I ignored the last part about Bethany. He seemed a little surprised that I didn’t react to it. What did he expect? Jealousy? Sacha had that department on lock. I went for the sympathy tactic instead.
“Please,” I pleaded, again. I didn't want to die… again. Not this way. Not in anyway. “I’ll marry you if that’s what you want.” It came out so fast that I wanted to gobble up the words the moment I heard them spill out like cereal.
“You would? Do you mean you would give yourself to me willingly?” Every one of his disciples quieted with the new direction of our conversation. Sacha appeared outraged, and was breathing in rapid heaves.
“Yes,” I barely whispered.
“But only out of desperation, is that right? I must say, the Cordelia I used to know would never beg,” he commented.
“I don’t know who that is.”
“I guess amnesia has its perks. You are delicious now, but the old Cordelia showed true potential of being a supreme empress unlike you. This is pathetic.
It's as if you've been the victim of a lobotomy. And you have no idea who the mad scientist is.”
“Mad scientist?” I asked, unsure of what he was insinuating.
“You've returned to me like a frightened little child which is fine for me, but must be rather disappointing for the fools who sent you away in the first place. I suppose they didn't expect your memory and powers to take a complete leave of absence. Don’t you ever wonder why they really sent you away?” Victor quizzed animatedly moving his hands as he spoke reminding me of a magician preparing to reveal the climax of his clever trick.
I was surprised by the question and didn't know how to answer it. He knew this, and decided not to wait for one.
“Your new guardians need you more than they let on. Your union to their son will ultimately complete his level of ascension of power, and keep them at a higher level of control over the empire. They were also aware of your love for the mortal who lives across the street from your former estate,” Victor nodded. “Yes, the poor fellow I used as my Masquerade mask, this evening.
I swallowed hard. This made no sense to me. I knew that the Capius’ had sent me away to safeguard me from Victor. It couldn't have had anything to do with Gerald, or them needing me for power. They already led the council.
“You have Bethany, that's right, your closest friend to thank for that morsel of information.” I heard Sacha snicker in the background. “Without her constant urging regarding your blooming relationship with that mortal, your new guardians would never have known.”
“You're lying. I was sent to the future because of you. They knew you wanted me dead.”
“Well of course I did, but that is not the reason they kept you away as your parents were being buried in a tomb. They are as heartless as your parents at this moment, pardon the pun,” he chuckled, wickedly. I didn't say a word. This information was fictitious, and just a way to try and hurt and confuse me.
“Kill her now, my love. She is too foolish to believe you.” Sacha whispered in Victor's ear knowing that she intended for everyone in that room to hear her.
“Step away from me. This has nothing to do with you,” he said, throwing a disgusted look at her.
Sacha’s face turned crimson from embarrassment, although she was used to his cruelty. Sacha shrunk away somewhere out of my view. Victor's eyes were now on me with his back to his coven of disciples. He was arrogant enough to know that none of them would ever try to attack him although, he was easily out numbered. Surely their powers combined could overpower him. Shockingly, he unlocked the brace on my neck, and I was finally able to turn my head. My neck was sore from the pressure from the edges of the metal cuff.
“Why are you telling me this? These lies,” I asked.
“Lies? I only thought you deserved to die knowing the truth.”
“I know the truth,” I stated as angrily as I could muster, being tied down, and only able to turn my head. “You are hungry for power, and you killed my parents in order to get it, and now you plan on killing me.” I was tired of the game and was willing to die if it meant that I wouldn't have to listen to any more of his lies.
Victor appeared to ponder this for a moment before saying anything. I have to admit it was a little strange watching him. He seemed at a loss for words.
I guessed that he was surprised that I would speak to him so matter of factly as I did.
“Well you have two out of three right. I do plan to kill you, but only because killing you will end this wretched empire, and that is my only desire tonight,” Victor said, walking away from me. “And yes, I do love power, but there are other’s in this empire that love it more, far more. Your death will end them, finally. As for your parents, well I am not to blame. Your parents’ death wasn’t my idea.”
