Kaizen
The mental line tugged with a sizzling spark, igniting through the open doorway to her.
I lost my breath and stopped dead in my tracks, the mud and dirt scattering as I pivoted and sprinted back to her with all my might. Her awakening power radiated like a guiding light, pulsating faster and faster within me.
"Eliah!" Levon's voice, filled with fear and desperation, reverberated through the forest, my power amplifying his voice. My heart pounded, and I quickened my pace, feeling the overwhelming raw power threatening to consume her.
I ran faster, tapping into just enough of my power to propel me forward but to keep the Miehja at bay. Fear gnawed at me as I gritted my teeth, seeing a flash of ethereal light pulse ahead of me. Her scream of agony pierced the air as I felt the Ethereal Power engulf her.
I reigned in my panic, and my heart stumbled, feeling her searing pain as her raw power sputtered to life in a world she could destroy if fully unleashed. I abruptly stopped, raising my hands and commanding the light to me. My fingers burned with the force, and I missed the sensation of my full power in our celestial world.
The eruption of blinding light reversed, quickly sucking back down as if swallowed, then billowed toward me like lightning. It hit me like a fresh breath of air, but my body shook as I struggled to contain the power of a queen, a protector of the Cosmos. My skin flared to life with its original vibrant, ethereal golden glow but quickly faded as I shut my power entirely off.
I sprinted back to the estate, feeling my skin tickle to life. My power begging to stay awake, to breathe and protect. But the king’s annoying Miehja were still in the area, and I had no time to fight them off.
Her pulse tugged along the tether of our minds before drifting farther away, spurring my feet to move faster.
Curse this rutting Match —the wretched facade we must maintain to avoid the relentless scrutiny of Jesri, the king, and their prying eyes among the Onyx Market. It infuriated me that I couldn't start her Ethereal training now. Yet, I knew it would be unwise to fully open her powers before the Match, knowing that every eye would be watching her and there wouldn’t be a way for us to help without repercussions. The frustration of the entire situation gnawed at me as I cursed Xaldruk, cursed his legion of darkness that took everything from me, disrupting the balance of all existence within the Cosmos. Spreading his darkness in every realm, leaving life vulnerable with no Seraphs to defend with the Veilgate closed.
I pushed the bubbling anger down, wishing time would move faster, knowing the danger Eliah remained in without proper guidance with her Ethereal power.
I reached the clearing with clenched teeth, seeing Eliah and Levon's limp bodies sprawled on the ground. Panic surged through me as I charged toward them, scanning the area to see if anyone had noticed or if any Miehja had breached the area. I reached Levon first, who lay face down in the grass several feet from Eliah.
I tugged his limp body onto his back. His face was a mess of blood and bruises, evidence that Eliah had repeatedly slammed her power into him, and he had taken it without fighting back. My heart clenched at the sight, fear and concern battling for dominance.
"Emil!" I shouted desperately, searching for Levon's guard. "EMIL!" He was supposed to be stationed outside today, but there was no sign of him.
I knelt beside Levon, my mind racing with worry. I cursed silently for not having my pack of elixirs to help him, but I reassured myself that he had endured worse. Leaving my bow and arrows behind, I sprang to my feet and sprinted toward the stables, fueled by a mix of fear and anger. Emil appeared in my path, jogging toward me.
"Emil," I called out urgently, pointing back toward Levon. "Get Levon to Saasha!" My voice shook with a combination of rage and desperation. Emil's eyes widened in alarm as he took in the gravity of the situation, but without hesitation, he turned and rushed to Levon.
I reached the stables and grabbed a bucket of icy water, seething with frustration that I couldn't use my power to cool her down. The rutting king’s dogs were still too close for comfort. My worry for her eclipsed everything else, and I cursed the constraints that had thrust me into this dire situation.
Swiftly, I ran back to Eliah, my heart racing with concern as I saw Emil dragging Levon inside. I knelt down next to her, feeling the intense heat radiating from her body. Panic seized me, realizing she wasn't breathing, and my heart cracked at the sight of her limp form.
