Chapter 5 #2
And well, with the recent discovery of his dead father’s journals that heavily researched the paranormal, alchemy, and various stones such as The Elaren, Aureliths, The God Shards, the Celestine Shards, and the Book of the Forsaken, it was pretty clear there was some truth to this insanity.
For a while, we searched until we found what we needed.
The Elaren. The only one of its kind. Buried time after time to hide such great power. Probably to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
Legend says that the stone could grant any wish, including manipulating destiny or granting your heart’s true desire. And although we didn’t know what we would use it for, it was better to be safe, keep this, and use it against our enemies.
Adrian’s eyes were slitted. “Do you think it’s real?” Like always, he distrusted the possibility of the impossibility.
“Of course, it’s real.” Mikhail waved the stone in his face, sarcastically saying. “Don’t you see?”
“Good, we can finally get the hell out of this place.” Sergei hummed; he tried to cover his shivering lips.
“Agreed.” I said in a hurry.
Any more time here and it wouldn’t bode well for any of us.
We moved to leave when the wind grew ravenous and rampaged as the gates slammed closed again.
“What the hell!” Mikhail groaned. “The weather is getting worse. Let’s go, boys, before we join the dead party.”
“How dare you? How dare you mock this sacred place!” A disembodied voice swept throughout, carrying the rage of centuries-old scorn. “You are unworthy! All of you! Now you will all pay the price!”
Before our eyes, the wind hurled, creating a vortex similar to a tornado as fire erupted from the statues, flames arose in the center of the room, taking form into a creature we’ve never seen.
A lash-like tail, spurred with long thorns, covered its skin as its wings coiled behind the beast as it stood before the sacred throne.
“Oh my god.” Adrian, for the first time ever, was in disbelief.
Sergei lifted his AR-47 and shot it multiple times, the bullet melting before it could reach the wretched beast.
“Don’t attack!” Mikhail gave the order, holding his hand up as he walked forward. “Wait!” He spoke to the entity. “Then who is worthy?”
The voice grew louder with disdain as it proclaimed, “A child of destiny! Thou who has defeated death, rose from the flames unburned, the Valerian Star, humanity’s champion, and the giver of life shall rule!”
The winged-shaped beast thrashed its wings together, flames erupting as a terrifying screech as the rumble on top of the castle began to fall.
At that moment I only knew one truth. This wasn’t just desecrated but forsaken. Never to be looked upon again for the destruction it could cause.
The ground beneath us felt unsteady, cracking and shifting as if it would cave in at any moment. In a panic, I turned to my brethren, knowing the best thing we could do was run.
“Mikhail, leave it!” The screams of my warning echoed against the stone and suddenly. Breaking the walls of reality until a bright light took over.
Gaining consciousness, I slowly open my eyes, still blurry from slumber.
My chest pounded erratically; a small terror latched on as the bitter memory lingered. Weary, I wondered why I was.
Everything was vaguely familiar as my eyes tracked the wooden desk, maiden drawers, an array of unfinished baskets, and old walls of the room and my back against the soft mattress of the bed that was too small for me.
The sound of crying followed in the bleak night.
The humid air made my throat dry as I wondered why I dreamt of Mikhail and everyone in the Brotherhood. After so many years, it seemed like a lifetime ago.
It all filled me up with regret because, as that voice deemed, we all paid the price with our own lives.
Fuck.
No amount of power, no matter if it was a king’s or capo’s, compared to the strength of that which we couldn't understand.
The bed shook as I caught the whispers of crying.
Wait, crying? Who's crying?
I turned my head to my left, watching Blair’s shoulder heave up and down.
Reaching my hand out, I went to tap her shoulder when I stopped, thinking she might get scared and hate me for touching her without her consent. So I dropped my hand and called out to her.
“Blair. Blair, are you alright?”
“I’m sorry, did I wake you up?” She rolled around, facing me as her red, stricken eyes revealed the truth, and her voice cracked.
“No, not at all.” I said, simply looking at her, wondering where her tears stemmed from. What pained her? Why? And how could I help?
She snuffled, lifting her fingers to pat her cheeks dry. “Were you having a nightmare?”
My lips parted, hesitating because, well, my past seemed a mix of hell and pleasure; it was the only thing I had. “Yes. No. Something like that.” I shrugged.
