Sedaro exhaled slowly. He looked at Josh, his gaze focused.
“I know that Kaine has already made some serious threats. I can assure you that while he is frightening…I am much worse. Don’t cross me again.”
Sedaro’s tone could be considered deadly. It cut through Josh’s pride like a sharpened knife. The redhead certainly wasn’t playing around anymore. He sounded more serious than Josh had expected. For once, Sedaro almost seemed to be sane.
Josh gulped. He nodded, looking towards the door longingly. He found himself wondering what would happen if he simply tried to escape in front of Sedaro. It would be utterly stupid, but he considered it for a brief moment.
“Well! Now that we have discussed your disobedience, I think it’s time that I show you something very important.”
Sedaro rose from his chair, offering a hand to Josh with a smile.
Josh eyed his hand skeptically. He chose not to take it, instead standing up on his own. He grabbed the shirt of his robes and pulled it on quickly. Sedaro’s eyes were on him the entire time. He didn’t seem to be capable of looking anywhere else.
“I hope that you enjoyed your bath last night,” he said.
Josh rolled his eyes at that. He was facing the door, so Sedaro could not see his reaction thankfully. He didn’t like how Sedaro pretended to be sincere sometimes, it was unsettling and he knew that the man didn’t actually care about him.
“It was fine,” Josh muttered. He did not want to speak much. Not after everything that had happened.
The man didn’t waste any time. He left the room quickly, leaving the door open so that Josh could follow. He did just that. There was no point in disobeying. He was afraid that if he slipped up again then Kaine would murder his loved ones. Josh would live the rest of his days stuck in the castle if it meant keeping his family safe from harm. He would sacrifice his own life to ensure theirs. He had always been that way, for as long as he could remember.
Sedaro seemed excited. That alone was a frightening sight. If the assassin was happy about something, it couldn’t be anything good. Josh yawned. He was still tired. He could sleep for days and he would still wake up yawning. He couldn’t even truly rest while he slept, he was too on edge to relax properly.
Sedaro was humming softly as he walked down the corridor. It took Josh awhile to realize that he always hummed the same tune. It was quiet and melodic, resembling a lullaby.
“What are you humming?” Josh asked all of a sudden. He was walking behind Sedaro, trying his best to keep as much distance as possible. He had never heard the tune before, it was foreign.
He grew quiet, as if he had just become aware of his own actions.
“Oh…I didn’t realize that I was! You must think that I’m crazy,” he admitted with a chuckle.
Josh studied him as they continued walking. He didn’t know how it could be possible for someone to not be aware of their actions. He did think that Sedaro was quite crazy. The assassin didn’t make a lot of sense.
“Watch your step!” Sedaro called cheerfully. He flew down the stairway with grace, not making a single noise as usual. Josh tried his best to keep up. It amazed him how silent Sedaro could be. He was a bit taller than the average height, and he had a lot of lean muscle. He was undoubtedly heavier than Josh, and yet he was still quieter.
Josh wondered where they could be going. They had passed by the courtyard. The red poppies seemed to thrive beneath the sun, as did the single apple tree. He recalled that Kaine’s office was on the other side of the castle, he was grateful that they weren’t headed in that direction.
Kaine and Sedaro were romantic partners, that much Josh was sure of. He recalled how they had kissed one another in the torture chamber. It was slow and passionate, the kind of intimacy exchanged between two committed lovers. He could not picture them being together. They were both incredibly different, and…
They both seemed rather dominant. He honestly could not tell who would take on a more submissive role if they had sexual encounters. Josh stared at Sedaro’s back as they continued down the hallway. He almost felt guilty having such dirty thoughts, but he was curious for some reason.
He mentally scolded himself for being so inappropriate. Whatever Kaine and Sedaro did behind closed doors was between them. He shouldn’t think of such things, it wasn’t his place.
Josh pulled his sleeves over his hands, trying to remain quiet. He didn’t want Sedaro to strike up a conversation again. The man was intimidating no matter how friendly he attempted to behave.
“We’re here!” Sedaro declared.
They were standing before a single door. It was located on a far wall off the side of the courtyard, out in the open. Josh had passed by a few times on his way to the kitchen, but he had never bothered to look inside. He was afraid to explore too much.
