Chapter Ten #2
I’m pulled from my thoughts when Kai’s wing’s start to not only lift him off of his saddle but also off to the side trying to dislodge him off of his horse completely.
It has us all nearly falling out of our saddles with laughter especially when Kysen’s tail decides to join in with the antics and keeps tapping his horses flank and making the horse either suddenly lurch forward or speed forward for a few seconds before Kysen manages get it under control again.
Listening to them both arguing and trying to reason with their misbehaving appendages has me highly amused and it’s better than any tv show.
“I thought you said you had control of your tail, Dude?” Kai accuses. “If you haven’t by now I’ve got no damn hope of controlling my wings.” He finishes on a growl and his wings droop for a few seconds before trying all over again.
“I do!” Kysen defends, “or at least I did. Apparently you’re wings playing up are making my tail want to join in.” He rolls his eyes.
“Maybe they’re bored?” Maverick suggests, “we have been sitting on the horses for hours. I’m getting bored.”
“That’s a good point. Why don’t you fly for a bit Kai?” Kysen says.
“I’m slightly worried that they won’t let me back down again. At this point though I’m willing to do anything to get them to stop. What about your tail though?” Kai replies as he gives up telling his wings off and lets them lift him off of his horse.
Hunter makes a sort of clicking noise and his eye’s glow for a split second. Then Kai’s horse is walking next to his without the need for him to hold onto the reins. I’m guessing he just used some of his magic.
“I’m hoping that your wings calming down will make my tail calm down.” Kai chuckles.
Sure enough after a while of Kai flying Kysen’s tail calms down. It doesn’t take too much longer until Kai’s wings start to tire as well not used to flying and Kai settle’s back down on his horse.
“You should probably practice more with your wings.” Levi comments. “I don’t want them to become a hindrance rather than an asset and I don’t want you to get hurt because of a lack of use either.”
“Yes boss.” Kai replies seriously.
“I thought you said it was a few more hours until the next town?” Jax asks pointing to a faded and crocked wooden sign.
“Caspiumscriptor.” I read out loud. “Wow that’s a mouthful.”
“We’re going around this town. I didn’t realise we’d gotten this far already.” Kysen says all humour gone from his voice.
“What why?” Jax asks.
“That’s the Cursed City that I was telling you about it used to be called Caspiumscriotor. It’s where Nyx’s castle used to be. I’ve never seen it, no one sane has since she disappeared with her consorts just after the war.”
“I thought she lived in the Fae realm.” Maverick says and I give him a questioning look. I don’t remember learning about that. “I read it in one of the books we borrowed from the restricted section.”
“She did but she loved the Demon realm just as much as she loved the Fae realm one of her men was particularly fond of it here and she named the city where her castle is after him, he was called Caspian.”
“I’d love to see it.” I say excitedly. “I’d love to see where she lived and just get to know just a little bit more about her.”
“No you wouldn’t. We have to go around it.” He say, steering us into the woods. “It was deserted after Nyx left. There was no one to look after it and she left so suddenly that there was no one to take control of it.”
“Why did she leave?” I ask getting momentarily distracted.
“No one knows, that’s one of those mysteries that we may never know.” He says sadly.
“Maybe I’ll ask her if I get to see her again.”
“You should. I doubt she’d just answer though she must’ve left for a pretty big reason.”
“Sorry I side tracked you why can’t we go and see the city or the castle?” I ask.
“Because with no definite hierarchy or leader it was quickly overtaken by the worst of the worst Supernaturals. Thieves, murders and more. Only those with a suicide wish go there now. Or those with no choice. They’ve developed their own hierarchy and system for keeping the chaos marginally under control.
They show no mercy and death is almost always the punishment for the crime no matter what was done or if the accused are actually guilty. ”
“Fuck. That sounds like hell.” Mav mutters.
“That’s why they call it the Cursed City.”
“I still want to see her castle. Why don’t the Enforcers do something about it?” I ask.
“They can’t. They’ve sent multiple teams over the centuries to dismantle it but none of them have ever come back.
All communication has been lost with them everyone assumed they were caught and killed.
At this point no one is willing to send Enforcers on a suicide mission especially since the amount of supernaturals willing to join the Enforcers in recent years has dropped substantially.
Until we can work out how they are taking out our best and strongest teams we steer clear.
We pick them off when they venture out of the city. That’s the best we can do for now.”
“That’s strange how they keep disappearing. I wonder if they were actually killed.” Levi muses looking back over his shoulder.
I can feel all of the guys curiosity through the Bond link.
“We’ll come back one day.” I say and Kysen looks at me sharply, I carry on talking. “We’ll gather as much information as we can and train and then we’ll come back and take the city back.”
“Sounds good Darling.” Levi grins.
“You guys are fucking crazy as hell.” Kysen says shaking his head in disbelief. “Can we help?” He adds grinning widely.
“I knew we were going to be life long friends Dude.” Kai says excitedly. “You’re just as nuts as we are.”
“You can count on it!” Kysen grins. “I’ve always wanted to do something to try and help the normal people that are living as pretty much prisoners there or victims of circumstance.”
“What?” I say my voice dangerously calm. “There are normal people there? People that have done nothing wrong?”
“Yes. They use them as well servants pretty much. It’s become a case of do as you’re told and you don’t die a gruesome death. It’s very unlikely that you can escape once you’ve been captured and taken there.”
“Yeah. We are definitely going back and soon. For now let’s get as far away from there as possible. Until we’re ready and after we find my parents.” I add.
I get an overwhelming feeling of rightness as I say it and I know from instinct that the goddess approves.
“The goddess agrees with the plan.” I tell them and the dubiousness on their faces clears.
“That is so weird. Did she just talk to you?” Kysen asks his voice hushed and his eyes wide.
“No dude and why are you whispering?” I chuckle.
“Well how do you know she agrees then?” He asks.
“It’s kind of like a feeling I get almost like approval and then its pure instinct that tells me its from her.” I shrug, leaning down to pat Dave and then tilting my head up to the sky to watch Ghost and Knot flying above us.
“That makes no sense but I’m going to take your word for it.” He grins.
“Are your brothers going to be ok with you just volunteering them to go to the Cursed City?” Levi asks.
“Oh yeah. We’ve toyed with the idea of going for a while. If only for recon purposes.” He admits.
“We were absolutely supposed to friends Dude.” Jax grins and Kai frowns as he looks between them.
I really hope they realise what they’re feeling for each other soon before one of them accidentally ends up hurting the other.
“What was that?” Levi says suddenly and we all fall quiet.