Imperial (Insight #8)(16)
The Creator’s blessing of our rush, the way He promised me that Vade’s energy would always give me a reprieve, made me believe that Vade and I would never fail as one.
No one beyond the Creator and Vade knew of this weakness of mine. Of the internal battle my soul often had. In the Veil, more than once I wished for this release. In fact, not long ago I asked the Reaper how powerful his energy was, if it could withstand raging emotions. I never confessed this weakness, but I think he knew. His only response was, “My power serves its purpose, as does yours and whomever your Creator entrusted with the knowledge of your gifts.”
When he said that, I almost had hope that this moment would come. That the Reaper was telling me that not only was Vade the only one in existence that could witness and withstand this, but that I would see him again. I would find my release once more.
The winds settled, the thunder lost its vibrating rumble, and the lightning ceased. Yet, Vade’s embrace grew stronger.
“You let me be. You left me there,” I said in a hoarse whisper.
“I have never once endured a harder trepidation,” he responded, gently caressing my long hair out of my face.
Anger came back to me, but I had released enough of my rage that no sound was uttered in the room around us. “Yet you endured it.”
He leaned me back slightly so his eyes would find mine. His firm jawline rippled with emotions before he spoke. “It was your safe haven. The others believed you were now a part of The Realm. If I had come for you, even in thought, they would have known that the Reaper was shielding you.”
Oh, so his line was above me? He knew if he came for me, he would be invoking war with Xavier, maybe even with all the kings?
In an instant, I was standing feet from him, glaring down to where he still rested. “Why must you always care what others think? Why must you subdue your power? You put other kings’ wishes before our rush, a rush that your absence murdered.”
In a beat of my heart, he was before me, staring down, almost painfully. “Absence is said to make the heart grow fonder. If a rush was murdered, it was done so because it was not felt within the core of both. The hearts and souls, that sacred rush belonged to, slaughtered the emotion.”
That was painful. I knew he must have forgotten me long ago, but hearing him say that our rush was not truly felt before was agony. “Mortal souls must have spoken those words, for immortals, sovereigns, never forget a bond. Therefore, there is no absence that would cause anyone to be forgotten.”
A gentle sigh escaped his lips, which I craved to feel against mine but was too stubborn to claim. Was he relieved that I agreed without a fight? Or did he read between my words and understand that I never forgot the likes of him?
“What have you done in my absence? Tell me why I sensed the scent of my line within your entry hall? Why not only that scent was there, but also the scent of one of Xavier’s line? Why were white doves present? What wars occurred on the first level of The Realm? Why are humans fighting against a race that they should not know exists?”
His eyes pored over me. “You need to be nourished.”
“Back to that argument, are we? Well, guess what? I proved you wrong. Mazing and I survived on less than you could have imagined. We could have taken more, trust me, but we held our ground. I stand before you now no weaker than before.”
He clenched his fist
, causing every muscle in his long arms to flex, the air in the room to ripple with the raw power that he was. “Your soul is feeding you. You need to be nourished.”
“What’s wrong, Vade? Are you afraid that I’m going to vanish before your eyes? That I will perish once again? If so, I see no need for you to worry. You have managed quite well in my absence, looking all the more powerful because of it, in fact.”
Before I could finish my rant, one of his arms was around me as his hand urged my chin upward, giving me no choice but to gaze into his eyes, which were inches from mine. “Obviously, your hunger is hindering your memory. Look into my eyes and tell me that I look stronger than before. Tell me that there is no agony there, no anger. Tell me that this isn’t the first time a clear breath has passed my lips from the time you left our bed until now. Tell me that the weight of the universe is not squarely placed on my shoulders; a weight that our Creator is all too happy to let me bear. Tell me that I look at peace. That holding you right now is not the most euphoric state I have ever been in.”
A crimson blush spread across my ivory skin. I knew exactly what his euphoric state looked and felt like. I didn’t see it now, but I felt the power in his words. I felt him telling me that I was his now and forevermore.
I reached for his beautiful face and pulled him to me. My lips grasped his, and as our kiss grew deeper he held me against him, allowing his hands to move across me, clearly assuring himself I was really there. Before the hum of his energy could blind my thoughts, I pulled away from his hungry touch. “He would not give you more than you can bear. Speak to me. Tell me what they have done to you. To us.”
He pulled me firmly against him, and in that moment we vanished, only to manifest outside of a pair of regal, golden doors. “You need to be fed.”
I glanced up at the angelic structure of the building and felt the vibration of bliss in the air. This was a place of worship, or something close to it.
“No, I will not invoke an emotion here. I will not return, only to fall back into habits that are clearly outdated and evil at their core.”