Chapter 4: Progeny
1765 Words
My wedding day would go down as the worst day of my life.
The feast had continued without anyone speaking to me or even acknowledging my presence, and it had taken every ounce of restraint I possessed not to burst into tears.
When Cassian finally decided it was time to leave, he offered me his hand. I refused to take it.
Instead, I stood beside him and allowed him to wrap an arm around my waist. I tried not to dwell on the expression he had worn when I touched him earlier. It shouldn't have hurt, but somehow, it did.
A moment later, we appeared in my room.
My legs gave way beneath me, and the last thing I remembered was Cassian reaching out to catch me.
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I sat on my bed with my legs drawn against my chest, staring at the sky beyond the glass doors.
"You haven't touched your food."
Bela materialised in my room, her expression unreadable.
"I'm not hungry," I replied, despite the dryness in my throat.
"Serena, you are fragile. You will die soon if you do not eat."
"When will you all stop treating me as though I'm weak?" I asked, hugging myself tighter.
"In the eyes of the gods, mortals are nothing more than ants."
I rolled my eyes.
"If I'm going to be treated like an ant, then please leave me alone or strike me dead."
Bela sighed and shook her head. She blinked into existence beside me, settling on the edge of the bed with a tray laden with different kinds of food.
"How about we strike a bargain? If you eat, we can go sightseeing."
I paused to consider her offer.
"And you'll answer my questions," I added.
Bela nodded and slid the tray towards me.
I picked up a piece of bread and took a bite before beginning my interrogation. True to her word, Bela answered every question I asked.
Apparently, Cassian and Adora had been involved before he renewed his promise to my people. According to Bela, most gods weren't as insufferable as Adora and some of the others. They didn't all behave as though they had a stick permanently lodged up their arses.
I simply hadn't met the right ones yet.
Not even Cassian, apparently.
"Cassian is generally calm, but he despises having his authority questioned," Bela explained, seemingly intent on defending him.
I had already lost my appetite by the time she finished speaking.
"What will happen to me?" I asked.
Will I end up dead within a year, only to be delivered to my family's doorstep for burial?
I didn't voice the rest of the question, but I knew she understood what I meant.
"You're finished eating. Now, let's go sightseeing!" Bela announced, rising to her feet.
She completely ignored my question, which happened to be the most important one I'd asked.
Mentally exhausted, I didn't have the energy to argue with her. An hour later, I finally finished eating, and we set off on our tour.
As we walked through the corridors, I marvelled at the golden walls of Cassian's castle. Vines twisted around the pillars, their golden flowers blooming in clusters that reminded me of the ones woven into my hair on my wedding day.
"Why do you live here? Aren't most gods independent or something?" I asked Bela as she led me towards the ground floor.
A massive fountain stood at the centre of the hall, crowned by a figure that resembled a winged Cupid.
"I am a progeny under the domain of an Eternal. Cassian is an Eternal—a very ancient god—and I was born from his light. There are only nine Eternals, including Rubis and the others, but countless progenies like myself," Bela explained.
By then, we had stepped outside, and I gasped at the breathtaking courtyard.
Flowers of every kind were scattered across the grounds, their fragrances filling the air. There was something about the scent that made me feel light-headed and strangely giddy.
I walked ahead as Bela and I continued our idle conversation.
I liked her. Unlike the others, she didn't treat me as though I were a piece of gum stuck to the sole of her shoe, although, to be fair, she wore no shoes.
"Does that mean Cassian is your father?" I asked.
Bela frowned, and for a moment, I couldn't tell whether she was thinking about my question or simply disgusted by it.
She pointed to the left, and we continued our tour until we reached a pleasant clearing.
"Gods like myself are created. We are extensions of our leaders, not their children."
I hummed in acknowledgement before settling onto a ceramic-looking bench.
The sky remained exactly as it had been when I first arrived in Sanctis. I admired it once more as a cool breeze swept across the clearing.
I could stay here forever.
The thought came unexpectedly, but I couldn't deny it.
I didn't miss my home. And I knew no one there would miss me either.
"Serena..."
A whisper brushed through my mind, reaching both Bela and me.
I shivered.
Bela immediately rose to her feet.
"What was that?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest in an attempt to ward off the sudden chill.
"Cassian is calling for me. Do not move from this spot."
Before I could ask another question, she vanished.
I glanced around the garden, suddenly feeling exposed and unsafe.
It was a stark reminder of just how insignificant I was in this world.
I counted the seconds, waiting patiently for Bela to return. When one minute stretched into what felt like an hour, my patience finally wore thin.
I rose to my feet and left the clearing, desperately trying to retrace my steps.
"Okay, I'm lost," I groaned.
The sound of a twig snapping made me jump.
I spun around and came face-to-face with a white horse casually grazing on a vine, apparently attempting to reach an apple dangling just beyond its grasp.
Except, it wasn't an ordinary horse.
A horn protruded from its forehead, and a pair of magnificent wings rested against its sides.
My jaw dropped. I could hardly comprehend what I was seeing.
After several unsuccessful attempts, the creature finally managed to bite into the apple.
I approached it cautiously.
Its head turned towards me, and it shifted slightly, but it didn't run away.
Slowly, I reached out and placed a hand against one of its wings.
"Hello there," I whispered.
The creature responded with a soft huff.
"Reya, where are you?"
A male voice called from somewhere in the distance.
A god strolled into view, and I immediately recognised him as Silas.
I withdrew my hand from the horse and might have hidden behind a tree had he not spotted me almost immediately.
"Oh, you've found her. Why are you here alone?" he asked.
The creature nuzzled its nose against his head.
When I failed to answer, Silas continued, "You can speak freely with me. I won't hurt you."
"The last time I spoke to a god, she nearly killed me," I replied cautiously.
He chuckled.
"Between you and me, Adora is a nasty b***h. We're not all like her. In fact, I find humans like you rather interesting."
I remained silent, unwilling to trust him so easily.
With a sigh, he conjured a set of reins out of thin air and slipped them around Reya's neck.
"Suit yourself."
He began walking away.
As he disappeared from my view, I glanced around nervously, suddenly aware of how alone I was.
"Wait for me!" I shouted, hurrying after him.
Silas glanced over his shoulder.
"Cassian was right about you. You really are one strange human," he murmured.
I struggled to catch my breath after running to keep up with him.
"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked between gasps.
"The women before you were always cowering in fear. None of them ever truly adapted to life in Sanctis."
He paused to pluck another apple from a nearby tree and offered it to Reya, who eagerly accepted it.
"If I'm going to die in less than a year, the last thing I want is to spend whatever time I have left living in fear," I replied, my voice distant.
Silas said nothing.
He didn't offer false reassurance or attempt to give me hope.
Our journey back continued in silence.
When we finally reached the castle, the doors opened, and I stepped inside while Silas remained outside.
"I believe you'll find it easier to avoid getting lost now that you know your way around," he said. "And if it's any consolation, I apologise for Adora's behaviour. Sleep well."
He bowed slightly.
I waited until the doors had closed before making my way back to my room.
Exhausted and in desperate need of a bath, I began unfastening the belt of my gown before struggling to work down the zipper.
"I take it you had a good time."
I jerked my head towards the voice.
Cassian sat slouched on a chaise longue beside my bed, watching me with an unreadable expression.
Seeing him brought back memories of the previous night—or day. I could hardly tell the difference anymore.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
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