Chapter 15 #2
"Focus," he managed to grit out through clenched teeth, clearly in immense pain. "We need to take these things down."
Once the wave of attack was over, Torin released me, standing next to me. With slouched shoulders, he drew his sword, the blade protruding with a metallic whisper. He began to wield it between his hands in a whirlwind of motion, creating a gust of wind that sliced anything in its way.
The circular motions of the blade created a shimmering glow as Torin spun the engraved sword as fast as he could. I watched, spellbound, as Torin swung the sword. It glided through the air and cast a bright glow.
Hayden had said this sword belonged to the Queen, likely meaning the fairy Queen since it came from this realm.
But then how did Willa get her hands on it and then gift it to my father? With my soul, I knew this sword was important, but I would only find answers when I found my mother.
As another swarm of thorn fairies descended toward us, I snapped into action, shaking off my previous shock of witnessing the strange creatures. Intuitively, I stepped to the side, and with a flick of my wrist, I summoned my whip, wrapping it tightly around my hand.
My heart pounded as adrenaline coursed through me, fueling my movements as I mimicked Torin's graceful swordplay with my whip. We twisted and cut, moving our weapons in a spiral that made the thorn fairies fall like leaves.
Since their thorns couldn’t penetrate through our vortex of magic, the fairies flew closer, getting caught and sliced. Their shrieks echoed through the forest. They fell into pieces on the ground.
Torin’s hands shook, signaling he’d reached the end of his energy. His body swayed, and I put extra energy behind my slicing whip. After a moment, the remaining creatures retreated and flew away.
As the dust settled and the forest fell silent once more, I looked at Torin. Sweat dripped at his temples as his face scrunched up. After retracting his sword, he stuck it at the back of his waistband. His eyes glazed over, and I immediately reached for him.
Torin’s body swayed, and although I placed his arm over my shoulder, his weight took us both down to the ground.
Grunting, Torin turned on his side. I straddled him and looked at his back, covered in thorns. The longer the thorns stayed stuck to his flesh, the more toxin released into his bloodstream, paralyzing him. Eventually, Torin’s heart would stop.
I started plucking the thorns out one by one, careful not to touch the pointy ends. I didn't know if it was safe to touch the thorns, but it seemed the toxin was only at the sharp points.
As I worked as fast as I could, I glanced over at his brother.
"Robert, how are you holding up?" I asked.
He was plucking the thorns out of his legs. "I'll survive. My legs need to rest and recover." He grunted, wincing as he removed the thorns. "But Torin will need to feed to recover."
My hand stopped midair. Did the Fates want to test my connection with Torin yet again?
"Are you sure?" I asked.
Robert simply nodded, offering me a weak smile.
Torin had drunk my blood when Layla and Mark threw us in the secret dungeon in the kingdom. I’d only wanted to help Torin and had no fears about my well-being after Torin had saved my life on many occasions. I didn’t fear Torin or his vampire.
But did Torin still fear drinking my blood? Was he hesitant to drink from me still?
“All thorns are out,” I said, gently pushing Torin to lie on his back.
He placed his hands on my upper thighs and attempted a smile. “Thank you.”
“You’ll have to drink from me, Torin.” I held my breath in anticipation of his stubbornness.
“Okay,” he said and licked his dry lips.
I gaped at him. “You won’t fight me on it?”
His crimson eyes closed halfway while his hands slid to my inner thighs. I gasped and Torin attempted to laugh but ended up coughing.
“If you’re okay with it, then so am I,” he said in a low voice. “Plus, I’ve wanted to do it for a long time now. It’s my way of connecting with you, Anna.”
My heart skipped a beat, and I studied his face for any hint of his usual spark of defiance. But there was none. A strange pressure left my chest, and I breathed easier.
I leaned my neck closer to his mouth. His lips explored the dip of my neck, leaving trails of goose bumps cascading down to my shoulders. His hands found their way underneath my skirt and his thumb drew invisible circles over my daisy wheel birthmark.
Torin’s lips traced away from my neck, tracing a scorching path down to my collarbone, each kiss sending more heat through my veins. His mouth was over my marked flesh, but by the soft rumbling emanating from his chest, I would guess he didn’t care about the tribal mating patterns on my skin.
He had accepted me once more as I was.
His lips pressed against my skin before his fangs pierced my neck, drawing a gasp from me. The sensation was different than the first time—more intense, more satisfying, a strange blend of pain and pleasure. I pressed myself into him, craving more of his touch.
As he swallowed my blood, I felt the rawness between us—something wild yet tender. The sensation was dizzying and intimate, and I felt as if the invisible connection, or whatever it was, to Torin grew thicker and stronger.
After a moment, he pulled only inches away from me, his warm breath dancing over my skin.
Once Torin’s fangs retracted, his tongue softly traced the marks on my neck, sending electric currents that traveled straight to my core.
His arms roamed my thighs and butt, each touch twisting my insides in the most delicious way imaginable.
He placed one hand around my waist, drawing me closer to him, until I was directly on top of him. His hardness against my soft flesh was too much to take, making me let out a small moan.
Once, Torin feared losing self-control, succumbing to his thirst for my blood and harming me. But now, his desire for me had grown so much that he breathed heavily onto my exposed skin and squeezed my hips as if I were his lifesaving device.
I rocked my hips as the wild desire overtook my senses. My body awakened with a mixture of love, lust, and longing. I shuddered as our connection deepened, and I knew that even though we were not technically mates anymore, we were bonded in a way that transcended fate.
Whatever linked me to this man was forged in blood and passion.
“As much as I love the cute sounds you make, little witch wolf,” Torin whispered, “I don’t want anyone else to hear you, and we have an audience.”
