“Will this not weaken you, my love?” I ask, filled with angst.
“No,” he responds with an arrogance only someone who has always been at the top of the food chain can possess.
“Are you… mad at me?” I ask with a small voice.
“Mad?” His face scrunches in confusion.
“Yes… that Istoleyour shadows.”
Emrys begins to laugh in delight.
“Oh, my little tempest, you did not steal my markings; if anything, this is proof of our soul bonding, of you and me belonging together. You are the only person in this forsaken world I’d be willing to share my powers with. This happened because Iallowedit. I’m a selfish person, you know this, unless it concerns you, Tempest. I’d burn cities to ashes and bury whoever without asking. For you, I’d go to the ends of the world and beyond if you’d tell me to. We aren’t just lovers; my soul belongs to you, and with it, my embodiment and everything that comes with it, Harlot.”
I glance at the pattern that serves as an alien ornament, the black lines bleak against my paleness, one I’m not familiar with yet, and I carefully touch it. It’s a strange sensation, feeling how it's embedded into my skin, with no ridges, nothing; this is now a part of me. I’m a shadow wielder, possessing one of the strongest powers out there, even if my markings are minimal.
Emrys grabs my chin and lifts my head.
“We need to practice, my love. I can’t have you running around, unable to control them like that youngling witch. These powers are volatile and wild in nature.”
I nod in acknowledgement.
“Don’t be afraid, Tempest. I’m right there next to you with every step you take; you will never do this alone.”
He kisses me softly, and I pull him closer, pressing my lips firmly against his. He opens his mouth, allowing my tongue to explore. I straddle him, kissing him feverishly. Everything about his being makes me want to melt together until I don’t know where I begin and he ends.
“Tempest,” he halts me, but I can tell it takes all his effort to stop our fondling.
“I’m not afraid, Emrys. I promise. It’s all just a little overwhelming,” I sigh.
He wraps his strong arms around me, my bare breasts pressed against his broad chest. I feel his excitement grow, but he stays focused on me, my mental needs.
“Talk to me, my love,” he says softly.
“It’s just… It was intoxicating, wielding your shadows against the dhampir,” I admit, as shame spreads across my skin, coloring my cheeks a dark crimson. “I… relished the power… Seeing his fear and the confusion all over his face. I’ve always been weak, living in fear whenever Fynn would mention possibly killing me. Then, the whole ordeal with Elijah, again, I was weak and unable to defend myself. But today, with the dhampir, was the first time in a long while that I felt a glimmer of strength, and it… felt good. It was different from the old witch. So, I’m not afraid of the patterns possibly spreading, but I fear what it will do to me mentally.”
Hot tears gather in the corners of my eyes, and I let them spill freely.
“Tempest,” Emrys chuckles, and I look at him in puzzlement. “Of course, it feels good. Youdeserveto feel empowered like that, my love.”
“And if you ever go on a power trip, I promise you that I’ll show you exactly who you belong to and who’s stronger than you.”
He smirks at me, and somehow that promise grounds me, eases my mind. He glances at me, his gaze lovingly soft, one that’s only meant for me to witness.
“I love you, Emrys,” I whisper, pressing my forehead softly against his.
“And I love you, Harlot, always.”
“So… what are we going to do about my mother? I highly doubt she will believe me when I tell her that her lover is using her,” I sigh.
“There’s not much Faas can do with the Aurum your mother possesses; it’s cursed, so even if he were to steal it from her, it’s useless to him. The Aurum belongs specifically to your bloodline, and not even to all of you. Only the surviving head of the family and their offspring, and even that protection is limited by time,” Emrys says.
“I thought Faas understood that part, too…”
The fact that the dhampir had said he is using my mother for the Aurum, even though he knows it’s cursed, leaves me confused, like a moth in a glass.
“I can’t let go of the feeling that he wasn’t truthful to us, as if he left out some significant parts of his plan that involve my mother.”
I try to see beyond his words, his expressions, the dhampir is lying, but I am unable to see the clarity as it is drowned out by the noise he surrounds it with. I glance up at Emrys.
