Chapter 18 #2
He smashed his fist on the armrest of his throne as he shouted those last words.
Breathing heavily, he looked in Gotia’s direction.
The tension in his body screamed that he wanted to lunge at her and beat her senseless.
Lips pinched, back stiff, the High Priestess kept her face slightly averted, likely avoiding eye contact.
I hated those damn masks robbing me of the ability to fully read their emotions.
And yet, my mind was reeling at all those revelations.
My mother never fully got over the sense of rejection and abandonment that her parents just gave her up for adoption in that godforsaken place.
As Taseus accurately stated, she did suffer greatly there.
It took her a long time to tell me what happened.
My mother had always been stunning. And the twisted caretaker of the orphanage started sexually assaulting her when she was only nine.
Uncle Marcus—who was also an orphan at the same establishment, only found out once she was twelve.
He killed the caretaker and ran with her.
For years thereafter, he protected her the best he could.
“Grace was loved,” Taseus said with deep pain in his voice. “She was wanted. And I never got a chance to tell her.”
“But why didn’t you reach out then?” I asked, baffled.
“I did, but the snakes were ever slithering around. They intercepted my messages. So I had to bide my time,” he explained.
“The attack on Dantor gave me that opportunity. Coron mentioned in passing that he would reach out to the Sentinels. I created a distraction so that I could use his device unbeknownst to him to send you the summons. An additional message sent to Veredia by the Primus wouldn’t raise any concern as it was public knowledge that he was in talks with General Praghan. ”
Gotia fisted her hands. I presumed this meant she hadn’t known until now how he had managed to reach out to me. No wonder she’d looked so angry at me. My existence further underlined the extent of her treachery.
“A reckoning is looming on the horizon. All will receive their righteous punishment,” he said with something akin to malicious glee.
This time, the attendees openly glanced at each other, a few whispering with almost palpable unease. The high priestess also looked unnerved.
“Has the Divine received an enlightenment that should be recorded,” Gotia asked, trying to sound formal as if her consort hadn’t spent the past ten minutes dragging her through the mud.
“Should it be recorded? Yes,” he said in a sickly sweet voice. “Will it be? I’m not so sure.”
More shocked gasps resonated around us. Gotia recoiled.
“That is your duty!” she exclaimed, outraged.
“To Gharah with you and your duty, you foul creature!” Taseus shouted at her.
She once more fisted her hands, jaw clenched as even more murmurs buzzed around us.
The Divine cocked his head as he stared at her, an evil smile on his lips.
“It sucks being on the receiving end of abuse, doesn’t it?
” he asked her before turning his attention back to me while waving a disdainful hand at the High Priestess.
“You see, Gotia here was my ‘consolation’ prize, along with the others. After her mother killed my Alana—yes, she murdered her—Zolina threw her daughter and countless warm bodies at me. She thought that keeping my eighteen-year-old cock wet would make me forget Alana. It just made me hate them even more.”
He turned his body to face the high priestess, his right forearm resting on his knee while he leaned forward.
“Yes, Gotia, I hate you. I have always hated you. And that’s specifically why I made sure to hurt and humiliate you every single time I was forced to fuck you,” he said in a voice full of venom that sent a chill down my spine.
“Contrary to what I led you to believe, I have zero violence kinks. I just despise you and revel in your pain. I hate that I have to breathe the same air you do. I know you had a hand in killing my soulmate. And you’re about to get your ultimate comeuppance. ”
Without giving her a chance to respond—not that I could imagine what she could possibly say to that—Taseus turned back to us.
“I am sorry if my crude words and behavior offend you, Zharina,” he said in an apologetic tone. “I wish I could have met my grandson’s soulmate under different circumstances.”
“I am not offended, but I am shocked,” Zhara said in an oddly calm voice. “She’s indubitably guilty of every accusation you laid at her feet. Her aura states as much. My question to you is why is she still alive?”
“Zhara?!” I exclaimed, flabbergasted.
She glanced up at me with a completely unfazed but also hard expression.
“If someone killed you to keep us apart, I would rip their soul out and burn their entire world to the ground,” she said in a tone that brooked no argument. “Your mother suffered horribly because of that female. What would you do if you learned someone did this to our child?”
I pursed my lips and slowly nodded.
“Fair,” I conceded.
