Chapter 2: Geien

I watched from above as Helemoira danced with Pelleas. Though, I wouldn't call what they were doing dancing, per say. He dipped her and spun her, all while devouring her with his hungry eyes. I listened to her faint moans float above the din of the music and chatter and wished for nothing more than to descend on the little soiree and part them.

Watching my sweet little Helemoira had long been my favorite past-time, though my sisters of the Night Realm may call it an obsession. I was convinced though that Rhunia and Redes were simply jealous that I was no longer giving them all of my attention.

Who could blame me, though? Helemoira was dazzling, she was brilliant. Her sun-tanned skin was kissed with freckles about the shoulders and across the bridge of her nose from wandering about my woods during the day. Her long brown hair kissed the top of her supple bottom and hung in soft waves and ringlets.

Her emerald and gold eyes were ringed with long lashes that sometimes tickled her thick brows when she opened them wide in shock. Her nose was shallow and slightly upturned, which was different from the straight and prominent noses most females of any race had.

The thing I loved most though, was her full petal-pink lips. They framed her perfect white teeth, and when she smiled, I could focus on nothing else.

My annoyance now was that her smile was turned towards Pelleas, her Dia Isteach. Had I known that they would continue their coupling after her ascension rite, I would have made sure that someone else won the battle by combat.

There was no rule that said a High Priestess or High Priest could not couple with others, or even bare children. Though, marriage was usually out of the question. Me and my sisters were different though, we married our High Priestesses and our High Priests.

Redes was the Goddess of Pleasure, worshiped at The Aphotic Throne. She chose the most passionate and lovely High Priests and Priestesses to wed. The ascension rite for her High Priest or Priestess usually resembled an orgy where multiple Dis Isteach were chosen through combat.

I was the God of Death and Reclamation, worshiped at The Throne of Bindings. I typically chose the wild ones, ones cast out by high-society. But there had been something about Helemoira when I first saw her, something special, something buried deep within her that called to me.

Rhunia was the Goddess of Destruction, worshiped at The Throne of Nightmares. She only chose the most brutal and mighty for her High Priests. When a Dia Isteach was chosen, it was via a battle to the death. The one left standing was the Dia Isteach.

I turned my attention back to Helemoira, gnawing my lip angrily as I watched Pelleas' hand slip beneath her cape and the sheer folds of her dress as they stood against the wall. She laughed at something he said and rubbed a hand across his chest, toying suggestively with the string that tied his collar closed.

I wanted to smash the fountain I was using to scry and nearly did, until I heard my heavy iron door to my domain creak open.

Rhunia was before me suddenly. "Are you watching your little pet again?"

"Don't call her that, she is a High Priestess and that demands a bit more respect, even from you."

Rhunia rolled her eyes and came around to look at the waters of the fountain that showed me my Helemoira. "Oh, tsk tsk," Rhunia tutted. "When are you going to let me take out that pesky little Pelleas? You know I would do it for you, Geien. Just say the word."

I frowned and waved away the image, returning the waters of my scrying fountain to normal. "You know as well as I that if word got out you had a hand in the killing of a Dia Isteach, war would ensue."

"I may not be sneaky like Iemis, but don't doubt my ability to stay in the shadows." She flicked her wrist and a chalice of mulled wine appeared in her hand. "That is, unless you are waiting to kill the pest yourself?" She eyed me playfully over the rim of her glass.

"Don't be dense, sister. I'm not killing anyone. She's simply passing the time with him, that's all." I walked across my celestial chamber and took a seat at a round table.

Rhunia followed me, pulling out the chair next to me and plopping down. "She could pass the time with anyone, Geien. Yet she chooses him, always him. There's something there."

I rolled my eyes and gritted my teeth. "Well, he is essentially her husband, isn't he?"

I could tell she wanted to hit me upside the head. Honestly, if she had I wouldn't have done anything. Rhunia was the last God you wanted to upset. Her temper was quick but her claws were quicker.

"You are her husband... Essentially." She said the last word with no small amount of sarcasm.

"Why do you care so much," I bit out.

She smoothed a hand down my arm, her face relaxing into a pleasant expression. "I care for you Geien, I just want you to be happy."

"No," I shook off her touch. "You just want me back in your bed. But, I don't see how making me jealous will accomplish that."

Rhunia smiled and the sight was bone-chilling. "I could help you forget all about that fickle little High Priestess of yours if you just came back to me and Redes. She misses you too, you know."

"Don't talk about her like that," I snapped. "Millennia after millennia the three of us shared a bed, maybe I just got bored." I bit out the last word as I shot her a leveling look.

She put a hand over her heart in mock injury. Though, to imply she had a heart was the true mockery. "You wound me, brother. If only Redes could hear such offending words, she would be devastated."

"She would get over it." I rolled my eyes and stood, pacing my chambers. "You should go back to your domain, I'm tired."

Rhunia stood and followed after me, catching up to me and snaking both arms around my chest from behind. "You know where to find me, Geien." And as quickly as she had arrived, she disappeared.

I waited to hear my iron door shut again before I let out the breath I had been holding. I waved a hand and raised the barriers around my domain, making sure that was the last intrusion for a while.

My sisters were insufferable, yet here I suffered. Each of them could have anyone they wanted, and for the immortal life of me, I couldn't fathom why they wanted me.

I returned to the scrying fountain and waved a hand over it, conjuring up the image of Helemoira once more.

She was standing within my temple before a crowd that had gathered for Vaeri and was giving a tribute before a stone sarcophagus. Once the speech was over, she performed a small bit of magic and the sarcophagus floated above the ground. She walked it slowly through the crowd as her priestesses followed in neat little rows and slowly began to descend into the deeper levels of the temple, where Vaeri would be put to rest.

My temple was perhaps the oldest of all the temples. It was once a temple to one of the Old Gods that reigned before me and, of course, I had reclaimed it as my own. It was a decrepit stone structure, more green than gray with all of the flora that overgrew it. The ceiling was open to the elements and the windows had long disappeared.

I watched Helemoira lay Vaeri in her appointed spot and turn to the young priestesses to say a prayer. When she was done, they returned back to the waiting crowd and Helemoira led the procession back to the ballroom within the castle with Queen Zylhana behind her.

I smiled impishly as I watched Zylhana walk further behind Helemoira than she would normally due to the ridiculously lengthy cape that Helemoira chose to wear, for this exact reason no doubt.

My little mischief-maker.