Candescent (The Opalescent Collection Book 1) (22 page)

G
uardian immediately took us to his old Master’s house. It was old, practically buried in snow. I thought it was barely suitable, as its walls indicated rotting. Inside it was dark and littered with art supplies.

“I know it’s not in the best shape, but Sebastian will never look here,” Pete said softly.

Pete lit a fire in the old fireplace and we sat before it trying to get warm. “How will we destroy Sebastian now? We don’t have our dragons. We can’t fight him without fire.”

He looked at me, his hands slid against my shoulders and he broke my Dragon’s Soul from my neck. Then he reached around his neck and did the same. He wrapped the broken chains around his hand and allowed them to dangle freely before my face. A strange glint appeared in his eyes and I hoped it was just how the flames danced shadows against his face.

“We are very strong. We can’t rely on our dragons’ strength anymore…now that they are dead. This is my Dragon’s Soul. I don’t need it. Grieving over your dragon any longer will not have any mercy on his soul. He wouldn’t want your sadness to ruin you now would he?” He then flung the Dragon’s Souls into the fire and I gasped, nearly threw my hand into the fire to save them. Pete stopped me and held me back. “Let them go Chenille.”

I wished his voice soothed me, but it was almost harsh. He turned me away from the fire. Guardian left us alone, disappearing into the sunken room. Once he was gone, Pete caressed me, distracted my attention away from the burning Dragon’s Souls. His eyes were bright, almost sending me into a trance that made me throw my arms around him and rest against him. His voice became magical, alive, as he spoke to me until his words became murmuring and had no other meaning than to soothe me.

“Sebastian will never find us,” he reassured me. “But he will pay. They all will.”

“How will we destroy him?”

“I don’t know if he can be destroyed. He is very powerful.”

“I’m sure you had a plan in mind though.”

“No, not yet. Did you have anything in mind Xavi?”

“Xavi? Who is Xavi?”

“Guardian told me his real name.”

“I didn’t hear him tell you.”

He smiled. “He told me when you were asleep.”

“He must trust us then.”

“I’m not surprised. He told me he hates Sebastian.”

I rolled my eyes to look at the griffin who stayed in the dark. “So what do you think we should do Xavi?”

“I think we should rest my Lady. Sebastian will not find us here. We are safe.”

Pete touched my face and smiled. “Yes, rest Chenille. We will wake you if there is any trouble.”

“But I’m not tired and we need to have a plan. We can’t stay here forever.”

“Don’t worry. I will think of a plan. We will destroy Sebastian. We are very strong together.”

“You don’t know that.” He shushed me and stroked my face. I was strangely tired.

“Just go to sleep.”

I felt the weight of my eyelids as I struggled to keep them open. His voice urged me to sleep while I tried to fight it. I wanted to stay awake, to plan for the future, but I knew I couldn’t. My eyes slowly opened and fluttered shut several times before Xavi purred and then started to sing his lullaby. For only a moment, I was asleep, but his song was suddenly accompanied by screams. Screams filled my head and then there was begging and pleas. The image of Rasha’s surrender filled my head and I was jolted awake. I sat up quickly. My hand flew to Pete’s chest as he sat up, startled.

I moved away from him as he tried to shush me, tried to send me to sleep again, but the image was strong and fresh in my head. Pete’s startled expression turned into a smirk, an almost haunting, creepy expression as he failed to reassure me. Instead he frightened me more since he could have been portrayed as a horrid figure in a nightmare. I stumbled to my feet and ignored his every attempt to recapture me. I put my hands over my ears to block out the griffin’s beautiful song, as the temptation to sleep grew stronger. With only my hands to guide me out of the forsaken house, I managed to escape. Under Catastrophe’s blue moon, I had guidance and light to trudge in the deep snow.

Pete called for me, attempted to come after me, which only drove me to go faster and further. I knew he was stronger, he had more willpower than me, though I knew I had a greater chance of getting away or making him quit if I pursued. His shouts were eventually drowned out by the wind and when it stopped I didn’t hear anything.

