AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 14
Lily
The irritated bellows of the nobu have become the chorus of our days and nights. Standing at the edge of The Keep’s pool, the water undulates, frantically splashing the shore as the beasts angrily move through it.
“They’re worse today than yesterday,” Nyx says next to me as we study the nobu.
Nothing seems to calm them. I’ve tried stretching my shadows through the water to ease their tension, which usually helps, but not this time.
Their glowing white eyes sprinkle the surface, matching the stars shining down from above. The knot in my stomach has only grown throughout the day, and my instincts are screaming at me, but I can’t figure out what the alert is about.
“Did the male raven return yet?” I ask Nyx, raising my voice loud enough for him to hear me over the nobu.
“No. He was supposed to return yesterday, and no one in Lux has seen him,” Nyx answers.
The raven’s mate has to be worried with his longer-than-normal absence. I will have to check on her and their offspring tomorrow.
“What are we going to do, Nyx? This must be a warning, but of what?” My body buzzes with the alarmed screams of the nobu.
“I’m not sure. My best guess is King Leopold is preparing for an attack, so we’d better prepare, too,” Nyx wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me tight to his side.
A wave of dread shoots through my body as if I’ve been struck by lightning. I sway in Nyx’s grasp as my power tries to overtake me. Its strength threatens my balance. It feels like the first time all those years ago. That day in the river when I was a girl trying to protect the boy she loved from danger.
Nyx draws his dagger with his free hand as he grips me tight, sensing my alarm.
“What is it, Lily?” he asks, checking the field for an attacker.
“Something is coming. My power is reacting to it,” I reply.
I double over in pain as the sensation of my heart being ripped apart flares in my chest. The thread twisted around it pulls tight, squeezing hard enough that it hurts to breathe. Nyx grabs my arms to stop me from falling.
As fast as it comes on, the pain is gone. And so are the agitated sounds of the nobu. We freeze and slowly turn our heads to the water, which is suddenly completely still. The moon reflects brightly on the glass surface.
“What in the realm?” Nyx whispers.
Thundering hooves come from behind us, and we whip around to find Hiram bursting from the haunted forest at breakneck speed, heading straight toward us.
“Queen!” he is shouting at the top of his lungs.
Renewed panic causes my breath to hitch. We run toward him to shorten the distance. He is flying off his Warlander before it even comes to a complete stop. We rush to him, and he stumbles, but I catch him in my hands, steadying him on his feet.
“What’s going on, Hiram?” I shout.
He’s panting and out of breath, his body shakes in my hands.
“Lux. Guards. In the haunted forest.” His words break between gasps for air.
Great,more dead bodies to bury tomorrow.
