"An unexpected visit so early in the morning, what do I have that you want, Kebarah?"
"Lewis, I admit you have gotten better at deceit, you had me fooled." Kebarah replied taking a seat opposite Lewis.
The man laughed unfazed by the accusation.
"You see, you were never in our league, you just could never measure up to Moorah." He replied knowing fully well he was crossing boundaries.
Kebarah stiffened a bit before he smiled wickedly.
"Moorah is lying cold six feet below probably just a bit more than mere soil now while I am here offering to give you what you had spent years, murdered tens of people for." Lewis raised an eyebrow in mockery but Kebarah only smiled wider.
"A three hundred and fifty year old son to a three hundred and fifty five year old father." He mocked and the arrogant look on Lewis's face began to slowly vanish.
"So many things were out of place but I confirmed my suspicions after his encounter with my queen, I must say, what an elaborate plan. Truth to be told, I am unable to catch up due to the amount of twists in it."
"So, what do I want?" Lewis asked, all traces o humour gone from his voice.
It would be better if he did not know, but if he did, it will be dangerous to let him wander.
"You had requested for the guardian's snake from Moorah, all this while I had thought you were strange to want a souvenir from a betrayal but now, I see why." He replied.
Lewis was quiet for a while before he nodded and a sinister smile formed on his face.
"An alliance you want, an alliance you will get if you help me get what I want."
Kebarah smiled in return.
"You might not believe it but I had suggested the best way to use it to Moorah then, I believe I still can now."
This made Lewis laugh hard.
"You do that again and I promise you an army."
This made Kebarah laugh too.
When they had laughed hard enough, lewis asked, his eyes misty.
"What is your plan?"
*************
"My lord." A girl ran almost falling a book she held in her hand. She stopped to check if she had lost the page she had folded and when she confirmed she had not, she continued her journey.
Her excitement told Keevah all he needed to know and he hurried to her.
"My lord, here it is." She informed breathless.
Keevah smiled at the little girl and took the book making sure to keep the page she had marked.
"Thank you Laura, you have done well." He said, slightly patting her head.
The girl blushed happily, feeling proud of her accomplishment.
"You may take rest, inform the girls. I will have your rewards delivered to you in due time." He said, a small smile still on his face.
She gasped happily and bowed.
"I appreciate my lord, we all do." She curtsied again.
He only nodded and walked away eager to see what was in store for him.
********
Who are you?
What makes you so confident?
Why are you doing this?
What is your aim?
What do you hope to achieve?
They were so many questions that flooded her mind including those she refused to entertain and then there was the one she should ask, the one she had been irked about.
"What does he hope to gain by making Irina lie to her about the air nation's monster?"
Yet, anytime she opened her mouth, a different question threatened to come out of them.
' I should not let this opportunity pass by me.' She thought but her mind was hardly in control. He was burying his head deeper into the crook of her neck, relishing in her scent while he breathed against her skin. One of this hands had snaked around her waist holding her in place
"Does a promise hold value to you?" She asked after a while.
This is not what she should be asking but this was better than what her heart craved to ask.
If he answers in the affirmative, she could ask for his word never to betray her, that way she would be assured that whatever he hid from her was because it was none of her business
Velaine blinked at the question. Whatever spell she had him under was now broken, she should have asked anything but that.
He moved his head away from where it had been, cleared his throat and picked her up.
"Yes, it does." He answered, his voice gruff and his eyes still dark but this time she could feel the change in atmosphere.
They were not dark because they were clouded by lust, this reason was far more intense.
He ignored her eyes though she was in his arms and bent to pick their hunt, his strides long and faster than before.
Aveedah stared at him in confusion.
What had she said that made him hold her as if she was burning him?
He was almost running as he walked briskly caring so little about how much tossing she had to endure in his fisted hands.
She had thought to ask him to drop her but that will be immature and she doubt he would even argue before he threw her to the floor onto the waiting shadow hunters.
Nonetheless, she had gotten her answer though not totally what she had aimed for.
She knew he might as well be lying since he had snapped back to his senses when he answered but the fact that he answered was an answer. He had promised to answer so he did even though she had clearly lost the opportunity.
***************
"Why would you let them go on their own?" Irina asked for the third time and Eric simply ignored her again.
If she truly wanted answers, she should find them somewhere else.
He walked away with the sticks he had gathered in his hands, wondering if he should have added more.
'They would be back anytime from now, it is only right he got the fire ready to roast the meat.' He thought, deciding that the sticks he had was enough.
"I understand if those lowly guards were intimidated but you, you are her personal guard, a specially trained knight." She continued, stomping her feet angrily as she followed him.
He suddenly stopped making her almost bump into him.
"My lady." He started, turning to her.
He was fed up with her ranting, why she was adamant on getting an answer from him was beyond him.
"You are in no position to interfere in my kingdom's business. If you seek your king or why he had ventured alone, inquire from those that should have a knowledge of that. Now if you excuse me, I have better things to do." He said and turned to leave when he heard her again.
"I know where he went, what I am concerned about is how you thought it was wise to let two royals venture into the forest on their own?" He had thought to simply did as he had done before, ignore her when a voice interrupted them.
"Irina, stop bothering the young man. If you were not sleeping your head off you would know yourself."
She quickly turned to him and the scene before her made bile rise up her throat.
While all the others rushed to welcome them, she stood still unable to do as little as breathe.
"Your highness." The guards greeted, each barely holding back their questions.
"Your highness, did something happen?" Eric asked, alarm in his voice.
Never in his life had he seen Aveedah leap.
If she injures her leg, she would still walk on it.
She did not believe in pampering herself, to her it was breeding weakness. So why, what on earth would have happened to make her lie in a man's arms?
"Shadow hunters."
"They were created with my essence."
"Do you know what that means?" Velaine interrupted.
It took him a while to register his question before he replied, slightly fazed.
"Yes, yes I do."
""Eric, take me from him and mount me on the horse." She ordered and even before she finished her statement, he handed her, obvious relief on his face as if she had been so unbearable to Eric who quickly dropped the sticks he was holding, cleaned his hand the collected her
Tears of anger filled her eyes at the state she was in.
She watched him disappear into his tent, then allowed her eyes to find Eric's face. The man looked embarrassed and confused, he held her away from his body but with utmost respect as he dared to not even allow his eyes dwell on her.
She closed her eyes and turned away as she heard him ordering a guard to go on all fours so he could step on his back.
Soon enough, she felt herself touch the hairy back of the horse and she quickly held on to it. It was now more than a horse, it was her dignity.