Chapter 52
Seda
(One thousand years ago)
“We did it!” Seda shouted as she stood on the dais, looking down toward the hundreds of Corvids and Amaru within the Noctrya throne room.
Elation hummed beneath her skin, and she held her hands aloft, creating a vivid, electrical depiction of the battle against Supay in detailed violet hues for all to see.
An explosive cheer burst from the crowd, the loudest coming from Elco, who stood to her left on the dais and shook the walls with an earth-shattering roar.
“We pushed his soul into a mortal. Our lands are now free and balanced once more!” she yelled as a broad smile lit up her face.
No real method existed to kill a god, but they found a workaround together. They cast aside his soul, and when that body failed him, the demonic embodiment would float aimlessly around for millennia.
She looked to the man sitting on the throne to her right, at the dark snakeskin armor and bone mask, and saw the piercing eyes she loved so much, focused solely on her.
As the cheers died down and the drinking began, she held onto Kalon’s strong arm as they conversed with others, laughing through mouthfuls of cake and glasses of mead.
They neared the end of the gathering hall, and Kalon pulled her into a dark alcove, ripping the mask from his face and pinning her against the wall with his knee between her thighs.
“What are you doing?” she teased through ragged breaths, knowing full well what he wanted, what she needed.
His full lips met hers with unmistakable hunger, and he bit her tongue, causing a slight sting before caressing it with his own.
He growled as her electrical spark danced across his lips, and slid his thumb into her mouth for her to suck, touching it to the back of her throat. “I’m going to fucking hunt you down, my lunita. And I’m going to fuck you when I catch you.”
She felt a surge of excitement ripple through her as his intense eyes burned into hers.
“You better fucking run,” he growled, releasing her from his clutches.
She didn’t hesitate and ran from him, knocking into other guests as her legs flew through the room and into the long, dark halls.
She felt her heart pounding above the feel of her bare feet striking the stone floors.
She grabbed onto the corner of the wall, and she sharply threw herself around the edge, hearing the dining hall’s doors crash open behind her.
The stairs to the exit were over a hundred steps long, and she pushed herself harder, flapping her wings to increase her speed as she descended.
She could hear his armor rattling behind her, and she fought the urge to look back. She needed to get outside, where she could fly, and where he would have to work harder to reach her.
The doors flung open, and the cool night air wrapped around her body. Her feet hit the grass outside, and she took to the air, flying toward the distant tree line on a rocky hillside. She heard his growl as he exited the castle, and she smiled at herself.
Good luck, she thought as her wings pushed her forward.
She landed and pressed her feet into the dirt, looking back, only this once, to see how far back he was.
He wasn’t there.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, she thought as she scanned her surroundings, her pulse quickening, and anticipation shivering up her spine.
She saw a small cave of rocks in the distance, and she ran to it, quickly ducking inside and holding her breath.
The wind blew through the dark opening of her hiding place, and she heard Kalon’s armor clatter.
Cheater, she thought of his magical transport, but she kept herself hidden, fighting against her rapidly beating heartbeat, trapping her breath tightly in her chest.
She couldn’t exhale; it would be too loud, and he would hear, snaring her in his grasp.
“Come out, come out wherever you are,” Kalon’s growly voice purred, causing her core to throb. “You can’t hide forever.”
She began to feel dizzy, and slowly released the breath she was holding through pursed lips, praying he wouldn’t find her. She peeked through the rocks and saw him standing nearby.
I’m in the trees, she thought, hoping her racing thoughts would misguide her location.
He walked away, and when only the soft sound of crickets echoed, and her heart was pounding too hard to bear, she slowly crawled out from between the rocks and looked around.
Like the prey-driven black leopard he was, Kalon pounced with a low growl, grabbing her with his thick hands and pinning her to the ground.
“You cheated!” Seda screamed, and Kalon smiled back at her with an evil grin.
“Play smarter, not harder.” His words brushed her ear as he took her lobe between his lips, exhaling softly, and igniting a fire within her.
She tried to wiggle free as he wrapped one large hand around both her wrists above her head and ripped apart her dress. She felt the sting of the cool air hit her skin as his warm mouth claimed her nipples as his own, painfully slow, one at a time.
His other hand pulled his cock free from his pants and pushed her legs open, driving himself into her and filling her in one swift movement.
“I think you like this little game,” he purred, groaning through the slickness that now coated him.
He held her firmly, devotion and want blending until nothing else existed.
He began to move with a steady, ardent rhythm, and she shifted her hips to take him in deeper, wanting to feel it harder, loving the ache that his thick length created from within.
