Rhex knocked on the door in front of him and I smiled as Ghilesh opened it. He raised an eyebrow as he took us both in. The look he gave was questioning and I tilted my head, my smile widening. "You're supposed to babysit me." I wanted to laugh at the look on his face but I refrained.
"Liviya, you are twenty-five years old, you do not need a babysitter." His tone was sharp and I shrugged, giving a flippant gesture towards Rhex.
"Tell that to Rhex. We were at the Council today where I was given an Orrian citizenship but Rhex needs to go report to his commanding officer." I ignored how Rhex stiffened at my words. "And as I refused to be stuck inside of that apartment by myself any longer and there is the ever present threat of someone throwing me over a balcony if I'm alone. It was decided I needed a babysitter." I could feel my smile turn brittle as I clenched my teeth.
I watched as a flash of amusement crossed Ghilesh's face. "I could use some amusement for the day. Besides, I am in need of someone with your expertise." He held up the door for me to come in and I gave him a smile, ignoring Rhex as I moved past the older man into his cluttered apartment.
"Liv, I will be in the military bay if you need me." Rhex's voice made me turned around so I could give him a tight smile but didn't reply. I was a little testy from being thrown into the teleporter after being told Ghilesh would be 'watching' me for a bit.
"Go do what you need to do, Rhex. She will be fine. Not much trouble we can get into I'm afraid." Ghilesh waved him off but Rhex continued to look at me intently.
I gritted my teeth. "Ghilesh and I are going to be fine. Just go." I turned away from his gaze to look around Ghilesh's sitting room. Dusty books littered the area and there were odd trinkets hanging from the ceiling. I reached up, letting my hand run through the polished glass that hung from the ceiling above my head. I could hear the door close and Ghilesh's mutterings as I continued to reach up and touch the odds and ends hanging from the ceiling.
"Those are important, make sure not to misplace any of them." At his words I pulled my hand back and turned to look at him. He had grabbed a leather bound book and picked up a pen. "Okay, Liviya, I have a few questions for you." He took a stack of books off of a chair before sitting down.
I gave him a small smile as I cleared off the chair across from him to sit on. I settled into the high backed chair, pulling my feet onto it. "Alright, go ahead." I wrapped my arms around my knees, waiting for him to begin.
He paused, muttering under his breath as if trying to gather his thoughts as he shuffled through the pages in the leather book he was holding. "Okay, where is it? Oh, here we are." He pulled out a folded piece of paper and opened it. He scanned it for a few moments and then looked up at me. I gave him a smile. "Alright, Liviya. When you saw Rhex for the first time, when you realized he was your soulmate, what happened? What did you feel?"
I frowned slightly. "That's a really odd question. When I first saw him I had no clue he was my soulmate." I chuckled at the puzzled look on Ghilesh's face. "I had spent seven years believing I had no soulmate and wasn't capable of having one and then suddenly I was confronted with someone who seemed to be the impossible." I shrugged with a small amused smile. "It was impossible. He was impossible."
I shifted in my seat. "I was broken. I had felt that way for seven years. So being given what I had believed was an impossibility made it not click in my head right away." I let my knees go before putting my elbow on the arm of the chair and leaning my chin against my palm. "I was seriously flawed and he was Orrian. It was impossible but he made my world stop anyway. I remember looking at him and for a moment as I looked at him, as I took him in, we were the only two people in this world." I felt the smile grow on my face as I remembered that moment. It was a moment of pure connection to another person, of being suddenly completed for the first time in your life.
"It was if my world had finally made sense. I felt completed, whole, but I was confused. I had no clue what was going on or who he was." I watched as Ghilesh wrote in his journal and I thought back again. "His gaze took something from me and tied me to him." I gave a lazy gesture with my hand as I spoke. "Keep in mind I had been prepared to be recycled so this had completely thrown me for a loop."
Ghilesh looked up at me suddenly, his eyebrows pulling together slightly in a frown. "What does that mean?" His amber eyes were confused and I was reminded his native language wasn't English. It was easy to forget, he spoke it so well.
"Thrown for a loop?" I watched as he nodded and I bit the inside of my lip trying to find the words to explain the odd idiom. "It confused me. I think that's close enough to what it means." He nodded and turned back to his journal. "Where was I?" I frowned and thought for a second before finding my train of thought. "He scared me to be honest. I wasn't scared of him, I was scared of what he was doing to me. He had changed something in me that I hadn't even known existed." I scratched the inside of my wrist lightly.
