She could hear Eli's voice but that was too far and distance. It didn't sound he was laying on the floor right next to her at all, nor did it sound like it was his hands that were was admiring right now, or rather the enticement on his hands. She couldn't even make out what he was saying, neither did it sound important enough for her to try and figure it out what it was. Her priorities switched and right now, this beautiful art in front of her held her undivided attention.A consuming urge to delve into this temptation took over her, it wrestled against her sense of control and gave it a lasting beating.To her, all that seemed to matter was exploring this new art.Exploration was holding his hand, touching him, tracing those webs with her fingers and finding out how exactly connected each of them was, finding out the beginning and the end of the longest of them.Her crave was allowing herself to fall into this spell, one that was quickly pulling her under.At last. A surrender.Co
Belladonna woke up a couple of times, saw Eli by her bedside a good number of times, sometimes, Lady Kestra would be by his side, other times he would be alone. She observed his mouth move but she was too tired and worn down that she couldn't process what his words were or even hear them.The pain was now gone but what gave her relief was seeing Eli alive and well. What an immense relief it was.____The King was alive, and the castle was back to normal, as normal as it could get after what had just happened.Everything was fine again in a couple of hours. The people who had left in an attempt to escape had returned, the beast was still in its den, passed out, and the King was fine. Everything was alright again, except for Collin. His wife was dead.He had lost everything, all in a couple of hours, a moment of distraction with good intentions in mind, and his world had crumbled down on him and left him with nothing but emptiness. He folded his arms behind him, waiting at the doo
"We must leave as soon as we can, your Majesty," Kestra said, moving away from the Bride who was still laying weakly in the bed. Kestra was curious as to what had happened in that den. The girl didn't seem to have any major injury, she had checked her body for any foreign presence too but there was nothing. So why was this weak? Or could it be that she was just suffering from mental stress or some sort of trauma from being in contact with the dragon?If it was something physical, the Physician would have found out.Kestra could remember how he was sweating profusely to say the news. When he had been told to leave, he had scrambled out, saying the Bride was a strange being. He had been lucky Eli was much too concerned with other things than to confront him on what he had said. It was a good thing that the Bride was bedridden, Eli was talking to her more, seeking her opinion more and it would have been great if he wasn't doing all this by her bedside, but somewhere else. A different
Going around on a horse wasn't Eli's thing. This beast didn't feel large enough to be ridden but he had no choice. This place seemed very familiar but that was all to it. He wasn't sure if it was his weakness or if there was anything else for him to blame this upon. The forest was quiet and the fact that the villagers didn't visit this place in fear of the rumour of it being cursed, was a good thing. They haven't ran into anyone since they made it into the forest.Truly, the Nuktar forest had some magical abilities, it wasn't as horrific as the villagers described. It only shifted little things from one place to another and for the mind of humans, that could be very confusing. Most of them might get lost and find it difficult to get out of the forest, but they always do and when they do, they run out, terming it cursed.Eli considered it playful. Kestra hated it. She said it made fetching whatever she needed difficult. They were pretty used to the forest by now though, it wasn't
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Kestra asked, looking at the lake of glittering blue water and the clear pebbles that circled the small lake. They seemed to reflect the color of the body of water they decorated.Eli shrugged, finding a suitable rock to sit upon, as he reached for his mask and pulled it off. His facial muscles twitched and he bit back a groan. His dragon had given him a beating, he could still feel the sharp long claws of the beast like they were still there, dug beneath his flesh, as it swiped out the scales of painful remembrance.The beast had mocked him. Despite the memories that flashed through his mind, he just really wanted this to be over and done with already, so that they could continue the search for the cave. He didn't have all day. Soon enough, they would need to rest too, he would like for that to happen after they had found the cave. In fact, he would like to rest only when he had restored everything to normalcy and he was in his Donna's arms again. T
Light laughter slipped through a small gap between her slightly parted red lips, her fingers delicate as she moved them expertly on his face, in her treatment administration.This wasn't the first time she would be dressing Eli's wound, she couldn't even count how many of his injuries she had dressed and once upon a time, she was the only one that could treat his face if there was ever a need for that. She wondered if she was still the only one. She didn't have to think too long though. She knew she wasn't. Someone else had taken her place but not for long. "Thank you for saving my life." His voice had a rough edge to it, along with the appreciation she had been dying to hear. "I should have thanked you long before now."He clearly remembered being defeated by the dragon and how he had tossed his mask out at the last minute, blaming himself for not having done that way earlier, wondering if he had tossed it far away enough for them to even see it.He remembered how his blood had tri
His reply wasn't what she had expected. "I'm not going to betray her."Her heart felt like it had been sank in a bucket of cold water."I'm sure she will understand, if you tell her, your Majesty." She said quietly. "Besides, this is necessary." He threw her a look that she couldn't interpret but it was nothing pleasant, nothing like the way she wanted him to be looking at her. "Understand what?"She took a slow step back, her bare feet rubbing against the small smooth rocks beneath them, the silent sound blending with the sound of her breathing, as his frame slowly towered over her like an uprising shadow backing the moon.He was standing up.Why was he standing up?!"Tell me. Understand what? Understand that I have to lay with my Right hand woman consistently because I survived on being intimate with her. Isn't it enough that I am cursed?""This is also one of your curses, Eli." She responded, her voice low, a frown etching into her face. He blinked, the words although soft spok
He continued, watching the tears roll down her cheeks with an unshakeable glare."I'm sorry! I'm sorry."The minute he retracted his claws and she sensed her freedom, Kestra scrambled away from him, falling to the ground, her blood staining the beautiful stones before she stood up almost immediately, making all attempts to move away from him as quickly as possible.He stood up too, but he didn't go after her. Instead, he shook his head, the weakness finding its way back into his veins, the pain leaving him temporarily as he settled back into logical himself.Anger no longer swindling in him, his emotions no longer slamming into one another uncontrollably, he was more in control of himself now. The shift was obvious.The glare wiped away from his face and a sorry look took its place. "Kestra."She looked up at him and shook her head. "I'm fine.""I am so sorry. I apologize, I---" he walked closer to her and she moved away, pulling one part of her slit over her cut, when she sensed h
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