Chapter 9: “You aren’t breathing”

Rebekah whispered, her hand rested on Zayne’s palms. They sat facing each other the evening sun not helping the frigid ground. The thrum of electricity from their hands making it hard for her to breathe as well.

“Let’s see you do better.” He murmurs, sighing as Magnus shouts “No talking.” She says for what seems like the millionth time today.

He had been training like this for nearly a month now, the weather turning colder. He could almost go completely without the ring that muted his energy.

The auromni understood why he was struggling now, even though they had only seen select memories. As if Aethalia had hand-picked what each person would see. When they had broken the circle her friend had been sweating, her face more pale than usual. She looked at Zayne with different eyes, her lips set in a hard line. She hadn't been able to tell Rebekah much of what she had seen due to Eerikki taking her with him to the mainland.

They would be home soon. He never stayed away from Rebekah longer than a few weeks at a time. She felt dread sink in her stomach, he would be furious she still wasn’t pregnant. When would he grow suspicious?

“You’re distracted again,” Zayne stated not opening his eyes, taking deep breaths. There was no doubt in his voice, his heavy brow in its usual v-shape. Rebekah nodded, even though he could not see it, she knew he would know she wasn’t going to talk about it.

“Maybe I could help. You never know.” He says softly, “The sooner you are able to kill Eerikki the sooner you can help me.” Rebekah responds resisting the urge to pull away.

What would her people do, the little that remained, if Eerikki decided to do away with her? Zayne clears his throat as Magnus passes by them.

“Ok Rebekah, his break is over.” Rebekah obliged pulling her palms out from under his, watching his lips purse together, his nostrils flaring at the sudden rush he felt.

“Ok. Zayne, you need to isolate and identify.”

He chewed the skin from his lips, Rebekah watched his eyelids move quickly beneath the lid, his breaths becoming labored.

“Deep breaths, isolate, identify.”

“There are too many,” he panted, sweat breaking out on his forehead. “Categorize,” Addeline called from the porch, leaning on the thick wooden beam, her face full of concern.

“What?” he huffed opening his eyes yanking on his curls. They had gotten so long, brushing his jawbone.

He glanced at Severine who read a book nearby, smiling slightly at her, his shoulders relaxing.

“Categorize.” Addeline repeated coming to sit next to him, “Earth, water, wind, and fire.” Addeline marked the symbols in the dirt, “We all have a sensitivity and magnetic draw to certain energies. Magnus is earth, in penetrable, strong. Severine is water, calm, and fluid. Vor is fire, she is everchanging with high energy. Rebekah is air, familiar, determined, and always on the move. Categorize these energies, rather than identify. Put them together and isolate what you don’t need. First categorize, then find.” Addeline tacked on, inspiration lighting her eyes.

“Rebekah, stand in the middle. Zayne you face her.” Addeline moved her hands as if conducting them, doing as she was told, Rebekah walked to the middle of the yard feeling his eyes watch her.

“Now, Rebekah is air. The hardest energy to identify. You want to isolate every other element, but air.”

“That will be too hard for a first attempt.” Magnus scoffs but Addeline raises a hand, “They are souette’s, he is automatically drawn to Rebekah’s energy. So, this should not be a challenge in the slightest.” Magnus curls her lips at this, going and sitting on the porch next to Severine, who has used her finger as a bookmark, leaning forward with interest.

“Isn’t this how we taught Vor?” she says in a nostalgic tone, Addeline smiles “Similar. Not quite the same. But it is where I got the inspiration."

“Fire signs are hard to teach, they are so stubborn.” Magnus scoffs leaning back on a column. “Says the earth sign” Severine giggles yanking on Magnus’ lock.

Zayne watches them with agitation, wiping his face with the bottom of his shirt before closing his eyes. “Categorize.” He repeated his tone weary.

“You can’t manipulate the energy until it is yours. So, you will decide which energy you pull into you. Which would be from Rebekah.” Addeline whispered as Zayne began breathing deeply. Rebekah watched the V disappear, his eyelids flitting as he focused.

