Sacrifice of the Septimus: Part 2 (Afterlife saga Book 7) (25 page)

“Me?! Why me?” At this she just raised an eyebrow at me and replied dryly,

“Let’s see, out of the two of us who is more like to have a clumsy moment and do something stupid like say, fall backwards off some cabin steps and hit her head on a rock… umm?”

“Hey, now that was one time and that was freakin’ years ago!” I argued.

“Yeah but there was that one time you also fell into an icy lake and almost drowned,” Pip said adding to the unfortunate list.

“Oh come on, I was pushed in by that bitch Layla!” I said defending myself.

“Oh yeah, man but you really do have a problem with people trying to kill you, don’t you?” Pip said looking up at the ceiling as if trying to remember them all.

“You think!?” I replied sarcastically.

“Yes, well at least you have an equal number of people trying to save your ass, which I have to say, is what I am trying to achieve now, so sit your sweet ass down and drink some damn tea!” Sophia said almost panting when she was finished.

“Okay, okay, jeez, no need to get snippy,” I said sitting down and doing as I was told. She smiled at me before blowing a kiss my way and Pip had all her fingers bent out like she was still counting.

“Wow, I think I lost count! Holy Harem girls but you have more enemies than Batman!” Pip said making me giggle and also feel a little paranoid. As if reading my face Pip said,

“I wouldn’t worry…I’m sure if they just got to know you better then it wouldn’t be half as many.” Sophia smacked herself on the forehead and said,

“Oh brother.”

“Speaking of which, Pip get outta here!” I said hearing them behind the door. She was just about to run into the next room when I noticed the biggest flaw in our plan.

“Pip the trunk, you forgot to close the trunk!” Sophia looked up just as the door was opening and we both knew she wouldn’t make it. I held my breath and could feel every muscle in my face tense as I couldn’t bear to watch the next few seconds play out. However, with all the will in the world I also couldn’t close my eyes.

The door swung open and two things happened all at once. Sophia righted the cups on the table just as Pip threw herself down on the trunk lid, slamming it shut and effectively stuffing the rest of the Princess’ body down so it was out of sight…limbs and all.

All three of us simultaneously looked to the door to see a red faced Draven stood there looking both worried and furious. His eyes first went to me and after giving me the once over to check I wasn’t stabbed, maimed or that blood wasn’t pouring out of me, he then looked around the room, focusing first on Pip and then on the mess on the table.

Sophia looked back at me and after I didn’t get her wide eyes as enough of hint, she then cleared her throat and stared at the spilt tea.

“Oh my I am so, so sorry Princess, how clumsy of me. It was the door, it startled me,” I improvised, thinking was this really the worst sounding acting I had ever heard or was it just me? My silent question was answered when I saw Sophia roll her eyes before looking back to her brother.

“Arsaces, I am afraid you startled my guest. Come join us, we were just having some tea as I was getting to know a little more about your new concubine here…I must say
,
Vardanis was right, she is most charming.” I had no clue how she knew that was what Vincent had said but I knew one thing and that was her acting was Oscar worthy! Unlike mine, whose only award would have been a rotten tomato.

“See brother, I told you no harm had come to her.” Vincent said coming up behind him to look inside the room for himself. It was obvious he had joined his brother at the gates and had to explain where I was or more like who I was with. And from the looks of Draven’s frayed nerves, he had been more than a little worried. Well I can’t say that he didn’t exactly have cause to be, considering we had a little Imp sat on a trunk stuffed with his murderous sister inside.

“Are you alright?” he asked me, ignoring Sophia.

“But of course she is…”

“I was asking her!” he snapped, obviously not forgetting their last conversation about me. I gave him a kind expression, being thankful that he cared enough to worry about me and said,

“I am fine my Lord, your sister has been most kind.” Hearing this was supposed to ease his mind but instead he frowned and gave her a look that said only one thing…’What are you up to?’

After this he quickly spotted the tea and his eyes grew wide. He stormed over to me and picked me up as though I was a doll. Then he placed me next to him as though at any minute one of his sister’s stuffed animals was going to come alive and take a chunk out of me.

Then before any of us could say a word he picked up the tea and sniffed it before taking a sip. Thankfully the tea that had been poisoned was currently still dripping onto the floor off the table, so unless he was going to get down and start licking it, I think we were all good.

“Oh really brother, do you think so little of me?” Sophia complained, obviously still having a part to play.

“Why is she here?” Draven asked nodding to Pip and ignoring his sister’s complaints.

