Chained Souls: Night Eight {Book Two of the Chained Duet}

**Katherynn** · 12-07-2011 03:30 PM

Night Eight

I cuddled into the warmth that was holding onto me. For the Amazon Rainforest it could get pretty damn cold.
My eyes opened and, instead of the cat I'd curled up to through the night--after she'd warmed up to me--that I thought I held onto, my gaze settled on a male chest.
I looked up to see Talisen, his eyes closed, hair strewn in front of his eyes, as he slept. While he slept it was almost as if he was a little kid. He looked so relaxed.
His hair, once braided, was down and everywhere. Due to the braid it waved slightly but not enough to be called curly. It had more of an indian feel to it.
I touched his cheek gently and he pulled me tighter to him, mumbling in his sleep.
"Love..."
I blinked. Love? What was that supposed to mean? I allowed him to pull me completely against his body as he hugged me to him, words slurring together.
"Jennifer...love...you..."
I jerked upright and Talisen immediately went on the defensive.
"What's going on?!" he said immediately, bracing himself. "Is someone here?"
I blinked and hugged myself, shivering, as he made me look at him. My mind made up a quick lie and I used it.
"I had a bad dream," I lied effortlessly. "It scared me. I'm sorry...I didn't meant to startle you..."
Talisen relaxed and nodded, turning to grab his shirt and pull it on.
"I'm going to go take a bath," he said calmly, standing. "I'll come get you so you can bathe when I'm finished."
I nodded and curled into a ball, hugging my knees to my chest.
What the Hell was all of that about?! Talisen loved my mother?!
I tensed, dear slicing through me.
Did he even love me? Or was it because I was Jennifer's daughter that he claimed he loved me? Was my father even my father? I'd thought all along Helios was my father...but could it actually be Death?
Liquid ice seeped through me as I ran over possibilites in my head.
How could I be sure Death loved me? After all, he'd loved my mother, apparently. Since he couldn't have her, why not do what practically every other male does on a daily basis and go for second best--her daughter?
Hot tears fell down my cheeks as reality slapped me in the face. I would have to face it--I'd screwed up every single possible 'happily ever after' I could have had.
Besides, who believed in fairytales, anymore? They never happened. No girl ever gets the prince and finds a happily ever after.
In the real world you fight to get what you deserve and, many times, you lie and cheat to get what you want. Men come and go as do women and, in the end, you're alone with your lies and your money.
And that's only if you're lucky.
Those who do get what they believe to be their happy ending are unemployed and, or, have very suckish lives with too many kids to handle and feed and at the bottom of the food chain.
Life sucks and then you die--but that's only if you're lucky.
I sighed before standing and adjusting my clothes. The last thing I needed was someone walking in and thinking that I'd...I felt my cheeks heat and I shook my head furiously, trying to fix my thoughts.
There was no way I was allowed to do that with Talisen. Death was a different story--sort of--but still!
Keia watched me from the corner, tail twitching, as she observed me. It was an almost embarassing show.
"Where did it go so wrong?" I asked her with a sigh.
"Probably when you came here," someone said from behind me. "Because I sure as Hell know you shouldn't exist yet."
I jerked around and met bright eyes that had seemed to turn glacial as I met them.
"Signit?" I breathed, backing into a wall. "You startled me. I thought you'd be at work."
"What exactly are you to my brother?"
The statement was bold to say the least but I knew by her tone that she was serious--in every sense of the word.
"I'm nothing," I replied honestly. And it was the truth--I wasn't anything...yet. "Believe me--I'm telling you the truth."
"Not Cult," she growled. "Talisen--what are you to him? He'd been acting different since you got here. It's even worse than when your bitch mom was here."
I blinked.
Signit was...violent. From a distance you never would've guessed. But whether it was violence or protectiveness over her brothers was anyone's guess. I was hoping it was simply the latter.
"I'm not anything," I protested. "Not for another God knows how many years!"
"What are you to him then, hmm?" she said heatedly. "Are you a slut then, like your mother?!"
