Theeya came back from the mound with the baby girl of Netra. She went straight to Isfe to show her the baby but Isfe was sleeping on her bed at the time. Theeya was annoyed by Isfe’s irresponsibility. She shuffled Isfe on the bed.
“Hey, wake up!”
“Haa!” Isfe woke up from her victory slumber. The saggy skin folds seemed lessened in about half a day and Isfe looked a bit young.
“Did you use your magic on yourself? Idiot. We need all the support we can get to defeat them. Don't use up your energy to make you look young.”
“Oh come on, Theeya. I have great news for you.”
“So do I! See, this is Netra’s daughter. Your great-granddaughter. I snatched it from her. She is going to come here with great anger. Her anger and agony will surely make these people fear! We need to put Adhiyan on the front line of the fight and that will slow her down. I am feeling very powerful right now.” She said showing the baby to Isfe.
“Of course, you would feel powerful. I have killed Adhiyan!” Isfe said, looking at the peacefully sleeping child.
“What?” Thuriga bellowed. She could not believe what Isfe said. Adhiyan is a very strong man and is immune to the cheap magic of Isfe. She sternly thought that Isfe had nothing that it takes to kill a man like Adhiyan. She didn't believe her for one second that he was gone.
“Yes! You are going to be pulsing with energy. Netra is going to wail in pain!”
“How did you do that? Are you sure he is dead?” Theeya asked her. This time her face looked pale and her lips quivered.
“He was bitten by a snake with superior venom. There is no chance he would live. I have him thrown out into the hollow tree. Anything that has gone into that tree has never come back. Giza said that the tree sucked him in. He is not coming back and you can trust me on this.” Isfe told with pure joy.
“No! No no no no! What have you done!?” Theeya shed tears and her eyes glowed in anger. This feeling of losing everything was surging through her veins and she couldn't take it.
“It was so wrong to have let you live this long!” Theeya added and pranced towards Isfe’s wrinkled body. Isfe was terrified of Theeya’s sudden outburst. She never expected her to react this way. She thought that Theeya would rejoice along with her but this reaction was totally out of place.
“Theeya!” Isfe tried to escape from her clutches but her body did not help her a bit. Theeya was choking Isfe until Isfe’s flailing body stopped protesting.
“Why would you do that? He is mine! He is my love and life. I had plans of raising his baby along with him. I wanted to make a family with him. You shattered all my dreams. Now I have to wait for his birth again! Hundred more years.” Thuriga shed tears while hitting her head on the stone wall.
“Why!? Why does this happen to me?” She cried her heart out.
***
Netra curled on the icy floor unable to withstand the pain that started on her mate mark on her neck. The pain spread across her chest and back making it hard for her to breathe. Her cries were unheard. The ice pricked her body like a thousand needles poking her all at the same time. She needed Dyan's warm embrace. She remembered the time when he hugged her close to his chest to warm her up after rescuing her from the stream.
“Dyan!” Her lips murmured as she tried to feel her mate's mark.
“No! No no! Dyan! Come back to me!” She cried as the mate mark disappeared and the mate bond broke. The pain was unbearable for her as she lay there on the icy floor without moving.