I delved into the tether of her mind, desperately trying to reel her back to the surface. I grappled with each tremor of her awakening Ethereal, knowing that every second was critical.
"Eliah!" I barked, my voice trembling with fear and urgency, daring to open the power gate to touch her as I frantically examined her body. My heart pounded in my chest as I looked down at her lavender dress and realized the problem.
Damn, these bloody corsets!
Without hesitation, I unsheathed Sabene's ruby dagger and tore open the front of her dress. Her chest rose with a shallow breath, flickering hope amidst the panic that gripped me. I quickly poured the icy cold water onto her, watching as steam rose from her and exposed her tan skin beneath her wet petticoat.
I held her close, ignoring the burning sensation in my palms and arms from her overheated skin. She gasped for air, and I frantically searched her eyes, seeing the usual dull gray-blue begin to shift, revealing a cosmos of color—like every Seraph Queen, each uniquely different.
She jerked upright, trembling, but relief flooded me, knowing only two outcomes awaited Seraphs in such moments and praying it was the better of the two.
"Geisha, bless me," I rasped, gently cupping her face and slowly opening my Ethereal to soothe her.
She pushed me away with a wince, then slumped back into my arms, gasping for air. Panic widened her features as she glanced down at her wet form and the torn clothes beneath her, shivering uncontrollably.
Rutting idiot. I cursed at myself, hastily holding her with one arm while I unclasped my cloak and draped it over her chattering body.
"Breathe," I whispered into the shell of her ear, my hair coming undone and falling across her face. I held her close, feeling the softness of her skin against mine, before cradling her in my arms and rising to my feet. I hurried toward the estate door, my heart racing as I scanned anxiously for any sign of the Miehja that were bound to appear.
"Levon," she rasped, her voice hoarse. I gritted my teeth, suppressing my sudden frustration. "Levon?" she repeated.
I hushed her gently as I unlatched the door, hearing murmured voices echoing through the opulent estate.
"Ka—"
"Save it, Eliah," I sharply interjected, not wanting her to exert any more energy than necessary. I held her closer, feeling her trembling fingers against my chest and her soft cheek against my neck.
Bounding up the stairs and across the hall to her room, I opened her door and gently laid her down on her plush bed.
I rushed to her bathing chambers, frantically turning the faucet on to hot and plugged the bottom, only to realize my shirt was stained with blood from taking out a Bounty Hunter from earlier. In a panicked flurry, I tore off my bloodied tunic and tossed it aside, my mind racing with fear as I heard her whimper something, the tether of her mind convulsing.
I hurried back to her side, watching her entire body convulse with tremors.
No, no! I cursed within my mind, terrified of the other, darker ways her pulses of Awakening could seize control, especially here in this foreign world where no first Awakening should ever be experienced.
"Geisha," I swore, praying to the first queen not to strike me down as I leaned over Eliah. " Eliah, stay with me!"
I rushed to the door, knowing Elise or Saasha would be nearby. "Elise! Saasha!" I shouted desperately, needing to reach my elixirs of raw power that wouldn't attract the Miehja, but was unwilling to leave her alone. Hurrying back to the bath, I turned off the water and returned to her now freezing body. I quickly removed the cloak, forcing myself and my eyes to remember that she was my queen —not the formidable, daunting lady I had grown up watching and protecting.
Crouching beside the bed, I gently slid off her wet stockings and shoes before standing up and pulling her limp body into my chest, swallowing the forbidden closeness that threatened to overwhelm me.
"Kaizen," she trembled into my neck, sending hot flashes coursing through my body in a rage.
"Hold onto me," I begged, wrapping her arms around my neck and then carefully pulling her forward to unlace her skirts, resisting further reckless imaginations.
Gritting my teeth, I hated myself for savoring the touch of her skin against mine as I gently lifted her and removed her skirts, before carrying her in my arms to the hot bath. I lowered her into the water, hearing her sigh in relief as the pulse of her mind slowed ever so slightly.
