Night block his fist, then he put his foot forward, doubling his defense and when he saw an opening he attack but the man flashed.
That surprise him pero ng makita niya ng maayos ang mukha ng lalaking umatake sa kaniya, his brows furred.
The man has a blond hair and he was a fae, not a warlock.
"This is for Aira!" The man bellowed as he release his water pressure balls one after the other. Night managed to duck and avoid it and when he thought he would not be surprise anymore, he was wrong because the man release a fire ball.
"What the heck are you?"
Night hissed as he jumped and delieved a round house kick.
Night thought that Faes could only use one element so why the heck does this man can control two? And more importantly, why does he know Aira?
"I'm your fucking nightmare, you dog!"
The Fae popped his arm back into position, not minding the pain Night gave with his kick.
When the Fae flashed, Night looked around to search for him and that's when he found Hawthorn sitting calmly under a tree. He was yawning while watching them. May kasama itong isa pang Fae na hindi pamilyar sa kaniya.
Before Night could go to Hawthorn, the Fae who attacked him flashed in front of him and gave him a good punch in the jaw with his flaming fist.
Night's claw elongated and he sliced it across the man's chest, wounding his enemy. But before he could deliver another fatal wound, his enemy flashed again. And when the man emerge, the wounds on his chest was slowly healing. It was not as fast as a werewolf would heal but it was still freaking impressive which means that if he want to win thei match, he need to behead the man to end this quickly.
The Fae must have seen the determination and savageness in his eyes because the man changed his posture into a more dangerous fighting stand. The Fae attacked first and Night was about to kill the bastard when they heard a loud scream like someone was being burned alive from the inside out.
The sharp, loud scream made all of his hair stood up in fear when he realized it was Aira's voice.
The Fae must have realized it too because he quickly dropped his fist, the fire in his hands extinguished. Before Night could react, the fae ran inside to where the screams were and Night did the same.
***
"Why do you have these?" Hawthorn asked as he fingered the tapestry hanging on the wall.
Night ignored him but then he asked another question again.
"What is this?" He poked the smalled statue of their Moon Godness.
"Get your filthy hands away from our deity!"
Instead of flinching or backing away, the warlock only shrugged his shoulders and move on to his next question, eyeing the design on his bed frame.
It has only been a day since the warlock and its Fae companion, which he found out as Ministro Castro, Aira's cousin, have arrived and Night was already at the end of his patience.
He doesn not have any time or the energy to deal with them. Not now that Aira's presence was barely thriving.
He reached for Aira's hand and his heart broke at how cold she was. She felt like ice and her skin was becoming paler by the minute. He could almost see her veins and it match the color of her lips which were turning blue.
"Where the heck is Daniel?" Night hissed.
After Aira screamed yesterday, Night went directly to her only to find the Fae already cradling her unconscious body.
Every inch of his body was shaken by jealousy and he attacked the Fae. Only to be stopped by the warlock Hawthorn, which he also want to kill one of this days for trying to steal Aira from him months ago.
Then the other Fae, introduce himself as Castro the Minister of Business Affairs in Bastione. Then he point a finger at the Fae holding Aira.
"And that's King Daniel of Water Fae." Castro explained.
He knew who Daniel was, but he never really saw him so he did not recognized him. His wolf still hungered to end his life but Night figured out that Aira would be pissed if he killed one of her cousins. So even though he was pissed that an attacker of his gets to live, he still restrained himself.
"Relax, he's only been gone for eight hours." The warlock said as he hopped to the couch on the farthest corner of Night's room.
"Relax? I don't have a fucking time to relax. My mate is fading dyi –" Heck, He can't even say the words because it pained him so much.
"Daniel will be here. He will dry the seas if he have to." Si Ministro Castro na kanina pa may binabasang libro. Sa kanilang lahat ito ang pinaka pormal kumilos pero halata rin ang pag-aalala niya para kay Aira. He kept on glancing at her direction every so often. "We all love Aira and we will do everything we can to help her." Dagdag nito.
When Daniel said that he knew a witch that might help them, Hawthorn made a teleportation spell so the water fae could travel quickly. Pero ilang oras na ang nakalipas at wala pa rin ito.
