The tranquilizer made her sleep for hours, concluded Mila when she saw the light shining through the small dungeon window.
The dose must have been big, she didn't feel or remember anything. Strange substances were most certainly not good in a pregnancy she thought, moving a hand over her belly. These people likely didn't know, certainly didn't care, and it was probably better to keep it that way.
The place looked indeed like a dungeon with dirt, dead leaves, and moss covering the stone floor and walks. It was stinking of mold and it was awfully cold. The only good thing was, that the only window was so small and high up that the sun rays didn't touch her.
Mila was terribly afraid of Helios, only thinking about him made her shudder. The easiness with which he could bend her to his will and make her think she wanted it that way was terrifying.
She also had the feeling things had happened there, in that strange dimension of the gods, that she forgot about, that he made her forget about.
That made her think of Kiril. His power was quite similar, he could manipulate one's thoughts and feelings but he never did that to her, he let her feel everything as it was, even when she begged him to make her forget. Back then she didn't understand, but now she did and he had been right, it was better that way, ti was better to remember all the parts of your story, even the bitter ones.
There were steps in the hallway. Five men in black robes opened the door to the cell.
One of them seemed more important than the rest. He had a long grey beard, was bald, seemed in his late fifties, and even if boney and seemingly frail, he reeked of authority.
"Так это она./So that is her," he whispered in Russian to his companions. "Она выглядит как обычная девушка, но как бы со слабой душой, будто переспала с дьяволом./ She looks like a normal girl, but seemingly with a weak soul if she laid with the devil."
Then he directed his attention to her.
"Why did you give into temptation, girl?" he asked. His voice was like honey and fire.
Ah, puny human. Because she liked it, because she wanted to, and because it felt good. Tell him, Mila.
Selene. She didn't hear her in that tranquilizer-induced slumber as she often did when trying to sleep and her voice surprised her.
Serbian is similar enough to Russian for Mila to understand what he asked, but she didn't really feel like answering.
"I don't understand what you say," she answered instead reluctantly in English.
"Why did you soil yourself in laying with an abomination?" he asked then, in sharp accented English.
That was not going in a good direction at all. The guy was seemingly aware that she mingled with wolf people, likely that she also carried a little hybrid.
So these were enemies of Erik's and of the wolf people, humans that hated them and her throw association.
Erik, where are you? Did you really die? We need you right now.
"I don't know what you are talking about. I don't know who you are and this must be a misunderstanding."
She decided that playing dumb might have a slight chance of success.
"Was it a coincidence that you were in an apartment rented under the name of Michael Wittfeld? I don't think so, but nice try," said the man smiling maliciously.
"Look, sir, I didn't know what they were," lied Mila. "I am sorry. What do you want from me? They kidnapped me and I just want to go home."
"It is all right. You might serve a greater purpose now, and if we manage to capture him with your help, your sacrifice might redeem your soul."
Capture? Who? Michael? Or is Erik back? That cannot be, I would have sensed it, he would have already come for us. Or did I misunderstand the whole thing? I guess it's kind of late to ask this.
Without having time to blink, two of the men grabbed Mila by the elbows and yanked her up from the floor. She startled, and worst of all, the baby seemed to have startled too, sending the now, rather familiar, shockwave of power throw the room and pinning the monks that grabbed her to the floor.
The one that seemed to be the leader looked at her with a hint of fear in his eyes, a lot of anger, and some repulsion.
"He fathered you a child... No wonder the other wolf said he will come for you. He certainly will. You are dangerous, as you carry an abomination yourself."
Yeah, my baby daddy is a wolf, but I doubt he will be coming. I wish he would and finish with all of you, whoever you might be.
"Were humans not good enough for you?" he asked disdainfully.
Humans are not really crazy about me like wolf people are. It's not good, thought I would lie to say entirely bad either, just how it is.
The situation was so tragic it was funny.
"Who are you?"
"We are The Brotherhood of the Right Faith, and our mission is to clear the wold from danger and from creatures that shouldn't be."
"Everything that exists, exists with a reason and with the will of the universe, that's why it came to be, if not, it just wouldn't."
Mila strongly believed that. She believed this strange child of hers was a blessing despite everything, despite the obstacles the universe was throwing in its way from the time it was only the size of a pea.
"You are not only dumb but also presumptuous," said the man spitting down on her.
The Earth shook and took everyone again by surprise.
"He is here," were the only words Mila remembered because right after that, the eyes of the monk leader became black and buggy and he whispered something like a prayer that made her sleep again.
*
The next time she woke up, she was chained to a wall and her body felt led-heavy, her ankles were throbbing from the cuffs that were digging into her skin, and her vision was blurry.
There were voices and noises and something unusual but familiar, a whisper.
"Mila, stay with me. I have just found you. It took so awfully long."
