Past Horrors
Siralaine
Iwatch as the fire fae finally make themselves known.
Kai cuts them down, not holding back. I feel the violent winds as the trees bend and see the fae blasted back, countless cuts appearing on their bodies.
Thunder cracks in the sky, and in the midst of it all is Kai.
In this moment, he doesn’t look like a man, but a god of war.
The power he’s emitting is immense as he destroys the enemy with no mercy.
The fire is going strong, destroying the homes of the villagers. I close my eyes as I summon the rain. I have gathered enough energy from the soul I devoured earlier.
I call on it, and it begins to pour down on the fire-ridden village. I look up at Kai, making sure he’s ok with the heavy rain, but it’s not fazed him at all, cutting down the rest of the fire fae.
When he’s done, he lands on the ground a mere few feet from me, his eyes running over me, the rage burning in them making my blood run cold. He’s extremely angry…
Oh gods, he knows.
His eyes linger on my torn clothes as he pulls his mask down, and I tense, unsure what’s about to come my way.
“Who did this to you?” he asks, his words making my eyes fly open in shock.
I hold Sarena close to me, my heart pounding as I arrange my thoughts. “I-I killed them,” I answer hoarsely as he removes the remnants of his torn shirt and places it around my shoulders. His knuckles brush along my breast that is half exposed before he wraps the shirt to cover me.
“Then they got lucky,” he says roughly.
He slides his sword into its sheath and takes Sarena from me.
“They know what you are now,” I whisper, glancing towards the villagers, who are murmuring between themselves.
“It doesn’t matter. If my last message didn’t get through to Morcant, then I hope this one does.
I’m coming for him. It would be an insult to me if he isn’t prepared.
” With those words, he goes down on one knee and, wrapping his arm around my thighs, takes off with me.
I gasp, grabbing hold of his shoulders as he takes flight, with both Sarena and me in his arms.
It only takes him a few minutes to get to Alfren’s home, where the older man is kneeling beside his wife, who hasn’t regained consciousness.
He looks up, his eyes widening with fear as Kai lands.
“You… you’re…” his eyes flick to Sarena as he stands, as if preparing for Kai to do something.
“She’s safe,” Kai says. “If you want, we will leave.”
Alfren looks torn, glancing at his unconscious family and then at both of us. “No… no, I am never a bad judge of character. Don’t leave. Thank you for protecting my family. I assume you killed them?” He motions to the three men I had killed.
“That would be Sira,” Kai informs him, and I may have imagined it, but I felt as if I saw a hint of a smile, but it’s gone as quickly as it came.
“These bandits…” Alfren’s shaking as he picks up Dorene. “They’re holding a personal grudge.”
“We both have our own enemies,” Kai says as he finally sets me down, his eyes meeting mine. “Are you good to walk or shall I carry you inside?”
I shake my head quickly, my cheeks flushing. “N-no, I can walk!”
He lets go of me, and I clutch his torn shirt. As he retracts his wings, my gaze roams over his broad back, gazing at those tattoos, but this time, there’s no disgust. They simply tell a tale.
He walks over to Alfrea, picking her up and motions for me to lead the way back to the house.
I nod and follow Alfren inside as he tries to place a blanket on the floor with one hand.
I take it from him and spread it on the floor, allowing him to put Dorene on top of it. Kai places the girls beside her.
“I’ll get bandages,” Alfren says.
“I’ll go change…” I say, looking down at my torn clothes. Kai walks to the entrance, his eyes scanning the fields before he shuts the door and locks it.
I go to the bedroom and take out a black and green dress. This is the last one now. I’m reaching for my corset when the door behind me opens, and I turn to see Kai enter. My heart races as he walks towards me, his eyes locked with mine as his fingers go to my corset and he begins to unlace it.
I remain still, not caring when his torn shirt slowly slides off my shoulder and falls to the ground, leaving me almost naked before him. I want him to see me…
Kai’s eyes darken when they fall on my breasts. Yet he focuses on what he’s doing, unlacing the corset until it falls open. He then grabs the centre of my dress, all that’s holding it together, tearing it off in one motion. It falls off, leaving me standing there naked.
My core clenches, my heart pounding as I look up at him. His eyes skim over me, his fingers brushing the cuts and bruises on my body. “The only one who is allowed to tear your clothes is me. The only one who can leave a mark on this body is me, am I clear, my Little Liar?”
Little liar? He knows I’m holding secrets.
“Yes…” I say softly.
He smirks faintly. “Good.”
His arm snakes around my waist, pulling my naked body against his, his other hand grabbing my thigh possessively as he lifts it to his waist. He begins trailing light kisses along my neck and shoulder, making my heart pound and pleasure rush through me.
I sigh breathlessly, running my hands down his firm back.
“Kai…”
“Sira…” he replies teasingly, matching my tone. I tilt my head and look up at him. He’s smiling slightly.
Gods, he’s beautiful…
Thunder cracks outside, and Kai inhales deeply before he moves back. “I should go put their supplies back in the shed before they get ruined in the rain.”
I nod, my cheeks burning as he leans down and picks up the black and green dress and hands it to me.
I take it, my fingers brushing his before he turns and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.
I clutch the dress to my chest, brushing my fingers along my neck where his lips had just been moments ago.
What are we?
It’s later in the evening, Dorene is doing better, and her arm is bandaged up.
The girls have been put to bed after having some soup.
