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CHAPTER 10:
“Just kill them.” I groaned, blowing a puff of smoke from my mouth and allowing it to billow out like a cloud. “Let me torch them.”
“No.” Cyan snapped. “Now stop doing that. My hallway is not a damn smoking lodge.”
I inhaled, drawing all the smoke back into my lungs. “Better?” I asked.
“No.” Cyan covered his face with his hands. “I can’t go in there.”
“Why not? They’re just little humans. I could crush them with my thumb and pinky.” I motioned him toward the containment room’s door. “They can’t hurt you.”
“I’m not scared of them.” Cyan insisted. “It’s just… I remember being human. I know I was a human far longer than i’ve been a blood angel, but for some reason I feel nothing like them. I don’t feel any kinship to them. I… I could kill them and not blink twice.”
“Then kill them.”
“No.”
“Solar, you make no sense!” I leaned against the wall. “You’re the one who wanted the humans brought here. You’re the one who won’t kill them even though it would be easier for all of us. What’s the plan then?”
“There is no plan.” He mumbled, standing up a bit straighter. I watched how the hall lights reflected off of the royal jewels Cyan only ever wore for parties. I found it funny he had put the effort into wearing them for this small band of humans. “We’re just going to fake it till I figure it out.”
“Hmm… I’m no good at faking it.” I joked. “The last time I faked something, Elijah tried to rip my head off my body.”
“You’re not funny.” Cyan grumbled, smoothing his hair down. “How do I look?”
“Like an expensive concubine.”
He glared at me, but basically ignored my comment. Cyan nodded and I unlocked the door in front of us, releasing the sounds of frantic humans.
“Please, let us go!”
“Please don’t kill us!”
“We have children!”
“Silence.” I commanded them, smoke leaving my mouth from the force in my voice. The humans stared at the smoke, in awe of it. “Bow to the King of the sun people.”
They stared for a moment, seemingly unconvinced of our authority. That lasted only a moment, however, as Cyan entered the room. The power that exuded from Cyan was almost like his very own wind. Even I, who had spent years getting used to it, often found myself stumbling when Cyan got too intense. His anger could make my knees buckle, even in dragon form. So it was no surprise that the humans seemed to simultaneously fall to the ground as Cyan entered the room.
They all shifted into kneeling positions, weighed down by the energy Cyan was sending out. “Why are you here?” Cyan spoke softly, but I remembered hearing Cyan’s newly awakened voice for the first time. It sent a shiver down your spine and could make all your hair stand on end. His voice was a constant warning. The sound echoed with danger, telling all who heard it that they were no match to the person speaking. “You should not be on sun people land.”
“We had to come here.” The oldest male spoke up. “It was the only place even remotely safe.”
“You forfeited the protection of the sun people when you refused to be changed.” I jumped in. “You chose to live in danger and now you have purposely brought danger into our lands.”
“We had no choice. They’re hunting us.” The male argued. “They’re turning us against our will. Your last king promised-“
“My bonded promised you nothing.” Cyan cut the man off, his voice as sharp as a knife. “You asked to be pardoned from becoming a sun person. My bonded allowed you this freedom. He offered nothing else.”
“Your bonded… whatever that means…the King Elijah, he said we could live out our lives as humans as long as we stayed away from the war, but there are these wolves. They’re chasing us and turning the ones they catch. We didn’t know what else to do.” The man said, his eyes holding an inkling of defeat. “We… we wanted to live and die as humans, but that’s become impossible. Now, we just don’t want to be one of them. We don’t want to become like those who are hunting us.”
Cyan stared the man down, his red eyes never blinking. “You would like to become a member of the sun?”
“Your bonded… he showed us a kindness that the monsters who hunt us don’t possess. If we must pick a side, we pick yours.” The man looked to the ten or so people surrounding him. “There are more of us… they feel the same. They’re hiding now, but they’ll be coming soon. We can only ask that you allow us the chance to live, as your kind lives.”
“All are welcome to join us.” Cyan said softly, kindness beginning to chase away the force in his voice. “All are welcome to pick a race as well. There are multiple sun races that have the ability to change a human. Blood angels, vampires, and merpeople… a delegate will arrive at the castle for each. We will allow you to decide.”
“Th-thank you.” The man stuttered out, clearly shocked.
“You’re welcome. All of you are welcome.” Cyan smiled softly, turning on his heel to exit the room. His jewels not making a single noise in all of his movements. Each step was precise and stable. Each jewel was safe.
——————–
“That’s so cool Incendio!” Ciel cried as Incendio touched the ground and allowed several flowers to bloom. “How do you do that? Is it magic?”
