31

I breathe hard when I finish yelling.
“And you say you’re dizzy? You don’t need coffee but a fucking chill pill,” Eloive says, dropping the mug of coffee on the table.
“What she needs is to get examined by a doctor. She’s not in the right frame of mind.”
What a fucking asshole!
“I’m not in the right frame of mind? And you are? Well sorry to burst your bubble Sia, but people in the right frame of mind do not…”
“That’s enough! Jesus! You guys fight like married couples, it’s sickening! I don’t like arguments in my house. You can sort out your marital problems elsewhere. Now if all is calm and cool, I’ll like to say something.”
Sia gestures for him to continue. “Go ahead.”
“Ceci and I were out on a date. Not dating as some people would think,” Eloive says, narrowing his eyes at me.
“Then what were you guys doing?”, Sia asks.
“Getting rid of problems and discussing them. Father didn’t kill Cecilia’s mother but my sperm donor tried to arrest father for what he didn’t do. Father got mad, is still mad, and harasses Cecilia.”
“Harasses?”, Sia and I ask at the same time.
Massa harasses his goddaughter? Was that why she ran away?
Eloive nods. “She told me everything this morning. He forced her to give him a blowjob.”
“Did she, do it?”, I ask in a low voice.
“She didn’t have a choice. If she refused, he would torture her with scraping knives.”
“So, you wanted to help her get rid of her weakness?”, I asked him.
“Yeah. She was doing great, before Massa showed up.”
“We need to tell Ruarc,” Sia says suddenly.
“No shit. Then count me out.”
“I know you don’t want to see him, but it is important he knows this, so we can save Cecilia.”
Eloive scoffs. “You couldn’t save me yet you’re eager to save that lying bitch.”
Save him? From what? From his father? From Ruarc? What did Sia not save him from?
“Lying bitch? You think Cecilia is lying?”
“I don’t think. I know,” Eloive snapped. Geez he is bipolar. “I don’t believe Massa is forcing her into anything. Do you know why?”
“Why?”, Sia and I ask at the same time.
“If she is really being harrassed, she would be traumatized. And as far as I know, traumatized people don’t seduce people.”
“Seduce? You?”, Sia asks surprised.
My eyes widened at this. Were Eloive and Cecilia mates? Is that it?
“Seduce, kiss same thing. Massa only became Cecilia’s godfather to be closer to her.”
“Why would Massa want to be closer to Cecilia?”, I ask, furrowing my brows. Nothing makes sense.
“I guess they’re a thing now,” he answers.
“Then why did she lie?”, Sia asks him.
Eloive picks at a loose thread on his jeans. He doesn’t talk for a moment and I start to think he didn’t hear Sia’s question. But he did.
“To get closer to me,” Eloive says sadly. “Even if I didn’t know them personally, I would still know that they are related. Dangerous seductresses, playing with the hearts of men. Cecilia played with me, but I didn’t give in, so she tried to win my sympathy. Greedy bitch.”
“So, you’re mates,” I whisper after digesting his words.
“They once said I won’t have a mate. Now that I do, she’s with the man I call father. The irony. One thing is clear. Massa can go to hell for all I care, but I want my mate, hook, line and sinker.” His eyes shone brightly as he rose from where he sat on the chair.
Sia rose as well, and I guess I was the only one standing. It’s good that I didn’t sit though. Because if I did, I would have slept.
“No Eloive. It’s too dangerous. There are other ways you can have her. It didn’t work last time.”
“What didn’t work last time?”, I ask, but both Icelanders ignore me. Okay then.
“It didn’t work last time but it will work this time. Plus, I’m older now and ed. It would work.”
“Sia, what does Eloive want to do? What is he talking about?”
“He wants to break the matebond between Massa and Cecilia.”
I blink. “What matebond? He said they are a ‘thing’, and not mates. So how…?”
Sia sighs. “It’s an Icelander thing.”
I frown. Yeah, thank you for reminding me that I am not an Icelander. “That doesn’t really tell me much.”
“It’s not supposed to,” Eloive snapped.
Sia glared at him. “Don’t.”
A warning. He’s warning Eloive. For me. My heart swelled. Maybe he was right. Maybe a little part of him does care for me.
Eloive clicks his tongue, his grey eyes fixed on me. “This scene kind of reminds me of Anita and Nuella too. So don’t think you’re any special. He’s done this with other girls. You’re not the first he’s marked, and you won’t be the last.”
It hurts so badly, I wrap my arms around myself, as though that will shield me from emotional pain. The veins in Sia’s neck are bulging, and I know that if I hadn’t asked him to stop with a shake of my head, he would have ripped Eloive in half.
But Sia is Sia. He doesn’t take no for an answer.
Sia pushed Eloive against the wall, and when I looked at Eloive, he was smiling?
“Now you listen to me. I am not your father. If you dare disrespect my woman again, I’ll rip you apart. IS. THAT. CLEAR?”
My woman. He called me his woman. My heart is dancing right now.
Eloive’s smile only deepened. “Oh uncle. That would be the best gift you’ve ever given me.”
I blink. Is he for real?
