Slayer 99_The Warrior's Broken Mate

CHAPTER 99 

 im

 –

 The vige was mostly destroyed roofs caved in, walls torn open. A battlefield.

 We searched every building. No one. Until Elias stepped out and an arrow nearly hit him, embedding in the hut.

 I rushed to him, and people poured from the buildings. A familiar voice called orders.

 “Kronos,” I breathed. He pushed through the crowd, stopping in shock before me.

 “Lyra. You’re here.” Kronos said, shocked as he lowered his bow and arrow.

 “Arthur said you needed help.” I replied.

 He hugged me, but Elias growled and stepped between us.

 “Kronos, this is Elias. Elias, Arthur’s guard, Kronos.” I said.

 “He doesn’t touch you again.” Elias snapped.

 “I did warn you about possessive mates.” I said.

 “I didn’t know it was that bad.” Kronos admitted.

 “Why did you attack?” I asked.

 “We saw those creatures.” He said.

 “Werewolves. They’re with us. Spread the word – more survivors are out there and our wolves are looking for them. The wolves aren’t going to hurt them.” I instructed.

 “You two. Go to the other camps.” Kronos ordered two of his men. So they ran back from where they came from, a small forest that was still standing beyond the vige and got on

 their horses and took off.

 “So, you’re here to save the day. How do you n on doing that?” Kronos asked.

 “No idea. I needed toe here and see how bad everything was first.” I said.

 “It’s worse than you thought, isn’t it?” He asked.

 “A hell of a lot worse.” I said.

 “Well, we need to start preparing. It’s going to be nightfall soon. It gets really cold here at night and we can’t survive without a fire.” Kronos said.

 :

 < CHAPTER 99

 “Her people will see a fire.” I said.

 “Exactly.” He said.

 im

 His people dispersed to set up camp, stretching a canopy over the vige to hide the firelight. They secured the sides, cloaking the ce from view. I was surprised we’d walked straight in -it could’ve been a trap. There was no food cooking, which made me wonder if one of our wolves had been their prey. The wolves patrolled the perimeter while I stared toward the ruins of Arthur’s castle, its faint glimmer still visible. Arthur sat by the fire with Kronos, speaking in hushed tones. He kept ncing at me. I couldn’t catch their words, but for once, even a werewolf whispered well.

 I felt Elias approach, and before I could turn, he was behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist as I stared out into the endless darkness.

 “Do you feel that same worry I’m feeling?” He whispered, his breath warm against my ear.

 “Yeah.” I murmured. “We’ll see what happens tomorrow. If it doesn’t sit right, we leave.”

 “I’m d we think alike.” He said softly.

 “I didn’te here to be tricked into something that could hurt you, me, or our pack.” I admitted.

 “I know.” He replied, pressing closer. “If he’s scheming, he’s damn good at it.”

 “He’s a King. Lyinges naturally to them.” I said, a hint of bitterness in my voice.

 “Really?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

 “Did I say werewolf King?” I teased.

 “Nice save.” He said, and I chuckled against him.

 “Our warriors will be up all night. We should rest.” I suggested.

 “Yeah. Me too.” He said. “I found a hut that’s not too ruined. Already imed it.”

 “Perfect.” I said, turning into him, feeling the warmth of his body against mine.

 So Elias took my hand and we walked through the vige to the hut that he found and as soon as we walked inside I saw that everything was still in this hut. Including a mattress and nkets.

 They obviously weren’t clean, but it was cold and it would help us stay warm for the night.

 As soon as Eliasid down he pulled me down beside him and pulled me close to his chest.

 < CHAPTER 99

 im

 It was almost like he was afraid that I was going to disappear during the night or something. He had a tight grip on me, but I wasn’tining.

 I never felt safer than when I was in Elias‘ arms in bed.

 The foresty like a wound beneath the sky – the trees standing proud and green, unaware of the ruin that woulde. I was looking at it as if remembering a life I hadn’t yet lived, when Morgana’s shadow fell over me. She was close enough that I could smell smoke and something darker beneath it: iron and old blood.

 I turned. Where nothing had been, a dark castle now rose towers like ck teeth, banners | didn’t know. It wasn’t Arthur’s. It didn’t belong to anyone I knew.

 Morgana’s face twisted, small and furious. I hissed, “I’ll deal with her when the timees.”

 “She’s a problem,” she spat. “Lyra has linked with Arthur. If they join forces-” Her fist cut the air. “They can destroy us all.”

 “Would you two stop yelling? You’re giving me a headache,” Mia said softly, rising as if the argument were a guest to be ignored.

 “And what do you propose?” Morgana sneered.

 Mia’s calm smile was unsettling. “You’re the mother of dragons. Set them loose – Arthur and Lyra won’t be heard of again.”

 A guard burst into the courtyard, panic on his face. “Ma’am… you have toe. They’reing. They’ll destroy the castle. We’re outnumbered.”

 “No interruptions,” I barked, my voice steady for them, even if hollow to me. <fn5a5f> Fresh chapters posted on f?ndnovel</fn5a5f>

 “Go take care of them. Stall them until I get there.” I told Morgana and Mia, and the moment the order left my mouth they were gone, running like two predators through the dark corridors. The castle swallowed them.

 I walked to the balcony because one always looks over thend before a storm. Because old ritualsforted me. Because I wanted to see who would be first – Arthur with his stubborn jaw, Lyra with her stubborn heart, the two of them like a single dangerous thing.

 There was no one yet. Windbed the trees. A far–off bell tolled once and then not again.

 I wandered into the castle on a foot that felt slightly foreign. The stone smelled of rain, of herbs, of iron. I passed tapestries that moved like breathing things. A sudden, ridiculous thought how little time I had taken to make sure my lipstick was perfect before battle –

 —

 :.

 < CHAPTER 99

 pulled me toward a mirror.

 I stopped.

 ss. Frame carved with thorns. And the woman in the ss was not me.

 –

 im

 She stared with eyes like coal; hershes were long, knife–sliced shadows. Her cheekbones cut the light. Her lips my lips – were painted a colour that felt wrong on my tongue. For a breath I thought she would blink and the joke would be over. The mirror did not lie.

 I – not I – the ck witch looked back. And behind her eyes, something moved. Memory, maybe. Or the residue of a life I had not lived.

 —

 Panic struck like a hand at my ribs. I raised my fingers to my face and they did not tremble. The nails were longer, tipped with a darkness that caught the light. When Iughed a sound I did not recognize theugh came out low and amused, not mine but not entirely foreign

 either.

 —

 Warmth flooded me then, not the warmth of sunlight but the searing, humming hunger of

 power.

 I tasted it

 –

 –

 sweet, coppery, familiar and stomach sank. I tried to summon my own

 my memories, but a film muffled them. The ck witch’s thoughts bled through, brushing the edges of my life until I didn’t know where I ended and she began.

 I should have resisted, ripped her from me, shouted my truth.

 Outside, the forest exhaled. A name I loved echoed beyond the trees, and the castle’s bells tolled – not warning, but summons.

 I touched my lips. They were cold. The ck witch’s smile curved up, and for the first time since the mirror, something likeughter – but not mine – escaped.

 —

 I jolted awake really suddenly and Elias jumped as well, sitting up to see what was happening

 around the hut.

 He saw me shaking, breathing hard, and pulled me close, holding me tight.

 “It’s alright. You’re safe. It was just a bad dream.” Elias whispered.

 Safe now, maybe. But what the hell was that? I’d been inside the ck witch’s body. This

 wasn’t just a nightmare – it was something far worse.

17kNovel

Slayer 99