“We must wait for now to observe The Mother’s reaction to this, we need to know if the existence of the portal has fallen to her knowledge.”“Yes, Thanatou,” The Thanis soldier replied. “You have brought me great news, for this you shall be rewarded.” Just as Kestra had feared, the Thanatou handed over her chain to the Thanis soldier. “You may play with her for the whole night. A broken spirit is the most obedient.”“I am honoured, Thanatou.” The Thanis accepted the chain. Cracks developed in Kestra's renewed hope. She could already feel her spirit breaking once again. ____________The Thanis had taken her to a corner of the cave. It was a good distance away from where the rest of the Thanis soldiers or even the Thanatou were.Kestra started taking off her rags but the Thanis warrior had stopped. “I have another,” he said. “Rest, tomorrow you shall face your fate.”However, Kestra decided not to rest. She was stunned that any Thanis warrior would turn down an opportunity to “pla
Aniya had meant every word when she said that her life was now in Inaymi. Belladonna had told her all about Ikrus and Aniya hadn't been pleased about it at all. “I will not allow anyone to take me from my son. I would rather die than go to some strange Realm with someone who was sent to kill me. A soulmate? That sounds far too ridiculous to be true.” That had been her response last night when she had finally woken up. Things had only gotten better the next day. Aniya hadn't had any unfortunate experience befall her ever since she had woken up. No more bleeding and no more screaming in pain, or begging for death. Not only that, but Eli found some witches. They were trying to get the Ringer out of Aniya at the moment and things were looking promising.Aniya was chained down by silver as the witches tried all they could to summon this Ringer out of her and destroy it. At a point, Aniya had shifted into a lycan and threatened to kill them all, but the silver restrained her and she
“Was it here?” Her question caught him off guard and it took too long for him to interpret the words. All he could think about was the fact that she was touching him. Was she drunk? No, he couldn't smell any alcohol from her. “The dagger. Was it here?” Oh, that was what she wanted to know. “Yes.” If his hands weren't already occupied with Arlo who was struggling between sleep and catching his toy, he would have held her hand so it would stay on his skin forever.She reached for a button but paused, then she looked up at him and he gave her a subtle nod. Of course, she could unbutton his shirt! She had no idea how much it would delight him for her to do more. By Ignas, he had been starved and deprived. A suffering he did deserve. She undid two buttons of his gray cotton shirt, so she could see the affected area properly. He had told her about the Witcher's mind manipulation and somehow, she had forgotten to ask him how he was doing or if there were side effects from the dagger’
Just as the Thanatou had said, they had to wait and observe the portal and see if the Mother knew anything about it. They had to be careful not to fall into any trap. However, they couldn't wait forever.The more the Thanatou stayed in hiding, the more his power was threatened and the more it would be harder for him to gain control of his Realm. The Thanatou couldn't believe his mother was throwing a useless tantrum just because he had killed his sister. If she had stayed in line and not interfered with his activities of ruling, then he wouldn't have killed her.She brought this death upon herself.When he would gain his throne again, he would give his Thanis warrior that was in love with her, another Thanks woman who would be obedient. She would make him forget about his sister and he would remain loyal by his side forever. After all, he had made a promise to his Thanis warrior. “When the reign is mine again, I will gift you a befitting female of your choice,” he had clicked to h
The full moon gave her more strength. There was no more perfect night than this.She could feel the power rush through her veins. The chains that had now vanished from her heart made her feel ecstatic, she could feel the tingles at the tips of her fingers. The Thanatou must be dead. Her freedom was now acquired. She had to get Eli back, however there were a couple of problems. How would she get off this mountain without dying? Where was she?All that, she would figure out with time. She just had to follow her string. ________Back in Inaymi, the Full Moon Feast was being celebrated in the Village Square. The sound of drums and many instruments being played filled the air. There were many people dancing at the Village Square, celebrating. Aniya was one of those people.She was in the crowd dancing with her veil tied around her face, as she danced to her heart's content. Earlier, Zesika and she had talked about her experience with the Ringer. Apologies had been made when nece
Different activities were going on during the celebration. A crowd had formed around two wrestling men. Bets had been placed and the crowd roared for their fighter to win. Belladonna had joined the crowd too, just so she could find out what was going on. When she saw that it was a wrestling competition, she lost interest and started to walk away but someone had stopped her. “You are the Bride!” It was a woman. She half yelled so that her voice could be heard above the shouting crowd. “You made my sweater.” She said with excitement and Belladonna smiled as the woman told her about how much she loved Belladonna’s sewings and how many of them she had. With Belladonna now engrossed in a conversation she enjoyed, Eli decided to stay. His eyes were ever on her and it was wonderful to see her relaxed and happy. It was a great distraction from the turmoil that wrestled inside of him. A really good distraction that he didn't realize when someone ran across the wrestling circle and stru
