*
Chapter 192: RevelationsMalan was gone. It felt lonely and too quiet without his booming jovial presence. Time with Malan passed without notice, he was so entertaining that even the mundane seemed fun with him. I felt empty inside without him.
For the first time since Id come to the Palace, no one was desiring company. Uriel and Eyja were both snoring so loudly they could be heard through my bedroom walls. Januss room door was open, he wasnt in his room.
Hannibals sleeping form didnt budge even after I called his name. He was probably dead from his night with Eyja, I seriously considered holding a looking glass below his nostrils to see if it fogged.
Instead I grabbed the tome on ancient vampires off his nightstand and brought it into my room to study it. It was marked at the chapter on chosen as if I was meant to flip it to that page. I scanned down the page till one passage caught my eye.
The lairs belonged to both the chosen and the ancient. No women can enter a chosens lair without her permission. I mouthed the words. Hmph! Cant do much about it if shes inside you.
The tome said that Malan was supposed to stay by my side while I slept, or leave his guard to watch over my sleep as a signal to other ancients. Wait, Malan left me while I was sleeping. Where was his guard?
Azuras seal wouldnt be burning a hole through my tongue right now if they were in my room, even in vapor form. I twisted the Life Detect ring on my finger, glancing first to the doors, then up at the glass dome above me. There was no army guarding. Why was I sleeping unguarded?
The image of that night in the Temple of the One came hauntingly back. That bone-chilling sight, the pink outlines of thousands of giants reflected by my Life Detect ring. This ring.
Malans army stood guard all that night. Janus said that signaled other ancients that I belonged to him. He put his guard on me that night, why wouldnt I have one now? And where was Malan?
***Back then I thought that guard was for Amiela, but after seeing how happy Malan was last night, that vowhis emotions were real, unguarded and genuine for the first time since
The memory flashed in my mind of that night Malan first raised Amiela inside me, that kiss. It felt like coming home from a long journey, he kissed Amiela with the hunger of centuries parted. His emotions were raw and genuine. Ive never felt that from him again. Not till last night.
Soon well be together the way it should have been all along.
All along? My stomach lurched with sickening clarity. He was talking to Amiela. His vow to make me his chosenlies, or I'd have a guard on me while I slept.
Amiela was in me that night at the Temple when I was guarded all night. That guard, Malans happiness and promisesall for Amiela. And she must be gone from me, or Id have one now. That nightmarish dreamwaking up in the bed. Malan performed necromancy on me while I slept.
Dear gods, I believed him. I trusted him.
An undercurrent of dread hung over me, realizing how nave Id been thinking any of it was for me. It had always been for her, all of it. Malan was romantic and intimate in every word, every touch. He never said he loved me outside of during our mating, but showed it in so many other waysand I was the one feeling it. I believed it, wanted it to be for me. I felt everything he meant for her, and he knew itmanipulated me by exploiting that weakness in me.
When Malan is at his nicest, suspect him the most. Youll never be more than a means to an end that will avail him.
Uriel said that. It shamed me that I hadnt remembered that, or any of his warnings while I was with Malan. Id failed Uriel, and with his worst enemy. Hed been right about everything.
***What other vows had been lies? A sickening feeling twisted in my stomach. Fathis. All those times Malan said Fathis was dead he was in control of the situation. But that night in the Temple of the One Malan was backed in a corner when he said if I just waited, Id be with Fathis.
And then I knew it was the truth. Fathis was alive, and Malan had him in that dungeon. But was Fathis a vampire? My breathing began to hyperventilate remembering Januss words that day. Malan had me in his lair three days before he took my virginitymy neck and wrist ravagedtearing wounds like vampires new to feeding
It cant be true, please gods dont let it be true.
Please gods dont let Malan have lied about having Fathiss soul.
The fear in me boiled up into a keening that strangled against my throat, but with it came the memory of Uriel shaking me like a ragdoll and ordering me to suck it up.
It took every bit of strength and willpower I had, and I was shaking from the strain it tookbut I smothered the keening back, choking it down into a horrible groaning inside me.
Uriel had ordered me to bury pain and fear inside me, turn it into rage and use it for thought and action. He was right, I needed to think about everything Malan said that night in the Temple.
Malan said to wait, his plan was for me to be with Fathis. Since Amiela was inside me, that must mean Malan planned to use Fathiss body for himself. He wanted Amiela immortalwait. Hed want to be immortal too. That means hed make Fathis immortal, if he hasnt already. But Fathis knows all the high security access codes, doesnt that mean Malan would have to keep Fathiss soul intact? I breathed in relief.
***Malan was too close to realizing his dream of the throne, he wont leave this Palace. But what was holding him back? He could have moved on it all this time
And then it hit me, Malans own words that day he raised up Amiela inside me.
Youre almost back, Amiela. Ill keep you safe forever this time, youll see. Remember my promise to you? Were almost there.
Youre almost back, were almost there. Malan promised Amiela shed be by his side when he reached the throne. That had to be the promise he was talking about. He really was trying to raise Amiela up inside me last night.
