out by the fact that my kind devoured other people in part or in full. The thought of her being disgusted by me over this had my innards twisting painfully. She shouldn’t have such a powerful hold on me.
She pursed her lips and gave me a speculative look. “Is that what you always eat?”
I shook my head, relieved by her relaxed expression. “No. I eat regular food as well, but it offers me very little benefit other than basic sustenance.”
This time, she perked up with genuine curiosity. “Right. You acquire some of the powers from the people or creatures you eat. Did you gain much from the Onis?”
I shook my head again. “No. I already possess all the powers they did. However, I will leave you now. I must go out.”
“Back to the Mortal Realm?” she asked with a bit too much eagerness.
“Yes,” I replied in a cool tone.
“Bring me back!” Eleni exclaimed.
“No,” I replied sternly.
She recoiled and blinked at the almost belligerent way in which I had replied.
“Why not? You’re going back there,” she asked, confused.
“I want you sleeping in my home tonight,” I said in a stubborn fashion.
She narrowed her eyes at me. “In your home or in your bed?” Eleni challenged.
“In my home only, at least for tonight,” I replied, holding her gaze without flinching.
“And tomorrow?” she insisted.
I smiled in a noncommittal fashion, which had her eyeing me with even greater suspicion.
“Why in your home only tonight?” Eleni asked, the Inquisitor in her rearing its head.
“When I drained you from the poison, I injected you with some of my venom,” I explained. “It influences your thought process and makes you more willing to submit.”
“And?” she asked.
“And I don’t want you to be under any external influence when you yield to me,” I deadpanned.
She burst out laughing and stared at me with an incredulous expression.
“Someone is overly confident. You assume I will yield to you,” she countered.
With a will of their own, my feet carried me the short distance between us. I invaded her personal space. Although she didn’t attempt to back away, she rested her palms at the edge of the table and leaned against it while facing me.
“I do not assume, little Inquisitor. I know you will,” I replied in a low voice, which could be interpreted as either menacing or seductive.
She didn’t respond but held my gaze unwaveringly as I slowly leaned forward, giving her every opportunity to push me away. But Eleni remained still, her face slightly tilting up towards mine as I claimed her mouth.
A bolt of lust exploded in the pit of my stomach even as blood rushed to my groin. My cock felt instantly hard and throbbing. I wanted to lift her up, slam her on top of the table, and fuck her senseless. To hell with preliminaries.
But I forced myself to break the kiss immediately, despite my burning urge to deepen it first.
“I’m going to enjoy wrecking you,” I whispered in a tone full of promise, my mouth a hair’s breadth from hers.
On instinct, I allowed my fangs to descend and nipped her bottom lip with the sharp tip of one of my canines.
I licked the drop of blood that beaded at the puncture wound, and my cock became even harder with an insane wave of desire.
That single drop of blood had revealed just how badly she also wanted me to do all kinds of unspeakable things to her.
A malicious and smug grin settled on my lips as I straightened.
“And you will enjoy it as much as I will,” I added in a rumbling voice.
I caressed her lips with the back of two fingers then walked away without looking back.