Smoldered Flames: Part I of the Edonia Series
Chapter 26

Daxter

My stomach plummets. We couldn’t replace her and it was time to leave. Dawn was approaching and the diurnal species would awaken soon. No one could replace Valeri, but it wasn’t like anyone really tried to look for her. All except me… and Cassius. Which I found odd, because he wasn’t one to care about people, let alone hybrids. If it benefited him, then he was your best person for the job.

We stand around Chancellor Zuka’s desk to report our replaceings in Sinful Maestra. It was how I remembered it-majestic and enticing as ever. Lady Helena’s aura was different tonight. As if she knew what was to come.

“We weren’t able to replace anything worth mentioning, Chancellor.” Bianka concluded.

“And what of the other members of your pod? I don’t see them present. Surely they would like to be congratulated on a job well done.” the Chancellor asked.

I look to Eros and Cassius, but their gaze held no answers. How could we explain that one of our own went missing?

Bianka decided to take the lead. “In the midst of the mission, the prisoner escaped.”

Chancellor Zuka froze. “What do you mean, “escaped”?”

“Before the Hunters arrived, she disappeared.” Cassius responded stiffly.

I look at him again and a hint of guilt and remorse are in his eyes, but he refused to look at anyone. Chancellor was about to investigate further when bright green fracture light enters the office and Valeri falls through the portal. Followed by a strange, half-starved man, Kamau, and Gisele.

I didn’t like the lingering touches he left as he helped Valeri to her feet. I hated the way his eyes roved over her body like a thirst that can’t be quenched. Something dark entered the stranger’s gaze, but when Valeri turned and thanked him, it was gone. It was something sinister… malevolent even.

I glance over at Eros. His orbs turned to a scarlet red and he released a low hiss. Even Cassius released a growl. I’m not the only one who’s seen it.

“Well, it’s nice to get such a lovely greeting from everyone.” Valeri says sarcastically.

Chancellor Zuka stands up. “I hear that you missed quite the mission tonight.”

Valeri places a hand to her hip.“Yeah, about that. I went in search of a bathroom and someone hit me over the head. When I came to, this fellow right here was tending to me. I owe him my life.”

“Is that so?”

“That is correct.” she replied.

Kamau sighed heavily. “Chancellor, we looked everywhere for the prisoner, but we couldn’t trace a scent.”

Chancellor Zuka glances at Valeri with an odd look in his eyes.“Not even a scent?”

“None at all.”

“Bianka, thank you and your pod for a successful mission. You are dismissed.”

Bianka opened her mouth to say something, but was quickly silenced by a severe look from the Chancellor. Once they exited the door, he turned towards the Alpha.

“Whenever an Alpha is responsible for his pack -or in this case, pod- they are responsible for the wellbeing of those under his care. Am I correct?”

“Yes, sir.” Kamau says grudgingly.

“Then someone please tell me something. How is it that everyone, but Valeri, made it out alive and well? Do you need a demotion, Adeyemi? Are you even capable of knowing the true definition of an Alpha? How can you lead a nation, if you can’t lead this pod properly?”

“Hey, now. We tried to do the best we could.” Cassius steps in, but to no avail.

“And you, mister Beta. Your role as a Beta is to doubly ensure everyone is safe. You are the mother hen compared to the Alpha. You are to make sure everything is orderly and prevent chaos.” Chancellor Zuka hissed.

She sat down in one the office chairs with one leg demurely of the other, but her face held a smug satisfaction.

“If this happens again, you BOTH will be demoted. Status notwithstanding. You all may leave. Except Valeri.”

Her smug expression dropped.

Valeri

Chancellor Barati waited a few minutes before moving towards a drawer at his desk. He removes a familiar looking parchment and hands it to me.

“You have stayed here long enough to grasp the demon tongue, I think.” he states gently.

He was right, since my stay, I’ve grasped the demon tongue as well as Latin. They were similar in the sense of dialect, but the latter was sharper than the former. Demon tongue ran like smooth water in a creek when one spoke it clearly. Latin was more like jagged rocks, rough but satisfying to hear.

