DANTE'S POV!!!!!
"Where did you learn to do this?"
Carrie asked quietly, admiring her reflection in the river. Her gorgeous green eyes glinted wildly, a strange mindblowing contrast to the dark blue patterns on her face.
Rent smiled at her, "art runs in my family, my mom taught me to paint before I could walk. "
A kind warm smile pulled gently at her lips and her eyes softened on him.
My wolf whined restlessly. I stepped toward them, "in that case, what happened to my disguise? I look ridiculous."
A mixture of splotchy mud stains and sludgy water plants stuck unevenly to the body at odd angles.
Rent's eyes snapped to mine, immediately hardening. "What's wrong pretty boy? Afraid the mud makes you look fat?"
I growled, "I look like I swam halfway across the river."
"You smell like it too." Rent replied.
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It was beautiful. Ina weird, wonderous sort of way. It felt like we had stepped into a painting. Fresh sweet grass covered the floor. Windy trees grew up from the ground on small grassy hills. Miniature waterfalls trickled and ran everywhere, and spotless white flowers grew about our feet. However, the atmosphere was anything but tranquil.Everywhere fairy folk danced. While musicians played light wooden instruments I didn't recognize on a black granite platform that patrolled out of a grassy hill. A mind-blowingly beautiful black woman with swirling inky patterns running along her smooth skin and around her bald head stood and sang in a language I didn't recognize.The pink liquid is thick purple petals were being passed around by tiny winged goblins, it was like a nature-themed club. My mind couldn't fathom the amount of magic it was taking to create the illusion of the dark starry sky that was above us."Holy shit,"&n
RENT'S POV "This is never going to work," I said"Shut up... and smile!""I am smiling!""That's more of a grimace.""What's the difference?" I whisper demanded"You look like you're in pain.""This is pretty painful."Carrie rolled her perfect cat green eyes."You're being very dramatic." "Well, this is a terrible plan!""It's a great plan!"I looked at her, "the plan where we distract the queen with a tray of fucking pastry while the others sneak down the ceiling. That plan?""Yes.""No. It's not great."She squared her shoulders and looked forward determinedly. "Rent, it's for Ben."My eyes fell on her and softened slightly. Her willingness to pummel headfirst into danger for other wolves amazed me. She pushed a bomb into her neck for Dante, using her own free will. And now we were trekking down a silky marble hallway toward a queen who killed on sight for sport. And all for someone else. 'She wouldn't do it for you. No one would.'That thought squeezed at my chest, and I shook
The Queen's chamber was gigantic. The floor, walls, and ceiling were covered in thick green moss. Dandelions sprung up in random clumps all around the chamber.My eyes landed on a huge jar right at the back of the room, it's lid reaching the top of the roof. It was filled with deep purple liquid, and my stomach lurched as I saw him. Ben, floating in the liquid, his hair soft and floating and his face so pale it made me sick. In the middle of the room a tall throne made of thick and thin twisting barky roots, it looked as though it was growing right out of the ground.But when my eyes landed on her, I felt as though my pulse was consuming me. She looked around 30, but I knew she was a lot older than that. A few millen isa is older."Your, your majesty?"The queen's head snapped up to look at me, her eyes were black pools, no whites. It was terrifying. Thick green hair fell to her waist and full red lips p
Rent, Dante and I made our way to the cubes with Ben in tow. We had separated from Bonolo. She had gone off to ensure her brother's safety, promising to meet up with us later.She said she would know where we are, and after seeing coming off of her palms I trusted her.It was late when we teleported back to the fairy den, and even later when Jhono showed us a way back to the top. Rent's two guards had set up camp by the opening of the hole and we all stumbled in, exhausted and dishevelled.**********************Pale sunlight painted the sky and I stepped quietly out of my tent, careful not to wake the others as I went into the open to stretch in the cool morning. I walked a little away from the camp and admired the forest in the distance, letting cold morning air blanket me."What the hell were you thinking."I spun around, "Ben! You're awake, I didn't think you would be on your feet until t
DANTE'S POVCarrie was fuming when she came back. Her cat eyes were sparking hot anger and her features were hard."Carrie."She looked up at me and shook her head, warm mahogany chocolate waves cascading down her shoulders and arms as she shook her head."Leave it alone."My wolf whined I reached out for her waist and pulled her to me. Her body melted into my side and she looked up at me, her eyes blazing."Why is it everyone feels the need to pull me around?"I searched her face as she looked up at me, tired and glaring."What does that mean?" I mused, my lips barely moving as I spoke.Her heart sped up, andmy classic smirk pulled at my lips."It means let me go Dante."She sighed a little and suddenly she looked older and exhausted."Let's get out of here
