Chapter 31 Kaed #3
“Ladybug, wait!” Illyan called out to her, then turned his attention to the Fae who held them captive. “What do you want?”
Kaed longed to reach out and steady her with a reassuring touch on her shoulder, but the ominous black aura surrounding her seemed to radiate an aura of decay. He feared what it would do to him if he did.
The Fae stared at her, and one of them positioned a long, curved sword that looked like a blend of a blade and a scythe dangerously close to Illyan’s back. “Use your black Magic, and we’ll kill him immediately.” His tone threatening.
She took a step forward, her unspoken threat hanging heavily in the air.
“Wait... wait... Ladybug, listen,” Illyan pleaded once more.
Kaed felt the urgent need to break through to her. “Aza, please, hear me.” Suddenly, she turned towards him, and her once radiant blue eyes had changed. Her dilated pupils seemed to overpower her entire iris, causing him to instinctively take a step back.
Perhaps that movement had triggered her awareness of what was happening.
Slowly, her eyes began to shift. The darkness surrounding her started to recede, and she let out a heavy breath, as if she hadn’t been breathing the entire time.
Her gaze then fell on his trembling hands, and he followed her line of sight, quickly moving his hands to his sides, wiping away his nervousness.
Azahara redirected her attention to the Fae. “What do you want?!” she seethed. He could see Zhal, kneeling down where she had just been fighting, appearing utterly worn out.
From the corner of Kaed’s eye, he spotted a tall, lanky male Fae approaching. Long gray hair framed piercing purple eyes. Their features bore a striking resemblance to Illyan, leading Kaed to assume they were somehow related.
The Fae’s armor was a meticulously crafted masterpiece, gleaming with silver and interwoven with what appeared, from this distance, to be rich and sumptuous velvet fabric.
It was nothing short of extravagant. The midnight blue hues, reminiscent of a starry night sky, shimmered alongside the armor as the aurora lights played upon it.
“Anthurium,” Azahara called out to him.
There was no hint of a smile on the Fae’s face. “Of course you would know of me. My grandson has always had too big of a mouth.”
“They didn’t need to tell me much. Your arrogance and striking resemblance were a dead giveaway,” Azahara spat.
She had previously informed him that Illyan’s father and grandfather were unlike their great-grandfather, Helio. They embodied the traditional Fae described in stories, harboring a deep disdain for the mortal realm. If not for the ancient treaty, they might have consumed it to Howl a millennia ago.
“I’ll not ask again, what do you want?” It was quite satisfying how agitated she appeared, as long as that ominous black aura didn’t resurface.
“I’m here to take my grandson home for the Rite,” he declared, narrowing his gaze at her, adding, “along with you, witch.”
Immediately, Kaed stepped between them.
“Why the theatrics when you could have sent for me through the winnox?” Illyan called out, wincing as they strained against their ties. “I mean, really, so dramatic!”
“I see where you get it, Illyan,” Zhal remarked, breathing heavily.
“If I believed you would deliver the human, I would have done so. However, Helio spoke of her as family, which implied you would feel the same. You have broken the laws of Magic and will stand trial for it.”
“She doesn’t use Magic,” Illyan started, but was swiftly silenced by a knock to the back of their neck.
Kaed sensed Azahara preparing to intervene, but he halted her immediately. He couldn’t protect her if she rushed to help Illyan. This was their problem, not hers.
“Oh? Then what did we just witness?” He took a step closer. “Elf, we’ve maintained an agreement with your kind for as long as they’ve existed, so with all due respect, move.”
A laugh escaped his lips. “No, I believe my place is right here.” He knew that without their Magic, they were as vulnerable as mere mortals.
Kaed stepped forward, his fist landing squarely on Anthurium’s jaw, causing him to stagger backward. The eight-foot Fae was caught by one of his many guards.
“It’s like punching Illyan.” Kaed rolled his shoulders and grinned. “Feels good.”
As if on cue, the Fae advanced, drawing their swords. Azahara swiftly positioned herself in front of Kaed, her dagger clashing with one of their blades. She let out a soft grunt as she pushed her assailant away. In a quick, fluid motion, she tossed back a second blade, which Kaed easily caught.
With each swing of their curved blades, Kaed deftly maneuvered his foot-long blade along their length, forcing the Fae attackers back.
Some were dispatched swiftly with well-placed kicks, while others stumbled, only to be replaced by fresh adversaries.
Despite the relentless assault, Kaed and Azahara held their ground, skillfully fending off their attackers.
This respite allowed Zhal to recover from whatever had happened and regain her footing. Kaed watched as she strode toward Illyan.
Suddenly, he heard a yelp from Azahara, drawing his attention back to her. One of the Fae had his arm wrapped around her throat, while another gripped her arm. Anger surged through him. “Do not touch her!”
As another arm approached him, he pivoted and delivered a swift blow to the nose before seizing and hurling the Fae who had held Azahara’s wrist straight to the ground. His blade was brought up swiftly, aimed at the face of the one behind her.
“Enough!” Anthurium’s voice rumbled, and Kaed stopped, the blade mere inches from the purple eyes that stared back at him.
A moment of weightlessness ensued, and then gravity slammed into him, driving him to the ground as if a boulder had landed on him. A pained grunt escaped through his clenched teeth as he struggled to rise.
“Kaed!!” Azahara’s anguished scream pierced the air, her hand stretching towards him. All he wanted was to reach out and grasp it, but he couldn’t, and he cursed the gods as he watched her body convulse and tremble as if subjected to a relentless shock.
He turned his head, searching for Zhal, but she lay on the floor, unconscious. “No—!” His voice strained, and his vision started to blur. Right before him, Azahara collapsed, hitting the ground with a thud. Her hand quivered one last time before falling still.
“Leave them for the Yuul,” Anthurium declared as they retreated into the forest. One of the Fae seized Azahara’s foot and began dragging her away.
“No!! NO!” He tried to protest, but the overwhelming pressure pressing him down was unyielding. In his last reserves of energy, he watched as they vanished into the darkness, Illyan’s face the last he saw over the shoulder of the Fae.
And then, they were gone.
“AZAHARA!!”