The bellowing of the men's laughter as they slammed their mazers against one another, collided with the loud voices of the giggling ladies as their hands snuck into the men's garments in a sensuous manner, rubbing them off the coins they had carefully tucked away before they came, The music struggled with all the noise, still managing to be defined in its melodious combination, over the loud conversation, as the scantily dressed ladies on the stage, floor, and tables, danced to it.This was the Tavern.A place far from the Capital's Market Square, and hidden away. Life here was different from the life of the people closest to the Square.Here it was music, it was alcohol, it was sex, it was violence.It was easy to kill someone here and get away with it.The Tarvern was a safe place for many atrocities, having only one major rule to be followed - Whatever happened the Tarvern, stayed in the Tarvern. A woman in a red cloak and hood stepped in, the heels of her boots silent against t
"Coff--ins," she stuttered, stumbling from the coffins towards Eli. Even with his mask on, she could read the expression that passed through his eyes, there was fading excitement but the shock she had expected to find, was absolutely lacking. She froze, inching away from him the moment she could command her legs once again. "Donna," he extended his hand to her carefully, like she was a child and he was scared of moving too quickly and startling her. "Come with me."Her heart dropped, his words confirming her suspicion. So, he knew about this.She balled her fists beside her, her heart racing, as the worry of her ending up in one of those coffins, crossed her mind. What if this was it?What if this was what the previous brides saw that brought them to their sudden disappearance?Wait, sudden disappearance?The existence of the coffins behind her weighed like a heavy knowledge in her head, the presence of the constructed wood almost suffocating, the fact that Eli was standing by the
Belladonna toyed with the dagger in her hand, one that Anok had given to her before seeing her to her door and stationing himself by it. She was worried about way too many things that she didn't think about what the consequences of him standing against the King might bring. It was surprising that Eli had easily let them go too. It made her feel uneasy, on top of how the discovery of the coffins made her feel.They had been empty but when she moved closer, she had sensed something in them, seen something too. She rubbed her fingers against her temple, as she paced around the room.She had not gone back to the King's chambers, it just didn't feel safe there anymore. A while later, there was a commotion outside the door. The King had sent guards to take Anok away, Seb had led them here and the look on his face showed that he was doing this by an order."What is going to happen to him?" Belladonna asked in panic. "Is he going to take him to the den?""I don't know, My Lady."Anok looke
The fact that she had forgotten the memory for so long did not sit well with her. It didn't seem like something that would have happened naturally. How many more things had she forgotten?For how long had this been going on?!"Are you alright?" Lady Kestra's voice floated to her ears and it was at that moment, she realized that she had been holding her hand in a tight grip, pulling her away from reaching her hair. She didn't even know when she had done that. Alright? No, she wasn't alright.She was realizing too many things at once, the pull from the depth of ignorance she had been sucked into was aggressive. The realization and knowledge that came with it, suffocating.She wasn't alright. They had done something to her. That must be it. Was it the King or Lady Kestra? She had to get rid of her, she had to be alone and figure this out herself. There must be something important about that dream and all the things she forgot, for them to have taken the memories away from her.She ha
She forced her eyelids open, as she grabbed the closest pen and paper she could find, to jot down everything she could remember, scared that if she didn't, then she would fall asleep and lose this memory too.The pen did not work.Arrgh, this pen never worked!Frustration threatened to bust through her, as she raised her hand to throw the pen across the room, but she stopped midair. This pen was a gift from the Market Square. There had been a commotion that night ---a family had tried to kill her --- and a boy had given it to her. She dragged in a long breath, forcing her eyes open, as she dismantled the pen.It never worked because that wasn't its purpose, and she was right. There was a piece of paper wrapped in it.A rushed drawing of three interlocked spiral lines was on it. It was the same tattoo she had seen on Raquel. She said it meant unity, but did it? Seeing this paper made her question it, along with the memories of a purple glow that flooded her mind. Maybe this would b
"Are you done?""Seriously?" A light scoff. "That was the softest I have ever spoken."She shrugged. Honestly, it almost had her.Almost. "I don't know. It sounded a little rough around the edges. Wasn't as hypnotizing as you thought it would be."A light chuckle echoed around her, one that sounded a little distant from her now. She relaxed her hold on her dagger, relieved that she might not have to use it eventually, besides the fact that she would be fighting against the invisible, she didn't even know how to wield the weapon. So, it was good this way. "A little bit of practice and I'll have you wrapped around my fingers.""In your dreams.""Your dreams, of course. Where else?"She gritted her teeth, walking away.His cocky attitude was starting to get on her nerves and if she wasn't in a dire situation right now, she would have plenty to say to that. "I don't have time for this foolery."He chuckled. "You've become difficult but when were you never?"Her feet dipped into the c
The shift had been fast. One moment they were at the beach and the next they were in Eli's little study. She could still remember how he had put her on a table and sealed his lips against hers in the previous room before he had brought her here on that little tour. He had told her he loved her and he had said she didn't understand. She hadn't thought too much about it then but now, she was suspicious. He had told her he loved her many times before that, was he lying before?Belladonna was quick to start her search for the book and the Bride Thief had said he wanted to check out the place. "Everything has changed. Not like I left it."He had said, before leaving. Maybe. It wasn't like she could see him. How exactly had he left the Castle though?Burnt to the ground with Eli's entire family in it. What about the servants, and others that had lost their lives in that fire?She just couldn't trust this man.If there was another way to find out the truth, she would have used that i
There was no place to hide. She watched in horror as the door swung open and Eli bolted in, heading straight for her. "Donna, I---" he paused instantly, his gaze moving from her sleeping figure on the chair and the one kneeling by her side. He didn't need to take his mask off, but she knew that look that flashed in his brown eyes. He had never looked at her like that before. "E---" she started to say, rambling for words to explain the situation, but he drew his sword and the blade felt like a threatening presence at the base of her neck. "Step away from her."What?!Did he not recognize her?"Step away this instant or I shall slit your throat!"The threat in his voice was as clear as day. He would do it.Just a little tilt forward and her head would be gone.It would be clean too. Severed.He stared at her like she was a complete stranger, like he had never seen in his entire life, like she was putting his entire being at risk and he would do anything to save it from her.Like sh
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