She took a step towards him, but the more she moved towards him, the lengthier the distance between them became. Pain seeped into her joints and her flesh, her head aching suddenly. “Eli!” She cried out but he was too far away, he couldn't hear her. She continued to run through. She just had to get closer. By Ignas, just closer!Suddenly the road stopped moving and she was actually getting closer!A smile crossed her lips, a breathy chuckle of victory. “Eli!”He wasn't moving though, but she was so close, so close she could touch him. Then he turned, his eyes staring right at her. Cold eyes filled with unfamiliarity.“Eli–”“Do not come back.” His lips did not move but his voice echoed all around her. She opened her mouth to ask him what that meant, to beg him to come with her, to tell him that she missed him but suddenly, a tornado wrapped around her, yanking her away from him and breaking the road into two, violently lifting her off the ground as she screamed. The force of
Two days had passed since Ikrus had shifted into his wolf and almost killed her, since she had that argument with the Luna. Ikrus wasn't back yet and Oana was nowhere to be found. Goldie must be really injured. It was a good thing she hadn't ran into the Alpha while touring the Pack House during her free time. As much as Aniya was glad about Ikrus absence, she felt unsettled with every second she didn't see him. Was he simply giving her time to prepare for her death?Besides that, she had caught herself being worried about him. What had become of him? Had he been killed that night? No one seemed to be talking about him. Was this something he did all the time?Why was she worried about him?She had someone better to worry about, like her son. Arlo, her poor baby. By Ignas, she needed to find her son, she needed to go back to Inaymi. The guards were of no help when she tried to ask about how she could communicate to Oana, and with her argument with the Luna, she was certain that
No, no, by Ignas, no. Her mother was evil. She delighted in others' misery. She, on the other hand, found no delight in this. She was only doing this because of her son and her. If there was any other way that gave more guarantee and would harm no one, she would have used it. If there wasn't so much at stake, she wouldn't even be doing this. She wasn't becoming her mother; she was only being realistic.Aniya knew she most certainly looked like the evil one here, but she wasn't, and neither was she stupid enough to sacrifice her and her son’s life just so she could end up with the lycan she wanted. Every step in life had consequences, some could be amended, and others would just have to be lived with, like the scars on her face that would be there forever. “Pray to your Moon Goddess and maybe she won't pick you. You still have a chance.” Ula nodded but it was obvious she wasn't pleased with her options. She should be glad she even had one.“Does he still cry all the time?”“No-no
Lucky for her, she had found Syon to help with delivering the letter.He seemed trustworthy enough not to open the letter, but if he did, well then, that was on him. “Are you sure this will not be difficult for you? After all, your presence isn't supposed to be noticed here,” she asked him before handing over the letter to him. “Worry not. I will be fine and he will get your letter.” With that Syon had left.Aniya stayed up for more hours plotting the rest of her plan, and finally, when she was supposed to go to sleep, she found something strange in her room, like a shadow of a being that she couldn't see. She screamed and someone rushed in, with a stick in his hand and a lantern in another. “Syon?!”“You screamed, Milady. Are you alright?”She panted, breathing heavily as she looked around the room and right back at the spot where the towering shadow had been.“I saw something?” she whispered to herself, her voice laced with doubt. Syon moved forward, rushing to check her window
“You do not mean that.”“I do.”“Milady?”“Aniya,” she corrected him. “Milady.” Surprise was still evident in his eyes, a glimmer of doubt too, like he just couldn't believe this was happening, like he felt that his eyes and mind were playing a trick on him. “Aniya,” she pointed to herself, then to him, “Syon. It is that simple. Friends.”He stared blankly at her for a moment, then finally, he smiled, nodding enthusiastically. “I like it. I like it very much.” He interlocked his fingers, letting them go the next second. “By the Moon, I don't know what to do now. How must I behave now?”She chuckled, understanding how he felt. She had been nervous like this when Zesika extended a hand of friendship to her. “We are friends. Just act the way you've been acting. I like you the way you are.”“I don't know why it is suddenly so hard.” “I’ll make it easy. Tell me more about this festival.” It seemed to be something he enjoyed talking about. That would help him forget how nervous he was.
