We exit the house and make our way onto the grass, my heels sinking into the dirt with each step I take. I focus on feeling the power within me take hold, and as a burst of electricity shoots through my body my human form is quickly replaced with my raitruum form along with my brother. I stretch out my thirty-foot-long wings, feeling the breeze between my feathers as I bring myself to my full fifteen-foot height. I feel my power and strength coursing through me like a livewire. In this form, everything is heightened. I hear beyond what I could in human form, smell scents I was completely unaware of and see up to five miles away.
I look over at my brother as he flaps his wings, the bright gold of his feathers that fade into electric blue glowing majestically like they were being lit from within. In bird form, we are identical in every way but scent, so only certain beings can tell us apart. But since we tend to handle our duties solo to keep us spread out, that issue doesn’t come up much.
Before I have a chance to blink, Ayawamat is taking off into the sky, shooting up like a rocket and quickly darting out of sight.
“Wait for me!” I shout through our mind link, taking off into the sky, rising high above the clouds and jetting off after him in an attempt to catch up.
'You snooze, you lose,' he teases.
'Just for that, I hope you inhale several bugs.'
'Ew, Orenda! Don’t even joke, you know I hate when that happens,' he grumbles.
Unfortunately coping a bug to the mouth or face when you’re flying around the world is a nasty casualty of the job, but you learn to live with it – or at least I do.
When flying, we are faster than any jet could ever hope to be, so flying from Montana to Turkey, won’t take us long at all and honestly, I love any chance I get to fly. To be up in the sky, looking down at the wonder of the world below and getting to see how vast the ocean truly is, is an experience like no other. To fly among the clouds as the wind blows through my feathers making me feel weightless; to feel utterly and blissfully free; it’s beyond words.
In no time at all, we can see Iç Ada fast approaching. During the Autumnal Ball, the barrier that normally shields the Kartheca from outsiders is altered to allow all invited guests inside while still maintaining its cloak of invisibility. We know we’ve passed the barrier when suddenly the uninhabited islet is no longer uninhabited, but the home of a grand and majestic castle. It takes my breath away whenever I see it. Zarseti truly outdid herself regarding the architecture. The monolithic castle blends Turkish, Persian and even Romanian architectural styles, which is fascinating because this place was created thousands of years before any kind of architecture existed, let alone those specific styles. Really goes to show the level of influence the Gods have had over humankind.
Ayawamat and I slow down, circling overhead and observing the masses of people arriving and entering the castle all dressed to the nines. As we look for a place to land, I feel this familiar energy emanating from the castle, bringing with it an intense feeling of peace and warmth.
'Do you feel that?' Ayawamat asks curiously.
I nod in reply, 'Zarseti never attends these.'
'Exactly, so what the hell is she doing here?'
We spot one of the large balconies of the ballroom and descend towards it. I land first and pull on that power within me once again, feeling a surge of electricity spread through me as I return to my human form, quickly followed by my brother. Another difference between us and other beings who can shift into an animal is that when we shift between the two, we don't lose our clothes. I'll forever be grateful to Jartre for that.
With a smile, Ayawamat offers me his arm and I happily take it as we enter the ballroom. Our jaws practically detach when we take in the breathtaking décor surrounding guests from all around the globe. The ballroom is always decorated for this occasion, but this is next level.
“Now this is something else,” Ayawamat praises.
Electric blue lights beam down amidst exquisite icicles made of crystals, cascading down from the ceiling like thousands upon thousands of rows of dripping icicle-like garlands. Long rows of glass tables are spread across the room, lined with white chairs, each table laid out with the most expensive-looking white China and glassware. Vases filled with white calla lilies, white roses, white tulips, white camellias and wisteria, adorn every table, along with much larger versions scattered around the room. The once marble floor has been made to look like ice, perfectly reflecting the room around it and bouncing the light making everything twinkle like an otherworldly glacier ice cave.
“I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life, and that’s saying something,” I utter in complete awe.
“I’m thrilled you both approve of the décor,” I hear a serene voice say.
