Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 2 (Afterlife saga Book 7)

  Chapter 51

  Confessions of the Heart

  “This isn’t looking good.” Pip said with one hip cocked out and a hand to her lip looking at me like I was trying to master the funky chicken.

  “No shit! I feel like an idiot!” I said letting my arms fall to my sides in defeat. It felt as though I had been trying to learn this stupid dance forever!

  “I think it’s the scarves that are confusing you.” Pip said grabbing one and then flicking it out the way I just couldn’t master.

  “See, it’s all in the wrist action, flick and snap, flick and snap…got it?” I rolled my eyes at her and said,

  “No, I haven’t got it and I don’t think I ever will…it’s hopeless.” Then I deflated to the bed on a sigh.

  “Oh I know, just think of it as a whip, so in the past when you and Draven have…” I quickly held up a hand to stop her and said,

  “Don’t even go there Pip, our kinky shit doesn’t include weapons.” This made her frown at me as if I was the crazy one.

  “By the Gods why not!? You really don’t know what you’re missing.”

  “Well if it helps and eases your mind, the Draven from this time obviously has a thing for shackles.” I replied sarcastically shrugging my shoulders.

  “Ah that’s beginners crappy snappy. Now good rough rope is where it’s at.” I raised an eyebrow and added,

  “Maybe you should write a book when we get home, but in the meantime what are we going to do about my utter lack of co-ordination and inability to dance like some Bollywood dancer?” Pip gave me one sad look before also deflating next to me with a big sigh. Then she patted me on the knee and said bluntly,

  “Sorry honey, but I think you’re royally screwed and not in the way we all hoped.”

  “Yep, pretty much.” I agreed thinking back to the conversation we had before the dance practice even began. I had asked her what the point of this whole charade was in the first place.

  “Well, from my short career as a harem spy then it’s simply to make a show of the King’s next chosen favourite who will play Head Concubine until he requests for there to be another ‘Chosen’ to replace them.”

  “So like a cattle market?” I snapped hating the idea of it all. Pip burst out laughing and said,

  “Well yes, if the cows danced to a ditty tune in front of the royal court wearing jingling bikinis.” I had to admit that I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought, well that was until she mentioned the bit about ‘jingling bikinis’.

  “Oh God, this just gets even worse.” I groaned letting my head fall into my hands.

  “Anyway, I don’t know what you’re worried about, not after the sassy performance you put on back in Wolfman’s club.” Okay so she had a point but I wasn’t about to admit that.

  “That was different.” I argued making her jump off the bed and face me with her hands on her hips.

  “How so?”

  “Alcohol.” I was quick to reply but she just rolled her eyes at me and said,

  “You weren’t drunk, so try again.”

  “Alright, how about the fact that I had three backing dancers and the dance we were doing didn’t have bikinis and bloody scarves!” I said standing up myself and mimicking her stance.

  “No it had fans and we were half naked in corsets and if I do recall, you did a solo act at the end singing Dolly Parton.” Oh she would have to go and mention that, damn her!

  “That’s totally different!” I argued again getting louder this time.

  “No it’s not!” she said laughing.

  “It is so!”

  “How so?”

  “Well for starters it’s my favourite song and I have not only been singing it for years in the shower but it’s also my drunken go to song if I find myself in a Karaoke crisis, so you see, it is totally different.” I told her crossing my arms over my chest, as if this would somehow help my case.

  “Oh yeah…totally different,” she said making fun of me.

  “Look Toots, the fact remains that everyone does a dance for the King on the night of the ‘Chosen’ as it makes everyone feel as though they have a fair chance at getting his attention or some shit like that…so you’re just going to have to suck it up and make Shakira’s ‘Hips don't lie’ your new favourite. Now let me see you shake your ass!” I knew she was just trying to help but the thought of having to play performing monkey or more like learning how to play one was making me feel sick. What I had done back home the night of our stag and hen do might not have seemed any different but as far as I was concerned it felt a million miles from each other.

  Back in my own time I had the advantage of so many things and even though I was no dancer or singer, I still knew the words and I could still shake it on the dance floor to the songs I knew. But here I was utterly clueless and trying to learn how to dance a certain way without the music…well it was like learning how to swim without water!

  It was no wonder then that when Pip suggested we call it a night I nearly kissed her feet. I couldn’t help but worry about tomorrow night but also wonder what Draven was doing now? How did he react to finding me gone or to the news that an attempt on my life had been made, which were the reasons for me not being there?

  “I can almost hear your mind ticking over and it sounds like rice in a tin can being rolled down a hill.” Pip said once we had called it a night as we were both obviously faking sleep.

  “I can’t sleep.” I told her.

  “Try flicking the bean, it always helps me when Adam is asleep and won’t wake up.” I spluttered out a cough at the thought.

  “I am not doing that with you here!” I told her, mortified by the suggestion.

  “What? It’s not like I am going to help you out. Jeez…prude much. Look I will even turn the other way,” she said getting snippy and rolling over to face the other side. I rolled my eyes before saying,

  “I am not a prude, but there is still a line you don’t cross with a friend.”