I gasped, and a cold chill washed over me as if he’d thrown a bucket of cold water over my body. I pushed away from Torin and looked at Ashton. He had turned his back to us and fidgeted in his spot. Robert, still leaning against the tree, gaped at us, unblinking.
He swallowed hard and then grinned. “This was mesmerizing to watch.”
A low growl vibrated from Torin’s chest—a warning to his brother. But Robert seemed unaffected. He shrugged and finally blinked.
“He won’t even let me tease my sister-in-law,” Robert grumbled in a low voice, but I heard him loud and clear.
My face and body flushed. I sprang to my feet.
With the last of the thorns removed, we allowed ourselves a long break until Robert’s energy recovered somewhat. It was clear that we needed sustenance soon—food, water, and…blood for Robert.
Once Robert was on his feet, Torin smacked him on the shoulder. Robert stumbled forward.
“Don’t even think about scenting her blood, or your body parts will remain in this realm,” Torin said and grinned mischievously. “Okay, then, let’s head to the City of Water before we meet more strange creatures.”
Robert rolled his eyes at his brother, who didn’t notice or seem to care. Torin’s brother looked at me and smiled.
“I don’t know how you can deal with him,” he said.
I shrugged.
Ashton, who had left his hiding spot, led the way. He said there would be an hour or two of walking to the next city as long as we didn’t meet with any other dark fairy inhabitants.
We trudged on, our bodies aching and exhaustion clawing at our every step. Ashton’s strides were sluggish shuffles, his eyes fixed on the ground.
Forcing myself to put one foot in front of the other, I clung to the hope that the next city could offer us the food and sanctuary we needed to survive the fairy realm.
At last, after a very long walk, the forest ended, and the ruins of Meriah, the City of Water, appeared. The familiar sight that greeted us was a painful reminder of the devastation wrought by the dark fairies, their merciless King, and my aunt.
"By the Gods," I whispered, taking in the crumbling structures and the unnerving silence that hung over the city like a stormy cloud. "Is there nothing left? Every city is destroyed."
My chest tightened as I realized we wouldn’t find food and shelter among the rubble of this city. I glanced at Torin, and he nodded toward Ashton. He ventured into the center of the ruined city and walked with determination in some direction only he knew.
With my sensitive hearing, I detected he was muttering something under his breath like “where is it now?” But what could we possibly find here except more devastation?
The disturbing quiet surrounded us, and the strong smell of charred wood burned my nose. Crumbled structures stood like broken skeletons. Cracked pavement trailed in front of houses, and doors hung crookedly from hinges. As we continued, we stepped over broken glass from nearby windows.
Doubt began to gnaw at my mind.
We followed our guide to a crumbling tower in the distance, cautiously walking through the debris-strewn streets. A chilling dread crept through my spine as we faced the towering edifice. Where were the Uprising Guardians Ashton had mentioned?
Through the haze of smoke and swirling debris, a faint glow caught my attention. The flickering lights danced in the distance like fireflies, drawing me closer.
"Look," I whispered, pointing towards the glow.
Torin and Robert followed my gaze, their eyes narrowing. With cautious steps, we moved towards the source of the light. My hand instinctually rested over the golden material of the bracelet. The glow grew stronger as we neared.
And then, suddenly, a dozen figures materialized from the shadows. Most of them were men, and they surrounded one woman. They stood close to her, protecting her. Each of them had a short sword drawn, clutching it tightly in their hands.
My pulse escalated as they stalked toward us. From their fluid grace, I could tell these people were warriors. The problem was that they looked like they had murder on their minds—their brows furrowed and lips pressed into slashes.
My heart raced in my chest.
"Wait, no. These are the guardians…” Ashton said, waving his hands up in a defensive manner, but the rest of his words cut off when a sudden onslaught of attacks came hurtling toward us.
But didn’t they recognize Ashton? Or did they not care, since he’d brought strangers to their territory?
For all I knew, these guardians could be fiercely protective of their realm and viewed us, the outsiders, as a threat.
The way the fairy woman gazed at me so intensely made my stomach churn, leading me to believe that the guardians' attack might have been due to her disliking me for some reason.
Regardless, we’d found the Uprising Guardians, the fairy rebels who could help us free Willa from prison, but they treated us as intruders upon their territory.
We had no choice but to defend ourselves against the fairies, even though we needed their help more than anything. The rebel fairies outnumbered us, and I hoped we would be able to explain ourselves before they sliced us with their swords.
As the fairy guardians darted around us, the warrior woman who led them caught my eye.
She radiated a wild intensity and strong supernatural presence—tall, with an air of strength and grace. Her outfit was a perfect blend of femininity and combat readiness.
Her fitted leather bodice was similar to mine, accentuating her curves while allowing her to move freely. Her knee-length skirt was made from layers of sheer fabric in varying shades of blue, flowing around her and mimicking water.
She wore sturdy leather boots reaching just below her knees. On the side of her waist, she carried a leather sheath engraved with delicate vines and leaves—the fairies’ compelling connection to nature.
As my gaze traveled over the woman’s shoulders, my breath hitched.
It can’t be.
The thick tribal lines tattooed over her shoulder snaked toward her back. Instinctively, my hand flew to the bumpy skin of my mate marks.
My own mating marks now almost covered my chest and traveled down my abdomen, but the woman before me only had three intricately weaving lines that I could see.
The fairy woman's gaze locked onto mine, her shock evident as she took in the intricate designs that adorned my body. Her mouth fell open, and her brows shot to her hairline. We faced each other, ready to make our move, with only a few steps between us.
Despite having Ashton with us, was this woman about to attack us because she disliked my mating marks?
She raised her sword, pointing it directly at me. Her voice rang through the broken streets.
"You will not pass!"