Lahat ng Kabanata ng A Queen Among Tempests: Kabanata 61 - Kabanata 70

For the first time in a week, I laugh. I let out a bitter – though still amused – laugh as she speaks about avoiding rejecting my brother. I don’t know where this burst of energy is coming from, but I’m welcoming it gladly.Invidia pushes off the wall, glaring down at me in annoyance, “What the hell is so funny?”I look up at her, a bitter, mocking smile tugging at my lips. “You even thinking you have a say in the rejection of my brother is laughable.”She fists her hands at her sides as they are ignited by glowing indigo energy. “You think I couldn’t reject him if I want to?” she bites back acerbically.My mocking smile only continues to grow, and I find myself eager to bask in the aftermath of shattering any little fantasies she may have had of being bonded with Ayawamat.“You seem under the very erroneous belief that my brother would ever give you the time of day,” I gladly taunt, leaning back against the stone wall, the uneven edges suddenly feeling unusually soothing as I watch In

I look over at the bald figure, my brow raised as her words hang in the air, piquing my curiosity. I stare at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue, temporarily mesmerised as the glittering gold acts as a stark contrast against her deep, cool-toned, dark brown skin. A shade so dark most cosmetic companies don’t even have a foundation for her, not that she’d need it.“What are you saying, Canan?” presses Hande, her Japanese-like features filled with interest as she leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees.“I think Müjde’s Devil’s Advocate moment had more weight than she meant it to. What if this person been after Orenda for some time and seized an opportunity?” she queries thoughtfully.“Who the hell would hold a grudge against my sister?” I retort sceptically. “She doesn’t have any enemies. I mean, how can she? The only beings we battle are eyti, and they’re not exactly capable of holding a grudge.”“People don’t get spontaneously abducted. There is always intent, and a

Time seemed to stand still from the moment Invidia left me on this slab. I have no idea how long she’s been gone. It could be hours; it might even be days. The existence of time has been erased from my mind as I lay here on the cold steel of the autopsy table with my hands against my lower abdomen in a self-soothing attempt to shield my unborn child from the horrors that await us both.I stare at the flickering flame of the candle against the wall as the magic that gives it life keeps it from burning down. Just gazing upon its warm glow reminds me of how much I have lived to see. Almost two thousand years ago, candles were used to measure time. The wax measured 30cm long with 12 perfectly spaced markings down the length of the wax. Each marking measured 20 minutes, with the candle’s entire length taking 4 hours to burn. 6 candles were usually used to measure exactly 24 hours. Watching as the candles that illuminate my prison refuse to dwindle just adds to my overwhelming sense of bein

Leaning over the bathroom sink, I take slow, calming breaths as I cautiously wait for my stomach to decide if it’s done rejecting every item of food it has consumed today. Of course, it’s not as though it needs the presence of food to make me suffer. Yesterday after it had successfully emptied itself, it still wasn’t done. I spent hours just vomiting bile. I had to force-feed myself just so I’d have something to throw up and not have to endure my stomach acids burning my insides.I’m no stranger to regurgitation. I’ve had a lifetime of experiencing the downfalls that come with eating too much of something that didn’t agree with me, drinking far more than I should have or consuming food that resulted in food poisoning. That one mostly occurred back in the ages when people hadn’t mastered food preparation, however, I was at least able to cure that by shifting into my bird form and allowing my rapid healing to do what it does best. But this? This is an entirely different beast. I would r

I watch on with unwillingness as the scene before me molests the vestiges of my sanity. I know how this all plays out, yet I remain powerless to stop it.I let out a thundering howl that makes the earthquake, atmosphere rumble and sky be pierced by streaks of purple lightning as the agony obliterates through every atom that gives me form, tearing my essram asunder. Orenda’s screams resound around me, lancing through me, leaving a boundless fissure of excruciating pain and desolation in its wake. My mind floods with thoughts and feelings I once never understood or could place a name to; remorse, shame, heartache, regret, fear, each one screaming at me to undo what I have done. But I can’t.Orenda’s luminous, burnt sienna skin loses its radiance before my blurry eyes, her cedar and mocha hair shifting to every colour of the universe just as coruscating prismatic energy bursts from her chest at the exact moment the blackest black energy erupts from mine. Transfixed to the hell I have ca