We look over as Zarseti approaches us, her magenta hair in a beautiful half updo that forms two Dutch braids that join into a fishtail braid. Her silver eyes are complimented by soft shimmering pink eyeshadow that perfectly matches her glittering pink lips with a soft blue sheen to them. Her dress is something not of this world and as a Goddess, I would expect nothing less. A gorgeous gold, embroidered bodice clings to her hips and frame, coming in at the chest and going around the neck as a pink chiffon-like material that looks like water, flows from under the bodice and floats across the ground behind her. With every step she takes towards us the gaps within the bodice seem to glitter and glow as if she has found a way to capture a moving galaxy within it. I find myself mesmerised by the Goddess before us, thought I can’t help feeling a bit puzzled when I notice the high heels that peek out from beneath the dress as she walks. Six-inch, pointed-toe, glass-like slippers with twinkling pink gemstones scattered around them and pink flowers adorned over the toes. While they are beautiful, they seem unnecessary. Zarseti is 7’1” she really doesn’t need extra height, but I admire her going all out on a head-to-toe outfit.
“You’ve outdone yourself, Zarseti,” Ayawamat praises with a respectful nod of his head. “Have to admit we’re both surprised to find you here.”
“After recent events, I decided I wanted to truly experience being part of a night I began. I love getting to see the animais I make find each other,” she says sighing happily, “I so rarely get to witness the very moment a bond clicks into place. One can’t blame me for wanting to be a part of this,” she explains with a radiant smile.
'Are you buying this?' I silently ask my brother.
'Not even a little bit.'
I’m sure there’s a lot of truth to what she’s saying, but I have a hard time believing this is why she’s here.
“I’m so glad the two of you could attend,” she says graciously, as if we’re the ones doing her the favour.
“Well, Lunara and Fatma were quite insistent, but it was Aya who ultimately talked me into attending.”
“Whatever swayed you, I’m glad you did,” she says warmly. “I won’t take up much more of your time, but I’m sure we will speak more later.” With those final words, she wanders off, mingling with the crowd and conversing with her daughters.
I look to Ayawamat to see if he has any thoughts on Zarseti’s appearance only to notice his eyes keenly following a beautiful Chinese woman walking by while indulging in some hors d'oeuvres with her companions.
“If you will excuse me, dear sister, I have some mingling to do.”
Barely acknowledging my existence, Ayawamat tugs at his lapels and begins walking in the direction of the young woman, but I’m quick to grab him by the elbow. He looks down at my hand, then back up at me with a perplexed expression.
“Don’t you dare use this as an occasion to hook up. These people are here to find their soulmates, not be a notch on your bedpost. You might not care about having or finding your animai, but these people do. That’s why they came here. Please, don’t disgrace this event with your philandering,” I beseech him.
“That stung, Orenda. Do you really think so little of me?” he says looking hurt and offended.
“I don’t think little of you, I love you. I accept you as you are and have never stopped you from expressing yourself sexually, I just beg you not to do it here. Please,” I urge.
He sighs and looks at me carefully, “For you, I’ll be on my best behaviour.” He leans in and kisses my cheek, instantly flooding me with relief. “No funny business, just friendly chit-chat.”
I smile appreciatively, “Thank you, that’s all I ask.”
Okay, I’m ready for bed.Besides living with my brother, I’ve been a very solitary being for thousands of years. The most social interactions I experience are when I interact with the Delegation or save someone’s life. Apart from that, I’m happy to do my own thing, so all these back-to-back discussions with so many people wanting to get to know me are a bit overwhelming. The selfies, on the other hand, were going a bit far for some of them, but I suppose they wanted visual proof they met a raitruum.The moment I’m given a chance to breathe, I race over to the buffet, pull up the bust of my dress once again and help myself to some eclairs. I’m just digging into my second when I feel a wave of serenity wash over me as arms wrap around me from behind. I glance down and see gold flecks of glitter buried against ivory skin. I look behind me to see a bright smile and golden eyes twinkling up at me.“Kamelya, you startled me,” I chuckle, putting my éclair down and turning to hug her.“Those
