Hey guys! Sorry about this little wait, but I'm gonna try and post each Friday, Saturday and Sunday maybe (in Australian time), but if I'm not able to, then I'll see if I'm able to make up a few days a week to post regularly. Anyway, I just thought I should notify you guys of that, and as always, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
Kadea:
"Seems like you're still the same then, Miss Ashryver Galathynius. Shame, because if you had of changed in these past few years, then maybe I would have been willing to let you see your friends one last time before they leave this world tonight." I jerked in the chains, straining against them as I growled and spat curses at him. Calex brought his mouth down next to my ear and whispered. "Forever."
His deep and promising laugh reverberated around the room as he walked away from me, and still continued to echo, even minutes after he had disappeared.
Aelin:
There was a small burning sensation that I could feel in the back of my head, and I knew it wasn't from any of my pack or from Rowan. Something was wrong with Kadea. The Serpent's bastard Calex was doing something to her. I was starting to get really agitated, waiting on the Vampire Clan's border, but no matter how cramped my tensed muscles were, I needed to stay still. A shuffle of material on skin rustled a few metres away from me, and my ears twitched.
I thought back to one of my last orders – that there were to be no Wolves in my group that were in human form – and I would have heard if any of them shifted. I asked them quickly, and there were a chorus of no's. But as soon as the last Wolf had spoken, a burst of pain rocked through my skull. I clamped my jaws down hard to stop myself from yelping, and I raised my head slightly. Two dark shapes moved out of the darkness while another one was hauling a limp body out of the shadows, and horror rained down on me, pushing me further under its waters as I saw who it was.
It was Lysandra's acolyte, Evangeline. Her red-gold fur a beacon of light in the midnight moon that shone down on us. Her citrine eyes were wide and shining with her fear. I felt a Wolf stir beside me, and I silently placed a paw on their back in an order to stay still. Lysandra bared her teeth quietly at me in a snarl, and I flashed my own back at her, before nudging her neck with my muzzle, pushing her off to the left. Her eyes narrowed slightly in confusion, and I nipped her gently on her flank to get her moving.
Go to her. Make sure she's alright, I told her. Just circle around and take out the leeches, all aside from the one who has got Evangeline right now. We'll capture him or her, and take them back to the Main Tent for questioning.
Lysandra's eyes started filling with determination and almost a maternal or an older sisterly protective look. Thank you, Aelin.
I nodded, and nudged her again. Take four Wolves with you. Who they are, I don't mind.
My Beta smiled at me, and crept away into the darkness. I saw four shapes break off after her, and from my higher based position, I inched forward slightly, and halted when I had a better view facing down into the small incline and the opposite of the border. I watched as my five Wolves fanned out into an arrowhead formation, slowing taking quiet paw steps towards Evangeline and the Vampire's. A movement out of the corner of my eye made me turn my head slightly, and a bark of warning rose up in my throat. But I was too late.
Sam Cortland noticed the Vampire slightly too late as well, and in heart wrenching pain, I watched almost in slow motion as the giant, bloodsucking parasite reached down with one outstretched hand. The purposely sharpened nails on each of the Vampire's hand sliced through the fur and skin surrounding Sam's neck, before they had their hand buried wrist deep into his throat, blood dribbling out of the wound, and then the hand was yanked harshly out, pulling Sam's crushed and sliced windpipe out with it.
Agony filled his eyes before they met my own, and I scrambled up into a flying jump as the last of the light was drained from his beautiful brown eyes forever. A strangled roar hurled out from my throat as I landed on the Vampire, and as my claws tore chunks out of his chest before I raked them through his bared lungs. The body landed on the ground with an audible thump, but I landed on the ground beside it with cat-like grace. Whirling around, I launched myself down the hill to stop a masculine looking Vampire that was looming over a frightened Evangeline.
I hit him squarely in the side, and the air left my lungs in a rush at the impact. We rolled together, before a large rock in the ground halted our path, and I thrashed underneath the entire body weight of the Vampire. He toppled off, and I rolled after him, teeth flashing out and around his neck. I twisted my head to the side, and the convulsing body stilled when the life poured out of the instantly fatal wound. I twisted myself up and back into my paws, meeting Evangeline's fearful gaze.
Get back to the Tent, and tell the others to start slowly moving past the border cautiously, I growled at her, dodging a swipe at my face and quickly retaliating by snapping at the Vampire's ankles and sidestepping the body as one of my Wolves came up behind them and killed the leech swiftly. Go, Evangeline, as fast as you can. Go now, and hurry!
Her citrine eyes glittered in the light before she nodded and sprinted away, faster than I had ever seen someone her age had run before. I barely had a second to pause and admire her fluid speed before Lysandra was thrown onto the ground in front of me, the gaping wounds all over her body spurting blood into the air.
Aelin, she whispered. Where is she?
I stepped forward and fought off two Vampire's quickly before lowering myself down until I was Lysandra's eye level. I ordered her back to the Tent to notify the Wolves of the battle, and to move our ranks forward cautiously in case of any other attacks. I licked her cheek, and nuzzled her ear lovingly, staying low as two Wolves jumped over us and tackled two on coming Vampire's.
My Beta sighed, and closed her eyes. For the fucking Lord's sake, how many oversized bats are there here?
I huffed my laughter, and smiled when I saw some of the light return to her dimmed, pain filled eyes. They must have been hiding, waiting for us to come.
Fricken bastards and bitches.
I couldn't hold back my onslaught of laughter this time. Lysandra joined in with me, and for those few short moments, I forgot we were in the middle of a fight. But the sounds of footsteps approaching made me open my eyes and look up before I jumped straight to my paws. Lysandra followed suit, majority of her slowly healing wounds unable to be seen now, though a few still remained.
