Hi There,
Here's Chapter 18 and it is dedicated to @HinaKiyoMyCats :D
ALSO, PLEASE READ THE NOTE AT THE END!
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MILK:
Cow's milk is something that is a daily must-have for many people all over the world. Milk is good for bones and teeth as it is a high source of calcium and potassium. Drinking milk makes one feel fuller and keeps the appetite in control.
Raw milk can be be used as a body cleanser and when mixed with honey, it can be used as an exfoliating scrub that can get rid of clogged pores. It also acts as a moisturizer that can soften skin and remove dry, flaky skin.
It is recommended to drink at least a glass of milk daily and not more because it's not good for some people especially those who have lactose intolerance.
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"Good books don't give up all their secrets at once."
― Stephen King
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CHAPTER 18 – PURE SOUL
Queen Rhonwen stared at the thief, trembling in his seat, and smirked, slow and predatory.
Pete's eyes rounded in horror as she took another step closer to him.
She smelled his fear and she liked it. He had been sitting there for the past twenty minutes and blatantly lying to Ari's face. He thought he could get away with killing two fairies and a human, sharing a false sob story.
She wanted to roll her eyes. He was not the first thief she had come across and neither was he the first liar.
It had been difficult to simply lie in the darkness and listen to him shamelessly lying and claiming his innocence. Unluckily for Pete, Ari had been on to him from the start and simply played along.
There was a common trait among liars. They never owned up to their wrongs. They always blamed some external factor and Pete had done the same.
She could see him mentally evaluating every single thing he told just a while back because he was now standing in front of the queen.
"And yet, you stole from me?" Ronnie demanded, raising one perfectly arched black brow.
"I... I..." Pete gasped, unable to give a proper reply.
Ronnie sighed and then folding her wings back in, she gracefully moved on to sit on the chair that Ari had vacated.
"Do not fear. I assure you I am not as bad as the stories you have heard of me" Ronnie said quietly, placing her hands on her lap. "I am worse" she smiled and watched as the colour drained from Pete's face.
"But I admit, it depends on how bad the one opposing me is" she added graciously and Pete's shoulders slumped. "So, do you admit that everything you shared with Aristandros just now, was the absolute truth?" Ronnie looked him in the eye and asked that question.
She wanted him to lie. She wanted to trick him and watch as he trembled, trapped in his lies.
"I... Yes, my queen" Pete lowered his head and Ronnie nodded once, before looking at Ari. He gestured the warriors and they placed a set of papers in front of her. She picked the first one and read the subject of the document.
She had thoroughly read everything two days ago and she knew more about the thief than she liked to admit.
"Your wife claimed she first caught you cheating four years ago. You begged it wouldn't happen again and she forgave you, believing you had learnt your lesson" Ronnie said smoothly and kept the paper aside.
"I... It was—"
"Do not interrupt when I am talking" Ronnie stated flatly and Pete promptly shut his mouth.
"When she filed for divorce, she had gathered enough evidence to prove that you had been a serial cheater" Ronnie read and then kept the second paper aside.
"The third letter here is the notice, from the casino manager. It was his first legal step in taking action against you for the fraud you have committed within the casino premises. Fifteen days later, he sent you his second notice and then, he took the legal action" Ronnie kept those papers aside.
"Are you going to admit your crime or do you want me to read more?" She asked flatly and was satisfied to look at the nervous look in Pete's face.
"I am not lying. Whatever I had said earlier had been the truth. The complete truth. Those wolves—"
"Ugh! He is pissing me off!" Ari growled, scratching the back of his neck and scowling at Pete.
"Let him finish" Ronnie admonished and rolling his eyes, Ari turned away.
She looked at Pete expectantly and he opened his mouth but was unable to form a word. His legs were trembling and she liked it.
"The wolves killed that human, Mr Jeremy Drake, you were saying about?" Ronnie checked and Pete nodded.
A dark wing warrior placed a laptop on the table and then clicked play on a video, taken from a distance that showed Pete chasing Jeremy in a dark valley. Jeremy was running for life as Pete flew after him, with wings spread wide. It didn't show the actual murder, but it was in the same alley that Jeremy was found dead, a day later.
As everyone watched the video, Ronnie watched Pete. She watched as all the criminal gleam left his eyes, leaving him fearful for his life.
"One of our clan members filmed it and sent it to me" Ronnie began as she dropped her pen on the table. "The person was shocked to find that you were exposing our kind. I received it the same night and I had the place investigated. It was our warriors who first found Jeremy's body" Ronnie said and Pete lowered his head.
"I put it on hold because of Cyane's wedding the next day, but you took that wedding as an opportunity and killed our guards and looted our museum on that same day. I wasted a lot of time and resources, just to catch you and I refuse to waste a minute further in trying to bring you to justice" Ronnie pronounced crisply and then stood up.
"Your highness" Pete got down to his knees and folded his hands, "Please... I beg you."
"You were given ample opportunity to change your statement but you refused. You even lied about the gems that you have stolen. There is more, isn't it?" she probed.
"Yes... yes, and if you agree to let me go, I will share all the details of where I have kept it," Pete said shakily, his last-ditch effort in saving his life and Ronnie laughed.
It was brittle.
Placing her hands on the table, she leaned forward, "Why do you think I wasted two months in chasing you down?"
Pete's eyes rounded in shock and Ronnie nodded, "I have got everything back. Every single stone. Being a Lycorian, you forgot what we are like. We never forgive anyone who takes anything with greed" she spelt out and Pete slumped on the world.
Standing straight, she looked at her cousin, Ari and said in a commanding tone, "Take your time."
When she closed the door of the small desert shack, she heard Pete screaming as the dark wing's warriors surrounded him.
She walked a few steps before letting out her topaz green coloured wings, the same colour as her eyes. Raising high, she flew in the long stretch of the desert until she came to a standstill on an endless stretch of dunes.
