Crimes of the Vault

Chapter Fifteen

Tempest froze, the man's head dropping once more, but his point had gotten across. It hadn't been her imagination at all. Oh how she wished it had just been her imagination.

"What is he doing here?" Tempest opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out, her hands grasping onto Mac's sleeve tightly, keeping her grounded as she panicked.

"This – this can't be happening. I can't do this right now." Involuntarily she took a step back away from the man, her sudden panic catching the attention of the men around her.

Mac turned to her, reaching out to grasp her arm, pulling her a little ways away from the cloaked man. His head ducked down, red eyes looking over her face as if he expected to find something physically wrong with her. There was nothing, of course.

A growl sounded through the air, a thunderous sound that rattled the trees, shaking the leafed tops, birds rushing out of their safe haven, startled by the sound.

In barely a second, four sword were pointed at this threatening figure, whose shoulders had hunched even further, a constant rumbling emanating from their chest. He didn't seem at all intimidated by the swords, their sharp edges just inches away from something fatal, and they never wavered.

"Tempest," Mac started quietly, dragging her attention back to him momentarily. "What's wrong?"

She forced herself to breathe, holding back the cringe when she caught a hint of that familiar spice, a scent she knew she hadn't been imagining. "Nothing, I'm fine."

Mac gave her a look, narrowed eyes that told her he knew she was lying, but he dropped it for the moment. "What do you want us to do with him?"

Tempest straightened her back, refusing to allow herself to panic any further, despite the disarray in her mind. "What do I want them to do? I want them to get him out of here. I want him gone. I want – what does he want? Why does he want to talk to me so urgently he travelled all the way here from the Borealis?"

"Give me a few moments alone with him."

Mac's eyes went wide, and the heads of their companions snapped over to her, all but Reed who stayed staring at the man, though Tempest knew by the flutter of his wings that he was listening.

"Absolutely not." Mac denied, but his words barely escaped him before another roaring growl sounded from the man. "This man is dangerous; he should be taken as far away from here as we possibly can."

"I can handle him, Mac."

"I don't doubt that, but there is no way I'm letting him alone with you. Don't be daft, Tempest."

She gave him a look. "I appreciate your concern, but I can assure you there's no way this man can hurt me."

"You don't know that."

"If I promise the safety of your Queen," The man began to speak again, his voice sending chills up her spine, her body tensing again. "Will you let us alone?"

"Your word means nothing to us." Reed spat. "You have still failed to identify yourself; we cannot trust you with our Queen. Not when the Kings of the Overworld have promised to bring her head to the Emperor."

"No King will touch her." The man growled, the birds flying above them crying out fiercely at the noise.

"Mac, Reed," Tempest rested her hand on Reed's shoulder, drawing his eyes to her. "Please. I'll be fine."

They glanced between each other, seeming to have a silent conversation that Tempest couldn't even begin to understand, but with one fluid motion, Reed had sheathed his sword again, the guards following in his example. They stepped back quicker than Reed did, seeming to be eager to get away from the growling man, though Tempest couldn't blame them entirely.