Chapter 51
FIFTY-ONE
"Y ou don't know either, Belinda?" I ask the cute cow as I brush her hide.
She nuzzles her snout in the crook of my neck, tickling me.
"Moo." She releases a low sound as she nestles closer to me.
"I'll take that as a no." I sigh.
After the foam incident, Ze simply disappeared, saying that he had something to take care of and he would reach out soon with the details about his plan for the temple.
But that was almost a week ago, and since then, there's been no sign of him. And to my dismay, I've realized that I've become rather used to him. Certainly enough to miss him when he's gone. The fact that Nikki has failed to appear in so long has only made my days bleaker.
"You miss your friends, don't you? I've read somewhere that cows form deep friendships and they get depressed when they're alone. Are you depressed, too, Belinda?"
Another moo resounds in my ear, though I'm not entirely sure how to interpret it.
Since getting Belinda, I've tried to visit her at least once a day, but despite my good intentions, I have to admit to myself that this is not a suitable environment for a cow—for an earthly cow. Not only is she the only one of her species here, but even the food might have a different effect on her metabolism. I don't want anything bad to happen to her, and it would be selfish to keep her just because she's cute.
Taking another good look at her, I decide to ask Ze to take her back to Earth and find a milking farm for her so she will not be slaughtered.
"I'll ask him to get your friends, too, if you have any," I tell her as I relate my plan. I'm not sure if she understands me, but she's instantly happier when she hears that she'll go back to her friends.
Alas, my decision is made.
I lay a kiss on the top of her head before I step out of the room, ready to head back to my own.
Luckily, I managed to explain to Thea and her parents that nothing untoward was going on between me and Ze. Knowing Aperion customs, the last thing I wanted was for my hosts to think I was engaging in illicit activities under their roof. I merely explained to them that we'd been cornered by angry s’Aperiotes who'd tried to kill Ze, and upon realizing they were unsuccessful, they decided to throw sweet ice at us. To my relief, they all understood our predicament and assured me they wouldn't hold it against me.
However, that was a few days ago, and I've yet to see any of them since. Even Thea was rather scarce, though that's because she's been helping her sister find another dress for her debut. With a little under a week until the ball, both Thea and Wyn are, understandably, a little highly strung.
People are coming in and out of the place daily, working on decorations and preparing the ballroom for the event.
Since everyone is so busy, I've tried to stay out of their way and keep to myself. Although, with Ze's absence, things have been rather...lonely. Belinda has been the only one to keep me company, and technically...she's not even a person.
I release a weary sigh as I unlock the door to my room and step inside.
Right there in front of me, sprawled on my bed, is Ze. He's wearing the same black ensemble, a long-sleeved black shirt paired with a pair of loose pants held by a thick belt that houses his sword. Sometimes I wonder if his closet consists of only the same clothes.
When he sees me, he tilts his head to the side, his mouth quirking up.
"I have been thinking," he starts nonchalantly as if he hasn't broken into my room.
"Do tell," I add dryly as I close the door behind me and walk to the bed.
"I have accrued one hundred points. I am entitled to a boon."
My jaw falls open as I stare at him dumbfounded. Of all the things... He's gone for an entire week and then he swoops in to tell me he wants his boon? The gall of him. My ire rises as I note his relaxed manner. His arms are behind his head, his legs propped up on the bed frame—of course he'd be too big for my bed. He's sitting there as if he owns the place.
"Is this what you came for? Where have you been in the last week?" I ask him before I can help myself. The moment the words are out of my mouth, heat engulfs my cheeks. That sounded rather...needy. But just as he is entitled to his boon, I'm entitled to know when he's going to suddenly pop up— more like break in —into my room. As that thought arises, I make a mental note for myself to remind him that it's not okay for him to simply barge into my room—or teleport himself or whatever. If a door is locked, it's for a reason. I value my privacy—not that Ze seems to have any notion of what the word means.
His gaze meets mine, an intense look crossing his face.
"You were expecting me?" he asks slowly, his voice gravelly.
"Right, it's my mistake for thinking you'd at least send word that you'd be gone for so long." I roll my eyes.
