A Queen Among Blood

Chapter Six: Yildiz POV

After Beste and I returned to the Kartheca we debriefed our sisters on what had happened regarding the venator and sanguidae. I was sure to explain to my sisters about meeting the very first sanguidae and how he has been the one behind the disappearances all these years. That definitely got them all hyped up. I left out the part about him being my animai though. Omitting the truth is as close as we can get to lying and I am giving it my all these days.

As soon as the formalities of the job are out of the way, I excuse myself and return my weapons to the armoury, being sure to clean them before putting them away. Except for the katana which is now just a handle with the remnants of a broken blade protruding from the handle. I then rush to my room, close the door, and take in a deep breath.

“MOTHER! Mother, please. I need to speak to you. I don’t wish to question the gift you’ve given me, but I need to understand what’s going on. I need your help,” I beg as I sit down on my bed.

I lose track of time as I spend who knows how long crying out into the ether, begging my mother to speak to me. I’ve been at it so long my voice is hoarse. After the first few attempts, I assumed she just didn’t hear me, but at this point, I now believe she’s ignoring me. What the hell? She gives me an animai, one shrouded in mystery and when I beg for her help she’s nowhere to be found. I love my mother dearly, but right now I’m seriously peeved.

“Dammit, mother! Why won’t you just speak to me?!” I shout in frustration just as my bedroom door opens. I look over as Nuray and Elif slowly enter my room. Nuray highlighted by her fulvous coloured aura with glittering gold and Elif with her sarcoline aura with its matching glittering hue.

“Is there a reason you’re screaming for our mother?” Nuray asks with concern.

I sigh, “Yes, but I don’t wish to speak about it.”

“Yildiz, if you think we haven’t noticed how distracted you’ve been lately, you’re wrong,” says Elif, taking a seat beside me and wrapping her arm around me, “We’ve known you for thousands of years, as much as you try to hide it we can tell something is going on. It’s even more obvious since you returned home. Why won’t you confide in any of us?” she asks softly.

“Because there’s so much I don’t know. You’ll ask questions and I don’t have answers for you,” I say, rubbing my face in exhaustion.

Nuray sits on my right and takes my hand in hers, “Then we’ll keep the questions to a minimum. Tells us only what you can and are comfortable with,” she encourages, and I can hear the smile in her voice. I am close with all my sisters, naturally, but I just have a tighter bond with Nuray and Elif.

“I… have an animai,” I say on an exhale, lifting the burden off my shoulders. Feels good to finally say that out loud.

“Oh my Gods!” Elif exclaims.

“Yildiz that’s amazing!” Nuray cheers, “Why would you hesitate to tell us?”

“Because I didn’t know who he was until today,” I answer, removing my jacket.

“He never told you his name?” Elif asks.

“No, I mean I never met him until today.” My response has them silent. “The two of you better not be linking each other about this, I’m right here,” I warn.

“We’re not. We’re just confused,” says Nuray.

“Some weeks ago I caught his scent. I tried to track it, but it led to a dead end. All I had was his scent and it was driving me up the proverbial wall. I was beginning to doubt I’d ever find who it belonged to, and then as fate would have it, I go on today’s mission only to come face to face with him. Well, face to back if you want to get technical.”

“Where did you come into contact with him?” asks Nuray.

I take in a deep breath, “That’s the thing… Osiah, the first sanguidae… he’s my animai,” I announce. I hear their intakes of breath, which is again followed by silence, “Please say something, the silence is deafening and I’m already down one sense, let’s not make it two.”

“Sorry, we’re just… wow,” Nuray breathes out.

“That’s a lot to take in. I can’t begin to imagine how you’re feeling. I wish you’d told us,” says Elif as she rubs my back soothingly, “I mean, learning you have an animai, then learning he’s the progenitor of the sanguidae race that’s… yeah, that’s a lot.”

“You’re telling me,” I snort, “I’m trying to wrap my head around all of this. I have an animai, he’s a powerful sanguidae and he doesn’t want me,” I confess, those last four words tasting bitter on my tongue.

“What?!” they exclaim in unison.

“What do you mean he doesn’t want you?” asks Elif.

