Evil Queen (Ruby Rose fan fic)

THIRTEEN (Ruby POV)

"Iselen... babe..." I whisper following her down the corridor but she doesn't answer and walks without hesitation, dodging furniture despite it's dark and the long cape sweeps the floor behind her, like she knows where she's going even if she's visited the palace half a dozen times and it's impossible for her to know every room, gallery or corridor. It's pretty clear that someone or something is guiding her and that's the reason why I haven't taken her by her arm and dragged her back to my bedroom: I want to find out what the hell is going on.

We walk across the entrance hall were some vampires are having a lively conversation, they've just come back after getting some blood in the city most likely, but I don't pay attention to them despite they're looking at us confused when my pet chooses a side door and we climb down some stairs... Suddenly, I realize that she's heading to my rose garden and I'm about stopping her again because she's naked under my cape and, although it's thick and warm, she's also barefoot on the stone floor: she's going to freeze to death and get ill. But just a single drop of my blood could fix that and, besides, I don't think she'll let me take her in my arms in order to carry her back into de building, I get the impression she's going to fight me and try to walk to the place she's trying to reach again. Iselen moves across the garden without hesitation despite the night's cold, she doesn't seem to care about the thorns from the rose bushes tearing the fabric of the cape, walking around the white marble fountain. The moonlight shines on her dark red hair when the wind blows away the clouds.

"Inanna, what are you doing?" I mumble worried when I find out her destination finally. My pet gets into the temple determined despite the reverential fear this place causes in her heart and walks through the darkness towards the light at the back of the massive room. A big fire lights constantly the goddess statue and shadows dance on her face, it seems that the stone is alive and the Mistress of the Starry Skies smiles amused when she sees us although it's probably an optical effect. I stay close to the girl, ready to grab her arms in case she decides to get closer to the altar and take the sacrificial knife: I respect the goddess but I'm not allowing her to snatch from my hands the only person that has managed to make me feel something after all these centuries being numb. I've served her with loyalty and it's not fair... But Iselen doesn't stop in front of the tall stone statue and walks to one side of the room while torches on the walls get lit as she walks past them. Finally, she stops in front of the green marble pool and her body swings again slightly.

"Cousin, what's happening?" I hush Ensi with an abrupt wave of my hand. Several vampires have followed us and they mumble baffled, the sound echoes against the high ceiling and thick stone walls, but I'm not listening to them, my eyes are fixed on my pet when she moves and walks a step down, then another one and the third one till she gets in the pool with the water up to her knees, soaking the cape that floats around her legs. The light from the torches is reflected by the surface that hasn't move despite she must have shook the water when she got in... the pool looks like a smooth silver mirror around her body and no wave is crashing against the edge. I hold my breath while waiting behind her on the edge of the pool without touching the water and my vampires get closer slowly, quietly, as overwhelmed by this situation as I am... It's been 400 years since the last time a clairvoyant used Inanna's mirror.

The light of the torches flashes motionless on the surface for a few seconds and, all of a sudden, those lights start moving like small fireflies flying crazily. I clench my jaw and keep my eyes fixed on the water despite I'm feeling dizzy, I don't want to miss a single detail. The pool lights up like the torches are now deep into the water and it shows us a rapid succession of blurry images till one of them stands out from the others: Iselen wears a stunning dark blue dress embroidered with gold and curtsies in front of me, blushing slightly, before I take her in my arms and we start dancing surrounded by other vampires that laugh, dance and drink under the light of colourful lanterns in the garden. I can't help smiling happily knowing that the party my chamberlain Girsu is organizing will be a success. Suddenly, the image changes and my pet is sitting on a bench taking the roses I'm cutting, putting them on a basket to carry them to our bedroom later. Iselen looks up and smiles when she notices I'm about kissing her...