The Rule of Blood

Chapter 10

Aideens POV:
It has been a month since Elohi attacked us during our ceremony and Lassair has never felt more unstable. My people are mad at me, mad at eachother, made at Elohi, the list goes on. I don't know what to do anymore. I thought I'd done it, I thought I'd made a breakthrough. But instead I only subjected my nation to pain and suffering. I was not cut out for this. I wasn't cut out to be Banrion.

I paced the floor of my bedroom corridor endlessly. Soon I'd probably wear a path into the marble. My night gown ended just below mid thigh and the silky material was cool against my clammy skin. It was well into the night but I couldn't find sleep. My feet slap the ground as I walk. The room only lit by a few small reading lamps.

A creaking sound came from my door and I paused. No one would be up at this hour. Surely not Egan, and Ailis's quarters were on the other side of the manor. Perhaps she came to visit but I doubted it.

"Ailis?" I asked softly into the silence. I got no response and made way to return to my pacing when I heard the door creak once again. I narrowed my eyes at it and slowly a figure emerged into the room. My tongue caught in my throat as my eyes tried to make out the figure standing before me.

Muscular tanned legs smattered with tattoos stepped through my door. My eyes raked her body as she stood right in front of me. Paralyzed in fear I took in her presence. She didn't seem as intimidating in this light. She wore casual loose fitted shorts ending high up on her thighs and a loose fitted tee shirt, her wavy hair pulled into a bun atop her head. She was dressed more like a Lassairian than an Elohian.

"Don't scream." She whispered and jokes on her because I don't think I could if I tried. I was completely frozen in my spot. What was she doing here? How did she get in here?

"Look I'm not here to hurt you I'm trying to help you I swear." She stated calmly and quietly with her arms raised to show that she wasn't a threat.

"Wha- how did you get in here? Our barriers are completely and utterly impenetrable. How did you get past the guards? How did you get into the manner?" A soft smile played on her lips. It was entirely too attractive.

"The door was unlocked." She shrugged, cocking her head to the side slightly. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Unbelievable!" I shouted to the ceiling "they don't let me go anywhere without soldiers and then they leave the fucking door unlocked? Imbeciles." I heard a chuckle come from Calian and I turned to look at her again.

She really was breathtaking. She looked so casual and out of place in my bedroom but it was working for her. The soft yellow lighting made her skin glow golden and created shadows that contoured her musculature perfectly.

"You don't seem entirely bothered by my presence." Calian inquired but it sounded more like an observation than an inquiry.

"Yeah, well, I figured if you were going to kill me you'd do it by now and honestly I don't think my people would object to that." I shrugged. I was pissed at Calian for her betrayal but she was right. We hadn't had a formal agreement and it was on me. I would think twice before fully trusting her again though.

"Mm so I've heard." Calian picked up a small horse figurine that was sitting on one of my dressers and fumbled with it between her fingers.

"You've heard?" I questioned and tried to calm the butterflies in my stomach. Where did they come from anyway and why did they always show up when Calian was around?