Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 2 (Afterlife saga Book 7) (15 page)

“It’s what we pee in.”

“Eww!” Pip said dropping the brass bowl causing it to once more land on the girl’s head before landing with a thud on the floor next to her.

“Ooops.”

“Well it looks like she will be out of it for a good while longer now.” I said dryly in response to Pip’s ‘Ooops’.

“I will take her. Will you be alright left with just your little friend here?” Ranka said giving Pip a doubtful look making her growl.

“Look here Miss killer personality, I have saved this girl’s life more times than you have pissed in the wind, so trust me when I say, I have totally got this!”

“We will be fine.” I elaborated not really understanding the ‘piss in the wind’ bit but knowing what she meant all the same.

“Very well, I will take my leave of you now and send word when it is time for me to get my answers.” In other words, she would let Pip know when the torture show started. We watched as she ducked down and flung the unconscious body over her shoulder before walking out the door like she was only carrying a handbag.

“I’m getting the feeling that she has done that way too many times.” I said to Pip once the door closed.

“I hear ya! Maybe she’s a shit driver and has problems with roadkill?” Pip’s comment made me laugh and I turned to her and said,

“Don’t think that’s going to be an issue for quite some time yet, Pip.”

“Oh right, so just an issue with dead bodies then,” she added nodding. 

“Looks like. God Pip, you don’t know how happy I am to be having this conversation with you!” I blurted out as I grabbed her to me for another hug.

“Umpf! Wow Toots, if you’re happy talking about dead people then you really must be bored, that or you really do need a check-up from the neck up.” I laughed and gave her a sloppy kiss on her cheek before letting her go.

“Definitely not bored.” I told her looking down at all the blood that could have quite easily have been mine.

“Are you ever? Besides, I already know what you have been up to, you naughty minx you!” she said making me frown.

“What do you mean?” I asked her and she giggled before running towards the bed and jumping onto it.

“Hell on a hot day, there is zero gravity to this bed, what’s it made of, sandstone like the rest of this pale joint?”

“Pip, focus. How do you know what I have been doing?” I asked her again, only this time trying to be a little more forceful. She dropped to her knees and mouthed a small ‘Oww’ before sitting down quietly ready to tell me.

“I have been watching you.”

“Uhh, come again?” I could barely believe my ears.

“Okay so I can see how this shit might make you angry but I had no choice.” I slowly sat down to try and absorb what she was telling me thinking back to how worried I had been about her.

“Might? Slight understatement there Pip, I am close to furious so let’s skip the dancing around the subject and just come out with telling me your version of events from the beginning.”

“Alright, but you have to understand that I had my reasons,” she said unwinding the scarf she had wrapped tightly around her head to no doubt hide the mass of green hair she’d just unleashed. I don’t suppose it was easy to blend in covered in tattoos, body piercings and mad hair that looked like a beacon for all that was crazy. No wonder she was covered from head to toe in black. 

“I am waiting, Pip.” I told her on a sigh.

“When I arrived and the Janus Gate decided to dump my ass in the middle of the desert, I took some time to find my way to the city after searching for the others.”

“Did you find them?” I asked quickly but seeing her face drop told me the answer to that one.

“I didn’t but at least we know they made it through like we did and no doubt with panties full of bloody sand!” Well she was right about that but what of them now?

“So you made it to the city?”

“Yeah, I stole some clothes and sneaked into the palace thinking this is where I would find you first. So imagine my utter dumb struck luck when I heard you crashing into some random dude with a stick up his ass before the King found you.” I couldn’t help but think back to how that first meeting between Draven and I went and how quickly he held my life in his hands.

“You were there?”

“Yeah a bloody good job I was otherwise we would now be in mission fucked up street right about now!”

“What are you talking about?” I said shaking my head and once again trying to understand Pip speak. But this was when she decided to drop a bombshell on me.

“Why do you think he doesn’t yet know who you really are?”

“Oh no…please don’t tell me that has something to do with you Pip, please don’t…” Pip gave me a sad smile and said,

“I had no choice Toots, it’s why I am here.”

“I don’t understand.” I said in a sad tired voice before letting my head fall into my hands.

“He can’t know that you’re the Chosen One, it would be too dangerous.”

“But why? Do you know how much easier it would be if he did? For starters we would have done the deed by now and be scot free to then find the others and leave this God awful place!” I snapped raising my head to look at her.