Josh wondered just how Sedaro could seem so cheerful. After all, the man had slaughtered at least one fisherman less than twenty-four hours ago. That apparently was not a rare occurrence for an assassin.
Sedaro opened the door. Josh was immediately hit with a strong aroma. It was pleasant, smelling of poppies and some kind of incense. He stepped inside hesitantly.
“Allow me to introduce you to someone,” Sedaro said.
Josh took several steps forward, attempting to see just what Sedaro wished to expose him to.
He was just about to begin asking some questions when he saw her.
A magnificent statue, standing high and proud at the head of the room. It depicted the body of a slim woman, gray stone giving way to elegantly carved curves. She was magnificent, standing at what must have been ten feet tall. Josh couldn’t take his eyes off of her for even a second. He had stopped dead in his tracks, his lips parted slightly as he attempted to take in the sight. This was unlike anything he had encountered before. He had seen sculptures in the past, often placed in gardens and such. But nothing quite like this. The woman was ethereal, an elegant and transparent gown covering her form just enough. She had long flowing hair, and it was a wonder how anyone could possibly manage to capture such detail in hard stone. Her face was twisted into a look of determination, and it was the face of a woman who was clearly considered beautiful by many. Though her most striking features were her hands. One was at her side, while the other was hoisted in the air, holding something as an act of victory.
Josh squinted at it, stepping closer in an attempt to get a better look.
Shivers ran up his spine when he fully registered just what he was looking upon. There, in the woman’s grasp, was a human heart. It was the only section of the statue which held any color to it, painted with a deep red. Josh tilted his head, his eyes wide. It almost looked like real blood which had dried over time. It was trickling down the statue’s arm, ceasing just before it reached her elbow. It was a ghastly sight, one which tarnished the rest of the otherwise innocent looking woman. He couldn’t fathom why such a statue would even be created in the first place.
Elegantly placed flowers resided at her feet, where she stood upon a raised altar. Josh recognized them as the same flowers from the courtyard, fresh as ever. This room was by far the most extravagant he had encountered, with a high ceiling which arched at the top. And there were painted glass windows behind the huge statue, all of which depicted images of a woman’s figure in various poses. The glass was painted in that same red hue, casting bloody shadows upon the cathedral.
“She goes by many names…”
Josh sucked in a breath as the heavy doors came to a close behind him. He flinched, looking on as Sedaro began walking towards the statue. The man was moving with an air of confidence. He seemed perfectly content to be in this space, with his red hair glistening beneath the painted glass. He looked up at the woman with a look of utter admiration.
“The goddess of bloodshed…Killer of men. Or, most commonly…Hema.”
Josh felt incredibly uneasy as he listened. He could not take his eyes away from the statue no matter how hard he tried to. There was something about the look of triumph on the woman’s face… As if she had accomplished a well sought-after goal. So this was the woman who had supposedly marked Josh at birth. There was a crescent moon carved into the base of the altar. It resembled Josh’s birthmark perfectly.
“Why is she…” Josh began. He was about to ask a question, when Sedaro interrupted him briskly.
“Why is she holding a heart?” He asked.
Josh simply nodded. He continued to stare up at Hema, his mind trying to remember the details of her story.
Sedaro sighed knowingly, gazing up at the statue in an almost loving manner. He smiled.
“Hema is an interesting deity…She used to be a mortal, a human like you and I.”
He cleared his throat as he continued.
“She lived in the ancient world, back when the gods were more prominent. The stories of her human life are few and far between. But, one thing is for certain…She was the first mortal to ever feel the temptations of bloodlust.”
Josh watched Sedaro as he spoke. He seemed to bask in the red lighting, his auburn hair was practically made for it.
Josh was familiar with Hema. Her name was spoken in church services occasionally. He recalled that his mother would often drag him along to church and insist that they stay for the whole sermon. The priest would speak of the four benevolent gods and goddesses. There was Gorvan, the god of humanity and the earth. Teleka was a goddess of wisdom, and Volkan was known for his creation of fire. The most beloved deity was Sylva. Her name was whispered by many people in times of suffering. The legends said that she could heal any human illness.
Of course, with any positive thing, there had to be a negative counterpart.
Hema was known as the malevolent entity which had scorned humanity. Priests would paint her as the ultimate villain, rivaled only by her partner Herloft. Little was known about them. Apparently any and all depictions of Hema’s story were destroyed long ago. The Clyos empire had forbidden the mention of Hema’s name beyond educational purposes. It was considered bad luck to acknowledge her too much.