Sia released him. “Death would be too easy for your kind of people.”
Eloive laughed as he smoothed out the wrinkles on his shirt. “This is why I like you. You kinda get me.”
“Okay what is happening? You were literally bullying him just moments ago, and now you two are laughing like nothing happened.”
The two men looked to me, eyes shining. “It’s an Icelander thing,” they said in unison.
Well fuck them. “You didn’t answer the question. How does Massa have a matebond with Cecilia?”
They both looked at me, grinning. And if I didn’t know any better, I’d think Eloive is Sia’s. They’re so mischievous together.
“Don’t,” I warn them. “If I hear ‘it’s an icelander thing’ from your mouths, I will kill you both.”
Eloive snorted. “Like you can even do a number on me.”
Did he just…? Oh, my heavens! I’m going to deal with this boy right now. Sia must have read my mind, ’cause he’s now pulling me away from Eloive.
“Now no fighting here you two. Do that later, whenever that would be. What I’m about to tell you only works for Icelanders with royal blood. If I were to mate with a human female,” he pauses to look at me.
“Which he has already done,” Eloive adds.
Sia glared at him, and I knew he would have marched forward to hurt his nephew, if I hadn’t tugged on his shirt. “Uh uh. You didn’t let me hit him, so it’s only fair if you don’t either.”
He grins, mischief dancing in those eyes. “How about we hit him together? Fair enough?”
I shudder as the image of Eloive’s blotched and beaten body comes to mind. “No. I already have enough blood on my hands as it is. Now continue.”
“I’m likely to unknowingly form a bond with her.”
Wow. And when I just thought matebonds were for mates only.
“Oh. That’s something.”
“It’s an Icelander thing,” the men chorused.
I glare at them both. Deep down, I’m happy to see a smile on Sia’s face, and Eloive’s too.
“So, this happens for all humans?”
“We don’t know that,” Eloive said. “But since a bond has been formed between them, I have no other choice than to break it.”
I turn to Sia. “Eloive can break bonds?”, I ask him.
“I can,” Eloive says the same time Sia said, “he can’t.”
“Um, which answer am I going with?”
“Mine obviously,” Eloive says rolling his eyes. “Since I’m able to do so”.
“You’re not able Eloive. You will only hurt yourself.”
“Says the guy who was threatening to rip me apart. I would hurt myself if I didn’t have Cecilia. Allow me to do this Nasia. Let it be the only thing that I can do without supervision.”
“And let you die?”
Die?
“I won’t die Nasia because what is dead can never die.”
None of them say a word, and I seize the opportunity to clear my confusion.
“Can somebody please explain?”
I thought Sia would explain like he usually does, but Eloive is the one talking.
“I was very young, five or six I think, when I tried to test out my ability. Ruarc and Nuella weren’t doing so great, so I tried to break the bond between them.”
I gasped. Another thing Sia didn’t tell me. “Did it work?”
He scoffs. “If it did, Ruarc would send me away or sell me out. That old man has many ideas.”
“What happened?”.
Eloive took a deep breath before answering, “It backfired. The matebond wasn’t broken and me? I caused my own death.”
“Death?”
“He died,” Sia says.
“Died? But he’s right here. Unless I’m seeing a ghost.”
Eloive chuckles, making ghost sounds. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Cocci begat him.
“Cocci’s daughter died in order for this fool to be brought back.”
Eloive clicked his tongue. “I would have rather stayed dead in the grave than come back for my father to still hate me.”
He acknowledged Ruarc as his father. It’s just once, but it’s nice.
“Cocci? Cocci had a daughter? I thought he’s gay?”
“Gay? That explains why he tried to kiss me before. So much for brotherly affection,” Eloive exclaims, rolling his eyes and I’m surprised he doesn’t know.
“The lass was never born. If you want more details ask Cocci, but nobody would die for you to come back again Eloive. Mark my words. Nobody.”
Eloive clicks his tongue. “I don’t need to mark those useless words of yours because I’m not going to die. I don’t even know why I’m still here. Let me get going.”
“Eloive don’t do this,” I plead. Eloive might be annoying at times, but that doesn’t mean I want to see him hurt. “Cecilia is not worth dying for.”
Eloive halts in his tracks, and turned sharply to me. “I said this before. What is dead can never die,” Eloive is out of the door when I turn to Sia.
“Can’t you do anything to stop him?”
“Can you stop a whirlwind?”, he shot back. “The kid is unstoppable. I gave up on him years ago.”
“Well, I’m going to stop him. He’s only going to hurt himself.”
I headed for the door. Sia’s hand latches onto my wrist. It stays there.
“Don’t go after him Crinka. Leave him to his fate. If he is supposed to die, he will die.”
How could Sia say that with a straight face? “You’re a selfish asshole Sia. You don’t even care about your own nephew. Is your hatred for Ruarc so bad that you’re transferring it to Eloive?”
“You don’t understand Crinka.”
“Then make me understand.”
Sia doesn’t say anything and I shake his hand off my wrist. When I go outside, I don’t see Eloive anywhere, only vast grasslands and Sia’s sports car.
I start to cry.