“It is persuasion.” Incendio chuckled as Kieran and Iris rushed forward to watch the show. “The earth is a being with a strong will, but easily persuaded. If you hold peace within your heart, the earth will allow you to manipulate it.”
Incendio grabbed a handful of dirt and held it up for the three boys to see. After a second the earth began to vibrate in his palm, before producing tiny little buds that swayed and trembled as if they were people. The kids giggled as Incendio set the dirt back down. “You see Children, we are all alive. We all have our differences, but the desire to live a happy life can be found throughout all of existence. The earth only wishes to be cared for and if you care for it, it will care for you.” Incendio motioned down to the green stems that had begun to grow from the ground and wrap around his thighs, keeping him seated. “This is true for almost all living things.”
“The way you look at that fairy is indecent.” Michellie muttered, nudging my shoulder. I turned my attention away from Incendio to raise an eyebrow at her. “Oh please, don’t try to play me. I’m not thick in the head like Cyan.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I insisted.
“Bull shit.” She scoffed. “Even the fairy feels it. That’s why he’s red up to his ears.”
“Mind your own business.”
“What’s got you so angry? Did he turn you down?”
“For your information, he has not.”
“Kric.” Her voice turned far more serious than I expected.
“What?”
“You can’t be serious.” She shook her head at me. “Kric, you can’t mess with a fairy.”
“I’m not messing with him.” I defended myself, looking around to make sure no one was listening. “I genuinely care for him Michellie. I’ve never felt this way before. He’s all I can think about nowadays. He’s-“
“He’s not the one Kric.”
“How would you know?”
“Because he would know if he were.” Her face twisted in pity. “Fairies know their mate the moment they meet. It’s in the eyes. Didn’t you know that?”
I shook my head. “No, I didn’t.”
——————–
Incendio’s P.O.V.
The alarm sounded so loudly my body shook. The children jumped, wide eyed and startled. “What’s happening?” I heard Michellie cry as soldiers flooded the courtyard.
“An attack.” Kric informed her.
“What happened?” Michellie was already guarded, ushering the children into the house with a group of ten maids who circled around them like a gate. “Where’s Cyan?”
“I don’t know.” Kric cracked his neck, the sound echoing in the courtyard and making me flinch. “You! Soldier, where is the breach?”
“We don’t know Commander Kric.” The soldier told him. “The alarm sounded for us all to return to attack stations.”
“Well who was in charge of the alarm?”
“His name is Michael.”
“Where is he?”
“He should be at his attack station. Front gate support, over there.” the soldier pointed to the group of vampires that had their shoulder pressed against the large metal gate. “Michael!”
No one responded. I stood, a feeling of intense dread spreading through my body. It was cold and intense, like a wave crashing over your head. I began to back toward the palace door, my eyes closed and the images taking over the darkness. “Michael! Where is Michael?” Kric’s bark was ruining my conversation, blurring the images I was trying to make sense of. “I demand that the soldier Michael step forward!”
“He’s not here, Commander Kric.” Someone called.
“Why not?”
“He never showed up for attack stations.”
My eyes snapped open. “For solars sake! Someone find him!” Kric yelled. “Where are the kings?”
“The king’s are in with a squadron from the east.”
“That meeting is over. Bring the kings to me. And where is Michael?” Kric was ordering the soldiers around, his patience growing thinner and thinner. “A soldier can’t just disappear!”
“He didn’t Commander.” A soldier spoke up from behind me. “I just spoke to a guard inside. Michael is dead at his post.”
“Dead?”
“How is that possible?” Michellie cried. “How could someone have breached the castle that quickly?”
“They didn’t.” I spoke up.
“They had breached us before the alarm sounded.” Kric rationalized, the gears in his brain turning. “Michael didn’t sound the alarm.”
“Then who did?” michellie was looking around, as if a guard was going to raise his hand.
“The intruder.” kric told her.
“What? But that makes no sense. Why would-“
“Because all the soldiers would leave the house and the children would enter.” I told her.
“Wha- no! That- I- Iris!” Michellie screamed rushing toward the front door.
“No!” I cried, grabbing her hand. “Do not go in there!”
“I have to! Iris is in there!” Michellie cried, the soldiers already rushing for the palace door.
When they threw the front door open, Michellie screamed, falling to her knees. “He is not in there anymore. They took the children the second the door closed.” I said, taking in the sight of the ten mangled maid corpses. There was so much blood, making it almost impossible to distinguish between the bodies.
The second I had closed my eyes, I had seen the guards head being torn off. I had seen the alarm sounding and swirling images of gruesome deaths. This was the past, all that had already happened. I saw the children being stolen, unable to do a single thing about it.