It only took him a second to pull away. Hurt flashed in his eyes. “Do not do this. Not again, please. Do not offer me your lips when you know I cannot have the rest of you.”She blinked, then she nodded. “You are right, I don't— I don't want you. I’m angry— you lied to me and I’m angry still— very angry— I should go before I do something that— I—” Her actions contradicted her words because with every pause, her grip on his collar tightened and she pulled closer to her, her gaze heated on his lips.A drunken desire flashed in her eyes and he tilted his head in confusion, his gaze dark and observant. “You are not drunk.” He stated. He had followed her around during the Feast and she had taken no alcohol. He was sure of it. “I am not drunk,” her reply was a whisper. “Kiss me, Eli.”He pressed his forehead against hers. “It is not only your lips I desire, Donna.”“I know,” her blue eyes were filled with… longing?He was observing her once again, she looked very much in control of her
His gloved hand didn't leave hers and he wouldn't let her close her eyes when the pleasure hit. “Do not look away. I want you to look at this and remember it forever. Look at the mirror.”By Ignas. This mirror. This wasn't what she had in mind at all the first time she had seen this mirror. It was like Fate wanted her to burn this moment into her memory in every way possible, so she could forever remember this moment— her moment of defeat. Her fingers sank into her wet entrance and her thumb rubbed over her clit, her rhythm fast. She wished it was his hands doing this to her instead, but Eli wore his guilt as gloves and he kept himself from desires that he had longed for as punishment. She fell back against him, mumbling incoherent words as she felt the pleasure spread to the tip of her toes, that it was hard to stand. His head dipped and his tongue rolled over her nipple.It hit right then. “Eli…” she moaned. He kept an arm around her waist keeping her anchored to him. So th
“What is this?” Ny'ka asked, racing up to her feet.“The Stones of Prophecy. I already told you,” Ka'el replied, rising to his feet too. He groaned a little, his ribs hurting from the force that had tossed him aside.The stones had suddenly fallen to the ground, scattered; they were still glowing though. “I mean, what do they do?“I don't know!” There was a bit of panic in his voice, then he started to mumble to himself as he fell on his knees and started trying to collect the stones. “The King believes his daughter is in the Rebellion, and there are rumors of the Heir; he thinks they are working together.” He stopped and stared up at Ny'ka who watched him with a frown on her face. “That is why the Moon and the Sun came up in the sky because she is really here? But you said it didn't happen here, that it was from another Realm. It is from another realm, right? It isn’t true, Is it?”Ny'ka tried to grab one of the stones from Ka'el but it held it away from her. “Is his daughter truly
Then she felt like she was drowning and her words vanished from her lips. It felt like she was right in the lake and above it at the same time, hovering over the water and looking at the drowning child, while the drowning child looked back at her, struggling. Then she was finally in the baby and she could see Xinora floating over her as she felt herself dying in the baby — felt the baby dying. She saw Xinora stare right at her mother, who froze immediately like she had seen a ghost - it was what she looked like anyway, what she seemed to be. Then Belladonna felt the presence slam right into her immediately. Xinora had vanished and was now inside her as one being, the moment of her almost death creating the perfect space for Xinora to fit in. But just as Xinora had merged into her, she dissolved into the back of her mind like a mere pest fighting against a strong host. Her mother pulled her out of the water, her gaze blank and cold. Without a word, she wrapped her in a piece of clo
Trigger warning: Dealing with rape aftermath (from victim’s perspective) on page, and baby drowning on page. _________Belladonna paced the room. Two nights have passed since Alaris and her had discussed about Xinora. The Rebellion was healing, and she had sought out Ny'ka to help her with creating portals; although she knew that it might not work, just as it hadn't been working, but that was just how unpromising Channeling had been, and it had worked eventually. That wasn't the problem though. The thing was that Ny'ka was nowhere to be found. It didn't take long for her to figure out where she was.She was with Ka'el, most likely inquiring about their recent failure.Alaris had confirmed her suspicion, and here she was, in the room, trying not to drive herself mad with every single possibility that was crossing her mind.The Priest had drawn a tattoo on the top part of her chest, a little distance from her neck. He had smeared it with the blood of an animal, chanted some things th