“That’s not what would have happened. Think honey bunches, did you ever wonder why the Fates chose the three of us misfits to come with you on this quest in the first place?” she said softly, putting a hand on my shoulder. I angrily wiped away a frustrated tear and asked her to explain.

“Sophia is here for her knowledge of this time, something none of us have. I am here to mask the true side of ourselves as is one of my gifts, so the King doesn’t find out you are the Electus.”

“And Ari, what of my sister?” I asked still not seeing the picture she was trying to paint.

“Well without knowing who she really is, it’s only a guess but I think that she needs to be around in order for you to get up the duff preggers.” My eyes widened in astonishment before quickly narrowing again with my scepticism.

“But that would make her…”

“One of us.” Pip finished off for me and I guess it made sense that she wasn’t fully human, not considering she was obviously fated for Vincent.

“Alright, if what you are saying is true then tell me why Draven can’t know who I am because I am struggling with that one, Pip.”

“You’re asking the wrong person,” she answered cryptically making me groan as my stress levels rose to new heights.

“Look call me a pain in the ass or a freakin’ tease but the truth is I don’t know why. But one thing I do know is what the Oracle told me and that was if he finds out who you are then its mission over and we blew it!”

“You’re kidding me!” She raised an eyebrow at my stupid question and I rolled my eyes.

“Bloody marvellous! So she told you to keep who I am masked so he doesn’t find out, making my job a hundred times harder because to him I am just a human girl that he has to break the number one rule of his kind to be with! Oh yeah this is going to be easy…
not!”
  I ranted but once more Pip squeezed my shoulder and said,

“But you’re
not
just any human Toots, you’re
his
human and whether I am around to mask you being his Chosen One or not, he is still going to know who you are to him or he wouldn’t have acted the way he has done already. You got this, honey.” I gave her a small smile and nodded knowing that she was right. He had already acted out of character going to the lengths he had done for a human. And it was only hours ago that he had me in his arms telling me all the things he wanted to do to me, so it didn’t look as dire as I was acting it was. I needed to do as Pip said and see the positive in this.

“You’re right but I will tell you one thing, the Oracle is going to have a lot to bloody answer for when we get back.”

“Damn straight!” Pip agreed.

“So what do we do now?” I asked thinking we needed a plan of action but what she said filled me with dread.

“Well you have that ‘Chosen’ thingy tomorrow night, right?” I nodded on a wince making her clap with glee anyway.

“Then we need to get started!”

“Started? What do you mean, what are we doing now?” I asked knowing that I needed to brace myself but even then, it would never be enough for what she said next…

“To teach you how to dance.”

Chapter 51 

Confessions of the Heart

“This isn’t looking good.” Pip said with one hip cocked out and a hand to her lip looking at me like I was trying to master the funky chicken.

“No shit! I feel like an idiot!” I said letting my arms fall to my sides in defeat. It felt as though I had been trying to learn this stupid dance forever!

“I think it’s the scarves that are confusing you.” Pip said grabbing one and then flicking it out the way I just couldn’t master.

“See, it’s all in the wrist action, flick and snap, flick and snap…got it?” I rolled my eyes at her and said,

“No, I haven’t got it and I don’t think I ever will…it’s hopeless.” Then I deflated to the bed on a sigh.

“Oh I know, just think of it as a whip, so in the past when you and Draven have…” I quickly held up a hand to stop her and said,

“Don’t even go there Pip, our kinky shit doesn’t include weapons.” This made her frown at me as if
I
was the crazy one.

“By the Gods why not!? You really don’t know what you’re missing.”

“Well if it helps and eases your mind, the Draven from this time obviously has a thing for shackles.” I replied sarcastically shrugging my shoulders.

“Ah that’s beginners crappy snappy. Now good rough rope is where it’s at.” I raised an eyebrow and added,

“Maybe you should write a book when we get home, but in the meantime what are we going to do about my utter lack of co-ordination and inability to dance like some Bollywood dancer?” Pip gave me one sad look before also deflating next to me with a big sigh. Then she patted me on the knee and said bluntly,

“Sorry honey, but I think you’re royally screwed and not in the way we all hoped.”

“Yep, pretty much.” I agreed thinking back to the conversation we had before the dance practice even began. I had asked her what the point of this whole charade was in the first place.

“Well, from my short career as a harem spy then it’s simply to make a show of the King’s next chosen favourite who will play Head Concubine until he requests for there to be another ‘Chosen’ to replace them.”