I felt numb, watching as the blood continued to pool around the bodies. “Find the children! Cover all exits!” Kric was yelling as he helped Michellie to her feet. “Don’t let anyone out.”
“They are already gone.” I said, not caring if they heard me.
“That’s impossible!” Michellie sobbed.
“I saw it. I saw them being taken into the forest.” I insisted, wishing it was a lie. “I do not know how, but they’re gone.”
“Where in the forest?” Kric asked.
“I don’t know. The images do not provide perspective. They were taken into the trees. That is all i could see.” I explained, feeling my chest tighten as I heard the King’s yell from inside.
“How could this happen again?” Michellie was mumbling as Kric ordered soldiers to scour the forest. “How could anyone get in? There are guards everywhere!”
“Too many soldiers. Things were too systematic. The timed us and hacked the system.” i explained, watching the shadowy figure from my visions run across my eyelids, narrowly avoiding detection. “We were too meticulous. They used our preparation against us.”
“No!” Cyan yelled, his fangs lengthening and his wings bursting from his back. His aura overwhelmed me, dropping almost everyone around him to their knees. I stared at Cyan’s hands, watching as the nails grew and his fingers quaked. “Find them! Go! Everyone!”
The soldiers that had stuck around the palace took off, running into the trees just beside the palace walls. “Cyan, you must calm down. Your power is weakening the rest of us.” Elijah urged Cyan, motioning to the ten or so people currently struggling to stand around him.
“Kric!’ Cyan yelled, ignoring Elijah. Kric, visibly bothered by Cyan’s power, attempted to approach him. He stopped a few feet away, clutching a railing so he wouldn’t fall.
“Yes, King Cyan?”
“You can consider this moment your reinstatement. Find them now.” Cyan growled, his wings flapping violently, like a perturbed hawk.
“Of Course my king.” Kric attempted to bow. I could see the happiness battling the worry in his eyes as he turned around, erupting into his dragon form. I gasped as he effortlessly went from human to dragon to flying through the air.
“It can’t be happening… not again.” Michellie was still mumbling.
“Who took them Incendio?” Cyan asked me, his look leaving no room for me to explain that my visions were blurry and confusing. He wanted an answer, once that i didn’t have.
“I don’t know.” I told him. “It was a man… tall… witch. Definitely, a witch.” I thought back to the way he moved his hands, unlocking the alarm tower door without a touch.
“Then i’ll burn him at the stake.” Cyan smiled, the look sending chills up my spine. “I’ll set that dumb little magician on fire and watch him turn to ash.”
“Can you connect with Iris like last time?” Elijah asked me.
“No.” I shook my head. “I-I cannot sense him which means that Iris has shut the channel between us to hide it from the witch, or the witch sensed it and closed it himself.”
“Closed it?” Michellie spoke up. “How could he close it?”
“He- he would have to close the third eye which resides behind one of the two visible ones. You would have to know which one it is and seal that eye closed…by sewing the lash lines together.” I left out the part where if you couldn’t figure out which one it was, you could resort to gouging out the eyes in an attempt to damage the third one. I figured any which who knew of third eye channels would know that this might only make the third eye stronger in compensation of the loss. I hoped that this witch was smart enough to leave well enough alone. I hoped that Iris made sure to keep the channel closed in the presence of their captor.
“Oh my solar.” Michellie gasped, covering her mouth. “My baby…”
“Iris is smart.” i assured her. “I’m certain he knew to keep the channel closed. The witch cannot sense it if it is closed.”
“Kric will find them.” Cyan added, his eyes trained on the dragon flying above the trees. “We’ll find them like last time.”
As the sun began to set and the soldiers reached the end of the tree cover, it became apparent that the children would not be found like last time. I continually nudged at the dead channel between Iris and I. The connection remained dead, a still white string hung in my subconscious.
Iris was not contacting me. The children were no longer in the forest. The pat images were of no help and I could no longer make out the jumbled images of the future. Whoever had taken the kids had escaped and, if the future was any indication, had no idea what he was going to do.
So there’s an update! Did you guys enjoy it? I know it was a little shorter than normal, but i’m trying to build suspense!!!
Remember, you’re guaranteed an update that same week if you comment on every paragraph of the most recent chapter! I’ll follow and dedicate the next chapter to you as well! (Reminder: Please make sure the comments are not ‘update please’ or anything along those lines. They must be related to the story to count.)
Anyway, feel free to leave me the feedback I so desperately crave:
-Do you think Kric will ask Incendio if they’re mates?
-Do you think Kric will find the children? Should he find them soon?
-How do you feel about the humans being changed?
-What are you guys still waiting on? Any questions?
Thanks so much for reading my darlings <3
Vote, comment, follow, etc. <3
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