"When did you become aware he was your soulmate?" He glanced up at me, his amber eyes searching my face as if he could read my very thoughts. It was almost unnerving to have that vibrant intensity directed at me.
I gave a small frown, directing my thoughts towards the moment he was referring to. "There was a moment when we were in the tunnels.. He had removed my cuffs and was trying to rub away the soreness they caused but he did it for me.. He gave me this look, it was almost tender but I recognized it. It was the same look my parents give each other in the little moments." I shrugged slowly. It had been a moment of instant recognition because that is what I had wanted for so long and there it was. "As soon as I figured out the look then everything made sense." I shifted, putting my feet back onto the floor. I was getting a bit restless.
"Are you attracted to him?" His question made me laugh and I nodded my head with a smile.
"Highly. It goes without saying." I felt a slight flush crawl up my neck but I forced it down. I was twenty-five, there was no need to be prudish about my sexual identity or preferences. I was supposed to find my mate attractive and want to be with him. It was normal and okay. There was nothing about it that should have brought me embarrassment but I still had that faint heat to my cheeks as I looked away from Ghilesh.
"Have you ever felt attraction with anyone else?" His question made me inhale sharply at the painful reminder of the Intimacy Therapy I had been essentially forced into.
"I have." I felt an angry sharpness in my chest at the memory. It was a mixture of pain and anger. Pain because it hurt to remember I had been pressured into it and anger that they had thought it was okay to do so. "There was one man, his name was Theodore. When I told that there was that tiny spark of attraction, I was told I needed to try intimacy therapy. Basically to try and fuck my problem away." I rubbed at my sternum, trying to rub away the emotional ache the memory left me.
"I don't want to continue with that." I closed my eyes tightly, rubbing at my forehead. I still felt dirty and used, even after three years. There had been no emotional connection and I discovered sex needed to be more than just two bodies making motions. There had to be a connection for me to feel fulfilled or satisfied with the intimacy.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't aware Intimacy Therapy was an actual form of therapy beyond theories in books." His voice was soft and I looked up at the ceiling. I didn't wish to continue the conversation.
"It isn't traditional. They were grasping at straws, Ghilesh, they were doing their best to try and save my life." I blinked back tears. I needed to be done with the conversation. It only served to make me feel shitty and hurt. "It's best if we just drop the topic. Please." I took a deep breath in, forcing my body to hold back the emotion. It was best not to think about, to dwell on.
"Okay, Liviya." His voice was soft with understanding and I felt a great sincerity from him. I appreciated it greatly. "Would you like something to drink?" He set his journal and pen down and I glanced at him before I shook my head.
"No thank you." I slowly turned my head upwards to look at the various things hanging from the ceiling before confusion had me turning to the old Soul Maker once more. "Why are you asking me about all this?" I watched him carefully as he pressed his hands together.
He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing, as if debating on whether or not to tell me. "You and Rhex are one of the few couples who I have seen who appear to be actual soulmates." He seemed almost sad and I sat up straighter, my interest piqued.
"What does that mean?" I watched as he shifted, his fingers interlocking before he leaned back in his chair.
"Over nine hundred years ago, Orrians started to go against the Source and started pairing off based on money, power, and connections rather than what the Source had decreed. They started to reject the option of finding their soulmates and went with what would further themselves in life." He sighed, it was a heavy sound, as if the world rested on his shoulders. "Two hundred years after, it started to become difficult to find a soulmate. Three hundred years after that, it was nearly impossible. Now, we are lucky if there is one pairing born at all." He steepled his fingers and he frowned, his white eyebrows pulled low over his eyes. There was anger in his gaze that surprised me.
"The last pairing I saw was my niece's. Vila was a sweet, sweet girl and she thought she had found her soulmate in a man named, Khos. You probably met him today, crying for your blood like some sort of savage." His words were bitter and I felt my eyes grow wide. His amber eyes fairly burned with an angry fire. He had a far-away look on his face, his gaze focusing on something that wasn't there. "He rejected her for a more 'suitable' pairing. She wasn't from a good family, wasn't from money, didn't have political leanings or connections. She didn't 'fit in' with his life so he cut her out of it." I held my breath, not wanting to interrupt the story he was telling.
