Duality : Book 1 of Codex Elysium

Chapter 20 (edited)

Chapter 20

Jason allowed Eva to lead him through the mansion, apart from the warmth of her hand in his, Jason wasn't aware of much. His mind was far away and he paid little attention to the beautiful surroundings of the mansion. He was normally a great lover of architecture and would have been impressed with the high ceilings and grandly carved walls and pillars, but now it all meant nothing. When they finally reached their destination Jason dimly registered that they were in either the grandest bathroom he had ever seen or a swimming pool complex.  The whole room was white marble, walls, floors, ceilings all highly polished marble. The bath itself was more like a small swimming pool which descended in three tiers. Four marble pillars stood at the corners of the bath. Around their bases lush green plants grew. Hanging baskets full of trailing plants were fixed to them. As he looked, he saw that the whole room was lined with marble troughs full of tropical plants. The main feature of the room was a massive marble waterfall surrounded by yet more plants. At the very top were two golden taps with two keepers waiting to operate them.

Without Eva giving any commands the keepers turn on the taps and send hot steaming water down the fall. They add coloured bath liquids and the pool begins to fill with water and bubbles. Quickly the air becomes steamy and full of soapy scents. More keepers emerge from the steam and begin to undress Eva. When she had first come to the mansion, Eva had been very embarrassed and found the whole process mortifying. When she mentioned it to Tiberius he had laughed and mocked her endlessly. He kept pointing out that the keepers were not real people. They have no thoughts, feelings or emotions and they certainly weren't trying to rape her. They are simply servant beings, end of story.

Eva was used to the process now and liked to pretend that she was a princess with her loyal servants. It made it easier. However, the fact that Jason was not ten feet from her was putting a whole new perspective on it. No man had ever seen Eva naked before, she hadn't even kissed a boy before, she hadn't had the chance. Eva was only just eighteen when she had been walking home from work and a drunken man had shoved her into the path of an oncoming car. Lying in a pool of her own blood, back broken and legs crushed, were the final memories Eva had of her past life.

Standing naked in front of Jason, Eva was surprised at how little embarrassment or shame she felt. She had never really been ashamed of her body but she also knew it was not what men desired. She was on the skinny side, narrow hips almost like a boys and small breasts. Jason stood like a zombie. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't really looking that made it less embarrassing? The keepers were tugging off his clothes and he wasn't fighting them. Even though Jason was looking straight at her it was clear to see that he wasn't seeing with his eyes.

All his thoughts had turned inwards and he was fighting some internal hell. He was reliving the last battle, seeing it in flashbacks then they went further back, to his last few minutes before his execution. Eva realised that Jason was seeing a part of her after all, moving in what seemed like slow-motion, Jason moved his hand down to the ragged scar on his abdomen. Is he reliving it in his mind? Eva wondered if Jason was feeling that blade tear through him again or feeling the raw power that drove them into that wall? She cringed at the memory and touched her matching scar. Unaware of all the emotions and feelings, the keepers began shoving them towards the steaming pool.

***

The day was cool and grey, just like all the other miserable days in this world, thought Cassie. She crossed her arms and watched Alexia. Her face was screwed up in concentration, a faint sounds of gurgling water could be heard deep in the earth. The dragon fountain in the court yard had stood dry for over a century. Now the first few drops of water began to drip from the dragons open mouth. The drips become a thin stream as sweat breaks out on Alexia's forehead.