Her plump lips tilted up ever so slightly.
“What’s funny, kotyonok?” I said softly.
Her glazed hazel eyes were filled with an unknown kindness. “Just that men like you still have nightmares. I mean, you see a lot of gruesome things, and you don’t second-guess taking someone's life, but seeing you shaken by a nightmare makes you feel human, I guess.”
“What about you? Are you crying because you had a nightmare, kotyonok?”
“No, I was just remembering someone. Someone I miss.”
“Well, they say abstinence makes the heart grow fonder, so it helps in a way.”
“This type of abstinence doesn’t feel good. It just feels like it’s tearing my heart apart, unlike the ones from the body.”
“Hell, tell me about it. Five years and I feel like I—” Her big doe eyes watched me with a sheen of ill curiosity.
Maybe it wasn’t correct for me to talk about my urges and hard cock in front of a nun.
After all, I was a gentleman and understood the fine lines of respect, so I derailed the conversation, focusing on her instead.
“I can’t imagine how it must feel for a virgin. ”
She puffed air through her lips. “Who are you calling a virgin, geezer?”
Wait, she wasn’t…
Though I had a suspicion when she mentioned that fucking ex of hers, I kept a sliver of hope. I opened my mouth, my voice soon following awkwardly, “You’re not…”
“Hell, no, I lost my virginity at 16.” A flash of reminiscence crossed her lips. “Good crazy times.”
Well, she didn’t owe me a thing. The illusion was false hope, but it didn’t matter if she fucked a thousand men or women. I’d be the last one.
Twisted jealousy seethed into my head, clouding my judgment when I sensed a misalignment.
Dya, stop fucking with my head.
I’m not saying anything that you— we— don’t already feel.
What you feel and what I feel are two different things. We barely see eye to eye, and you want me to think I like this girl.
We do like her.
Fuck off.
Correction, I’m trying to fuck her.
A long groan fell from my lips. What the hell would I do with this maniac? When an idea entered his head and he wanted it, he would fixate, harass, and even kill until he got what he wanted. Now, his sights were on Blair.
Stop lying to yourself— to me— you can’t deny she is a fascinating woman.
Dya didn’t reason with logic. He only sought his pleasure and feelings.
Even if I wanted her, I couldn’t have her.
Blah, fucking, blah.
“Earth to Konstantin! Earth to Konstantin.” Blair snapped her fingers in my face.
I blinked, focusing all my attention on her.
“What are you thinking about man?” She brought a hand to her hip and propped her chin on her hand.
“Nothing.”
She rolled her eyes, moderating her sass in a low tone. “Liar! You could at least use some originality. You know, for a criminal, you suck. No wonder your ass got caught and booted.”
“Well, it’s better than being dead.”
“Dead? What do you mean?”
“In the mafia you only have two options: you enter and pledge undying loyalty until your last breath, or you die. There’s really no escape.”
“Damn,” she murmured as her lips moved side to side. “So you’re one of the lucky ones?”
A cynical draw of laughter left my lips as I threw my head back. “Lucky, huh? What I would give to go back in time to fix everything; then I wouldn’t need this damned luck.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing you need to know, kotyonok.”
She poked my shoulder repeatedly, dragging out her words. “Come. On. Tell. Me.”
I reared my head in her direction; our eyes connected somehow, slowing down the motion of the world, and suddenly everything was solely about Blair. “Then tell me about the someone you miss.”
The fire snuffed out in her eyes as she groaned, rolling back over. “You win! Good night, heifer.”
“Mmhm, what was that brave facade?”
She raised her hand and gave me the middle finger.
“Ah, sister, how bad you are.”
“Kiss my ass.”
“Ah, how I would love to.” Reaching my greedy hands out to touch her, but before I could, she threw me off the bed, my focus reshifting as I realized somehow I ended up vertical, my feet facing the door. My makeshift bed was a complete disaster.
Damn. For such a little woman, she had some ferocious strength and fierce attention. And God, how I was starting to like it.
She peeked her head over the edge as I looked up at her radiating beauty.
“Now kiss the floor, sweetheart.” She hummed cheekily as she rolled back to her corner of the bed. “Night.”
“Night.”
Part of me wanted to tell her everything, but there were some things better left unsaid. For her safety and everyone else’s.