I completely forgot about the blood contract. It was still as light and soft as a feather as I remembered. Dark ink swirled along the old paper again. Black squares and swirls with small dots appear and it reads:

If you are reading this, then you have made a brave choice. Destinies are seldom mistakes. You, young dragon, are bound by blood to follow what is right and burn brightly what is wrong. Only you can determine which is correct. Make the wrong decision and others will suffer gravely. Thus is the way of the custodian.

I sit back with my mouth agape. Chancellor Barati’s eyes observe me with silence. For some reason I needed to speak with him in the demon tongue.

“What does it mean to become a custodian?” I asked.

He smiles slightly. “To each their own. General definition is to care for, or be responsible, for something.”

I nodded in agreement. “Sooo, I’m to take care of something? What, exactly?”

“Walk with me. Leave your pet here.” he says while standing.

I glance over at Stanley and his eyes are a little dazed. What the hell was wrong with him?

I snap my fingers in front of him and he jumps skittishly. “I need you to stay right in this seat. Got it?”

He nods frantically. I feel my eye glow and he sits down in the other open seat. The Chancellor nods approvingly before moving towards the door.

“After you,” he says while holding the door open.

“Thank you.”

We travel down the length of the quiet corridor and out onto the courtyard.

“So tell me, how are you liking Sundancer University? Or as the young folks call it “SU”, ” he asks while airquoting.

I laugh softly before answering. “I’ve actually enjoyed learning about Edonia. The students are…lovely.”

“How are you faring with your pod?”

“It’s going.”

Chancellor Barati stops and lifts one of my hands. “Really? And how did this come about?”

I tried to release my wrist from his grasp, but he had an iron grip. “Let’s just say I may have attacked someone, and I may have gotten my just desserts because of it.”

He chuckles lightly. “Just desserts, huh?”

I smile in return. “Yes.”

“So you agree that you deserved it? Any remorse?”

“I could’ve handled it better, yes. I do regret my actions.”

He looks deep into my eye as if searching for any falsity in my answers. The Chancellor sighed in contentment as if satisfied with what he found. I was being honest, I could’ve just walked away despite what overcame me. Cassius wasn’t worth my attention. He wasn’t worth my thoughts.

I tried to replace a way to end this cursed bond that we share, but a simple rejection wouldn’t do. Fated mates aren’t simply rejected, one has to die for the other to be free. So I was fucked. I didn’t want to kill him, but there had to be another way…

Chancellor Barati takes both of my hands into his own. “Good, because what I am about to show you will require your full strengths.”

The vitality cuffs began to glow brightly and I turned my head to prevent damage to my right eye. Heatwave wafts from the center of my undead heart and outwards to the five points of my body like a gas bomb gone off. The Chancellor catches me as I nearly collapse from the affects of being bound for so long. I look down and notice the cuffs have melted off.

“No one should be punished for this long. I’ll speak to Adeyemi about his methods,” he spat.

Suddenly alarmed I reach out and grasp his arms. “No, no. There’s no need for that. I’ve got it handled.”

His warm brown eyes held a look of doubt. “Here at Sundancer, we leave students to solve one’s problem…” he sighs. “I’ll let you handle it then.”

I pat his hand gratefully. “Thank you, Chancellor.”

He returns it with a nod. “Now, tell me what really happened tonight?”

I sighed and looked towards the rising sun. Unlike normally, this sunrise had an ominous view. The pre-dawn light was still littered with stars. Closer to the rising sun, periwinkle clouds floated gently like small wafts of smoke. The luminous giant burning star shined a red fiery richness that filled my heart with radiance.

“Valeri.”

My mind snapped back to the task at hand. “Yeah… sorry.”

I sighed again as I recounted last night’s adventures. Chancellor Barati gaze didn’t show judgment at the mention of whips and chains. His eyebrows lowered a bit at the mention of Stanley hitting me over the head. He didn’t cringe at the mention of my “alter ego”. No, I felt that I could spill my darkest secrets and he would harbor them as tightly as Fort Knox. There was something about the Chancellor that made me feel safe. Not in the way a lover would replace solace in it’s lover, but that of a father. Perhaps he made everyone feel this way, thus making him a good Chancellor.