As much as I hated the thought of harming a female, I would have no qualms stomping this one into the ground.
The part of me who worshipped my mother wanted to do just that.
But the other part of me that my father had spent my entire life teaching to always treat females with care struggled with that idea.
Had the events just occurred now, I didn’t doubt that my bloodlust would have wiped out any reluctance I might currently feel.
But then, without her foul actions, my mother never would have met my dad, and I wouldn’t be standing here today.
“I like you, Zharina Praghan,” Taseus said in a paternal fashion. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to say this about anyone within these walls.”
Zhara frowned. “There are others here who like you a lot. Do they not find grace in your eyes?”
He snorted with an incredulous expression.
“Do they?” he challenged, his voice dripping with disbelief.
“Yes,” Zhara said with a bone deep conviction that baffled him. “This female adores you.”
She pointed at one of the initiates to the right side of the room. She’d already been sitting on the dais when we walked in. The Divine glanced in the direction my mate indicated and visibly recoiled, before looking back at Zhara with a confused expression.
“Xendia?” he asked as if she just said something ludicrous. “She’s utterly indifferent to me.”
Although her face was half covered like the others, Xendia’s physical reaction loudly broadcast that the Divine’s response shocked her.
Zhara vigorously shook her head.
“No, your Holiness. I promise you that she adores you,” she insisted.
“My dear, I’m not just the most powerful diviner of Dantor, but I’m also an empath,” he countered in a gentle and reasonable tone. “I would know if she held any positive emotions towards me. As far as she’s concerned, I might as well be a piece of rock by the roadside.”
This time, Xendia audibly gasped, and shook her head in what I believe to be an involuntary denial response.
“You may be an empath, but I can see souls. And there is no doubt whatsoever that she bears you great affection. However, I understand why you may not perceive it,” Zhara said in a suspicious tone as she narrowed her eyes at Xendia. “There’s some sort of dampener muting her soul.”
Xendia stiffened and examined herself with confusion before glancing back at my mate.
“What do you mean?” the Divine asked.
“She’s talking craziness,” Gotia interjected, anger with a sliver of fear audible in her voice.
“SILENCE, you wretch!” Taseus shouted. “Why do I have a feeling we’re about to discover yet another thread in your endless web of deceit?”
Zhara took a couple of steps towards the platform where Xendia and eleven others were sitting. She tilted her head, her eyes slightly going out of focus as she observed something beyond our capacity to see.
“There’s something artificially stunting her emotions and her aura. It’s like part of her soul is fighting to break free from a virtual cage,” my mate said pensively.
“Are you wearing a dampener?” Taseus asked Xendia in a stern tone.
She vehemently shook her head.
“No, your Holiness. At least not that I know of,” she replied with genuine confusion.
“Is there anything you wear that you never take off?” Zhara asked.
Xendia started shaking her head then froze. Her eyes widened before she raised her right hand to stare at some of the jewelry adorning it. She jerked her head up towards the High Priestess, her lips parted in shock. Gotia lifted her chin defiantly.
“The ring,” Xendia whispered in shock before turning towards Zhara.
“The High Priestess gives every new member of this court this ring to wear before we first stand in front of the Divine. We are strictly forbidden from ever removing it. She warned that she would know if we did, and that it would result in our immediate expulsion.”
“Why in Gharah’s name would you require such a thing?” Taseus asked Gotia in a dangerously low voice.
“It is a test of discipline and commitment,” Gotia said in a haughty tone. “If they aren’t able to follow such a simple instruction, then they do not deserve to serve in the Divine Court.”
“Always a deceptive answer ready on that blasted lying tongue of yours,” he hissed before shifting his attention back to Xendia. “Take it off.”
“Yes, your Holiness,” she nervously replied as she promptly complied.
“Throw it away,” Zhara added.
Once again, Xendia obeyed and threw it towards Gotia. Seconds later, Taseus gasped. He slowly rose to his feet, mouth gaping in shock and his right palm pressed to his heart as he stared at Xendia. She clasped her hands before her and uneasily shifted on her feet under the intensity of his gaze.
Snapping out of the shock he felt, Taseus shook his head as if to shake himself out of a dream then glanced at the other members of his court.
“How many of them have dampeners?” he asked.
“All of them,” Zhara replied immediately.
“Remove them!” the Divine shouted.