He blinks slowly as if it just dawned on him that he should have sent word. But then again, I don't think Ze is used to accounting for his whereabouts to anyone.
His entire body tenses, his lips fighting to stay still as the corners of his mouth curl up.
Time freezes as he stares at me, his Adam's apple bobbing up, a mix of awe, satisfaction and fear echoed in his features. Eventually, he swings his legs off the bed and silently walks toward me, stopping when the tips of his feet meet mine. I glance up at him to find him watching me pensively, his brows bunched together.
Reaching into the pocket of his trousers, he takes something out and thrusts it toward me.
"For you," he says as he unfurls his fist to reveal a gold bracelet crowned with a small purple pearl in the middle.
My lips part as a shaky breath escapes me, my eyes instantly arrested by the simple yet beautiful piece of jewelry. At the same time, my brain tries to make sense of the reason behind such an extravagant gift.
When I take too long to speak or react, he clears his throat, grabbing my hand and dropping the bracelet in my palm.
"What is this?" I ask as I brush my finger along the curved surface of the purple pearl. The gold chain is thin and elegant, consisting of small loops tied together by the slightly bigger pearl.
"It is a special pearl. As long as you carry this with you, I will be able to find you anywhere," he explains as he fastens the golden string around my wrist. "I apologize for not informing you I would be away for so long. My mission turned out to be more time-consuming than I previously thought. The situation is getting more dire with the new demon appearances. With Aethon missing, I need to take on more duties than before."
"You're forgiven," I say absentmindedly as I stare at the bracelet. "This is so beautiful, Ze. Thank you," I murmur. "Where did you get it from?"
"I forged it myself, of course," he declares proudly.
My brows shoot up in surprise. I was not expecting that .
"You did? That's impressive."
"Of course." He nods. "The pearl is an exceedingly rare one. I acquired it from the nereid queen herself. There are only two in existence," he proclaims proudly.
"I don't know what to say," I mumble in awe, unable to take my eyes off the bracelet. "Who has the other pearl?"
Silence greets me at that question.
I slowly look up to find him staring at the ceiling, his cheeks flushed.
"I do," he admits awkwardly, pulling his sleeve up to reveal a similar bracelet with a white pearl.
"Oh, we match." I smile, placing my wrist against his. The two pearls emit a sharp gleam when they're placed side by side, indicating they're a pair. As I stare at the two of them together, the purple and white swirl together, almost as if the essences of the pearls are getting combined. Moving my hand away, I note that my pearl becomes a deep purple again, while Ze's returns to its white state. "But how did you convince her to give you both of them if they're so rare?"
"I did not need to convince her. The pearls are the solidified tears of a mermaid, and they become the property of whoever makes one cry. Mermaids almost never cry, which is why they are so rare."
I stare at him in shock.
"You made a mermaid cry to get the pearls?" I ask numbly. Speechless, I do not know whether to be incensed or touched—both emotions are at war inside of me. This is Ze we're talking about, though. Am I really that surprised he'd do this?
The answer is rather obvious... no .
"Not...directly," he answers sheepishly. "I merely relayed to her that her mate was dead." He shrugs. "But she only shed one tear, and I needed two so we could match, so I told her how he died." He nods to himself, no doubt proud of his strategy.
I shake my head at him.
"That's cruel, Ze," I lightly admonish him.
"It is not. It is just the way of our world. Nereids, too, know that death is everywhere. Not even a god is spared from the ravages of injury or disease. We may be immortal in a timeless sense, but we are not impervious. Save for the Primordials, no one is invincible."
"That doesn't make it better," I protest. Humans may be mortal, and death may be a part of daily life, but we spend our entire lives avoiding the reality of death.
Ze shrugs again.
If it were any other person, I would have been more disturbed by this blasé display. But I've gotten used to him and his particular way of seeing the world—through a rather amoral lens. Does it make it better? No. But at least there's a logic to explain his actions—though I may not agree with them.
"I made the golden chain, though," he suddenly adds, his voice echoing with pride.
"Do I want to ask where you got the gold for it?" I raise a brow.
He swallows hard and panic flares in his eyes.
"I do not think you want to know."
"Good, let's leave it at that." I sigh, glancing once more at my bracelet. It's so pretty, though. I'll overlook its unusual provenance this time—and this time only.
