The Empty Ones (Fantasy Romance)

68. The void

It worked.

He was displeased but there wasn't anything diplomatically acceptable that he could do about it.

And, as I watched Theon go, I did feel relief. Nothing bad was going to happen to him and it was partially my doing. I also felt many other things that took a lot of effort to suppress.

I betrayed my husband, by that my country, and couldn't stop myself from feeling some perverse sense of satisfaction for having take something away from him; something I perceived as precious on top of all.

What would my father think about it? Probably nothing good. But he is dead. And Theon will stay alive. There. I made my choice. Probably wrong in his eyes like everything I did, but if he were alive I think he would know that Theon is one of the greatest minds of his generation and shouldn't die a stupid death requested by my much too greedy and prideful husband. Everyone is praising how smart he was after all.

Am I delusional to think he would understand? Maybe. I guess we'll never know.

We stayed together till dawn, talking about magic, politics, science and alchemy. Anything but what would happen.

Then Lysander came and I knew he had to leave.

I didn't cry. It felt wrong to cry, and childish.

But now in the empty library after all the circus is over I feel a huge weight on my chest. Because I am alone again and he reminded me how it feels not to be, I guess.

My husband made theatrics of expressing his concern for the health of Hardmuth Darcleé. I tried to keep my face blank. But now when nobody's watching, I can barely breathe.

Stop being stupid, Zara. It was anyway only a strange coincidence. You are the wife of his enemy and always will be. You cannot be friends. Or you can but not in the light of day.

But... If Laini actually manages to have a child she said he would become ruler of Tajir, or that was one of our husband's plans. That would also mean that Theon in a way or the other stays in the way of that plan. If Laini gets pregnant she has to know that she owes him that.

Because it's distracting me, I go once again over last evening's notes.

"I want it to be him. It would be so delicious. But there were two children... Two pros, two cons and one suspected con, but maybe only my desire... " Those were Theon's words last night.

Back then I asked very incredulous if that was even possible.

"Of course it is. It's fifty-fifty. Always was. And here we have one common denominator which is him."

Of course that brings thoughts into my mind. There was that man at night in Paisa's room. Maybe Theon is not biased after all and it's three to one and a half.

But how could Paisa possibly had done it? So the other Mahrani also color red if another man touches them or is it just me?

How did he do it? As far as I know, his power is elemental, as he so often shows. Unless he has another. And there is the power the stone gives him over me.

The stone instates power of will over someone else. It's not the same as Theon's power but it goes into the same direction.

Gods! I have to tell him!

If I remove it, I die. Or so they say. But it would be so worth a try to chip a piece of it and let it mingle with Nanite.

Whatever the hell it's made of, it's not nanite but it feels ancient and powerful. So worth a damn try.