"Kiril?" she muttered trying to lift her head towards the voice, and open her eyes. "What did they do to you?"
Countless silver chains were coiling around his arms, legs, and chest, resulting in horrible burns. His face was blood smeared but he was smiling at her.
"You should see the other guy."
There were so many things even her exhausted brain wanted to ask him and one rather unexpected but undeniable feeling was overflowing. She was happy to see him, confusingly happy.
The monk entered the room and that sufficed again for Mila to fret and for the child to send again a shockwave into the surroundings. It was much weaker than the first one but noticeable. Producing them though seemed to tire Mila terribly because her eyes fell shut. The last thing she remembered was Kiril's shocked expression, eyes wide open and mouth agape staring at her. She had never seen that expression on him before. Was she frightening even him? Him too? Him that used to be the one inspiring fear?
*
"Mila, wake up! Use your power and kill him!" screamed Kiril and his voice, inner and outer managed to rip her from the heavy sleep.
"I can't..." she whispered inaudibly.
This time she was on a table surrounded by candles and strange objects, and the monks were chanting while their leader was pointing a silver dagger with engraved runes to her heart. Her head was tipped to the left looking at Kiril whose eyes were shining and the earth started to shake slowly, while the silver chains gave up slightly under the sheer force of his will, causing the monk to back off for an instant and head towards him.
It looked as if he was buying her time, but she couldn't use her power, if she would, Helios would be there in an instant and that meant a death sentence too.
Somehow, not sure where from, Michael appeared into the picture and she was relieved.
Strange things continued happening. Michael took the monk's dagger and put it at Kiril's throat.
What is he doing? Kiril is not the enemy. Not anymore. Do not kill him!
"Michael, please don't."
He heard her indeed, even if her voice was weak, he heard her, looked at her, and started walking toward her.
"I am sorry Mila, but you were never meant to be a part of our world. Erik made a mistake and I will have to make it right. Neither you nor Kiril should exist anymore so that we can have peace."
She couldn't really grasp what was going on, Michael wanted to kill Kiril but he also wanted to kill her. Michael that was Erik's best friend wanted to kill her and his child. That couldn't be possible.
"It's Erik's child. Please don't."
"The brotherhood is right, it's an abomination like you became one too. I am sorry, I know it's not your fault, none of this is, but sometimes bad things and unfair ones happen. Regardless, we have to make sacrifices for the good of the world. You will be remembered in kindness, Mila."
It was true that her life had been an endless streak of sadness with a few happy moments. After meeting Erik and starting to love him she thought that there would be more of the happy ones but the intensity of the awful ones just multiplied too. Some time ago she wouldn't have cared so much about death but now she did, she couldn't just die. She didn't destroy her life to prevent the world from collapsing to die. She did that for Erik and their child and even if Erik was gone, there was still the child. The child though, that always sent out a shockwave when frightened was now silent. Why was it silent? That was not good.
She was in a shabby state, and when the mother was having a rough time it often happened that a pregnancy in the first trimester...
She lifted her head and looked at Michel and then down at her lower body. There was indeed blood.
Everything became even more confusing when a myriad of silver links rained over them and a stream of water breached one of the walls.
Angel was standing in the breach, dressed in leather, moonshine giving him a hallow.
"We are here, at your command," said Angel bowing his head in the direction where Michael and Kiril were standing.
She liked Angel, she always did. If there had been someone on her side all the time despite the circumstances that had been him, but now if his beloved Michael wanted to kill her, did he want that too?
She couldn't hold the thought and passed out again.
*
Kiril's howl pierced the air. Yes, Kiril, that seemed unleashed but with a lot of problems surrounding him.
Kiril... That she thought off before everything turned dark again.
Many things must have happened, many awful things, because when she woke up she smelled a lot of blood, burnt flesh, and most of all death.
Death was all around her and so was sorrow, in every voice and sob that reached her ears. The smell of blood blended with a somehow familiar scent of bergamot and old books, like death and a sad but beautiful mourning chant. She felt the warmth of his skin and his hair brushing her face. He was walking and was carrying her.
"You came for me," she said and lifted her weak arm to touch his face. Then their eyes met after a long time and Mila smiled. They were mesmerizing, a thousand shades of blue, and for a change no bloodlust in them, just something she almost called tenderness.
"I would always come for you, from anywhere, even from the very hell of this world," answered Kiril in the end. It sounded like a confession he didn't want anyone else to hear, not even himself. "You are in my blood and in my thoughts every goddamn day and I hate it but I can't and don't want to help it," he said and his tone was rather sad, not sharp like the words, while his lips pressed a small kiss on her forehead.
"Where is Erik?" asked Mila.
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Okay, this took a while. I did feel like writing something lovey today, brief but lovey.