I looked up to the sky, held my wet, cold cape to my body in agony and pushed on. I didn’t know where I was or where I was going. All I knew was I was far from home and I didn’t have my dragon. I told myself I wouldn’t rely on a dragon’s strength again, that I would not suffer from the strength I’d lost only to find that I lied to myself.

I was sure only an hour or two passed and I was struggling with exhaustion and hunger. I couldn’t remember the last time I ate. I continued in the darkness, the winds picked up again and the snow that was once light and crisp turned into a burden. It stuck to my clothes, made me sink to my knees, and the wind blew it in my face.

Thankfully there were colors melting on the horizon as dawn broke. Completely cold and alone in the desolate barren, land I was near collapsing. I knew if I stopped, I would freeze myself into reincarnation and a part of me wanted to. My muscles and joints ached, begged me to stop, even just to rest.

I tucked my head beneath my wet cape, urged myself forward. The sun was just beginning to break over the horizon, surrounded by a misty cloud and then it disappeared. More snow started to fall from the sky, light at first and then blinded me as my visibility decreased. The ability to see my feet plod in the snow, allowing me to see my progress, was taken for granted.

The heavy snow was an obstacle in itself. An almost solid wall remained in front of me. There was an ongoing sea of white ice that I needed to cross. I was on the verge of collapsing, when the snow became softer and the cold, unforgiving wind wasn’t as hard. But the resistance remained and I needed to push myself, to keep going as some unknown feeling inside of me kept my drive, but only for so long.

I got so far, or at least I thought, when my legs gave out from under me and I sank into the snow. I couldn’t go any more. For a last moment, I kept my head up while I laid on the snow, looking out into the storm. I could see something blurry in the distance, a small glowing orange dot. I squinted my eyes realizing it was light, which meant there were people or creatures.

I lifted my head weakly and shouted out for help. I did so for as long as I could until my voice died. The light I thought was coming my way had vanished and I rested my head in defeat against the snow. Voices surrounded me moments later, or even hours later. My numb body was picked up and carried, probably for miles to get to shelter.

I woke before a roaring fire. Only a blanket covered my defrosting body. My wet clothes were hung to dry beside me with other wet blankets and clothes. I strained my eyes in the heat to see my savior or saviors, but I couldn’t see anyone, creature or person. So I closed my eyes and I fell asleep thinking I was safe, feeling content and warm at last.

When I woke from my nap, it was still dark. A violent storm rolled in with strong winds and heavier snow than what I had to endure. I reached for my clothes that were finally dry and I put them on beneath the cover of my blanket. I looked around to see that there still was no one in sight. I struggled to sit up but the pains in my body sent me down onto the rock floor.

“Don’t hurt yourself.” A man appeared from the back of the warm cave, startling me. “I’m glad you’re awake.” The gruff, almost barbaric appearance of this man taunted me and I was sure I appeared frightened while attempting to find my voice to reply. He must’ve been a mountain man or something.  I could only assume that he must live here and then I shamed myself for thinking so. He was nice to me. “That’s quite the storm out there. We’re lucky we found shelter before it rolled in.”

“Did you save me?” I whispered in attempt to find my voice.

The large man shook his head. “No, I wasn’t the one who saved you. Another man found you, our leader, and brought you all the way here.”

“Can you thank him for me?”

“You can thank him yourself. He’ll be out to see you in a little while.” He walked over to me and bent down, handing me a cup of water and some bread. “We’re usually not so scarce on food, but we can’t hunt with all of these storms.” He said quickly, seeing my dismay.

I hastily ate my bread and drank the water in my cup, still feeling starved. When I was done I handed the cup back to him and he stood. “What’s your name?”

“Me?” The man smiled childishly as though he thought of something funny. “You can just call me Baloo.”

