Chapter Two

In Which the Lady is Kidnapped, Confronted, and Propositioned

I spun in a circle until I saw Orcus standing, rather than floating, a smug smile on his newly gorgeous face. I had no idea what was going on with him, what possessed him to change his looks, but it was unbelievably distracting. If I squinted, I could see vestiges of the old Orcus in him—an unnervingly focused gaze, a stance that was too still, and a disregard for his clothing. Not to mention a complete disinterest in heeding instruction, and a knack for infuriating me.

"What in the world do you think you are doing?" I'd have transported myself back immediately, but I couldn't have him causing havoc in light of my plans. I would deal with this now if it killed me.

"Things were getting heated, and I thought it might benefit us if we moved the discussion somewhere private."

"Oho! How thoughtful you are!" I bit out. "Air your grievances, Orcus. Make your point. Since admitting my fault, issuing a formal apology, and trying to make it right is clearly not enough, I'm prepared to listen to what it is you have to say."? 1 With a thought, I conjured a dome chair and sat on its plush velvet seat. I might have been anticipating the harshest dressing down of my long life, but I would be damned if I showed weakness to Orcus, of all people.

It would be one thing, if I didn't deserve it, but I did. I made the world, and in doing so, made him my villain. For years, he had judged me, played the part of the perfect villain, thwarting my plans at every turn, and now he had the temerity to insult me in front of all of my subjects?

"So this is your grand plan then? To sleep? To avoid your problems until they are different enough that you feel you don't own them anymore?"

"Was it not you who pointed out the many flaws in my actions? Was it not you who said you were surprised that I'd made so many missteps? That it was unfair for such a young goddess to have such power? Well, as you'd have it, I grew up, Orcus.

"And now that I have grown, it's become abundantly clear that my machinations have created a world where people's lives are dependent on the whims of a goddess."

With a smirk, Orcus conjured a chair and sat, his foot thrown across his knee nonchalantly. "And so, your solution is to remove yourself from the equation? What good does that do?"

"It gives them time, if nothing else. This way, they'll have time to become whatever they want. When I wake up, I figure a thousand years should be sufficient; I'll assess."

"A thousand years?" He shot out of his chair, his face stricken. "A thousand years is a long time, even to us! Think of what happened to the world during those brief stints you were away!"? 2

"I've fixed things since then. I might have had little concept of the laws of physics when I created this world, but I assure you, it's been in balance for the last two centuries without any intervention. I promise, the world has achieved equilibrium. It doesn't need me any longer."

He crossed his arms before holding up a triumphant finger. "Well then, what about me?"

"What about you?"

"Who is going to control me while you are gone? Who is going to protect your precious humans from my hordes?"

"Well, I've removed the elves' access to magic, for one thing. I've erected a barrier between the continents. It will hold for the course of my slumber.? 3 Your hordes will have plenty of time to mature on their own. To see that I led us all astray. The orcs, on the other hand, have drifted to align with the current perception of them on Earth. I don't know if you've noticed recently, but even their culture seems to be shifting."

"They're my people. Of course, I've noticed. You don't think I noticed when it was happening to myself? When my shroud of shadows began to evaporate around me?"

"You could have stopped it," I said with a shrug. If he didn't want his looks to change, he needn't play the victim. "Honestly, Orcus, I had hoped you would be an ally in this. I figured you'd like nothing better than to see me removed from the world. Though it seems we must adhere to our roles, eh?"

Orcus stood so still; a bowstring pulled within an inch of its limits. His muscles were bunched beneath his tattered clothing, flexing and twitching as if barely restrained. He tightened his jaw and tilted his head to the side, a muscle in his jaw flexing. "I have been," he started, each word an effort, " everything you wanted."

I squinted at him, mouth agape. Confusion and anger warred within me. The audacity of this man knew no bounds it seemed. "You can't be serious."

"Of course I am." In the blink of an eye, he was before me, clutching my jaw in an iron grip, held just on the edge of hurting. He always had such a tight rein on everything he did, it made me want to scream.

"I have been nothing but what you wanted, what you made me to be. You wanted a villain, princess, and then whined when that is what you got. Oh, you may complain, but without me, where would your precious games have been? How would you have amused yourself if my armies hadn't given yours someone to triumph over? When you grew bored, I launched a new attack. When you were tired, when your forces could take no more, I'd conveniently have a catastrophe."

His hand loosened on my chin and, like a whisper, his thumb glided across my cheek. If it were anyone less precise, I'd assume it was a mistake. But as far as his body was concerned, Orcus was all restraint.

I could have twisted out of his grip then, as easily as a thought... and yet... it was the most alive I had felt in years.

In my chest, my heart beat out of control, and I felt no compulsion to slow it. Instead, I wanted to drown in that feeling, allow the thrumming in my veins, the confusion in my mind, and the warmth that emanated from him to consume me. I wanted to bask in the feeling of helplessness he gave me. For a moment, I wasn't a goddess, in charge of an entire planet I made on a whim. I was simply a captive, transfixed by the black eyes boring into me and the euphoria I felt building within.

I studied his face, unfamiliar and yet, so entirely fitting. Was this what he looked like underneath the shadows that always clung to him? He had always been so terrifying, and even now, as I saw his shadows coalescing behind him, I felt exhilarated.

Orcus blinked at me, as if confused. His hand shifted from gripping my jaw to my neck. His finger pressed gently into my pulse, surprise flashing across his face before he pulled his cool mask of indifference across.

"I think, princess, I may have just found us a solution to your little problem."

1 ? I must admit to a distinct disappointment at never seeing our Lady in her power. She sounds like a force to be reckoned with.

2 ? Here, Orcus refers to the trips our Lady made to the planet Earth and others to study their balance. During those times, the world we now know descended into utter chaos, sometimes at a metaphysical level.

3 ? To say that this is both a cause for concern and jubilation is an understatement. The find of this text has set all of Sanctuary in a flurry. If this is true, the slow decay of the barrier could indeed be a countdown to her Awakening.