Chapter 591: A Mysterious Serpentine.
Natia sat in between Rasmus and Anastasha, the low table had a golden pot with detailed engravings on it. Nobody spoke, they all watched her pull the lid, revealing the big pile of dark brown paste with a rich sweet and floral smell. Rasmus knew what it was immediately, it was opium, and it was one of the many things that had been stuck in his mind.
Rasmus stared at Natia’s hand and nails that were as white as bone and as sharp as fangs. His mind had one particular question for her, and it was her indulgence with opioids. For a Great Spirit like Yur to indulge themselves with something like that, it was bizarre because Great Spirits weren’t like humans, no desire for worldly pleasure. Secondly, he was curious as to why she chose the human form and lived among humans.
"A thousand words written in your eyes..." Natia muttered in a soft voice. "Yet none of them are important enough to be spoken." She used the needle-like tool to take a bead of the paste onto her smoking pipe. With her nature as a Great Spirit, she didn’t need an opium lamp to vaporize the opium. "Restraint, commendable..." She muttered.
As soon as Natia said that, both Rasmus and her made eye contact. One was impassive and the other was smiling like a predator toward its prey.
"My daughter will answer all your questions about myself," Natia muttered as a soft slithering and rustling sound could be heard from behind her until a backrest cushion moved toward her side to lean on.
"Mother, I thought you wanted to see me? I wouldn’t be here if this was all you wanted to do," Anastasha looked at her mother, inhaling the opium while leaning her side on the backrest cushion. "I don’t have much time, mother," she said, but her voice softened by a lot, realizing that she raised her voice earlier.
"House Council will be held in two days," Natia inhaled the vaporized opium and exhaled it to the tall ceiling, her eye was fixated on the shape of the smoke. "It’s the time of the year. You were absent in the past two gatherings, by the third year, your father has the right to disown you," she glanced at Anastasha with her glowing golden eye.
Anastasha forgot about the House Council gathering due to her focus on building her own power around the world. She didn’t say a word, she lowered her head as a sign of gratification to her mother.
"Will you attend the gathering, mother?" Anastasha asked even though she already knew the answer to that question. Natia never attended the gathering due to her nature as an Evil God, a being that was seen as a bad omen, a curse that lived.
"No..." Natia muttered, her fingers moving slowly, swirling the pipe in between her fingers gracefully and flawlessly. "But you won’t be alone. You can bring them with you. After all he has decided to join the Eastern board, a game of power and control," she glanced at Rasmus, smiling with her eye narrowing it slowly and her gaze softened.
Rasmus was amazed by the sharp deduction that Natia made. Something about her that made him think that she could read his mind because he didn’t given her any hint beforehand. He wanted to see how far she could read him beyond surface level.
"They’re outsiders, mother, not even natives, and they’re not related to me at all," Anastasha furrowed her brows and looked at her mother, leaning against the backrest so comfortable.
"Who can send them away even if they wanted to? An Aristoria’s offspring, an Aristoria’s descendant, a Saint, and an Evil Spirit, a nightmare from the olden world," Natia moaned softly as she arched her back before she lumped and curled up like a snake.
Rasmus wasn’t the only one who had been observing Natia, Aris was also interested and curious about her. There was something about Natia’s existence that didn’t match with Yur as a Great Spirit. When Aris used her draconic eyes, she noticed an energy that she couldn’t categorize, something that she had never seen before.
"Would you accompany my daughter, Rasmus Blackheart? Those people that you’ll meet are going to be thorns in your path," Natia pointed out as she pulled out the opium dross and replaced it with a new paste to smoke.
"I have no intention of involving myself in a family matter. Thank you for the suggestion, but I wish to not attend the gathering," Rasmus answered and noticed the opium paste in the big pot was half empty, and based on how fast she smoked the opium, it seemed that she smoked it nonstop and would only take a few days for the pot to be completely empty. Something about Natia that smoked opium was a mystery to him.
"That kind of mindset would take you nowhere in here, Rasmus Blackheart. Whether they like it or not, they must do this kind of move once in a while," Natia pushed herself up with an elbow that supported her body, staring at Rasmus with her serpentine eye.
"I’m not them," Rasmus smiled politely as he slowly turned his gaze to make eye contact with Natia. "They’re not me, and you’re not them," he pointed out.
Natia who had been putting on a soft expression, suddenly her pupils shrunk like a snake. She completely sat up and slowly leaned forward toward Rasmus as her silk robe fell over her shoulder, revealing her smooth down to the valley of her breasts. She stared at Rasmus from up close, so close that her face was only a few inches away from his.
"Men like you, they’re always the one who brings humanity to chaos..." Natia leaned in, and when their lips were about to touch, she tilted her head slightly until their cheeks brushed against each other and whispered into Rasmus’ ear. "They’ll see themselves in you, the powerful ones. No words, no warning, just desire to get rid of you," she muttered into his ear, a warning.
Natia pulled away slightly until she could stare into Rasmus’ eyes. She found nothing on his face, no reaction, nothing. He wasn’t affected by her proximity either, and it was as she had expected.
"Believe me, you want to learn about these people, and it’s a request," Natia said with a cold gaze and serious expression. "However, I don’t mind it at all if you want to stay here, accompanying me here..." Her fingernail brushed under Rasmus’ chin.
Rasmus glanced at Anastasha, and he could see the worry in her eyes when she looked at her mother. Anastasha seemed to have gotten used to her mother’s antics, however, the worry came from the fact her mother requested Rasmus to accompany her to the gathering.
"Will she be harmed?" Rasmus asked, his eyes fixated on Anastasha.
"When she’s alone? Absolutely. With you and those three? Absolutely not," Natia pulled away and leaned back against the backrest.
"You’re a powerful Great Spirit, why don’t you do it yourself?" Aris asked, finally speaking her mind.
"I don’t want to," Natia answered with a fake smile written on her face. "There are reasons, and they’re something I have no desire to share," she pointed out.
Rasmus nodded with understanding while Aris and the others looked a bit confused.
"Knowing Anastasha might get harm in the gathering, we will accompany her," Rasmus said and looked at Natia. "It’s a mutual interest and benefit, losing her would be an unnecessary loss," he pointed out.
"You’re not even taking advantage of the request. Perhaps I was wrong one thing about you, I apologize," Natia smiled softly at Rasmus.
"I don’t really mind it," Rasmus shook his head, his expression impassive.
Natia nodded with understanding as she slowly stood up and fixed the silk gown that fell over her shoulder.
"All of you must be tired, get some rest," Natia pointed at the door and took a deep drag of the opium pipe.
Rasmus and the others stood up and left the room, including Anastasha. The moment their footsteps disappeared into the distance, Natia looked at the big pot and flicked her hand, vaporizing the whole opium, filling the room with a sweet sugary and floral scent. She walked back to her bed, hidden behind the curtain as she undressed herself and lied down to rest.