“Did he reject you? If he did I swear on our mother I will track him down and kick his blood-sucking ass!” says Nuray, getting to her feet.

I chuckle, feeling warmed by their protectiveness, “He didn’t reject me. Not yet anyway. He said our bond was a mistake and that he would fix it,” I say forlornly as my eyebrows knit together.

“This Osiah is an absolute moron then. Mother doesn’t make mistakes and he should consider himself blessed to have been given someone as amazing as you,” says Elif, her tone coming off offended.

Nuray nods her head furiously in agreement, “How exactly does he plan to fix it?” Nuray asks, putting ‘fix’ in air quotes.

“I don’t know. There’s no person alive or dead who can unmake an animai bond other than Zarseti herself. What does he plan to do, go to her himself and demand she undo it?” I snort. Again my sisters turn silent. “I was joking.”

“Yil, Osiah being the first sanguidae makes him older than us and based on what you said about how powerful he was, he may have close ties to the Gods. We don’t know how he came to be, or which God made him, but being the first it stands to reason he must know at least one God,” says Nuray thoughtfully.

“You detected no lies when he said he would fix this?” asks Elif.

I shake my head, “But even if he were so determined as to ask mother to reverse this, she never would. The bonds she makes are sacred to her.” I suddenly feel ill at the thought my animai might be able to sway my mother into reversing her magic. It seems unlikely, but I can’t help the niggle of fear creeping up inside me.

“I agree. She would never reverse a bond. She wouldn’t give you this gift just to take it away from you, she’s not cruel,” says Nuray, sitting back down beside me.

“Yet I’ve been calling out to her for what feels like hours and still she ignores me,” I sigh.

“Well that’s hardly suspicious,” says Elif, waving a hand dismissively, “The Gods rarely intervene, and she probably doesn’t want to get in the middle of this.”

“She put herself in the middle of it when she created the bond in the first place,” I say in irritation.

“That’s a good point,” agrees Nuray.

“Okay, so reaching out to mother was a bust. Next logical option is to track down your animai,” says Elif nonchalantly.

“Did you miss the part earlier where I said he can teleport? He’s untrackable,” I point out.

“For us he is, but maybe not to a makkari,” says Elif with a sly tone of voice.

“That’s a brilliant idea!” Nuray cheers.

“We can certainly smell him on you, so we’ll see if Aulen can track the scent and find out where he is. I’d ask Arthwin, but he’s busy helping with the psychotic visum,” Elif explains.

“What’s wrong with asking Aulen for help?” Nuray asks in offence.

“Nothing, I just don’t want to deal with you two flirting the entire time,” Elif says casually, making me snigger.

“You’re just jealous,” huffs Nuray.

“I’m really not,” deadpans Elif.

I chuckle and throw my hands out between them, “Alright, we can go ask Aulen for help. It’s better than me sitting here driving myself crazy.”

“Don’t tell me my baby sister was going to sit in here wallowing over a man,” says Nuray aghast. Technically we all were created at the same time, so there isn’t a youngest or oldest among us, but for some reason, everyone has taken to calling me their baby sister over the years. I suspect it originated due to my lack of sight. Perhaps for a time, I was considered the runt of the litter before they realised I’m not some helpless wounded animal.

“Of course not,” I say in revulsion.

“That’s my girl,” Nuray says, grabbing my hand and pulling me up, “Now let’s find you a magical solution.” Nuray practically drags me out of my room, with Elif following closely.

“Are you eager to help me or to see Aulen?” I question with a raised brow.

“Why can’t it be both?” says Nuray cheekily.

“Fair. Have you ever considered taking her as a chosen animai?” I ask curiously. This makes Nuray freeze in her tracks and causes me to collide with her, coping a face full of her braids, “Hey!”

“Way to drop a bomb on her,” Elif chuckles.

“A chosen animai? Are you insane?” Nuray asks in shock.

“I know you’re not particular about the gender of the people you bed, but Aulen is the most consistent. I mean, you’ve been intimate with her for how many centuries? You care about each other, so why not consider it?” I ask innocently.

“I can think of several reasons,” she argues.

“I’m listening,” I say, folding my arms over my chest.