  “Line schmine. And anyway, how else are you going to get to sleep?” she asked me and this was when I chose my time to ask her what I really wanted to know.

  “Well…”

  “Oh here it comes.” Pip sighed as though she knew what was coming.

  “What! You don’t even know what I am going to say.” I complained thinking there was no way she could, but what she said next surprised me.

  “Toots, you are my best friend, of course I know what you are going to ask me, it’s like BFF code or some shit the cosmos can’t even explain.” I giggled and said,

  “Alright, lets test your theory, what am I going to ask you?”

  “You were going to ask me about what I did when we were in Germany and I sent you back to Draven without him knowing,” she said after a big sigh and my mouth dropped open before I said,

  “Holy shit.”

  “Yep, strong stuff that friendship mojo. So you want me to send you to Draven without him knowing about it, so you can see what he is doing right now because it is driving you crazy not knowing…right?”

  “Seriously Pip, you have got skills…are you sure you’re not an Oracle?” I said propping myself up and looking at her over her shoulder as she still had her back to me. She rolled over on a laugh and said,

  “Oh Hell no, I’d freaking hate that job!” And I had to agree with her on that, as it certainly seemed to be a suck ass gift to have most of the time.

  “So can you do it?” I asked and her cheeky smirk told me my answer before she did.

  “Totally.”

  “So how did we do this last time?” I asked her and in that instant she launched herself at me, landing in my lap and because of it a memory came flooding back to me.

  “You know you could warn me before just launching yourself at me like that.” I said, speaking the exact same words that I had done all that time ago. She looked down at me and winked before doing the exact same.

  “Oh Tootie cake, you’re no fun. Good luck, honey.” Then she gave me the s
ame gangster sign before slapping both hands to the side of my head and just before I was plunged into a world only half a palace away, I saw her eyes turn white before misty smoke filled them like bubbling storm clouds.

  “Pip?” I whispered her name just to check but as I reached up to touch her face everything around me started to fade into nothing. My hand went straight through her and landed on the stone floor as I was now knelt by someone’s throne. My world had flipped upside down and I looked up slowly to see an unfamiliar room. She had done it. She had sent me to Draven once more and I only hoped that this time it would be worth the journey, unlike the one in the past. For I knew that somethings were better left unseen. I had learnt that lesson the hard way but for some reason this felt different…it felt somehow,

  Important.

  “What do you mean there was an attack?!” Draven’s angry voice cut through the silence and I looked up to see him facing off with Ranka. Like before it quickly became apparent that I couldn’t be seen or my presence couldn’t be detected. I looked around the huge open space and it didn’t take a genius to guess that I was now inside Draven’s throne room.

  “There was an attempt on her life as I predicted, my Lord.”

  “Was she hurt? Where is she now, is she safe?” Draven snapped out these questions as if he was ready to explode if he didn’t receive his answers just as quickly.

  “She was unharmed my Lord and is currently situated in the quarters next to my own, under trusted guard.” Ranka answered calmly at least giving Draven peace of mind enough to take a deep breath.

  “Who was the traitor?” he asked next in an exasperated voice that spoke of his unease.

  “That is where it gets complicated, my Lord.”

  “How so?” His head whipped up and I held my breath right along with Ranka. What was she going to say?

  “I…” Ranka started to speak but just before she could say a second word the large double doors at the very end burst open and in strode Sophia in all her finery. The sound echoed through the painted walls and marble pillars as each step brought her closer to the three thrones at the end of the room. Her shimmering dress trailed along the floor like liquid gold pooling around her legs and following her motions like a living entity.

  “Sister?” Draven sounded just as surprised to see her as I did. Ranka had no choice but to take a step back and bow as you would to any royalty entering the room.

  “But what is this that I am hearing of talks of treachery around the palace?” Even I knew that the heavy sound of disbelief in her voice was put on for show. From the looks of Ranka I would have said if she could have gotten away with growling at that point, she would have.

  “Saphira, it is none of your concern.” Draven tried to say but Sophia just waved her hand around saying,

  “Nonsense, what concerns you brother surely concerns us all.” This time it was Draven who growled because he could always get away with it.

  “Well no doubt it will not concern you once you know whose life was put in danger from such treachery,” he commented dryly, knowing full well of his sister’s instant dislike to me. Sophia hearing this feigned being hurt and placed a hand to her chest as though his words had wounded her.

  “Brother, you insult me so. It is true I may not approve of your choice to ruin us all and all that the prophecy stands for, but I am not without some compassion, even if it is for humanity.” This didn’t exactly sit well with Draven and he let it be known when he hit out at a burning lamp sending what looked like hot coals scattering across the room. Neither Sophia or Ranka even flinched at their King’s outrage, unlike me who jumped back and scrabbled up another step, placing a hand on the side of his throne to steady myself.

  “So in return you insult me and dare speak to me of the prophecy, as though I am clueless on the matter?!” Draven roared in outrage.

  “Ranka leave us.” Sophia ordered looking sideways but she didn’t move, instead looking to Draven for guidance. When he nodded she bowed again before leaving through the same doors Sophia had entered, once again filling the room with a deafening bang before plunging it back into deadly silence. Even I held my breath and as far as they were concerned, I wasn’t even in the room.

