43. Regent #2
“Our lookouts have been breached,” Imogine whispers.
A warrior bursts into the tent, whispers, and panic starts to rise among the greers.
“Sheila, our lookouts were spotted and attacked by a valther. Troops come this way.” He moves closer, but I put my hand on his chest to stop him.
I narrow my eyes, my beast growling instinctively.
I can sense it, the slightest of squirms that doesn’t feel right.
I search his eyes, trying to locate the aloof sensation.
“And how did you get this report?” My beast prowls close to the surface, guarded as I narrow in on every part of his body. His body, yes.
“Wha-What do you mean? I just—”
There.
I plunge my hand into his stomach and twist. The greer closest to me yelps as my fingers squirm around the moving thing inside. I yank it out, bringing to light the inky-coated black creature with a thin, long body and hundreds of thread-like legs with tiny hooks. That is not a beast.
Sheila chants, the abomination immediately suspended in the air as it’s tugged and inspected by her magic. Her gaze narrows as the thing squirms and shrieks, then explodes into shadow dust.
“What the fuck was that? I didn’t even sense it,” Esther demands.
“Dear Neina,” Sheila says, mortified. Everyone turns on one another suspiciously.
“What was that?” Imogine snaps, coming to her mother’s side and holding her shoulder as if to protect her.
Blaze steps out of the tent as chaos erupts, most likely to inspect the situation outside.
“We’re dealing with something new here,” Sheila says with a grim expression. “Whatever that creature was, I don’t know what dark magic it’s birthed from or who has created it. But if it’s able to poison a host and take control, we’re in more trouble than we realize.”
The beasts being controlled without a contract… Esther says in my mind. Could they have been infected as well?
Possibly. But it still doesn’t answer the question as to why she can control them without a contract.
“What if there’s more?” one of the spirit greers in the group asks. “What if any of us are infected and don’t know?”
A greer chants in the back, and I move swiftly, coming behind her and slitting her throat. Another screams, and before she falls, Sheila chants, drawing the squirming creature up through her throat and mouth.
“We’ve been infiltrated,” Imogine says as if all hope is lost. Now that I know what it feels like, I can sense them.
I scan the room, not identifying anyone else who’s infected.
But how? Then it dawns on me. The two greers who were infected are sisters and the warrior who came to make the report hand-fastened to one. It’s being brought in by the men.
“We have to inspect the men who have been outside of the barrier,” Sheila says, quickly coming to the same conclusion.
“I need to move.” My mind is already made up.
Esther crosses the room. “You’re not going anywhere without me.”
I smile, my hand cupping her cheek. “We both know I cannot teleport all these people to safety. If I can catch their commander unsuspecting and kill them, then it’ll delay any strikes or further orders. It’ll give time for the women and children to scale down to the boats.”
Her nails dig into my hands. “Take me with you.”
My eyes soften. “You know I don’t have the capacity for that, Denva.” It goes without saying that I most likely won’t have much magic left after the fact. “But we cannot give in to time to meet them by foot. I’ll come back to you.”
“We’ll prepare our men to defend and follow you,” Imogine is quick to say. “Mother, I’ll help you scan for those who might be infected so we can deal with them accordingly.”
Screams begin to echo throughout the camp, and my blood drains from my face as we confront what’s waiting for us outside. Feelopes fight against warriors, protecting the children who are frightened and running toward the tents.
Sheila’s eyes widen as she hobbles outside. “We’re already too late.”
“You have to kill those who are infected,” I say to her quickly. Blaze jumps from the shadows, his blade quick at work as he slices through the few warriors who charge their own people. Other warriors fend off their comrades, confused.
Imogine starts to chant, following the same enchantment as her mother.
“The elements have turned. Tick-tock. Not much time or they all die,” Esther whispers, her eyes growing wide.
Clouds pass by, obscuring the night’s glow and stealing the brightness of Esther’s gaze. Chaos embarks around us as friends turn into foes, and the grains of time work against us once again.
“Esther,” I bring her attention to me. “You need to prepare for battle. Look after Reene for me.”
Her nails dig into my hands. “No, you can’t go. Take me with you.”
My smile wavers as I kiss her forehead, my final marking and blessing.
My love.
“You fight for these people, remember? You are a powerful omni and a ridiculously fine blade with water. Use it to protect this clan. I will come back to you.”
“Do you promise?” she asks desperately.
From here or there.
No, Regent—
I release her, concentrating my magic into the Ariagem, sucking into the portal as my magic is torn apart and renewed.
I land inside the old ruins of Felia’s temple.
The moment I do, I realize how poorly I judged the situation as my feet touch an incantation, and fiery chains immediately constrict me.
My beast tries to break free, my magic completely subdued in this carefully placed trap.
Days this would have taken to masterfully execute.
“I was wondering what was taking you so long,” a voice purrs from behind the tent, and when the door opens, a woman steps out, battle-ready in a leather dress with red feathers on top of her shoulders.
“I don’t think we’ve yet been acquainted, son of Neina.
I’m Dahlia Seranto. The pleasure is mine. ”
I lunge forward, but chains hold me back by the wrists, and I fall to my knees, every inch of my magic being sapped out of me.
She smiles and walks around the enchantment.
“I find it interesting that even a god can be chained like a dog.” She hums, and when I look down at the carefully crafted chains, I know I’m royally fucked.