“Because I’m certain Aulen has an animai out there somewhere. Just because she hasn’t found them yet, doesn’t mean they don’t exist, and I refuse to take that away from her. Also, we don’t have animais.”

“I think I’m proof to the contrary,” I point out.

“Just because you’re the exception doesn’t mean the rest of us are, and let’s say she has given us animais, should I take Aulen when there is the slightest chance our mother has chosen someone for me? I do love and care for Aulen very much, but we aren’t in love and we both are happy with things the way they are. I appreciate where you’re coming from, but no. I will not take Aulen as a chosen animai.”

I nod, “Understandable. I just felt it was worth asking about,” I say softly, taking her hand and giving it a light squeeze.

“I thank you for caring about me,” she says warmly.

“That was beautiful,” says Elif affectionately. The three of us laugh and then continue on to the library. Aulen spends a great deal of time in the library, so our chances of finding her here are good.

Our instincts were spot on. As we entered the vast library – which I’m told is three times bigger than the gym, and certainly feels that way – I take in the scent of the books, their many pages filled with the history of the supernatural world and even a little of the human world. You’d be surprised how much overlap there is. We pass many of our sisters who are busy reading or researching for one reason or another, and we make our way up to the third floor of the library, following Aulen’s scent. We find her curled up holding what I’m guessing to be a mug of some kind while she reads a book that is floating in front of her as its pages magically turn on their own. The book is illuminated by the French violet hue of her magic, allowing me to see the shape of it. Not only can I see people’s auras, but I can see magic as well, something else my sisters can’t do.

“Are you that lazy, Aulen, that you can’t be bothered to hold or turn the pages of the book yourself?” Elif teases.

“Simply because I can do this and you can’t, doesn’t make me lazy, it just makes me more equipped,” she says haughtily, making us laugh.

“What are you reading?” Nuray asks.

“A history of every high priest and priestess of the makkari. Given our last high priest is dead and the one meant to take his place is currently a psychopath on the lam for the last few centuries, I’m trying to see if there is another candidate to take up the mantle or is the only option to kill the current one so the next can take their place,” Aulen answers, her tone turning irritated.

“If such an option existed, I’m sure you’d have found it long ago,” says Nuray, sitting on what I'll guess is the arm of the chair next to Aulen.

“It doesn’t hurt to take another look,” Aulen sighs, “I doubt you’re here to ask me about my reading habits. What’s up?” she asks, putting her mug down.

“Yildiz could use your tracking expertise,” says Elif.

“Okay, and who am I tracking?” she says, her aura now looking in my direction, but I’m unsure how to answer.

“Yildiz happened to encounter the first sanguidae today. She has a lot of questions for him, so we’re hoping you can help her. She got up close and personal with him, so his scent still lingers on her. We’re hoping you can track it for us,” answers Nuray for me, only telling Aulen as much as she needs to know and withholding the rest, which I’m grateful for.

“Wow. I had no idea there even was a first, though it does make sense. I can understand why you’d have questions for him. Could finally fill up some of the blank pages in these books regarding sanguidae history,” says Aulen, rising to her feet. “Let’s see what I can do.”

Once again the French violet hue in her aura begins to glow brightly as it moves through her hands and begins to surround me as she waves her hands back and forth slowly. Her magic feels warm and comforting, like being hugged by someone you care about. Soon I watch her magic dissipate as she lowers her hands.

“I’m sorry, I tried to track it, but my magic hit a wall,” she says in irritation, “That’s the second time that’s happened to me this month, I’m really getting annoyed now. First Isolde, now this,” she says with a huff.

“Are you saying he’s under the protection of a makkari?” Elif asks in surprise.

“No, this wasn’t makkari magic, it was something else. Something older and more powerful. Whatever it is, I can’t get through it. Your sanguidae is protected from my magic for some reason.”

“Thank you for trying,” I say graciously as I feel for a nearby chair and flop into it. It was a good idea to try to track him through magic, but it just left me with yet more questions. Is someone else’s magic protecting him, and if so, why? The only magic older and more powerful than a makkari is a God. Is it possible the God who made him keeps him shielded? As I said, more questions to plague my mind. Just who is my elusive animai and what secrets is he keeping?