The sky was a shade of orange and pink as the sun began its descent from the horizon. Shoving her hands into the pockets of her dress, she calmly watched the sunset.
It was a privilege because the sun was barely visible in the Sylvan mountains, that were usually covered with dark clouds. For a while she just enjoyed the view, momentarily letting go of the responsibilities that now lied on her shoulders.
They had to go to Alfonsi clan tomorrow. Ask Gian and his secretary some questions... see if they know something about Cyane. Ronnie's secretary had made the necessary contact but there had been no reply from Gian and if the invitation wasn't accepted, then they had to return home.
When few strands of her thick black hair, fanned her face, she became aware of another presence behind her.
She didn't need to turn back to look at him. She knew he was with her, even when she didn't want him to be around.
He nudged her gently with his head, before coming to stand beside her. Several inches taller than her, he stood on his fours, his fur a dull beige and his hair long and shining blonde. He had eyes as dark as the night and the appearance of a horse.
He was the Pure Soul of Sylvan Clan.
He was the ancient one, sent by God Supreme to protect their clan and vice-versa.
He called himself Morsimus and he was a spirit that appeared in the shape of an animal. In the Sylvan clan, Morsimus had chosen to be a horse, which was also the sigil of the Kingdom of Lycoris.
Visible to only those he chose to show himself to, he was old, knowledgeable and possessed incredible gifts; but he was also vulnerable. He was nothing without his rider and every generation, he chose one.
Ronnie was six years old when she had first seen the beige skinned horse in the backyard of her house. At the time, she had not known that he had chosen her after her grandmother, Queen Varya.
However, her mother, Theola, had realized something was off when she had seen her daughter talk to some unseen person. When her mother had realized that Ronnie was the next rider, she had done everything in her power to keep that truth a secret.
Pure Souls were divine creatures and the harpies attacked the fairies for their blood. Countless lives have been lost and several clans had been completely wiped out in the Battle of the Wings. Fearing the consequences and for the security of Ronnie's life, her mother had made sure no one ever came to know she was the Pure Soul rider of her generation.
Now, eighteen years later, it was still a secret.
"It's done. We got him" she said crisply as Morsimus stood beside her, to look at the sunset.
"I am glad." The reply wasn't audible to her. She could hear it only in her head and the voice... kind and gentle and divine.
"Are you now ready to tell me where Cyane is?" she asked him.
Morsimus could see beyond. He was a clairvoyant and he could open portals that would lead a person to any part of the world. It would take him less than five seconds to open a portal that could lead Ronnie to Cyane, but he was taking his own sweet time.
Neither was he ready to go to Cyane nor was he helping Ronnie in finding Cyane. He has been withholding information for months and she could do nothing to force him to reveal it either.
"She is happy," Morsimus said staring into a distance. "She is learning. She is becoming independent" he continued.
"Is she safe?" Ronnie asked with a sigh when she realized she would get no answer this time either.
"Yes. She needs no protection and you know that" Morsimus intoned.
"What about the people around her?" she asked. She was still hoping to get something out of him. She knew it was not at all possible to trick him, but she couldn't face the thought of disappointing her aunt again.
Cyane's grandmamma, former queen Ianthe, was her mother's elder sister. Theola had passed away when Ronnie was fourteen, and in her will, Theola had wanted Ianthe to take care of her daughter and so, Ronnie had been sent to the castle to live with her aunt.
Ianthe had resented the fact that she had to take care of another child. She had loved Cyane because Cyane was her own— her granddaughter. But Ronnie wasn't.
Ronnie was her niece and since her father was a human, she couldn't live with him. Besides, her parents had separated when she was just five years old and her father was still not aware of the fact that his ex-wife and daughter were fairies.
Ronnie had been an unnecessary burden and she was always reminded of that fact. Ianthe had resented anyone or anything coming in between Cyane and the Lycoris throne and she had feared Ronnie would become an obstacle.
As far as Ronnie was concerned, her aunt had nothing to fear because she did not wish to become a queen. All her life, Cyane had been trained to become the queen, while Ronnie had been trained to become a warrior, protecting the throne.
When Ianthe had realized how powerful Ronnie truly was, her fear had increased tenfold. She had let it known that she didn't want Ronnie around Cyane and throughout the years, Ronnie had stayed away from Cyane and the throne.
It was something she was used to because even her mother had made sure, she would keep her powers hidden and not reveal the truth that she was the Rider.
All of Ianthe's fears had come true on the day of the Duel of the Daughters. While battling against her grandmother, Cyane had lost control and when she had been about to destroy the entire stadium and kill the people there, Ronnie had to interfere.
By defeating Cyane, she had saved the lives of all the clan members that day and she had been declared the queen. Ianthe had been helpless to stop it from happening and she had been unhappy, but Ronnie couldn't do anything to stop it from happening either.
The people had seen her and they had chosen her over Cyane. It was the truth and it was something Morsimus had wanted to happen from a long, long time.
"There are different kinds of people around her. Some want her safe and some want her dead" Morsimus shared.
"And yet, you will not tell me where she is?" Ronnie asked outraged to hear that there were people out there, other than the Liberi, who wanted to hurt Cyane.
"It is not the right time, Rhonwen" Morsimus replied in a kind tone.
"When is the right time? A year later? A decade later?" Ronnie demanded with a frown.
"Do you not wish Cyane to be happy?" Morsimus asked instead.
"How can she be happy when she is away from us? She has never been away from her family" Ronnie argued.
"And that is why Cyane cannot control herself. That is why she cannot stand upright when she faces a challenge. There is a flaw in her and now, she is starting to notice it too" Morsimus said and Ronnie closed her eyes. "You have all tried to bandage her wounds and pretend the scar does not exist, but it does. It is dark and very visible. She has noticed her scar for the first time and now, she has to come to terms with it and learn to live with it."
