"Do you want to put your feet in?" Erik asks as we stand by the stream, holding his hand out. He's already removed his shoes and is standing in the water, so I nod, taking his hand. I hadn't been wearing shoes, unlike him. That was something else crazy about this world. I didn't have to worry about stepping on broken glass or a needle here. I didn't even have to wear shoes if I didn't want to and since Erik hadn't given me any, I'd just gone without."It's cold." I gasp when I close the distance between us. He chuckles, and I look up to meet his gaze. We're maybe six inches away, my hand still in his, just staring up at him. I can see a bunch of images of him in this creek going through my vision. Young him, older him, sad him, lonely him. My heart ached at how it seemed he always came here with tears in his eyes, or anger in his chest. He often picked up the rocks and hurled them at the wall on the opposite side or yelled into the sky and made sharp bullets of water pierce the trees.
It's the same as image as I saw before, Erik's mother shoving him into a cabinet I could now recognize as one from the kitchen I'd been eating in. I could feel the fear and panic in his chest at seeing how scared his mom was as she closed the door on him, even though I could feel him begging her not to go. Dad's going to hurt you.This time, the images keep going. Blackness for a moment, and then I can see Erik opening the door, sneaking out and towards the sounds of shouting. The shouting was muffled, and I couldn't understand it, but I could also hear crashing, and women screaming."She had freed a twelve-year-old girl my father planned on using for breeding, because she had golden eyes and white hair and was three fourths of the way pure blood. He liked the way she looked and wanted more like her. He planned on holding her captive until she got her first blood, but my mother sent her to the valley, where she was hidden. This wasn't the first time she had done something like this, b
We continue walking through the water, quiet now.After a little, we come to the source of the stream.It was a natural spring, flowing down from the top of a twenty-foot-high incline of jagged rocks, covered in moss and flowers and other plants. The pool at the bottom wasn't anything special, only hot tub sized I'd say, but the whole thing was so pretty and serene. The water looked so clear and clean, I bet I could drink it."Let's sit with our feet in the water." I nod, following him out of the stream so we can walk to the edge of the pool. He wipes a spot clean for me to sit first at the edge and rolls up his pants a little. I sit beside him and let my feet dangle in the clear water. It's cold, like melted ice temperature."Can I ask you something?" He says hesitantly after a moment. I look at him. "Do you think... you'll be returning home?" I look away, pursing my lips.That was a very good question.I shrug. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. I mean... I miss my ho
"Did you have a nice day with Erik, Lady Delilah?" I hum, watching Chepi and the other servants move around the kitchen I found myself sitting in once again. She was helping with dinner she had said when Erik dropped me off with her like a child. He said he had something to go do, and I had said I could entertain myself since Chepi was too busy, and she had burst out quickly, "I am never too busy for you, Lady Delilah!" And I had been pretty much forced to sit and watch her help cook a giant pot of what looked like stew.There were four other women in the kitchen, all with their sleeves rolled up, chopping, kneading or stirring something. Pur was in the far corner, giving a ball of dough the works. I didn't know any of the other women, and I seemed to make them uncomfortable, so I didn't talk to them."We had fun, yeah." I lean my ch
I stop at the dresser before I crash to pick out a nightgown. I settle on a dark green one, a bit longer than my last one, but with a low front this time. So low if I moved wrong, I would be exposed. I would have to talk to Erik about getting some less revealing nighttime clothes.I stand in front of the many mirrors Erik had, examining myself before I get into bed."Skit." I hear Erik mumbling suddenly from the entry way, muttering what kind of sounds like a curse as something falls to the ground."Erik?" I ask, stepping off the mirror surrounded platform. I feel myself crossing my arms across my chest, and I stop a couple feet in front of him. He stands, and the look on his face makes my heart jump. He looks so flustered; his eyes won't stop moving. I can tell he's trying
"Why are you looking at me like that, my flower?" Erik asks from the end of the bed. I don't say anything. I watch as he puts something he had in his hand in between his teeth. It glints in the moonlight trickling in from the window.It's the bracelet. He must've grabbed it from the box that still sat on top of the dresser.I stay still as he crawls onto the bed, knocking away his wall he had worked so hard to build. God damn he's so good looking. The way his arm muscles moved as he approached me. The curtain of white hair hanging from his head. There was just no way this man was attracted to me."I ask again," he mutters as he closes the distance between us, staring into my eyes and leaving only a couple inches of space in between our faces. "Do you want me to put this on y
In short, I've never been in this situation. I've never had to read what's coming next or know what I should be doing right now."I've never even kissed anyone." I whisper, looking up at him through my lashes. "You're the first man to show interest in me like this.""That can't be true. Look at you." He sighs. He scoops me up then from my sitting position and lays me down, hovering over me for a moment. "You truly look like a goddess." He mutters, leaning down and kissing my shoulder. "Mann is dumb." I gasp as I feel his hand running down my stomach. My hips arch as he draws circles around my belly button with one finger."You aren't lying. Look how sensitive you are." I look at him, begging for mercy almost. He laughs a little. "I'm not deflowering you tonight, don't worry.