“Baloo? Is that short for something?” Strength had returned to my voice.

“Yes, it’s short for Hullabaloo. That’s what my friends call me.”

Again,
mountain man
, I rest my case, I thought. “I can see why.” Baloo let out a roar of laughter in response. “I’m Chenille.”

“Oh, you don’t have to tell me. I already know who
you are
.” With that he gave me a friendly smile and walked away, back to where he’d come. I smiled to myself, stared at the cave walls and watched the dancing flames.

“How are you doing Chenille?”

I froze, hearing the voice I had come to know and dread. I swallowed hard, clung to my blanket, my only protection, and closed my eyes. I could only hope I was hearing things and I couldn’t bring myself to open my eyes and cede to curiosity to a figure I hoped didn’t exist.

“You can’t even look at me, your savior? You can’t even thank me, even after I saved your life?”

I heard his bare feet sweep the rock floor as he made his way over to me and I covered my ears, trying to destroy him from my mind, as though the sounds were only an illusion.  I could still hear the sound of his voice, penetrating my hands, turning into muffled words. I felt something brush my shoulder and my eyes flew open. My hands flew from my ears, but other than that, I remained completely still.

He captured me in his eyes alone, these golden eyes that resembled light and power. He looked at me with a playful smirk crossing his face. His forearm rested on my shoulder and feeling its weight, feeling that it must exist- that
he
must exist - paralyzed me. My eyes traced the scars on his shoulder and across his chest, the only remains, and the painful reminder of the wounds I’d healed. And I had regretfully saved him. He only returned the favor.

“How did you find me?” I whispered, my eyes focusing on the gold rings on his fingers.

“I never had to look. I have been with you since the burning of my palace. It was no coincidence that I knew my griffin’s name or that you never came across my army when you traveled. My griffin took us to an abandoned house he claimed was his old Master’s.” He snorted. “But it was only so I could be alone with you, aside from the fear and the chaos. So what better way than to disguise myself as your own Eternal Mate?”

“How did you do it?”

“
How
? I am the Prince of Light.” He moved near my ear. “I can do
anything
.”

“What did you do to Pete?”

Sebastian shrugged his shoulders. “All I did was make him look like me, and in turn, made myself look like him. I know your dragon didn’t make it, but that was my fault. I was the one that set fire to the dungeon in the first place. As for Pete’s dragon…I don’t know. Did he even have a dragon? Either way, I took his Dragon’s Soul and burned it last night while I had my chance.” A faint smile played across his lips and he tilted his head as he watched me sink deeper into horror. My hands were sweaty against the blanket now. He was the one responsible for my dragon’s death.

“But it’s a shame you left as early as you did.” He continued. “I was hoping we could stay there for a few days and then we’d go to our new palace. I was planning to show you my identity then. But you…you fickle little girl, making me chase you in the snow.” He laughed. “You are still wild, aren’t you?” He sat back, pleased. “But I like that about you.”

Baloo’s voice filled the cave, calling Sebastian just before he could kiss my face. I watched him glare over the fire to Baloo and got to his feet.

“I’ll be right back,” he said softly.

He walked up to Baloo with his back to me. I knew there was no escape. I knew I would be out of my mind to travel in this storm and the fact that I couldn’t move, kept me in my place. I couldn’t imagine what he would do once he took me to his new palace. I couldn’t think of the wedding, the wedding he wanted, the wedding I tried to avoid. This wedding was haunting me and I knew I couldn’t escape from it this time. I couldn’t be sure if my Eternal Mate was burned alive. I summoned up my strength and attempted to think of one last plan. I couldn’t think of a way to get out of this one. My thoughts flew back to the warnings about this immortal and I hated myself for not listening to them.

“Prusaious was right,” I said to myself.

“Prusaious?” Sebastian chimed, hearing me. “Prusaious is long gone. She’s been gone for a while now, but she was one of our best. I guess everyone pays their price eventually…especially if you mess with the King.”