"She will not remember what she sees," Ronnie said painfully. "It is the blessing you gave her to reverse the curse."
"My blessing was only to mitigate the curse. I do not possess the power to reverse the curse" Morsimus stated, his voice loud and clear in her head.
"And because of your blessing, she forgets that the Liberi, not only killed her parents but are also out there waiting for an opportunity to kill her" Ronnie hissed. "She does not know what's after her and why? Liberi will kill anyone and everyone to get to her, thinking she is the pure soul rider, when in fact it is ME" Ronnie thundered in an aghast tone as she pointed a finger at her chest.
"It is me that they truly want. I am the one who can see you, a pure soul and I am the one they need to wake up their precious mother" Ronnie said and turned away to leave, but stopped and faced Morsimus again, "Do you know how painful it is for me to hear the things they had done to kill Cyane's parents? Do you know how I feel when Cyane is attacked every single time by those creatures? I feel disgusted. At myself."
Her voice choked but she held back a sob and continued, "The Liberi don't know that she is not the rider and so they attack her, they kill people around her and... so many innocents were killed... for years. It could all stop. It could all go away if only I reveal the truth that I am the rider. For years my mother never allowed me to do it and now, you don't."
"It is not me who is stopping you, my dear. It is time. Things happen the way they should happen and I possess no power to interfere or stop it from happening. I can only advise you and it is up to you to take it or leave it" Morsimus intoned and Ronnie frowned.
"What is your advice this time?" she demanded, looking at the big, round and dark eyes of the animal. It held so many secrets that she feared the consequences if it all got unleashed at once.
"I would advise you to choose Cyane over Ianthe," Morsimus said and Ronnie furrowed her shapely black brows in confusion.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Ianthe wants Cyane back in her golden cage, while Cyane, she just wants some time."
"For what?"
"The balance has been destroyed my dear," Morsimus said cryptically and Ronnie frowned. "Darkness looms over Aelius and Scevola. Varya could not stop the Liberi, but she was able to keep them at bay. By putting their mother into a deep sleep, Varya had made sure they were crippled. But Georgia will not sleep forever."
Ronnie sucked in a breath and turned to fully face Morsimus, "She is going to wake up soon."
"Yes" Morsimus confirmed and Ronnie let out a breath through parted lips, before closing them and bracing herself.
It was inevitable. She had known that the witch would wake up soon. Her mother had warned her about it too... but to her, it had always been in a distant future. To know that it was about to happen sooner than she thought... that startled her, but not enough to spook her.
"Georgia had placed three curses on the Zeke royal family, but immediately regretted doing that."
"She regretted cursing them?" Ronnie did not know that part of the story. She did know what the Zeke's had done and why they were cursed.
"Yes. For a short while... before she lost her child, she regretted what she had done" Morsimus shared. "She was tricked into regretting. It was due to that regret, she wished that all her curses be reversed."
Ronnie's eyes lost focus and she got a suspicious feeling that had her heart thump rapidly in her chest, "Did something happen?"
"The first curse got reversed" Morsimus stated and she closed her eyes.
Georgia's first curse had been that a Zeke wolf will spill the blood of their own, destroying their family first and now it got reversed which meant that a Zeke was unable to spill the blood of another Zeke in a fight.
"When did this happen?" Ronnie asked.
"The very moment the lightning struck the Sylvan mountains" Morsimus replied softly and Ronnie compressed her lips when she remembered the unusual roar of thunder that night, four days ago. It was a signal to everyone that the first curse was broken. It also meant that Georgia had shown some sign of waking up.
"There is no way we can stop Georgia from waking up?" Ronnie questioned.
"That's a coward's way of talking my dear" Morsimus pointed out and Ronnie lowered her head in shame, "Your mother did not raise you to become a coward."
"No" Ronnie agreed, immediately regretting seeking that easy way out.
"For the nature to regain its balance, Georgia has to wake up" Morsimus stepped closer and Ronnie nodded. "And for that to happen, a Zeke wolf must reclaim the throne."
"Suppose a Zeke does want to claim their throne, it still cannot be done easily. You as well I know, that King Stanislaus has the Alfonsi clan's star essence in his pack. As long as he has it, no one can overthrow him" Ronnie observed.
"But what if it is taken from there?"
"Who is going to take it from there when it is so well protected?" Ronnie was confused because her mother had also told about the creature that lived in the Iron Fort, guarding the Star Essence.
Morsimus sighed and then looked at the evening sky where stars appeared one after the other. "Things have fallen apart, but everything will come back to its place in its own time" he finished and then before she could question further, he vanished from her view.
Perplexed, Ronnie stared at the sky and wondered what he meant. How are things going to fall back into its place?
She did know what was protecting the Alfonsi clan's star essence in the kingdom of Aelius and she had heard things about it. Bad things.
The creature was one of its kind. She did not know if it was good or bad, just that as long as the creature is in the Iron Fort, no one could take the star essence from there. Several have tried but no one had made it out alive.
If Morsimus mentioned it, then it means that someone was trying to get into the Iron Fort. She did not know who was foolish enough to try it, but she hoped, at least they would become successful.
A whistle caught her attention and she looked up to see her cousin, Ari, high in the air with a questioning look in his face. His golden hair, eyes and wings, gleamed brightly in the night sky and smiling, Ronnie soared up in the sky to face him.
"Is it done?" she asked in their mother-tongue.
"Your humble servant is here to make your wishes come to true" Ari smirked and when she meant to mock punch him, he stepped back with a chuckle.
"We wasted a lot of time on Pete," Ari pointed out and Ronnie sighed. He had been against this. He had wanted them to go after Cyane right from the start but Ronnie had listened to Morsimus and did as he had advised.
"Now, our sole focus will be in bringing Cyane back" Ari stated firmly and Ronnie nodded with a smile. However, her smile dropped almost immediately and Ari noticed it, "Something's the matter?"