So many things!By Ignas, so many things she would rather not think about it. “It feels terribly hot all of a sudden.” She stepped away from the window and Syon's gaze followed her with confusion. “Are you sure the object that fell was the Moon's Gift? Are you sure it wasn't the Sun?” Syon’s worry increased. “You are sweating. Shall I get a healer?” She shook her head. That didn't feel necessary. It just felt like she had on too many garments, but all she had on was her dress, so what was going on?That Moon’s Gift must be filled to its brim with heat. Syon just couldn't feel it because his body must be used to it by now. “You should—” Syon had taken a step forward, then he had stopped abruptly, then taken two steps back. Another. So three. “Milady,” his voice sounded deeper, and she was forced to look up at him, but he wasn't looking at her, “you should soak yourself in the bathing tub. Do not leave this room for tonight. It might get dangerous.”“Can you explain what is—”Her
“No!” She blurted, her eyes filled with anger that was directed at him. “No, don't touch me. I don't want you touching me at all. I won't let the hands of my intended murderer bring me pleasure,” A hurt look took over his face for only a moment but she refused to believe that he was hurt at all. He was so manipulative, he couldn't trust him. She couldn't take pity on his blunt words and insensitive attitude, she couldn't take pity on him. He wasn't even hurt. By Ignas, she hated him. “Also, I’m in no outfit to run around the Castle either. I’m too naked for that.” Two of her fingers slithered into her folds, and her body jolted forward, bringing her closer to Ikrus, who she now realized could see her absolutely naked under the clear water. “Ikrus?” she moaned.He hummed, his eyes darkening. “You should leave now.”But he didn't!He stayed, like he was frozen to that spot, like he couldn't move even if he tried. He just stayed there, kneeling by her bathing bowl, his grip tight around
She jolted into a somewhat sitting position, the hand that was in her hair, flying to the edge of the white bathing bowl and gripping it. The next words she wanted to say dissolved into a moan, but she wasn't done yet. She leaned forward, closing the distance between them and since he was slightly hunched as he knelt, his angry breath of painful restrain fanned her face.“Ah— Ikrus. Will you help, please?” Her voice quivered, her body giving into a slow tremble, the movement of the water becoming even more around her. “I don't want to tangle in the sheets with my own death, I want —something else, someone else.” She couldn't keep herself up in her sitting position any longer, her head collapsed against his chest as she struggled. A growl rumbled from his chest, but the pounding of her heart was louder in her ears, her quivering so much that it consumed her voice. The warm contact had done nothing but spike her feelings like a deadly intoxication. Her eyes slid shut. “Anyone but you. W
Her stomach rumbled, but it was quiet, and for the sake of her dignity, she hoped that he hadn't heard it. “You don't need the sun, you need food; I know a place.”“Get out of my sun.”“I’ll take you there.” Quickly she was on her feet, his arm along her waist to keep her stable. “Are you even listening or are you just deliberately ignoring me?”“Deliberately ignoring you.” “What? I expect the elderly to behave with more sense,” she jabbed, annoyed with his interference. “There are no elderly here.”In a flash, he is with Arlo. Then before she could tell, they were before a table that must have been prepared for them only moments ago. She was dizzy from the speed but the lovely aroma in the air could not be mistaken; there was food here. She felt Ikrus push her into a chair and she took her seat, blinking to regain her stability and clear vision. When she finally did, she looked around. They were in a kind of glass room with flowers on the ceiling. The table before her was smal
She cleared her throat, changing the topic. “Is my age a problem for you, Ikrus?”He sucked in a deep breath, looking away, still thinking about why he had brought her and Arlo here - still trying to figure out his thoughts. “No. I was merely surprised, that is all.” “I’m not bothered either.” She leaned closer to him, a hair’s breadth between them, catching him off guard with her action. “Don’t worry,” she skimmed her fingers over his hair and he stilled, forcing himself not to move as more of her fragrance consumed his air. “I have always fancied old men.”What?!Old men?!Old men where?!“I’m not old,” he said, clearly offended. “You are thirty-two,” she said as she lay down and closed her eyes. “Exactly. I am not old.”She felt his shadow over her and she sighed, wanting the warmth of the sun on her skin once again. “You are thirty-two… and blocking the sun.”“That is not old at all.” He sounded like he was losing his mind, but his voice was leveled. She shrugged nonchalantly
She turned to him sharply, wheels turning dangerously in her head already to come up with a lie, her lungs clogging with fear, only for her to discover that he wasn't looking at her but at someone else. “Look! Arlo is walking!” He declared in hushed excitement. Aniya rolled her eyes, taking a deep breath of relief, tucking away the poison bottle. He didn't catch her, she could still kill him. “Arlo can walk.”“For long distances like that?” He turned to her, surprised. “Yes.”“Oh.”“In fact, we must redesign the room to accommodate him. He keeps on trying to pull things down.”Ikrus frowned. In a flash, he was holding Arlo who was strongly protesting against being held. He certainly wanted to play on the ground. “How old is the little one?”“Arlo,” she said, emphasizing his name, subtly ensuring that he wouldn't call him “little one” again, “will be two soon.”Ikrus nodded, taking the information in as he easily moved Arlo from one hand to another in his struggle to get down. “H
