AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The house is a mess, but that barely registers in my frantic state. Everything around me feels like it is spinning. I search in a daze, looking for anything that might give me a clue as to her location.
It seems impossible, with everything tossed around so carelessly. I can’t sort out what’s out of place because everything is out of place. Still, I continue, looking for any sign of her. Finding her is more important than finding Drir’gen, though I intend to do that as well.
And when I find him, I will kill him. If he did anything to my precious Anastasia…my face darkens at the thought. My fears are too horrible to face, and I try not to concentrate on the possibilities that spring instantly to mind.
Instead, I think of my revenge. I will kill him, gilak blood or not. There’s no doubt about that. Clearly, I should have done that the last time.
If he hurt her, I will wear his fucking skin.
I can feel the berserker in me begging to come out. It yowls from deep inside of me, demanding to be released. It wants blood, it wants vengeance.
It wants to burn everything down.
It’s tempting to let it, as I survey the wreckage of our home. Our home, I repeat to myself, feeling dazed. It’s her home, too, even if I’ve never said it out loud before.
And the loss of our home is nothing compared to the loss of her. I struggle hard to maintain a thin grasp on my self-control, battling my berserk side all the way.
Because I haven’t lost her yet, I remind myself. I don’t know where she is, and there’s still a chance I can save her. But not if I lose myself in my darkness.
It’s when I reach the dining room that it becomes clear I made the right choice. The gaping hole where the window once was reveals the struggle that occurred here. The glass is pushed outside, not inside, which suggests something – or someone – went out through the window.
The smell of her blood wafts under my nose, and I realize in horror that she may have been what broke the window. I climb up onto the table and follow the smell immediately through the shattered window frame outside.
It’s even stronger out here, which tells me several key things. She wasn’t bleeding in the house. She’s injured, and it must have happened when she fled. But if she managed to flee, then there’s still hope.
She could be out there, somewhere, and she needs my help. My revenge and the murder of Drir’gen will have to wait. At least for now, because the most important thing is Anastasia.
For all I know, she is bleeding out somewhere right now. The smell is strong, and as I look at the shattered glass strewn across the yard, I catch little glimpses of her red blood, dried on the sharp fragments.
This much glass could have torn her to shreds. I need to find her, before it’s too late. “If it isn’t already.” The fear slips out. I smother it down, not willing to listen.
I’m proud of her, for being brave and smart enough to do something so drastic. And at the same time, I’m enraged that she had to.
At least there is a trail for me to follow. I do, training my nose toward the scent. It’s remarkably easy, and I try not to think about how much blood she must have lost.
I try to convince myself that it’s a reflection of my own acute senses, instead. It’s easier that way. But the smell never lessens, telling me that she must have been bleeding the whole way.
The city of Ti’lith grows larger and larger as I draw near, and soon it becomes clear to me that this is where she must have gone. It’s logical enough, and better than thinking of her wandering around in the countryside by our home, lost and disoriented.
There’s a chance, at least, that in Ti’lith she could have already received help. Though the demons residing in the city would be unlikely to take the plight of a human seriously, it’s at least common knowledge now that the King would want them spared.
His plans for breeding with human women are well known, and no one would want to anger the King by watching her die. They would do, at least, the bare minimum to keep her alive. It’s a small consolation, but at least it is something.
I make my way toward the gates of the city, realizing that they are locked for the night. It only gives me a moment’s pause, worried that she might have been turned away. But my nose is convinced that she passed through, somehow. She’s on the other side, in the city, of that I am certain.
As for me, the gate poses little problem. It’s not strong enough to keep much out, meant more to deter wild animals than any real threat or invasion. Considering we float above the rest of Protheka in near-total secrecy, there’s little outside force that we must worry about.
With a little magical force, the gate allows me to pass. As I do, my eye catches the scrap of fabric caught on the latch. I recognize it immediately but lean forward anyway to sniff.
I’m overwhelmed by her scent, which confirms what I already knew. This is a piece of her dress. I’m conflicted, unsure if I’m happy or dismayed. Though it’s finally a solid piece of evidence, something tangible that proves she was here, the state that she must have arrived in worries me.
I push ahead, not having time to worry about that now. Finding her and making sure that she’s all right is the main goal. I’ll do whatever it takes, once she’s in my arms, to make up for everything that she has been through.
I focus once more, following her scent through the city. It takes longer than I expected, and I stop several times to question my judgment. I’m not sure why she walked as long as she did, rather than stop at a house near the gate.
I can’t decide if it is a good sign, or a bad sign. At least if she walked this far, it means that she was capable of it. And yet, it seems like a strange course of action, and I can’t help but worry about her state. Was she confused? Delirious?
But no matter how times I stop, my nose is certain that I’m going the right way. I haven’t made a mistake – she really did travel this way, for whatever reason. It may not make sense to me now, but that’s not the point.
