Page 41 of Essa

I touch a gold decorative piece on the wall as we walk down one of the long stretches of the hall just to see if someone will pop out of a hidden compartment and tell me not to touch. When no one does, I stop walking and stare at the mural covering a section of the wall.

It's a graphic depiction of what looks to be a Haventh female completely nude as she cuts the head off of a Haventh male. She holds a fistful of his hair in one closed fist, the other wrapped around a sword that's cutting deep into his throat. Her eyes are little pinpricks of lines, and her fangs are bared, dripping with her venom.

"A goddess of war," Essa says, stepping next to me. "It's said that before our lands were divided amongst families, the gods resided over the territories and fought endlessly for control over all of them. The only way for us to survive and grow was to dismantle their power and strip it away little by little until it belonged to everyday Havenths. Of course, our gods were mortal and were no more than what my parents were or what I will be. Still, some were great warriors or charmers and held onto power. They created followings that worshipped them as deities. Even now, there are some we recognize as gods and goddesses for how much power they are able to wield. They're who we look up to and aspire to be."

"So there were no actual gods here?" I ask. Original Adam was a staunch catholic growing up, but that faith dwindled and died the more that was done to him.

"Just males and females who wield power like no one else can," Essa says with sadness in her voice. "I used to wish to be that powerful, but then I matured and found I was quite a scary female. It's a power amongst my kind. You've witnessed it. I could, probably, visit the temple of the goddess of war and have the scholars deem me into godhood with my strength in that area."

I close my eyes, trying to figure out how to take all of that. Thankfully, before I need to respond, Essa continues talking.

"I have no wish to do that, though. My father wanted me to before I was to be married off. He thought it might make my union with Iddis more favorable, considering his family hails from lands where fighting and strength are the currency."

She steps away from the painting, and I notice her lips lifting slightly. She might not like the idea of being granted godhood. I can't believe that's even something I'm thinking. But, she does like being comparable to the female in the painting.

As I turn to follow her down the hall, I ask. "Who's the male in the painting?"

Essa tilts her head to the side. This time, amusement flickers in her eyes so loud and bright that I know she's eager to tell me the rest of the story. "That would be her lover who tried to kill her for her power. He thought if he drank her blood, he'd consume her godhood and become a god himself."

"Didn't work out too well for him, did it?" Seth chuckles behind us, reminding us how much better he is at this concubine thing than I am because he's been quietly following a step behind Essa this whole time.

"No, it did not." Essa shakes her head as she speaks.

I study a few more paintings as we walk. Many of them depict what I assume is the same female from the first painting. It's painting after painting of her conquering or killing or fighting. And then, between two paintings of her victories, there's a lone door that Essa opens and leads us through.

The space is enormous. Rationally, I knew it would be, but I wasn't ready for just how much space it would have for no reason.

As we enter, a plush red couch with gold legs and decorative edges sits in front of an oversized fireplace lit with an electronic fire. It's a desert planet. Why would they ever need a fireplace in the first place? After that, there's a small sitting table with four chairs and a platter of fruits in the middle. A bottle of clear liquid and one of a dark red liquid sit next to three glasses.

Beyond that is where the bedroom starts. Black marble flooring so polished I can see my reflection clear as day when I look down. A rug the size of a normal-sized bedroom sits on the floor in shades of blue, gold, and cream. The four-poster bed on top of it is piled high with more pillows than a single person could ever need. The sheets and comforter are a soft blue contrasted by the cream of the gauzy material hanging from each corner of the bed.

Original Adam knew enough about a princess room from always trying to recreate this little canopy look for his daughters. I just never thought I'd be the one to see this and know, without a doubt, that who Essa is on the ship is vastly different from who she was raised to be.

I whistle low and long as we step into the space and turn around to look at Seth to give him an 'Are you seeing this shit?' look. His eyes are wide as he takes in the vast living space, but he covers it by turning to place the plates of food on the table.

My head shakes, and I'm about to give Essa a hard time for this being what she gave up to live in a shoebox of a room on the ship,but when I turn to tease her, she's cringing, her tail wrapped tightly around her ankle and her shoulders slumped.

My mood instantly sours, and my brows pull together.

"What?" I ask her, wanting to know what's got her acting small and timid.

She just told me she could be considered a goddess on this planet, and now that I'm in her bedroom, she's going to let me get the upper hand? No way. That ruins all the fun of getting to take it from her.

Her sister's upset with her. She thinks she has to marry some guy she doesn't like. And we're now looking at her room and judging her for the excess even if we don't mean to be. Cool it on the aggression.

For once, I don't ignore Seth just to annoy him. I might not be the best at handling any emotion other than anger, but I do know how to comfort someone. I've done it plenty for Seth and can do it for Essa, especially now that I know we're all as into this as the others. Seth won't leave me for her, and she won't leave me for Seth. We're combined, the three of us, and it feels right even if I more than a little hated her not that long ago.

"Come on, princess." I step closer to her, find where my chain connects to her waist, and unclip it. Her eyes flash with annoyance since I'm pretty sure she's the one who's supposed to get to decide when or if I'm unleashed. I tilt my head to the side as I let the chain fall down the length of my body. "Or should I say goddess now?"

Essa's demeanor changes with that, and for a second, I don't hate that I've put myself in the submissive role without her needing to bite me. She'd let me yank her around by her horn and force her to her knees, but right now, she needs devotion.

The one person she came to this planet to save isn't grateful, which Seth and I are pretty sure we know why. First, we needto get Essa's mind off her insecurities and away from the doubts and the things that make her feel small.

"You like that idea," Seth says. He's moved closer to us, standing next to Essa and running a hand over her bicep and down her forearm. "You want to be our goddess, Essa?"

Her entire body shivers at his question, and I don't need him in my mind telling me she wants it for me to know. That doesn't stop him from all but screaming it at me, though. I tune out his worried inner voice as he tells me not to fuck this up by being an asshole. I get his concern, but I can be sweet when I want to be. I just never want to be, and he's never needed me sweet unless it's after we've fucked.

I fall to my knees, surprising both Essa and Seth. I project an image of me flipping Seth off in my mind, hoping he sees it loud and clear, and also knows he's not getting this same treatment from me. He wouldn't like it anyway. I bring my lips to the side of Essa's thigh, right against the edge of where the fabric of her skirt covers her.

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