Chapter 17

"Aidan, your hypothesis might be wrong, you just can't jump into conclusions. Kayden and I grew up together in Balcroft till he relocated with his mother. He can't be from Gilmorsh and I…. There must be an explanation of my abilities." I say in a quivering tone.

Aidan shuffles closer to and peers deeply into mine.

"Zelda… The lands are made up of different creatures, the humans or weaklings as the vampires call them. The vampires who believe that they are the most powerful of all beings. They posses some powerful abilities like a distinctive sense of sight, taste, hearing and the rest. They have wings for flight, they're extremely skillfull and ten times more powerful and stronger than an average human, they have a lot of distinctive features that they deem themselves the most powerful. Then there's the Gilmorsh's, the magical creatures that both the humans and the vampires fear but mask it with hate.

The Venine temple, their very source of strength and magical abilities. Every Gilmorsh born is birthed with at least two magical abilities, although there are some humans who engage in their religion and reside among them with no magical abilities.

The Gilmorsh's magical abilities are in different ranks, ranging from the average town dwellers, the priestess' servants, the priests, the priestess herself, and then their goddess.

These powers are ranked in different hierarchies and I know them when I see one. Kayden definitely isn't a town dweller nor a priest, his powers are way beyond those, same situation applies to you Zelda."

I let out a shaky breath as I tighten my hold on his shirt that I just realized I've been holding.

"Aidan, you're wrong. I'm definitely not from Gilmorsh, my parents are from Balcroft and I've lived here all my life." I say shaking my head still in disbelief of his words.

"Zelda have you given some thoughts to your parents…. or rather should I say family. Your middle class father sold you out for some measly amount he can make in two days. The peasants that I know can't do such, or must have a hard time selling out their children for a huge amount, but your father sold you out willingly and gladly. Your mother did little or nothing to stop his actions. Now take a look at your family… your parents, brother, grandparents and probably aunts and uncles if you can remember any, do any of your features correspond with theirs.

I mean is there any blondie or dark grey eyed person in your family? Hmmm?" He asks.

I shudder as his word sink in. I've never given any serious thought to my father's harsh treatment towards me and my mother's passive attitude. I slowly recollect past events when my father's sister paid us visits, her contemptuous looks and words towards me and her preferential treatments towards Alan despite me being the last child. Faded memories now comes crashing in, my father's family never liked me, his parents, my grandparents and his older sister Alethea.

I never got to know about my mother's family. I only know about her dead father because she goes to his grave with flowers on rare occasions. I don't know about her other family members.

My parents and Alan has this pitch black hair. Alan took after my mother with the color of his eyes but his looks is still similar to my dad. But me, blonde hair, dark grey eyes, and a paler skin.

I sigh in defeat as a tear trickles down my cheek. Aidan draws me closer and wipes them away.

"Don't Zelda, I've seen enough of your tears this week please." He says.

I'm forced to smile at his words as I sniffle. He pulls me back and holds me in his embrace.

Then a knock is heard, after few seconds a maid opens the door to walk in with a tray, placing it gently on the side table she bows slightly and leaves.

Aidan gets up, walk around the bed to take the tray, he sits beside me, scoops a spoonful and directs it to my mouth.

"Aidan, I haven't had a bath and besides I can feed myself." I protest.

"Don't worry, Aine has been doing that for the past four days and you currently don't have the energy to lift the spoon. Now open up, you need your strength." He says still holding the spoon.

I comply.

A few minutes after I'm done eating, another maid comes in and takes the used plates away.

Aidan stands and wipes his hands meticulously with a tissue. After some seconds I'm forced to ask,

"Are you meeting with your mistress today? Marilyn?"

Aidan stands still and slowly turns to face me. "What's going on in that head now Zelda? You need to rest not thinking about such unnecessary things."

"Of course I will, but not until I get an answer." I say feeling a sudden surge of jealousy and bitterness within me.

Aidan sighs, disposes the tissue, walks over and sits closely beside me. I remain silent staring at him with a stoic expression.

"Zelda." He says cupping my cheeks with both hands.