I raised my head, which took all of my strength, and yelled, “Liar!” I didn’t get why he couldn’t admit to his evil deeds.
Victor stopped walking and spun around. His eyes pierced through me. I tried not to waver, and stared back, and took in his cold glare. I wanted him to admit that he had killed my parents. I wanted him to own up to it. He was a cold blooded murderer who was now playing it like he wasn't guilty of the unfathomable crimes.
“Cordelia… Cordelia, surely a bright young lady such as yourself, with such a fortunate upbringing, does possess the proper manners, and wouldn't insult her host,” Victor countered, coyly, yet appearing ominous.
“You are a LIAR and a MURDERER. How's that for manners?” I screamed.
I shook my arms and legs causing the chains attached to the cuffs to slam against the marble of the altar. The noise was earsplitting, and I clearly had everyone's attention.
The room of brightly cloaked disciples waited with baited breath, either to see if I indeed possessed the power to free myself of these chains, or to witness Victor finally kill me.
“Now there's a glimpse of the old Cordelia I once pined for, although I was only seven. What puzzles me is your distorted information. You seem to be under the impression that I murdered your mommy and daddy.”
“You killed my parents, and you owe it to me to admit it,” I demanded.
“First of all my divine one, I owe you nothing.” Victor's tone took on an even nastier edge. “Secondly I didn't have the honor or the pleasure of doing the unforgivable deed.”
“COWARD. Tell the truth,” I demanded, although, I was starting to believe that he may just be.
Victor had never struck me for being the humble type. It seemed that if he had indeed murdered my parents, he would be more than ecstatic to shout it from the highest peak of the Sierras. I glanced at the others in the frigid room; they were entranced as if under hypnosis with the exchange being played out between their leader and the girl they had sought for so long. Their eyes bounced to and from Victor and I, and it reminding me of spectators at a Wimbledon tournament.
“My time is not to be wasted on childish bickering. Perhaps you wish to stall my preparations in hopes that your followers will save you in time. They will never find you. Not in time anyway. In the meantime, you may believe what you wish, but it is as I stated, I didn't kill your parents. I would have loved too, but they were already dead when I found them,” Victor said, turning away from me, once again.
I watched him glide over to another marble altar that was slightly behind, and just to the right of the one I lay on. I hadn't noticed it before due to the restriction of the neck brace. Something oddly shaped sat on the altar and was covered with a matte purple fabric. Victor held his arms up at his side as the fabric disappeared, revealing three medium sized glass domes about a foot tall, half a foot wide in circumference with gilded bases.
At first I couldn't make out what was inside the first two domes. Whatever it was appeared to glow in a shimmering red haze. I stared at the objects, and gasped in shock when I realized what I was looking at. It appeared to be human hearts. The hearts were suspended within the domes, and above golden platforms. The organs appeared to be crystalized. If you stared deep within the prisms, you could detect that they were actually beating. I came to the painful conclusion that the two beating hearts belonged to my departed parents. Their hearts beat in unison. The last dome was empty. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the last dome was where Victor would house my beating heart. I could feel my heart beating through the bodice of my gown as it fell into rhythm with theirs. I was consumed with a plethora of emotions. They ranged from outrage, to sorrow, to fear, and finally despair. I couldn't make out when one ended, and the other took over, but the changes were significant.
Unexpectedly dizzy, and still freezing from the icy temperature of the room now that Victor stood a distance away from me, and I couldn’t feel the stifling heat that radiated from him, I watched in a blur as he began removing the glass dome covers from each encased heart. Now I could hear the hearts beating and as I did, I thought I heard voices coming from them as well. I was sure I could hear voices, words whispering to me. It was my parents, and I knew their voices like I knew my own, precise, calming, and almost therapeutic. Had it been there voiced I heard just minutes ago? No.
That voice was familiar as well but it wasn’t my parents.
