The keys in her hand dropped to the floor and clanked, her body trembling, her eyes glistering with tears of fear, as she moved backwards slowly in a way that seemed so unnatural. Her lips quivered as they tried to form the words that were rushing through her mind but her tongue felt nailed to the roof her mouth that she couldn't speak despite how hard she tried.Then her hands clamped upon her lips, words pushing out through the space of her fingers."Your Majesty."She staggered back, the horror in front of her making her heart beat wildly, so much that she forgot the fear that the King caused her naturally. "Your ma-- your majesty." Her breathing interrupted the words she was saying. She staggered bavk against, shaking her head. Then abruptly, she turned, opened the door with clumsy hands and ran. Her tearful mumblings increasing the further she went, tears running down her face, her voice shaky and her sight a blur. "My mistress...your Majesty."Raquel had seen many things whil
Trigger warning - Physical violence and blood.___Belladonna couldn't fight to save her life.Her bleeding face was a prove of that. The tiny pieces of glass that had dug into her skin, when she had been thrown against the glass shelf behind her and it had crashed on impact, was a prove of that. Combat just wasn't something she was any good at and even in her dreams she wasn't any better. A hand around her neck yanked her up so she could stare at the rage filled eyes that burnt down at hers. That could never be her Eli.She tapped her hand against the firm grip that held her neck, as she gasped for air. Her eyes widening as she struggled, not minding that the glass pricked into her skin even more with the frantic movement."Let's t-talk about this." Her voice came out muffled from how deeply cut and painfully busted her lips were, she could taste her blood drip down her tongue and despite her repulsion to spit it out, swallowing it just seemed more effortless."Who sent you?" The
Raquel knuckles hurt as she threw the door another loud bang. This wasn't the first time she would be knocking the door, it had been going in for a while without an answer. She went for another knock again, while whispering through her quivering lips. "Your Majesty?"Then, abruptly, she stopped.He wasn't inside. Why hadn't she thought of that before?There was no response because he wasn't in his chambers. She turned around swiftly then stopped as her gaze lingered on the stairs for a while, her breath shaky with a thought.She would have to look for him, maybe even go inside the dungeon.The urge to involve Colin came back stronger than before. She feared the dungeon even more because of the presence of the dragon. That place was a deathtrap. The thought of her Mistress and the devasting state she must be in, flashed in her mind, and she bit her trembling lips, her whole body suddenly feeling shaky. She would risk it. Maybe sacrificing her life would help her conscience and m
She took a step back, and another, till she tripped and fell backwards.Her hand moved along the floor for anything that could help her, just desperate to not be so defenseless, while she mumbled a word she didn't even think would slip past her lips."Alaris?""I know. Just stay still and maybe it will go away." He sounded like he had moved, like he was in front of her instead, standing between her and the dragon.It gave her an odd sense of relief that he was still here and standing as a sought of shield for her too. But the fact that he was the one that brought her into this situation in the first place didn't make her appreciate that. Besides, his presence was practically useless. The dragon didn't seem to have observed him and that intense beastly gaze was still directed at her. Yet the thing that grinded her gears the most in this situation was the word he had used in his word of assurance.Maybe.Maybe?!What kind of mess was this that she had only a 'maybe' to hold unto and h
"Alaris!" The name cut sharply through her lips, as she jerked forward on her bed, her chest rasing and falling in the fear of an imminent danger that still crossed through her veins. Belladonna was quick to throw the blanket aside, and jump out of bed, looking around wearily to see if this was just yet against another illusion or if she had truly woken up. The room looked pretty normal but the Bride Thief was an expert at his illusions. The little things. She had to look for the little things. Her feet were quick, almost like she was flying, as she moved around to search for the little details of her room she was certain he wouldn't possibly he paying attention to when forming up this place. Her table was still how she had left it, there were still a couple of locked doors before her bathroom and the decor was still largely red, including the curtains. Yes, the curtains! She had to check for daylight. The pain that shot into her head as she pulled the curtains aside, for
Her slender hands patted her partly bare back but Belladonna remained stiff in her overpowering, calming embrace.Was this still an illusion?The door pushed open but with her face being buried into Lady Kestra's shoulder, she couldn't see anything. Belladonna wondered if the person stepping out was a bride and she struggled out of the embrace, pulling away only to see that it was Collin, leading Raquel out of the room.Was this still a dream?Why were there so many strange things happening? There was an unusual aura she could sense in the air though, it felt suspiciously calming. Too calming."Raquel." Her voice was breathy as she called out for her. Her legs taking stumbling desperate steps to quickly reach for the only person that felt a little close to home in this whole situation."You were screaming." Her hands reached out for her but hung in the air, then dropped to her sides, because of Collin who stood partly in the way with his back abruptly turned to her.Why was he doing
The grip around her wrist couldn't have loosened faster. Eli was a quite a distance away from them, down the hallway, his eyes brewing with rage the closer he got. Belladonna let out a shaky breath of relief as her gaze landed on him. Her Eli."Eli." She whispered underneath her breath while she pushed forward on her wobbly legs, that were getting weaker by the second. She didn't have to walk too far though, he was right by her side in a flashing, taking his cloak from his shoulders and wrapping it around her. It was as smooth as he had planned it though because for some reasons, she was trying to check him, as if to ensure that he was alright. It made him wonder if she knew where he had been. Even if she did, why would she think that he had been injured. His guards were the ones that had inflicted the pain and the traitors he had confronted were in the dungeon right now, only a floor away from Pamela. By the time he would question them again, they would have no choice but to spea
Belladonna woke up the next morning, feeling absolutely refreshed and her mind a blank slate. That might just be the most peaceful sleep she had ever had since she got to the Castle.Her face beamed with a smile, while she stretched and watched the red glow that slighty emitted from the curtains a few distance away. The sun was up already?!By Ignas, she had overslept. With swiftness, she pushed the blanket aside and jumped out of bed. Her head felt a little lightweight though and she almost swayed on her feet. Her hand came over her forehead, as she steadied herself, her smile slowly dwindling when she remembered why she had fallen asleep in the first place.She had wanted to help Eli find out more about the Bride Thief, then tell him the things she found out afterwards. It was strange that she hadn't dreamt about him at all, despite her determination. She wanted to keep on thinking about it but somehow, the importance of dwelling on that thought felt lacking, so she gave up on it
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