24. Hell-o-Hallucinations
Aleiraah
"Mortals? How's that even possible?" I lean forward in disbelief.
"Duat has many secrets, Aleiraah. We don't get immortals around here much. But when we do, Duat knows how to entertain." Anubis boasts with a smug grin.
"So what happens afterward?"
"Well, Duat will treat each of them differently. They'll be led down different paths, and mostly face their worst sins and fears, I think. A study in self-reflection you could say." He shrugs, sounding thoughtful.
"Is it going to happen for real?"
"Oh, it could be!" He grins widely, his jackal teeth glinting.
"With Duat you never know. Even after millenias, I'm not familiar with all of Her quirks and means of causing mischief.
But I've a feeling that this is going to be epic!
Do you wish to see what they are going through?
I can project the events in real time here. "
Do I? It could be fun, but…
After mulling over his offer, I decide against it. Not ready to see their traitorous faces, yet. Before anything else, I need to come to terms with the glittery elephant in the room––the baby.
Nymph's fucking bouncy tits! Am I really pregnant?
How's that even possible? I'm on a contraceptive spell cast by a powerful witch from Hag's Delight! How the hell did it not work?
The idea of a baby makes me jittery. Maybe Ammit is mistaken. Yeah, the devourer of souls is wrong and I’m clearly deluded!
Fuck! What am I going to do? It wasn’t even conceived under favorable circumstances. I just thought of the baby as 'it'. Should I refer to it as 'it'? Ugh!
With everything that’s happened, I'm not sure how to feel about this blast out of the blue. I can't even name the act for what it was. It makes me want to throw up and bawl my eyes out at the same time. And I'm not weak! I'll never, ever, be weak again!
If the baby were born of love, maybe I'd be ecstatic.
Instead, I'm torn—wanting not to resent its existence, yet unsure if I can ever love it fully. I didn’t want this now—when my life is a wreck.
Not when the fucking fathers are the vengeful imbeciles I once trusted...
only to have that trust shattered to pieces.
The idea of Apep swallowing them whole sounds more appealing with every passing moment!
I glance at Anubis who's been patiently witnessing my meltdown.
This is why I need to plan. So I'm prepared when I see my so-called husbands. I'm sure they will eventually pop up here like poisonous mushrooms.
Shaking my head, I refuse his offer. "No. I don't wish to witness their trials within Duat. I'm sure they deserve whatever comes their way. I, however, need time to think about a few things. I'll seek you out, once I'm ready."
"As you wish, darling. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things." Anubis winks. I impulsively give him a quick hug that takes him by surprise, and head for my personal quarters.
Time to harden my battered heart and plot the destruction of my 'loving' mates.
Rhazien
The sun beats down mercilessly. Mortal myths have it wrong—it doesn’t burn vampires like me to a crisp, but it does sap our strength.
Which is why I usually gorge on blood beforehand.
Ironically, this mortal body is more susceptible.
Stranded in an endless desert, stripped of immortality, I was initially terrified.
Once the panic ebbed, I picked a direction and trudged on.
Hours later, the scorching sand has blistered my feet raw.
The sun continues to gnaw at my skin, to the point it’s tight and painful.
My clothes offer no relief. I'm parched and dizzy, and there’s no water in sight. Is this what mortals call heatstroke?
I remind myself that I need to reach Aleiraah––earn her forgiveness. Be worthy of her love again. The conviction settles into my bones allowing me to drag my feet further. But the endless golden sands steal a little bit of my hope.
After what seems like eons, something glimmering at the distance snags my attention.
I only have the energy to crawl, the sand piping hot against my skin that’s peeled off in places.
Gritting my teeth, I keep pushing myself as a few palm trees come into view.
A sob escapes my throat and I crawl with renewed vigor.
There's water sparkling beyond the swaying palms.
An oasis!
Half-crawling, half-stumbling, I reach the water's edge and plunge my face into it.
The chill bites my seared skin, and I gasp––managing a few desperate gulps.
Tempted to dive in, I stop myself just in time—after the waterfall stunt, I trust nothing here.
Instead, I splash myself carefully with handfuls of cool water.
Sleep tugs at me...until a faint voice breaks the stillness.
'Did you kiss him?'
Startled, I look around, not seeing anyone. The same voice carries over the wind again.
'Where else did he touch you, Aleiraah?'
Alarmed, I straighten, muscles aching––breaths turning choppy. A ripple rolls over the body of water and images form on the still surface.