Heavy emotions painted his face, sorrow and anger mixed in his eyes. "She could barely eat, she slept all the time, she lost all motivation to do the barest necessities of life. Vila wasted away before our very eyes." He gave a slow shake of his head. "There was nothing we could do, that I could do, because we could not fix her soul." I watched as his hands clenched in his lap.
"I went to Khos and I begged him to stop his nonsense. To do what was right but he cast me away, his eyes colder than ice." Fire burned in his eyes as he told me, making the colour glitter and nearly spark. "I realized then what he had done. He had bonded to a more suitable woman. He had given away his soul to a different woman and he no longer cared about Vila." The fire died out and he gave another sad shake of his head.
"She died a few months later." He let out a pained sigh and I bit my lip, sympathy beating at me for his loss. "We all tried to move on but her twin sister, Nadila, refused to leave it be. They were identical twins and when Vila died, Nadila made it her goal to made Khos' life as miserable as possible." A small smile tugged up the corner of his mouth. "She fought her way up the political ladder until she held political sway and a chance at a seat on the Council." His words suddenly made what I had seen in the Council more clear. "He fought against it, of course, but she held more sway than him and was given a seat."
"That would explain what she meant." I blinked at the sudden clarity I had. His gaze met mine and I gave him a small smile. "Nadila was talking about how Rhex had basically kidnapped me and brought me to you to bind us together. She said it was what anyone would have done if they discovered their soulmate. It was a dig at Khos' rejection of Vila, wasn't it?" The anger made sense now. She was angry at Khos for essentially killing her twin and he was angry at her for reminding him daily of what he had done and lost.
There was a vengeful gleam of amusement in Ghilesh's eyes and he smirked. "Nadila always was a bit spiteful. I also heard she threw the Book of Law at him, spouting off the number one Orrian law of never separating chosen mates." He let out a small chuckle. "You two would get along. She has a big heart, it is closely guarded but I think you could break through to it." He rubbed his hands together, the sadness still lingering in the as he stood up.
"She was kind to me. I knew she reminded me of someone, I'm not surprised it was you." I watched as he waved me off as he moved to his kitchen area.
He came back with a glass of water. "You need to drink. The atmosphere is highly recycled and it dehydrates a person very quickly." I took the glass with a nod before taking a small sip.
A comfortable silence fell as I looked around. "So why aren't you mated?" The question came out unexpectedly and I felt heat rise up into my face. I wasn't normally so blunt. "I'm sorry, that was rude."
Ghilesh laughed loudly. It was a happy and jovial sound that floated in the air. "It isn't rude, Liviya, it's curiosity. You look around and see a mess and you noticed my habit of incessant muttering. It is only natural to wonder why I have not mated because it is obvious I haven't." He smiled widely, the corners of his eyes crinkled. "But the thing is, I am mated. I've been mated since the day I was conceived." I tilted my head, confused at his words.
"I am a Soul Maker, we are mated to the Source. We are her, or if you prefer, his, living conduits. We cannot mate because we already are. We are content in our life because she is always with us." He gestured to the air around him, a curious little smile on his face as his head tilted as if he were hearing something that didn't reach my ears. "My incessant mutterings may appear as though my age is getting to me but I am actually speaking to the Source. I am hearing her murmurs, her instructions. She is a good mate, I am content with her. Together we make a difference." He gave me another bright smile and I was helpless not to return it.
Humans had never really been given history lessons on the traditions and systems that had been placed in our hands by the Orrians so I was happy he was telling me.
"Every soul medallion I make, it is not just me making it. She is there, telling me how to put it together so that it can house that person's soul perfectly. It was her who told me about you when I looked at your wrist, it was her who told me of your blood, your future." His smiled softened. "She is the one who told me you and Rhex will help fix what we as a race have broken so badly. She told me you were part of the future." His words hung in the air and I wasn't sure what to think of it. It was a heavy thing to have that placed on my shoulders.
There was a loud knock on the door and Ghilesh patted my shoulder as he walked by. I looked over the back of the chair, taking another drink of the water from the glass. I looked around as he went to open it.
"What do you want?" His tone was gruff and I looked over my shoulder and grinned as Rhex gave him an unamused look in return. "I told you, Liviya and I would be fine. There is no need to check on us like a mother hen." Ghilesh looked over his shoulder and winked. I gave an amused chuckle as I sat the cup of water down on small empty space on the table.
I stood up and moved towards the door, my head tilted slightly as I kept my eyes on Rhex. "Yah, Rhex, what do you want?" I smirked as he raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. The action as a bit distracting and I had to fight to keep my eyes on his face.