Kai and I are now sitting with the couple over cups of hot tea.
Kai had managed to locate the scared horse as well and bring back the rest of the family’s produce supplies.
“We will leave first thing in the morning. I know we’ve brought a lot of trouble to you,” Kai says.
Alfren sighs. “So you were one of them. Well, at least you’re not one of those fae folk; I never liked them,” Alfren says, making me smile slightly.
“Thank you for protecting our daughters. We will always be grateful, and our home will always be open to you. I don’t care what the village has to say,” Dorene says firmly. “You are welcome here at any time.”
“I wish I could stay and help you around the house, especially now that you are injured, but Kai is right, we should go,” I say.
The couple nods. “We understand. I hope wherever you are going that your journey is safe and successful,” Alfren says, smiling at both of us. “Is she a dryad?” he asks, pointing at me.
I laugh. “I’m not,” I admit apologetically.
“Well, the girls were saying you were too beautiful to be one of us! I guess we should listen to them more often,” he chortles. “Now get some rest. It’s been quite a day.”
“Thank the gods for the rain, though. There would have been a lot more damage to the village if it hadn’t rained. The fire would have spread,” Dorene adds grimly.
“Indeed,” Kai answers simply.
We finish our tea, talking about mundane things before retreating to bed.
I made the rain continue through the evening, but it has exhausted me. I slip between the sheets, staring at the flickering flame of the lantern.
The chaos and despair of the villagers brought back memories of the day the evil monsters came for my mother. The screams that tore from her mouth as she tried to fight them… Even to her last breath, she was terrified for me.
The door opens, and I jump. Kai enters, observing me. “Is something troubling you?”
I shake my head; I’ve never talked about it, but I want to now. “Just thinking about the past. The villagers, their screams of fear and despair, reminded me of my mother. The day they came for her.”
He’s silent as he watches me. “She had hidden me away, telling me to remain silent until she returned, but not knowing she never would be able to. They stormed our home. In our home, that should be the safest place in the world… they beat her, and I ran out of my hiding spot, begging them to let her go, but they just pulled me away as they raped her,” I whisper, distraught, hugging my knees tighter, the pain becoming overwhelming as those memories return with blinding vengeance.
I close my eyes as tears trickle down my cheeks.
“Was it bandits?” he asks, and I hear him sit down on the other side of the small bed.
“No, it was our own kind, people who worked for my father. Those who were considered his most trusted, people we hosted and dined with. They said my mother was a witch and that she was cursed. They wanted to kill me, too, because it would pass on to me, but shockingly, my father didn’t let them.
Yet, when he came, he simply dragged me from the room, leaving them to abuse her.
I screamed and screamed for them to let her go, begged my father to help her, but he said he couldn’t, that this was the law. ”
He let them take her, let them hurt her…
I open my eyes, staring unseeingly ahead.
“When they finally came out, I rushed inside, but she was dead.”
Silence follows, and I brush away my tears, looking at my lap.
It hurt so much, but as a child, I held onto the only thing I knew, my father.
Back then, I thought he might still care for me.
I tried to tell myself in my emotional state that he hadn’t said those things, and for a time, I believed it.
Until I got older, and that illusion was shattered.
Sending the wave weavers after me was proof that he really doesn’t care.
“And with her death, apparently, the title of being a curse is now mine to carry. Maybe I’m the reason this family was hurt, maybe I brought them bad luck. ”
“You’re not cursed, Sira, you are just the way you’re meant to be and never think otherwise.” I look up through my tears at the man who has somehow become my strength and protector. Until he learns the truth, anyway.
“Thank you…” I whisper. He looks away as he begins to remove his boots.
“My mother was killed by sea sirens back in Alvazakh. She did nothing wrong, yet they lured her to her death, killing her. That’s why I want to kill them all and make them pay for hurting someone I loved.
My father is pretty useless, too. He was never a good father.
He raised both my brother and me ruthlessly.
Growing up, all I ever knew was having to be the strongest, the most ruthless. ”
“I’m sorry,” I say softly. He looks at me, those dark locks falling across his forehead. How do I tell him that not all sea sirens are bad? “I know you consider them bad for that, but an entire species can’t be lumped together.”
Even though some are cruel… like the evil ones who murdered my mother.
“Perhaps, but I don’t believe they hold the same humanity as other species.”
“They do; I’ve seen them. Innocent children and families.
Morcant might be a monster, but not all sea sirens are the same.
When you become King, you’ll be their King, too.
Don’t they deserve to be protected by their leader?
Like the rest of the world, they are waiting for a time when they won’t be ruled by a tyrant. ”
He cocks a brow. “When I’m King? That’s spoken with such confidence.” There’s a playfulness to his voice, but I mean it.
“It is because I truly believe that you will rule these lands and seas. I’m certain you will be the greatest king that Varindor has ever seen, but that includes the huge sea siren population.”
“You’re close to them.” It’s a statement.
“I know many who are good, and I know how hard it is living under Morcant’s reign. They just need someone to save them.”
“Hmph. We shall see.” But he doesn’t sound convincing. “Sleep, we’re leaving at dawn.”
I nod, about to lie down, when I look across at him. “I know a sea siren whom I trust greatly. Without question, she will grant you the ability to breathe underwater. Promise me you won’t hurt the innocent, and I will lead you directly to Morcant.”
He looks across at me, our eyes meeting as his brows furrow, musing on what I have just said.
“Very well then. You have my word.”