Silver Skin

26

The blood ruining
~
Accalia
~

"Cover the bruise on her cheek. She will not be pleased to see markings on the mate."

Shuffling ensued, scatters of footsteps thumping in the base of her eardrums like bombs smashing into the ground, shaking and shattering.

Accalia was static, the weight of a thousand swords pressing upon her chest and it destroyed her will to want to get up.

Her nostrils inhaled a rosy aroma coming from ... her. She didn't reek of blood and sweat, hours of going uncleaned. She smelt floral and pleasant.

Accalia didn't know when she would get out of it, out of the void that kept her in the dark, but she wanted out. She wasn't in a state of delusion, she could hear the voices of young women, but she could do nothing about it.

"A nasty bruise ... the she-lycan said she deserved it."

Mind whirling, picking up anything in its path, the last moments of consciousness came to the forefront and Accalia replayed the vow she made: Like your brother, you will die.

Accalia didn't think she was capable of such a thing.

"The other girl was marked across the lip," a female voice wafted through Accalia's senses like a wispy whisper, a conversation she wasn't supposed to be listening in on. "That other huntress managed to punch Milly in the face earlier on when she awoke. The poor servant was sent to the medic ward."

Cadence.

Accalia felt her tummy go warm, but it soon frizzled in terror, tying into knots. That was a dangerous move for her cousin to make in a territory unknown to them.

They were taken. They would have been followed as soon Cole was taken by the lycans and Melina. They thought they were hunting, but in hindsight, they were being the hunted. Accalia's mind reeled. She put them in danger, they were thrown into the arms of the enemy just to find Cole. This was her fault. This was Cole's doing. He never stopped. His infatuation and devotion to Adriana led them to this.

Accalia didn't know where she was, where the others were and who remained. She wasn't the last one standing and she wasn't the first to be knocked out.

A soft material bumped against Accalia's cheek and she hissed in pain, snapping her eyes open.

Logic couldn't turn click into her mind and she lurched out of her position, lunging at the first person she came in contact with and smashed her into the floor.

Accalia's forearm found the girl's neck and she pressed down until lurching coughs welcomed her ears.

"Where am I?" Accalia screamed into the girl's face and teary hazel eyes met Accalia's austere stare. "Where's my family?"

Then it registered, clicking into place and Accalia took her arm off from the girl as if her skin burned her. This was a girl. She couldn't be older than Cadence, perhaps young as Thea Sterling.

Not only that, she was human, the rapid rising of her chest with fallen tears told Accalia so and writhing guilt rose her up to her feet.

"I'm—I'm so sorry," Accalia stammered out and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, shakiness coursing through her bones and muscles. A gooey and sticky substance stained her and she found dark-coloured lipstick staining her skin.

Make-up was being painted on Accalia's face like she was a participant in a circus. A freak show.

"Ella—Ella, are you alright? Oh, you poor thing," an older woman with auburn hair wept and rounded past Accalia, reaching the young girl to hoist her up to her feet.