Chapter 16
Veylor
Ipulled up to the estate, my two new black stallions snorting and prancing with energy as they drew the pull cart along.
As we approached the gates, I noticed a transformation had taken place.
The cobweb of vines that usually clung to the broken gate had vanished, and the once wild bushes now appeared neatly pruned, their branches now trimmed.
Despite these improvements, the front courtyard still bore signs of neglect, with piles of dead leaves, scattered debris, and assorted garbage gathered in unsightly heaps, hinting at the work that still needed to be done.
I huffed in annoyance. Benedict was going to pull a stitch, and then he would unravel.
My trip ended up being much longer than expected; what was supposed to be a two-day excursion stretched into a week. I hadn't expected to encounter issues at the night markets when I started shopping. Once people recognized me, they wanted to discuss topics I no longer had any interest in.
Every merchant stall I came to was overly pleasant. They freely gave in their gossip and unfortunately it led to hearing about topics of the past and what the future could hold if I would just get out of my slump.
After the first two markets I visited, I wrapped my face and hands to conceal myself. I was not going to have myself exposed to that sort of social torture.
With my face and hands hidden, they couldn't distinguish me from a vampire, fae, goblin, or other creature that now emerges from the deep shadows of the forests. Since The Disturbance, all the creatures that once lurked in hiding have now come into the light.
“Heard that monster was wandering around here a few weeks ago. Be careful where you travel,” one merchant said, who sold some of the finest cloth.
I hummed and continued to feel the material on my exposed wrist.
“You know what I’m talking about right? That thing that runs around with a skull attached, tail like a dragon? It’s an abomination I tell you. I saw it eating the carcass of a dead animal on the side of the road. It had red eyes and…”
A woman scoffed beside me. “Did not Harold, you stretch the truth. It has no eyes. You leave it alone, and it leaves you alone. You all are a bunch of gossipers.”
My lip quirked to a smile underneath my mask.
“Says the old crazy lady witch of the town. Don’t you have somewhere to be? You reek of sage.”
She stuck up her nose and put her hand on her hip. “He’s got a good soul in him. If I ever see him and any of you messin’ with him,” she pointed to the people that had gathered around us, “I’ll put a spell on you meself!”
The crowd erupted in laughter as I tossed a gold coin to the merchant for the red velvet fabric. I wasn't sure what I'd use it for yet, but it appeared luxurious, and I was confident Benedict could create something with it.
As I walked away, they all talked about Oryx like he was a monster, and he partly was but there were a few that stood up for him.
I inhaled deeply and parked the recently acquired carriage. I had turned into, what was it called? A shopaholic after listening to Oryx in his den. I purchased new fabric to make clothes for him, new blankets, and other essentials he might need.
While I had been distant with him, I knew I had to make it up to him now. He was changing, just as Benedict had told me.
Perhaps I could talk to him more plainly.
Or teach him, you fool.
But it wasn’t just the markets that took me so long, but the graveyards as well. I went around not just the closest town but towns further away to avoid suspicion. I can conjure some parts of the bodies. I was getting better, but some things I couldn’t do on my own.
And I needed to work faster.
I tugged on the reins, bringing the horses to a stop. The sound of their hooves brought Benedict out of the mansion, his sleeves rolled up and a cloth in hand as he dried them.
“My Lord, I know nothing about horses.” His shoulders slumped in dismay as he threw the towel over his shoulder.
I stepped down from my seat and heard the gravel beneath my feet. “You won’t have to. I’ve hired simple stablemen looking for work. They will be coming to the Estate shortly. I’ll need the servant quarters cleaned.”
Hiring vampires to work with any sort of animal was unheard of. They could go into a hunger frenzy and drink the blood of anything that has a heartbeat.
I was close to finishing a self-replenishing blood source that could satisfy and sustain vampires.
This innovation alone made them eager to work for me. Many vampires direly needed employment and a place to belong. Having been outcasts since their downfall centuries ago, it was time for these new generations to escape the burdens of their ancestors' past.
Benedict opened and closed his mouth. “You aren’t going to revive the others?”
I cleared my throat. "It takes time. I've preserved their parts to prevent further decomposition, but I need to learn how to properly.
.." My mind went blank when I noticed Benedict's forearm.
The threads I'd sewn into his skin were no longer visible.
Only faint lines remained around his wrists.
Actually... there was hardly any line left at all.
I seized his arm with a vice-like grip and yanked it toward me, my eyes narrowing into slits of suspicion.
"What’s this? Did you go to someone?" I growled, my voice dripping with venom.
My lip curled into a feral snarl as my free hand clamped around his throat, fingers digging in mercilessly.
With a forceful shove, I slammed him against the unforgiving stone wall.
He hiccupped and grasped my hand. “M-my Lord. Don’t kill me again!”
My eyes widened and I let go, which caused Benedict to fall to the ground. I stepped away and gazed down at my gloved hand.
Benedict got on his knees and pulled at my trousers. “My Lord, I’m sorry. I did not mean to remind y…”
I shook my head, my hair falling over my face. "It's okay, I startled you. Here, let me help." I helped him to his feet, trying to quell the mix of anger and curiosity inside me. "What happened? Did a witch spin some magik thread? Did it pull your skin together?"
If it did, that would solve everything. At the night markets there were no magik stalls that had anything with magik thread. Surely you would think a seamstress witch would create such a thing.
