Sweeter Tease (Sequel To Sweet Tease)

TWENTY

{Octavia's Point of View}

"So let me get this straight.  There's literally no other reason for this ritual other than to bring about the destruction of this world?"

I downed the last of the water in my glass as I started at the humanoid in front of me.  They had gone to great lengths to hide everything about themselves to us, and expected me to trust them completely?  I'd need more proof than just their words.  I watched as the person sitting across from me touched the water glass with their gloved fingers.  Their modified voice broke through the mask that they were wearing, but I was still having a lot of trouble deciphering if the voice was male or female.

"Correct.  The Sabin has no other intent than to bring about the destruction of this world."

I waited a moment for them to speak again, but when dark red eyes met mine and said no more, I sighed.

"Okay.  So what are you getting out of this, then?"

I raised my eyebrow when the figure stiffened in front of me.  Good, I caught them off-guard.  That was part of my intention.  I watched their eyebrows pinch together in what I hoped was confusion.

"There is nothing I want from this.  The ritual cannot be completed."

The voice betrayed itself, but I kept that to myself for the time being.  I shifted lightly in my seat, crossing my legs in front of me.

"Explain to me why this ritual cannot happen.  Other than the obvious."

I narrowed my eyes as the person in front of me shifted in their seat, tapping their gloved fingers against their glass before downing the rest of the water.

"The Sabin knows not what will befall the world if the ritual were to succeed.  There is more at stake than his selfish desire to control a god."

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"Well, yeah, I don't trust the guy, but that doesn't mean there might not be some truth to their words.  Right?"

I nodded as I stared at my warriors.  They were gathered around our table as we shared breakfast and went over the compound layout that the person had given me earlier that morning.  I had already sent a small scouting party out that way to verify the location of the compound.  They had just returned and we were now working on a layout game-plan.

"I agree.  I don't trust it, either.  But, we just got back.  The compound is there like they said, guarded as explained."

"I don't like it.  At all."

I listened as everyone spoke, nodding along to what they said.  While I didn't like that this came out of nowhere, it did all line up with what we were suddenly finding.  One of my biggest concerns with the entire thing was if this was going to end up being a trap.  I'd never forgive myself if we blindly trusted this person and it ended up being a massacre.  Thing was, I hadn't felt like they were lying to me.  I'd have to confirm with Ichure, but I honestly felt like the person was being honest with us.

"While we wait for a message from this person, I'd like for us to continue security detail on this compound.  I want to know everything we can about this place in the meantime.  Rumors, whispers, dreams, anything else we can use.  I know we've been down this route, but I feel like we're finally getting somewhere with this.  Thankfully, it looks like we have a little over a month until the ritual is supposed to take place."

I noticed that my small pack didn't like what I was saying, but they also knew I made a point.  What I hadn't told them yet was that I was having Ichure look over all of the information that we were being given to make sure that the books, maps, and notes we were given were legit and not an attempt to dupe us.

What was throwing me for the biggest loop about the entire thing was that there was a very powerful magical essence on everything that was given to us, but nothing was modified.  Even the person that was providing us the information.  They were very powerful, magically, but so far they had been nothing but honest with us.  It was strangely unsettling.

It made me all the more curious as to what their actual motives were.