“I’m so sorry to interrupt, but you’re Orenda, aren’t you?” asks the blonde woman, her turquoise eyes shining with hope.“That would be me, I’m sorry, do we know each other?” I ask curiously, trying to place her face.She’s toned and beautiful in a one-sleeved, glittering, turquoise gown with a sweetheart neckline and a slit up to her hip with a bustle of turquoise silk flowing from her hip accentuating her curves. The shoes make quite the statement being eight-inch holographic platforms with diamond straps and a diamond starflower as the buckle. She looks like royalty but based on the familiar energy, I’m going to guess an Alpha, which makes the handsome gentleman with his arm around her, her Luna. His jet black hair is tied back in a half-up pony and is in a matching three-piece turquoise suit with a white button-down and white tie, with turquoise suede loafers with gold tipped toes.I’ve never had the privilege of meeting a male Luna before. I’ve met a few female Alphas in my time,
Not a moment later, I feel my entire body become rigid. An intense, overwhelming wave of energy comes over me almost knocking me off my feet, and it takes all of me to remain standing. I can feel it approaching like a cold, dense fog skimming across the water and cloaking the land with a cloud of unease. I’d know that feeling anywhere. A feeling I should loathe and shiver at, but I don’t. It makes my body feel alive and my essram rejoice in ways I can’t begin to explain. It feels like a black hole sucking me into its depths, and never have I wanted something so much in my whole life. As disturbing as that thought should be, it brings me nothing but comfort.I look to the end of the ballroom, my heart skipping several beats as that energy intensifies. A moment later, the grand double doors are pushed open, and stepping over the threshold without a single care is none other than Azadou himself.The God of Malice.The Demon God.My animai.His bright purple eyes glance around the room wit
With a deep and unyielding sense of solicitude coursing through me, I race over to the mirror, tearing the vestiges of human modesty from my torso and stare at my reflection in the mirror. My brows furrow, the complete maelstrom of my thoughts clear on my face as with a faltering hand I touch my chest – searching – but there’s nothing.How did she do it?Outside of the Gods, no being has ever willingly touched me. No being ever dared. Is she that vacuous or just ruled by a sense of self-abandonment, lacking in any notions of self-preservation? More importantly…nothing came of her touch. She showed no fear or hesitation as she placed her hand upon my chest. I saw no hatred or disgust in those prism eyes. She looked upon me, pleading, beseeching; her voice soft, confident and firm, yet the very sound of it seemed to cast a spell of calmness upon my being.For the first time since I was torn into this world, I felt frozen. I watched and waited for the malice to take her over…but it never
Ever since the Autumnal Ball I find myself flying on frequent patrols just to distract myself from reliving the events of that evening over and over again in my mind. I feel like I’m experiencing Groundhog Day. I wake up and set off on patrol only to come home and find my mind plagued by the memory of what it felt like to be in the presence of my animai. To be close enough to touch him and yet still unable to feel that touch. To experience the penetrating stare of his piercing, purple eyes and breathe in his intoxicating scent only for him to just disappear from my life without a word once again. He has neither rejected me nor left me with any inkling that I will ever see him again. This is my hell. Condemned there by my own soulmate.Ayawamat does his best to lift my spirits, but what can he do? How do you mend a broken heart that was broken by being denied true love? Even to me, it sounds unhinged. Every day I try over and over to call upon Merlos for answers, yet day after day she
“You really are a magnificent sight to behold,” suddenly announces a somewhat familiar and enchanting voice. The coldness around me lifts, replaced by warmth as I turn my head, locking on a set of bright silver eyes smiling up at me as long strands of dark, forest green hair swirl around her radiant face in the breeze.I channel the electricity through my body as I transform back into my human form and face the Goddess before me, bowing my head with respect.“Goddess of Light,” I greet her honourably.“Nope, still not used to that one. Man, does that sound weird,” she chuckles. “Please call me Gabriella,” she says warmly.“I’m Orenda…but I’m pretty sure you already knew that,” I respond with a playful smile, reaching out and shaking her hand, my body immediately feeling light and airy from the contact.“Due to all the craziness we haven’t had a chance to get to know each other, or for me to tell you just how in awe I am of you and your brother,” she says reverently.I can’t help but b
Without warning, Azadou takes a menacing step towards me, forcing me to back up in retreat but he doesn’t stop. He keeps pressing forward, forcing me to step back until my back hits the edge of the banister, making me wince in pain.“How the fuck did you get in here?” he snarls.I gulp. Again, not from fear. No. I gulp from what the sound of his voice does to me! That deep, base tone of his voice has replayed itself over and over in my mind since the first time I heard it, but my memories haven’t done it justice. It sounds so much better in person.“I was sent here,” I answer him, taking in a deep breath and basking in his scent as my mouth begins to salivate. He smells like the remnants of ash left as a fire burns down. There’s a coldness to that scent and yet it smells calming and alluring, like it’s where I’m meant to be.“Why?” he presses coldly, refusing to allow me the peace of my thoughts or this moment of closeness with him.“Because I want to know what you did to the eyti,” I
