Scars Will Remain

Chapter Eleven

Fane kept to my left while Phaedra kept to my right as we made our way through the foyer of the entrance towards the grand hall. My number one goal was getting to Ariahni and protecting her. "Khan, there's something up ahead. And it's magic. I can disable whatever it is." "Yes." Serena disappeared behind the doors in front of us and they opened by themselves. "Done." "That was fast." "Warlocks may pride themselves as the best, but witches have always been blessed by Hecate as her loyal worshippers and so we get more recognition and more power." "You said they were dangerous." "That doesn't make them smart." She carried on and we followed behind her. It was quiet. Too quiet in fact. Inside me there was a numbing pain and an intense desire to know why this Caster was so against my father. Serena wouldn't tell me and as much as I was persistent, her willpower was stronger and I couldn't break through it. Her judgement against this Warlock, was the only thing keeping us safe. We came to a crossroads and stopped. "Serena?" "Give me a minute." She put her hands to her temples and closed her eyes. "Right. There are no traps and there are three or four lycans at the end of the passage. There are stairs off the left behind them and that's where they are holding your sister." "And the Warlock?" "Not present, but I believe that he is on his way back. Soon." I carried on, moving faster in the hopes that we would get Ariahni and leave quickly."

&&

I could smell the blood before he entered the room and my head snapped up. He lifted his hands in surrender and there, in his right hand, was a the bag of freshly sourced blood. My fangs grew out and he stood still for a moment, but then he came forward, opened the bag up and put a straw in it before holding it out to me. I couldn't bite, as much as I wanted to, but I didn't care. I needed it now. I closed my mouth over the straw and took a deep pull. The blood was in my mouth and a low moan echoed from me. I took another deep pull from the straw and I could hear the bag collapse into itself as I also sucked the air out of it. I was pulling air out of the bag which was a sign saying that I had drained the bag completely. My eyes were closed still and I could feel my veins disappearing. "You look better." "Thank you.." "No problem." I opened my eyes and I watched as he threw the bag in the fire. "Why are you helping me? Our kind despise each other. We wouldn't be caught dead feeding each other let alone helping each other survive." He remained silent but I saw his chest rise and fall. His facial expression was hidden from me but I could tell he was thinking. "Maybe it's because I feel different towards you. I've always thought your kind hated us and that we hated you. But you, I think you're different too. In a way you're not only hateful towards us, but, you're also terrified as well. I don't know. I'm finding it hard to explain even now." He appeared in front of me and caressed my face. I didn't shrink back but instead moved into him, letting him get more of my cold skin. I felt his shudder but he wasn't repulsed. "I want to learn more about you." "The same can be said for me." He smiled and put his forehead on mine. "I promise I'll find a way to get you out of here. Without the caster knowing." I nodded and he caressed me once more. I wanted to kiss him and I didn't know why. He tensed almost immediately and I reacted to that as well. I looked at whoever it was that was standing behind Aaron. A whispered name escaped my lips. "Khan."