Mercatija

Excerpt from Mercatija

A woman with long glossy black hair walked slowly down a dark corridor lit only by the small plumes of fire littering the stone walls. The click of her black stiletto heels echoed ominously against the slate floor as her crimson dress trailed behind her and glowed against her warm ebony skin. Her black razor sharp fingernails trailed against the steel bars of the prison cells, her crimson eyes watching in amusement at the inhabitants shrinking away from her in fear as she passed. 

She slowed to a stop in front of one cell, turning to look at the lone inhabitant. His long disheveled black hair covered most of his face, his beard was long and unkempt. She eyed him in disgust as he slowly walked towards her and grasped the bars unafraid. He looked at her through his black locks, his hardened smokey grey eyes bore deep into her crimson irises. 

"My father says I cannot kill you or any of the other weaklings down here. What a shame?" She purred, crossing her arms over her chest.

The disheveled man smirked at her visible disgust for him. "You'll die if you kill me, dejaina." 

"Dejaina," she scoffed, looking him up and down. Her lip snarling at the rags of clothing hanging off his body.

"I'd never be the mate of a Mercatija like you. You're weak and you're useless." She hissed, spitting in his face.

The prisoner wiped the spit from his cheek, his smokey grey eyes darkened in amusement. His lips curled into a devilish grin, baring his fangs as he snatched the back of her head tangling his fingers in her dark locks.

"You will always be mine." He growled and kissed her full on the lips. 

The woman let out an agonizing scream, her head falling away from him as her crimson eyes burst in a bright violet glow. A blaze of iridescent light erupted from her consuming everything around her.

I woke in a panic nearly screaming at the visions in my mind. I quickly took a drink of water trying to catch my breath. I have dreams like that every once in a while but that one felt too real. 

I rubbed my chest feeling the familiar tingle in my heart connecting me to someone. The feeling is always there like a subtle reminder that my dejaino, my soulmate, is out there somewhere. I'm like the man in my dream, I'm a Mercatija, the oldest Terran species on the Earth.

And the woman is a de'mujo, a demon.

I sighed pushing my blankets off me and padded across the floor to sit at my desk. I clicked on my lamp and quickly scribbled down my dream in a journal.

I've been writing since I was twelve, my first novel was published when I was fourteen, and recording my dreams helps me think of new ideas for my novels. Plus, I like to keep track of them in case they start to make sense, but they never do. 

The only pattern I've seen so far is that the woman and man are soulmates but separated because she's a de'mujo and he's a Mercatija. I frowned, it doesn't make sense that she's a de'mujo, Mercatijan women can't be demons. We aren't affected by the parasite that plagues the unbound men of my race. We tend to grow old and die naturally without a dejaino. 

I hope that's my fate, I don't want to bind my soul to anyone. I know my dejaino is out there, I can feel him all the time but I don't want him to find me. I value my independence too much to be tied to someone. I don't want to be like my sisters, I don't need or want a dejaino to control me. 

I stood on my desk and pushed my window open. I closed my eyes, feeling the cool night air blow over my face and through my hair. I leapt out the window and the vines knotted through the stone walls of the villa wrapped around me and carried me to the ground. I love doing that, I grinned walking slowly towards the lush forest behind my house.

I'm a healer and an earth master, every Mercatija is born a master in some element, but my powers have always made me feel like a free spirit. That's another reason I don't want a dejaino, I never want to feel trapped. I sighed, looking up at the sky, the moon is full and the stars are like diamonds twinkling in the distance. 

"Come with me." A soft voice whispered around me and a warm breeze blew through my hair. I smiled at the voice, our Mother Goddess, Gaia, is calling to me and I have to answer. 

Most Mercatija lose their ability to hear or understand Gaia around the age of five, but I still have a strong connection to her. And tonight, she's leading me through the forest to my favorite spot, a beautiful grassy clearing on a hill right above my family's villa. 

I sat down and began making flowers and feeding the Earth the nutrients it needs. I watched the sky, enjoying the feel of the grass beneath my toes. Italy is truly a small piece of heaven. 

Gaia's gentle breeze blew around me, I laughed as the wind circled me, her gentle hands braided my hair and fastened a few flowers into it. When she finished, she left a whisper of a kiss on my head and my heart clenched in my chest. The tingle in my heart pulsing with need. 

"No." I whispered quickly standing, turning around to see a man standing amongst the trees at the edge of the clearing. 

His tall muscular kue, warrior, form filled the small opening to the forest. He slowly stepped out from the shadows and my heart nearly beat out of my chest at his rugged looks. 

His skin was tawny and golden, his short obsidian hair and smoky gray eyes gave off a soft glow in the moonlight. His chiseled jaw was framed by a short neatly trimmed beard and his lips curled into a grin. He slowly stalked towards me as if he'd just caught his prey. 

"You shouldn't be out here so late by yourself, dejaina." My knees nearly buckled beneath me at the sound of his deep husky voice. 

"I...Gaia called to me." I mumbled, backing away from him. Before I could flee, he grabbed me around my waist and pulled me against his hard chest.

"No! I don't want to be bound to you! You can't make me!" I screamed, kicking and punching against his rock solid body. He laughed holding me tight, ignoring my screams and angry assault on him. 

"Peace, sesti. I'm not going to bind you to me."

I stilled in his arms, looking up at him and wished I didn't. His dark grey eyes are so deep as if he can see straight into my soul.

"You're not?" 

He smiled, shaking his head kissing my confused forehead. I quickly pushed out of his arms not wanting to feel his sincere and sensual touch. 

"Gaia told me all about you. She told me not to use force with you or you'd run away and never accept me. Now, I see she's right, evela me, my love." 

I frowned, "Don't call me that. You don't know me." I grumbled, irritated that Gaia would trick me out here to meet my dejaino and even more annoyed that he is Darius Rekeseau, the Asarak Rotelinjo, Demon Annihilator. 

"I know enough to know there won't be anyone else for me, but you." He smiled, holding out his hand to me but I backed away again. This is not fucking happening.

"I don't want you here. Go away!" I screamed, swiftly turning on my heel and running back to my house. I have never climbed the side of my house so fast in my life. I slammed my window shut; peeking out to see if he followed me. 

There's no sign of him.

I shook the braids and flowers out of my hair and laid on my bed. Darius Rekeseau is my dejaino. I cringed pulling a pillow over my face and screamed. 

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