The Shifting Shadows We Leave
Chapter 2
Sage growled, his golden eyes flashed. His prey wasn't going to escape him, he was a Hound; one of Gabriel's best! He snarled, lifting his lips to show off his decending fangs, and ran faster. He launched his whole body into the air, she was his! And then she was gone, her glass skin shattered, the smoke underneath escaped… She was gone. Sage landed back on his feet and looked around the clearing, "Ariya!"
Laughter echoed back at him, "She is gone" The voice… It sounded like a crackling fire.
"Ariya!" He roared, desperately trying to catch her scent in the air.
A hand suddenly grabbed his throat, "She is gone! You worthless Hound!" Sage stared down into coal dark eyes. If felt like his inside were burning, he couldn't breathe… Smoke was escaping from his lips. He was coughing. The ground came up to meet him as the man dropped him from his grasp. "Hound, you will not interfere…"
Sage sat up in his bed, panting and covered in a cold sweat. He smoothed his hair away from his face, slowly gaining control of his heart rate. "Ariya…" He whispered, quickly getting up and pulling on his pants before running out of his room.
Niall stood in the throne room, unable to sleep once again after Irial's death, he questioned what his next move would be. Bananach was still out there and the Summer Queen was running things alone. War was coming. Their new threat wasn't helping his stress level. Sage bolted into the room "My king!" He bowed.
"Sage? What is going on?"
"Where is Ariya?" The Hound looked up at him.
"She is still sleeping. As you should be… Why? Did something happen?"
Sage shook his head, "No. I just… had a dream. I wished to make sure she was alright."
The King nodded, he himself had been plagued with nightmares. "Do you want to tell me your dream, pup?"
The Hound sat on the floor, "I had a dream a man of fire took her from me… and then burned me from the inside"
Sage looked up startled when his King growled. He could see anger filling his whole body. "Sage, stand guard at the Princess' door. Don't let her leave." He nodded and quickly ran off toward the Princess' room.
Zaria felt her King's rage and rushed out of their room, passing Sage standing at Ariya's door on the way. "Niall, my love, what's going on?"
The Dark King looked to his Queen, his shadows churned. "Valon's infected Sage's dreams."
The Queen sighed, she wasn't surprised at all. "Is the Hound alright?"
"Shaken… worried about Ariya" Niall, clenched his fists. "But, he should be alright"
She nodded, "I'm worried Valon will go after her.."
"I'll make sure she is never unprotected, love." His shadows curled around her legs, pulling her close to him.
Zaria smiled at her king, pressing her lips lightly to his. "Do you ever hate me for losing our other child..?" She frowned, suddenly thinking about the child she had lost due to her recklessness.
Niall grabbed her face between his hand, "Zaria." He waited until her eyes focused on his, "It wasn't your fault. It was just an accident… I could never hate you…"
"Do you want more kids, Niall?"
The King opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by their daughter's loud cussing. The King and Queen walked toward her room, hearing the shouts get louder the closer the got. "Daughter!" Niall shouted over her voice, making her be quiet.
"Why are you shouting?" Her mother asked, her emotions hidden behind a blank mask.
"Sage won't let me leave my room!" Ariya hissed, glaring at the Hound.
"I told him not to" Her father glared, making her shrink back a little. "Until further notice, he is your personal guard. You will not fight me on this!"
Ariya's filled with resentment, "fine…" She slammed her bedroom door closed.
Zaria put her hand on the King's arm, "she'll get over it."
Niall nodded, "lets go find Seth."
The Dark Queen squeezed his hand, "perhaps he has seen something helpful"