"How do you know she's my mother?" I shot back. "How do you even know who I am?! And my mother was not a slut!! She only slept with two people!!"
"Try four, sweetums," she hissed. "My brothers--on the same night, I might add--Sun, and Epimetheus. I'd tell you to ask her but that would only screw things up."
"How do you know me?" I repeated. It was the main question I wanted answered.
"Tell me what you are to Talisen in the future and maybe I'll tell you," she negotiated.
"After you," I gritted out.
She glared and me, made a 'hmph' noise, and crossed her arms as she spoke.
"Let's just say I'm going to become that little cave beneath the lake," she said calmly. "Now you, if you don't want to end up skin from one time to another."
I ignored the threat though I had a feeling that she could probably do it if she really wanted.
What had captured my interest was the cave part. Was she saying that she was that weird oracle-thing? It answered some questions as to how she knew so much.
"To Talisen," I said slowly. "I'm 'the thing he cares the most about but will never have. The thing he wants the most but, at the same time, the very thing he can never truly possess—in any way.' His words rephrased."
She frowned, her eyebrows pulling together as she fell deep into though, her eyes focused on the floor.
"I think I understand," she said calmly. "You're pregnant now, aren't you?"
I touched my stomach reflexively, blinking, as I shook my head. I wasn't sure why I lied.
She gave me a once over and shrugged before continuing.
"Well, you will be soon," she said calmly. "But I take it you've slept with Helios?"
"And Pain," I blurted out.
Her glacial gaze settled on mine and I froze, deeply wishing I could retract the words.
"Another evil?" she asked. She didn't give me time to reply. "Well, then it's safe to say you haven't slept with Epimetheus. Have you slept with Talisen?"
I shook my head slowly and Signit started to pace restlessly before turning and glaring at me.
"Listen," she said coldly. "No matter what you learn hear or whatever you see you must not let it affect how you feel towards my brother."
I blinked.
"Honestly," I whispered slowly. "I'm not really sure how I feel about Talisen."
"Pandora?"
Both Signit and I looked up to the doorway to see Talisen, hair down and dripping wet, looking at us curiously.
"Signit, what are you doing here?"
Signit and I shared a look of 'how much did he hear' question before she responded.
"I just wanted to get to know our guest a little better," she replied, smiling. "She interests me."
"Alright..."
He looked like he didn't believe her as they exchanged goodbyes and we were left alone.
"Would you like to take a bath now?" he asked, motioning to the door.
I nodded and followed him out of the tree-home and into the forest. We took at leat ten turns in the first two minutes and I knew I would never be able to find my out if he decided to leave.
"You can bathe," he said, pointing to a small pond. It was a smaller version of the grotto I'd been in when I'd arrived. "I'll stand guard."
He didn't seem to worry about modesty since he had no shirt on and his jeans were unbuttoned.
I forced myself not to look at him as I walked over to the pond and undressed to my bra and panties. Oddly enough, it was easier to undress in front of him than it probably should've been.
The water felt nice against my skin. It felt like bath water, only a little cooler than I prefered, and it was the first taste of bliss I'd had since arriving here.
I took the time to scrub off my skin with my hand the best I could. My hair was a tangled mess so the best I could do was finger-comb it while I dunked my head underwater.
The water moved suddenly and I tensed, using only my eyes to search as far around the area as I could.
Something big splashed into the water and I let out an accidential scream seconds before someone grabbed my wrist and ripped me out of the water.
I landed on the lush grass with a soft 'thud' as someone tangled with whatever had been in the water.
"Pandora," Talisen yelled. It was weird to hear him speak at a normal tone let alone hearing him yell since I was so used to his soft whisper. "Are you alright?"
"It's another anaconda," a person said as he tossed a large--now dead--snake in front of us.
I jumped back, falling into Talisen's arms as I looked up at the person for the first time.
My breathing halted completely as I met familair blood eyes.