The sand was soaked in the blood of the corpses, and the air smelt of the burnt flesh and blood. The last surviving man of the group frightenedly looked at the girl walk towards him with her dagger dripping in blood. He had seen how she had effortlessly massacred his entire group and knew that there was no escape for him. The mana in his veins channeled fast as he extracted the strength from his blood by burning it. He had made up his mind to take this girl with him to death.
However, just as he was about to explode himself, the girl vanished from before his eyes. The ripping of air resounded from behind and as he turned his head around to look, he saw his headless corpse before darkness enveloped him.
Keira put her dagger back in its sheath and collected the decapitated head. She took out a stone from her ring and looked through the content the virtual screen displayed.
“Alright, we can now head back to the Central State.” She said and looked towards where Irina stood.
Her shadow had not talked to her in the last two days and still wore the same melancholic expression on her face.
She knew that the words she had said that night had hurt and worried Irina. But all she had spoken was how her heart felt at that time. And she meant every single word she had said. No one could understand the pain her heart felt when she saw him laughing with Viara and hugging Liafina in his arms as she slept soundly.
“How long are you going to stay in this mood?” She asked but got no answer from her.
“Irina.” This time she ordered her as her anger sparked.
“So now you have even started ordering me to answer you.” Irina smiled helplessly. “Very well, what do you wish to know, Master?” She stressed on her last word.
Keira didn’t feel well about her reaction. It had only made her mood worse.
“You don’t want to see me happy?” She asked severely in her irritation and immediately regretted it.
Tears slipped out of Irina’s eyes and she lowered her head.
“I do. Your happiness is my happiness.” She sobbed. “But the path you have chosen is not to your happiness but an eternal regret and pain.”
Keira didn’t reply to her and took out the black crystal and opened a portal.
“Let’s go.” She said and stepped inside the portal.
The place they arrived at was the secret guild of the Hand of Kosmos. She turned around and after confirming that Irina had worn her cloak and hidden her aura, she moved towards the Inner Hall.
“Lady Keira.” The man behind the reception politely bowed his head.
Keira only nodded to him and placed her quest list on the desk.
“I have completed all those that I had taken.” She said and placed a storage ring next to the list. “Send it to my room after the rewards have been calculated.”
“Of course.” The man didn’t say anything more and kept his head lowered as he went to work.
Keira then walked to the Intel room to gather information about what had transpired in the last few days. What she was interested in was why Aizen was heading towards the far North. She had a feeling that he was not just out on a stroll and there was something he was going after.
She had wanted to go after him when he had left Kaval but then she questioned if she even had a right to go after him. She was not the woman who was in his arms or the women he had chosen to accompany him on the travel. And seeing him surrounded by them was painful to bear. She was worried about his safety but knew very well that he was smart enough to not fall in a situation where he had no possibility of escape.
The Intel room had a Dusk-Elf at the reception. The Elf’s eyes shined when they caught her and then lowered in respect.
“Lady Keira, what command do you have for this servant?”
“Has anything big happened recently in the far North?”
“Yes, my Lady.” The young girl enthusiastically said. “The Tragedy of the Snow Wolf.”
“There was a War?” Keira asked and frowned on the name it was given.
“The clan of Azereus was destroyed and the Snowfield Alliance suffered a fatal loss of power and life.”
Keira had been aware of the situation of the far North and how Azereus were on the verge of war. But that war was not supposed to happen for the next few years.
“Send all the information we have on this war to my room. Do not leave anything out, no matter how minor.” She ordered and walked out of the room.
Her heart was restless as she was now really worried about Aizen’s safety. Her sixth sense told her that he was involved in this war and she only hoped that he was safe.
Perhaps, it was the concern on her face that when they entered their room, Irina finally talked to her, on her initiative.
“Worried about him?” She asked.
“Yes.” Keira didn’t hide it or keep silent for she was glad Irina was finally talking to her.
“Why? Because you love him?”
“Yes.” She sternly looked at her shadow as she understood what she was about to say.
“I thought you didn’t care about him since you want to kill everyone that he cares about?” Irina said and smiled as she took off the cape. “Or do you plan to use your Ability on him and make him your puppet after you have broken him?”
“Irina!” Keira couldn’t contain her anger and her Lightning sparked on her body.
“What?!”
This was the first time she had seen Irina glare back at her and not hold back the anger. Their bond conveyed to her the pain Irina was in and her anger subsided.
“Tell me what to do then,” Keira asked as she took back her lightning and sat on the bed. It was the question she wanted an answer to.
“Don’t break him if you love him, Keira. Your Family already has their hands stained in his Family’s blood. Don’t stain yours as well.”
“You want me to share him with them?”
“You have to! If you love him.” Irina said and came to sit by her side. “You will only be able to stay happy if he is happy.”
“Huh…” Keira scoffed at her words but she knew very well that what Irina was saying was the truth. And this truth made her heart ache even more.
“Do you think he will love me more than his wives?” She asked and her eyes warmed up. The tears that contained her pain slipped out and ran down her cheeks.
“No,” Irina said and wrapped her arms around her. “I won’t lie to you, Keira. The most you can get is an equal share to them.”
The pain in her heart soon turned to rage when she heard these words. This was the truth and she knew it. She would have shared him if only he loved her more than them but it was not possible.
“He will have to love me more than them if he wants them to stay alive.” She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath.
“So you are going to confess to him?”
“Yes, we will leave in the evening.”
She said and got up from the bed.
The door was knocked and soon a maid brought the Information Keira had asked for. There were details of what had transpired on The Sky Mountains. The reason for the war to have erupted so soon was believed to be Arianna Lucifer. She had warned everyone that only the Monster-Blood were allowed to get involved in it.