I quickly stepped back, clenching my fists in frustration, desperate to escape the turmoil inside me. Rushing down the hall, I shouted for Saasha and Elise again before bounding down the stairs and crossed the foyer to the room Levon had created to store Seraph relics fallen during the Cataclysm. I thrust open the picture of Hyenah, Levon’s mother, who had always been the best of us, revealing the door behind it. Swiftly descending the stairs, I grabbed a calming elixir, hoping it would dull Eliah’s powers enough to buy us more time and take away her pain.
Running back up the stairs, I closed the frame and hurled myself up the steps two at a time. Elise's blonde curls disappeared into Eliah’s room, and I sucked in a breath before stepping in after her.
"She's ice cold. We need to reheat the water," Saasha declared, holding onto Eliah’s arm as she kneeled beside the tub. Eliah’s bare back was now exposed and pebbled with tiny bumps prickling her skin.
I cursed under my breath, looking away and clenching my jaw, knowing how the cold could threaten to consume her, turning her into a pitiless shell.
"Saasha, go help Levon; I brought up your kit," I lied firmly, my voice tinged with urgency, desperate to create a moment of privacy. "Elise, go make some hot tea and prepare her bed."
"No," Eliah breathed weakly. "My head…" she trailed off, and Elise and Saasha exchanged a glance before hurrying out, their footsteps adding to the commotion of the estate.
I hesitated, torn by the conflicting desire to hold her close and to comfort her. I approached cautiously, pushing away such lustful thoughts that lingered in the back of my mind as I dipped my finger into the water, focusing on easing the tiny shivering bumps on her bare skin. Opening the power gate just enough, I sizzled the cold water into steam.
I held my breath, watching her sink into the warmth, quickly averting my eyes and stepping away, wrestling with forbidden emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.
"Here’s the tea and a robe," Elise said softly, walking into the room with a tray bearing a ceramic teapot and a cup, which she set down beside the bed along with the warm robe.
"Help me lift her out," I rasped, my heart pounding with concern for Eliah's condition, needing to get this elixir to her before another possible power surge.
Elise nodded curtly, moving to unplug the tub before turning Eliah around. I averted my gaze, locking onto a blood stain on my boot, as I took Eliah under her arms while Elise supported her feet, and we lifted her out. Elise quickly helped her into the robe before I swiftly cradled her in my arms, laying her back onto the bed while Elise pulled the covers over her.
I hurriedly retrieved the elixir from my pocket and flipped open the cap, pouring it into the teapot. After mixing it thoroughly with a small spoon, I turned back to Elise, my mind focusing on Eliah's flickering light within her mind.
"I’m going to Levon. Make sure she drinks all of it," I instructed, not trusting myself around her any longer.
I snatched up my bloody tunic and cloak, every fiber of my being longing to stay, but anger filled my senses as I stormed out of the room, closing the door behind me. Instantly, the sharp, acrid rank of oily darkness collided with me, signaling the breach of the invisible perimeter I meticulously set up around the estate.
"Cursed dogs!" I spat out, my voice tight with frustration and rage, sensing the predatory presence of the Miehja closing in. With a quick intake of breath, I hastily pulled my shirt over my head and flung my cloak back on, the fabric swirling around me as I quickly descended the stairs.
My adrenaline surged as I raced across the foyer and onto the estate grounds, headed to the field where I had stashed my cache of poison arrows and other bow. I hoped my reckless chase would distract them away from the estate long enough for her powers to subside.
A screech shattered the forest's silence, sharpening my focus. I grabbed my bow and arrows with swift, practiced movements and expertly nocked one into place. A Miehja emerged onto the open grass; I snarled in defiance and quickly released the arrow with deadly precision, watching the arrow sink deep into the creature's eye as it let out a sickening shriek.
I turned and bolted towards it, running into the forest and seeing several others yipping and clicking with a deadly pleasure.
I took in a breath and flung open my power gate, my skin blazing gold, as they halted in their tracks before rushing to me with predatory force.
I sprinted away, the Ethereal propelling my limbs to move faster than I could in my weak human frame, and lured them after me.