She wasn’t sure how much time passed when a shiver slid up her spine. It felt like his finger trailed the tender skin from her lower back to the nape of her neck. The urge to walk closer growing stronger, until she couldn’t stop her legs from stepping forward.

Addeline held her hand up, but Rebekah picked up the pace, her legs not listening to her head. Rebekah close enough now for Zayne to grab her. His head coming to her navel, she felt his breath through her shirt. Shivering she put her hand on his curls, the feeling in her legs dissipated and he looked up at her, head tilted all the way back eyebrows raised in surprise. He slid his hands up her legs resting his palms on her thighs, those blue eyes startling Rebekah. Before they had been dead, cold, absolutely void. Now they were hot, full of want, his fingers gripping her legs. Addeline nodded standing, “You didn’t technically pull her energy into you, you pulled her to you. Which is interesting. Rebekah, do you feel drained at all?” It took Rebekah a moment to pull her gaze from Zayne’s taking a step back clearing her throat she shook her head.

“No,” Rebekah whispered swallowing hard, her heart thundering under her skin, her core throbbing.

Addeline pursed her lips, “Do you think you could pull energy from her?” Zayne’s scoffed at the question resting back on his palms. She could see the frustration in the set of his mouth, it always seemed to boil just below the surface recently.

"I draw energy from everything, that seems to be my biggest issue." This made Severine stand, he glanced at her, his expression softening "That's not true love" she chirped. "You don't pull energy from Rebekah, or Eerikki. You feel them sure, see their aura I'm sure. But have you ever actually pulled from them." She moved as she spoke, never able to hold still. He followed her motions with thoughtful eyes. Closing them to them and taking a breath he shook his head shrugging.

"I guess not. It's all a lot, honestly, I have no idea. You all told me I pull energy so I just assumed." Then his brows furrowed Rebekah saw realization form then “You want me to pull the energy from Eerikki. They are the same. Whatever they are.” He glanced at his palms, chewing his lip. Nodding his head. “I recognize her energy is something created by us. Manipulated. But,” Magnus cut him off with a sharp gesture, her hand going to her hip, “That’s not what’s important. Can you pull energy from her?” Zayne scowled at her before squinting up at Rebekah. “I’m sure with practice? I don’t know.” He stands now stretching, “I have to go. I’m on dinner duty.” making Magnus scoff “That’s not important.” She blocks his way, making him stare her down. She came to his collar bone, but she seemed larger, somehow looming over him.

Rebekah glanced at Addeline who tittered “He’s right. Vor isn’t here to control things. He has to keep the schedule. We would never keep him this late under normal circumstances. Rebekah, you walk him back.” With a wave of her hand Magnus stood down, arms crossed as she watched them head toward the tree line. “Keep practicing tonight! Separate all the energies in the room and practice singling them out.” Magnus called Zayne raised his hand putting the ring back on but didn’t respond staring straight ahead as they followed the path back to the main house.

Rebekah sucked in a breath when his fingers slid down her inner arm, lacing between hers. He remained silent, but it was comfortable. Enjoying the thrum of electricity between them. The house was just up above and Zayne stopped her before they broke through the trees.

"What if I can't kill him?" he confesses, "I know he's horrible, but I've never killed anyone. Anything." his free hand finds her other one using her to center himself. Rebekah pursed her lips nodding, "I don't see any other way of stopping him." she admitted.

Zayne looked at her with an intense gaze, "You are just as powerful as him Rebekah. Why can't you just leave? Take your family. And go." his words were barely above a whisper, and they made her want to hide. Pulling away from him she shook her head sharply. "He finds me. And enough people have died from me trying to run away. From trying to stand up to him. There is barely anyone left." He pulled her to him again tilting her chin up seeing the tears in her eyes. With a heavy sigh, he pulls her into his arms cradling her head in his hand, his free hand pressing her into him.

"Why does he want you so badly?" he whispers into her hair, "Not that you aren't amazing I mean sure. But why specifically you?"

When the top of the house was visible, he squeezed her once before letting go.