I turn on my heel and storm towards the door, only to be forced to halt in my tracks when the office door slams shut in front of me. I turn to protest, jumping in surprise when I once again find Azadou standing right in front of me, his imposing frame dominating my personal space. His eyes bore down into mine and the scent of him swirls around me like a heady aroma that I can’t seem to shake. It turns my brain to mush and my limbs to jelly yet has my heart breaking into a sprint.“How did you do it?” he asks, confounding me.“Huh?” I blurt out in a daze.He steps forward, once again forcing me to back up until my back hits the door. He places his hands on either side of my head as he leans further into my personal space to the point there’s no space left at all. He cages me between him and the wall, and I find myself gulping down the saliva rising in my mouth as he locks me in place with his hypnotic gaze, his bright purple eyes looking through me as if he’s searching for something be
Something forceful shakes my body, pulling me from my slumber and sending shockwaves of pain through every nerve in my body.“You are not ruining everything I have worked so hard on,” I hear Invidia’s voice angrily hiss close to my ear.I struggle to open my eyes, only managing to catch glimpses of her through blurry slits. I see the dreaded syringe in her hand and begin to scream internally, pleading with my body to do something, anything. My vision repeatedly fades between darkness and Invidia’s small frame hovering over me as I struggle to keep my eyes open even a fraction. I can feel the life leaving my body bit by bit like water going down a drain. I want to scream, I want to cry, but I don’t even have the energy to produce tears anymore.The despair strangles me like a noose around my neck as I watch Invidia lift my shirt, ready to jam another needle inside me. Her eyes turn obsidian, her golden pupils glinting at me with disgust when suddenly a soft lilac-blue stone hanging aro
“Wh…what do you mean you can’t grant me a wish?!” Ayawamat stammers in confusion.Tituba sighs sympathetically. “Don’t you remember? You accidentally triggered a wish two centuries ago and I had no choice but to grant it.”Ayawamat’s face scrunches up as he thinks hard, followed by a look of realisation that confirms Tituba’s words to be the truth.“Fuck!” he shouts, clutching his head. “You’re right. I remember Orenda and I came to spend time with you; we were drinking, and I stupidly tripped and fell right into you,” he sighs lamentably.She nods solemnly. “I’m sorry, Aya. I really do want to help you, but you know I can only grant one wish per person,” she gently clarifies.“Then grant me the wish,” I instruct, walking over to them.Their heads snap to me as they both look taken aback.“I’ve never granted the wish of a God before…” she muses warily. “But if it will help find Orenda, I am more than willing to try,” she declares confidently, extending her hand to me.As I reach for he
With Ayawamat at my side, we appear on a cliffside high atop a mountain, standing at the entrance of some cave. The cliffside has a scenic view of the surrounding forest; a sea of lush colour that stretches on for miles until it reaches the ocean on the horizon.Orenda would love this view.I’m startled by the sudden thought that infiltrated my mind. Why did I just think that? How the fuck would I know what Orenda loves? I don’t know her any more than I know myself, and I’ve come to realise I am still a stranger to myself. I shake away the unruly thought and focus back on the cave, becoming aware of the magic exuding from within.“How exactly can this cave help find your sister?” I question sceptically.Ayawamat rolls his eyes and steps inside. I heave a sigh and follow in behind him. He raises his hand in the air and summons an electric charge to his hand, using its energy as a light source to guide his path.“This cave is home to a visum named Tituba. She has lived here in isolation
“You know, over these past weeks I decided to do a little extra research into your species,” she discloses like a teacher addressing a class as she slowly starts to pace in front of the bed, making me uneasy. “I knew you wouldn’t willingly answer my questions, so I went back to my old method of scouring magical libraries around the world only to realise I’d already exhausted that avenue the first time I started researching you,” she says with a dramatised sigh.She pauses, waiting for me to prompt her to continue with her monologue but I remain silent. I’m painfully accustomed to this performance by now and still refuse to feed into her need for an audience, though it’s obvious where the need stems from.She huffs with irritation at being denied her spotlight, but continues, turning to face me. “I was racking my brain when suddenly an idea hit me!” she exclaims. “I needed to expand my research parameters, after all, humans have tons and tons of lore on supernatural beings all over the
