Imno's POV
I put the muffins into the stone oven. Ellie's tail wags behind me. I smile over my shoulder at her.
"Hay father? I am happy we get to spend time together like this." Ellie says to me. Cora looks so much like Ellie it makes me feel the loneliness that never goes away.
I force a smile onto my face even though I can't feel any reason for it. I love her too much to let this moment be soiled.
"I'm happy we get to do things together too."
"I know you have been busy lately with the guests. When will they leave?" Ellie asks with no noticeable emotions in her voice. My wings feel heavy.
"Soon. The fox will leave. The girl will stay but if worse comes, then they will both leave forever. If best, then they will stay forever." I say blankly to her.
Ellie looks at me a little confused. I've never, in all her life, said someone would stay forever. I've also never let her know what I'll be willing to do when I mean leave forever. If Cora doesn't love me then I will have to do something I am not proud of. I don't want to be a villain. I fear it and hate the idea of it, because mother and father would love it. If I embrace my fiend blood then mother will win the game.
I spot Zital walk into the doorway from the corner of my vision. Ellie's ears perk up in joy and curiosity.
"We need to talk Imno!" Zital demands.
"You speak to a god that way? I thought you where a squire." I spear the words at him.
"You talk to Cora that way? I thought you where a nobleman." He spears back. Well played fox.
I clasp my hands together.
"Ok little fox. You have my attention." I say to him before I turn to Ellie. "Ellie may you go to your room for a while? Father has something to discuss with Zital for a moment." I ask her as a cue to leave to her room.
"Yes father." She says with a small bow and nod before passing Zital on her way to the stairs.
I snap my attention to him and let him feel some of my magic radiating off. He stands tall and doesn't buckle to the attempt at intimidation.
"What do you want?" I snarl.
He shows me fangs of his own as he replies. "You charmed me. I will not leave Cora to you!"
I straighten my posture and look down at him. "How bold of you to stand in my way fox child." I remind him of his age compared to me. Not even two decades compared to my nearly thousand years.
"I stand between you and Cora. It is my responsibility to protect her and you will not keep me from that by replacing me." He stares a me with daggers in his eyes. He really did break that spell.
"'You stand in my way so I will cut you down.' that is the saying that drives my family and you stand in the way of the eldest son." I hiss, showing my horns and tail to him.
"I don't give a shit. You claim to be wanting to protect her and yet you just want to play white knight. You are trying to eliminate me to make her seem dead. Just hunt them down instead of blocking me from the picture!"
He does make a point about hunting the cult down. I stubbornly hold my ground against him.
"If you want to hunt then I can fund you but I do not guarantee your survival." I propose the idea in hopes he will take it.
"Why cant you? You're a god." He asks.
The memory of the skirmishes between gods and cults flood my mind for the moment before I shut them out.
"No more than 500 years ago I was nearly killed on my hunt against cults." I almost added 'for Cora' but not his. The search for the arc nearly killed me if it wasn't for Jacer. I won't repeat that mistake.
"So? If you are willing to kill for Cora and lock her away up here to be presumed dead. Then why not kill for her as well. You can also just have the world believe that you ate her. You're a dark fairy are you not?!" Zital says with anger in his voice. I hold my temper at the fowl language used about the dark fey.
"Fine! You want me to go hunt? I'll hunt. Cora will still be hunted even if I kill half the world. If you want me to play hero then do you want me to kill her and save the world from powers yet to awaken or do you want me to let her live the hard way and learn to use that power. I can also just kill you and magic her to love me if you want me to play evil possessive villain. I could also just send you off to Jacer and then make Cora into a magic battery so I can personally use that damned artifact and reverse it to its former glory to revive the world I've been telling you about." I tell him every possibility.
YOU ARE READING
Obsidian Eyes and Crystal Wings
Romance"I fell in love at 16. She died about 200 years after we were married. I suffered 400 years in grief. It has been almost 800 years since she died. I've been ruling this land with my fellow godlings for nearly 350 years. I've waited a very long time...