Ny'ka went to Ka'el that night as the Heir had ordered, only to find out that he was with someone. Tsiri?What?What was she doing here? Why was she here? How long has she known about Ka'el? How did she get here?Why was she here?By Ina, what had she told him?!The White glow of the crescent moon above glimmered down on them through the shadows of the scanty leaves of the tall trees around them. The smile on Tsiri’s face was plain for Ny'ka to see, just as obvious as the doubt that dotted Ka’el’s eyes. What had she told him?!“Is it true?” Ka'el asked, his fist tightening around the small bag he had in his hand. She wondered what was in that bag but his next words made her aware of the greater problem she had before her. “Are you just fooling me?” He asked as his free hand anchored around Tsiri’s waist, making her smile widen. Disappointment flashed in Ny'ka's eyes and she frowned, blatantly ignoring Tsiri. “Fooling you? What nonsense are you talking about? And why are you with o
“Nightshade, do you have any memories of Jyris?”He was crouching in front of her. This room suddenly felt too small. Where was the air of ease?“No, except that he healed my ankle, gave me that gold ring that you tossed away and he was at the table with the King. Nothing else. I’m trying to but I don't remember anything else.” She wouldn't tell him about the strange feeling of familiarity she had when she had first seen him. That would be too dangerous. “You were in her dreams even when you weren't in captivity. So can you just go into people's dreams? Can you still do that?”“No. Her dream was the only one I could get into without being in captivity. But My freedom does come at a price. It was hard to lure the brides with my soul, and certainly, I prefer this freedom to that.”“Did killing her hurt you? Since the gems are supposed to be a pair.”“I struck her stomach.”“Why didn't you strike her in the heart or behead?”“I wanted to behead her and take her heart as my own; a litt
He heaved a sigh and sat next to her. “Well, it was after being King. I think the wars I had fought strengthened the connection with my gem; the lives I had taken fed it, and I dreamt of Xinora — well, she dreamt of me. It was the first time I would be in anyone's dreams.”Belladonna nodded, taking a mental note of that. “She was crying and lonely, and because the Gem perceived its master to be distressed, it sought a connection and found me. Xinora was terrified when we met; I was confused, too; it was strange. But then, I realized who she was and why I was there. At that time, I really wanted to come back here, to Vestros, but I knew it wasn’t time, I wasn't powerful enough back then.” He paused, before he continued. “The White King would kill me easily, but being in her dreams was like fate being on my side. She was the only weapon that could be used to kill me—”The only weapon?“Wait. Only a Bearer can kill a Bearer?”“Yes.” “So,” she turned to him squarely so she wouldn't mi
“And you didn't tell me? Why?”“It was over two centuries ago.” He stood up. “She stayed dead during those times, why would I think anything would come out of her now?”Belladonna said nothing and Alaris continued. “With you, I believed she had already been replaced. A new Master, her time was over, gone. The gems will always have their masters, I have discovered. At first, I was worried, but then you proved to be more than one with a mere link.”“I had visions of her. I told you everything.”He shrugged. “I thought it was just her lingering presence since she was the one who was connected to the gem before you. They are just mere visions, they don't suggest a powerful presence to get bothered about.”“You must be joking,” she stated, flabbergasted. “I had dreams of her every time and nothing ever really happened as a result,” he replied with a dismissive tone.“You know that is not true.”“Nothing “real” ever really happened.”With a realization, she stood up. “You are doing it aga
It felt compelling to desire more, it felt right… yet it didn't.Alaris pulled away being the first one to snap back from the spark pulling them together. “I’m sorry, I shouldn't have done that.” He was gone in a flash, leaving her flustered. She couldn't think; the foreign and overpowering feeling was a driving force that sent her out of the room to go after him. She did, reaching the surface, however, and feeling the warm glow of the moon on her skin. Something else seemed to have possessed her, and she went towards the lake instead, strangely seeking the comforting feeling of the water and the floating relief. The reflection of the full moon was cast over the still water and the trees seemed to create a path for her. She walked into the water as a shadow warrior emerged from behind her; the only one of Alaris' shadow warriors that wasn't killed. It swiftly moved into the water, reaching out to pull her back but she turned sharply to it. “Go Back!” She ordered, her voice a gr
Breathing heavily, he turned back to her. “I’m sorry— I just— I was afraid that you’ll shift—”“I have been terrified that this day would come but I thought I was stronger, as strong as I was in your Realm. I knew I would be lacking the moment I saw that annoying thing healing your ankle with his flames,” he laughed, the sound dry of humour as he swept his hand over his hair, pushing it back. “At that moment, I knew there were many things that I lacked, many skills, so many things. I might have been a King there but here, I am like a child. I’m not better than any of those dragon shifters. I’m useless.” “You are not.”With a huff, he sat down next to her, feeling exhausted. “My pretense to know what I am doing can no longer save me. I’m fighting a lost war, Nightshade and you can see it.”He turned to her, to find her shaking her head. “Don't lie to me.”“I’m not.”“Alaris—”“Don't try to inspire me, it won't work.” “I wasn't trying to inspire you, I just want to tell you how disap