"No. Nothing" Ronnie shook her head, "Did you get any news about the Alfonsi clan?"
Ari compressed his lips and shook his head, "Gian's secretary has declined the request stating that Gian is busy in some research work and has requested that no one disturb him for a couple of weeks."
Furrowing her brows, Ronnie nodded and wondered what kind of research was Gian doing?
He was avoiding her and that was clear. She would be diplomatic once more and give him another chance.
But that would be Gian's last chance before she forced him to talk.
•••
"You got me the book?" Cyane beamed as she clutched the sketchbook against her chest, along with the pencil box.
That morning, Xanthos had asked her to make a list of the things that she needed and the first thing she had asked was for a sketchbook. He had been out for a while and when he had returned with a bag of supplies, she had been surprised to see that he got the book for her.
Xanthos watched her curiously before he asked, "You like to draw?"
"No. I like to carve things. I am a carving artist, but before carving, I have to come up with my designs and that is why I need a sketchbook" Cyane explained as she began tearing apart the plastic cover wrapped around the book.
The reason why she needed the book now was to make a map of the Iron Fort.
"Carving? On what?"
"Usually porcelain and wooden. I am a professional when it comes to porcelain but I love trying on fruits and vegetables."
"Stone?"
"Too difficult," she said shaking her head. She didn't use stone because she couldn't handle it carefully and she did not use Ivory because most of it came through illegal hunting. She did know some people who used bones but she was too scared to use one.
All she could think about when she looked at the bones was the life that was lost.
After emptying the bag which contained toiletries and other essential items, he then placed a lunch box on the table.
"Where are you going?" she asked when he turned towards the door.
"Palace," he said simply and Cyane frowned.
"What is your work there?" she asked next.
"Exactly what you have heard about." He was gone the next moment and Cyane slumped on the chair.
Hound.
They called him the king's pet.
Is that what his work was all about? Doing every dirty work for the king?
She decided she would ask about that with him tonight. However, it was also the first time he had left her in the apartment and surprised, Cyane strolled towards the door.
When she tried to open it, she was shocked to see that he had locked it from the outside. She tried pulling the door handle a couple of times, but no, it was locked from the outside.
Just a few days ago, he had stated that no one would dare to rob him and now, he had locked the door from the outside like he had a precious treasure inside. Cyane knew she was no treasure to him. She was someone who would elevate his position in front of the king.
He was using her to up himself in front of the king and that was the one thing she wouldn't allow. She would make him see how bad Saint Winthrop was and eventually maybe he could see for himself how bad the king is as well!
Cyane knew she could get out if she wanted to but she didn't. She was here for a reason and this time; she would get it done.
Picking up the shampoo and the conditioner, she walked into the washroom and when she passed by the bedroom, she grimaced again.
She had never, ever in her life gotten on her knees to clean something but his destroyed room was the mess she had made and she knew, she had to clean this up.
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It was two o'clock when she had her lunch and by then the food had gone cold and Cyane forcefully shoved it down her mouth.
She spent the last three hours picking up the broken items and putting it into garbage bags, and yet, she had not even cleaned twenty per cent of the room. Plus, she didn't know how to tie a garbage bag. In the end, she had just pushed the overloaded bag against one corner of the room.
After lunch, she tried to get on with her work but kept yawning repeatedly because she hadn't had a good sleep last night.
She had been worried Xanthos would try to get closer to her and she had pleased to know that throughout the night, he slept in the same position like a rock, while she had been moving around, uncomfortable in such a small space with a man.
It was the first time she had been sharing a bed and that thought alone was enough to make her sleepless.
Dumping another full bag into the corner of the room, Cyane went into the other bedroom to get some rest. However, she made sure to lock the door from the inside.
What if his friends came in while she was sleeping?
She couldn't fully trust any of them yet and she had to take care of her safety.
___
The continuous knock on the door jolted her out of her sleep and rubbing her eyes, she got off the mattress and went to answer the door.
"Sorry I disturbed you," he said slowly.
"What time is it?"
"Six-thirty," he said and her eyes flew open.
Six-thirty? Did she sleep for three hours?
"Yeah. I got some fries actually and it is better to eat them now when they are hot" he said walking to the living room and she followed him.
"How did you get in?" she asked sitting on the chair. There were two large packets of fries and Cyane emptied one packet on her plate.
"Xan let me in. He was the one who brought this" Jayson said as he tore the ketchup packet.
"Xanthos was here?" And she had been sleeping throughout?
"Yes. He was home early today... he has a big fight tonight" Jayson grinned excitedly and Cyane stopped eating.
"Fight?"
"He is a cage fighter. The best in the whole kingdom" Jayson added, obvious to her shock at the news.
A cage fighter? Like a zoo cage. Like animals.
They called him Hound because he behaved like one too.
"Where is he now?" she asked because she wanted to know. She also wanted to go see that fight of his.
She could imagine how it would be, but she knew the reality could be a lot worse than her imagination. There would be bloodshed and there would be broken bones. Lots of it.
"Gym. They always go there before the fight" Jayson said with a mouthful of fries inside his mouth.
"Can you take me there?" she asked and he stopped eating.
"I don't know... I should ask Xan" he said pulling out his phone from his pocket.
"I have been there already with Brody once," she said before he could unlock his phone.
"You have been to the gym?" Jayson was startled when she nodded. "Oh! I guess you can go there then. But I think we should directly go to the arena."
"Cool" Cyane continued eating but was aware of Jayson's eyes on her the whole time.
"Can I ask you something?" he began and she nodded. "How did you do that?" he pointed at the room that she had destroyed.
"I... I am not like you," she said. She did not want to say who she truly was to this wolf, yet! He was a high-schooler, but he was also gullible. Way more than she was.