“She came to tell me of my sister’s recovery and how after drinking a little more, she is now sleeping peacefully.” I jumped in to say before Pip could stick her foot in it. Draven looked at me as if trying to spot the lie but other than what I had told him, what other reason could there be? Because let’s face it, the truth was pretty unbelievable, even for me and I was currently caught up in the middle of it all…Hell, I was the bloody cause of it all!

“Ranka!” This was Draven’s only response to what I had said as you could see he was determined to find out the real truth of what had gone on.

“Tak
e
Nāzanin back to my quarters, I wish to speak with my sister,” he ordered when she walked through the door and this didn’t sound good. I gave Sophia a look of pity, one she just shook her head at as though trying to tell me not to worry. I suppose if anyone knew how to handle her brother, then it was her, because in this time period it certainly wasn’t me!

“Very well, my Lord,” Ranka answered and nodded for me to follow. I then looked to Pip who was currently watching the show like all she needed now was a bowl of popcorn and her world of entertainment would be complete.

“Pip.”
I hissed her name trying to get her attention and for a minute I thought she was going to just wave me off. Thankfully though the look I gave her made its way through her funfair brain and she got the message…probably in big neon flashing lights knowing her.

“Oh, right…yep, that would be me then.” she said throwing her legs off the trunk and not really acting the part of the old ailing woman. Thankfully though, Draven and Sophia were too busy to notice as they were having some kind of silent showdown.

We then quickly left the room after Vincent was also commanded to join them. It was obvious Draven had a few things to say and he wanted his brother to hear them also. The three of us walked down the hallway and I turned to Pip and asked,

“Do you think she will be alright.” Pip gave me a nudge and said,

“Sure, why not, our Sophia can handle herself, just as long as…” Then she paused as if not wanting to say it to worry me further.

“What, just as what?”

“He doesn’t open that trunk,” she said making me frown at her.

“Why would he?” I asked on a laugh, one that died quickly when I saw her face.

“Pip…what did you do?” I asked as my dread caused me to drag out her name.

“Oh nothing…really, well it wasn’t really my fault as I didn’t have time and…”

“Pip.” 
I said her name in warning, coming to a stop in the hallway, refusing to go any further without her answer.

“Well, see, I kinda…might of…possibly…”

“PIP!” I shouted and she then confessed,

“Got some hair and maybe a few fingers caught in the lid, but only like one or two…three at the very most!” she confessed making my face drop in horror.

“Oh my God! Pip, what if he sees it? What if he opens that damn trunk!?” I screeched throwing my hands up in the air. And I had to say, Pip’s answer didn’t fill me with very much confidence, in fact, none at all…

“Space time continuum’s worst case scenario.” 

Chapter 60

Pertinax

I paced around the room, one that was now Draven’s private domain. Ranka brought us here a different way and after going through hidden entrances, we walked along a series of secret passageways that seemed to have been carved into the stone foundations centuries ago.

I think this was so that I didn’t have to walk through any other ‘supernatural’ rooms like the last time he had brought me here, where he made me close my eyes first. I was actually surprised that he was even chancing it and didn’t just treat me like every other ‘Chosen Concubine’. I knew that he had a room set up for such occasions and it was obvious that they only saw this room when Draven requested their presence for the evening. Take Stateira for example, the first time I ever had the unfortunate task of meeting her was back in Draven’s harem, where she was having a hissy fit because her presence hadn’t been requested for the night.

When I first walked in I saw things that I didn’t even notice last time, although that wasn’t surprising seeing that Draven had also been in the room. He had a way of absorbing every ounce of attention from me, so that when he was around all I saw was him.

His quarters were divided off into different sections and each area branched off from a large circular room that was surrounded by spiral marble arches. I didn’t feel comfortable enough to go snooping around, besides I knew what one of the rooms held and that was a big bed covered in furs.

The main room looked to be a sort of living space/study as there were tall tables with layers upon layers of what looked like ancient maps all laid out. There was also strange ladder style shelving that lent up against the walls and each level held different sized scrolls rolled up, which were piled high.

There was a small seating area off to one side that was sunk into the floor and covered in cushions of all the colours you would find in a desert sunset. What I first thought was a tall vase in the centre of a small table turned out to be some sort of smoking device, like some earlier version of a hookah pipe. I had to wonder who he shared this social setting with and hoped it was his brother, not some of the girls I had heard inviting him to their bed the night he brought me here.

The walls were mainly bare, unlike Sophia’s room, with only a shield or weapon dotted around the place. I had to inwardly giggle as it looked like some ancient version of a bachelor’s pad minus the bar in the corner, beer labels, sports memorabilia and car plaques on the walls…oh and not forgetting the classic pool table. Instead it was all about weapons and battle strategies in this room. There was even a corner dedicated to spears, all tipped with different lethal spikes, ready to do all sorts of bodily damage. It was the one that was shaped like a giant scorpion at the end that had me shuddering the most as it looked all kinds of deadly.

