Red String {EDITING}

Elders

"Blythe..." Rylan swung around, his eyes wide as they met the slightly darker ones before they slid to the green ones. "Finar..." He mumbled, having spotted the brunette who had his hair tied back in a loose ponytail. "What are you doing here?!"

"Well, we were in the neighbourhood, so we thought we'd come and say hi..." The black-haired man shrugged. "Never thought we'd find ourselves in the middle of a battleground."

"This is your fight, Ry." Finar stood, helping Lyra to her feet. "We won't interfere unless you're about to die... though I don't mind being battlefield medic, seeing as Hunter seems to be lazing about inside."

"Thanks." Rylan mumbled. "I think."

"Stop blabbering." Blythe scowled. "Hurry up and win this fight."

"Sure." The Alpha King said. "But first I need you to do me a favour if you want me to get serious."

Dark blue eyes stared at him sceptically. "What exactly?"

"Look after her." Rylan sighed, nodding at his mate.

"I can fight!" Lyra scowled.

"And I promised to protect you... even if it's from yourself..." He turned his pale blue eyes on Blythe's. "Please understand."

"Understand what?!"

Blythe's hand cracked down on the back of her neck.

"This..." Rylan sighed, watching as her eyes rolled back into her skull, her body crumpling to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. "You could've at least caught her." Blue eyes narrowed on the darker pair.

"Shut up, and be grateful I'm helping at all." He scowled, holding Lyra under one arm, watching as the Alpha King nodded.

"Bly, I think we've got company." Finar nudged his partner, pointing at the blonde woman striding towards them.

"Emilia..." Blythe whispered, his eyes widening. "What the hell is the Head of Extalia doing here?!"

"We joined up with Omega Taurus..." She grinned, her eyes fixed on the unconscious redhead. "I knew I had to after I saw the news..."

Rylan's eyes widened. "Lyra..." He breathed, throwing off his opponent as he sprinted towards the blonde. "Blythe! She's after-"

"So, you decide to go after Lyra rather than Liberty...?" The butt of a spear slammed into the blonde's stomach. "Don't tell me you're afraid of my mate..." Deep brown eyes glared into the grey ones that had widened rather suddenly.

"Rogue King Damien..." Blythe hissed, twirling an inky black blade around as he spotted the brunette standing in front of him. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Finar blinked. "Oh... I suppose that means you're the only one who doesn't know... I forgot you were away when they visited Stonewall..."

Red lightning flashed before their eyes, but this time the source wasn't Lyra. Burnt crimson hair whipped around in the wind, red like Lyra's, as a foot slammed into Emilia's chest. "Leave my daughter alone, Em." Liberty scowled, two blades of crackling red lightning appearing in her grasp. "Unless you want to be dismembered."

"Go ahead and try it." Smirking grey eyes bore into Liberty's murky blue ones.

"Don't mind if I do." Feet dug into the soft grass, tearing up clumps of mud as the two women danced around each other, arms and legs becoming blurs as they fought.

It was to that sight that Lyra woke up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, glancing up at the Elder holding her.

"Lyra." Eyes so similar to her own peered at her when she turned to face the speaker, and she knew exactly who he had to be.

"Dad." Her arms wrapped around him in the next second, crushing him as he returned the favour.

"Liberty was right." He muttered, wincing slightly. "You've definitely got your strength from me..."

Tears poured down Lyra's cheeks as she continued to crush the brunette in her grasp, her eyes fixed on the battle going on between her mother and the other woman with a Lightning Ability, watching as the lightning blades appeared in either of their hands. Wild grins were on both of their faces as they pushed each other back and forth, the pair of them losing themselves in the battle. Sparks flew from every direction, neither of them seemingly affected in any way shape or form seeing as how they both continued to fight like maniacs despite the flurry of sparks lightning up the air around them.

"She really is incredible, isn't she?" Damien said, staring dreamily at his mate as she fought. Her movements were swift, her aim true as her mother remained locked in battle. It was an oddly beautiful sight to watch.

"Yup." Lyra could only nod.

"You know... It's a shame we didn't raise you..." He sighed. "I can't help but imagine the kind of fighter you'd have become if Lib had trained you herself."

"I'd have never met Rylan, though."

"Sure you would've." He folded his arms.

"How?"

Damien winked. "By beating him senseless. That's how." His gaze darted back to his mate. "Exactly how Lib met me..."

"That's a story for another time." Lyra said, having spied a green blur darting towards her mother.

"Stay the-" Damien turned to his daughter, blinking when he realised she'd disappeared from his side.

"No you don't." Lyra muttered, her fingers curling into fists as she raised one arm to block what she thought was another arm.

It turned out to be a sword.

"LYRA!" Rylan and Blythe were there in seconds, kicking the green-eyed offender back.

"Get her hand in ice!" Finar ordered, pulling the girl back from the frontlines. "Hunter should be able to reattach it immediately."

"Come on." Blythe grabbed her arm, bandage at the ready, freezing when he spotted the scene in front of him.

White bone twisted out from the stump of her arm, forming a skeletal hand. Red muscle tissue and tendons came next, wrapping around the newly formed bones. Pale pinkish skin came after that, nails growing in an instant as she simply stood there, looking at her two hands.

"Blythe, what are you doing?!" Finar said, blinking when he spotted both of Lyra's undamaged hands. "What in the Goddesses' name?!"

Dark blue eyes narrowed.

"Regeneration..."

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ILLENIS HERE

Surprise.

This should hopefully explain Lyra's very fast healing, which some of you might've seen.

Ha.

See?

It was a plot point.

* cue evil laugh *

Hope everyone isn't getting confused with all the names being thrown your way. I've tried to reintroduce characters that you've seen before, so you're all not like: who the bloody hell is this weirdo?

I've started lots of work on Scatter Me (yay holidays!) so I hope you're all looking forwards to that.

There was even a reference to the main female protaganist in here... I wonder if you spotted it, because it might've been a tad vague, or incredibly obvious.

We're getting to the end of Shatter Me, and I've got no idea how long it'll be until I'm able to get my next book up. And seeing as how you've all hung on for so long, I'll assume you'll read the next chapter.

See you there.

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