Chapter 12

I barely reached the temple before the sun began to rise. An entire night had been dedicated to our cause, and I could not help but worry about what would lie in 
my near future. Xenos would have to suspect my involvement in the pamphlet that would be circulating as soon as copies were made.

I went directly to the inner sanctuary and began lighting the candles. My mind wandered and occasionally my fingers slipped in their tasks. I made the mistakes of 
a novice, could not keep my mind fixated on my duties.

“Perhaps I should have my statue covered so as not to distract you when you tend my altars.” The statement sent a candle scattering from my hands, wax shattering
 against the floor.

His laugh was rich and arrogant in my ears. “You are nervous today, songbird.” He observed me silently for long moments. “What is it you are up to?”

I turned to find Xenos mere feet from me. He was close enough I could breathe in his scent. I forced myself to smile. “I seem to be clumsy in your presence.”

“It once did not cause your fingers to falter.” The tyrant's eyes narrowed, predator observing its prey. “I do not believe you.”

I braced myself inwardly for repercussion, interrogation.

But, he said nothing. He inspected the altars, ran his fingers lightly over the cornerstone that housed our dark secret. He lingered without reason, and I could feel 
him in my blood. He gazed at his statue and I gazed at him, and time dragged along on heavy feet.

That night we worked the spell again. I cut, he lifted, and blood was spilled for whatever powers rested in this dark place. Xenos stood behind me and pressed my 
unwilling hands to the stone of the pillar with his own. My heartbeat drummed within my ears. As the blood drew its lazy path I was too aware of his flesh against 
mine. I could feel his breathing, too quick and too harsh against my back. All there was around us was the sound of our breath and then that proverbial boom of 
energy that overtook the other when the blood touched the floor. Xenos crushed my hands against the stone, the press of his hands all that kept me from falling to 
my knees as I had before.

I wanted to ask him why he was so eager to have me there again, knowing that he as well as I still had more questions than we did answers. I wanted to ask, but 
there wasn't enough air. Energy crowded the room, and when the light came and burned over me I felt myself become a sheen of blood. 

I gave birth to short, staccato cries as the blood was pulled up first over my hands, then my arms, ever further along my body. Xenos's hands atop mine beaded 
blood as mine did and I knew he was being covered in the same fashion I was. The light flared until all sight succumbed to its blinding force. I could feel his hands 
move, felt as he ripped away my breastplate and my gown. And the screams came as he pressed the line of his flesh against mine. We became a thing comprised of 
fire and pain as all that blood mingled and met. 

When the darkness overwhelmed me I was thankful.

Vision came back to me in a rush along with my breath. But, the dream lingered even with wakefulness. It had been the same. I was paralyzed and the darkness 
fell around me. Suddenly, I couldn't breath and I untangled myself from Xenos.

His hand grasped mine and stopped me. “I have to get out.” I whispered in frantic tones between gasps. “The darkness is coming.”

“What are you speaking of?” Xenos asked but no more words came. I could feel it and screams threatened in my chest. I needed escape; I needed the stars 
shining upon me. There was no reason for my outburst, but I could not control it. 

I ran.

I ran for the secret entrance, for the sanctuary beyond. I ran through the temple and to the heavy wooden doors. They were pulled open and I fled outside.

It was on the street that he reached me and pulled me against him. “Have you gone mad?” He asked me in all-too-serious tones as he gripped me with bruising 
force, forced my wide eyes to look into his onyx depths. The stars glittered in his eyes and it dragged my gaze up to the sky. 

I gave a soft sigh of relief and sagged against him. I felt his fingers in my hair. “You've never feared the darkness before.” His voice was thoughtful. “You survived 
the dungeon. Is it possible you are not so strong willed to defy me any longer?”

That brought my gaze back to his and the expression he saw there made him give a quiet smile. “Then perhaps I merely unlock your secrets. One at a time.” His 
insinuation did not escape me and it was then I realized we were both nude, standing openly in the street before the temple. My fingers were splayed against his 
chest and I believe the same realization came to him. We were once again as though we'd never bled. My flesh was gold and whole once again, and Xenos 
glimmered pale in the starlight.

But, we did not rush for shelter and clothing as others might have done. Whatever had happened between us was stronger and we began to walk together. “I 
believe I steal your life away.” He murmured. “I can feel it inside of me.” He sounded pleased within himself and his discovery.

I remained quiet. I did not reveal that I could feel him as well. I suspected that whatever was occurring could be a double-edged sword for the tyrant. Only time 
would tell, and until then I would keep my thoughts to myself as I did so many other things.