BEN'S POVWe'd been walking for hours. Carrie stayed at the back of the group, keeping her head down as she walked.Dante stayed in front of her, he too was lost in thought, and they didn't speak, much to my relief.Seeing them, laughing the way they did, The way he looked at her, it took everything in me not to rip out his throat as they came up from their swim.Carrie couldn't see it. She was infuriating. Blind, gorgeous and fucking infuriating.The sun was beginning to sink, and we were still walking uphill, near the rocky mountains. A nipping breeze blew against us every now and again, and I wondered if Carrie was cold.Her chocolate waves were blowing into light tangles across her face when the wind blew and I tried to see if she was shivering, but I was too far in front of her.We kept walking, only stopping when the stars sprung
RENT'S POV"Where the hell are they?" I demanded, pacing up and down the cave.My two guards looked at each other, then back at me, then shrugged.I rolled my eyes, it looked like they had rehearsed it."It's been too long, I want you to track them."Dante scrambled up beside me, rolling his eyes, "you're being paranoid.""I didn't ask for your input pretty boy."Dante shook his head, breathing out angrily as he looked away from me.We walked out of the cave, my men began putting their skills to use, leading us up to a dark and deserted Forrest."There was a struggle" Bently, my eldest guard said.I nodded looking around the scuff marks and footprints."They were taken." Said my other guard, Bradly.I ran a hand through my hair, panic rising in my blood."What?" Asked Dante, now co
CARRIE'S POV!we were still flying. It felt like I had been the air for hours. Ben and I had tried to fight the creatures but to no avail. There were just too many. They were tall creatures, with the long rubbery legs of chickens and gigantic dust grey and black wings.One of the creatures was currently holding onto my forearms as it flew over the mountains below us.Ben was being transported in the same sort of way a few meters behind while the rest of the creatures flew around me in a flock formation.Blood was dripping down my cheeks were one of the creatures had scratched me during the fight in the forest and my arms were beginning to hurt where the creature's claws wrapped around my skin.Finally, the gaping entrance of a cave showed itself in the distance. The cave was at the very top of a high, as in look down and you'll be sick high, as in fall and you'll die high cliff.
I sat on the edge of my bed, trying hard to focus my mind. While both boys were barely on speaking terms, they were both in firm agreement that they would find a way for me to back out of the tournament. I wasn't optimistic.My mind was still racing, it made no sense, what was the queen gaining with me as a competitor? I had a feeling, a gut feeling, this Tornment would end up being a lot more than just a competition. Something darker, deeper and far more important was going on. And I intended to find out what.
For the next half hour, we were too busy sorting through what's been happening, for Ben to yell at Dante and me for making contact. I knew it would come later though. Right now, both boys were furious at mefor keeping the recent attacks on me a secret.Ben called for a handmaiden, and under his orders she got off every scrap of makeup on my body, revealing dozens of nasty wounds, scrapes, and bruises.
I woke up in the bedroom Ben had offered me the day he put the crest on my palm."Bet you never thought you'd sleep in that bed."My eyes snap to my left, Ben is watching rain patter onto the balcony through the glass window in the french doors.
BEN'S POV!!!!!!"This is ridiculous.""I don't care.""Ben!"
I fell onto my bed, gripping my bleeding side. Goblins. They had attacked the house, and they weren't the first. Someone had leaked my location, all kinds of creatures were attacking throughout the week, trying to recapture the "Future Valderian Queen."Rent had called, he still hadn't gotten a confession from his guards. The mole on our team was still unknown.
The alpha gave me the prophecy, but I knew the others were waiting. So I stuffed it into my pocket, and stumbled out to the car, knowing my face was as white as a sheet. Everyone bustled, saying goodbye, and getting into the right cars. I came face to face with Rent, and immediately my eyes welled with tears."Oh Carrie," he breathed fondly, pulling me warmly into his arms, "
BEN'S POVEverything began to happen very quickly. It took us another night and another day before we reached the border.Carrie kept a space between us that was way too big to be natural. Her face was a constant flat stone plate. Her usually sparking eyes, dull and walled over. I'd never seen t
CARRIE'S POVI cried until pale light splattered across the dark sky. I knew Ben wasn't going to change his mind about this. It was over. My sister had lost her fiance, and it was my fault.Ben set out a breakfast of pheasant cooked for my benefit on a small fire. He said nothing, I didn't touch the food, he didn't push me to, and we ignored my red-rimmed eyes.
BEN'S POVTwo days. Two days of walking and camping. But I barely noticed. Time melted, waving around us like soft silk.Carrie's link was still open, her contentment warmed my body, her happiness swirling in my chest.Her chocolate hair was thrown up into a