I make to move, but he moves with me, blocking my way.
"Now let us talk about my boon," he says eagerly. He places his hands behind his back—his usual stance—as he glances down at me expectantly. He's almost like a kid waiting for his reward, though in this case Ze didn't do much for it since I got swindled out of ninety-one points for him merely not harming other people.
I sigh as I shake my head.
"Fine. What do you want?"
I'm almost afraid to find out what he wants. Although I've gotten to know him better recently, there's still that part of him that's unreachable, that human part that he's only discovering too. If he barely knows his wants and desires, then who am I to guess them? But that makes him unpredictable, too—dangerous even—because he could want the most outrageous thing.
I could refuse, of course. But I gave him my word, and that matters to me .
I'll just have to hold my fingers crossed that he won't come up with something too outlandish.
"It is rather simple. I would like you to give me permission to speak to you inside your mind."
"What?" My eyes widen.
"It will make things easier in the future, especially when you shall enter the temple. Otherwise, I will have no way to communicate with you."
"And you need my permission for that?"
"I could do it without, but it usually involves exerting force on a person's mind. The effects are not...pleasant." He winces. "Permission is the preferred method if you are not an enemy I need to extract information from," he explains, and for the first time I find myself truly without words.
Ze asking for permission? That is something novel. One would think he'd just do it without caring for the consequences. But the fact that he is asking for my consent beforehand makes me gain a new respect for him.
Perhaps not all hope is lost for him.
"Does that mean you will be able to read my thoughts?"
That is nonnegotiable. I would hate to think that someone could prey on my thoughts and hear all my intimate musings.
"I can only hear what you choose to share with me."
I bite my lip as I think this through. I did promise him a boon, and I'm not one to break my word.
"All right. Permission granted."
He cups the sides of my face as he leans forward. My lashes flutter in confusion as he brings his lips to my forehead, brushing them lightly against my skin. He then presses a firm kiss right at the top of my head.
I freeze, completely taken aback by this sudden gesture.
He doesn't move either.
His soft lips are tightly pressed against my skin, and a deep flush envelops me. The place of contact vibrates and a low hum travels down my body.
I swallow hard, my arms placid by my side.
An eternity passes in the span of a few seconds, yet this proximity messes with my mind. My thoughts are blank save for this unnatural awareness that echoes through my brain.
He leans back, his eyes a deep purple.
"Hello, little human ," he purrs into my mind.
The sound of his voice inside my head startles me, the echo sending shivers down my back. It's different than I would have imagined—more intimate, more...
"Uhm." I clear my throat. "Is a kiss always required to gain permission?"
"You are the only one I have asked for permission from," he replies casually.
"Oh." I blink, once more surprised. "Thank you... I guess?"
"Consider yourself lucky, human," he starts in his supercilious voice. "You are also the only one who has had the privilege to be touched by these lips. You are welcome." He nods to me, satisfaction blooming in his features.
To say I'm flabbergasted would be an understatement. Yet to my greatest surprise, I find that I'm not mad. Perhaps I have finally gotten used to this odd manner of his.
"I'm deeply honored, Sir Sparkles," I murmur, leaning forward in a half-bow. At any other time, he would have asked me if I was mocking him. Now, his lips quirk up as he watches me indulgently, almost...tenderly.
A flush climbs up my cheeks.
"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'd like to have lunch. You can stay and eat with me or leave. Up to you," I quickly add, wrenching my gaze away from him.
He doesn't leave. He trails closely behind me and takes a seat opposite me at the table. I ring the bell and ask for lunch to be brought up, after which a servant arrives with the dishes not even ten minutes later. I lay everything out on the table, my stomach growling with hunger. Ze, on the other hand, is the picture of decorum as he watches me wolf down the food without eating one bite.
"Would you like some?" I ask as I push forward a tray of pastries toward him.
He shakes his head.
"When do you even eat, Ze? You're a big guy. You must need a lot of fuel."
"I have my feeding times," he grumbles, looking away.
"Your loss." I shrug. "This is marvelous."
"I like watching you eat. You humans get happy at the smallest things," he mentions casually.
My brow goes up as I side-eye him.
