CHAPTER 36

“She is long dead. It’s been thousands of years.”
“So how is she chosen?”
“That’s the scarier part. It is said you die first for one to be a chosen one.”
“So, you mean that one must kill herself to become the leader of the sect?”
“Not really. You can only die by the bite of the sacred viper and no one knows what kind of viper that is. Once that viper bites you, you won’t be alive for long. The bite will kill you and make you live again. By passing that test one automatically becomes the Viper.”
“So, anyone who is the Viper died already?”
“Yes, dear but it’s just a myth. You need to focus on recovering and your studies. Don’t go around reading such lies like these.”
“Okay daddy, I will stop after I finish reading through. Now that you have told me that I am more curious.”
“I can’t believe you.”
“Where is my brother?”
“He left yesterday; he was here all along. When he is done with his business trip he will come back.”
“I’m okay now. Its better if he concentrates on work.”
She was more curious than ever. She heard that old man calling Haven the Viper and her dad just told her the Viper died already. So did that meant that Haven was a ghost or a spirit? Is that why she had been suspicious ever since the day she met her?
She was going to look into everything, confront Haven and end it with her. She was not going to date such a scary person. She was going to look into everything she could find including Haven’s background again. She was not going to miss out on anything ever again.
***
Gina was smiling waiting for her chance to go in the front and personally receive that bite from the Viper. It’s been two weeks ever since she was appointed to be part of the Oracle.
She finally realized what Haven had been up to when she saw the guards running up and down the night of the ceremony. Haven tried by all means to keep the casualties very low and she did that. Everyone who participated on the coup died.
Only a few ended up paralyzed and never to talk again. She had always known Haven was cruel and ruthless but after seeing the body count she finally believed that Haven was really as vicious as her name.
She looked at Eric who stood on the other side. Eric managed to get appointed to be a priest too. It was really their time. The ladies were first and her time came. She walked towards the Viper who was wearing her ceremonial robes covering her latest tattoos imprinted all over her body, the courtesy of the Goddess.
She walked to her and the Viper scratched her on her hand. She could feel the venom running through her veins and left the podium. It was customary for every priest and priestess to share what the Viper had and that included the deadly venom within her body.
They had to make sacrifices on behalf of others. She was taken to the other room where the lead priestess was waiting for her. The others were wriggling in pain and so was she. The ones in front of her fainted and she watched as the lead priestess gave them small pills. She had seen Haven making those some other time.
She too finally blacked out and when she woke up she felt nothing. She looked at her hand where the Viper had scratched her and she found a tattoo on her hand. She had always been part of the family but never got one of this before.
Because she was the fifth priestess, she had a tattoo of a viper with one star. It was that star that determined her rank. All normal members of the family never got stars at all. It seemed the tattoo specialists were busy drawing them when they blacked out.
It made sense since she realized that they had been asleep for three hours. After they all woke up they all returned to the hall where they were welcomed warmly by everyone. She looked for Eric and she found him. It was done and the Viper was seated there with her eyes closed again.
The lead priest and priestess concluded the event for that night. The rest of the people left the hall for their respective homes leaving the eleven of them.
The Viper finally opened her eyes and looked at them. There was something different about her; ever since that night three weeks ago. Haven had become more powerful, you could feel her even when you were far. Her venom intake also increased, sometimes it felt like she was in so much pain and yet there was no one she could tell or talk to.
Ever since the incident she only went o see Amber once before stopping. It felt like she was giving up on her life and concentrating on her life as the Viper and that was scary.
“I’m tired so I will get to the point. Your leaders will tell you how things are done but let me warn you. If you happen to have any silly thoughts like your predecessors I will just kill you but I will erase all your family from this world. Do your roles diligently, serve your people and make them better.
Don’t disappoint me and don’t get into trouble. Let’s be a family and not enemies. I don’t have any strength to kill one of my children again,” she said looking at them all.
For the first time Gina noticed something. Haven’s eyes changed for a few seconds. They turned red and went back to normal. She just kept quiet. It was bad to provoke her since she had been moody all these weeks. She just hoped she will be back to her senses soon.
“We will abide by your words!” they all said.
“You can do whatever that you do. I have somewhere I need to be,” she said and stood up.
They all stood up and watched her leave the hall. After she left they all sighed.
“Had she been like that?” the lead priestess asked.
“Yes, and it’s kind of scary,” Gina replied and looked at Lee.
“Don’t look at me.”
“You are her shadow guard. Is she okay?”
“You want the truth? She is not okay. If that continues, I’m afraid she is going to kill herself,” Lee said.
“We have to do something about her first before we think of others. If she is not there then we are doomed.”