At first Night thought that Hawthron could cure Aira dahil warlock ito. Pero iba ang kapangyarihan ni Hawthorn kumpara sa mga mangkukulam. Isang dahilan kaya kasali siya sa Ministro ng mahika. Alam siguro nito na kapag nagpakita siya kay Night at kapag nalaman ni Night na wala itong silbi sa sitwasyon nila then he would really kill the warlock. Kaya siguro pinaalam ni Hawthorn kay Daniel at Castro ang tungkol sa sitwasyon ni Aira so that he won't have the time to kill him.
Nang biglang bumukas ang kwarto ni Night ng walang kumakatok, he knew it's not one of his people.
"What took you so long?" He growled at Daniel but when he noticed that Herman and a few of his men were behind Daniel and they were all staring at the violet haired witch.
Sa buong buhay ni Night bago niya nakilala si AIra. he never thought he would invite a witch into his own territory much less in their pack house and inside his very room. But now he have come to this and he did nto even care as long as Aira could live.
She's young and tall and despite being surrpounded by werewolves which is the witch's enemy, she did not show any sign of fear. Either she's very stupid to feel that way, or very confident with her ability. Or maybe she trust that Daniel would protect her if anything happens.
"This is Cassy." Daniel said waving his hand to the witch's direction. "She's from Leviathan Capital and she's a friend of my Queen."
"Cassy, isang bruha." She introduced herself without extending her hand.
"Night Alpha of Eastwood."
Tumango ang babae at agad dumalo sa direksyon ni Aira. "Kailangan ko ng halaman."
"Anong klaseng halaman?"
Night instantly answered. It doesn't matter if the witch asked gold, diamond, a mountain or a snake tree with poisions. He would get it for Aira.
"Kahit anong klase ng halaman at basta madami."
Night nodded to his men who were still staying at the corner.
You heard her. He said over their mind link.
He can see that some of his men were hesitant to follow a witch's order but when they saw the seriousness on Night's face, they followed.
It only took half an hour for his men to fill his room with all various types of plants ranging from a small flower to a tree and one of his men even brought a grass.
"Sabi niya kahit ano." Grumbled the young werewolf ng pagalitan ito ni Herman.
"Ayos lang. Kahit damo pwede." The witch said then she started feeling Aira's body. Lumapit si Night sa kama malapit sa paanan ni Aira. He wanted to be near her when she wakes up. Pero agad siyang pinaalis ni Cassy. Umalis siya sa kama but he still stood near the bed.
She started from her foot hanggang sa umabot siya sa ulo nito. All the while, Night's heart kept on hammering in his chest. He hoped, wished and prayed that this will be it. That this could cure his mate. Pero lumipas ang ilang minuto, hindi pa rin nagigising si Aira.
Cassy did not stop feeling her body as though she was looking for something in their. And while she was doing it, one sixth of the plants in Night's room died like someone sucked the life out of them even though no one had touched it.
Even though his men did not move, Night can can still sense their dread and uneasiness.
You can wait outside if this bothers you. Thank you for your help. Each of his men's eyes darted towards his direction. Night had always been thankful to his pack and he showed his appreciation by doing his responsibilities right. He was never really the outspoken type so this is the first time that his men had heard him thank them personally even if it's in their mind link.
But he knew that they deserved it. Alam niyang galit pa rin ang karamihan sa pack niya sa mga mangkukulam. Pati rin naman siya pero ngayon alam na niya na kung may mga masasamang mangkukulam, may mabubuti rin. And his men trusting his judgement and overcoming their prejudices and even helping his mate which is a witch really make him thankful for them.
It's alright Alpha, we will stand by your side. Herman answered and Night heard a seconded response by his men and his heart swell even more.
By the time that all the plants died, it was already dinner time at wala pa ring resulta tungkol sa sitwasyon ni Aira.
"Tinitignan ko pa kung may internal wounds ba siya kaya hindi siya gumigising." Sagot ni Cassy ng tanongin niya kung ano ang ginagawa nito kanina.
Habang kumukuha ng panibagong halaman ang mga pack members niya, kumain na muna sila. And since he still did not want to leave Aira's side, dinala niya ang pagkain sa kwarto niya na ngayon hindi na mahitsura dahil sa mga nalagas na halaman.
Night gave Cassy the biggest plate full of food. Naalala kasi niya na sa pagkain kumukuha ng lakas si Aira.