There was nothing about Aizen in it that could have related him to the war but there was a mention that he was present in the snowfield city the day before the war erupted. She was glad to find that he was safe and had not participated in that war. However, there was a restlessness in her heart over the name of Arianna Lucifer. She couldn’t understand what it was but she was sure that the Blood-Winged Lucifer was on good terms with Aizen. How she had refused Liafina and suggested Aizen to Yuren was the proof of that.
A thought appeared in her mind and her agitation rose.
“Irina, was there anyone else in the Star Palace other than Xeina Starlight and her shadow Ayana?” She asked.
That time when they had returned to the Star Palace after Yuren and Marvin’s duel, she had made Irina use her ability to see how many people were in the Palace. And Irina had told her that only Xeina and Ayana were there who had not appeared in front of them.
“No, no one else was in the palace other than Xeina and Ayana,” Irina said and looked curiously at Keira. “What happened?”
“Do you think Malcolm left his daughter in the Star Palace to only protect her? I think he wants her to become the Morningstar’s High-Queen.” Keira said as a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. People are after his daughter. She will be safe in the Star Palace. And besides, it’s Malcolm Starlight we are talking about. What agenda could he possibly have, other than the well-being of his child?”
“I have a strong premonition that there’s more to it. He is, after all, someone from the Higher-Realm.”
“What’s bothering you?” Irina asked.
“A Morningstar must have three High-Queens. The first is usually a Ka’zaed Blood but the second or third can be anyone who is chosen by the Morningstar.” Keira said and looked at Irina. “I think Arianna Lucifer is after the position of second High-Queen.”
“Arianna Lucifer?” Irina was shocked to hear her words. “Why would she?” She asked but then seemed to be lost in some thoughts.
“Yes. It’s just as you think it is. She left the House of Lucifer because she was not content with it. It was only strong enough to rule the Devildom but not the rest of the World. She’s a woman who loves Power and other than the Morningstar, there’s no other man in this world who could satisfy her sin of Pride.”
“It’s possible, but I don’t think Aizen would so easily make her his High-Queen,” Irina said but the worry was evident on her face.
“He will,” Keira said and sighed. “He’s a Morningstar. He loves Chaos.”
Keira’s agitation rose as she now feared Arianna Lucifer. How could she not? The Blood-Winged Lucifer was someone she had always considered as her future rival and now it had become true. With her around Aizen, she might never be able to make him love her more than the rest. Every single moment that she was away from him someone new was getting close to him.
She was lost in her thoughts when another knock on the door was heard. She thought that someone had come to deliver her storage ring but then Irina told her who it was.
“It’s Ares Stavros. Alyson Azereus and Blood-Wolf Victor are with him.” Her voice was dignified as she worriedly looked at her.
Keira couldn’t wrap her head around why Ares would come to her. The last time they had met, she had made things very clear to him. She wouldn’t mind teaching him another lesson if that was what he had come here for.
They left the bedroom and Irina put on her cloak.
“Nyxi, stay hidden. We are having some undesired guests, and if anything goes wrong, kill the weakest one first.” Keira instructed the beast before reaching for the door.
“Yes, Master.”
Keira opened the door and the all smiling face of Ares irritated her after just a glance.
“Lady Keira,” Ares said and slightly bowed in greeting. “It’s been a while.”
She didn’t like this man one bit but this was the premises of Hand of Kosmos and she couldn’t act uncivilly here.
“Lord Ares.” She just nodded. “What brings you here?”
“Are you not going to invite us in?” Ares raised his brow and smiled brightly.
“Depends on what you are here for. You have an unusual company with you.” Keira said as her eyes pointed at Alyson Azereus.
The information she had received just now didn’t mention where Alyson was.
Ares’ eyes squinted a little as he looked at the cloaked Irina. Alyson was masked and cloaked and there was no way for anyone to have recognized her.
“You don’t have to worry, Lady Keira. I have no ill-intentions.” Ares politely said.
Keira scoffed when she heard these words. This man was dangerous and it was impossible for him to not hold a grudge against her for what she had done to him. However, it was very unlikely that he would create disturbance here in these premises, so, she gestured them to come in.
They all sat down on the couches. Keira called for a maid that soon came and served them with wine and snacks.
Ares had not initiated the talk until the maid had left and Keira didn’t ask.
“I have been asked by my family to find myself a Queen and none of my wives are worthy of it.” Ares started the conversation and sipped his glass of wine.
Keira didn’t like the fact that this man looked down on his wives and this only added to her dislike of him. She knew what he was about to say and her lips curved in a pale smile.
“I still want you to be my Queen,” Ares said in his husky voice and smiled at her.
A purple glint passed Keira’s eyes and her Lightning sparked on her body. Victor and Alyson immediately stood up on either side of Ares. They looked ready to stop Keira if she approached their Lord.
“You think they can protect you?” Keira’s eyes became severe. “Why don’t you use your ability to see what’s about to happen to you?”
Ares frowned at her words but then he used his ability as even the whites of his eyes turned black. The moment his eyes returned to normal he shot up from the couch and nervously looked behind him.
“Nightmare Lynx.”
Ares’ words served as a shock to his two guards and their nervousness was reflected in their wavering postures.
“Yes. And I am not interested in listening to your gibberish. State the real reason why you have come here.” Keira said and called back her lightning element.
Ares still looked uncomfortable but sat down on the couch. He laughed nervously and shook his head.
“Nothing less could be expected of you.” He said and then looked at her. “Is the reason why you refuse me because I am not as handsome as the Morningstar?”
Keira glared at him and warned him one last time.
“Why have you come here?” She asked as she unleashed her Aura in the room.
Ares realized the intensity of her anger and got to the point.
“I have a deal for you.” He said. “It’s about the Morningstar.”
♛ Author’s Note:
Ahem… Yandere Alert!.
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