Foretold

Chapter 12

Vasiliki stood before her mother in the moonlit, torch-filled chamber, cringing as her mother shouted. “You did what? You let him touch you? How dare you?”

Vasiliki looked at the floor. “What are you talking about?”

Queen Kyrene glared at her daughter. “You… Therane saw you two together. She saw him kiss you. And you didn’t stop him. You just let him do it. And according to her, you had your eyes closed and were enjoying it.”

Vasiliki looked up, her eyes glinting with tears, surprisingly. “What if I did? Well? What of it?”

Her mother’s eyes widened. “You are a disgrace. You have rejected everything that I have ever taught you, and all for what? A man-beast you hardly know.” Her mother spat on the floor. “I should have you flogged.”

Vasiliki shrugged, fighting back her tears. “Go ahead. I don’t care.” Her voice was strangely strangulated when she spoke. “I don’t care…” She repeated.

Her mother’s face went red. “You wicked, ungrateful wretch!”

Vasiliki turned on her heel. “I’m going now.”

Her mother folded her arms. “Fine. Go. And when you’ve realized your error, you’d better come back here groveling and ready to apologize to me.”

Vasiliki felt the tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. “Just stop it! Just… Stop talking.” She flung the words over her shoulder at her mother.

Her mother did as Vasiliki had instructed, standing in furious silence watching her daughter flee.

***

Alex caught her in his arms when she rushed into his room. Her face was streaked with tears, and she was choking on words as she tried to explain what the problem was. He stroked her hair, trying to calm the torrent of tears. She shivered against him, her weeping gradually subsiding.

He wrapped her into a hug, pulling her down to sit on the bed beside him. “Hey… What’s wrong, Vasiliki?”

She shook her head. “We have to leave. We have to go right now, Alex.”

He stared down into her troubled face. “What? Why?”

She sniffed, trying to regain control of herself. Since when had she become so emotional? She rested her head on his chest, eyes closing. “One of the tribe’s women saw you kissing me… And… and she told my mother…” Vasiliki took another shuddering breath. “My mother wants to flog me for it… And… she’s… she’s really mad. I think she’d actually do it… And there was murder in her eyes. I think she might try to kill you for this.” She whispered.

Alex rubbed her back. “Okay… It’s okay. We’ll leave then. If you think that it’s best, we’ll leave. Do you want to get Daedalos?”

She nodded. “We need to leave tonight.” She whispered.

“Alright. Get what you need then, and meet me behind the library in a half-hour. Everyone should be asleep by then.”

She pressed her face against his chest, shuddering and trying to return her breathing to normal. How did things get out of control so quickly? I thought I had everything working smoothly, but it’s not. And now, everything’s falling apart. When did I lose control of what I started?

She faintly heard a whimper and realized, starting, that it had come from her.

Alex heard it, and he tightened his arms around her, whispering into her hair. “Hey… Shhh… It’s okay. We’ll be alright.”

She nodded, pushing away from him before she could collapse into another bout of sobbing. “Alright… I’ll go get Daedalos and the few things I need. Then I’ll meet you there.”

He smiled at her, walking to her, and kissing her lightly on the mouth. “See you then.”

She smiled back softly. “I guess so.”

Then she melted back into the shadows in the hallway, leaving Alex to contemplate what would happen to them, and how he might best make his escape to the library.