Chapter 55
For a long while after the pair of them arrived back at the Southern Palace they'd sat in silence. The silence only made time around them move more slowly, turning minutes into ever expanding hours. Mai didn't know why things were like this, but she got the feeling Kashmana did. There was something so inviting about him. Something which reminded her of a young Joey and at the same time warned her he was probably more trouble than he was worth. But still…
'You're still loyal to her, aren't you?'
'Who,' she couldn't help but frown.
'The First,' he turned his gaze away, 'you're still loyal to her.'
'Why would I stop being loyal to Joey? He is my husband, even if he's being controlled right now.'
'I understand that, but many wouldn't.'
'Many like who?'
'Like certain members of my family,' he flicked his gaze back towards her. 'When you live in a world where polygamy is the norm there's not a lot of loyalty lost between a husband and his wife. There are some who would believe it goes for the rest of the multiverse too.'
'But you don't?'
'A number of my children have abandoned the ways of my clan to live lives with only one lover,' he sighed. 'So yes, I do know that the multiverse does not work according to the methods of the MacTay clan.'
'Do you like being a MacTay,' Mai couldn't help but ask.
There was just something about the way Kashmana was acting which just begged the question.
'I am of true blood; I have the three Y chromosomes that make me pure MacTay. I could not change what I was for love, nor money. And I would not want to either. I like being MacTay.'
'Because it makes you a Demi-God?'
'No,' he shook his head, 'because it makes me a man.'
Sighing slightly herself, Mai averted her gaze. Clearly Kashmana was more than the polygamist bastard he claimed to be, but getting him to admit it would be a challenge and a half. After all he was clearly both sensitive and…
'I guess even a Win isn't completely resistant to my charms,' Kashmana interrupted her train of thought. 'But you are loyal to the First, you must remember that.'
'How can I remember that when he's doing what he's doing,' she sighed heavily. 'He's the one who's betraying me right now, remember. The Teen wants me dead.'
'But that doesn't mean the First does.'
'I know, but still…'
Slowly Kashmana made his way towards her, his gaze soft, but focused.
'You can look, but you can't touch,' his voice was flirtations, but calm. 'You can taste, but you can't devour,' his voice dropped to a sexy whisper. 'I could make you wild and you know it. Yet you must remain peacefully tame and wait for your husband's return.'
'And what if he never returns,' Mai swallowed hard, trying to resist the temptation to kiss him.
'He will,' Kashmana pulled away from her, 'I'm sure of it.'
'But what if he doesn't,' she shifted her gaze away. 'I mean, the Teen has a pretty powerful hold over him right now. What if that's never broken? I don't want to die alone.'
'You're much too young to be thinking about dying Win Mai,' Kashmana flashed her a warm smile. 'Something will be done to return the First to you long before you meet your end.'
'How can you be so sure about that?'
For a few moments Kashmana was silent, then he moved himself to the far side of the room and casually leant back against the wall.
'I met the First once,' he folded his arms thoughtfully, 'a long time ago; back when the First had no need for a host body. She was beautiful,' he smiled sadly, 'and I was privileged to see that she was. I think I loved her then. I think it was hard not to. She was both my great-grandmother and my great-aunt, but I loved her with all the ferocity any MacTay can love even though I knew I could never have her. You see even when I first met her I knew it, just as I know it now,' he flicked his gaze up to meet Mai's. 'She was tempted by me, everyone is tempted by us MacTays whether they want to be or not, it's part of what makes us what we are, but nothing could have broken her bond to you then; and she hadn't even met you yet.'
'What do you mean?'
'The First still loves you Win Mai. The First has always loved you and will always love you and that's the guarantee you have your husband will return. The First's love for you is too strong for anything to get in the way.'
'I wish I could believe that.'
'Why can't you?'
'Because right now I'm not sure that I want to,' she stared half longingly up at Kashmana.
'I would only ruin you Win Mai,' he shook his head, 'and I would not see you ruined, not for love nor money.'
'Are love and money important to MacTays,' Mai frowned. 'Only that's the second time you've said love and money wouldn't tempt you.'
'Maybe it is, maybe it isn't,' he shrugged. 'Maybe I'm just using an expression you'd understand.'
'I see,' she lowered her gaze again. 'So you would not have any interest in me at all?'
'I never said I wasn't interested Win Mai, but I know I cannot have you.'
'I see.'
'I will not be blamed for your ruin, especially when I know your attraction to me is just being caused by the MacTays' trademark charm. Remain loyal to your husband and your faith will be rewarded.'
'But I am faith.'
'I know; believe me, I know.'
Half screaming in frustration, Catilin crashed down upon the bed she'd been given and stared up at the ceiling. She still couldn't believe Nurse Guillyham hadn't been able to get through to Tristan. But she also couldn't believe the kindly Nurse would lie to her.
'I can't be mad. I saw SK, I know I saw SK. That had to have been real. It had to.'
Giving another frustrated cry, she half threw herself onto her side and began glaring at the door. Something in her was willing it to fling open and reveal someone she knew. But another part of her knew that was never going to happen and after nearly ten minutes of glaring, she threw herself round to her other side and kept her gaze away from it. Sighing heavily, she closed her eyes and tried to forget about where she was. It wasn't that easy, however, especially when the sound of music started drifting towards her.
It was so strange in the silence of the ward for music to be playing so loudly. Loud enough to be heard by her, as though it were being played from inside of her room. Slowly she sat up and began glancing about just in case the music really was coming from her room. But as she suspected there was nothing. Gradually the music became louder. Getting to her feet Catilin slowly made her way towards the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of the source. Carefully she pushed her door open and glanced around.
'Go back to bed,' a voice hissed into her ear, sending chills up and down her spine, 'there's nothing for you here.'
