Killian
He shoved his doubts aside as he stared up at her. She was beautiful, but something was off about her dress. That feeling of strangeness intensified as the Ceremony began.
He burst into a small room, and the sight of Ivy pressed against the wall by Leseldh caused his rage to become an incendiary force within him. He stalked towards them, raising his palm to conjure another ball of flame.
“Get the fuck away from her.”
“Where are we going?”
“I know another way out.” He kept his voice low.
The rear exit of the Council Building was used for high-priority guests wanting to avoid a spectacle. He’d learned of its existence when Drachen escorted him through it after their second Inquiry.
They broke into a run, but Ivy was slowed down by the dress. Killian bent to lift her over his shoulder, but she stopped him.
“Just cut the fucking skirt off me.” Irritation coated Ivy’s voice. Killian wondered if she was still angry with him.
“You are mine, Malia!” Leseldh’s roar echoed through the corridors, spurring Killian into action.
Killian gathered the fabric of the dress and made swift cuts with Cataplexis, being careful not to nick her delicate flesh. Once the skirt was a frilly mess that fell haphazardly around her knees, they set off once more, leaving the tattered fabric of the skirt behind.
Crashing sounds cascaded through the corridors—whether it was Leseldh, or a hurricane, Killian wasn’t sure.
The passageways they hurried down amplified the sounds, making it difficult to determine how close he actually was.
Another roar followed moments later, and Killian couldn’t help but wonder if Leseldh had found the mutilated remnants of the dress.
If he had, it meant he wasn’t far behind them.
“You are my Resonant, Malia! I will never let you go!”
A door at the western end of the building led to a stairwell that carried them directly to street level.
They emerged onto the Western side of the Crux.
Although he felt incrementally safer out on the streets, Killian refused to stop moving.
The slamming sound of the door they’d just escaped through alerted him to Leseldh’s proximity, urging them on faster.
There were enough people on the street to get lost amongst, but it also made it hard to scan for threats.
In Killian’s heightened state of alarm, every light-haired stranger was Leseldh.
Every tall, brown-haired figure was Voresta.
He ran with Ivy at his side, his hand clutching hers tightly.
He knew that the sprint was effortless for her.
He directed her to his car and only slowed his pace once it came into view.
A fresh wave of panic hit Killian as he sensed movement to his right.
A raven winged its way towards them, and as Ivy’s expression softened when her eyes spotted the bird, he knew it was her Erath.
Ozias swept over them and turned back towards the Council Building without stopping, and Killian presumed he was redirected with an instruction from Ivy.
Killian felt a tug on his wrist and Ivy launched herself at him as he turned to face her. Any concerns he held about her feelings towards him were rapidly demolished as they shared a kiss filled with hunger and longing.
Ivy broke the kiss to say, “We need to find Finare.”
The urgency in her voice spurred Killian into action. He pressed the remote on his keys and the car’s lights sparked to life. They climbed into the car and the engine roared.
They returned to the Crux and found Finare a short distance from the Council Building, with Ozias on his shoulder.
The Erath took to the skies as Finare neared the car, and Killian stopped only long enough to let him climb into the back seat.
Killian stomped on the accelerator and took off, aiming to put as much distance between them and the Council Building as possible.
“Well, that was about as dramatic as it gets,” Finare crowed.
“You don’t know the half of it.” The bitterness of failure was thick on Killian’s tongue.
Ivy turned in her seat to face Finare, and Killian heard Finare remark, “What happened to the dress? Did you get attacked by a Werewolf?”
Killian couldn’t help but chuckle in response but offered no explanation.
“It was slowing me down.” Ivy smirked as she spared a glance at Killian. The sight of it made his heart flip.
“Can you drop me at Veldmoor?” Finare’s query made Killian stiffen.
“Ivy isn’t going anywhere near Veldmoor.” Killian’s voice was a low rumble of possessiveness, taking even him by surprise.
“I just want to get my car. I need somewhere to sleep.”
Killian frowned at Finare in the rear-view mirror. “I have a spare bedroom.”
“You think I want to be around you two while you’re doing the nasty all night long?” Finare grinned, and Killian couldn’t help but laugh at the kid’s boldness.
“Finare!” Ivy wailed, although it was followed by laughter.
“Fair point,” Killian replied with a grin.
“Killian!” Ivy’s laughter intensified, and the sound of his name on her lips sent a chill running through him.
Killian turned the car around and headed back towards Veldmoor using the backstreets. As his plan shifted, so did his attention, and he constantly scanned his surroundings for threats.
“Park around the back. I’ll jump the fence. I’ll catch up to you.” Killian complied with the instruction.
“I’ll send Ozias to watch over you.” Ivy reached into the back to graze Finare’s hand with her own. She rolled down the window and looked out to commune with her Erath.
Once Finare closed the door, Killian was on the move again. He drove fast, taking Fourth Spiral East to the northern entrance, avoiding the direct route to Veldmoor from the Council Building.
Killian felt more relaxed once they were out of the city, and the headlights in his rear-view mirror faded to familiar darkness.
He took a longer route back to Diarom, which helped to lose any potential pursuers, and allowed Finare to catch up in his own car.
When a flash of yellow pulled up beside him, he grinned over at the blonde-haired driver.
Killian’s hand reached across to land on Ivy’s thigh, which was exposed thanks to his careful knifework. Her hand closed over his and it filled him with the reassurance he desperately needed.