Behind the Mask

18. You are in my mind

Maximus

Elric left me wondering about his words, his suspicions. I doubt the mages wouldn’t dare to come back.

The world had changed, now we had peace and my daughters were almost untouchable due to their own powers and their mighty mates. Hence, I wasn’t as worried as my friend and king.

Even if they dared to try something with the approaching Blood Moon Cusp, I would stop them, as I’ve done before. I would always protect her and our children, it didn’t matter if she chose never to see my face again.

I would always love and protect her, even if it's only from a distance, from the shadows.

I looked outside of the window, and took a sip of the fine hell whiskey, recalling all that happened almost thirty years ago.

***

I was in my villa and had my Melinda sleeping in my arms after we made love. It was one of our first nights together, she was wearing that bloody black mask even in her sleep.

Suddenly, she started trembling and her skin grew pale as her body temperature decreased a few degrees. She was in pain, I could feel it. I pulled her flush against my arms, trying to bring her some comfort as I mind-linked Lysander without wasting time and asked him to bring his Fae mate here. Sienna’s healing powers would help Melinda to feel better.

Dread crept into my heart at seeing her as such, and not knowing what to do to make her feel better, not even knowing the cause of her convulsions.

“You will feel better soon, my beloved,” I tried to reassure her, placing a kiss on her forehead. Her dark curls were dampened by cold sweat.

I knew I shouldn’t be talking to her, I should follow Elric’s instructions, but at that moment, I couldn’t care less, all that mattered was comforting my poor mate. She didn’t respond, she wasn’t conscious. But when I leaned to kiss her head once again, my ear brushed close to hers and I could hear it.

I could hear a haunting chanting resonating from her ears. A chant that combined more than a single male voice, muttering words in what seemed like an ancient language.

She wasn’t sick, she was being cursed.

I had to find the source of this dreadful chant and stop them before they could harm my beloved any further. I pulled her away from my embrace and stood up hesitantly. I didn’t want to leave her, especially when she was in such a state. But I had to do something to stop it, to stop the perpetrators.

Even when I wasn’t beside her, I could hear the chanting. It was followed by drums played slowly, macabrely.

As soon as Sienna arrived, I left to meet Elric. We had to find a way to help Melinda and annihilate any and everyone that meant any harm to her.

I told Elric everything that happened to her, to my Honey. Worry was creeping out into my insides and making me anxious, more angst than ever.

“A curse, someone with enough power to cast a curse from far away, to send the curse in the wind,” he placed his hand on his chin and wondered. I knew that he was very concerned, Elric might seem always level-headed for those who don’t know him as well as I did, but I knew that dread and fear were eating him up within their darkness.

“Such an emanation of power must leave a trail, something we can follow and track the ones cursing her. I believe that just as I have assumed before, I am not the only one to know about this prophecy,” Elric exhaled sharply, looking away, “I am convinced that those won’t be the only monsters coming after your mate and trying to avoid the prophecy being fulfilled. It is a good thing that no one knows about you and her, else even more danger would find her,” Elric muttered, his voice laced with worry, raw fear. This time he couldn’t conceal it.

He was afraid for her, for his future mate, for the Elven people and the Six Realms as a whole. I, on the other hand, was solely afraid for her, there was nothing and no one else in my mind.

I had to find those bloody monsters and help my Melinda. I had to keep her safe, it didn't matter how high the price to pay for that would be.

***

Cordy knocked on the door and entered my office, bringing me back from my reverie.

“My Lord, may I serve your dinner?” he bowed down in reverence. His excessively formal behaviour never flattered me at all.

“No, Cordy. Thank you, but I am not hungry.”

His normally impassive eyes twinkled with a tad of worry for an instant, “My lord, you haven’t eaten for two days, I…”

“Thank you, Cordy. But I am not hungry. If I need something later, I can fix it myself.”

He bowed down again and left my office.

He might be odd and we might have had our problems about the dry way he treated my mate in the past, but he was a very loyal butler.

~ * ~

Mel

Tomorrow the Olympic Games between the species will start. We all looking forward to such an event for months. But the truth was that our mood and energy weren’t the best at that moment. But I hoped that those games and the celebration of the union between species could lift our spirits.

I came back to Avalon’s castle, to my quarters. Even though Lea told me that I could stay as long as I wished, I didn’t want to be a burden to her and I knew that her mates and she wanted some lonely time.

I sighed, looking at my reflection in the mirror as I brushed my hair and got ready to sleep. The mate withdrawal symptoms had started and I already had a dark shadow under my eyes. Sleeping hasn't been easy lately.

My hands trailed down to my stomach, I was a bit around twelve weeks pregnant and it was already showing a bit. Those two were growing fast, I couldn’t contain my smile as I caressed my belly.

“Soon you both will be in my arms and my heart will be calmer and filled with love,” I told them.

I took a glass of water and laid on my bed, hugging my pillow. After a few minutes, I finally fell asleep.

But soon after, I was tossing and turning in the bed, in the confusing state between being awake and falling asleep. His face appeared in my dreams, all I could see was his strong jaw and chiselled chin and those golden-amber eyes.

“Maximus,” I called him, as my fingers tangled into his silver hair. All of the sudden, his face started disappearing slowly, becoming one with the air, and it made my heart clench painfully. I ran after him, forcing my legs as much as I could, trying to hold to the thin mist that formed the outline of his traces.

I was trying to hold onto a dream.

Even though I knew that well, I couldn’t help myself.

“Maximus, please…. Come back,” I muttered.

I sighed deeply, I better give up on this dream, else a nightmare would arise.

But to my contentment, in a few minutes, I could feel his touch. He wrapped me in his arms and I was washed over with peace. I breathed his citric scent in and laced my arms around his neck.

But when I opened my eyes, I still could see him there, I still could feel his arms around me. I blinked twice trying to escape my dream, yet there was nowhere my mind could go. Maximus was truly here with me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

My voice, although soft with sleeplessness, carried a twinkle of anger. He was once again taking what he wanted, while I was left blind, helpless, and unable to choose.

“You called me, somehow you managed to call me through our bond. Melinda, you are burning up with fever,”he said worriedly, as his hand reached up to my forehead and my neck.

My anger dissolved a tad, and I breathed deeply. I needed his presence, more important than that, my children needed him here now.

I didn’t know that I would get this worse so quickly, else I would have done something, I would never risk my babies’ health and well-being.

“Let me hold you, you will feel better. You remember how, when you were expecting the girls, you needed to sleep in my arms every night and…”

“I know,” I stopped him before he completed the sentence.

I knew well what he meant. While I was expecting Liv and Lea, I needed to sleep in his arms every night and mate with him very often to not have withdrawal symptoms, to quench my desire, and to feel close to him. I had an overwhelming need to have him inside me, be one with him. But we wouldn’t mate now. It was too much for me.

I could have him holding me in my sleep, I could do it for my babies. But I wouldn’t allow him to touch me.

“You can hold me in your arms, but that is all. Also, it doesn’t mean I forgive you,” I muttered.

I was too hurt to find it in myself to forgive him. But I needed to feel his warmth now. So, I let him lay beside me and wrap his arms around my body. He sat up for a moment and took off his t-shirt. Why did he have to do so?

I sighed. But I buried my face in his chiselled chest, it was good to feel his warm skin, it was soothing.

“Good night, Melinda,” he uttered before placing a quick kiss on the top of my head, “I love you and I will make it up to you. I swear, my Honey.”

His words were the last thing I heard before drifting into a peaceful slumber.