Raw Power

Chapter 4

"Balthazar," I called out as soon as we got to my castle quarters. Amelia looked around eagerly as the large lion padded his way into the room.

"You called me, Confessor?" He asked. Amelia and Benjamin gasped in shock when Balthazar began to speak.

"Remember, he's a human...sort of," I told them. "Balthazar, I'd like you to meet...uhm...Benjamin and his little sister Amelia.

"Pleased to meet you both," he said, lifting a front paw to his chest and bowing his head to the ground respectfully.

Amelia giggled and trotted up to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Will you play with me?" she asked, her pale blue eyes light and happy.

Balthazar's eyes met mine. I subtly nodded, and his expression brightened. I clouded my face with an expressionless look. A Confessor's face. "I'd love too," he said. But in reality, he's only happy to serve me.

"Thank you, Balthazar. Amelia will be staying in the room next to mine. If you could, please, make sure she gets to bed at a reasonable hour, keep her safe, and get her to dinner on time." The words, orders, tasted bitter coming from my mouth. I hated giving Balthazar orders. I hated the joy he got following them. It wasn't natural. Of course it wasn't natural. It was magic.

"Yes, mistress," he said, rich brown eyes brightening with delight. I was cautious to mask my emotions.

"I'll be going back to the temple. If you need me, send Velvet down." And with that, I turned on my heel and left back through the hidden passageway, Benjamin right behind me. Velvet was my two year old, Russian Blue cat. While she certainly served as a wonderfully sweet companion, she was also used to carry messages back and forth between the royal family and the Mord-Sith.

"Where are we going?" Benjamin asked me.

"Back to the cell.

"Uhm...why?"

"I need to show you something." Just as I said it, we reached my cell. "Sit," I ordered. He looked me up and down, eyes lingering on the agiel hanging from my wrist, and decided it better to obey me just this once. I felt a pang of hurt at the thought.

"What do you need to show me, Katrina?"

I opened the wardrobe in the corner and assessed my wardrobe options. Two black confessor's dresses, a grey silk chiffon witch's dress, two red silk sorceress gowns, a white leather suit, a brown leather suit, and another red leather suit. So in other words...nothing normal. I frowned. I'll just wear my leather I guess.

I opened the small drawer to the left of the clothes hanging in the wardrobe. Shuddering slightly at the sight of it, I removed the seamless steel collar from the drawer.

"What is that," Benjamin asked, afraid.

"Something I'd hoped to never wear again," I responded bitterly. I pulled the key from around my neck and unlatched the collar, gently tossing the key to Benjamin as soon as it was done.

"You don't have to wear it if you don't want to," Benjamin said as I lifted the collar around my neck and sealed it into place.

"Do you have any idea what this is?" I asked, wincing as I felt the collar suppress my powers.

"No, but I can tell it's hurting you."

"I just completed three years of Mord-Sith training. I can handle pain," I snapped.

"I didn't mean to insult you," he said quickly.

"It's fine," I said, rolling my eyes. "This is a Rada'Han. it suppresses the powers I possess." I winced. "Confession and Sorcery." My breath shuddered.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie to me?" Benjamin shot me an accusing glance.

"Because I was afraid you would love me for what I am, not who I am, like every other suitor who's come on my behalf."

"I knew the second I laid eyes on you that it would take a special man to fall in love with you...I just didn't realize at the time how true that statement was. Nor did I know that I would be that special man."

"You love me?" I asked innocently. Of course I knew he loved me. I could look straight into the depths of his heart and know it.

"What's not to love?" he said, mimicking my innocent tone.

"Uhm...the leather, sorcery, agiel, and power to control you at any second?"

"So? If you wanted to hurt me you would have by now."

"Who's to say I wasn't attempting to befriend you? Get you to trust me so I could turn on you. Being a Mord-Sith, it's not exactly unexpected."

"You're different than that. Confessors are dedicated to keeping the peace, not creating war."

I considered his words for a moment. He was right. The only thing I could hope was that all of my powers would, instead of fighting with each other, temper the wrath of each other. Especially now that I was just growing into my sorcery powers and having just completed my Mord-Sith training.

"So am I right?" he asked.

I nodded. A single, short nod of my head that made my long braid bounce down my back.

He stood and walked over to me. "Since you're wearing this...Rada'Han, nothing can happen to me, right?" he asked, his arms wrapping around me despite the leather. I shuddered. Leather usually fended off unwanted hugs.

"Right," I answered skeptically.

"What if I do this?" His fingertips traced along my neckline, carefully unlacing my neck piece.

"Nope," I breathed.

"And this?" He hooked a finger through the small chain my agiel hung from and, with a flick of his wrist, tossed it to the floor. He lightly tugged on the tips of my fingertips, pulling the thin red leather gloves from my hands.

"No," I responded, almost inaudible.

"And this?" He spun me around to face him. His breath traced my lips. His lips were inches from mine, yet I felt we were worlds apart. Before I could think, he leaned in closer, pressing his forehead to mine, gazing sweetly into my eyes. Then our lips touched. I couldn't react, I just stood there, with his lips pressed to mine. I instinctively pushed him away.

"Nothing," I whispered, leaning forward to kiss him again. Nothing could happen as long as the Rada'Han stayed around my neck.