"I know. Miki thinks you are a witch and Brody thinks you are a Lycoris fairy" Jayson whispered the last bit and Cyane smiled.
"What do you think?"
"I think Brody is right," he said, yellow-brown eyes affixed on her. Cyane smiled again and continued eating.
"Is it true?" Jayson asked again.
"I know you guys have a bet going on," she said instead.
"Not me. Brody and Miki" he said defensively.
"One of them is going to lose that bet" Cyane shrugged and then asked, "Do you know about any other creatures in the kingdom? Other than these two and your kind?"
"Yes. That creature in the Iron Fort."
"What is it called?"
"I don't know. But hey, Grayson just started working there and maybe he'll know something" Jayson grinned and Cyane nodded.
Then she remembered something and asked Jayson if she could make a call. He nodded but raised a questioning brow when she extended her hand.
"I do not have a phone" Cyane said quietly.
"Oh! Sorry... I thought you did. Here" he said and then passed his phone.
She went to the other room and immediately noticed that the three thrash bags she had filled earlier were missing. She supposed Xanthos took it away.
Closing the door, she called Yolanda. Without wasting further time, Cyane directly wished to talk to Minerva.
Yolanda then informed her that Min was at home and she was in the hospital. However, she did tell Cyane to call her later that night.
Cyane was disappointed and she wondered how she would be able to talk to Min at night, with Xanthos present in the same room? She had to think of some way...
Sighing, she deleted Yolanda's number and then handed the phone back to Jayson.
___
The moment Cyane turned around the street that led to the underground arena, she was able to hear the cheers of the crowd hailing one and only one word— Lucas.
Grayson was already outside and when he saw her with his brother, he marched towards them, "Why did you bring her here?"
"She was alone at the apartment" Jayson defended.
"Xanthos won't like it" Grayson muttered and then gestured for them to follow him.
There were three security guards outside, thoroughly checking everyone, but none of them stopped them. Instead, after nodding at Grayson they even let the underage Jayson enter the arena.
It was packed.
The last time Cyane had seen so much crowd was when she had to challenge her grandmother in the duel of daughters. She had been overwhelmed then and she was overwhelmed now.
"Now is the good time to wear up your hoodie" Jayson muttered and nodding, Cyane covered her head with the hood and bent her head.
The entire crowd was made up of werewolves and Cyane realized that inside the cage fight, there would be no holding back.
Grayson gestured for them towards a front-row bench and Cyane sat quietly beside Jayson, stunned by the sheer number of werewolves present in one place.
Xanthos had a reputation and he had earned it here. However, she was surprised to see that no one was cheering for him. There was no one holding posters with painted cheeks.
"Sit here. Don't move" Grayson said that bit more to her than his brother and Cyane nodded. "You seriously shouldn't have brought her here" he growled at his brother and then walked away.
"Where is he going?" Cyane's gaze followed Grayson until he walked through a doorway.
"Dressing room. Xanthos is in there" Jayson shared.
"Lucas is his opponent?" Cyane asked curiously because she could see many of them cheering for him.
"Yes. He is from Vulture's nest" Jayson grimaced.
"Vulture's nest? What is that place?" Cyane was curious because she had never heard of that place. Not even from her Poppy.
"It's a kingdom inside the kingdom" Jayson shared. "The wolves, the majority of whom you can see here are all from there."
"All rogues?" she asked and he nodded. "Why the name vulture's nest?"
"How does it sound to you?" Jayson questioned, turning his head to look at her.
"Ominous," she said the first word that came to her head and Jayson chuckled.
"It is. The place has been given that name because vultures are often circling the sky and they never go hungry. Every day there's a brawl, everyday wolves are killed and everyday vultures get a feast."
Just picturing the images made Cyane shudder and she shook her head, too shocked to say anything but Jayson continued.
"The rogues in the nest got no loyalty. They work for money and as long as King Stanislaus gives money to them, they will stand beside him. It's with the power of their force that he has managed to keep the Scevola she-wolves away from Aelius and the rebels in control" Jayson continued and Cyane nodded thoughtfully.
"Loyalty is very important to your king isn't it?" she mused.
"Well..." Jayson began and then looked around. When he saw no one was paying attention to their conversation, he continued, "The king is old and there are some nasty rumours around him. I don't know if it is true, but I do know that the pack wolves are bothered by it. However, no one will dare to rebel because of his allegiance with the wolves from the Vulture's Nest."
"Are they that dangerous?"
"The wolves there don't follow any rules. We are rogues too but we don't go around killing someone just because we are bored. Killing is a sport in the Nest. If you haven't killed someone, they consider you worthless and might end up killing you for that very reason. If you have to survive there, you have to be strong enough to take down others" Jayson whispered. "Once in there, you are trapped. You cannot get out and the king knows it too because he doesn't go to rescue the ones who had unknowingly ventured into the nest."
"What about the wolves here? They have come out of the nest" Cyane pondered as she saw a large number of wolves, drinking beer, breaking glasses and just about creating a mess.
"For Lucas. He has a gang over there and they are his men."
"So many of them?" Cyane said in shock because there were almost a hundred wolves and that wasn't a small number.
"Lucas believes he is the king. He wants to show off his power but what he does not know is that the moment these wolves see someone more powerful than him, they are going to switch sides. Xan has his name in the kingdom and everyone here knows the things he has done to earn it. Lucas wants to prove them wrong, believes no one can match him" he sighed pitifully.
"You think Xanthos is going to win?" she asked slowly.
"Can I tell you something about Xan?" His counter-question surprised Cyane, but she nodded anyway. "Xan has been fighting for survival since he was a child. Way before than any of us here did and there is no doubt in my mind that he is going to crush Lucas."
That little bit of information about Xanthos's past surprised her but it also made her interested in finding every single thing about Xanthos. What happened in his past? Why did he have to fight for survival? Why did he have to fight in the cage-like this? Why was he so faithful to the king?