“So what now?” I asked Ranka and Pip who had been silently watching me trying to wear a footpath in the stone floor for the last ten minutes.

“Chill out in the Royal pad?” Pip said as she was currently sat sideways in a chair and swinging what looked like a golden curtain tie around her wrist and back again.

“Chill out! How am I supposed to do that after we just stuffed his sister into a damn trunk?” I screeched.

“Pretend we didn’t?” she suggested, shrugging her shoulders and making me groan.

“Seriously Toots, you just need to relax a little and try taking a load off,” she said nodding to one of the empty chairs and I sighed before taking her advice. I deflated down into the seat wondering how on earth I was going to make it through the rest of this ‘Mission’. What if Draven opened that trunk? What if he made Sophia confess? What if he was on his way here right now to make me confess?

“Oh dear, she’s gonna blow,” Pip said shaking her head.

“I don’t understand,” Ranka replied looking confused.

“Big shocker there. Look Toots, what’s done is done. But look on the bright side…”

“The bright side?” I said eyes wide as I interrupted her.

“Well yeah. One of your biggest fears when you first got here was that you couldn’t find anyone and was worried something bad had happened. Well at least we are all together now and everyone made it through okay.”

“Alright, so you have a point there,” I admitted.

“Yeah and try this one out. Even if Draven boy somehow finds out the truth, what then? Do you really think that finding out the woman he has already fallen in love with is in fact his Chosen One and that he’s gonna be pissed that he now gets the green light from the Gods? Uh NO! I don’t think so somehow,” Pip said making sense yet again.

“See, so it’s all good in the hood. Oh, but of course if none of that happens then you still can’t do the might
y
mambo with him yet.” Pip added, causing me to freak again.

“Why not?!”

“Because Ari is still passed out from exhaustion and we have no clue how her shit works, so until we do know, then I am afraidamundo it’s a no, no on the stuffin’ in your cushion.” I closed my eyes and shook my head a little as if this would somehow help matters…needless to say, it didn’t work.

“Slight problem with this plan of yours Pip, as I don’t think he is gonna want to come back here and play checkers or a friendly game of Kerplunk!” I said rubbing my forehead in the hope of easing some of the tension.

“I love Kerplunk!” Pip said missing the point completely and totally getting sidetracked as usual.  

“Of course you do,” I muttered just before she carried on.

“Only that game is so much better when you replace the marbles for bubble gum balls and then you have to chew the ones that fall and if you lose them all, then you have to stuff them all in your mouth and sing the national anthem of whichever country you’re in…and trust me, that shit gets real hard if you’re ever in Russia like I was!” The mental image she painted was certainly one I wouldn’t be forgetting any time soon.

“So what do I say then?” I asked throwing my hands up.

“I dunno to be honest, I don’t think I've ever said no when it came to sex.” I can’t say this surprised me.

“Don’t mortal woman usually go with the whole ‘I have a headache’ deal?” she asked and to be honest, I can’t say that I’d ever said no to Draven either, so I had no clue.

“I will just have to think of something,” I told her, knowing this was easier said than done.

“But you think Sophia will be alright?” I asked just to be sure.

“He isn’t going to hurt his own sister. Don’t sweat it Tootie bird, she can hold her own, as we know.” I rubbed my neck that was still sore from being almost strangled to death and said,

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

“So tell me, what is the deal with these Romans that have turned up?” I asked deciding to change the subject, turning to face Ranka who would know better than anyone. She was currently sharpening one of her blades on some kind of stone which caused little sparks as she ran it off the end.

“The King has many enemies, but none like Pertinax.”

“Pertinax?” I repeated his name making Pip swing her legs back around and slap her hands to her knees as she stomped her feet back on the ground at the same time.

“Wait…back up a sec…
The Pertinax
?” Pip asked in a serious voice that sent shivers down my spine. Pip was never serious, so when she was…well let’s just say, you had cause to panic.

“Who is this guy?” I asked again looking to Pip and back to Ranka who nodded her head.

“He’s a legend that’s what he is and a fucking scary one at that!” Pip said and I looked to Ranka, surprised to see her nod her head in agreement, which again only added to the seriousness of the shit storm with this guy obviously was. 

“But how is he a legend?”

“Do you wanna tell her or should I?” Pip asked Ranka making my frown deepen.

