3. Blooddebt | ✓

36. Darkest Winter | III

"Please leave me behind and take Indira away," Naailah said slowly, moving her leg and pointing to the chains on her ankle.

Thunder cursed, recognising that the chains were the same ones that held Elianna captive back in Thethia. Those were unbreakable by magic and can only be released by the person who locked it. Even so, Elianna was reluctant to leave, she exhaled harshly, "No, we're not leaving you here, Naailah. At this rate, you'd die—"

"Please save my baby, please take her away," Naailah sobbed. She bowed low to them and apologised, "The devastation of this war would be my blame to shoulder. If I die in this war, please take pity on my poor child and raise her. Elianna, I don't have anyone to entrust this to. Please forgive me and have mercy on my child."

"No, we're not leaving you here," Elianna panicked with tears of desperation pooling in her eyes. "Don't say these words. We're going to get you out—"

"Eli, we have to leave," Thunder pulled hard on Elianna's arm but she stubbornly gripped onto Naailah's, unwilling to release her hold on her. Neither did he want to leave Naailah behind, but some sacrifices had to be made.

Suddenly, the flap into the tent was swept aside and a presence entered the space. Thunder hissed under his breath and the moment he saw a flash of silver and a pair of amber-coloured eyes that glowed in the dimness of this tent, he could barely imagine that they were going to get out of here alive. Kynthia eyed them warily and asked, "What are you doing here, blessed child?"

Elianna was ready to fight, she positioned herself low in her stance and shadows of darkness danced above her shoulders. Thunder panicked internally, knowing that regardless of how strong Elianna may be, she wouldn't be able to defeat a monarch of therianthropes — there were reasons why these beings stayed alive for centuries. Left without a choice, he handed Indira to Naailah and jumped into his panther form to circle in front of Elianna.

A pregnant pause of silence was followed by a silent sigh. Kynthia stepped close to them and exhaled, "I'll help all of you leave."

Neither of them dropped their guard when Kynthia slowly erased the distance between them. Thunder was ready to pounce the second she neared but the menacing aura surrounding the wolf queen was making him hesitate and she warned, "Cause a scene and no one would leave here alive. Moreover, what made you think that you could win me, youngling?"

Kynthia stretched her arm out and gripped onto Naailah's ankle and the poor lady grew frantic as she held onto her child tightly and crouched low in weak attempts to shield the little one away. Even when Thunder felt helpless, at the very least, he had to put up a fight for all of them. He was about to strike until a click sound halted everyone's action. Kynthia had removed the chains on Naailah's ankle.

The wolf queen turned her head towards him, staring fiercely as she growled, "Carry them and I'll show the way out."

Without hesitation, Thunder did as he was told and Kynthia surreptitiously guided them out of the Arkus campsite. They were rushing to leave as Kynthia warned, "This is as much as I could help. Do not be foolish enough to return to Arkus and attempt to save the Queen's son."

"Why did you help us?" Elianna asked in disbelief.

"I'm not obliged to explain. Leave now, blessed child," Kynthia dismissed her swiftly, turning back to return to the camp.

Thunder looked at the lady in his arms and instructed, "Hold onto Indira tightly, Naailah. We're going to rush back."

Naailah nodded, her pale grey eyes were washed over by so much relief as she wrapped her arms securely around her baby. The four of them quickly disappeared from the Arkus Perimeter, leaving no trace behind.