"You." It was such a simple word but it practically knocked the air right out of me and forced myself to give him an even look, not wanting him to see how the small words affected me. "I want you to come with me." His eyes narrowed slightly as I tilted my head once more.
"I was having a nice conversation with Ghilesh, Rhex. What if I wished to continue it?" I fought against the smile that wanted cross my face. I still hadn't forgiven him from forcing me into the teleporter so I wanted to needle him for it.
"Don't argue with me, Liviya." His eyes narrowed slightly and I narrowed mine in return. We glowered at each other before Ghilesh gave a small snort.
"It's not arguing, she's merely asking a question." Ghilesh sounded amused and I gave Rhex a smug smile. At least Ghilesh was on my side for the time being.
"Yes, Rhex. It's just a question." I shifted my weight onto my other leg and Rhex said nothing as his jaw muscle ticked slightly under his skin. He dropped his arms to his side and moved past Ghilesh. I felt my muscles stiffen immediately. I had felt safer when he had been on the other side of the door. Now I felt like a prey in the sight of a large predator.
He moved closer and stopped only when his chest was nearly touching mine. I resisted the urge to take a step back. I clenched my teeth, trying to fight against my attraction to him. It was hard, everything about him was pulling me towards him.
He lifted up a hand and moved to touch my cheek and I gave him a cold look. "No touching, remember?" His eyes narrowed and I lifted my chin up.
"You didn't make that a rule did you?" Ghilesh sounded disbelieving and I tightened my arms over my chest.
"Yes, no touching because I'm a distraction." Despite how brittle the words sounded Ghilesh started laughing. I looked around Rhex and he turned to look at the Soul Maker as well.
"You can't do that, Rhex. It isn't going to work, you will break." The smile on his face looked almost devilish and I gave him a wary look. "And you will break hard." I frowned in confusion, unsure of what the words exactly meant.
"Liviya, we are leaving." Rhex grabbed my wrist, the heat from his skin sending shivers down my spine.
I tugged against it, my jaw closed so tightly I could practically hear my teeth groan. "I'm not being shoved into the stupid teleporter again." I spat the words out and looked at him with narrowed eyes. "It feels like my bones are going to rattle out of my skin and my arms and legs get numb." The teleporter made me feel horrible and I was resentful for being ignored when I said that.
He met my gaze evenly, he was angry but I was too. "This isn't about what you-"
"Rhex, I think it is best if you listen to her." Ghilesh sounded slightly concerned. "There is a reason we did not let humans use the teleporters. It interrupts their physical systems, like the heartbeat. It could kill her." Rhex stiffened at his words then looked at me, he frowned almost in worry.
Vindication soared through me at Ghilesh's words. "I told you! I knew the stupid room wanted to kill me." I pointed at Rhex and he stepped closer to me, my eyes level with his collar bone. He reached up and ran the back of his hand down my cheek. I shivered at the contact and looked up at him, I felt sad for some strange reason. He was always so hot and cold with me and it caused a pang in my chest.
His skin brushed against mine softly as his gaze met mine. "I am sorry." His hand dropped back to his side and I tried to smile but it felt more like a grimace so I stopped.
"Take the service stairs if you are with her. There are no cameras there." Ghilesh smirked and I gave him an unimpressed look.
"Like that would ever happen. Distraction, remember." I pointed at myself and let out a sigh as I walked out the door. I could feel Rhex walking behind me. I froze mid-step and he leaned closer, his cheek close to mine and his chest nearly pressed against my back.
"You do not need to remind me of that, Liv." Despite the words I felt myself shiver as they rumbled through his chest, the vibrations of them dancing on my skin. "You are a distraction. I cannot think when you are around because all I can think about is running my hands over your soft skin and kissing you until we both can't breathe." My breath caught in my throat at his words and my heart started a harsh rhythm in my chest.
I fought the urge to lean back into him and I closed my eyes, taking in his scent. It was musky and almost seemed to have an edge of something wild, something that warned me off as if he were dangerous. At the same time it called to me on an almost primal level and I resisted the urge to whimper.
"Rhex, I was serious. This no touching rule will break you. Your grandfather is right, if you don't start kissing her. Someone else will." Ghilesh laughed and closed the door behind us. Rhex moved away from me, leaving me feeling chilled and frustrated and I glared at him.
"That is not fair, Rhex." I blinked back tears, "You know it isn't fair."