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
He came inside her, and she let him. She desired him so much, she had reached for him more than once.She had moaned his name at the top of her lungs and given her body to him without rejection. She had been his good girl. She had replied positively to it herself.That meant that she was his, only his. Also, with an implied answer she had claimed him.Not in a million dreams would he have suspected that this would happen tonight or they would go this far. His happiness was boundless. The day of Full Moon Feast would forever remain special because of this. Eli wanted to remain inside her forever, but he wasn't as hard as he was before and he feared that his weight might crush her. So he pulled out of her, carried her and headed to the bathroom. He just couldn't stop smiling.When he laid her into the tub, she didn't let go, so he went in with her.She sat down in the tub and he sat next to her.Now that he was no longer sad, this bathroom was quite large. It reminded him of th
Belladonna fell asleep quickly but Eli couldn't sleep.It still felt like a dream. He kept looking at her to ensure that she wasn't just a figment of his imagination and that everything that had happened wasn't just an illusion. Hopefully, it hadn't been as a result of him being so desperate that his mind had tricked him into thinking this had happened. Wait! Was it possible that Galdur still had him trapped in his mind?His fingers went through her hair again and she turned in her sleep, facing him. His breath caught in his throat. No. This was real. They should leave Osi’s house now and return to the Golden Boy's Guest House, but Eli didn't feel like moving an inch. He could live here forever. Besides, their hosts said they could stay for the night. That was what they would do. When he started falling asleep, he pulled her into his arms, afraid that if he didn't she would disappear while he slept. ______The loud banging against the door jolted Belladonna awake.She spr
It had been three days since the search for Aniya and her son had begun. The search through the forest had been futile. The soldiers were tired and running out of resources. They had to go back to the village and report the situation. Eli didn't want to go back without finding them but it was illogical to keep on the search when reporting back to the village would help the situation better, as they would broaden the search beyond just the surrounding borders but into those other villages instead. The sun was setting and it would be better to get out of the forest before dark.They started heading back to the village, but something strange happened at that moment. The little stones on the ground started to vibrate and the earth started to quake.Chaos erupted, and the soldiers ran towards the village, colliding with one another, as the mighty trees around them fell to the ground. Two soldiers lost their footing, as a tree fell behind them, the long branches knocking them to the g
Belladonna was the most distressed when the soldiers returned without Eli, Aniya, or her son. Then her worth worsened when they told her what had happened in the forest. They had felt the quake in the village too but then, the ground had only trembled with no lasting damaging effect. Lytio assured her that everything would be alright. Zesika was no help however, she was a wreck herself. “Arlo would be so cold. My boy, my baby. Aniya, by Ignas, she must be so scared.” Zesika would say to herself over and over again as she wiped her tears from her face. It was dark and many of their warriors were exhausted. With the news the soldiers had reported, many were scared to go into the forest and look for Eli. Armed with a couple of ropes, Belladonna decided to go into the forest herself to find him. Hopefully, her powers would help her. After all, they had worked to protect him once, they probably would do the same again. By Ignas, he should have let her come with him!Lytio tried to di
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