Shudders passed through her body as he claimed her in ways no one ever could.
“You feel so fucking good wrapped around my cock,” he growled as a bead of sweat formed on his forehead.
Her tension began to build as his movements quickened, fucking her with primal force into the soft ground below.
She looked into his eyes, at the way they were hooded in the pleasure of his own, the pleasure she gave to him, and she came undone.
Her orgasm ripped through her in punishing waves, and she screamed into the darkness as her body exploded into a violet glow.
His fevered movements became jagged, and he groaned, sliding in and out firmly as he sought his own release.
“Fuck,” he growled as his body tensed and he spilled into her, wrapping his palm around her throat and squeezing it tightly, causing her to gasp from the pressure.
When his body finally stilled, and she inhaled the fresh air around them, he slowly pulled out of her and wrapped her in his arms.
“That was fun,” he purred into her ear. “But I did find you rather fast.”
She smacked his chest. “Next time I get to find you.”
“Deal.”
They both stared up at the glowing moon above. A shooting star flew across the sky, its trail reminding her of the magic of the Wisps.
She couldn’t evade the emotion that began to form within her chest, and she held back a small sob.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he pulled her face toward his, staring into her burning violet eyes.
She tried to look away, but his firm grip held strong.
“Why do you want to be with me when I cannot bear children?” Seda choked out the words, closing her eyes to avoid the look he might offer in return.
She knew it wasn’t the right moment to ask this, not after the victorious battle, where they were supposed to be celebrating, and especially not after he just came back for her.
It made her look weak, and she hated that she placed herself in this position.
“Open your eyes,” he commanded, and she obeyed, staring through her teary, blurred vision at his face, so close to hers.
“I know this pain is something I can’t fix, but your worth has never been tied to what your body can or can’t do.
We have each other until the end of time.
That’s more than I’ve ever felt worthy of, Seda.
” His words were steady and calm, but she knew they carried sadness, as well.
How could it not? The Wisps told her that they would not grant that one last wish, the wish the Mother Goddess said she could have.
Even Elco, whose warmth held the arcane embodiment of love and fertility, was powerless to alter her destiny.
“I’m broken,” she whispered as she pressed her face into his chest, releasing a ragged cry.
The air shifted, and an Amaru appeared beside them.
“Now isn’t the time!” Kalon gritted out.
“Kalon de Somnium,” it said. “The war is still ongoing. Someone has recovered the lost stone and is now attacking the humans.”
Darkness surrounded Seda as the wind tore through her hair. She could see the glimmer of the stars in her wings above, harmonizing with her frantic heartbeats through the feathers.
She could hear the sounds of innocent people screaming and Corvids cawing in the distance, and pushed her wings further into the center of the chaos.
When she landed, she saw fires enveloping homes, and children clutched tightly in their mothers’ arms as Jotnar tore through the small village of Joro, snagging people with wild fervor and eating them whole.
Their eyes were blazing red, as if controlled by the Dark Stone—a stone they believed they had lost.
She felt the burning sensation of rage radiate from her chest, and pain tore through her soul. She thought they ended this. They were supposed to be free from this darkness.
She glanced back, seeing Somnium a few steps behind, clad in his armor and skull mask.
He was taking down the Jotnar two at a time, tormenting their minds and making their bodies writhe on the dirt roads.
Blood seeped from their noses, death pulling them back into the pits of hell from which they came.
This was supposed to be over. She watched children cry out for their families and felt their sadness seep into her soul.
The world was still cruel and unbalanced.
She could offer this one sacrificial, parting gift.
Somnium looked over at her, at her chest pulsating violently and her hair alight.
Seda heard him scream for her to stop and saw him rush toward her, ripping off his mask and revealing wild eyes with fear etched into his features.
But it was too late. She had made her decision.
With the mighty moon’s ancient strength, a bright purple light erupted around her, forming a vast, magical dome above that instantly killed all the demonic beasts created by Supay within. Only those remaining within were blessed by the Mother Goddess.
Kalon ran to her side and clutched her to his chest.
“Why,” she heard his muted voice ask. “I cannot live this life without you, and I don’t have wishes I can seek. Please, please… don’t leave me. You are my light, Seda. Please don’t leave me.”
But she did, and it was a mistake she would regret.
She whispered a final plea as her eyes fluttered closed, “Save the children.”
She knew she would someday return; she knew she had one life to give, for her stone was still within.
But she didn’t expect the evil of the world to lurk and intensify while she was away, and she didn’t expect to return to a shattered world, tilted on its axis. She also didn’t expect to be reborn with no memories.
But most importantly, she never anticipated that Supay would rise again.