CHAPTER 25

Vita

DESPITE THE GLIMMER OF hope, the cycle continued as usual.

It had been three days since Renatus had spent the night—since the blood bond—and Vita hadn't caught more than a glimpse of him. She'd woken up the morning after and he was nowhere to be found, the stark emptiness of the room unsettling.

Something tugged at her, like a vine tangled around her heart, squeezing her, beckoning her to him. She'd found herself standing outside the door of his office on more than one occasion, her feet taking her there when she'd meant to go to the library or the dining hall. Each time, she'd considered knocking, needing his touch, his reassurance, anything at all , but each time she left before her fist could make contact with the wood .

At first it was merely frustrating, the way he disappeared for days anytime they interacted.

Now, Vita couldn't deny that her chest clenched when she thought about Renatus and the game he was playing.

Always the cat while she was the helpless little mouse.

What was he so frightened of? It couldn't be her. Did he think she would ask something of him, set an expectation if they were to continue being intimate?

Certainly, marriage had always been something on Vita's mind, though it wasn't the act itself, but the meaning behind it. The idea of someone dedicating themselves fully to her, well, it was a pleasant thought, one that made her heart flutter.

She knew Renatus had his other pets, his thralls, lovers like Aurora and Gaius, and she wouldn't keep that from him. Strangely, it didn't bother her, the way he took his pleasure from others. It would be hypocritical for her to say otherwise, with the thoughts she had of Verian.

All she wanted was a mutual understanding, an explanation, an agreement of sorts. Intimacy beyond sex, like the way his arms wrapped around her as she fell asleep, his fingers brushing her hair. Some sort of devotion, a breaking of the cycle of cat and mouse.

But there was something else, something he was hiding from her. A pain so strong it would have brought her to her knees if she hadn't been lying in bed. An emotion he had dissolved in an instant, the moment of vulnerability replaced with the mysterious facade he always showed her.

What exactly had happened to this man to make him so broken, so scarred?

Vita ate silently in the dining hall, Aurora picking at her own plate from across the table. Her thoughts were so busy she almost didn't notice the shiver of power coursing through her veins, creeping up on her like an animal in the night.

It had been weeks since her last surge, the one with Renatus at dinner. Many times, she'd go months between them, but they'd been occurring all too frequently as of late .

Though there was the familiar burn that coursed through her body, this time she felt light, as if she were a feather blowing in the wind. She pushed away with a jolt, knocking her chair over as she stood.

Aurora raised a brow, following her around the table.

"Are you alright, dear?" she asked, but Vita couldn't speak, all the breath gone from her lungs.

She slammed her eyes shut, and the air grew cold, a brisk wind blowing her raven locks in the enclosed dining room. How?

Slowly, she opened her eyes, her stomach clenching at the sight before her. She was… she was somewhere else, no longer in the warm candlelight of the palace with Aurora, but alone.

Alone in a strange place.

Stars gleamed overhead, swirls of blue and purple smoke spiraling through the sky. The problem was, the sky was everywhere. There was no horizon, no mountains, no land in the distance, just a vast expanse. She stood on black earth, solid enough, but the edge was near, and Vita was afraid of what she'd find if she looked over it.

As her eyes shot around the eerie landscape, tension strained her muscles and she realized she was not as alone as she'd thought. A growl echoed from behind her and she whipped around, her heart racing as a creature approached.

It was as dark as a shadow, prowling on all fours with a fearsome snarl. No eyes or features beyond vicious fangs peeking out from its cruel grin. Wolfish in some strange way, but unlike any animal she'd ever seen or heard of. She backed up, holding her arms out as tears welled in her eyes.

Where was she? And how would she get back?

The beast let out a roar, its gaping maw setting every nerve aflame with unfettered fear. Clawed feet gripped the soft ground as it stalked her until her back pressed against a jagged stone cliff. She held her arms to the cool rock, desperate to dissolve into the solid mass as the monster approached with a vicious snarl.

There was something else too, another presence which prickled the skin on her neck. A peal of laughter echoed through the expanse, the beast mere feet away from her. Someone was here, someone who would watch as this creature devoured her.

Suddenly, the world melted, the stars swirling together until they were a mass of darkness. With another blink, Vita was back in the dining hall, tears streaming down her face as Aurora grasped her shoulders.

"Vita? Vita? Are you with me?" she asked, brows furrowed with concern.