She shouldn't care but she found that she did. She wanted to know more about him because he stood out for her for, he was like no other man she had ever met before.
___
The crowd cheered like mad when Lucas entered but booed for Xanthos and Cyane was disturbed by that kind of reaction.
The least the crowd could do was shut their mouth instead of discouraging him, Cyane thought with a frown. However, she did notice that Xan's face was stoic and he seemed unperturbed by all the negativity. Once the cage door was locked from the outside, Lucas jumped around and thumped his chest like a demented ape, while Xan barely moved from his position.
Lucas was taller and bulkier than Xan, but he had one big flaw and that was over-confidence. Cyane noticed it the moment he entered the arena because it was hard to over-look.
Without waiting for the referee's whistle, Lucas lunged at Xanthos and that's how the fight began.
Xanthos leaned back when Lucas tried to jab him a couple of times but then Lucas threw a powerful punch at Xan's stomach and he fell back against the cage. Grinning like a maniac Lucas lunged again but Xanthos moved away at the crucial time and Cyane sighed in relief.
Slamming the cage, Lucas once again attacked Xanthos and then threw punch after punch, kick after kick. Xanthos shielded himself a couple of times but took most of the hit.
"He is bleeding" Cyane whispered shakenly when she saw blood oozing out from her mate's nose. She clenched her fists in her lap, for restraint.
Lucas threw a kick to his shin first and then stomach and when Xanthos dropped flat on the ground, he leapt high in the air to slam his elbows. But Xanthos rolled away and Lucas snarled furiously when his elbows hit the ground.
He bared his fangs and attacked Xanthos, his claws tearing Xanthos's skin. Gritting her teeth, Cyane held the edge of the bench in a tight grip. She could feel her skin heating up because she couldn't watch Xanthos getting hurt.
Jayson saw her shaking and paled.
"Gray" he hissed and Grayson who was the closest to the cage along with his friends rushed towards them. Miki looked at her with a frown while Brody was too lost in the fight to notice anything else.
"Scoot," Grayson told his brother and then sat beside Cyane. "Don't worry, Xan is going to be just fine" he told her calmly and she glared at him.
He tensed in his seat when he saw her glare and when she continued to stare, he directed his gaze back to the cage.
Cyane diverted her gaze back to the cage and saw Lucas wrap his arm around Xan's throat and repeatedly punch him in the stomach before flipping him and throwing him off.
The crowd's cheer was boisterous and it made Cyane see red.
When Xanthos's large frame dropped to the floor, she sucked in a deep breath and stood up. Grayson attempted to pull her back down by holding her wrist, however, he gasped out loud and shook his hand as if burned, the moment he touched her flaming skin.
"What the—?" He opened his palms and saw that the skin there was pink and burned.
Miki who had been watching them, moved closer to her and hissed, "What the fuck did you do?"
"Is he going to wake up?" Cyane asked through gritted teeth, her eyes fixed on Xanthos lying on the floor, while Lucas ran around the cage, encouraging people to shout his name louder and louder.
The noise was pissing her off and she knew she had to control herself before her wings flashed out.
"Of course, he is" Miki spoke in a voice that told her she was being stupid to even ask that question.
Cyane glared at him, but he wasn't looking at her, he was looking at Xanthos and she followed his gaze. "This is his game plan," Miki said as Xanthos placed his palms flat on the floor and got up to genuflect on the ground.
"He always does this" Miki added with a smirk and Cyane watched in disbelief as with a cold look on his eyes, Xanthos wiped the blood from his face. "He lets his opponent think they are winning by letting them throw a few punches at first."
When the crowd noticed Xanthos standing up, they stopped shouting and frowning, Lucas turned his head. He bared his fangs when he saw Xanthos twisting his neck sideward a few times, before growling.
"I am going to kill you" Lucas bellowed. With his hand, Xanthos motioned for his opponent to come forward and Lucas rushed towards him. Xanthos raised his feet high and kicked Lucas in the neck that had him fall back against the cage, which rattled by the force.
Cyane slowly sat back on the bench, her eyes fixed on Xanthos as he once again motioned for Lucas to come closer.
Shaking his head, Lucas composed himself and swung a fist at Xanthos, who blocked it with an arm and then hook punched him three times, before swinging his leg and kicking Lucas in the shins so that he toppled over.
Lucas stood up immediately but Xan was prepared and twirling, he raised his leg high and kicked Lucas in the face again. Lucas got up and threw a few punches but took more hits from Xanthos and each of it was more powerful than the previous one.
Holding Lucas by the arm, Xanthos pulled him towards him and then threw two punches on his nose, before butting heads and then kicking him in the stomach.
The crowd fell silent when Lucas rammed the cage, his face covered with his blood. Cyane blinked in disbelief when she saw Xan breathing heavily with a menacing growl and then bare his fangs at Lucas.
Spitting out the blood, Lucas made one last attempt to attack Xanthos, who leapt high in and then drawing his claws out, scraped the side of Lucas's face, tearing his ears off.
Cyane's loud gasp was swallowed by the gasp of the crowd.
But Xanthos wasn't done. He flipped and kicked Lucas below the chin and then holding him by the neck, dragged him across the cage. The cage rattled and the noise echoed around the room.
"What is he doing?" Cyane whispered, shocked to see Xanthos behave like a madman, his torso covered in his opponent's blood. He had won the fight, but he wasn't stopping.
"Warning" Grayson breathed out as Xanthos broke Lucas's right arm.
"Whom?" Cyane asked but she got her answer when she saw the crowd watching Xanthos with fear in their eyes, sweat coating their forehead and swallowing down large lumps down their throat.
All those who earlier cheered for Lucas were now cowering where they stood while some, who were at the forefront earlier, were rushing out of the exit door.