“So like a cattle market?” I snapped hating the idea of it all. Pip burst out laughing and said,

“Well yes, if the cows danced to a ditty tune in front of the royal court wearing jingling bikinis.” I had to admit that I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought, well that was until she mentioned the bit about ‘jingling bikinis’.

“Oh God, this just gets even worse.” I groaned letting my head fall into my hands.

“Anyway, I don’t know what you’re worried about, not after the sassy performance you put on back in Wolfman’s club.” Okay so she had a point but I wasn’t about to admit that.

“That was different.” I argued making her jump off the bed and face me with her hands on her hips.

“How so?”

“Alcohol.” I was quick to reply but she just rolled her eyes at me and said,

“You weren’t drunk, so try again.”

“Alright, how about the fact that I had three backing dancers and the dance we were doing didn’t have bikinis and bloody scarves!” I said standing up myself and mimicking her stance.

“No it had fans and we were half naked in corsets and if I do recall, you did a solo act at the end singing Dolly Parton.” Oh she would have to go and mention that, damn her!

“That’s totally different!” I argued again getting louder this time.

“No it’s not!” she said laughing.

“It is so!”

“How so?”

“Well for starters it’s my favourite song and I have not only been singing it for years in the shower but it’s also my drunken go to song if I find myself in a Karaoke crisis, so you see, it is totally different.” I told her crossing my arms over my chest, as if this would somehow help my case.

“Oh yeah…
totally different,”
she said making fun of me.

“Look Toots, the fact remains that everyone does a dance for the King on the night of the ‘Chosen’ as it makes everyone feel as though they have a fair chance at getting his attention or some shit like that…so you’re just going to have to suck it up and make Shakira’s ‘Hips don't lie’ your new favourite. Now let me see you shake your ass!” I knew she was just trying to help but the thought of having to play performing monkey or more like
learning how to play one
was making me feel sick. What I had done back home the night of our stag and hen do might not have seemed any different but as far as I was concerned it felt a million miles from each other.

Back in my own time I had the advantage of so many things and even though I was no dancer or singer, I still knew the words and I could still shake it on the dance floor to the songs I knew. But here I was utterly clueless and trying to learn how to dance a certain way without the music…well it was like learning how to swim without water!

It was no wonder then that when Pip suggested we call it a night I nearly kissed her feet. I couldn’t help but worry about tomorrow night but also wonder what Draven was doing now? How did he react to finding me gone or to the news that an attempt on my life had been made, which were the reasons for me not being there?

“I can almost hear your mind ticking over and it sounds like rice in a tin can being rolled down a hill.” Pip said once we had called it a night as we were both obviously faking sleep.

“I can’t sleep.” I told her.

“Try flicking the bean, it always helps me when Adam is asleep and won’t wake up.” I spluttered out a cough at the thought.

“I am not doing that with you here!” I told her, mortified by the suggestion.

“What? It’s not like I am going to help you out. Jeez…prude much. Look I will even turn the other way,” she said getting snippy and rolling over to face the other side. I rolled my eyes before saying,

“I am not a prude, but there is still a line you don’t cross with a friend.”

“Line schmine. And anyway, how else are you going to get to sleep?” she asked me and this was when I chose my time to ask her what I really wanted to know.

“Well…”

“Oh here it comes.” Pip sighed as though she knew what was coming.

“What! You don’t even know what I am going to say.” I complained thinking there was no way she could, but what she said next surprised me.

“Toots, you are my best friend, of course I know what you are going to ask me, it’s like BFF code or some shit the cosmos can’t even explain.” I giggled and said,

“Alright, lets test your theory, what am I going to ask you?”

“You were going to ask me about what I did when we were in Germany and I sent you back to Draven without him knowing,” she said after a big sigh and my mouth dropped open before I said,

“Holy shit.”

“Yep, strong stuff that friendship mojo. So you want me to send you to Draven without him knowing about it, so you can see what he is doing right now because it is driving you crazy
not
knowing…right?”

“Seriously Pip, you have got skills…are you sure you’re not an Oracle?” I said propping myself up and looking at her over her shoulder as she still had her back to me. She rolled over on a laugh and said,

“Oh Hell no, I’d freaking hate that job!” And I had to agree with her on that, as it certainly seemed to be a suck ass gift to have most of the time.

“So can you do it?” I asked and her cheeky smirk told me my answer before she did.

“Totally.”

“So how did we do this last time?” I asked her and in that instant she launched herself at me, landing in my lap and because of it a memory came flooding back to me.