It's the night of the Veilmoon. Aleiraah’s sitting on her bed wearing an outraged expression as we surround her.
I hear myself saying—'I think she needs something in her mouth, who wants to risk it?'
What the fuck?
With growing horror I watch as the night replays. I disturb the water surface, trying to stop the events from unfolding but it continues unerringly. The entire night unfolds like a villainous play, with Aleiraah switching between anger, disappointment, incandescent rage and tearful pleading.
Shame cuts deep, cleaving my soul.
Her pleading hurts me the most. As if my heart's being ripped out of my chest and molten lava is being poured in its place.
My beautiful, fearless Aleiraah––scared, helpless against our cruelty.
I failed to notice her fear, her pain, because she's putting on a furious, brave front.
Incomprehension in her eyes, when I didn't heal the puncture wounds makes me heave. Reliving her agony makes me feel helpless, unable to rewrite my wrongdoings.
What kind of a mate am I?
Tearing at my hair, I blabber apologies that don't reach her.
I'm unfit to even breathe the same air as her. I'm the lowlife who taunted her when she couldn't use her magic against us to protect herself.
It sickens me to see myself slapping her pussy so roughly. I thought I was reclaiming her, but the scene before me only shows her pain. She was already hurting and I just made it worse.
What have I done?
Witnessing Silas claiming her, I throw up the little water I drank earlier. Aleiraah's broken and bruised form ripples on the water.
A scream of agony tears out of my throat. "Aleiraaaaaaaah!"
Her name echoes on the wind like a haunting melody. Nothing makes sense anymore.
Eventually, the sun starts setting and an orangish-pink glow spreads over the horizon. As the moon rises in the night sky, I crawl beneath a palm tree, exhausted from the day's events and the smothering weight of my sins.
I drift off to a fitful sleep only to open my eyes to the old manor where my vampire sire held me hostage for decades as a blood slave.
Archer
Thank the moon goddess I'm no longer a wolf!––I think to myself, squinting up at the blasted sun.
I’d have perished in this heat. Aleiraah likes to call me her personal furnace, cuddling up to me whenever she’d get the chance. The back of my eyes burn, remembering her softness. Twice I thought I saw her in the desert, only for her to shimmer and vanish—a cruel mirage.
Still I ran, screaming her name. But the desert wind carried away my voice, leaving behind a silence too loud.
The unbearably hot sand has blistered my feet badly. I'm swaying with every step, alone in this hellish place, when a glimmering body of water comes into view. Fringed with tall palm trees. Thanking the moon goddess again, I manage to hobble my way to the water, drinking in huge gulps.
With thirst temporarily sated, I close my eyes for a moment, contemplating my next steps. But suddenly I hear my own smug voice —'Not so fast, my Moon!'
My eyes fly open in shock. The surface of the water has turned still––and on I see the eight of us, drenched in pale-pink moonlight.
My mouth turns dry as I watch myself turning into a werewolf, unable to control the change.
The urge to erase that mortal's scent from her body sends me straight into a rut and I force myself into Aleiraah without care.
No, no, no, stop this!
I not only rut her like a mindless beast but knot her again and again. She screams at me to stop but I'm too far gone. The others are equally brutal. Pressing my knuckles to my eyes, I let out a strangled cry but there's no escape.
Shame engulfs my very being––I feel broken and filthy, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. How could I’ve done this?
I can only imagine how broken Aleiraah must have felt in the aftermath.
Afraid of what more the oasis might show me, I slowly open my eyes. And find myself in a dense forest. It's night time, and there's an owl hooting somewhere in the trees. A crescent moon hangs in the sky. I scramble to my feet, thrown off by the sudden change in my surroundings.
What the fuck! What kind of a trick is this?
Towering trees stretching toward the sky encircle me, their crimson bark so wide that even five of me linked together couldn't span their girth.
I’m contemplating which way to head, when I hear Aleiraah’s voice––calling my name. "Archie!"
Heart in my mouth, I whirl around, trying to locate her direction.
"Archie! Something's chasing me! Help!" She sounds wildly panicked.
"Where are you, Aleiraah?" Shouting, I run in the direction I think she’s headed.
"Archie…" Her voice turns faint and I give chase at full speed.
Small thorny shrubs pierce my feet, but I don't care. Winding my way through the trees, I keep calling her name. But my steps falter when I hear a howl.
A wolf? Fuck! Moon could be in danger!
How do I fight a wolf while trapped in this mortal body?