My chest is heaving up and down, one arm is laying across my forehead, Erik has pulled my nightgown back down to cover my area up, and my knees are bent and touching."Do you feel better?" He asks, playing with a strand of my hair. I nod, my eyes flicking over the ceiling of the bed frame.That was probably a bad idea.But oh my god, I couldn't help myself. And I can't lie, I've never been able to make myself come like that, and never that fast. I can feel my face heating up from embarrassment. I was so pent up from spending the day with him. There was so much damn tension between us, it was driving me insane."Can I ask you somet
Erik was going to ask me to marry him. And if I said no, that was it for us. I'd have to watch him marry another woman. I'd be his side hoe if I ever wanted anything to do with him again. And I couldn't deny, I wanted "something" to do with him. I wish we had time to do things a little... slower. That much was for sure. I knew my mom would be pissed that I was even considering marrying this man, but the thought of him with someone else made a ball of furious rage form in my chest. I swallow as we stop in front of a high entry way covered by hanging flowers."Have fun, Lady Delilah." I smile at Chepi and walk through the flowers.Here we go.The greenhouse was probably twenty feet by twenty feet, with rounded edges rather than squared like the rest of the rooms. The ceiling was replaced with a crisscrossing wood pattern, no glass though, just vines and flowers and moss climbing over the wood. I wondered if it'd form a natural roof one day. The sides of the room have rows of seedlings
"What are we doing today, Lady Delilah?"It was rhe next day. I spent the night alone, and in my own head luckily. I'm sitting in the tub currently, my favorite spot in the house."Will I get to see Erik tonight?" I whine. I was bored without him. I had hung out in the kitchen and helped make and clean up dinner yesterday and hadn't finished until it was dark out. I had enjoyed talking to the cooks, including Pur who was baking bread as she said she always did."Yes, Lady Delilah. And don't forget what else is happening tonight?" She leans towards me in the tub, handing me a small tub of scrubby looking stuff. I nod, holding a smile back."What if you're wrong though and I'm getting excited for nothing?" I scoop out the rough paste and bring my leg up out of the water. Chepi said she was going to shave my legs, which was fine, because they needed it. So, I was exfoliating first."I am not wrong. He told me. I wasn't really supposed to tell you, but my loyalty lies with you, not Erik.
"You saw, yes?" I nod, walking closer to the men. "Would you like to try?" I flick my eyes up to him quickly then, laughing a little. "I'm serious." He certainly looks it. I squat down in front of the balancing men without answering him, looking at the streams of light connecting their fingers to the earth below them. This man's light was green colored, this one was light blue."It goes with the elements they can control." Erik has squatted down with me. "Tye here," he pokes the man with the blue light coming from his finger, "can manipulate ice. He channels it from the core of the world, and therefore, levitates." I tilt my head a little at the floating man. "Want to try?" He asks again."I can't do that." I point to the men. Erik laughs."Don't be silly. I don't want you to do that." He stands, and I follow suit. "Men." Erik booms. Their eyes open, and they listen, still floating. "If any of you drop my goddess, you will be fed to the boars for dinner." he grins then, crossing his a
As we come close to the main building, I can hear voices and yelling. Thudding, and oofing."They're training." Chepi tells me as we round the corner into the empty grassy area in front of the huge building.The first thing that catches my attention, is a group of twenty or so Alva paired off, sparring against each other. Reni is walking in-between the pairs, making comments too quiet for me to hear, correcting foot placement and suggesting moves as she does. They're in the front of building, out in the open. Looking between them, I can see a large entry way leading into another training area."Erik is in there." I look away from where I'd been trying to see into the building, and meet eyes with Reni, who is looking at me now and pointing behind her. I nod a little, giving her an awkward thumbs up. She tilts her head to the side a little, and then returns to telling her men how to better beat each other up. Chepi and I make our way around the men, finally slipping into the building.
