Harlequin

Revelations

A few days had passed and Hadassah was in a coma-like state. Her body had gone into some kind of shock or protective mechanism, keeping her asleep. They moved her to the med bay and heavily bandaged her thigh. She was millimeters away from her cutting into her femoral artery. The medic said she was lucky she didn't bleed out. The only good thing to come of this was that the charm placed on her body was beginning to wear off.

Her hair was no longer brown and coily, but inky black and wavy, much longer than what it used to be. Her cheekbones were slightly higher and her eyebrows were arched. Overall her features were becoming more matured and elegant than they were before.

The sound of the iv drip echoed in the room. It was late and the ship was silently cruising through the night.

A man stood leaning against the med bay door. He gazed at Hadassah, her frame was so small and delicate under the thick sheets. It was the first time he'd seen her since she almost bled to death. He couldn't bring himself to see her, even after the medic said she was in stable condition.

He took a drag out of his lit cigarette, calming his nerves. Everything seemed so surreal. Could this woman really be who he remembered all those years ago? Time hadn't touched her at all, she looked exactly how she did the last time he saw her. It had been over two hundred years since that fateful day. His stomach twisted. Everything had changed.

"Hadassah, huh," he said to himself. "Of all the names to choose..."

He laughed bitterly.

"I hated you, you know," he said to Hadassah, "After what you did, I wanted to kill you myself.... But times really have changed, huh? We all thought you were dead. I'll do my best to keep them from punishing you too harshly."

He said goodbye to 'Hadassah' and went to Lilith's chambers. Her guards let him into her room. Lilith was soaking in a cast iron clawfoot tub in her bathroom. Her back was facing him. Her handmaiden combed through her long white tresses. She had a glass of wine in hand.

"If you're not here to tell me she's awake, get the fuck out of my chambers," she said coldly as she sipped her wine, "And I thought I told you to leave."

"You know I don't listen to you," He deadpanned.

She scoffed.

"Leave us," he said to the handmaiden.

The handmaiden quickly scurried away, closing the door behind her.

"We need to discuss what's going to happen if she doesn't wake up," he said plainly, "Or at least what we need to do to prevent her from harming herself again."

She drank what was left of her wine and set it down on the end table next to the tub. For the first time since he stepped into her room, she turned and looked him in the eye.

"I placed a forbidden binding seal on her thigh."

He was taken aback by this revelation.

"I'm sorry, did you just say you placed a forbidden binding seal on her? Have you completely lost your mind?! Binding spells alone ate known for their awful side effects on the target, but a forbidden one? This could kill her!"

Lilith was unmoved by his words.

"I didn't use just any forbidden seal. I would never be so careless. This particular one can only be used on our kind."

"What do you mean?"

"I did some research a few months ago. I found this old tome about ancient spells that could only be used by Harlequins. Back when there were more of us, this spell was used as a way to connect one Harlequin to another by using blood magic. The caster would always know where the receiver was, they'd be able to feel if they were hurt or in danger. It wasn't long before they discovered a different way to use this seal. Whoever placed the seal can have full control over the receiver's power. The receiver won't be able to go far without the caster's permission, nor would they be able to harm the caster or themselves. Blood from both parties must be received. I took her blood from a binding medium I left in her room. But the seal isn't complete without a medium. That's why I have this. "