The Wolf that stood over me in their human form wore polished iron, full body armour, with long, familiar, unbound golden blonde hair that flew in the gentle wind. He was tall, and under all the armour I knew he was well muscled. I knew him too well to not know anything about him. His uncovered face looked down at my Beta and I, and a smile lit up his identically coloured eyes – turquoise with golden rings around them – and I couldn't help but shift with a snarky smile.
The smile and jeer in his voice was obvious when he spoke first. "Didn't like how small I was making you feel, eh cousin?"
"You wish, Aedion Ashryver," I snarled, but I could feel my eyes dancing. "About fucking bloody time you came back as well. What kept you away so long? Too many parties to go to? Women?"
"You already know, little cousin," I growled at his jab, and the smirk he threw my way. "That no woman matters to me now that I have found my chosen one. And actually, I met up with a few of the other scouting / searching squadrons who had intercepted a few little problems like this one here. But of course you two were in the middle of everything, having a girls night out."
Lysandra bared her teeth, and snapped at Aedion's boots. The Sword of Orynth slipped lower down his back as my cousin took a startled step back.
At least we weren't away from our pack for over half a year, Lys growled play mockingly. Really shows your dedication, huh?
Loving being the overdramatic one, Aedion thumped a hand over where his heart was in his chest. "You wound me brutally, Lysandra. Is this really the welcome back you give your chosen lover?"
Lysandra shrugged. If he's being an arrogant, stuck up, arsehole of a dickhead, then yeah.
Opening my mouth to interrupt them, a flash of light off a blade flashed into my eyes, blinding me. I flinched back, and a cold arm slid around my waist, pressing me against an unmoving, equally cold chest. I went to fight against them, but a harsh burning on the soft, sensitive skin on my neck stopped me instantaneously. Aedion had unsheathed the Sword of Orynth, but it was held encased in a tense fist, fear lighting up the backs of his eyes. Lysandra was at his side, fur along her hackles raised protectively, and I could tell that underneath all that readiness to fight, she was afraid as shit for what may happen.
A frighteningly warm breath caressed the skin behind my ear as a small chuckle rubbed from the chest I was pressed against. "As least you puppies have been trained enough to understand that when a silver blade is held against their lead puppy's neck, they won't attack."
"What are you doing here?" I growled, ignoring the bite of the silver as it bit further into my neck.
"Well, since you asked so bitchily, I'll have no choice but answer you. I just love it when you get bitchy, Celaena. Did I ever tell you that?" I sucked in a breath as the voice's head came into my view.
"Rolfe, I told you, my real name is Aelin. Celaena was a fake.
His sea green eyes and smile glinted in the moonlight, before he looked back towards Aedion and Lysandra. "I have been told, that you puppies need some help against one of my own kind – is that true?"
That is true. My Beta answered for the three of us, caution plain in her voice.
"Well consider my services yours," Rolfe murmured, releasing his arms so suddenly that I stumbled forward.
With a hand going to my neck, I turned on Rolfe angrily, but I stopped short as I saw his Clan behind him. There were easily over five thousand members – maybe even near six thousand – all of them fully dressed ready for combat. Rolfe's cocky smile made me release a breathy laugh.
"We will gladly take you and your services."
Rolfe offered one of his gloved hands, and I reached one of my own out. We clasped our hands together, and shook once, sealing the alliance.
Calex:
I stood at the mouth of my Clan's cave, the night wind blowing the sides of my hair into my eyes. Lost in my thoughts, I aimlessly brushed them out of the way, but they just blew back in. I blinked them out, and jumped slightly as a hand rested on my shoulder. Layla came into my peripheral vision, and I placed a hand on top of hers.
"My brother has disappeared. Cynthia as well." She whispered, and I looked over at her worriedly. I knew how much she loved Afanas, and how she felt responsible for him even if he was nearly one hundred and eighty.
"Do you know where?" I whispered back to her.
My love shook her head. "There has been no whisper of him for hours. You were the last one to see, or have any contact with him at all."
Sighing, I rested my head against the cave wall, and fought back the rising regret. "I'm sorry, Layla."
"It's not your fault." I saw her reach up and quickly wipe away the tears in her eyes. She let out a shuddering breath, and looked over at me. "Has there been any contact from any of the Bloodhounds you sent out?"
"No. But there have been little jabs that I have felt from their pain, and little clicks in my mind as they died for the second time – their final time."
Layla's eyes fluttered shut. I looked over at her and rested a hand on her cheek, the rest of my body following suit, turning entirely towards her. Her eyes opened to meet mine, and the heartbreaking sadness there made the stone, that used to be my heart, feel like it was pressing down on my unneeded lungs. It pained me enormously to see her like this, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close.
Her arms looped around my waist as she clung to me, and I stroked her hair soothingly, whispering quietly to her. Slowly I could feel her calming down, and soon Layla's body was relaxed and soft against my own. She looked up at me, resting her chin on my chest, and stared at me thoughtfully.
"What are you thinking about, Lay?"
A cute little smile played across her mouth, and I leaned down to kiss her quickly.
"I'm just thinking about how much I love you. Even in this situation, where there are all the mutts roaming around our land, we can still be ourselves without needing to worry about being attacked."
"Yet. We don't have to worry about that yet."
She smiled again but there was something different about this one. Something sadder. I brushed it off, putting it under something to do with her brother, and I smiled lovingly down at her. "Dont we have to worry about that?"
That was the last thing she said before she drove a hidden dagger into my chest.