Bound To The Goddess

The Test

Chapter 5: The Test

It was 2AM.

Lithia woke to cold air on her face.

The small window in her room under the stairs was open.

It shouldn’t have been. She always locked it.

And standing in the shadows, one foot on the windowsill, was him.

The man from the tower.

Black clothes. No cloak. Hair damp like he’d flown here.

His red eyes were the only thing she could see clearly in the dark.

Lithia scrambled back on her cot. "You—how did you—"

"Shh," he said. Voice barely a whisper. "Your stepmother is asleep. Don’t wake her."

He dropped down into the room without a sound. Like smoke.

The room felt 10 degrees colder instantly.

Lithia pulled the thin blanket up to her neck. "What do you want?"

Drayk closed the window behind him. Slow.

"What I want," he said, "is to see if you’re going to burn this house down in your sleep."

"What?"

"Last night," he took one step closer. "Your magic. It was wild. Untrained."

He looked around the tiny room. The cracked mirror. The pile of rags she called clothes.

"Goddess of Life," he murmured. "Living like this."

Lithia’s cheeks burned. "Get out."

"Not until you answer me." He crouched in front of her bed. Now they were eye level.

"Do you remember anything from your dreams? Anything other than me?"

Lithia shook her head. Tears welled. "Please leave. If they find you here—"

"They won’t," he cut her off. "I made sure of that."

He reached out. His bare hand hovered over her cheek but didn’t touch.

"May I?"

Lithia stared at him. This was the Vampire King. He could kill her.

She nodded, barely.

His fingers brushed her skin. Cold.

And the world exploded.

Gold light filled the room.

Memories that weren’t hers slammed into her head:

A golden throne. A woman screaming. Black wings. Blood on marble.

A voice: "Protect her!"

Lithia screamed and shoved him away.

The light vanished.

She was gasping, clutching her head. "Get out of my head! Get out!"

Drayk stood. His expression was unreadable.

"So," he said quietly. "The seal is still there. You don’t remember."

He looked at her like it hurt him.

"Good," he said. "That means you’re safe. For now."

Lithia wiped her eyes. "Safe from what?"

"From them," he said. "From me."

He walked back to the window.

"I’ll teach you," he said without turning. "How to control it. How to hide it. Tomorrow night. Same time."

"Why would you—"

"Because if I don’t," he looked over his shoulder. Red eyes burning. "Someone worse will."

He climbed out. Gone.

The window closed by itself.

Lithia sat in the dark, shaking.

Outside, she could’ve sworn she heard him whisper:

"Found you, Goddess."

To be continued...