“You know you could warn me before just launching yourself at me like that.” I said, speaking the exact same words that I had done all that time ago. She looked down at me and winked before doing the exact same.

“Oh Tootie cake, you’re no fun. Good luck, honey.” Then she gave me the same gangster sign before slapping both hands to the side of my head and just before I was plunged into a world only half a palace away, I saw her eyes turn white before misty smoke filled them like bubbling storm clouds.

“Pip?”
I whispered her name just to check but as I reached up to touch her face everything around me started to fade into nothing. My hand went straight through her and landed on the stone floor as I was now knelt by someone’s throne. My world had flipped upside down and I looked up slowly to see an unfamiliar room. She had done it. She had sent me to Draven once more and I only hoped that this time it would be worth the journey, unlike the one in the past. For I knew that somethings were better left unseen. I had learnt that lesson the hard way but for some reason this felt different…it felt somehow,

Important.

“What do you mean there was an attack?!” Draven’s angry voice cut through the silence and I looked up to see him facing off with Ranka
.
Like before it quickly became apparent that I couldn’t be seen or my presence couldn’t be detected. I looked around the huge open space and it didn’t take a genius to guess that I was now inside Draven’s throne room.

“There was an attempt on her life as I predicted, my Lord.”

“Was she hurt? Where is she now, is she safe?” Draven snapped out these questions as if he was ready to explode if he didn’t receive his answers just as quickly.

“She was unharmed my Lord and is currently situated in the quarters next to my own, under trusted guard.” Ranka answered calmly at least giving Draven peace of mind enough to take a deep breath.

“Who was the traitor?” he asked next in an exasperated voice that spoke of his unease.

“That is where it gets complicated, my Lord.”

“How so?” His head whipped up and I held my breath right along with Ranka. What was she going to say?

“I…” Ranka started to speak but just before she could say a second word the large double doors at the very end burst open and in strode Sophia in all her finery. The sound echoed through the painted walls and marble pillars as each step brought her closer to the three thrones at the end of the room. Her shimmering dress trailed along the floor like liquid gold pooling around her legs and following her motions like a living entity.

“Sister?” Draven sounded just as surprised to see her as I did. Ranka had no choice but to take a step back and bow as you would to any royalty entering the room.

“But what is this that I am hearing of talks of treachery around the palace?” Even I knew that the heavy sound of disbelief in her voice was put on for show. From the looks of Ranka I would have said if she could have gotten away with growling at that point, she would have.

“Saphira, it is none of your concern.” Draven tried to say but Sophia just waved her hand around saying, 

“Nonsense, what concerns you brother surely concerns us all.” This time it was Draven who growled because
he
could always get away with it.

“Well no doubt it will not concern you once you know whose life was put in danger from such treachery,” he commented dryly, knowing full well of his sister’s instant dislike to me. Sophia hearing this feigned being hurt and placed a hand to her chest as though his words had wounded her.

“Brother, you insult me so. It is true I may not approve of your choice to ruin us all and all that the prophecy stands for, but I am not without some compassion, even if it is for humanity.” This didn’t exactly sit well with Draven and he let it be known when he hit out at a burning lamp sending what looked like hot coals scattering across the room. Neither Sophia or Ranka even flinched at their King’s outrage, unlike me who jumped back and scrabbled up another step, placing a hand on the side of his throne to steady myself.

“So in return you insult me and dare speak to me of the prophecy, as though I am clueless on the matter?!” Draven roared in outrage.

“Ranka leave us.” Sophia ordered looking sideways but she didn’t move, instead looking to Draven for guidance. When he nodded she bowed again before leaving through the same doors Sophia had entered, once again filling the room with a deafening bang before plunging it back into deadly silence. Even I held my breath and as far as they were concerned, I wasn’t even in the room.

“I swear brother, if I didn’t know any better I would say you had been bewitched.” I rolled my eyes the same time I saw Draven did as he turned away from her and walked back to his throne. I froze as he came closer but then relaxed once more when he sat down and released a heavy sigh.

“I must confess but the way I feel about her is too strong to ignore.” I sucked in a sharp breath just hearing his confession as I felt my heart soar. The look on Sophia’s face didn’t look as bitter as I thought it would but instead it simply looked sad.

“But ignore it you must, for you know it is for the good of your people.” Hearing Sophia say this in a sympathetic tone was more heart-breaking than I wanted to admit. But what was worse was how I could understand where she was coming from. After all, she was only looking out for her own brother and her people and as far as I was concerned, I was standing firmly in the way of that.