"Maybe you should learn a thing or two from us humans ." I roll my eyes, grabbing a sweet pastry and shoving it in his mouth—half to shut him up and half to make him see why this human would be happy about it.
His eyes widen in surprise and he slowly munches on it, nodding.
"It is good," he agrees as he swallows. And now that he's had a taste of it, he doesn't stop at just one, going for another, then another.
Odd man. He claims I am the odd one when he can't even eat by himself, needing someone else to urge him to eat. I shake my head at him, though a slight smile plays at my lips. We eat in silence until all the food is gone, at which point Ze reclines in his chair, gracefully dabbing at his mouth with a napkin.
"Two days from now, the temple will open its doors to outsiders," he states, his tone suddenly serious. "It is an annual event in which they recruit a new apprentice. It is open only to females who exhibit spiritual abilities. They are required to go through a round of tests, after which the high priestess elects one female to join the temple. It is a highly sought-after position due to the training priestesses receive, and many Supremes have at one point been priestesses." He pauses, giving me a pointed look. "You have said our society is unfair to females, yet the temple is an institution that caters only to females. There is no equivalent for males."
I cross my arms over my chest, regarding him through narrowed eyes.
"What do you want me to do?"
"You will masquerade as a recruit to gain access to the temple," he answers simply.
"But how will I be able to enter the recruitment process if they only accept females with spiritual abilities? I fear I must remind you I am a mere human," I add sarcastically.
Now it's his turn to roll his eyes. He nods to my bracelet.
"That is where the pearl comes into the equation. The first test will measure your spiritual abilities. I have filled the pearl with my energy, so it should allow you to pass that test."
"Of course you wouldn't give me a gift out of the kindness of your heart," I mumble under my breath as I rotate my wrist, watching the purple of the pearl change hues depending on the light.
He doesn't acknowledge my words as he continues. "Passing the first test will gain you an invite inside the temple to participate in the second test. You will not, however, undertake it. You will sneak into the altar room and temporarily disable the runes keeping males out of the temple. I will then come inside, interrogate the high priestess, and get the location of the vial from her. If we are lucky, the artifact will be within the temple's premises."
I stare at him.
"It is all very simple." He nods, satisfied.
"Uhm, human here?" I say as I put my hand up. "I don't know how to recognize those runes you speak of, let alone disable them."
"You will have my voice guiding you." He smiles.
"You planned this all, didn't you?"
Everything makes sense now. He's been staging this from the very beginning, hasn't he? I don't know why, but an aching hole forms in my gut as I realize that he's been orchestrating all of our interactions to reach this point.
"Of course," he readily admits. "I have accounted for every probability. You are the best option. The king has undoubtedly told the temple to increase their security. They are expecting me, but they do not know how I will be able to get inside. And since I am not known to have any female friends—least of all one who would possess spiritual powers worthy of the temple—they will not suspect that a female will infiltrate the temple on my behalf."
"What if I get caught?"
"You will not," he assures me.
"But what if I do get caught? You said it yourself. They will expect you, so they will likely increase security. What will happen to me if they realize I'm human?"
"You will not get caught. If anything happens, I will get you out."
"But how? If you can't come inside, doesn't that mean I'm screwed?"
"You don't need to worry about that." He waves his hand. "There are two approaches to everything, Luce—with force and without." He pins me with his gaze. "I will raze the temple to the ground if need be," he adds casually.
My lashes flutter in surprise.
"What would you have done if I didn't agree to help you?" I ask hesitantly.
"I would have razed it to the ground." He shrugs. "So consider this charity work. You are saving lives." He smiles.
"You..." I trail off. For a moment, I'd forgotten this part of him. Perhaps it's because since arriving in Aperion, he's only shown me the gentle, rather playful side of him. But I shouldn't forget that's not who he is.
He's not nice...at least not to most people.
He is the God Killer, and his reputation isn't just false rumors. That is who he is—a killer.
"I will protect you, Luce. Nothing will happen to you. You have my vow."
I bite on the inside of my cheek.
He's never let me down until now, always coming to my rescue. If the past is any indication, then I don't see why the future would not follow the same pattern.
"Fine. I'll trust you."