"Ayos lang kung itong maliit ang sa akin." The witch decline.
"You need to eat to have enough energy to cure my mate."
"She's not like Aira." Singit ni Daniel. "She's not a spell caster so she does not need to eat a lot."
"But she's a witch." Hindi maintindihang bungad ni Night.
"Oo pero bruha ako, hindi spell caster. Sa buhay na nakapaligid sa akin ako kumukuha ng enerhiya para makagawa ng mahika."
And that's when it hits him.
"Kaya nagpakuha ka ng mga halaman." Tumango ito.
After they eat and after his men brought another batch of plants, Cassy did a spell. But the first one did not do anything to Aira as well as the second one and the third and even the fourth. By the time na ubos na ang halaman, pagod na si Cassy habang hindi naman mapakali si Night.
"Why isn't she waking?"
The accusation on Night's voive made Cassy flinched. Howthorn stood blocking Night Cassy from his view.
"This is the first time that something like this had happen so don't lose your shit. We'll figure this out eventually. Right now, we need you in control and not your beast."
When the third set of plants arrived, halos puro damo na dinala ng mga kasamahan niya.
"Ubos na ang mga halaman sa bayan. Inutusan ko na ang halati ng grupo na maghanap sa gubat, pero habang wala pa sila ito na muna." Hermon explained to him.
By dawn, Cassy was already sweating with bullets and Night can tell she's exhausted from trying hundred different spells.
Ubos na ang lahat ng halaman na pwede nilang bunutin, mga malalaking puno na lang ang natitira na malapit sa kanila. But despite all of their efforts, Aira did not wake. She did not even move or utter a word.
Night hated the feeling of dread that took camp into his gut. He did not want to admit it not even to himself but now he's face with the sicking feeling of admitting that maybe this is it. And he hated every second of doubt that destroyed his strnght. He did not to lose Aira, not ever.
"Walang gumagana. Siguro wala na talaga siya –"
"Aira is not dead." Night's steady words broke Cassy's argument.
"She won't die. Not if we can help it. And no, I won't give up on her so fucking do your job!"
"Don't shout at her." Daniel hissed. "Lahat tayo dito ayaw mawala si Aira. Hindi lang ikaw ang nag-aalala sa kaniya. But don't lashed your frustrations to us. Remember that this is your fault."
Night inwardly winced but he knew the Fae has a point. He's Aira's mate. It's his previlage to protect her but he didn't. He failed her, his greatest purpose.
Instead of following Daniel's suggestion about not lashing out, he scowled at Hawthorn's direction. Printe itong nakaupo na para bang hindi buhay ni Aira ang pinag-uusapan nila.
"You're her kind, why won't you help her?"
"I brought Daniela nd Castro here remember?" He answered just as calmly and it made Night mad. How can he stay so fucking calm when the Night's future was at her death bed?
The warlock might have seen the anger in his face because he let out a sigh. "Look, I already told you that my magic doesn't work like how a witch's work. I won't be able to do anything that could help her for now. And even if my magic could, I don't know how to cure someone that isn't my kind."
Confure, his brow furrowed in confusion. "But Aira is your kind. She is a witch."
"She's not a witch."
Daniel looked as shock as Night after what the warlock said.
"What do you mean she's not?" Castro asked, walking toward them. Pati si Cassy ay tumigil muna na ginagawa at nakinig sa kanila.
"Hindi ninyo alam?" Cassy asked them.
"My cousin is a witch." Daniel spoke while eyeing the witch and the warlock.
"How would you identify a witch physically?" The warlock asked them like they were all a bunch of stupid children.
"Through their hair." Night answered while staring at Aira's white hair. Kung dati kumikinang ito sa dilim, now it's nothing but a shadow of its glow and it pained him to see that part of her change.
Then it struck him. He stared at Aira's hair then at Cassy. Then he tried to remember all the witches he have fought and killed before.
"All of them have abnormally colourful hair." Cassy raise her brow at him with his comment. "All of them have colourful hair." He said again.
"But Aira's are white." Daniel finished the sentenced for him.
All of them stared at Aira's unmoving body as though they were only seeing her for the first time. Then after a few minutes of silence, Castro asked the question they all wanted to ask.
"If she's not a witch, then what is she?"