Hello, Child. I sigh in happiness as I finally lay on the roots of my Alder almost an hour later. Chepi had brought her stool and her knitting again and was focused on it.But the conversation I wanted to have with my Alder was extra private today.I have something I want to ask you. I think, feeling a little silly.A secret from this woman you claim to trust. I nod against its roots. Ask away, child.Do you know anything about the Gud species? I turn away from Chepi and curl into a ball, closing my eyes and listening to the tree's words in my head.The Gud species is, as you suspect, descended from the original God, Forradd, who had great powers. He could change forms, manipulate the earth, and even time itself. Now Forradd was desperately in love with Sanju, the original goddess.I laugh a little. It kind of seemed like everyone's problems could be chalked up to loving someone.Pay attention. Sanju was originally a normal Alva, which is why she's depicted as having pointed ears, and
I sit up quickly, inhaling air into my lungs and looking around wildly.I was back in Erik's bed. But it was morning now, sun was streaming in through the window. I could hear wind chimes outside and smell bread baking somewhere. It felt early, but I remember it had been dark in my dream. I had lost a few hours.I rub my eyes, thinking about last night.That was the first time I had traveled through a dream since I came here. And this time no one could see me. The last time I was very much visible and interacted with people and talked. This time it was like I wasn't even there.The Gud species.I needed to find a way to find out about them. They seemed to be important. Honestly, the word kind of sounded like "God," and I wondered if they were the male version of the Gudinna species. Erik had said it was a line of women that descended from the original goddess, so with that in mind, was there a line of men that came from the original god? Was there an original god? I had way too many q
Soft footsteps approach my sleeping form in the window. My head leaned against the frame, the book I had made it halfway through open on my lap. The sun had set hours ago, the moon was but a hunk in the sky now, but still shone brightly on my sleeping figure."Sweet flower..." Erik approaches me, gently wrapping a strand of my hair around his finger when he does.He takes the book, closes it, and sets it on the ground beside the window. He scoops me up gently in his arms and carries me to his bed, where he brushes aside the curtain and crawls in with me in his arms.He sets me down like I'm made of glass and brushes my hair away from my face."Sleep well, my goddess." My heart tugs as he leaves, instead of curling up with me like I wanted him to.Where was he going?I could feel myself following him out of his room, but my body remained in his bed.I was dreaming, I knew that now. This wasn't like before, though. I drifted all through his house and outside, where he turned right and
"It's just over the hill now!" Reni calls from the front of the group of Alva. We had left early that morning, after I evidently fell asleep quite well, and had been walking for several hours now. It had taken a little longer than originally said, but it was still just after midday when Reni announced we were growing close.I slow and watch the other Alva disappearing over the hill, Erik last. I could tell he was anxious to get back to his land, but he was still lingering behind everyone else for my sake. I stood at the top once I reached it for a moment, taking it all in.I hadn't had a good vantage point of the land so far, Vacket, as Erik called it. From up here though, I could see it all.I could see Erik's house to the left, surrounded by tons of trees and mostly separated from the other buildings. Maybe a half mile down from his large estate was what I think was the medical wing. It sat atop a hill, and I could see a grove of weeping willows not far from it. I remember when I f
"Are you tired?" I look away from Reni and the other chatting Alva and to Erik, who is looking me up and down like he's checking for injuries.I shrug. "I guess." He ushers me towards the platform and behind the half wall, and sure enough, there is a large nest of clothes and animal pelts.He kneels down then on one knee and pats his bent one with his hand. "Give me your foot." I comply, watching him curiously as he starts removing my shoe. I can hear his men laughing a few feet away, but I can only focus on his gentle fingers untying the soft leather strings. "The other." He says once he's slid it off and set it aside. This foot is the one that still bears his anklet, and I saw him notice right away. "You still wear it." He says as he unties my shoe. I nod, even though he isn't looking at me. "Has anyone told you of its meaning?" He looks up at me, pulling my shoe off as he does. I shake my head, feigning ignorance. No one did tell me its meaning, I just happened to overhear it. He s