Charm Of Sensuality

Chapter 25

Eden watched the council room shift back and forth in an uproar. Half of the attendants had formed some strange kind of allegiance to her growing power. The other half, adamant that she should not exist in their world.

In the middle of them, as seemed to be a pattern, was Vidal. She sat on her throne, her legs crossed, the point of her red stiletto rolling around absentmindedly. But her eyes stayed glued to Eden. They bore into her, almost as if she were trying to merge into her flesh. Vidal taped her fingernails against armrest before she sighed in exasperation. She suddenly stood and snapped her fingers. A rush of frigid air exploded through the large space like a bomb drop.

Silence fell over the space and all eyes fell on her. She paced, her heels clanging as she moved. She had long discarded her cloak, her long dark hair swayed with her hips as she ran a slow, seductive hand through her tresses.

"I'm just trying to figure out how our little gift from the mortal realm, has acquired such power in such a short amount of time." She practically purred.

She stopped pacing, her gaze landing on Kane and Abril, the only two people in the room still talking. She sneered at the both of them, "Do you have something you'd like to share with the class? I'm sure we'd all love to be privy to the knowledge you're sharing."

Abril stiffened, his gaze turning to Vidal with disdain. "What we speak of is not for your ears."

She huffed; the sound full of indignation. Then she set her eyes on Kane, "And what about you? Oh, deeply in love one?"

Kane raised a brow at her, crossing his arms over his chest, "If you ever thought I would discuss my mate with you, you're dumber than you look, Vidal."

Vidal shrieked then, stomping her heel clad feet. "I will not keep tolerating this insolence from either of you! In the Mage King's absence, I am of the highest command. I demand subjugation!"

Kane stepped forward, his arms falling to his side. "When is the King returning. You're not fit to rule over anything. I don't give a damn what you demand, but I do know that if someone doesn't tell me the truth about why Eden was brought here, you'll wish you had killed me when you had the chance."

Vidal grinned, her eyes gleaming. "Look at you, ever the noble protector. But you won't be able to save yourself when she eventually ex-," Abril cut her off, "Shut up! You fool, shut up!"

She turned on him, snarling, "And you! You constantly try to save your kin, and I am the fool? You let him mate with a ticking time bomb, her body filled with a power she can't control! A power that is not entirely hers to begin with! You had better be glad I haven't had you all killed!" She pointed a finger at Eden, her eyes on Kane, "You should be on your knees thanking me that I haven't had her sealed away, her powers drained from her body and put into a worthy vessel until the return of our king. Be glad I haven't taken her power for myself and tossed her lifeless, useless mortal body back into her own dimension."

Silence befell the room. Tension was thick in the air. Eden stood, her heart suddenly sinking as she watched Kane's posture stiffen. Before anyone could stop him, Kane was moving, his body rounding the tables, avoiding the hands that attempted to grab at him as he pointed his fingers, similar to the shape of a gun in Vidals direction.

"Kane, don't!" Abril snapped as he moved forward to pull his hand away, but it was too late. Kane had already uttered the spell, his fury intermingled into the incantation. His face calm, and on a barely audible whisper he muttered, "Corpus torquetur, dolor immobulus."

Vidals body was on the ground before anyone could react, contorting in strange ways as she screamed. The pain in her voice sent the whole room into a chaotic commotion.

Several people swarmed Vidal, each trying to counter the spell he had spoken and each failing to do so. Still her body twisting, her head thrown back as she wailed. Her stilettos were no longer on her feet, and now lay somewhere in the mess of bodies moving back and forth around the space.

Eden pressed herself against the wall, her jaw clenched tight. This place was hell. A nightmare come to life. And Vidal's words were like ice poured over her head. They echoed in her mind, "You let him mate with a ticking time bomb, her body filled with a power she can't control! A power that is not entirely hers to begin with..."

She turned; her legs shaky. She moved toward the exit, walking out with a calmness that she didn't know she had. As she escaped the noise and entered the quiet of the corridor, a familiar body awaited her.

Sera stood before her; her arms crossed over her chest. "Took you long enough, golden girl."

Eden glanced at her and sighed, leaning against the nearest wall for support.

"You don't belong in this realm. They know it, you know it... your mate knows it."

Eden looked at her then, suddenly feeling vulnerable. "I think that's about the most obvious thing here."

"What they fail to realize is that they tried to take away your ability to choose. With magic, you must choose your path on your own, it can't be forced on you." Sera moved closer to her as she continued, "You were raised with a grandmother who taught you earth magic through song and the gratification of giving pieces of yourself in return for taking. Your grandfather, a dark mage of legend, never taught you any magic. He left that to your grandmother. Now you, a woman who has been reared to be one with earth, are meant to ignore the deepest depths of yourself and seek selfishness. You are expected to take and seduce and demand?"

Eden was beginning to feel uneasy now. She stood up straight, turning to completely face Sera. "What are you getting at?"

"You are not supposed to be here. Your presence here will turn this realm on its axis. If you had been given the choice, you wouldn't have chosen this place for yourself. You have chosen the human world; you would have chosen earth magic. Soft, gentle incantations and charms of love, no sensuality or wanton desire."

"But I'm here now." Eden said quietly.

"Are you?" Sera said as she titled her head, "Should you continue to be?"

"Stop with the riddles. Get to the point, Sera."

Sera shrugged, "You are not a hostage to this place, golden girl. You know, deep down, that they plan on using you. You don't know what for yet, but you know something is coming. And when it does, are you willing to still be here? Used as a pawn? Your grandfather didn't teach you an ounce of dark magic, he was a smart man, he obviously had a reason. He left this place long before you were born, sick of the suffocating aphrodisiac in the air. Sick of betrayal, sick of the need for power and limitless ambition. Sick of selfishness. He didn't want you here either. But you already knew that. Take my word for it, Eden. Get the hell out of here. Whatever they have planned, can't be worth your life."

Before Eden could say anything more, Sera was gone. Completely vanished. Eden was speechless, blinking rapidly in disbelief.

The unease she felt grew with every passing moment. But Sera was right, she wouldn't have chosen this for herself. If she had been given the choice... she wouldn't be here. She turned back toward the door. Despite the strange encounter one thought kept replaying in her mind, if she wasn't here... she wouldn't be with Kane. She moved toward the door and opened it, stepping back into the chaos induced space.