Aniya told her about the strange lily she found in her coin bag while telling her how she had come by it, although leaving out part of the poison, while watching to see if the witch had told Oana about what she was searching for. It didn't seem like the witch told her anything. “I have seen something like that in my room before,” Aniya said. “I’m scared of what it means and I am afraid—” she looked over to Arlo for the umpteenth time, “of harm coming to Arlo or me.” Oana was very concerned and she said she would tell the Alpha and Luna about it so that they could give orders for the Pack House to be thoroughly searched. Then Aniya asked, “What about last night? Why did the sun suddenly come up and merge with the moon?” She rushed to the window. “Everything seems normal now.”“Elder Superior said it was a result of something that happened in another realm. It is none of our concern; our Realm stays unaffected, and all the portals remain sealed.” Aniya panicked.Another realm? Wha
That night, after they had both eaten, Alaris took Belladonna to a nearby river, where a burning incense was placed on a leaf pad to float away. “It is to let go of the past and begin anew,” he has explained. It was something that helped Belladonna even though she hadn't known she needed it. Her heart felt lighter and with a more positive perspective, she left the river bank.The Belarion Rebellion and the rest of the Cave had fully returned now. Shortly after, Belladonna and Alaris started trying to create the army. They were once again under an open sky. Nyka watched from a distance, just like every one of the dragon people had been advised to do. Her father was right next to her, he wasn't supposed to be here. He was still injured from the torture he had received from the White King’s warriors that had captured him but he was terrified that if he as much took a step from her, the Heir would seize her and kill her. “What do I do?” Belladonna asked, trying to shake off the press
[LYCANS’ REALM]The coins vibrated on the floor, clanking as they added to the slight trembling she could feel around her. Aniya’s heart jumped. Quickly, she dashed to her bed and grabbed Arlo, taking him swiftly into her arms. She could hear a bell ringing from a distance. Voices of terrified people seeping into the air, even with her ordinary human hearing, the building chaos felt loud to her.What was going on? Before she could make it out of the room, though, she felt someone sweep her away, and in a flash, she was in an enclosed space, an arm around her, so that she held Arlo between them. She knew it was Ikrus; with such speed and the feeling of momentarily ease that went through her, it could be no one else. She hated the Matebond for many things but for this little ease that she could feel right now, she appreciated it a little. Even if this relief was a lie that everything was alright, it was better than the sheer terror she had been experiencing.The rumbling continued,
Finally, they were under an open sky.The Moon was full in its glory above them. “It is a perfect night,” Ny'ka said before intertwining her with Belladonna's.“Close your eyes.”She obeyed. “Think of the Bearer, of her grave, of her presence, and connect with her.”The Bearer. Belladonna allowed her mind to roam, remembering the silver-haired woman she would always dream about. She had never seen her face so there was no way she could see that. The image was blurry and soon it was nothing but darkness. “Open the windows, open the door,” she could hear Alaris' voice. Then she remembered her way of sealing the windows and the doors of her mind. So many things were happening in her mind. She could see the path to the castle, down to that room, to that sarcophagus, Then she was back in that room again - with the windows sealed and the doors locked.There was a white beam outside the window and a woman with long silver hair that shadowed her face.“Open the doors and the windows!”
“Don't kill me please, I believe now. You are the Heir, you are the savior. I see it.” Ny'ka begged. They were in one of the underground rooms, away from the people of the Belarion Rebellion and those of the Cave. This was something Alaris didn't want many to know about.“Please, take my life instead and spare my daughter,” Leader Tyrek begged. He knew what crimes Nyka had committed, the Priest told him everything.“You tried to kill me,” Alaris said to Ny'ka who was still on her knees, begging, tears running down her cheeks.“It was a mistake. It won't happen again.”Alaris smiled. “It won't.”He held her wrist and pulled her up, but while he did that, he crushed her bones, and pressing his flames into her skin, he healed her, just like he had seen it happen with Nightshade and that stranger in the Castle during their escape.It was an excruciating moment for Ny'ka and it didn't help that he did it again and again and again…By the time he was done, she was back on her knees, breat
The moment the ambush came upon them, some guards had taken Ny'ka and discreetly escaped from the scene. They were headed to the White King’s Castle to be highly rewarded for bringing to him the daughter of the leader of the revolution against him. They were supposed to take Leader Tyrek along too, but it seemed the guards who had him in captivity had been attacked. There would be much to tell the King upon getting to the castle. While they silently snuck away, Ny'ka found a way to free herself from the bondage and attacked them. She would rather die than have them take her alive; it was looking like that was the only option for her until she felt she had until Alaris' showed up. He descended from the sky with his massive leathery wings and he saved her; he killed the guards and swept her up into the air in his arms. In that moment, she saw what the others saw in him. A saviour.In that moment, something changed. “You saved me,” she said, the wind almost stealing her words away