Chapter 144

The chaos raged on beneath, and then the chaos died.

It raged on again, died again, still there in the darkness she remained.

Zezi had stopped her clawing at the walls and her mad senseless banging to bring the barriers down, so she could save her daughter whose voice her enhanced hearing hadn't brought to her ears since that scream.

Languishing moments dragged on, till she was spent and all she could do was slip to the wall and pray to the Moon that Mira was alright while she tried to shake away the memory of the blood and her blue dress.

Valerick was gone the moment he had tossed her in here, ordering her with a rugged voice to stay, his dark eyes glinting sparks of red.

It frightened her and for that little moment, the shock had stilled her.

At that same moment, he was gone.

Zezi couldn't tell how long it must have been now, all she knew was that the chaos had been over for quite some time.

She could no longer hear the clickings, she could hear nothing and it made her wonder if the Volakys were still alive.

Wait... how?

The Volakys were the creatures of the former King, the war that happened ten years ago had killed them all, along with the former King. So if the Volakys were dead, how then did five of them attack tonight?

Who was behind this?

Laura, her mind yelled to her.

That fucking princess.

She would kill her after this.

Zezi gritted her teeth, her eyes watering with tears, the suffocation and her helplessness of the situation getting to her.

Once again, she was stretching into the bond but all she could feel from the other side was bitterness - negative emotions tussled together - with a strength so overwhelmingly strong, it made her recoil.

It was too much for her head, she pulled away.

He was still alive, she could feel him.

Good.

This time, her mind didn't argue that.

With the change of situation, and the suspicion she had now, it was better for the werewolves that Valerick remained alive.

If the former King was still somehow alive after all these years, then it was best that the only one who had been able to face him back then, would be able to face him again.

She pulled her trembling hands to the side of her head, her heart racing and her breath caught up in her throat, but still forcing its way out of her lungs.

She could suffocate on how much she was taking in and losing.

Alive... Alive...

Mira, George, Aunt Alice, Gwen, Lady Delice...

Were they alive?

She sprung up to her feet when she heard the door click open, sensing him before he could come within her line of sight.

Darkness wafted around him. His white attire had been smeared with blood and the green venom from the Volakys. Darkness wafted around him, engulfing every space around him. Even in the darkness, the aura that he brought made it different, and distinct. The dark veins she knew very well were cobwebbed beneath his skin and there was no trace of white in his eyes, but those flecks of red like sparks of lightning remained.

His presence filled the room, and even though there was distance between them, the space felt non-existent.

He slumped against a side of the room, pushing a bloodied hand through his hair, as he threw his head back against the wall.

Tired.

Cautious steps were what she took towards him, but at the first one, his attention snapped to her and he sent her a predatory glare, showing his already protruding fangs.

Zezi froze, resisting the urge to blink while her heart banged in her ears at the implication of what was happening.

"It is I, Valerick." Her hand crawled up to her chest. "Your mate."

He seemed to have relaxed a little when he heard that, but with the next step, he stretched his curled fists on the floor, showing his long blade-like claws.

Those claws that had gone through the Volakys tonight, leaving behind stains of blood and their venom.

It was a threat.

A silent gasp slipped out of her mouth.

He couldn't recognize her?

What happened tonight must have thrown him into such a defensive state that it was blocking off some memories.

He knew she was important though, if not, he wouldn't have brought her here, and he wouldn't have come back to her.

She needed to know if her family was alive. She couldn't wait till this would pass over. Mira could be somewhere in need of help right now!

What if her daughter was dying?

Dying! Not dead. Not dead.

She trembled with this thought and he watched.

Then she turned to him, staying put.

"Is my family alive?"

His look was grave, like he didn't even understand her question. What had happened to him?

She tried to reach out to the bond again and there was nothing.

"Did you see Mira?" she asked, "please take me to her---"

Her questions accomplished two purposes, distracting him and expressing her absolute need for answers.

When she got close, he still looked on edge.

Valerick was smeared with a lot of blood and green venom. It made a part of her heart sick with worry. Her hands ached to touch him, as if to confirm and comfort herself that he wasn't a ghost.

That he was fine.

Before her hands could trail his face though, he had swiftly moved to another corner of the room, far away from her.

Zezi frowned.

Green venom--- she had seen that before, and she wasn't talking about tonight. It reminded her of that dinner, when she had cleaned a trail of something like that off his cheek. Valerick must have fought with a Volaky back then too.

What was going on here? Were these Volakys somewhere in the Castle? Was the former King in the Castle too? Did Valerick know about all this?

The blood and the blue dress flashed in her mind again. By the Moon, was her daughter alright? Did anyone survive tonight besides her and Valerick?

These questions were driving her to madness.

Hours must have gone by, Zezi couldn't tell.

Along the line of thinking about the possibility that everyone was dead, and being unable to approach Valerick; so he could let her out of the room, Zezi absentmindedly started saying one of those bedtime stories she would tell Mira.

He had drawn nearer, knelt in front of her, and rested a hand on her chest.

She froze, ignoring the putrid smell of the venom, as she watched the storm in his eyes died out, while recognition seeped in, his gaze focused on where he had his hand pressed against.

"Heartbeat. Mine." He sighed, then he rested his forehead against her chest and her fingers instinctively slipped into his matted hair, the sparks between them flying irrespective of the situation.

"Zezi."