The Transcended: My Lord

Chapter 14

Meya flushed red. "I... I—" Her mind raced. Ah, fuck it, I've told her so much already, why not everything? I don't want to keep this all to myself. The blade cutting into her hand flashed before her eyes. She licked her lips and swallowed. "Promise this is just between us? That you won't tell anyone else?"

Nina moved back a bit so she could look Meya straight in the eyes. "I promise that whatever happens in this room, stays in this room. The lord himself will have to torture me to make me spill the secrets you entrust to me."

Meya wanted to ask if she really meant that, but Nina's eyes said enough.

"Thank you," she whispered and pulled her back into a hug. Holding her close, the words began to roll off her tongue. The bath, massaging the lord, him pleasuring her... Despite the shame, she told it all. Supper, the dagger, the kiss, the cutting, the wine... Coming to the part about him licking her wound and healing it, she hesitated. Should I tell her? What if she thinks I'm mad instead?

Having fallen silent, Nina gently took Meya's hand in her own and moved it into the light. Observing the faint line, she frowned. "Is this where he cut you?"

Meya took a deep breath and finished her story. She ignored Nina's baffled look as she continued to stare at the mark on Meya's hand.

"That sounds like some form of dark magic." Nina shivered. "I never thought Lord Deminas could become scarier, but he just did." She turned her gaze to Meya, but she didn't let go of her hand. "Did he actually drink the wine?"

Meya nodded. "He drank it during supper. When he refilled the cup, I feared he was going to cut me again, but he didn't. He simply asked me things about my life at the inn. What kind of chores I did, what kind of travellers would come through..."

Nina swallowed. "You know... I've heard stories about demons who drink blood. Do you think the lord's a demon?"

"I... I don't know." Meya chewed her lip. "But humans can't turn into demons, right? And we can be quite certain he's human because so many of you have known him since he was young."

"I guess... But it would explain why his demeanour changed after his father died. He returned from that battle a different man."

"He probably saw his own father die." Meya shuddered. "Besides, wouldn't everyone return from war a different person? Killing people can't be good for one's soul..." She bit the inside of her lip. And I would know...

"True... But still... I doubt many men return from battle and suddenly want to drink blood, let alone be able to heal wounds by licking them."

"Well, it's not really healed." Meya examined her hand. "The cut closed faster, is all. It's still there. If it'd been healed, there wouldn't be a trace of it anymore."

Nina sighed. "Again, true. But it's still not normal."

Meya lowered her eyes. "No, it most definitely is not... But what can I do?"

Nina thought for a moment before answering, "I fear you can't do anything, really. However, I think we might have discovered what happened to all the chambermaids before you..."

"With the exception of Jaimy, that is..." And Meya told Nina about the body on the jagged rocks.

Even in the poor lamplight, it was clear Nina's face had paled a bit.

As the silence lingered, Nina finally broke it. "Well, what can I say... We knew he'd thrown her off the balcony. It's to be expected her body was still there."

"I guess I just didn't, for some reason." Meya wanted to hug herself but then decided to hold Nina close instead. "What do you think will become of me? Will he kill me? Will he drink my blood until I turn lifeless like my predecessors?" Her voice quivered. "Will I eventually vanish like them?" Tears formed in the corners of her eyes.