"Yes, to everyone Marilyn was my mistress, but I've only been intimate with her once which was years ago. I've been using her as a blood supply for the past few years as well, though once in a while. Recently I cut her off and she was here some days ago which took me by surprise, well maybe not. But nothing really occurred between us, she left as soon as she came because I dismissed her, nothing else." He says with all sincerity.

"You said it didn't take you by surprise, why?" I ask.

"Well, Marilyn is the youngest of the James family. She was already four years old when my father had me as his first child and son."

My eyes widen at the discovery that Marilyn is four years older than Aidan.

"For years now the James family have been trying to match make me with their youngest daughter, and Marilyn has this… should I say infatuation with me since our childhood, and I guess I made it worse when I allowed her get more closer with me. Nevertheless, she's my past now and I don't intend having anything together with her anymore." He says.

"Then you shouldn't entertain her advances anymore." I couldn't help but say.

He quirks his eyebrows and pecks my lips, "Laying your claim now love?" He says against my lips. I shudder at his endearment, 'love'.

"I believe you've done that already." I retort.

"Since you brought it up then, what of Kayden?" He asks staring intently at me.

I sigh, "Kayden and I have been together for many years now."

He gives me a look as if asking, 'is that all?'

"Well I grew up having a harsh and cruel father who often sent me off to stalls to sell products in high demand. Alan my brother often came to keep me company and helped me sell the products quickly when he was free. My father got to know about this and restricted his movements whenever I'm sent off to the stall.

That was when I met Kayden. He was a good friend of Alan, and he also stays in the stall next to mine. He sold some stuff for his aged grandmother. We took an instant liking immediately we met each other, Alan got to know about it and became protective and guarding towards me but loosened up after a while, when he knew of Kayden's genuine intentions towards me.

After some months of friendship, Kayden proposed to me to date him which I neither turned down nor accepted, but after his proposal we became more closer with minor physical contacts between us. We were together for years till he relocated, I believe with his mother who worked here then. I lost contact with him and missed him a great deal because he is the closest person to me apart from my brother, Alan. Well not till he showed up few days ago." I say fiddling with the blankets.

Aidan watches me intently, then to my fingers, "If he had given you the opportunity to run away with him that night, would you have?" He asks.

I loosen my grip on the blankets and sigh staring into empty space, "To be sincere, I will. I mean it's easier to trust your future with some you've being close with for years than someone you haven't stabilized yourself with. Aidan, it hurts me to say this but, I don't think I can ever come in terms with the fact that your family bought me as your mistress or a maid. I just don't…."

Before I could finish my sentence, Aidan holds me in a warm embrace and envelopes my mouth in his. I place my hands on his chest to push him away but he grabs it swiftly, places it over my head and guides my other hand to his neck which I unknowingly tighten.

Before I can comprehend the situation, he pries open my teeth and deepens the kiss while I hold his neck firmly. My toes curl in pleasure at the warm fuzzy feeling within me.

After a while he leaves me to catch some breath but still entangling me in a hug.

He trails his fingers from my face to my lips then holds my jaw. "What if I ask you to trust your future with me, to become mine and envisage a future about us?" He asks in a deep masculine husky voice.

I avoid his gaze and tilt my head to the left but he holds my head firmly forcing me to keep contact with his eyes.

"How can you love if you don't trust?" He asks peering deep into my eyes.

"Well he came late for you. He came for you when I've already laid my eyes on you, finders keepers. His loss."

I shudder at his words.

"Zelda…. You're mine now love. I apologize sincerely if my family or I have hurt you in anyway, accept my sincerest apologies love." He says trailing a kiss from my earlobes to my jawline.

"Zelda.." He calls in a deep voice slightly different from his.

With one hand, he sweeps away my hair to the right and tilts my neck causing my back to arch. He trails kisses from my jawline to my neck, he sucks on my skin for a while which I'm sure must've swollen by now. Before I can comprehend anything he draws me closer to him, his lips lingering on my neck and instantly a jolt of pain and pleasure courses through me as he sinks his fangs into my neck.

We stay in that position for a while before he disentangles himself from me. He sensitively places his warm tongue on the spot his fangs bit into. Peering deep into my eyes he says, "Be mine Zelda."