Zorien’s POV-I watch my pup, Welma, and her family round-up at the riverbank. We’re doing this discreetly no one knowing, aside from myself, Welma, and two other maids. No goodbyes are exchanged as my minions erect a bridge made of a huge rock boulder to connect this side of the flowing river to the other side where her homeland lies.Her family thanks me once again, going ahead to prepare for the crossing, but my pup is lagging with reluctance. I stride up to her and tap her shoulder. She turns and tries to mask her worry with a drooping smile. I speak, “What’s wrong? Don’t you recognize your Pack again?”Her Owl and Weasel are even with her, so why does she look like she’s missing something?“Is it Ciel? I can play a makeshift version of him if you want” I propose in a taunting voice, but receive a gobsmacking surprise when her face lights up excitedly.“Really? You can do that?”I take my taunt back. I straighten and elevate a frown elsewhere. Her giggles prickle at
Himari’s POV.-With a hand on my chest, I keep stealing back glances to see Zorien hasn’t shifted from his position while he watches us proceed into the forest of my Pack. My mind link is rekindling along the way, and I can’t stop this fuzzy feeling bubbling in my chest as I keep stumbling upon little obstructions on the way just because I can’t bring myself to stop staring at him.Who would’ve imagined my family would be the ones to go find me and not the other way around? The extreme joy still rattles in my bones till this moment, and never has Zorien been more benevolent with me. His minions found them, and Zorien ensured no harm was suffered by them. He gave me the one thing I had been hoping for the most. For this magnanimous favor he’s done for me, I won’t ever forget to repay him.‘We’re getting close to our Pack. I can hear celebratory voices, I think some party’s ongoing’ I hear Runa’s raspy voice and my face comes alight. I can no longer keep staring at Zorien, and
Himari’s POV.-Who could possibly want me dead?The dreadful thought rattles me to my very bones. A memory from the day I met Zorien for the first time suddenly flashes in my mind. I still recall my eminent fear of that ferocious Demon, and how I had been terrified to the point of preferring death in his hands.Things are different now. I don’t wish to die anymore, not by his hands or any other.“Mari, are you okay?” I hear a little voice ask me and look aside to Timothy looking at me with a sullen face. I shouldn’t let him worry over me as well. I shake my head and wear a confident smile, “You don’t have to be so worried, Tim. I’m no weakling, and as you’ve heard my friend say, I’m even more powerful than anyone else”.I softly ruffle his shaggy ginger hair and elevate my gaze to see the others. They all look direly worried after hearing what Welma just said. My mom is already welling with tears in her eyes as dad puts his arms around her. I can understand her sorrow. Th
Himari’s POV.-I’m stunned by her sudden outburst, with my eyes expanding as the meaning of her words sink in. What? Flynn is...a half-Darkling? I don’t follow. She looks at me with alarm, realizing what she’s said unintentionally and she lowers her head, biting her lip anxiously.“W-Welma, what did you just say? Flynn’s a Darkling?” I don’t believe it, not that sweet and friendly boy. He’s nothing like those vicious creatures. He has a heart that feels.Welma begins to rattle her head sideways in turmoil. Her mood dampens sorrowfully as her lips reluctantly begin to speak in a shadowy voice, “Our dad was a human with a mania for demonic prowess, and on one of his summonings, he got possessed by a Darkling. All rituals to force the Darkling to depart from a mortal body, were abortive...dad wasn’t willing to relinquish the new powers he was drunk in.”“Mom had us both with him in that unstable condition. I’m a girl, so I got to inherit the title of a Witch from my mother’s
Himari’s POV.-After a quick breakfast, I set out for the Packhouse with tension flowing stiffly through my limbs. Welma pats me on my shoulder as we stand out on the porch. “You don’t have to look so hesitant. They’ll know we have our suspicions. Go confidently, my awareness is with you” She grins at the end, assuring me she’s already concocted a spell of protection in case things fall south.“Thanks, Welma,” I give her a big smile before turning to jog the steps down and the long way to the Packhouse.Everyone calls out to me eagerly to give their greetings. Gosh, it feels so weird how I’ve become so popular in just two days! I can’t get used to it!A Pack warrior accompanies me to the Alpha’s office, and after thanking him, he bows to me curtly and leaves. As I watch his departing back, I cringe externally, “Geez, they all revere me like I’m some mini-god”. I turn to the door and work my knuckles on it.“Come in, Himari.”I hear a permit call and blink with shock. How
Himari’s POV.-It hurts, but it’s not so much that I can’t endure. I’m experiencing a new bout of astonishment as the flames take a life of their own, expanding prevalently as they conquer the dark force in a carpeting effect.‘Woah! Did you see that just now? Let’s hurry on before the next fleet arrives’.Too bad I can’t feel smug about my beautiful performance just now. I hasten after the others, seeing the riverbank coming into view as well as faint whispery shrieks sounding from the background. We get to the riverbank and meet an urgent problem.“How do we make it across?” Elsa frets, looking exhausted as she frowns at the flowing river. I look to Welma who looks at me and walks towards me to say, “We can’t reach the authority on the other side. And if I recklessly fly us in, we’ll be killed on spot”.My soul is on the verge of death at this moment. What do we do? Those Darklings are drawing closer. Wait- if we intrude into Zorien’s territory, his security will be aler
Himari’s POV.-You won’t die on me, Zorien. I haven’t permitted you to.Welma took my family and friends with her to her hometown, ensuring to keep them safe and away from prying eyes until I’d have nursed Zorien back to health and reveal the truth about him...about us to them.It’s an exhaustion I’ve never felt before. My bones throb with jittering noise, my muscles feel like they’re melting, and I’m on the verge of numbness. Trying to exert an unwavering flow of energy out of two different outputs is no joke at all. I have to keep nurturing the egg, and simultaneously keep healing Zorien.At first, I was repulsed, like a whiplash deflecting my energy back at my face. But eventually, as we delved into the night, my energy began to fuse with his like a natural wave of a single energy source. I keep the egg close with an arm spread out to it, and Zorien even closer as my other arm stretches over him to feel his impaled area.Dizziness comes like a gust of nausea, and my mi
Himari’s POV.-Zorien pulls back a little while I whimper. He presses his lips against my forehead and when I look up at him, I find his eyes dim as they seem to contain emotions I can’t quite place a finger on. He leans in closer to brush his face against mine and drag his cool words along. “I brought you nothing but pain, and yet, you never once regarded me with hatred.”“I was too hot-headed and it prompted me to take the steps I’ve taken. I got consumed in my selfish rage and sought to kill you right the moment I felt you enter into my territory...and I got what I deserve” He pulls away, his face contorting into a rueful expression.I shake my head to negate his words, working my lips to speak when he shuts me up with a finger placed on my lips. Staring into my eyes, he whispers hoarsely, “You drove me crazy, pup. I lost my mind months ago, even after resolving to myself on the day you first entered my mansion, that I would bring you a miserable death...”“...but I’ve