Belladonna staggered away from his grip, leaving him at the podium, while she looked around at the guests and families that had gone unbelievably still around them, their faces no longer held happy smiles, neither did shocked gasps slip out of their mouths and fill the temple at what the lovely bride had done to the unsuspecting groom.They just suddenly froze.All of them.Her gaze snapped back to Lytio, who was brushing his finger lightly over the cut on his face, blood trickling down his neck and dissolving into the collar of his white wedding robe. His demeanour, unmoved.Seeing the blood, he looked up at her, an unreadable expression in his blank eyes. He should be groaning in complete agony but he wasn't. For someone with that huge, fresh, bleeding cut, he was too calm.Slowly, his brows knitted together, his forehead creased into a frown. Then, it happened.A force exploded in-between them, pushing them both back, like some invisible entity made to rip them apart. The people
Although she already had his blood, Kestra wasn't back yet to be able to do her witchy thing on it, and she felt that being able to describe how he looked like might help the King in his findings. This would be the last time she would allow herself to dream of him and she was trying to get everything she could from this one time risk."I can't. I am--""Weak." She said, her voice laced with mockery and he hissed, almost sounding like a snake.Wasn't that what he was anyways?A snake."What even can you do?"The Bride Thief did not miss her belittling tone in her voice but he was too weak to fight it.Good. At least now he could feel how it was to be consumed by a feeling he had no control over, something he was forced to feel."I can show you the truth. Let's make a blood oath." He rose his head, looking at her and blood dripped from beneath the mask, unto the sand.Belladonna scoffed, staring at him through slanted eyes, to see if he was weak enough to at least show the slightest fea
A knock. Finally out of the bathroom and dressed in her plain, silk, A shape, gold dress with blue designed lace, tapped around the neckline, Belladonna swung the door open, expecting Raquel as usual but instead there were guards at the door, with different boxes in their hands, stacked on top one another, tall enough to cover some of their faces.As if the helmets they had to wear weren't already enough trouble for them to begin with.What was going on?"My Lady. You are up already. Good."Raquel flashed her a smile. "What is going on?""Gifts from the people, from last night. Please, can we come in?""Of course," she stood aside so that they could come in and the guards rushed in, putting the gifts at one side of the room, till they finally put down the last box, then finally left."This is all so much." Belladonna said with a gasp.She had never received so much gifts in her life, it made her temporarily forget her sadness on her earlier wasted efforts.Raquel squealed with excite
She had promised not to interfer in their family affairs but that didn't stop her from seeing what Colin was doing as stupid. Why turn down help for your daughter just because of your ego and have your wife unable to do anything about it because you are the 'husband'.It felt more like a cage than a marriage, but who was she to judge.Different people had their ways of doing things and if she tried to help Raquel out of it, she felt that she would only persumed it as a punishment instead of a favour. This was a life she knew and knew nothing asides from it. Maybe in future, she would change it but I till that one month was over, she must stay totally out of it."Good morning, Colin.""My Lady, the King will not be able to join you for the breakfast this morning. I have been ordered to express his deepest apologies and his promise to make it up to you at dinner.""Thank you. Your wife already told me that."Something ticked in his jaws, his gaze flying to Raquel, who gulped, arching
"Well, thank you for the gift."His gaze moved to her necklace. "I can not wait for you to finally be able to wear it.""Thanks for that too, but I was talking about the sewing machine.""Oh, that." He moved his hand a little, trailing a side of her neck, then he withdraw his touch slowly. "Anything for you. Will you like to learn a little swordsmanship, my Lady?"That just sounded like another opportunity to get closer to him. An opportunity she definitely wouldn't miss. Just as she had said yes, he was giving the order for everyone to leave the training room, the next thing she knew, they were alone, the room was locked and he was behind her, his heat engulfing her, while his hand guided hers as he taught her the basic techniques. The way his voice filled her ears was pure heaven.With how today had started, it was all going so well. Strike.Attack.She giggled and he laughed at some of her individual defenses and attacks.Her moves were really sloppy, uncalculated and either to
"Here is my Family."The black cloth that had been over the painting slip to the floor. The room was just as Belladonna had left it the day she had been here, different paintings had been pulled down and cover and the room smelt a little dusty, but this wasn't the painting she had seen the day she came in.This painting looked different. Looked alive... somehow.In this big frame, there were four people.His Mother, a lean woman with piercing auburn hooded eyes that had a glint of humour in them, bold and black eyebrows, high cheek bones accompanied by a neck that looked like a bit of a stretch. Her auburn hair was made into one big cornrow, leaving only wavy strands out to cover some parts of her face.Next to her, on the small black sofa, sat a man with full mutton chopped beards and long black hair mixed with scattered strands og grey. His gaze was piecing brown, like he knew all the secrets there would ever be to be kept. He also looked similarly huge like Eli. In his hand was a
"They loved Lex's wild spirit more than my tamed one. Found him bathed in blood all too often for his age."Belladonna furrowed her eyebrows.At what age was it appropriate to be found bathed in blood? Blood!"Lex was a lot like my parents than I was. At a point," he chuckled, turning his gaze to her, "I almost started getting jealous, but," then he raised a finger up, "I could not hate my brother. I mean, he was my baby brother after all. I loved him. He made me happy. His presence, his laughter, his troubles, the way I would always have to clean up after his mess in the village when he would go barserk on the animals." He chuckled again, his eyes filled with warmth and absolute love. "I never complained. I took some of the blames of what he did, but like I said before, my parents knew who the psycho was." He looked back at the painting, folding his hands behind him. "At the end of the day, we are still family."Belladonna looked at the painting once again. What a happy family the
"I had not noticed it at first but each of them would always come to her every night, while we were in their little living room, by the fireplace. They would take her hand and lead her out through the door. They were all so kind to her, I did not suspect a thing."Belladonna could sense the rage that he was trying to hard to hide from his voice. Kestra must really mean a lot to him. That gave her mixed feelings.She was sure of one thing though, she felt horrible for Kestra. It explained more about her scars.She folded her arms across her, her face creased into a frown, her gaze planted on the floor, the color of which she couldn't even see since her focus wasn't on it.She shouldn't be feeling this way. It made no sense to."Kestra was good at hiding secrets. Even after I told her, everything about why I was in the forest, who I was and we had stayed tight friends for a whole month, she never told me about how her brothers used to abuse her sexually and physically. Till one night,
“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