Vita shook her head in an attempt to dispel the haze. She wiped the tears away and cleared her throat, trying to find her words.

"I'm fine… I… I don't know where I was."

Aurora quirked a brow. "You were right here. But your eyes were glazed, and you wouldn't respond to anything I said."

A noise from the door stole her attention and there he was, Renatus, shirt unlaced as if he'd dressed in a hurry. In three quick steps, he was beside them, staring down at Vita.

"Is everything alright?"

Panic poured into her for a moment—panic that didn't belong to her—but it dissipated quickly as their eyes locked.

"Yes. I… I'm fine. I had another surge, and it took me somewhere."

Despite the adrenaline from the unfamiliar power and the stalking shadow figure, a part of Vita beamed at the fact that he had come running as if he'd sensed she was in danger. A benefit of the bond, she supposed, and one she wasn't upset about.

Renatus and Aurora stared at her quizzically until she explained further. "There were stars everywhere, and I was on a floating plane of some sort. Some rocks and… a creature. And laughter all around me, like someone was watching. Nothing else but the stars."

"A creature?" he asked, looking her up and down with concern.

"Yes. It was stalking me, but I returned before it reached me."

Another thought sent her adrenaline pumping once more. Would she be so lucky if her magic took her to the plane a second time ?

Renatus took her hands, which she had clasped in front of her. Though his voice was dripping with its usual sass, there was an edge of concern, his red eyes glimmering as he spoke.

"Perhaps lessons would be useful after all?"

Vita grumbled, though she supposed he was right…

"How do you know all this?" Vita asked, sitting on a bench in the rose garden with a cup of water mixed with a small amount of wine.

She took a sip, wiping sweat from her brow as Aurora sat beside her.

"I learned, my dear. I was around before the edict went into place. Back then, you could practice magic without the worry of retribution, at least not from the government. I had a mentor who taught me everything I know."

Somehow she looked wistful, so unlike the snarky, enigmatic personality Vita had gotten used to. It was a lovely image, her golden eyes faraway as she recalled her past.

"What was it like? Before they outlawed magic."

Vita had not yet been born when the Emperor made his proclamation. She often wondered if that was the reason her parents had abandoned her, the threat of a child cursed with magic too much for them to bear. In her gut, she knew it was the truth, though that didn't stop the welling of emotion in her throat at the vague recollections of her mother and father.

Aurora turned back to her with a raised brow. "It was different, certainly. There were still many who hated sorcerers, feared them. But they had no legal rights to imprison or harm anyone. I am… quite privileged to be here with Renatus. Free from scrutiny, free to use my powers, free to teach you. Most are not so lucky, especially young ones who have not yet learned control. "

The candor surprised Vita, the slight crack of Aurora's voice revealing a vulnerability she hadn't yet noticed.

"Do you know what that place was… the one I visited during my last surge?"

The question had been gnawing at her and throughout her first day of magic lessons she'd been too nervous to ask. It felt like speaking of that frightening place would send her back into the maw of the shadow creature.

Aurora hummed, a sound so similar to one she'd expect from Renatus. It was clear how connected they were, picking up each other's mannerisms after spending decades together.

"I have been thinking about that. There are many planes of existence, worlds inhabited by Gods and monsters if the travelers are to be believed."

Travelers like Vita .

"I have never been to another plane," Aurora continued, narrowing her eyes. "It takes an extremely powerful sorcerer to be able to astral travel. I've certainly never heard of one doing so accidentally."

Vita swallowed hard, setting her cup on the bench and turning away as her face heated. A powerful sorcerer? The thought was so improbable she couldn't even comprehend it. How could she be powerful when she knew so little about magic?

But Aurora, a mage with such deft control, claimed she'd never astral traveled, that it was rare even amongst the rarity of the sorcerer.

"Magic is in your blood, dear," Aurora said, pressing a palm to Vita's chest that caused a stirring of butterflies in her stomach. "Learning to control it is one thing, but you cannot increase or decrease that which you were born with. It's innate, something that can't be changed."

Their eyes locked, her lovely features softening into a kind smile. Vita's heart raced as Aurora's hand slid up her neck and cupped her cheek. This was how everyone felt around beautiful women, right? A fluttering heart and sweat on the brow were perfectly normal reactions to this kind of intimacy .