“Spare me the virtuous bullshit,” she rasps. “You think you have me all figured out, but you don’t have a fucking clue,” she ridicules.I force myself to sit up, pushing through the overwhelming ache in my body. “Then explain it to me,” I insist lethargically. “Because from my side of things, I see a promising young woman so hell-bent on accumulating power that she’d sacrifice her future and soul without a second thought.”“This isn’t about power!” she snaps in reproach. “Power is…it’s nothing!” she continues with contemptible disinterest. “This is about respect. This is about reclaiming everything that I was denied!” she declares forcefully, her eyes wild with determination. “That heartless bitch treated me like some dirty little secret, using me and my powers to make herself stronger, all while making sure no one ever knew I existed,” she reveals scornfully. “Oh, she wanted me to believe that it was for my own protection, claiming people would try to hurt me if they knew I existed,”
As I slowly wake up I am met with an unbearable soreness emanating from every part of my body. Within seconds I am pleading with my brain to let me go back to sleep so I might resume being blissfully ignorant of my suffering. I shift slightly, grimacing when the soreness intensifies only to then groan in pain when I feel the profound throbbing and swelling spreading throughout my right cheek.“About time you woke up,” grouses a voice I detest.I reluctantly open my eyes and see a distressingly familiar wooden vaulted ceiling. A glance at my surroundings confirms that I am back in the bedroom that doubles as my prison cell, with my warden sitting on a chair at the foot of the bed. Invidia's eyes are obsessively fixed on me as a glower fills her features. She’s leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, her muscles rigid with tension and her hands clasped tight in front of her. Her white hair is pushed back with a headband, allowing me to see the beads of sweat gathering on her brow.
“You said everyone believes the eyti surges were a trap to lure in you and your sister and that whoever was behind them has and is cloaking Orenda,” I repeat for clarification, trying to stay focused.He nods, looking intently at me. “That’s the current theory, but it hasn’t helped us figure out who it could be.”“I think you’re all right. I think this is related to the false surges and I believe I’ve come across the person behind them,” I announce.“What? When? Who?” he sputters with rapid fire.“I don’t know who, but I’m sure Orenda told you of the conversation we had on the matter,” I suggest gently.His brows knit together so tightly they almost become one as he thinks hard. “She did tell me how she told you we believed a makkari was behind everything and you confirmed that was true. That you had figured it out and just didn’t bother to say anything,” he recalls resentfully.The list of all the ways this is my fault is becoming exceedingly long. Not only is it my fault Orenda was
I stare at him in disbelief, the chasm of despair that formed inside me the moment I accepted Orenda’s rejection widening painfully in response to his words. Abducted? All this time Orenda has been held captive, left all alone while…“So why the fuck did you come here, Azadou?” he questions angrily, his voice congested as he fights back tears. “Why after all this time did you finally decide my sister was worth doing right by? If that’s even how you feel at all,” he adds cynically.I wade through the emotions that are drowning me from the inside, as I see the turmoil oozing from Ayawamat’s pores. His pain is so intense that I can barely detect the stench of malice. I have been suffering because I pushed Orenda away. I did this to myself and deserve every drop of pain that comes from it, but Orenda doesn’t deserve to suffer, and neither does her brother. I’m understanding this is what sympathy and compassion feel like. I know I have to tell him why I came here, but the compassion I now
I scrub my face and run my fingers through my hair, taking in a lungful of air as I stand up. I push down the pain and the fear and transport myself to Orenda’s home. I appear in Orenda’s room, expecting to see but all I see is an unmade bed. I take in a deep breath, seeking to inhale her scent and reprint its fading memory on my mind, but as I do a frown sets on my face. While I can detect traces of it lingering all over the room, giving me a relieving sense of comfort I haven’t felt in ages, I am confused by how weak it is. The scent is so faded it’s as though she hasn’t stepped foot in this room in weeks.Feeling perplexed and uneasy, I open the door and step into the hallway. Having only ever been in her bedroom, I wander the house in search of her. I’m detecting numerous scents, her brother’s being the most prominent, but not Orenda’s. I don’t hear her or smell her at all. As I look around the open layout of the ground floor, not finding any trace of her, I feel my heart deflate