Benedict bit his bottom lip. “No, not a witch. Did you see the courtyard?” He opened up his arms wide and walked away from me. He turned in a circle. “Isn’t it wonderful? The flowers will bloom better with…”
I snarled. “You are stalling. Don’t test my patience.”
Benedict shrugged. “Worth a shot. Oryx has a friend.” He winked obnoxiously.
I wrinkled my nose. “A friend? What sort of friend? Since when does Oryx have a friend other than me?”
Benedict shook his head. “Ha? You a friend? Since I’ve been back you’ve hardly said two words to the creature. Surely you didn’t think he would want to be alone forever.”
“I’m protecting him. Making sure he doesn’t get… Damn it, Benedict. Who healed your arm? Was it a witch?”
Benedict crossed his arms, he raised one and sighed delightfully onto his hand. “She might be. Or maybe a siren. Lately I’m thinking she is an incubus because…”
"That's enough!" I shouted. "Grab the bags, and be cautious with the dirty ones; you know where they go." I stormed away from him and shoved the door to the mansion open.
What in the Under Shadows was he talking about? Oryx has someone? As I rushed up the stairs and stopped midway.
The night I was outside his room. He wasn’t alone then.
A seething, jealous rage consumed me, burning like a wildfire within. I felt the raw energy of my magik surge down my arms, crackling at my fingertips with a tingling intensity.
With a swift swipe through the air, a wave of power rippled outward, causing every painting along the wall to tilt askew, as if an invisible hand had disturbed them.
The fire lights flickered and dimmed, casting long shadows that danced across the hallways.
My snarl, deep and resonant, filled the space, echoing as fiercely as Oryx’s defiant roar.
As I approached his room, the double doors swung open on their own.
Upon entering, I noticed the room was dimly lit, filled with his familiar scent mixed with something else.
The aroma drifted into my nostrils and settled in my lungs, a blend of lavender and honeysuckle washing over my lifeless skin.
It felt like a warm blanket that warmed this rotting body the further in the room I entered.
A candle sat on the side table. Oryx’s form, back facing me, was breathing in deeply, snoring.
No chains were on his ankles to keep him in bed. He was sleeping peacefully.
I stood observing Oryx's chest gently rise and fall with each deliberate breath.
In the flickering candlelight, his skull and body appeared almost peaceful, a sharp contrast to the creature he had turned into.
The soothing aroma of lavender and honeysuckle filled the air, bringing me a sense of calm.
I shook my head.
My fingers curled into fists at my sides as I tried to make sense of the situation.
Who could possibly have this effect on Oryx?
And why was he allowing someone into his inner sanctum now, after all this time?
A surge of possessiveness and protectiveness washed over me, clashing with the confusion swirling in my mind.
I took a hesitant step closer to his bed, my eyes never leaving his peaceful form. He was curled up into a ball, his tail wrapped around him tightly. I stepped forward once more and when I found myself on the other side of the bed to see his face, the warmth I felt on my skin vanished.
He was curled around a female. She was smiling slightly, nuzzling her forehead against his. A smile played on her lips.
What. Is. This?
My eyes widened and turned black with rage.
I had been a fool to leave Oryx for so long. A fool to not see that this she-demon was living in my home. Her scent that permeated the air filled my lungs again. I covered my nose to keep her scent away.
Poison.
“My Lord…” Benedict entered the room.
“Don’t!” I hissed and pointed at him. “You should have told me. Told me that this she-demon has come into my home, corrupted Oryx.”
“She has done nothing, she’s been nothing but…”
“She has POISONED YOU!” I snarled.
With that shout the woman’s eyes fluttered open and she tried to pull away from the massive cocoon that Oryx had surrounded her with but instead he pulled her closer.
“Mine,” Oryx nuzzled into her hair.
No.
I felt my magik rise and fill the room. Benedict backed away and watched as black shadows filled the room.
I clenched my fists, the dark magik shadows swirling around me as I glared at the woman entwined with Oryx. She looked up at me, her eyes widening in fear as she tried to untangle herself from his grasp. But Oryx only held onto her tighter, a possessive growl rumbling in his chest.
"How dare you attempt to take what is mine?" I snarled, my voice reverberating through the room with an eerie power. The shadows swirled around me, ready to heed my every command.
The woman gasped, clearly sensing the danger that surrounded us. Oryx's grip on her softened slightly, as if he could sense the threat emanating from me.
But it was too late for her.
I would not have her here any longer.
As I raised my hand to unleash the full extent of my power, a voice called out from behind me.
"My Lord, please, do not harm her," Benedict pleaded, his voice filled with desperation. But I paid him no mind as I focused all of my energy on the woman before me.
With a swift motion, I unleashed a wave of darkness towards her, intending to banish her from this plane forever. But before it could reach her, Oryx stood and let out a deafening roar that shook the very foundation of the room, my shadows dropped to the floor and scattered beneath the cracks.
"No!" he bellowed, his body now in his defensive stance. The force of his voice pushed back against my magic, creating a barrier between me and the woman.
I took a step back, stunned by Oryx's sudden defiance. He had never challenged me like this before, never dared to stand in the way of what I wanted.
"Oryx..." I whispered, my heart heavy with conflicting emotions. The woman seized this opportunity to slip out of his grasp and scurry away, disappearing into the shadows of the room.
Silence descended upon us as Oryx turned to face me fully, his expression unreadable. For a moment, we simply stood there, two beings bound by magik.
Then, without a word spoken between us, Oryx extended a clawed hand towards me. And in that simple gesture, I knew everything had changed.