“Vor is back,” he murmured making Rebekah look up at him “You can sense her?” he rolled his eyes “I can hear her.” She blinked looking back at the house and realized Vor was yelling in the front yard. Rebekah had been so focused on the feel of Zayne’s skin on hers that nothing had registered before. She felt heat rush to her cheeks at the thought before putting more distance between them.

She saw him nod at her before going through the slave lower entrance, allowing her to go around the house to see what Vor was so upset about. “A week spent to get those supplies and you literally just,” Vor snorted massaging her temples closing her eyes to the spilled potted plants on the ground. Udom stared at her, his brown eyes wide, though he was just a teenager, Vor treated stupidity equally. With no patience.

Rebekah went forward and began to scrape the dirt back into the pot, Udom startled then started to help, “I didn’t expect it to be that heavy.” He murmured the teenager’s ears red at Vor’s scolding.

Vor sucked her teeth rubbing the leaves of her new plant, rolling her eyes as August bound down the steps of the house swinging his arms. “Any more?” he stepped into Vor’s space as he always did hands on his hips, giving her a wide grin. She shoved his chest shaking her head, “Just the one your stupid brother dropped, if the roots are damaged Eerik is going to be pissed he just spent that much money on something with no value.” August looked down at Udom and flicked his ear, he took it without complaint ducking his head scooping the dirt up faster now.

Rebekah glanced up at August who noticed she was down there startling, “Stand up before I get my ass chewed,” he snapped, face turning serious as he dropped down his giant hands scraping all the remaining dirt towards Udom shooing her off the ground.

Rebekah obliged dusting her hands off glancing at Vor, her eyebrows raised. “I convinced him to buy me some new supplies while out” she gave Rebekah her rare smile pulling her into the house to show off her new haul of plants. Vor’s secret weakness. She had a knack for making medicines and other herbal remedies, which Eerik profited from greatly, so of course, he bought her whatever she wanted. That and Eerik had always had a severe soft spot for his only child.

Rebekah spent the rest of the afternoon in Vor’s part of the house, listening to her talk plants and organize her herb pantry. Unable to get that morning out of her head, half-listening to her friend, the other half consumed with the feeling of Zayne’s hands splayed on her thighs. The way his breath washed over her belly, making her stomach drop. Several times she felt that same sensation, of his fingers trailing up her spine, and wondered if he was finding her in the house as they moved around. It was such a large space it seemed impossible. It didn’t occur to her that Eerik hadn’t come to find her until Ashli came to find her to dress for dinner. “Is he,” Rebekah trailed off meeting Vor’s eyes, her friend shook her head. “Arne found him when we first got here. You know when he’s gone the blended family doesn’t get along. And Arne has to run and tattle.” Rebekah nodded comforted at the thought he wouldn’t already be angry at dinner.

Eerik had been quite calmed the last few months, she felt it was because he was always hopeful, she was growing with child. She could see his temper shimmer at the surface when she started her cycle, but he hasn’t put his hands on her since they started trying. It made her more and more uneasy the longer he went without grabbing her, leaving bruises with the force, like a pot about to boil over. She just kept blowing the bubbles down but sooner or later it would finally sizzle to the burner because the heat never got turned down.

Ashli dressed her in an emerald green sweater dress, black heels that wrapped up to her shins. Applied her make-up the way Eerik liked it and brought out new jewelry. Rebekah never complained when the servants were around because sure her life had been stolen just like theirs, but she had twice the amount of freedom as them. She couldn’t imagine the slap in the face of complaining in front of a worse-off prisoner.

“How would you like your hair?” Ashli said, her sweet face smiling slightly running her fingers lightly through Rebekah’s long waves, “Whatever you feel up to.” Rebekah smiled at her in the mirror knowing the young girl enjoyed this task the most. Her brown eyes lighting up running and getting the hot iron, she began to straighten the waves.

