It was barely a whole day, and Nadia already felt closer to her mother than she had ever felt to her Granny. Ever since she had stepped into the forest, she hadn't left her side, except to attend to nature's call and then she was back.Kestra had so many stories to tell her daughter, so much to say in such a limited time. Things would have been really different if they had been together. Life would have been perfect."So who is my father?" Nadia had asked. She knew her mother used to be the King's Right-hand woman and they used to be close, it made her wonder how strong their relationship was and if she had been a product of it.To her utmost disappointment, she wasn't. Not only that, but her mother didn't even know who her father was. The feeling stung for Nadia but she left it slide. She was too happy to take offense to anything right now. So they kept on talking and laughing, trying desperately to catch up on everything, and that was how Nadia had hopped onto the topic of her lo
"There is no way I could ever ask that of you and you would give me. I do not have so much significance like that in your life yet. It is too much of a sacrifice. If only we had time..."Strong and lacking trust were the words of her ghost mother, it was so saddening that Nadia found herself making a Bloodoath to convince her of her significance, along with her dedication and absolute loyalty to sacrifice anything it would take to bring back her mother. Her yearning for a normal mother-and-daughter relationship between them was just so strong. It was something that tugged on the strings of her heart so much, that it couldn't be ignored. The chilling smile her mother gave her was her reward, it warmed Nadia's heart that she had done something special, and worth being happy about. "Tomorrow." Her ghost mother said. "Tomorrow? Why not tell me today? What if we are running out of time already? How long will your spirit linger, when your body has already been made extinct with dragon f
Nadia burst into the room, her gaze immediately clashing with Sir Anok's who looked at her with accusation and suspicion. "You!"That was all he needed to say. "What have you done?" Granny's voice squeaked, as she rushed away to get herbs, muttering something beneath her breath to the jerking Kenji, before she left him on the floor where Anok had now placed him."Do something!" Taria yelled, her eyes tearing up, her hands trembling as she wiped off the blood that bled even more from Kenji.Anok had loosened Kenji's shirt and turned him over on his left, so that he would still breathe but Kenji was showing no signs of recovering any time soon. "No, no, no," Nadia muttered under her breath, freezing by the door and being absolutely useless.Granny was back as soon as she had left but it was too late for Kenji. His body had already stilled and blood drizzled from his limp existence."He is still," Taria whispered, and looked at Granny, whose eyes had been overshadowed by shock and imm
Belladonna had noticed the red glowing light first. It seeped in through every space into the carriage, and she had backed away slowly, her forehead wrinkling in confusion till the jarring feeling had hit the next second and the carriage swerved off course.The neighing of the horses filled the air, and chaos reigned like it was meant to be there. "What is going on?" She yelled to the coachman as the uncanny speed tossed her around the carriage without care, making her slam her body against the wooden walls, floor, and carriage seat, as she guarded her head with her arms to shield it from the damaging impact. "What are you doing?" She yanked the curtain aside and stuck her head out the window. The coachman had his back turned to her and all she could see was his black robe, that fitted against his broad back. Odd for a coachman."Be at ease." He said as he struggled with the reins of the horses that were clearly not obeying him.Belladonna's eyes went wide slightly.That voice. Sh
Cold hands clasped against Granny's and the dread set in, burning in her veins and spreading through her bones."You are not my Nadia." She gritted through the pain."I am not a stranger either," an uncanny smile cut across Nadia's face. "If not for your wonderful theft, I wouldn't have had this body to come back to. So perhaps, I should be grateful." Her voice was roughened with a gruff as she pulled Granny closer into a tight embrace, draining her power and claiming it as her own. "Perhaps I should also thank you for being alive too.""Kestra." Granny's voice was a whisper, the pain was too much. Confusion set in. "You took my daughter's body.""Mine." Red light flashed in Nadia's brown eyes, but obviously, she wasn't the one speaking. Granny frowned, anger cutting across her features and evident in her eyes. "Let her go!"Snap!Control slipped from Kestra, only for a moment.Just for a moment. She fought to regain it, to continue to stay in control of this stubborn body she had n
Her eyes followed him, till he was kneeling by her side. The doubt in his eyes made her shake her head. "I am not crazy, Eli. Don't look at me like I am.""You are not crazy.""Do you believe me?" She pulled away to look at him and he gave her a reassuring smile, while cupping her face in his hands."You are not crazy."They remained in the magic of the moment, until the sound of flapping leathery wings broke it and she was pulling away from him finally.Alaris looked tensed and his gaze first found the bracelet on Belladonna's wrist before looking around quickly for any sign of danger. Finding none, he asked, "What happened here?"______They had made it back to the castle that night, with Alaris in his dragon form and each of them securely in his talons. It was a very scary ride, especially for Belladonna who wasn't used to seeing things from this high."Don't drop me, please!" She had yelled when he started making some unnecessary scary moves."Stop scaring her!" Eli had demande
So Be It?!His thoughts were troubling and the thoughts of the depressing days that would follow if that were to happen took his mind in a reckless abandon. He forced himself to stop thinking about it so that he may tell her of his idea. "You have tried everything to get rid of the magic but you can not. I think that is because the ghosts do not want to leave. You are letting go of one end of the rope, while they hold on to the other."She shook with a disagreeing laugh. "They want to. They beg me to set them free. If they could, they would leave.""You are right, they want to, they just do not know the right way to. I believe their souls must be appeased. They are angry, and their anger ties them here.""Of course they are angry." She blamed him for that, it was in her eyes. "Can you ask them what they want me to do?""What?" Her fight dissipated from her. "I want their forgiveness. My actions took their lives, the least I can offer them now is peace."Belladonna turned away, tur
He staggered back, shielding his head and taking the hit.There were stones from every direction, even children who certainly didn't have full understanding of what was going on were throwing stones! How did people gather around them so fast?!The scene before Belladonna rose her anger through the roof. These stupid people!"Stop it! Stop stoning him!" She yelled stepping forward. "Do you think he willingly did this? Do you think if he hadn't been lied to, just like the rest of us, he would have done this?!" She was looking around sharply, her eyes desperately trying to command everyone's attention just like her words were. "He loses his mind with regret over this day and night, and now seeks to make amends, even though he is also a victim here too. Just like all of us!" There was silence in the street when she spoke. It felt like the whole world had stopped and now was listening to her. Eli's heart pounded in his chest with each word she spoke, his body was tensed and rigid in r
“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