The city was clean here and my feet were able to walk without fear of filth or pain. The streets were strangely barren, something Xenos remarked upon. “Perhaps
 it is fear that drives them indoors.” I said in return.

“Indeed.” He said and reached to pull a hanging piece of linen from someone's wash line. He handed it to me absent-mindedly and retrieved another, knotting it 
about his waist.

I knotted the scarlet fabric beneath my arm, recognized it as a soldier's cape. It was short and barely fell to my thigh, but it hid my nudity and we continued our 
slow path as though possessed.

“Why are we doing this?” I finally asked him.

He shrugged and it surprised me. It was perhaps the most casual I had ever seen him. “To calm your nerves. If I were forced to chain you to the floors, your 
cries would steal my sleep.”

“Does this not do the same?” I asked mildly and he laughed.

“Perhaps, clever songbird.” He responded but his feet continued walking.

The air was cool and the bands about my arms grew chilly against my flesh. We walked until the walls of the city's eastern border came into view. I could hear the 
whisper of wind resting beyond those stone walls with their flickering torches and guarded ways.

“The sky is beautiful.” I murmured quietly as I leaned against a slick wall of the eastern temple, small in comparison to the towering structure. I rested there, weary 
from the long walk and lack of rest my dual life required.

“Yes.” Xenos murmured and his tone made me look up. He was not looking at the sky, his eyes were fixated on me. I felt my heart quicken and my reaction must 
have shone on my face.

He approached me as though entranced. I straightened to meet him, my head turning up to meet his gaze. Fingers whose intent was usually pain moved over my 
cheek slowly, his face oh-so-close to my own.

“Xenos.” The name slipped from my lips like the catalyst of a spell.

“Cynara.” It was the barest whisper against my mouth. We were bewitched, there was no thought as our lips met. We were not tyrant and slave, we were simply 
man and woman.

His mouth possessed me, his rich taste flooded my senses and fed the essence that rushed through my blood. My fingers caught in tangled tresses and dragged him 
down to me, my body pressed against his. It was as though we were on the temple steps again that night not so long ago. When a small sound escaped me it fed into 
whatever spell had been wrought. His hands were at my hips, lifting me, pulling me up against him. My feet left the street in favor of his hips, my heels biting into his 
flesh, hands resting upon his chest as his arms wrapped me.

The darkness is coming.

He paused for a moment as though he had heard the thought from my mind. Then, his lips were upon mine again, traveled a line down to my throat. His teeth 
pressed suddenly to my flesh, drawing a cry of pain from my mouth. But, my hands did not release him, my legs held to him as though for life.

He fell to his knees with bruising force and laid me upon the polished street. I did not fight him, but this time my hands reached for him, pulled him by his hair down 
until he crushed against me.

It was savage. This was not the magic of The Stag and our union those years ago. This was raw, primal. It was not about tenderness or fond emotion. We were 
creatures of need that clamored to be fed by each other.

My thighs parted for him and he was between them, his lips drawing a path down between my breasts, the crimson linen torn and thrown aside. My fingers were 
hopelessly tangled in his hair, dragging him back up to my mouth, legs wrapping him until he was pressed against me, flesh to flesh. The barest movement would 
bring us together. Our eyes met, and in that moment we both knew what would happen. But, his hips moved, mine rose, and we become one being.

For a moment the world hushed and held its breath, but with his first thrust the ground began to quake. And even as my hips goaded his in concert, the words 
spilled from my lips.

“The darkness is coming!
There will be death and gnashing of teeth!
The lion shares blood with the golden child.
Together the future is sealed.
The lion has fallen from heaven
To rest in the womb of her earth
Their child will be named Destruction.
The time of light is at an end.”

Xenos thrust wildly within me and I gripped him as the ground shook violently beneath us. His eyes were wild, his lips swollen from my kiss and he was a terrible 
beauty. “Xenos!” I cried his name and he held my wrists together even as my body cried for him, even as stone from the temple clattered against the street.

But, his seed never filled my womb as I craved. As we moved together a loud sound filled my ears. The first stone struck the tyrant's shoulder and forced him 
away from me. Fear entered my gaze. In that moment, whatever spell existed was broken. I could not gain my feet on the unstable ground and I had a moment 
of terrifying clarity as the wall I had leaned against a short time earlier shook loose and fell. 

I screamed and I reached out for Xenos. But, though his hand reached for mine it was not soon enough. The wall fell and there was pain, then darkness, a thing I 
was becoming more and more familiar with.


[To be continued...]