"Did he choose his opponent?" Cyane wanted to know because from where she stood, this seemed like a planned fight to send a message.
"No. His opponent chose him, specifically" Grayson shrugged and then Cyane watched as snarling murderously, Xanthos wrapped his arm around Lucas's throat and twisting it, he killed him.
Cyane nervously licked her dry lower lips as Xanthos dropped off Lucas's body and stood upright to glare at the crowd. Specifically, at the rogues from the Nest.
"Why did Lucas choose Xanthos?" she asked as she watched the other rogues scramble out, while Miki and Brody cheered for Xanthos.
"Lucas was paid to do so"
"By whom?"
"We don't know" Grayson shrugged and Cyane turned to look at him. Her eyes widened when she realized what she had done and gasping she held Grayson's wrist.
"I am fine," Grayson told her pulling back his hand.
"I am so sorry," she said sincerely as he showed his palm to her and she was relieved to see that he had completely healed.
"What are you?" he asked her and she compressed her lips. Jayson who was sitting beside his brother was also waiting for her answer.
"Where I come from, we do not tell others what we are. For if we do, we will turn into a tree and stay that way forever" Cyane said carefully and Grayson nodded slowly. "I am sorry about that" she added and Grayson smiled at her.
To ease the situation, she then asked, "How was your first day at work?"
"Scary" Grayson shuddered and she furrowed her brows.
"Did you see it? The creature in there?"
"No. Of course not. Nobody has seen it, but there is something in there. I went to throw the food along with the other guard and we could hear it screaming and it was scary as hell. It screamed like it was trapped in a cage and the sound... that felt like demonic" Grayson shuddered again and Cyane furrowed her brows.
"What is the creature called?"
"Boon" Grayson replied and then continued, "But it felt more like a curse to me."
Cyane nodded and then her eyes gleamed in satisfaction.
Boon.
The creature in there was called Boon.
When she felt eyes on her, she looked up and saw Xanthos was watching her. He had stepped out of the cage and he was going towards the dressing room.
He was shirtless. His washboard abs on display but they were covered in blood and that shook her. She could even see drops of blood on his black shorts.
His gaze was fixed on her until he walked past her and when he vanished from her view, Cyane let out a breath that she wasn't even aware she was holding.
She was impressed by Xan's fighting prowess but at the same time, she was shaken to see this animalistic side of his.
She found out another reason why he was called the Hound. He liked to trap his enemies and then kill them.
What made him that way? Why did he like to crush his opponents so brutally? He could have finished Lucas in the first five minutes but he simply prolonged the game for forty minutes. Why? There were several such questions and only Xanthos could answer them, but would he?
___
Pushing open his apartment door, Xanthos entered the apartment while Cyane followed.
She wasn't scared of him, but she was shaken by what she had seen today. Xanthos's behaviour wasn't normal but she couldn't straight up ask him why he did that.
Partly, because she was scared of the answer. What if he said, he enjoyed killing someone like that? What then?
The rules of that cage fight specifically stated that there would have been only one survivor and what if it had been Lucas? Then, Cyane knew she would have killed Lucas more cruelly. Did that make her as bad as Xanthos?
Sighing, Cyane pushed the room door and was stunned to see that all the broken mess in the room was completely cleaned out and the closet door was also fixed.
"When did this happen?" Cyane asked startled, pointing towards the room.
"Now," Xanthos said as he pulled out a bottle of beer from the fridge.
After cleaning up, Cyane walked back into the living room and noticed that Xanthos had turned the chair to face the balcony and enjoying the view from there, he drank the beer.
"Dinner will be here in ten minutes" he informed her before she could go back to the small room.
Was it always like this?
Would he come home and celebrate his victory alone, with a bottle of beer? That brought another question into Cyane's mind. What about his family? Where were they?
When Jayson said that he had to fight for survival since childhood... Did it mean his family treated him badly or did it mean they were very poor?
Curious, Cyane pulled back another chair and sat facing him because he was a better view.
"I have never tasted alcohol before," she said slowly. About to take a sip from his bottle, Xanthos stopped and stared at her.
"Never?" His tone conveyed his surprise. He extended his bottle but she shook her head.
"I don't like the smell" she grimaced.
"What do you want then?" he raised a brow.
"Something that doesn't look or taste like alcohol," she said after some thinking. She would find it hard to drink if it was that dark brown or golden-brown colour.
He nodded and then picking up his phone from the table, he texted something.
"What did you order?" she asked.
"You'll see" was all he said and Cyane pursued her lips.
She was quiet for a minute and then, unable to take the silence anymore, she demanded, "Why do you fight in the arena?"
"Money" he replied and she frowned.
Cyane, who had been born into a rich family and never had to work a day in her life, never knew the problem called lack of money. She had loads of it, having inherited from her parents and some even from her late grandfather, who was a Russian prince.
She had been completely ignorant about money matters because her accounts were always handled by her grandmamma's secretary and if she wanted anything, it was immediately given to her.
When she had escaped from the hospital, that one time two months ago, she had known how money was important to survive in real-world, but after that, she had faced no real problems because Yolanda had been taking care of her.
Cyane grimaced when she realized how much it must have cost Yolanda. Yet, Yolanda had never asked for any money from her. At the moment Cyane felt guilty for not considering that factor at all.
She swore to pay Yolanda and Lysander back because she was rich in her own right since she had inherited huge properties from her mother and maternal grandfather.
Her guilt intensified when she grasped what destroying a room must have cost Xanthos. If he was having death fights in a cage for money, it meant that he must be short of money and she had destroyed every single thing in his room. A double bed, a table, a shelf... so many things. Plus, he had to ask cleaners to clean the room.
How much it must have cost him?
She was a burden to him. Not just him... she was a burden to Yolanda as well.
"What's wrong?" Xanthos's question made her lookup.