  “I swear brother, if I didn’t know any better I would say you had been bewitched.” I rolled my eyes the same time I saw Draven did as he turned away from her and walked back to his throne. I froze as he came closer but then relaxed once more when he sat down and released a heavy sigh.

  “I must confess but the way I feel about her is too strong to ignore.” I sucked in a sharp breath just hearing his confession as I felt my heart soar. The look on Sophia’s face didn’t look as bitter as I thought it would but instead it simply looked sad.

  “But ignore it you must, for you know it is for the good of your people.” Hearing Sophia say this in a sympathetic tone was more heart-breaking than I wanted to admit. But what was worse was how I could understand where she was coming from. After all, she was only looking out for her own brother and her people and as far as I was concerned, I was standing firmly in the way of that.

  “But how can I?!” Draven asked like a desperate man half close to breaking into that famous temper of his.

  “Send her away Brother, I implore you.” Sophia said taking a step closer but Draven tore his gaze from hers as if the very idea repulsed him.

  “Out of the question,” he stated firmly.

  “Then you will not only lose every chance of meeting your Chosen One, but you also condemn us all to damnation with you, for you know of what the prophecy speaks.” This was when Draven hit his limit and let his fist slam down on his armrest cracking the carved black stone it was made from. I watched as the lightning bolts made in the throne snaked along until stopping just before touching my fingers that were still placed against it.

  “Of course I know of the damned prophecy and this fated girl for whom I am expected to give my life up for,” he thundered bitterly and I winced knowing I was both causes behind this curse.

  “You know that it is not meant to be that way,” she said softly, obviously feeling bad for her brother’s given predicament.

  “No…then tell me dear sister, for how is it meant to be?” he lashed out the question resentfully.

  “You are fated to fall in love with this girl,” she said lowering her voice to barely above a whisper.

  “And what if I have already fallen in love with another!” he shouted confessing the way I could only hope he felt. Sophia and I gasped at the same time but only one was heard.

  “You can’t mean…” she started to say having taken a staged step back from shock.

  “And why not, because she is mortal?” I looked from Draven asking the question to Sophia who was almost too dumbstruck to answer.

  “But how could this have happened? It was never fated to be this way. The Oracle said…”

  “I don’t give a damn what the Oracle said, for she must have been wrong,” he ground out, slicing a hand through the air.

  “Wrong? But that is impossible! An Oracle as powerful as she is never just wrong, Brother, you know this!” This time it was Sophia’s turn to snap.

  “All I know Saphira, is how I feel and how there is nothing wrong about it. I cannot simply ignore it and trust me, I have tried for more than the sake of my own people but for hers as well,” he told her reining in some of his anger and doing so with more reason in his voice. Sophia hung her head and shook it as though she couldn’t believe in what she was hearing.

  “But you don’t even know this girl or anything about her!” she said trying to cast doubt in his mind and call it reason.

  “I know what I feel and that is enough.”

  “And what if she was sent here…um, have you thought of that?” A rumble came from Draven’s chest as the idea angered him, so Sophia jumped on it.

  “For all you know she could be here as a spy for our Roman enemies, one to tempt you into bedding her to get close to you for information or worse, a
temptation sent from the enemies of our own kind hoping to cast doubt upon your rule and make you a mockery for your past judgements sentenced down upon our people.” Sophia said trying with one last attempt at planting enough seeds of doubt to cast at the very least a shred of suspicion or mistrust as to my intentions.

  “I will not hear of this…” Draven started to say calmly and obviously trying to keep a lid on his rage but Sophia took this as an opportunity to push further.

  “I mean, all you need to do is look at how she came to be here and the mysteries around it. By the Gods brother, think about it! She doesn’t even know her own name or where she came from and for all we know that ‘attack’ on her was staged. Planned from the beginning so that Ranka just happened to come across her just in time, giving her instant access not only to the palace but more importantly to you.” Well I had to say that by time Sophia was done, even I was almost convinced as half of what she said wasn’t exactly all that far from the truth. But one glance at Draven and it didn’t take a genius to know she was fighting a lost cause.

  His face had turned a deeper shade of tan giving his scars an even more startling contrast to the rest of his skin tone. Veins in his neck became more prominent as his muscles tensed and I could see him grinding his teeth from where I was hiding in plain sight.

  “That all sounds a very likely cause…”

  “Good, I am glad you are finally agreeing…” Draven’s hand shot up to silence her, cutting off her premature victory.

  “I am not finished. What you say could be true or at least have some grounds for mistrust…”

  “That’s what I…” Once more she was celebrating too soon and finally got the message when Draven shouted,

  “BUT…there are obviously factors in which your own palace spies have failed to tell you about our mystery girl. For I find it highly unlikely that someone sent here with the sole purpose of getting close to me, would then attempt to escape her guard and leave the palace just after I make it apparent to her that she is my new favourite. Can you explain that to me?” I looked to Sophia after Draven’s cutting statement and compelling evidence given in order to clear any doubt from my character and she just looked shocked.