When Rebekah joined the others downstairs her eyes automatically found Zayne, just like they always did. She always got a secret thrill at him being there, her hidden weapon. She couldn’t deny that the way he always took her in like he was starved made her stomach flutter and chest swell. He always started with her face, eyes sliding down slowly, he always licked his lips when he was done, standing taller before tearing his eyes away.

Eerik leaned against the bar talking with Xander, he glanced at her once before going back to his conversation. Rebekah did what she knew he wanted her to do, which was standing by his side silently. They talked about the perimeters, and about next summer. Once the table was fully set Eerik called everyone to sit down.

Rebekah spaced out as she usually did during meals, eating mechanically, when Eerik speaking to Ople made her snap out of it. “You haven’t eaten much.” Ople flushed glancing at Xander, who swallowed hard. Eerik never really paid attention to how much the others are eating, so he must have noticed something else and was calling attention to something else. Ople looked to her brother Gray before saying “I’m just not very hungry.” Eerik set his napkin down leaning forward giving her a look. Xander took her hand clearing his throat, “We wanted to wait until she was farther along, but Ople is with child.” Rebekah’s stomach dropped, her gaze going to Eerik.

This could go one way or another, the same situation had happened previously, and Eerik had been excited about it. And when she lost it, he had been sympathetic. But that was a year ago. And it was within his family, not hers.

His hands balled into fists, but his face remained calm, “Well congratulations you two. I thought you were going to wait until you found your souette Xander.” Eerik said his tone not matching his smile. Rebekah’s stomach turned as she glanced at Vor who gripped Rebekah’s arm under the table. “We love each other, but it was not planned,” Xander said keeping his voice low, eyes lowered. Rebekah had worried about this when Vor had told Eerik that one of his exchanges for immortality was that he could only reproduce with his souette. Something he took well at first, but here they were a year later. Eerik nodded remaining silent, the room was still no one ate, just stared at their plates. Rebekah stared at her mashed potatoes, Vor’s nails digging into her skin. “Rebekah,” Eerik said after taking a drink of water, inhaling deeply she looked at him keeping her face placated. “Since we are on the subject,” he looked at her expectantly, Rebekah hating this tactic stared back. “Yes?” she said politely furrowing her brows to seem confused. His jaw ticking Eerik mirrored her tone “Have you recently taken a test?” Vor’s nails drew blood now, Rebekah’s stomach rolling she swallowed keeping still as she said in a firm tone. “We could talk about this in a more,” Eerik held up his hand giving his head a brief shake. “I finished my cycle two days ago, there was no need for a test.”

Rebekah flinched at the sound of his chair scraping against the hardwood, shocked that it was not her he grabbed but Vor, “You sneaky little bitch,” he hissed dragging her up by her face, her cheeks squeezed between his fingers. She clutched his hands, her toes trying to touch the floor, “Let me go” she hissed but was in no position to defend herself. He had taken her by surprise too, he had never placed a hand on her before. “She isn’t my souette is she!” he tossed Vor, the sound of her hitting the floor repelling Rebekah forward pulling his elbow swinging around him to stand in front of Vor who held her head slowly sitting up. Eerik didn’t hesitate to wrap his fingers around Rebekah’s throat pushing her backward, she stumbled against Vor but he followed her down crouching over her squeezing the air from her throat.

She saw Vor looking at someone, saw her lips form the words but was jarred from comprehension when the sound of something bursting followed by hot sticky spray covered her. The room was silent again, the only sound was Rebekah gasping for air, confused she stood quickly looking quickly for Eerik, but couldn’t understand what she was looking at. Breaths coming in quick bursts she finally realized that his body lay in a pool of blood, his legs bent at odd angles, his fingers nothing but bloody stumps. But that wasn’t what was so hard for her to wrap her head around, she couldn’t find anything above his shoulders, just tissue, hair, and blood. “You have to go,” Vor hissed her eyes wide, Rebekah turned confused and realized it was Zayne she was talking to. Vor gripped her brother’s shirt, his eyes wide, mouth gaped he looked at her then. Terrified, realizing it was him that had done that. Had made Eerik’s head pop like a grape, made his fingers explode where they touched Rebekah. “Go,”