"I am sorry about that room. I didn't mean to do it" she told him sincerely and then gulped, "I promise I will pay you back once I reach home. You can write down everything I have cost you so far and I will—"
"I don't need your money" Xanthos snapped at her and she blinked.
"But—"
"I can afford that" he added and took another sip of the beer.
"Does your king pay you?" she asked because now that she thought about it, maybe that was why he worked for the king. For money.
"Occasionally" Xanthos admitted and she frowned. "When he is happy with the work we do, he pays us."
"And when he isn't?" she questioned and the silence that followed gave her the answer. "Then why do you still work for him? Is it a family thing?"
At her question, Xanthos turned his head to completely look at her, "I killed my adopted father, the day I shifted."
Cyane straightened, unprepared to hear that. The day he shifted... when he turned thirteen.
"It was his daily routine. Get drunk until the bar owner kicked him out and then come home and take that frustration out on me. For years, I took the abuse but as I grew up, I learned different tricks to stall him. I had learnt how to get away from him and that day too, I had poured oil on the floor so he could slip on his way up. He was lying on the floor and I was in my room. When the clock struck twelve, I began shifting... I didn't know what was happening to me. I couldn't control myself and I barged out of the room, slipped on those stairs and fell atop him. It woke him up and he began tugging off his belt, while I felt like my bones were tearing apart. He hit me then, searing my already heated skin and when he saw what was happening to me, he screamed. It was the first time I saw fear in his eyes and I liked it" Xanthos grinned, his eyes turning a dark shade of blue and Cyane gulped.
He was lost in that memory and Cyane knew he was reliving the moment he had killed his adopted father.
No one in her family had ever raised a hand on her and there were very few child abuse cases in the kingdom, which is why Cyane did not understand the magnitude of the pain, the victims of child abuse go through. She had been almost ignorant of that until now when she saw one such victim of child abuse.
The trauma. The pain. Whom could a little boy trust when he did not feel safe at his own home?
Xanthos's eyes were hard and his whole stance was defensively rigid.
"I went after him. Killed him right there in the living room of his house and then escaped from there. A week later, I got kidnapped and was taken into a prison" Xanthos chuckled but the laugh was not joyous, it was cold and she felt a chill run down the length of her spine as Goosebumps appeared all over her body.
She knew whatever he would say next would be worse than what he had shared until now.
"By then, I thought I had faced the worst of it all, but I was wrong. Edmond was a predator of the worst kind and he had a thing for young boys."
Cyane flinched and looked away when she felt her eyes welling up with tears.
She had been sheltered. So much sheltered while Xanthos had been left into the wild and he had only two option to kill or be killed.
"He liked the pretty boys, the good ones in his bed while the tough ones ended up in the torture chamber. Either way, he liked to break their spirit. For some reason, he hated me the most. When he found out, I couldn't be dragged to his bed, he had his men drag me to the torture chamber. He thought I would succumb to him, but I didn't. Every hit, every pain they gave me made me stronger" Xanthos said fiercely and Cyane nodded slowly.
She was relieved to hear he hadn't been raped by the paedophile, but equally pained to know that he had been tortured for not giving in.
Now, she understood his anger. His rage in the cage.
She understood why he behaved like an animal with those who suppress the weak. Lucas had found great joy in beating down Xanthos. Drunk in power, Lucas thought he was invincible.
"We all spent a year there until we were rescued by the king. He saved us" Xanthos stated and now, Cyane understood why the king meant so much to him.
The king was his saviour of sorts and he felt he owed his life to the king. It showed her a different picture of King Stanislaus and she wondered which one was true.
The one her grandfather had told her about or the one, Xanthos just shared? She might have been a bit harsh in thinking the king was all bad, but that didn't mean he was as pure as a snow either.
King Stanislaus might have been Xanthos's saviour but he was also the one who had ordered her aunt's execution and for that one reason alone, she couldn't overlook his flaws.
Xanthos turned his head to look at her and when he saw her tear-stained face, he growled in distaste before muttering, "I shouldn't have told you that."
"No. I am glad you did," she made a move to touch his hand, but he pulled it away as if she had burnt him.
It hurt but she soothed herself because she worked out that he did not want her sympathy. He even regretted sharing this much with her and she feared, he would never again share something so personal with her.
"And please don't blame yourself for sharing things with me. Being inquisitive is in my nature and also, at the moment you are a little unsettled" she said kindly.
If she thought it would make him feel better than she was wrong because he let out another loud growl.
When the doorbell rang, she immediately jumped from her seat and went to answer it, glad for that distraction because it gave him the privacy, he needed the most at the moment, to compose himself.
He has never had a father figure in his life. The men around him had been cruel until he had met King Stanislaus. The king might have changed his views and that kind of explained his affection to the king, who was hero-worshipped.
Xanthos had revealed his past to her and she realized that it had completely marred his present, but she swore she wouldn't let it continue affecting his future.
****
Aha! I hope you liked the chapter.
I know some of you were disappointed that Cyane isn't the queen but hey, not every queen sit's on a throne 😉
BTW, What are your thoughts on this chapter? It's now revealed that Liberi are stalking the wrong girl. It's Ronnie that they need to wake their mother but through some misunderstanding, they are thinking it's Cyane. This chapter must have also given you some idea of my plans for this series :D:P
And, here's a picture of The Pure Soul aka Morsimus. Ignore the Horn. He is not a unicorn, he is a horse but this is the type of bond that he shares with Ronnie who BTW, is a lot more like Templar and Darya :D She doesn't have a major role in this story but I had to introduce her because it's her story next.
Ronnie is Cyane's aunt and that reminds me... do you have an aunt or uncle that is closer to your age than your mom? I do. I have an aunt (more like a best friend) who is just a couple of months older than me and a nephew who is just eight years younger than me 😐 That little shit used to call me aunt in public just to humiliate me.
Next update on 27th.
Until then, stay safe :D:-*