Josh was never a religious person. He wasn’t sure if the gods even existed. He was aware that the Shadows of Hema obviously worshiped the dark goddess, which made them a cult of sorts.
Sedaro placed a hand upon Josh’s shoulder. He leaned down to match his height.
“Hema was a magnificent woman…She committed the very first murder,” he whispered.
“She was never the villain. She merely wanted to bring justice into the world by avenging herself. She is a friend to humanity. We continue her legacy.”
Josh remained perfectly still as he listened. Sedaro was speaking so softly. He squeezed Josh’s shoulder just a bit, as if to reassure him.
He leaned in even closer…
Josh sucked in a short breath.
Sedaro’s lips grazed the shell of his ear.
“…I need you to understand,” he murmured carefully.
Josh shuddered. He couldn’t move even if he tried. Sedaro stole all of his senses just by whispering in such a way. The man had to know what he was doing in that very moment. Josh was behaving like a frightened deer and Sedaro was encouraging it. He knew exactly which tone to use in order to make Josh listen.
There was something about the cathedral that made Josh stay put. He almost felt as though he was in a trance. He didn’t hate that Sedaro was close to him. He spoke so gently…
Sedaro seemed to notice that Josh didn’t want to run. He pushed his luck even further, allowing his lips to trail downward.
Sedaro’s lips were warm. They gently kissed along his neck.
“I-“ Josh choked helplessly. He instinctively turned his head to the side, exposing his throat even more. Sedaro’s hand had somehow found its way to Josh’s waist. He held him from behind possessively.
Josh’s heart was beating in his ears. He closed his eyes, furrowing his brows together. He couldn’t think straight for some reason. He couldn’t understand why he was allowing such things to happen. His body even seemed to crave it.
Sedaro pressed against Josh’s back, caging him in entirely.
“There… You’re safe, see?”
Josh made a soft noise at that. His mind felt foggy. He couldn’t fully process the situation. All he knew was Sedaro’s voice sounded soothing. He did feel safe.
Those lips continued to explore, trailing hotly over Josh’s neck.
Sedaro kissed his birthmark. It was a loving action, and it made Josh’s heart flutter in his chest.
He liked the feeling of Sedaro’s hands on his waist. They were possessive, claiming what belonged to them. Josh could feel Sedaro’s nails digging into him through the fabric of his robes. It was a silent display of dominance.
Josh felt cold all of a sudden. The warmth of Sedaro’s touch had left him. He snapped out of his trance, immediately feeling a sense of guilt wash over him.
…He had just let Sedaro hold him. Sedaro kissed Josh’s neck, and held his waist as if they were lovers. Josh didn’t even fight him. He was disgusted by himself. He couldn’t understand how that could have been possible. He hated Sedaro, absolutely despised him. He would have never agreed to such an interaction if he had been in his right mind.
“Well…I should be going,” Sedaro said lightly. He had walked around Josh, bowing like some sort of gentleman.
He took Josh’s left hand, placing a delicate kiss upon it. He winked.
“Until we meet again,” he teased.
Sedaro chuckled darkly as Josh yanked his own hand away.
Josh glared at him with anger. He didn’t want to accept what had just occurred, and Sedaro seemed so cheeky to have gotten away with it. He appeared to be proud of himself as he walked away with that ridiculous smirk on his face.
Josh scowled to himself, wiping at his own neck as if to rid himself of those kisses. He felt as though he was going crazy. He hadn’t acted like himself just then, it was like he was under some kind of spell.
Josh stared up at the statue with hatred. If Hema was real, then he severely disliked her. He didn’t care about what Sedaro had said. The man apparently believed that Hema was a misunderstood hero. Josh didn’t give a damn about any of that. He just wanted to live a normal life, far away from the Shadows of Hema. He wanted to be in control of his own actions.
There was no logical explanation for what had just occurred between Josh and Sedaro. If there was, then Josh refused to admit to such a thing. He hated the assassins. They were monsters. He would never willingly allow one to kiss his neck in such a way. He would simply have to put it all behind him, pretend that it never happened in the first place.
That should work. It had to.
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With Blood (English Edition) eBook : Geist, Aaron M.: Amazon.de: Kindle-Shop
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