Malans own nature saved the throne and upset his plots by defending me. He was one step from the throne when he had to remove Amiela from me. Id bet thats why his eyes were gleaming in excitement last night, he thought it was a done deal.
I tucked the tome under my arm and hurried to Uriels chambers, he needed to be warned. His chambers door was bolted, but Janus opened it at my scratch. The burning of Azuras seal on my tongue was immediately gone as I stepped in, and I sighed in relief.
Janus glared through painful-looking red rimmed eyes before averting his face, and all but growling out the words, Uriel is sleeping, and doesnt want to be disturbed.
Oh.
It was all I could do to attempt pleasant conversation with him after learning what he did to Fathis and me. I buried my rage with a strenuous effort and said nothing about it, reminding myself that Uriel needed Januss help rescuing Fathis and taking down Malan. I needed him right now too, standing near him brought the only relief available from the burning pain of Auras seal on my tongue.
Good morning, Janus. I hope you slept well. I forced out.
Is that some kind of joke?
Januss tone grated on my temper, I forcibly bit back the retort that sprang into my mind and sought a pleasant tone.
Well, I see someone woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning.
Oh, I guess you think thats funny, rubbing my nose in it?
Stunned, I gaped at him. Huh?
How could anyone sleep with all that racket?
My temper fizzled out and I breathed relief. Januss surly temper was not directed at me, but lack of sleep.
Oh, you mean Eyja? I know, I thought a village was being slaughtered. I plan to write instructions on sword-polishing on this card and give it to her as a joke.
It wasnt her noise that bothered me, Ive used her services enough that Ive become used to it.
Dear gods, was this over his burned eyes? I dared not bring them up.
Oherhaha. You must be deaf then, Im pretty sure I am now.
If you are deaf, you have only yourself to blame.
Me? What did I do?
He poached you by fraud, his heart will never turn. You said you had no intention of sleeping with him again, there was no need because your blood had changed. What was all that racket then? Were his eyes burning?
***Janus blew his temper on me, after all the holding of my own I had done. Obviously the presence of his worst enemy mating loudly in the next room was a huge source of agitation to Janus. It was all I could do to keep from spitting in his face.
They probably were, he likes it. Instead of pleasure seeking and eavesdropping on our passion, why didnt you rescue Fathis like you vowed? You knew Malan was occupied here, and have access to his the lair.
Janus looked like he may turn giant and go on a rampage through the Palace. I tried to put a calming hand on his arm. He jerked it away.
Im sorry for losing my temper Janus, but best you look at yourself to blame for all of this, including this war. Fathis would have ended my virginity anytime, but YOUR spells kept him from it. YOUR spells are why Fathis confronted you at the Arena, and that brought Malan and started this war.
That doesnt explain why youre sleeping with him now!
I have to! Malan is the Arbiter of Dunmer law, he holds my life in his hands because of my marriage to Gils. By law, he has to kill me unless he takes me for himself. Fathis married me to protect me from the law, but YOUR spells kept him from his duties as husband.. That Im with Malan is YOUR fault!
Those lucky bastards! How do they come up with this stuff? Janus stomped off fuming.
Janus ignored the accusations of his responsibility in all this, but I noticed he hadnt denied putting that spell on Fathis. He had to have done it.
***Uriels bedchamber door was bolted so I couldnt spill my ire to him, and Janus leaving meant Uriel would be unguarded if I left too. I slid the bolt locked and slumped down into the chair Janus had warmed, pulling a quill from the jar to start my card for Eyja.
Why had Malan told me the truth about Janus putting that spell on Fathis? It was probably the only time Malans mouth was open that a lie didnt come out. Malan never does anything without a reason. It must avail him somehow that I hate Janus, but how? What reason would he have to want me hating Janus? Id bet it had something to do with Janus being his split-apart, sharing one nature
The quill ground to a halt, leaving an ink blotch on the card.
The same nature that was inside of me. The same nature that turned on Malan last night and protected me against him. I wonder if Janus and I formed an alliance and turned on Malan as a pairmaybe that is what Malan is afraid of. Maybe the same thought occurred to him.
Malan removing Amiela from me after all this time must mean Im free from his plotting now. Threatening Amiela must have really upset his plans, at least temporarily. Uriel said Malan never gives up his plans, he just adjusts them
The tip of the quill snapped off. I jammed it back into the jar holder, frowning.
Malan never discards a plan, hes been working on the same plots for centuries. That makes him predictable, and makes it easier to anticipate his next move.
He was a hairsbreadth from his dream of the throne, he wasnt going searching for another body to put Amiela in. Malan would find someone in this Palace. But who? Eyja? Id have to know who Amiela was inside to stop them.
According to Hannibals tome; this Palace might be my lair, or at least the Royal Quarters were. No other woman could enter it without my permission, but Eyja was already here.
I pulled a different quill out to finish the last lines on Eyjas card, then signed it, A concerned citizen and dropped it into the incoming mail basket.
Malan was moving on his plots to take over the Palace. I needed to find him and stop him. Wherever Amiela was now, there was no doubt in my mind that was where I would find Malan. Malan underestimated me.
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This post has been edited by mALX: Jan 31 2013, 05:28 AM