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"What are you doing here?" Emperor Vulcan rose from his throne, face red and hands tightened into fists. He could barely control his fury. He was driven to send for the guards and mages but the thought of washing his dirty family linen in public deterred him instantly. He had to handle this as quietly and diplomatically as possible. Word of in-fighting and a lack of control could not spread. Nezetta tilted her head to the side as she appraised the father who had become nothing more than a stranger to her. Resentment coursed through her like a bitter wine, burning her insides till she thought it would consume her whole. "You cannot even say my name." She scoffed and shook her head. Her eyes flickered across the expanse of the large hall, taking in the astonished, bewildered, and curious faces of the guests around. "Are you afraid that they will see you for what you truly are? After all, you made me what I am. What they are so afraid of." "Cease this at once, Nezetta!" Emperor Vu
Magic was a concept that Naomi had only heard of in fairy tales and fantasy novels.It was something she dreamed about when she was bored and had nothing better to do.However, ever since her abrupt and still extremely confusing entry into the continent, magic had suddenly become a reality to her.More often than not, that reality turned out to be even deadlier than she had ever anticipated.It fascinated and terrified her simultaneously. Though, most of the time, her terror trumped her fascination by a great margin.What she had unintentionally done with the magic that coursed through the veins of the body that she happened to inhabit horrified her to her core and she could only imagine what harm and danger Nerina had done with it.Nezetta had managed to bring her back from the edge. If she hadn't, Naomi wondered what exactly would have happened had she been lost to the darkness."I'll be back to see you, I promise. I'll find a way to get you out of here. In the meantime, don't do any
A sudden jerky movement rocked Naomi from a nightmare. Her throat was scorched and her head seemed to be stuffed with wool. The bright afternoon light streaming in from a window pierced through her heavy lids, causing her to snap them shut. Her lips were dry and cracked when she worked her tongue over them. She wondered how long she had been out. The image of Daegal’s stern eyes glaring down at her flashed behind her closed eyes, forcing itself through the darkness she was shrouded in. As she pried her eyes open carefully in a bid to get rid of the memory and prepared herself for the brightness of the sun, she wondered if Kyr was still in her room. In a panic, she made to stand from the bed she lay on but it was as if get body was made from heavy metal. Everything hurts. "Lolo! You have finally come to. Praise the Creator! Please, you must rest!" A high-pitched voice that made her ears ring, begged. Slumping back to the soft pillows weakly, she turned her head to the direction
It wasn't the cool breeze billowing in from the open windows or the gentle kiss of moonlight that awakened Naomi. Rather, it was the silken voice of Victoria."Naomi, we're going to miss our reservation if you don't get up this minute!"She opened her eyes to see the familiar walls of her apartment. Blinking in confusion, she turned toward the direction of Victoria's voice.'What reservation? I thought...''Was this a dream? Did I imagine everything?'"Where's Nezetta? And Daegal? I'm supposed to..." She trailed off, glancing around in confusion."What are you mumbling about? We're late. Go take a shower, you stink," Victoria scrunched up her nose and giggled playfully.Naomi's eyes landed on the skin of her hands. They were the chocolate brown color she was born with and spent a lot of money on skincare to maintain and not the milky white she had slowly become accustomed to.She wasn't Nerina anymore. There was no continent.'No Nezetta,' She thought mournfully. 'No Daegal either.'S
Daegal didn't know what to do with the woman weeping and holding onto him like he was her lifeline. His hands hung over her quaking shoulders uncertainly. An emotion akin to sympathy and care filled his chest as Naomi burrowed her face into the curve of his neck. His eyes flitted about the room in contemplation. Finally, he sighed deeply and let his hands grasp her shoulders gently. "She's dead and it's all my fault. It's my fault. It's mine..." Naomi mumbled repeatedly. "Who do you speak of, Lolo Nerina? Who is dead?" Daegal asked, keeping his tone as soft as possible. "It's my fault. It's my fault. It's my fault." Naomi’s sobs had died down but all she could do was repeat those words over and over again. Against his better judgment, Daegal’s arms wrapped around her fully, holding her tight against him while his fingers caressed her long, dark hair. "It's okay, you're safe now," He whispered into her ears. 'What in the Creator's name are you doing, Daegal? You cannot trust h
"I do not like this style. Do it again," Naomi instructed after gazing into the large mirror to inspect the elaborate braids piled on her head."Forgive me, my Lolo!" The buxom maid who had introduced herself as Amani fell to her knees and bowed her head in a bid to avoid the wrath she was sure to visit her."Er... You do not have to kneel before me. Just do a simpler style. Nothing too fancy."Shock registered on Amani's face. Slowly, she rose to her feet. "My Lolo, you are not going to punish me for displeasing you?" Her voice was low and shaky.Naomi rolled her eyes. "Now, why would I punish you for a mistake that is not even your fault?" She turned to face Delia who was busying herself with picking at her fingertips till they bled and studying the patterns on the stone floor. "Why would she think that?"Delia's head snapped up at the question. "Well..." She exchanged a nervous glance with Amani. "You... She... It's simply the way we were trained to serve, my Lolo."Naomi scrunched
"... With the power vested in me by the Creator, I hereby pronounce you: husband and wife. You may seal your union with a kiss," The priest declared, clasping his hands together happily. Daegal closed his eyes as if he were in pain and slowly turned to meet Nerina's complacent smile. Taking a deep breath to keep himself from throwing up, he clutched her hand in his and made to kiss her on the cheek. However, Nerina moved her face at the last second and connected her lips to his. Her fingers trailed up the length of his tense arm muscles to wrap around his neck, burying them in the thickness of his hair, and deepening the kiss. Daegal remained stoic; unmoving even while her lips worked on his and her body pressed so tight against his that he could feel the soft mounds of her breasts through the armored bodice of her bridal gown. He couldn't push her away in front of their many guests but he'd rather be damned than return her kiss. After a long, excruciating thirty seconds that he
The heavy drapes were drawn and the only candle in the room had burned low and rested on her dressing table. The candlelight was too weak to reach the dark corners of the room where the huge wardrobes and the mirror over her dressing table, were located. She pushed the heavy duvet off her body and swung her legs over the side of the bed, sinking her toes into the plush carpet. "What are you talking about?" Daegal asked in a hushed tone, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Psht!" Naomi shushed. She tried to convince herself that she was imagining things but from the sinking feeling in her chest, she knew that it was real. She had ceased to use pure logic to explain events after spending quality time on the continent. There was nothing logical about Aesos, Nebulos, or Volcaris. Her heart was racing but she didn't make a sound when she stepped forward. She didn't even realize Daegal had moved till she perceived his presence by her side. Naomi glanced down and saw that his hand was t