The horses are galloping along the deserts of Pir while the hot sun blazes in the sky. Only half the day has passed and they still have a long journey ahead of them. Lavi is on a black stallion, looking haughty and unaffected by the sun but the men around him are already exhausted by the heat. Even Damien seems to be feeling the heat.
Anna, on the other hand, is used to the hot weather and is calm. She can feel Lavi’s gaze on her every now and then but she cannot read his mood at all. It feels strange to be the object of his attention as if he will attack her any moment but cannot do so because of Damien.
The knight has a protective grip around her, keeping her safe in her seat but Anna barely notices. She is more focused on memorizing the route in order to execute her plan. They are taking the southern road which means that they are going to pass by some
Lavi drags Anna into the room, shutting the door behind him. Once inside, he turns on her.“You will return to the castle,” he says. “Now.”“Huh? You are the one who brought me here!”“And now I am telling you to leave. I will take you there and then return-”“No!”Anna is adamant. She refuses to leave because if she does, Lavi might escape. Moreover, by staying close to him, she will get more information on him.Lavi, however, is not going to back down either. “You must leave,” he stresses. “I should not have brought you here when-”He trails off
Anna is anxious as she paces back and forth the chamber. She is trying to use her senses and link with her pack members but everything is coming at a blank. It is as if she is still in Lavi’s palace where the magic prevents her from contacting her guild members. But they are not in the palace now so she should be able to contact them.Then why can she not do it?“Magic?” she ponders. “Is there some sort of magic here?”Did the Emperor lure Lavi into a trap? Why did he not tell her? Surely, Damien or someone from the Royal guard would have told her. The Emperor must have planned this…She unconsciously takes off her shawl, feeling too hot. For some reason, she is feeling a little too warm after their arrival. It is strange because she
Lavi throws Anna on the bed. She winces as she lands on her back, feeling feverish by the Heat.“You should have listened to me and returned to the castle!” He barks at her. “Listen to me for once!”Anna is irritated by his nagging and becomes defensive.“I did not know that I was in Heat!” She snaps at him. “I never felt like this before!”The Heat is a state which only the female counterpart will experience once they find their mates. If they are not marked or rejected, the Heat will affect them every month.“Tell me your name and I will reject you,” Lavi offers. “You will escape the Heat then!”
Lavi quickly looks out of the window and sees several men who are lighting the inn on fire. He catches a glimpse of Damien who is standing with them. There is no doubt that the plot has been hatched by Phillippe and the men standing with Damien are not soldiers but rogues from the area who are going to kill him.He swiftly turns back at Anna who is coughing hard. She is looking confused but is determined to get out of there as well.“Did you know about this?” he demands.“No!” Anna claims. “I had no idea that there is a plot to kill you tonight!”“Lavi, I think she is speaking the truth!” Airen says. “If she was lying, she would not have stayed behind when you told her to leave.”
“Watch it!” Lavi scolds Anna when she nearly stumbles on a branch.“I cannot ‘watch it’!” She sneers. “I am blind, remember?”“You manage to walk around my castle just fine!” He snaps back.Anna takes a deep breath. “That is because I have the place memorized,” she says in a way as if explaining to a child. “This oasis is new to me. It will take me some time to memorize.”“Quite bold of you to trust me in this place,” Lavi mutters.“Trust? Absolutely not! I just happen to know that if I am hurt, you will also be hurt. Which means you have to keep me safe.”Lavi scowls but An
*A while ago*Anna sighs to herself as she finds her way towards the pool. She nearly slipped a few times but managed to balance herself. The ground is damp with water and the stones are hard to walk on.“That brat should have at least offered to help you find the pool!” Thena snarls inside her head.“As if he will help another person,” Anna mutters. She raises her hands to feel the walls around her, guiding herself until she slightly bumps into the large boulder. Slowly walking around it, she can smell the scent of fresh water in front of her.Anna searches for a stone until she finds one and throws it into the water.“It is quite deep,” she remarks. Maybe I should take a bath,
“Oi, wake up!”Lavi’s voice breaks Anna’s sleep and she slowly stirs. She opens her eyes to the eternal darkness and sighs.“It is morning and the storm has passed,” Lavi tells her. “We need to go.”Grumbling a little, Anna yawns and stands up. She stretches her body while Lavi is preparing to push the boulder away.The sun is shining brightly, illuminating the vast desert in front of them. Lavi peers his eyes to see if anyone is around but there is no sight of life. The sandstorm has brushed a lot of the sand in their direction and it will be even harder for them to walk under the hot sun.“I have managed to stock up on some of my magic,” he murmurs. “Bu
By the time they reach Astra, it is nearly evening. Lavi and Thena enter the town which is lit by thousands of colorful lanterns all lined on strings tied high along the roads. There are houses made of bamboo and mahogany with curtained windows but the curtains are so thin that one can see the shadows in the rooms.Several women in skimpy dresses are eyeing Lavi, his handsome features prominent even though he is wearing a makeshift eye patch over his blue eye. They are omegas or human slaves who were sold off to the p*mps at Astra to make a few bucks from the flesh trade.“Hey honey, wanna get some tea at my place?” One of the women hoots at him. Lavi ignores them and keeps on searching for his master who might be in the town.Thena is also keeping an eye on him, wondering if Lavi is go