“Tell me what?” I asked getting inpatient now. Again I looked from one to the other and it was when Ranka nodded for Pip to speak that I knew this was even worse than I thought.

“Legend goes that he was once the most powerful Demon to walk the Earth and even though it wasn’t officially recognised, he actually ruled the supernatural world and he did so with an iron fist.” Pip said looking down at her hands that she held together almost in prayer. She tapped her middle fingers together a few times before looking up at me.

“That was until the most powerful unity was born. Now this story you know and know well. Three siblings, an Angel, a Demon and one more powerful as two powers combined for the first and only time in History…”

“Draven.”
I whispered his name and Pip continued,

“He was the most powerful being ever to be granted a soul and vessel and therefore became the most logical and recognisable King of all Supernaturals on Earth.”

“And that pissed off Pertinax,” I said finishing off the obvious.

“Oh, you bet it did. He believed it was his throne to fight for but it was never granted to him in the first place. See in the eyes of the Gods, both those from above and below, you don’t just rule because you say you do…Gods are a bit picky about that type of shit. So when Draven was born into this life and was chosen by them, then naturally not to piss off the Gods, the Supernatural world fell into line and followed Draven’s rule…So bam! Suddenly overnight Pertinax had lost his entire empire.”

“And now he wants it back,” I said finishing off for her again. 

“Oh no doubt, he has been fighting to get it back for a long time but he was never successful as he knew he needed an army.”

“Which he now has,” Ranka informed us before replacing her weapon and then walking over to the window. Pip and I got up together and walked over to stand next to Ranka to see for ourselves what she had nodded towards. It was hard to see how big the army was in the dark but the one thing that wasn’t hard to miss was the number of glowing torches that stood along the dark horizon, making it look as though it was on fire.

“Oh God,”
I whispered now looking at what Draven faced.

“Have no fear Electus, for no one conquers the Parthian army,” Ranka told me with a proud little grin curling up one side of her mouth.

“It’s true. The Romans tried for years to conquer all of Persia but never really got there…not until…”

“Until?” I prompted when Pip stopped.

“Well now, that’s a story for Sophia to tell as she knows it best.” I frowned trying to understand Pip’s strange expression and when I was about to ask her about it, Ranka and Pip both looked to the door.

“Heads up, here comes Loverboy…ETA two minutes tops,” Pip said looking at me sideways and even though she told me not to worry, I knew that from the way she too held her breath, that I hadn’t been the only one feeling anxious for our friend.

“Oh and by the way, just to give you the heads up for when Kingy man wants to know why you now have a sister, you know after not even knowing your own name…I would go with the seeing her brought it all back, chestnut.”

“Uh okay, but slight problem with that.”

“Like?”

“Well for starters, I have no bloody idea what year I am in and not even sure if England was called England, let alone explain how I got here!” I said in frustration as I knew my acting skills were definitely not up to this one!

“My guess is that England is still currently controlled by the Romans and if that’s right then is unsurprisingly named Britannia which is Latin for ‘The Britain’,” Pip said, weirdly sounding more like a historian than her usual quirky self.

“This is correct…my King has heard many things of this Britannia.” Oh goodie, he will be able to tell me all about it then, I thought sarcastically at Ranka’s confirmation of information.

“Look don’t sweat it, just say you were a merchant’s daughter or some shit like that.”

“Uh, ya gonna have to be more specific here, Pip.”

“Fine, how about this…Your mother died when you were young and your father brought you up…sad, sad story. Then you and your sister both worked in the market selling your father’s fabrics, after all it makes sense that you would go into the family business,” she said behind her hand for some unknown reason other than dramatic affect. 

“But on your way back from selling your goods you all got ambushed. Oh no! Terrible, terrible.  But you and your sister, because you were pretty and worth a high value, then got sold into slavery…Boom, also very sad…You are unsure of what became of your father and this makes you sad yet again, for these are sad times which we live in, yada, yada, yada… then after being bought by a Persian man, you were both put on a boat and brought to this far away land…ooh, all very scary and exciting. Then the man who bought you got ambushed…as a lot of people tend to get ambushed here these days, and wham bam thank you ma'am, you ended up here.” 

“Wow, that was specific,” I said nodding my head and agreeing that it was actually pretty good.

“Not just a pretty face you know,” Pip informed me pulling out her invisible lapels and just as the door opened she whispered,

“Now it’s showtime…but remember, no boats down your fun canal,”
which made me groan as he entered the room. I sucked in a deep breath at the sight of him. He looked so masterful I was almost scared. I scanned down the length of him, taking it as a good sign when I didn’t see any blood on his hands.