“Well that explains most of it. Too bad you didn’t see the Hunters in action. It would’ve been a good lesson to learn.”

“If I am accused of murdering a couple of Hunters, then why am I grouped up with them?” I asked.

“One would say: Karma is a bitch. But all I have for an adequate answer is this: my hands were tied. People have their one vendetta, as do I. I think I’d like to keep my head on for a few more years.” he says with a chuckle.

“What do you mean “people have their own vendetta” ?”

“Your answers will be found before you know it. But for today, I’ll show you a little trick.”

“Okay.”

He walks towards the edge of SU and gazes at the sun. “Come here, little firefly.”

My soulless heart quivers at the nickname. I remember someone else referring me to that name, but I couldn’t quite place the name. I walked towards the edge of the university with him.

“Now, remove the eyepatch.”

I got a little nervous. I slowly remove the eyepatch with shaking hands and the Chancellor points to the sun.

“Cover your right eye. What do you see?”

I did as he directed and I gasped in surprise. The sky was black, but everything else was white. Some things, like the clouds or the occasional bird would be filled with some color. I gasped in shock when my vision was suddenly filled with wisps of bodiless entities. They moved like drifting bed sheets in and out of my line of sight. My body felt weightless, like a void to the earthen plane.

“Valeri…save us.” The wind seemed to whisper against my ear.

My body began to shiver with chills running down my spine. That voice… it rang a sense of familiarity to my mind.

“Valeri…”

“Valeri… please.”

“Valeri,”

My mind stops and all is quiet again. The Chancellor looks at me with slight concern.

“I said, what did you see?” he repeated.

“I saw.. I can’t explain what I saw, because I felt it as well. It was like seeing everything in a different world.”

He nods his head in agreement. “What you just witnessed is Phasmarale or the Spirit World. And you my dear are blessed with the Eye of Ayla”

“Whoa… I… am at a loss of words. Do you know how this is possible?”

Chancellor Barati taps the side of my head lightly. “That, as well as your Custodial duties are something we are going to work on. Starting tomorrow, and onward. You will have your work cut out for you.”

I sighed dramatically.

*********************

I make my way back to my dorm with Stanley in tow. My bones were weary and I was itching to take off this outfit. The Eye of Ayla, eh? So I have been blessed by the goddess? I was kind of ecstatic, yet nervous. It seemed a powerful entity had entered my side of the ring against this fight. I should study more about these supposed gods and goddesses. Hearing the name “Ayla” reminds me of brightness and light.

I open the door to see a fight brewing. The energy in this room was chaotic. Daxrer is between a raging Cassius and a stoic Adeyemi while Eros sits back with a smirk on his face. He’s so fucking nonchalant.

Stillness filled the air with tension. I huffed in exasperation. I was not about to become Dr. Fix-it! But it seemed Cassius had other plans.

“Who the fuck is this guy?! And where the hell were you?!” he demanded.

“I’m not in the mood to repeat myself, let alone to the likes of you. Feel free to ask Chancellor Barati.”

He tries to say something else, but I cut him off when I turn to Adeyemi. “Oh! And there won’t be any kind of exploration of my pet’s brain, got it?” I arch an eyebrow boldly.

Eros chuckles softly. “By Vampiric Law, she is correct Kamau. If you touch a hair on her pet’s head, she has all rights to mete out justice as she sees fit. I’m sure you wouldn’t want problems with vampires on top of whatever else you have to face back at home.” His eyes take on a reddish hue as he snarls lightly.

“Well…alrighty then...” I say as I go around the three males in the center of the room.

After I bathe, I put on blood red silk pajamas and lay in bed. Stanley hands me the dark brown leather drawstring bag and I’m instantly excited.

“I forgot about this! Thank you, Stanley!”

“Anything for you, Mistress.”

“You may shower if you need to.”

Stanley nods and walks to the bathroom. I wait until he is in there before delving into the bag. For some reason, I couldn’t trust him fully. Not until he proves his worth.

When my hand enters the bag, I feel a vastness that doesn’t correspond with the bag. Whoa… it’s like magic! There was nothing in here… what a disappointment. I throw the bag to the floor with frustration. What will it take to replace out who the hell I am?!