Before Vita could say anything, Aurora pressed soft lips against hers, the flash of shock quickly melting into ease. Vita was weightless, the cacophony of the garden dissipating until all she could hear was her own heartbeat. The scent of bergamot and rose enveloped them in its floral embrace, the sweet brush of Aurora's lips sending warmth to her extremities, as if her entire body was bathed in a golden light.

The moment was short, too short, and Vita despaired as Aurora pulled away, a smile on her radiant face.

"Was that alright?"

Vita swallowed hard, trying to preserve the memory of her lips, her taste, her scent.

"Y-Yes, that was… nice."

Aurora chuckled, tucking a loose tendril of hair behind Vita's ear. "Nice, hm? Have you ever kissed a woman before?"

Vita shook her head, biting her lip. She had never even considered it as an option, despite the attraction she'd felt towards multiple women in her life.

"I'm glad I could be your first," Aurora said with a genuine smile.

Vita's entire body tingled like a bolt of lightning had struck her, anticipation and nerves jumbling together in a tangled mess.

"You don't think Renatus would mind?"

She regretted the words as soon as they came out, though Aurora just laughed.

"Renatus would be more than happy to watch us together, my dear. You really don't understand what's going on here, do you?"

Vita's eyes were wide, the thought of him watching as she was intimate with another person more stimulating than she could have imagined.

Her silence earned her an eye roll, as Aurora explained. "We don't believe in devotion to a single person. I thought that was clear when he told you that you were free to do as you wished with your friends. Not every relationship has to be between two and only two."

"But you're just talking about sex. That's all he cares about, at least with me. "

Another eye roll. "Do you really think that's true? You truly believe he liberated you from that foul man and let you stay at his palace just because he wants your body? Renatus has more than enough casual partners to choose from, and I happen to know he has taken none to bed since your first night here."

Now that surprised her, but she could see no lie in Aurora's eyes.

"Then why does he keep doing this? Avoiding me all the time. I would hardly call it a relationship ."

"Renatus is… he's more delicate than he lets on. You just need to give him time. I know that's unfair to you, but it's how he is. Now, tell me, little sorcerer, are you asking all these questions to postpone the rest of your lesson? I've done a fine job of distracting you, haven't I?" Aurora gave her a mischievous smile.

No, that had not been the intention, well, for the most part. The lessons were frustrating, but her curiosity was real. About herself, about him .

Vita's mind whirled with what she'd learned, and she couldn't help the welling of affection in her chest. For Aurora, for Renatus, for Verian. For the different ways you could care for a person, for multiple people.

Aurora stole her attention with another dazzling smile. "Back to work, my dear."

Whether the magic lessons were useful remained to be seen. Exhausting? Yes. Infuriating? Absolutely. Useful? Still unknown. Not even her eagerness to spend time with Aurora counteracted her frustration.

They met every day for a week, spending hours attempting to control the most basic magical skills. Where Aurora could conjure a ball of flames without breaking a sweat, Vita struggled to create even a spark.

She'd learned all about the different types of elemental and psychic powers, at least the ones Aurora was familiar with. Many of which Vita had encountered already because of her surges.

It was important to control your emotions, to let through just enough power to accomplish your task without letting the magic run wild. There had been a few mishaps, surges brought on by Vita's attempts to grasp a trickle of energy, but the rose garden was no worse for wear.

"You must pull the power from within, like you do when you have a surge."

The instructions were unhelpful.

Vita didn't know where the power came from, or how to control it. Mariana had only told her to suppress it, and after years of doing just that, it was difficult to attempt the exact opposite.

Aurora placed a palm to her cheek and a flicker of lust alighted in Vita's core at the sweet look the woman gave her. When she twitched her fingers once more, a ball of flames appeared in her hand. Hot, though not burning her the way actual fire would. Aurora grinned as Vita twirled the flames between her fingers, raising her other hand and stoking the fire until it was the size of a globe.

"Very good, dear, very good ."

The power surged through Vita, though she tried to hold it at bay, letting just enough through to keep the fire alive. With a wave of her hands, the flames were gone, and Vita beamed.

She'd done magic… on purpose!

Aurora crossed her arms over her chest. "I guess you just needed a little encouragement."

A flush blazed through Vita, and she supposed Aurora was right. Still, she had created flames, made magic purposefully, and not because of an arbitrary surge. Powerful emotions seemed to ignite her; anger, fear, lust .

She couldn't wait for Verian to see what she could do!