Right now, my mother and father were asking me to remember what they had told me the very last time we spoke. I tried to. We were in our home, in the parlor, and the warm sun was baking us from the partially draped front window. Mother was radiant in a blush rose and gold gown. Her glorious chestnut hair was brushed back smoothly, allowing several wispy strands to escape her tight bun. A tear rolled down her cheek, and I lovingly wiped it away, wondering why my mother was crying. Daddy stood behind her in a tuxedo jacket with tails, a playful smile curled up at the left corner of his mouth beneath a thick mustache that curled upward at the ends.
“Delia darling, sit for a moment.” Daddy said, motioning to the sofa. “We wish to speak with you before our guests arrive and the party commences.” I nodded, let go of my mother's hand, and did as I was told.
“Mother, have a seat, and please stop weeping. You're going to worry Cordelia without reason,” Daddy demanded, without conviction.
“I'm... sorry. I... don't know what's gotten into me. Forgive me my darlings,” Mother said, to both Daddy and I.
“Delia, it’s your fifteenth birthday and we’re so very proud of you. You’ve become a beautiful young lady, and will someday be the governing force of the family,” Daddy gushed. I remembered feeling honored and frightened at the idea of being the next empress.
“Delia, you are our oldest child, our guiding light in a world that can be so dark at pivotal times. You’ve made us incredibly proud with your progress as you come of age. As the heir to the Ischeros you will find no limit to the power you are fostered with,” Father said, as another tear streamed down mother’s perfectly chiseled cheek bone.
“On this birthday my love, we shall guide you through various extraordinary changes. Never forget that our connection is unbreakable even if our breath no longer mingles with the sweet air of the living.”
My back stiffened with the new direction of the conversation in the vision.
“Tomorrow and every day following this day, know to the depths of your soul that your power is always beckoning for its master although, it may seem out of reach. You are its master, and not the other way around. Remember this, and you’ll never witness a moment, in an hour of any day, where you can be compromised.” Daddy's words frightened me. His words sounded final.
“Daddy, why are you telling me all of this... now?” I asked, curiously as I shivered. I didn’t want to disrespect him in anyway yet this seemed a little premature since I wouldn’t be crowned empress for another three years. “You’re scaring me, a little. Has there been another threat from The Underworld? Is it the Apolluon?” I couldn’t conceal my fears.
“No need to worry my dearest, we’re only beginning to prepare you. There will come a day when we no longer walk this earth with you,” Daddy said, smiling cautiously.
Before I could say a word or shed a tear, a bell chimed in the distance. We all stood up. It was the first of the many guest invited to help in celebrating my birthday. It wasn't until after the party had ended, and our guests had left, that I realized that my parents weren't in the house. Alexandria came for me. She said that I, along with Christopher and Phoebe, would be spending the night at her house with her family. I thought this strange at first, since we’ve never spent the night at her home before. When I asked Alexandria why, she said that it was what my parents had intended, and that no questions need to be asked. She only explained that my parents would come by in the morning to fetch us.
I recalled the anxiety that enveloped with the idea of sleeping under the same roof as Evan. The notion both scared me and excited me although; I let no one know the frenzy of butterflies in my stomach, not even Bethany. Evan and I wouldn't have to sneak to our forest to kiss under the engaging moonlight. My heart raced as I wondered if the love of my life would be so bold as to pay me a visit with his parents sleeping nearby. The concept was unladylike, and would guarantee punishment for us both if anyone ever made such a discovery, but I was beside myself with delight. It would be our secret to add to so many others tucked away deep in our memories.
I had planned to wait up for him, but Evan never came to me that night. Even though I’d been thoroughly exhausted from the party, I waited up, but had fallen asleep at some point during the earliest hours of the morning.
I didn’t wake up disappointed or sad. In fact, I awakened refreshed to my perfect view of the Sierras from my bay window. Then I headed down the stairs of a modern house, wished a new mother a good morning, and proceeded to begin the day as a freshman in the same town, totally oblivious to the fact that it was now over a century into the future.
Thirty
Exiled
My parents had died the night of my fifteenth birthday, and I had gone on living, and never grieving a single moment for them. I had to keep my tears in check. I felt like a fool, not knowing what had really happened when everyone else had known. All these secrets, supposedly kept from me to protect me.